Erzsebet

Today Heidi took a bunch of girls to the covered market, where there is this Asian store in the basement that carries things you can't get elsewhere in Hungary (like real maple syrup! and real vanilla extract! and real brown sugar!). We were all pretty giddy.

Afterwards, we had a picnic at Margaret Island, which is kind of like the Budapest version of Central Park. It's literally an island in the middle of the Danube, but it has parks, soccer fields, old ruins, even a petting zoo. It was beautiful and really relaxing. I loved the water fountain when you enter the park -- they've set up loudspeakers and choreographed the fountain with music, so when we first got there, we saw these huge jets of water dancing to Pavarotti. Very cool.

The best part, though, was Heidi's friend Erzsebet (Elizabeth). She's probably about 70, but they met at church and have become pretty close. She was fascinating.

This coming weekend is a huge holiday in Budapest because it's the 50th anniversary of the revolution against the Russians. We've heard about it all along, but today we got to hear it first-hand! Erzsebet was part of the revolution, and when it failed, she literally walked to Austria to escape Communist rule. Then, she moved to America at 20 years old, knowing no English. Somehow she ended up in California, where she worked as a stylist for celebrities like Lena Horne! She was full of stories, like about the time she went to a party with the Beatles ("they were so stoned they could not speak!") and the time she got into an argument with fellow Hungarian Zsa Zsa Gabor (whose advice to Erszebet was "You waste your time working. Marry a rich man!"). She was clearly the highlight of my day. She's been back in Budapest for a few years now, and the transition has been difficult, because obviously Hungary in Communist 1956 is different than it is now, and her family has a hard time accepting her again after such a long absence. She was so thrilled to use her English and talk about the hard times and how she survived. I found out she goes to my church, so I'm sure I'll see her again -- plus we've all been invited to see her garden one weekend!

All in all, a great day. oh - and I have a roommate! at least temporarily, until Hannah comes. Heather arrived from Georgia yesterday. She's a teacher's aide for a student here who has cerebral palsy. It's nice to have someone around, and it doesn't hurt to have someone split the rent either. Plus, it's fun to see how far I've come -- I didn't know how to work the shower, or navigate the buses, or set the alarm when I first got here, and now here I am telling someone else how to do it!

Have a great rest of the weekend, guys.