Breakables, etc

  I've been pretty good with money since landing in Budapest.  I've been forced to be so....iffy pay schedules and "feast or famine" tutoring scenarios kind of made it so.
  I have managed to acquire a few precious items in the past year, things that will be beautiful functional  reminders of our time in Europe.  Wanna see?

  This little collection represents three countries.  The red plate is from the Czech Republic, and at eight euro, a screamin' deal.  The blue plate is from the Tihany Peninsula, Lake Balaton, Hungary.  That blue is so deep, so vibrant, so marine, a person might be tempted to dive right into it. I love the whimsical horse design on it as well. The small floral dish is a gift from Debra, who purchased it in Paris.  My own little piece of the City of Lights.

  This plate is from a gift shop which sits beneath the shadow of the mighty, Hunyadivár, that vast and brooding fortress in Hunedoara, Romania. The "tree of life" motif is widespread in the former "greater Hungary".  Pre-Christian Magyars believed this tree held up the sky, kept it from falling to earth.

  This goofy little group warms my heart. I had been lusting after this cat clock since moving over to Pest.  Each time I'd stroll down the körút this past summer, I'd eyeball this kitty, confident that I was the only one who wanted him.  Other clocks from his storefront display window appeared and disappeared, but the cartoon cat stayed.  It was meant to be....since I stated quite bluntly to the boyz that all I wanted for my birthday was that clock.  I think the fact that I miss Zissou so intensely kind of inflamed my desire for this clock.  Well, the dear boyz heard me, bless their hearts, they heard me, and now he sits safely on a shelf with his pals marzipan Krampusz and the darling little stone turtle that Dean sent to me, his head snapped from his body in transit.  Where's the damn superglue, anyway? x

Exquisite Truth Comes to The 4/6 Villamos

                                                            
                                                         4/6 tram, on its way around the ring road


  From a Facebook post from Dan Schwartz,  owner of the wonderful Treehugger Dan's Used Book Shops here in Budapest:

On the 4-6 tram last night 2 Hungarian school girls were trying to practice their French with each other and not getting very far - their vocabulary consisting mostly of snippets from pop songs. In steps a homeless man who starts chatting to them and correcting them in French, and then another young guy joins the conversation...


  This snippet from the day in a life says so much, not only about Budapest or Hungary, but also about the state of the world at large.  School girls, the possibility of a bright future ahead, learning French from pop songs. Educated homeless man, down on his luck, but up on his French. Young boy, also apparently fluent.


  I guess the truth is that you never can tell.  The old cliche of books and covers comes into play.  Humanity is much too comfortable with our lazy assumptions and this is so important to remember these days as jobs around the world are scarce. All of that fancy education may mean nothing, may get you nowhere, and you may find yourself on public transportation, listening to some whippersnapper reciting shallow pop songs in flippant French.


  The 4/6 tram is a constantly revolving stage of live theater.  I should listen more.  I'm usually hyper-focused when I'm on the tram (almost everyday), since that is how I handle being in among the crowd.