Hey guys! I just flew into Budapest, and boy are my arms tired! Anyway, a lot of stuff has happened over here, some interesting, some not. It's a foreign country though, so the prosaic details of everyday life automatically take on a special significance!
Anyway, here's a quick recap of the events of the last few weeks.
The first day I came here I went to the beautiful Holnap Szives Museum of Artistic Expressionism, named after a famous Hungarian painter. Inside were many beautiful paintings by the artist, including one very artistic piece of a little girl, finger to lip and clad in blue, staring over her shoulder as a Nazi tank rolled over her doll. The van Gogh influence was obvious, but not overstated. Truly Szives deserves to be better known. It was so much cooler than anything back in the United States!
Then I went to a beautiful Hungarian restaurant, or "ristorante" (that's the local word for such things). The Hungarians have developed an exquisite and little-known cuisine which has at its core the art of deep-frying things in the lipids of various animals. I personally enjoyed the "almas dios," which — just like it sounds — is an apple deep-fried in the same tank as a duck liver, both presented on a white china plate with a garnish of parsley and a generous sprinkling of Black Sea salt. As the Hungarians say, "Buen provecho!" Definitely much better tasting than anything I've had in America.
I closed out that whirlwind first day (though I was super duper jet lagged!) with a night out at a local dance club — "el nicht club," as it's known in the local vernacular. Please believe me when I say that the partying was wilder and more fun than anything I've experienced in the continental U.S.A. And the girls are hot! Apparently my flight out of America's Breadbasket landed right in Europe's Meatmarket! (No pun intended.)
Basically every day since then has been exactly the same, except it just kept getting more fun every day. The fun didn't stop! I feel bad for those stuck in the ol' 48 plus two, they can't ever understand what I mean.
Here are some more highlights of my life so far:
Jan. 22 — I visit a national monument to Hungarians who died tragically in wars throughout the years. Truly a majestic setting and one which makes you reflect solemnly upon the shortness of one's own life. Life is too short to not wring every last bit of fun out of it like water from a towel. You're only on this earth for a short time, bra, make the most of it. Ya dig?
Jan. 25 — Meet a beautiful Hungarian girl with blue eyes. We fall madly and passionately in love, take it back to my place, and no strings attached. Truly a majestic experience and one which makes you reflect solemnly upon the importance of universal love. Life's too short not to love other people. We're only on this earth for a short time together, bras and bra-ettes, make the most of it. Ya dig?
Jan. 27 — I meet my roommates. We go to local bars, buy hella drinks for everyone, and in general cement a life-long friendship which will last. As I was stone-colding brews while my bros chanted behind me, I had a majestic epiphany which made me reflect solemnly on the importance of friendship. Friendship between two people is one of the most important things there can be in this world on the long and winding road to the grave. We're only on this chunk of space rock for a little time together, dawg, so we gots to live it up. Word to ya mama.
Jan. 33 — First day of school! I spent an edifying day in class learning all about the Hungarian language and culture. As I was learning, I had an epiphany: Hungarian culture actually kinda sucks compared to American culture. In fact, most other cultures kinda suck compared to American culture, because our culture is the best culture. Try telling that to some wack-ass Hungarian teacher though! I got in a fight and was escorted out of the building. How come other countries try to keep America down? I will never understand.
Well, I guess my abroad blog got a little disjointed and rambling there, but I know other people like to hear about every single detail of my life, so whatever. I even got a little philosophical in the middle there, but sometimes that's the way the cookie crumbles in terms of where my head's at. Look for my next blog update 40 minutes from now!
Brooks Smith is a junior math and English major at Notre Dame. He can be contacted at bsmith26@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
