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Hi, everybody!
This has been pretty much a regular week. It's a little chilly and
fall-like here; in the mornings, I try to choose the sunniest path from
my house to the metro station. Oddly, the coldest place in my day is
inside the house, because the heat hasn't been turned on yet, and when
I'm studying, away from a window, I don't have the benefit of either
sunshine or vigorous movement to keep me warm.
Last Friday, Alethea and Amanda held a potluck dinner party at their
apartment. What a filling, eclectic meal! Alethea made
vegetable
soup; Mai Anh made meat-and-potato dumplings; Ian made sushi! I felt
like a mooch for only bringing storebought juice. About 10 of us ate
dinner together, but after dinner, about 10 more people came over
without food, and we played a huge game of charades. We played
without
teams, with the last person who had acted something out choosing what
the next person should act out. Whoever guessed right got to be the
next actor. This way, you knew who had thought up the thing you were
trying to guess, so you could attempt to use psychology to figure out
what they would have been likely to choose.
On Saturday, Forrest, Pei Zhuan, Natalie, Jonah, and Melody went to
Szentendre. Since I had already been there, I decided to stay home
and
work instead. While I was studying, Stephanie came home and told me
she had discovered a beautiful library close to our house, up by the
palace in the castle district. She was going there to study, so I
went
along. When we got there, I went up to the front desk to get a
library
card. (In Hungary, you need a card to enter the library, not just to
check out books.) Stephanie, who had already gotten a card, had told
me that the student fee for a 1-year card was 1500 forints, about 7
dollars, so I came prepared with my money and my Carleton ID. I
handed
my ID to the librarian and said (in Hungarian), "I'd like a 1-year
card, please." She said something I didn't understand, so I
asked her
to repeat it, and she switched to English.
"Have you been here before?"
"No," I said.
"Then I need to see your passport."
"Oh, I don't have it with me." Who carries their passport
with them
everywhere? Then if your purse gets stolen, you not only lose your
money, but your identity as well! "I can come back later and
bring it."
"I'm sorry, I need to see your passport." She was still
holding my
Carleton ID.
"Okay, I'll come back later."
"Your passport?"
"I'll come back later."
"It's a rule, I need to see your passport."
At this point I reached over the desk and took my ID card out of her
hand. I left the library, much annoyed, and Stephanie stayed to
study. Thank goodness (and Benjamin Franklin) for free libraries in
the US!
I'm going to cut this email short, because Forrest, Mai Anh and I are
going to explore a flea market. I'll write again soon, and let you
know the rest of my news! Hope you're doing well!
Viszlat,
Abra
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