I'm a young soul in this very strange world

Today I got my students card at last. The funny thing is that I still haven't got the e-mail informing it that it is available. And actually I went to the office yesterday when there wasn't a long queue and guess what happened? There was a blackout and they couldn't do anything. So I went back today, waited for 45 minutes and got my card. Meanwhile my lecture had already started, or at least that was what I thought. I was quite naive. It was cancelled, again. I'm attending university now for six weeks and I had only one lecture on Literature. (Not that I miss it or anything.)

As for the seminar related to it, I'm to write a poem. In English. Hellooooo, I don't do poems. I don't read them and I definitely don't write them. OK, of course there are certain pieces of poetry about which I admit how fantastic they are but still. I don't write poems. Not in any language. I just don't.

These six weks were enough to get my first marks. I got a five on my summary for Academic Skills, I was over the moon. I like that class, and I love my teacher. (We have marks 1-5, 1 means you failed, 5 is the best.) Then I wrote my very first, well test (we have a very fancy name for it, or rather scary?) on Introduction to Linguistics. That's one of the courses I don't expect much of 'cause I could hardly be less interested in it. It turned out that my test wasn't half bad, I got 26 out of 30 points on it. If we had got a grade on it, that would be a 4, I think. And I would be perfectly fine with it if I didn't know that I lost a point on a topic I actually know. Bye, bye mark 5...

Yesterday I visited the exhibition called Bodies. I think the exhibition has already travelled around half of the world. It's in Budapest since summer I guess and finally I had time (and courage) to visit it.



Wow I saw so many corpses! I got nauseous after what, fifteen minutes? And this feeling didn't let me be even hours after the experience. Talking about experience, that was a remarkable one. At first I was shocked about the knowledge that I'm among many, many dead bodies but then my curiousity took over the power. The room with the embryos was disturbing, nevertheless. But otherwise I was all right; If I had taken a notebook with me or I had better memory (yeah, right) I could have learnt many new English words. This way, though, I had to focus on (my sense of) humour in order the nausea not to develop further. I did a great job, it didn't. And I made some interesting observations.

And nightmares didn't come after it as expected. What a surprise! And that was the bright side of the night as it turned out that we tend to forget about locking the front door... Okay so the building has a quite safe gate and cameras but still. We should lock it, we even have grate to ensure the safeness of the flat, yet we use only the fastener. We definitely have to change this habit of ours. Who knows?

(P.S. I have next Tuesday FREE! :D) 

I'm freezing.

I slept in my winter pajamas, under both my summer and winter blanket. And I was cold. I am cold.

I'm tired like hell.

I haven't slept properly since Wednesday. We went out, played poker, looked for a club, chatted till 4 a.m. On Thursday we had our so called after party. It sucked actually. The pub or club or whatever it was was open aired and even the spirit was off. On Friday I came home (and I'm here for two more hours). We have a Wine Festival in the weekend and so you should understand me that I had to go there on Friday. Our region's speciality is Kadarka or Bull's blood but I drank only a glass of rosé from my friend's wine. It was great. ;) Then, yesterday I went to a wedding and a wedding party afterward.  I hate them... Hundreds of strangers. Part of them know you because you are relatives but you don't know them. Horrible. And no matter how much I drank at the beginning, I was a bit dizzy but it soon faded away. I went to bed what, 3. a.m?

And I'm so not looking forward to this three-hour trip back to the capital. I hope it a bus has air-conditioning, the heater operates when necessary, too.

When = now.

And I have some homework to do. And lots and lots of tidying.

Magnificent.

I'm not here.

I was just doing my homework for linguistics, checking it, actually. Being at home I'd have done it at many other sites but on my notebook everything is different. At home I have Hungarian Windows with English MSN and Firefox here I have English Windows, though Firefox and MSN uses the Hungarian language. This is the last page where I can check English spelling... It didn't turn out useless.

I'm still to write down tons of unknown words from Abrams' Critical Theory. At first I was like OMG, what on earth and more importantly how? but then I got the hang of it and understood what was important.

And I know that I was going to write about every little aspect of starting a relatively new life but... it's tiring. And writing a blog in  Hungarian is much more funny. I helped my friends with their Japanese and Latin studies (although I don't speak either of them) and found so many interesting relations! Okay, stupid ones. XD But they make studying a lot more enjoyable!

What can I say... Um, I experience such contrasts... Last week was all sunny and hot, one morning I got the cover off my legs and realised how tanned my foot became where it hadn't been covered by my flip-flops and now... Now it's dull, it's raining and I'm on the verge of freezing. 10 degrees Celsius means a nice, mild winter day. But now it's only September! And there's another contrast considering my timetable. I love Monday and Tuesday but on Wednesday everything just turns wrong... IT was a complete waste of time last week, linguistics simply not interest me, even though the lecturer is fantastic and politics... I could have been a good lecture, had the lecturer better pronounciation. A lot better. And a microphone.

Nothing interesting happened, though I was at a concert which was awesome. When I told a guy about it and I mentioned that I really enjoyed it but I'd never heard of the band before he shook his head and asked me where on earth I lived.

Well, in the country. :)

I miss it... No peace, no calmness, no mum or dad, no fresh air but crowd, crowd and crowd.

And rain. Uh.

(And homework. Double uh.)

Today I had only one lecture. (Professional Writing)

One hell of a lecture! I LOVED it! (: I had only three classes so far but all the teachers were so cool, though I don't really like this word. Jófej, that's it. So this last one of them (who is neither British nor American but Hungarian) showed a video to us at the beginning of the class. He said "enjoy".

I did enjoy it, a lot. That was so unexpected but a nice surprise nevertheless. He said that it was a cheerful video and he wanted us to be cheerful 'cause this is the beginning of our first term. He did a good job.

Here it is.



(The lecture was good as well, but this... this was amazing.)

Now I'm a student for real! Yesterday I had my very first classes. I started with a spare lesson (hurray) (Philosophy, very exciting...) so I was free till 1.30. pm. I used that time to travel around, explore some places. Let's just say it was all in vain and not a nice experience. First of all the bus simply disgusting. So when a guy on my second seminar asked me for a place I'd been but never ever want to go again I mentioned that bus. Phew. So smelly. And it was full of people I don't want to meet even in daylight. Late at night? OMG! So I traveled for 45 minutes in search of a primary school where the volleyball practice was to be held but I got lost the minute I left the bus. You see, in the centre there are plates with the name of the street on it at every corner. There? Nothing... It wasn't my finest experience... Afterwards I didn't even find a bus stop where my bus was supposed to stop and in the end I got on the bus from a place that wasn't mentioned in the timetable. Mystery. I still don't know where on earth I was...

And it was all in vain 'cause at the end I couldn't go to the practice as I miscounted something really badly. I got home from the uni at 5.15/20 pm and I was already too late to depart... I'm so scatterbrained sometimes...

But at least my seminars were great. They were simply awesome, especially the first one. It's called Academic Skills and I have a lovely teacher! She is so much like my former English teacher who I love to death. She is English, has a nice sense of humour and when she asked us where we were from, she actually knew these places! She even knows that my town is famous for it's wine. :) Now I have some homework to do and some books to buy but I don't mind it at all. I'm anticipating them actually. Buying books is always fun and we are to write about English, ELTE and our future in 300 words. Hell, I see it how much I have to delete from it. XD

The second seminar was with an American teacher. It wasn't half bad either but I like the British pronounciation better. And seven of us was late because we went to the wrong room and their teacher didn't came on time... Nice introduction.

But we survived. :) And now I'm going for my first lecture ever. Yay!
(That was sincere.)

I'm so well-informed now... Okay, not but I should be. This Information Day or something was quite boring but at least I met a nice new girl who is from the south. At last! I was so shocked to learn that almost everybody is from some northern (or eastern) part of the country (apart from the six of us who are from the same school) but finally I found someone.

We live far, far away from home.

I'm getting accustomed to the city-life. There are a lot of foreigners, bookstores (fast-food restaurants) so I can survive. I was in a huge Libri today but I didn't buy anything. I couldn't decide on either book I fell in love with and I really don't have that much money right now. Maybe next week. :) And guess what I came across with then! English books on sale in the building of our Department. Lovely. ^^ I almost bought a combined dictionary-thesaurus 'cause I don't own a good English dictionary (despite I've been learning this language for 12 years now) only a German one (the best edition available) although I can't utter a word Deutsch anymore. At the end I didn't get it because it wasn't an Oxford dictionary, so I don't now. Oxford is still Oxford...

So what I did do? I registered to the SEAS (School of English and American Studies) library. I fell in love with it when I first saw it in January. First of all, it's gigantic. And it has such a nice place! It's in a built-in yard of the main building of the Faculty. According to the seniors it was placed there because the university didn't have the money for  a new building so they put a roof above a quadrangle. The walls are covered by beautiful bricks and there are statues by them. Gorgeous! It has such an atmosphere!

And now I'm a member of it. (: 

Aaaand the representatives of the Student Council told us about the forthcoming parties. Next week of later we will make the after party of the camp. :D I can't wait! And as our group gained 3rd place in the content we can drink for free. :D OK, I doubt that the whole night but still...

Life is beautiful. (:

I moved in finally. It happened yesterday actually but I didn't have an Internet connection till this afternoon. It wasn't that interesting. I had a LOT of stuff. Now it's quite home-like. I put my books (all three of them) and my perfume on the bureau,  covered my bed. I also brought two cushions, so it really feels like home. :) And I didn't mention my desk with the notebook - mmmh, favorite place. <3

I didn't have any obligation for today so I went sightseeing with my newly made acquaintances. Have I mentioned how fantastic/great/awesome the camp was? Yeah? Yeah. :) It turned out that one of the girls is from Budapest and she showed us around the city quite well. I'm always forced to modify my opinion about the people living here. As a town girl I experienced how rude and pompous they are (which they are) but now I know two girls, both of them cheerful and cool. And how many foreigners there are!

Now I also have a taste of Budapest's public transportation. Holy hell! Firstly I traveled with the tram and it was sooooo crowded that I didn't even have the opportunity to validate my ticket (as I couldn't move towards the machine at all). I'm a bilk. But hey, I really couldn't help it! And I bought a season ticket afterward so I'm okay for the month. I showed it to the controllers at least three times at the subway. (See, I'm preparing for my journey. XD) So sightseeing. The only problem was that my parents took home the batteries and I couldn't use the camera. What a sightseeing tour, I know. I must mend myself some day... I'm really not familiar with the city... But at least I know how to get home (home home), to the flat, to the university, what else would I need? Maybe a library. A cafe (without horrible prices) and a club. Ahem. 

I found a little piece of heaven, by the way. We strolled on Váczy út and there it was. A tiny (or not so) International Bookstore. I hope there prices are not international... If they would be I'm still good. There are four/five bookstores opposite the English/American Department.

Oh, heaven. (:

Tomorrow I'm going to school and will be given... well, information. Can' t wait.

Courses... I don't know how it works at other places but our system sucks. I think so, at least. They count some scores for you according to several data but at the end your luckiness is what counts the most. The English Department is a big one, maybe the biggest in this faculty so I can choose each seminar from 20 options.

I chose. They played magician. And I didn't make one of them - the only one which is worth 4 credits. Pff. The computer told me I'm the 18th, but only 16 students are in. You could ask why I'm complaining if I have such a wide range of seminars to choose from. Why? 'Cause 17 out of 18 seminars I'd be 'lucky' at don't suit with my timetable. That sucks.

Only one option is left. Or I can still cross my fingers and pray for someone to give up the course so I can be in it. How promising.

I've been consoling myself for hours. It's not enough that I have to choose American English over British if I want to get a scholarship (which I do, and it's quite probable - I'm befriending with the idea), I can't decide whether to choose a Minor or a Specialization. I've never considered the latter but I searched for it and hell, they have good programs! I always wanted to take up a new language. A small European one (Danish) or a huge Asian (Chinese or Korean) but now what? I hate being this indecisive...

So I'm consoling myself. Maybe I'll take up Webdesign. Sounds interesting. Oh, and I downloaded a manga. What a shame I'm too tired to actually read it...

If I guess right (which I tend to do) I managed to create my account here. Yay for me!
Lot's of new things happened to me recently and I think this will be the scheme for the next few months. I'm very excited but also nervous. Independence sounds cool, incredibly cool but it means a lot of stress and responsibility too. Starting from next week I will be stuck in a city with millions of people. I'll be own my own, how scary. Okay, I will not be all alone, I'm renting a flat with three of my friends, but still.

Let's clear what's happened up till now. On 24th July the results of the university applications were revealed. I don't know how it works at other places of the world but I know that in the US for example you can be admitted to several institutions. Well, in Hungary you cannot. Sucks? Yeah, it does. So you applied in February, took your school leaving exams in May-June and waited till the end of July to get this very important piece of information - whether you're accepted to somewhere or no.

Apparently, I was. :) And I'm going to study at one of the most famous universities in the country. Why English? 'Cause I'm incredibly indecisive and it's my all time favourite subject. I was very good at History too - heck, I own my best results in History (5th in the country?) but I never considered it as an opportunity. Am I strange? I don't think so but who knows? :)

Back to the time line. I don't know how it is at other parts of the world but here freshmen have a nickname. We are called 'storks'. I don't know why this bird specifically but... but it's a custom. (OK, probably English 'freshman' means the same but still, just so you know :) In August/September the schools organise camps for the freshman so that they can get to know each other. Ours were held last weekend, we went to lake Balaton.

There are many rumors about these camps but I have only the best experiences. I had a really good time with my future school mates. The programs were funny, the parties great, our seniors helpful - it was awesome. I hope my Brazilian friends 'trick' goes well too and he survives. it. :) I think it has roughly the same aim.
Now I'm over with the administration, too. It was a horrible amount of paperwork. Brrrr.

For now I can lay back I think and concentrate on the things I want to take with me to Budapest. I'm moving in on Sunday, Information Week starts on Monday. Oh yeah, and I can hope that I can make my chosen courses... Cross your fingers, please!

Bye