I am in Budapest. Budapest, as in Hungary. You may or may not have noticed I am not using contractions. This is because I am using a Hungarian keyboard, which at first glance is a QWERTY but has certain, er, quirks (qwerks), which I still cannot get used to. For one, the apostrophes. Two, Zs and Ys are switched, thus often producing the mysterious new pronoun zou. Anyway. This is my poor excuse of a segue into the attempt of answering the burning question: Budapest?! Huh??

Basically, it's pretty sweet. First impressions so far are that it's quite beautiful, but there's also a curious element of opposites going on, especially in terms of architecture. Side by side you will see two buildings, one with beautiful stone sculptures, oxidized copper facades, tall columns, and all that European old charm that Americans drool over simply because it looks like it could have been around before the Louisiana Purchase was a twinkle in Jefferson's eye, and then one building that looks like it was airlifted out of Kruschev's Moscow. Also, that European quaintness is doubly contrasted by the graffiti thats absolutely everywhere, even on what I would consider really fancy buildings. The strip malls right outside the city look very much like something out of Ware, Mass., so there are dreary consumerist brushstrokes added to the mix right there.

I found out that I will actually be working mornings at the high school in Pest (the flatter, newer, larger half of the city east of the river) and spend afternoons at the kindergarten in Buda (older, more posh side west of the Duna). So I will be crossing the river every day in the tram. I think that's the part I love most about living in cities, familiarizing myself with the public transport system. I find out where I'm living in a few days, which hopefully will be central enough. It is now almost 10 pm, and bed calls to me. Over and out for now.