package!

these are so cute i just had to put them first!

liz sent me a package!

inside was the cutest book she made of the pictures of our vacation. it's a real book (like bound) and has narrations/captions on all the pages. so fun! it's my favorite!

some conversation hearts so i can share them with my kiddies, a box of brownie mix which i gave to a colleague b/c hers wouldn't rise, chalk holders because i HATE having chalk dust on my hands all day everyday, scooby doo mac 'n' cheese because... well because it's wonderful! a necklace, biore strips, tampons with applicators (sorry if it's TMI, but it made me happy), flossers - you know, those little plastic things, a CD of some music she likes, the first season of "the big bang theory" which is said to be pretty funny, a CD of the pictures from our trip, some cute dishes - a bowl and a plate - plastic, my favorite! (first picture), and some drink mixes that i can add to bottled water - yes!

wanna see?

the book!
the chalk holders! no more chalk dusty hands!

the brownie mix with a note to colleague rita

thanks, beenie!!

also, if you want to send something, here's my address again:

Zrínyi Ilona Gimnázium (or just ZIG)

Christie
4400 Nyíregyháza
Széchenyi út 29-37
HUNGARY

farsang

this week was farsang (far-shong) at ZIG (my school). it's a celebration of sorts where kids dress up to scare winter away/welcome spring/just have fun. it's like halloween in america, except high schoolers still dress up and go to school... and there's no candy.

when i got to school that day one of my kids (the kid in the hat behind the cowgirls) was in the hall waiting for me. i got close to the classroom door and he flashed me! all he was wearing under his trench coat was an undershirt and some tighty whities (that were aqua). what the!?!?

9A

this is one of the assistant principals.
later he was joined by a group of playboy bunnies.

some students of mine... nuns and playboy bunnies.

some 12Cers... they are the cleaning ladies (aren't they cute?)... and a scary fairy.

these kids - dressed as the #10 bus - came into a few of my classes to count how many students dressed up. they even made beeping sounds when they backed up.

this is gabi - one of two teachers who dressed up.

here are laci and aniko'. laci found someone's sword and tried to kill aniko' with it. she doesn't seem to mind. they are so freaking funny!

here i am with agi on farsang. we are not trying to scare winter away. we're just sweeties.

here is 11E (wind up doll, gogo girl, part of the scooby gang - the rest are in another class - and a certain cowboy who makes me laugh so much in class)

aww, velma and daphnie from scooby doo. (later these girls and i went to a costume shop so i could scout the wig selection available for drama festival)
11A - balasz and david didn't really dress up, one had fake tteth, the other a sign pinned onto his hoodie. a school girl, devil girl, wizzardess, bunny, and little kid. good bunch, i like 'em.

how does he even know who that is?


all in all, farsang was fun. there was an hour-long contest in the gym during school to decide who had the best costumes. i wasn't in a place to get some great pics, so i didn't take pics of the winners. JOKER was the best one... he was terrifying. if i can get the school's photographer's pics, maybe i'll post some another time.

culture shock

sorry i haven't updated in a while. i've been having a rough time with what i have diagnosed as culture shock. i don't know why it has taken me six months to get there, but it has, and i'm there.

the reality of my life here is that it's really not bad at all. i have a job, friends, even a family i get to be a part of on weekends. i'm not entirely alone at home since i have xander. though i can't deny how lonely i feel at home every night by myself. there is a sub-reality, too. that is that even when i'm with people (which is at least all day 4 days a week) i feel distant. of course there is the ever-present language barrier, but i'm able to cope with that one for the most part. there is also a cultural barrier that is significant and usually obvious to me. that's stuff like i don't get (most) hungarian jokes and hungarians don't get (some of) mine. there is also the homesickness barrier which involves the isolating fact that even the people who know me best in hungary have only known me for six months. i miss being surrounded by people who know me and my life and my past and my personality already. no offense to my hungarian peeps, they're doing well to get to know me and let themselves be known, but it's just... different.

[edited out because i want to keep my job]

so while i was home (sick) today i cleaned the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. i think it was the first time in about 3 weeks. i'm not proud of the state i let the apartment get to, but i don't apologize for it either. when i'm bummed, it doesn't help me to clean. today i forced myself to do it. i took out three bags of trash (don't get crazy, they are like midget trash can bags), washed every dish and piece of cutlery i could remember using, did the stovetop, bathtub, vacuumed, and did 3 out of 4 loads of laundry. and i listened to my iPod all the while, singing with all my heart as i revamped my apartment life.

oh, when i took the trash out i saw a black person on the other side of the street. i stared a little.

i was supposed to have a private lesson with some sweet girls this afternoon, but as i got ready to leave to meet them i looked at my phone and saw i had received a text from one of them which cancelled the lesson. i was happily surprised and even a little glad that something had tricked me into getting dressed for the day.

prayers are certainly welcome for my state of mind. i can't wait to think the differences between american and hungary are funny again. right now i just find them irritating.

when i googled "culture shock" and read a few articles, it suggests getting back in touch with my american-ness. watching movies or t.v. from america, eating american foods (which i miss much more now than i have since i've been here), talking to friends and family, hanging out with other ex-pats from USA (there aren't too many around these parts) should all do me a world of good. oh, i should also get involved in some regular activity and maintain my language learning. i should go to the same shops all the time and become a regular somewhere. i should say hi to my neighbors.
things i'm supposed to avoid isolating myself, figuring out ways to go home, talking/thinking negatively about hungary/hungarians, and trying to deny that i'm having culture shock.

some sights that have been helping me out by making me laugh are:
passiveaggressivenotes.com
cakewrecks.blogspot.com
failblog.org
postcardsfromyomomma.com
postsecret.com

for valentine's day

in hungary, the name day for valintine's day is "balint" so people wish each other "happy balint day" more often than they wish "happy valintine's day."

this week some of my students asked me "what color are you going to wear on friday?"
i was like... "uh, i don't know; it's tuesday."
they explained that if you are taken/in a relationship then on friday you should wear red.
if you are in a complicated relationship which may or may not continue, you should wear yellow.
if you are free/single, you should wear green.

i wore a burnt orange shirt on friday... because i forgot all about valentine's day.

BUT, there were signs all over the school reminding people (in hungarian) and in each class i had people take it seriously.

this is one of the many signs around the school. the first word in each circle is a color, underneath it says what each color signifies. under green it says "i am free"

here are some kiddies advertising their status to the school (and via my blog, to the world).

it also snowed a lot on thursday night/friday all day. here is a short video:

sorry i was grouchy in this. i think i'm so homesick because i'm sick of the cold weather. i miss texas!! or even florida. :(

today

the weather today is this:

that's snow, sleet/hail, and rain... i think. well, that's what it's doing outside. just ask xander.

i think i'm going to return to hungary next year. it's pretty certain i'll be in a different town, and very certain i'll be in a different school (even if i do stay in this town). bittersweet news, but i'm always game for a new adventure. i'll write more as it unfolds.

this week i've been feeling pretty homesick. i miss things you can't mail me. things like:
my family and friends,
the way america runs (with certainty, direction, purpose, logic),
shopping and being able to understand what i'm reading,
watching t.v.,
american accents,
a queen size bed with no crack down the middle,
doorways without threshholds to trip over,
radio (playing songs i know... that aren't from 10+ years ag0),
driving,
eating out,
smiling faces of strangers,
my esl immigrants,
whole wheat bread,
skim milk!!!,
chick-fil-a,
dryers,
modern buildings everywhere,
customer service,
having people around me who understand that i sometimes laugh for no reason and they don't make me explain it - you know, people who know me know me.

i realize the irony of the juxtaposition of my decision to stay another year and my recap of homsickness, but that irony has been staring me in the face all week, so i thought i'd share it.