Thursday, July 14, 2011

Beginning...

Day 1 in Budapest:
Arrived at the airport in the morning with a taxi waiting for us.
Found our new home and waited a few minutes outside for someone to meet us (since we actually had no idea what number flat was ours and couldn't ring them from the door).
The landlady welcomed us, showed us around, and discussed details. One major perk... She speaks great English!
We hit the bank to exchange money and pay the rest of our rent.
Then a lady from my school arrived with all kinds of treats: food, money, TP, map, metro passes, and a grocery list in Hungarian and English. The essentials. It was a very warm welcome!
After everyone left the house, we kicked off our shoes and rested a bit before heading off to explore and get some necessary items.
We strolled the streets across the bridge to a HUGE shopping center. Shopping! I am in fashion heaven (not that it takes much for me after three years in Kenya). Some of our first purchases: pillows, laundry soap, dishwashing soap, sponges, hair dryer and curling iron. (The hair electronics weren't necessary but why not? I didn't own a curling iron in Kenya, so this will be kinda fun.)
We came back to the flat, took a long nap, woke up for dinner at an unexpected find, Marxim, a communist themed pizza and beer restaurant.
The night ended with a walk on the Buda side of town (our side) and our eyes closed before the slingbox movie was half over.
We were TIRED!

Day 2 in Budapest:
Woke up after sleeping like logs, ate some yogurt and cereal, then headed out for some shopping...
First, T-mobile for a cell phone SIM card. We have a Hungarian phone number now.
Second, off to IKEA! Where we were a bit overwhelmed since we have NOTHING and IKEA has EVERYTHING. So we decided to start with the basics: bed and blankets, couch, garbage cans, clothes drying rack, and two candles (to mask the somewhat strange scent left by the previous occupants of our flat). They will deliver it all tomorrow afternoon (Day 3). New stuff! Exciting!
Last, grocery shopping. Tacos for dinner tonight - our first legitimate meal in the new abode.

I think we've gotten off to a good start. Slowly we're finding our way around and making this home. We have a long way to go, but even today I got to use some of my VERY limited Hungarian (thanks to YouTube) by saying "Angolul?" (English?) No English, so the next word, "Segitsig." (Help.) With a lot of gesturing and these two simple words, I got the IKEA guy to help us move a bed box. "Kosonom!" (Thank you!)

We're on our way...! :)

3 comments:

  1. Oh how fun and exciting! We'll be having tacos tonight too, by the way... :) Loved seeing bits of your new home. Can't wait to see more!

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  2. looks like you going to be very interesting and I can't wait to follow your blog. thank you! I hope one day to make the move there too. can you elaborate on how one can get a job in an international school in Hungary, pay, contract, etc?
    thank you very much!
    Chante

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  3. Wow, exciting stuff! What an adventure.

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