

The first morning in Budapest I woke up ambitiously early and set out to find a nice journal to record some thoughts as they came to me. So I scoured whatever stores were open, the most awkward individual in the city. I was reprimanded at one store for walking in before it was open, another for going in through the exit door and trying to get through the turnstile backwards. At least that’s what I think was happening; finally the lady just waved me through begrudgingly. I finally found an Office Depot, and I was like “Nice, this is perfect.” Of course, not being able to read the labels on the shelves is a bit of an impediment. After scouring through calendars and various other non-journals, I found the notebooks. There she was: a sleek black beauty, wrapped in plastic, with a nice place-mark and pen holder attached. Perfect! I managed to check out relatively competently and get it back to the hotel room. After a few days, finally, a thought! So I tear into my new journal excitedly and find … graph paper.

Cave tours are always legit, but they become even more interesting when given in Hungarian. At one point, we stood still for a good 15 minutes, listening to a rant from the tour guide which appeared to fascinate all who could understand. As the group moved along, we all looked expectantly to our guide/translator Annette. “She said the cave was discovered in 1909 by spelunkers. It’s actually 6 caves in one.” Hmm, that’s really all she said?
I must admit, for the most part these experiences are just consequential results of a language barrier. Hungarian citizens are very kind, respectful people, and I’m sure our experience with them will be wonderful. It’s just too much fun to reflect on the awkward and uncomfortable events of the early days.
-Lee
Lee Bartnik, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point majoring in dietetics, is blogging about his study abroad experience in Hungary.