Rókaűzők: Fox Chasers.

Rókaűzők (translation: Fox Chasers) is a European Universities Running Festival from Kaposvár to Pécs... and just a few days before the race, against my deepest aversions, I was persuaded to run. Rókaűzők is an international relay championship for university and high school teams and it turned out to be a lot of fun! Well, everything about it was fun, except for the running...

When I got off the shuttle at the starting point for my leg of the race, I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I saw a bunch of people hop off and immediately light up a smoke while they stretched out for the race... only in Europe!

The teams are made of twelve members including faculty and students. Each member runs one leg (from about five kilometres to twleve), making up the seventy kilometre-stretch between the twin towns. It was great to get together with some of my colleagues and students outside of school... we (Munkácsy) had a great team, and came in fourth place in the high school division! And, even though I only had to run 6.5km, it was the most I've ever run, at-once, in my life... so, I felt quite relieved to finish.

Once I passed the chip band, I wandered away from the people, following a stream out of the village (Tormás). I discovered a quiet football field surrounded by forest... and it seemed like the ideal spot for a siesta. I listened to the post-rock sounds of TNT, a throwback Tortoise album from the nineties, and let myself fade out for a bit...



Matyi, from my 13E class, not only ran for our team, but was the official photographer and helped out a lot with the race (as his father is the organizer of the programme). Thanks to Matyi for keeping me in the loop all day (and for the pics), to Betti for teaching me the fourteen vowels of the Hungarian language, to Bálint for the opportunity to be part of the team and the special Pálinka, to Laci for the relentless convincing, and to my legs for making it 6.5km without giving out... it must have been the bright orange Saucony's...

Dublin, IRELAND: Forty Shades of Green.

So, I discovered a last-minute flight to Ireland this weekend that I couldn't pass up... the price was right and the place was new... so it was a must. And, it was so rad that two of my great [America>Hungary teacher] friends could join me. Emily, David, and I tore into the capital city Thursday evening and didn't stop going until we got back on the plane for Budapest Sunday night [1].

Unscripted exploration is what I live for! With no time to plan (and, really no desire)... we just ran around the city hitting everything we could. No matter what time we went to bed (after four:am [2]), David was out getting the Irish Independent (the local times) and reading it by seven:am. So, we got an early jump each day and didn't return until everything was closed each night.












Turns out that the people in Dublin love to drink. And, well, I wasn't going to dispute cultural mythos in the few days I had there... so I did my best to 'fit in.' Lucky for me, I love Guinness! What a treat... I could get a proper pint of Guinness anywhere I went, from breakfast to closing-time and from the pub to the brewery! I had my fair share of cappuccino, Irish whisky, and water... but I would bet I drank more Guinness than the other three combined.

Naturally, we made our way to the number one international visitor attraction of the city: The Guinness Storehouse. Ah yes, the finest brewery of the land, located at St. James Gate... seven floors surrounding a glass atrium (in the shape of a Guinness pint)! The place is ridiculous... it's more like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory than a standard brewery. Oh, and on the seventh floor is the Gravity Bar where we enjoyed a pint of Guinness and the 360 degree views over Dublin City.

I have to say that the Irish kitchen is far superior to that of it's neighbor (Great Brittan) and I was happy to try most of the definitive dishes: Corn beef, Guinness Beef Stew, and Fish and Chips (Burdock's)... but it's still not as good as the Hungarian Cuisine...

On Friday night, we went to the historic Olympia Theatre on Dame Street to see New York's own MGMT. We scored tickets to the second of three sold out shows and had a blast! Now I don't feel so bad about missing them when they played the intimate Hi-Dive in Denver a few years ago (Sherrie got to see that show)... because this hot little venue is still under 1300 people and... well, it's in Dublin.














From the Dublin Castle to the bridges spanning the Liffey River, the city has some pretty remarkable architecutre, old > new. Oh, and we were incredibly fortunate to meet up with Emily's cousin: Isobel, Isobel's husband Shea, and their kids Hugh, Aiofe... they gave us an insider tour and offered local perspective... much appreciated!









Always an important mission of mine, I was able to reach the goal of scoping the contemporary art scene of the city... visiting several galleries and the three largest art museums of Dublin. My favourite was the IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art) in the Kilmainham Hospital Building. It was a beautiful campus with compelling work inside and a the refreshing Formal Gardens behind the museum. Additionally, we hit the Dublin City Gallery (Hugh Lane Contemporary Collection was incredible) and the National Gallery of Ireland. The Hugh Lane Gallery is the first public gallery of modern art in the world!

I also found the Exchange Dublin Collective Arts Centre! A space for new ideas, making connections, and taking action, Exchange Dublin creates a common public space for cross-disciplinary awareness and conversation. The space is great and the people there were so kind. In fact, I found the people everywhere in Dublin were very warm and welcoming!

And, perhaps the COOLEST DISCOVERY of the weekend, was stumbling into Biorhythm at the Science Gallery (Trinity College). This exhibition explores music and the body in ways I've never considered; I could've spent the entire day there! The thesis of the exhibit poses the following questions: What makes us dance? Why do we sing the blues? Could there be a formula for the perfect hit? Music is a central part of the human experience, but what is the natural force that drives us to sing, strum, drum and dance? What is the scientific basis of whistling, humming and toe-tapping? From an acoustic bed to sonic tables and experiments on your emotional response to pop music, BIORHYTHM allows one to feel how music moves the body through an interactive bazaar of unique sonic experiences, installations, experiments and performances from musicians, engineers and neuroscientists from around the world. Pretty dope!

And, while I was away, I see that Bryan and Sarah must have helped Luna post an announcement about my birthday on her FaceBook page... so, so much for flying under the radar. I can't even escape it when I'm on the other side of the world. At any cost, I wanted to thank all of my amazing friends and family for the kind wishes and words of support. Please forgive me for not responding to you all yet, but I will... in the meantime, know that I appreciate your love and wish you the very best in return! I also hope the Dowd's will help Luna upload some new photos of herself so we can see what she's up to these days...

Footnotes...

[1] After entering the wrong concourse (therefore exiting the one-way out from the terminal), we were forced through immigration, passport check, and security for a second time and reset for an all-out sprint through the entire airport to the gate. Boarding was closed, but they sensed our panic and let us run onto the Tarmac to board as the plane was just about to takeoff... what a break!

[2] I've been told I have an Irish whisper... now I understand what it means. Unfortunately hotel security didn't like my whisper at four:am and kindly asked me to keep it down...






[3] Unassociated Tangent: I haven't missed a beat with the Rockies surge and am loving every second of it! There could be some teams in the postseason that I actually care about this year (completely the opposite of last season; my two least favourite teams in baseball were in the Series). I'd love to see the Big Red Machine make a run... and of course, Minnesota and Colorado go all the way. There's not a more exciting team in September than my hometown Rockies... I really hope they can pull it off! Dublin is repping the Rockies too, dig this sidewalk symbol...

New School of Thought.

Finally, back to school! Don't get me wrong... I am happy to have had the time to travel around and explore Hungary... but I have been eager to experience the ways of the Hungarian school system, meet my new colleagues, and most-importantly: unite with my new students!

When I first walked in the doors of my host school, Munkácsy Mihály Gimnázium, I felt like I walked into a world of contradistinction. In many ways, things couldn't be much different from life at Wheat Ridge High School... but I think that's what I value most. I am finding that many of the things I take for granted back at Wheat Ridge are considered luxuries and I don't have access to them at Munkácsy... and things that I would stress over stateside are non-issues in Hungary. (This is my new Stúdió 122... just up a floor and the next door down from 23)

It's no surprise that the biggest challenge of the first week has been communication and overcoming the language barrier. As if it isn't enough of a challenge to start school in a new building with a new staff and new expectations, I also don't share a common language with the secretary, maintenance staff, or eighty-five percent of the faculty. Ha, it's interesting... but, like I said, it's good. It pushes me out of my comfort zone... and it's fun to try communicating anyway... with the combination of charades and throwing out my best attempt (still resulting in pitiful pronunciation) of the few Hungarian words I know, I'm able to get by.

And, the kids are awesome! I'm sure they think I'm crazy, but even my students in Colorado think I'm crazy... so, there are no hard feelings. I have a wide range of students... from age 15-20, both English and Art students, and from almost no conversational skills (and barely understanding anything I say) to almost perfectly fluent. One thing that they all seem to have in common is their interest in what I have to say and their genuine desire to improve with my help. They are very respectful and truly appreciate my contribution to their learning.

At first, when I was asked to teach Conversational English (and, thus, cut back on my Art lessons), I was disappointed. But, after learning how important it is for these students to have the opportunity to speak English with a native speaker and seeing how valuable they find it, I consider it an honour to have the chance to work with them. Meanwhile, to make up for the shortage of Art lessons, I started an Alternative Arts 'study-circle' (after school club) for the most-interested art students (both those in my classes, and those unable to take art lessons this year). I found out today that there was great interest in the club, and I was asked to offer it two days each week... so, this is rad! I look forward to seeing what they get excited about and getting them to try new things... (coming this October)

So, all in all, I am settling in just fine... I'm glad to be at Munkácsy and find it (at least some aspects) easier each day. I have to admit that my transition wouldn't have been nearly this smooth without the tenacious help of my mentor, Nóri Berzsánné-Csajaghy! She has been incredible in helping me find my way... around the school and around the town, physically and subjectively. I am so lucky to have her guidance in all of these new trials of confidence and fortitude. (this is the Tanári: the faculty room... all staff share this common area with desk space for each teacher and four computers)

Kaposvár Wine Festival.

Another impressive programme in my maybe-not-so-little town (city) of Kaposvár! Even after only being here a month, I see the same faces on my daily skate through town... and I can walk from one side of the city to the intra-furthest point in less time than it takes me to learn how to properly pronounce any simple Hungarian phrase... and there is one art store, one Mexican restaurant, and zero record stores. But, it's charm is incredible. There are more bakeries and fountains in Kaposvár then there are dispensaries and Starbucks in Denver. It's refreshing and it's no wonder that there are so many programmes scheduled for this city centre...

This weekend celebrated two things... of course, the season's newest local vintage (always popular and always delicious in Hungary), and the finished renovation of the new city concert hall! Kossuth Tér, the heart of the city square, just got even more beautiful... adding another cobblestone pedestrian-way and more fountains to reverberate one of the city slogans: city of fountains.

There were concerts and vendors and there was plenty of wine in Kossuth Square this weekend... On Saturday night, Magdi Rúzsa performed the headlining set on the centre stage next to the cathedral. Rúzsa is a famous Hungarian singer who won the 2006 title of Megasztár... Hungary's answer to American Idol. She had some pipes and it was cool to hear her sing in both Hungarian and English. Sunday night closed with a laser show... interesting (not necessarily good, but interesting)...

Szentendre: An Artist Colony.

Szentendre is a picturesque royal market town, about twenty kilometers from the capital... and has more resident artists per capita than anywhere else in the country. With a rich history, once populated by Romans for over a millennium, Szentendre is now a melting pot of Serbians, Bulgarians, Slovaks, Germans, Greeks, Croatians, and of course Hungarians. The town is characterized by a south European atmosphere with colourful baroque architecture, churches, cafés, galleries, narrow streets and cobblestone roads... gorgeous!

I stumbled upon the Margit Kovács Museum, and discovered the incredibly talented ceramic artist, concentrating on delicate line and form to represent clever perspective on folk-family-religious sentiments. I look forward to going back to see more work by "the poet of clay" (as my time and museum renovation prematurely ended my visit)...


I walked in and out of many galleries in the small village and was impressed with the contemporary scene represented in such an old-school town: Aktív Art Gallery, the Szentendre Képtár, Palmetta Design Studio, and the new Studio Lajos Uajda...

This is an old wine cellar/studio/residence/storefront... you can see the door to the wine cellar on the floor, eh? I'll be back to Szentendre for sure... probably as soon as someone comes to visit!

Budapest: The Twin Cities.

Impulsively , I am recognizing my affinity for the city of Budapest, and realize that I'll be spending much of my time here. While I don't live in the capital, it is quite easy to get forth and back... by car, bus, or train. I've taken all three methods of transport, and all are worth it.








I draw this association to the 'twin cities' for two reasons... first of all, it's baseball season (in my mind and in the US), so naturally I am thinking of the Minnesota Twins. [Brief interposition: I'll be pulling for the Twins all the way to the Series and am looking forward to watching their run.] And, secondly, it's (sort of) relevant in regards to the historical foundation of the city. Only in the late nineteenth century, Budapest became one city occupying both banks of the Danube with the unification of the west-bank Buda and the east-bank Pest.

Nonetheless, it's an amazing city and I feel fortunate to live so near. I just spent a week in Budapest at the Hungarian Fulbright Orientation Seminar. My entire week was humming, just as I like it... packed full of introductions, lectures, tours, and even a few Hungarian language classes. So, professionally, I was loaded... and then, of course, I had to make time for independent fun as well.



It was rad... I finally had the opportunity to meet all of the American Fulbright grantees to Hungary. There are a total of twenty-one Fulbrighters from the US, and they're some pretty impressive cats. Everyone has a unique assignment and a dynamic background... from religious studies to political science to set design to mathematics to medicine and further. But beyond the scope of the grantees, the attention and care that the Fulbright Commission offers us continues to be top notch. Annamária and the entire crew in Budapest have been so kind and generous.

I really appreciated the ad rem lectures of the weekly programme. I learned a great deal about the Hungarian political structure, economic climate, history, higher education model, cultural dispositions... all sorts of valuable information to set me up with a deeper knowledge-base as I head out, wandering and wondering... There were a few specific presentations (particularly: Dr. Tamás Daróci Bárdos, composer / conductor who, for one year was a student of Zoltán Kodály; and Dr. Balázs Ablonczy, expert in political philosophy and foreign scientific reviews) that elevated my interest in sociology... thus, inspiring me to start gathering information for a future essay. I've got a bunch of ideas strewing now, but I'm trying to collect them to explain my perspective and reaction to cultural differences and integration... well, that's the broad scope, but most likely I'll focus on a much narrower spectrum. For now, it's still too beautiful outside to stay still and write... so, I may not roll on the essays until winter.

Outside of the lectures and logistics, we spent a lot of time touring the city... and, again, there's no way I can offer the tour with words (or even with photos)... but here are a few spots we visited... more sights for a return trip, more photos for another post...




Walking along the river (on the Pest side), this is a shot of the Buda Castle at dusk...

Csendes Létterem... hip chaotic coffee house in district V.






Here are the Fulbright offspring... checking out the Hercules Fountain at the Castle of Visegrád...


This is the authentic fifteenth century wine cellar of the Rennaisance Étterem... after a royal feast (four-course meal, palinka, wine, etc.), Visegrád port of call...


Hősök tere (Heroes' Square): home to both the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art.





Invitational dinner at the home of the Public Affairs Officer (a beautiful Buda mansion on the hill)... I had the opportunity to speak with Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, the US Ambassador to Hungary, in addition to a handful of diplomats telling their stories of their foreign service tours, etc... pretty wild! [photo credit: David Grosskopf]

Just another gorgeous building in Budapest... original ornamentation, ridiculous colour!







And, there is a reason why people don't make a big deal out of any other river bends... there's nothing like the Danube Bend from atop the Visegrád Castle (home to Dracula for over a decade)...