Chillin' in Pecs!

While in the mall mom and I saw some cute Hungarian kids dressed up as Mary, Joseph, and the shephards performing on a stage. They were adorable! Pictures are below:

I finally took a picute of the Santa that climbs up and down the rope in the mall!

Kendall and I went exploring around Pecs, and everything went well except my fall!

hahah- i love you even if you are a dork! :)

School in Pecs!

Well I went to school with mom and dad, and I LOVED THE KIDS! We made brownies and pigs-in-a- blanket for the Christmas party in mom's tenth grade class. First dad led us in some Christmas carols, then we made Christmas cards, and then we had our party and handed out the stockings I brought from the AdkinsBouton Sunday school class.

Mom handing out brownies to the students.

Mom and Tamae, one of our favorites :) This is a 10th grade girl who is very impressive with the amount of English she knows. She took Kendall and I around the school, and even showed us her room. I was so happy to meet her! I think we would be friends in the states ha

Risci (pronounced "Richie") and his girlfriend Barbi. They are so cute! Risci is so in love with Barbi that he actually talked his way into my mom's English class because Barbi was in it! He went to the administration everyday for a month, until they finally gave in! Anyways, here they are with their stockings, and they were so happy to get them!

This is Jani. We talked about R&B music for a while. He's a cool kid too.

Risci made me a Christmas card!

Pecs, Hungary... who would have figured this two years ago?!

Well my computer says it's 6:03 pm, but that is true in Dallas. I'm now in Hungary where it is 1:00 in the morning!

I arrived on Saturday morning (Hungary morning, that is), after about 16 hours of travel. It really wasn't so bad other than the fact that Delta decided to show Mr. Bean's Holiday as the featured film on the way over. If you haven't seen it, don't worry about it! I can also tell you the life story of the guy who sat next to me on the plane. We even discussed his spiritual journey (which he started to discuss after realizing I was reading a book called The Year of Living Biblically: One man's humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as Possible... simply hilarious- you must all go buy it now). After he found out I was a Christian, he was upset with me for not correcting him when he cussed earlier on the flight. woops?

The flight over really was wonderful though, and arriving in Budapest was a breeze! My luggage was some of the first on the belt. In other words, I claimed 4 out of the first 8 pieces of luggage! Believe me, I got some pretty strange looks when I just kept pulling them off! Customs was a few Hungarians looking at me pushing a cart with four pieces of luggage, not really wanting to speak English... so I just rolled on through to the exit. I found about 80 people outside waiting- who I amused with my obscene display of baggage- two of which were... MY PARENTS :) We hugged, and of course mom cried while patting me for about 10 minutes. I'm sure you're surprised that I didn't mind one bit! (Who doesn't like being loved on??)

Driving out of the airport parking lot Dad impressed me with his knowledge of Hungarian numbers! He paid with such ease; I thought he was near fluent :) Then he and mom laughed while explaining that was the smoothest it's ever been. Whatever they say, I'm still impressed! Our drive to Pecs was uneventful except for the light snow and my nap :)

Pecs is an AMAZING city. I really love it here. The apartment is in the middle of what you could think of as downtown Greenville (the European equivalent). We are on a walking street, where barely any cars come (except for us, of course, when we had to unload the 4 enormous suitcases). There are two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom with a shower, and a separate toilette room (this comes in handy with multiple people, and one bathroom). The ceilings are high, and the rooms are painted a soft peach color (ish). It is very pleasant, and come complete with a potted Christmas tree! (Which already has some presents with mine and Mary's names underneath!)

Our first dinner was as a restaurant just down the block. We walked there in the snow (yay!) arm-in-arm...in-arm... because it was FREEZING! Dad and I tried to split a pizza, but we somehow miscommunicated this fact (language barrier?) and ended up with a one big pizza each! Thank goodness for "to-go" bags!

I slept through church on Sunday, and mom and dad were already back by the time I finally rolled out of bed. (Keep in mind, this was about 4 am Dallas time!) We had a fun outing to the mall, where I saw a robot-type Santa climbing up and down a rope from the first to second floor! It was pretty awesome. I'll take a picture next time. We went on a grocery store run, which is located in the mall. I swear I saw some vegetables I've never seen in my life. I think we would be willing to try them, but we have no idea how to cook them! ...I think we'll stick to the bananas and peppers :)

Dad and I ran errands today, and I must say I hate being completely helpless with communication. I feel like an idiot when someone speaks to me, and I respond by making a face that says, "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're saying. I wish I did, but I don't! I don't speak Hungarian. If only you spoke English or French! Please don't think I'm a dumb American!"... It's a pretty intense face.

(If she's read this far, Mary might be the only person who laughed at that.)

So... to the important part. I went to school tonight with mom and dad for their Bible Club that meets on Monday nights. We brought brownies and some little stockings for the students because we were supposed to have a Christmas party tonight. One of the most interesting things to me is that teenagers are the same everywhere! These kids are spunky, and fun, and they're laughing, and just having a blast together! They respond the same way to meeting people as teenagers in the states do, and they respond the same way to adults! They like to couple-up and hold hands with whoever they're dating that week, which shows they're not afraid of pda. Most importantly- they love Clista and Glen! They all light up when they see them, and they love to practice their English. Sometimes we'll be walking away after trying to speak, and one of them will shout back the English phrase they just remembered. Some of the students are AMAZING musicians, and you can tell they just love dad! Tonight they asked him to play Rocky Top with them in the hallway, as well as Sanctuary.

The Bible Club went well. We ended up having about 6 students come in and out, 4 of which were there the whole time. We opened by singing songs accompanied by dad on the guitar and Thomas on the piano. Thomas and Sylvie are a Hungarian couple from the church that have helped with the Bible club for years. We sang traditional Baptist hymns- they sang in Hungarian, and we sang in English. We also sang, "Open the Eyes of my Heart" and "Sanctuary," two classic praise songs from the states. I'll admit I had to hold back some tears when we sang Silent Night at the end. Dad was singing in Hungarian, which reminded me of the Candlelight Service in Greenville. It was beautiful with all the students singing. A holy moment for me.

Sylvie (a woman who has such a joy for life, you can't help but smile around her) led the Bible Study. She used a felt board like the ones you use in elementary school Sunday school. The students were fascinated how the pieces stuck to the board. We had a young guy in his second year at university named Máté (Hungarian for Matthew) who translated for us. The lesson was all about the Christmas story, and why we celebrate Christmas.

We ended by singing "He's Got the World in His Hands," putting a student's name in the phrase for each new verse. It was really neat, and I think the students got something out of it. Our Christmas party was a hit with some good brownies, playing around on the keyboard, and the young girls flirting with Máté.

Dad teaching Máté Christmas songs and "Open the Eyes of My Heart: on the guitar.

Thomas (pronounced "To-mosh") and two Hungarian gypsy girls.

Sylvie and Mom reading over a letter my parents wrote for the gypsy students.

So far it has been a wonderful trip, and I can't wait to see what happens next! I'm planning on going to school tomorrow with the 'rents, where we are going to hand out more of the stockings, and some books that have the Christmas story explained in Hungarian (I think... none of us speak Hungarian to know for sure).

Kendall comes on Wednesday from Turkey, and Mary comes this weekend!! Can't wait to have more stories to share!

Best Friends come to Paris!!

Kendall and me in front of Versailles!

Emma and me on the beach in Barcelona :)

Lindsey and me infront of the Louvre! Notice her dark hair... Hottie!

So we got back from Portugal on Sunday, and the following Friday guess who came to town... EMMA! She and a friend came to town, and we spent the weekend going to all the major sites and shops.

We had our most dramatic night of all of Paris while they were here... of course...
It started out really fun, like most nights are with this group of SMU peeps. We went to a club where we partied with French people and American people- and Katie Beal and I ended up wearing headdresses the rest of the night. On our way home, we missed the last metro, so we decided to find a cab or take the night bus. Long story short- some guys started messing with us at the bus, and when Katie tried to defend me, one of the guys actually punched her. It was a crazy evening, and I will forever be greatful to the Italien man who happened to be passing by who helped us. Unfortunately Emma and her friend say they'll always associate that night with Paris, but I hope they can remember the good times too!!

Emma left on Sunday, and Kendall came in on Wednesday! I met her at the train station, and we took her stuff to Elizabeth's for the night. I had a midterm the next day, so we didn't get to celebrate her arrival fully. The next day she came to class with me at the Pompideau- where I hadn't been before. It's a beautiful modern museum with breathtaking views of Paris. That night we went out with all the girls and had a great time! We went to Versailles together, which was also amazing. On our way back into Paris we saw the Eiffel Tower, and we tried to see Napolean's tomb... of course it closed right before we got there- at 4:30 on a Saturday!! What are they thinking?? We went to a fun jazz club that night though, and finished the night with some good crepes!

Lindsey has also visited me!! She stayed with me and my host family, and it was great hanging out with her! She actually died her hair while she was here!! Yep- she's a brunette now! When we walked into the hair place and told the man she wanted to change her hair from blonde to brown, all I thought is how much I wished I had my camera to capture the look on his face!
(She is a beautiful and natural brunette if you're wondering... hott even ;))

Winter Break in Spain and Portugal!!

Well pretty much one of the most fun weeks in my life :)

We decided to save some money and take the train down on Friday afternoon instead of Thursday night. Juliet's Eurail pass didn't come in in time, so she had to fly down and meet us the next day. So... Katie, Abbie and I caught the train to Barcelona through Montpellier. On our way down we consumed multiple cans of tuna, a good bit of bread, some boursin cheese, and wine... It was a great train ride!

One the train ride down

We got to Barcelona pretty late, and made it to our hostel- a 6 story hostel! It was a pretty place actually. We went out for dinner and realized that everyone in Barcelona is friendly and willing to talk to you and help you out with the language! We found an open place and I tried Sangria for the first time... Good news is Spanish red wine doesn't have sulfites, so I can drink it without getting a migraine!! YAY!! We went to bed after our late dinner (bed at like 1 am), and were awoken when three drunk guys stumbled into the room in the wee hours of the morning. Don't worry.... Katie made them be quiet!

The next day we got up and did some shopping. It was pouring rain all day, so it was an inside day for the most part. We had some great tapas for lunch, and walked all over the touristy part of Barcelona. It is a very pleasant place with beautiful squares. We attempted the Picasso museum, but it was a few hour wait... we decided we can see his work in the museum in Paris for free instead :) We walked to the port and walked along a floating bridge! (Which I later explained to Emma is a bridge that floats... she appreciated the explanation.) We sat and had some coffee and a snack (aka the best chocolate fondue with fruit I've ever had). Then it started to really pour outside, so we walked around the adjourning mall... It was in this mall that I bought the best hippie pants that ever existed. Don't worry- you will see them soon enough!! That evening Katie, Abbie and I went to dinner where the server decided it would be fun to make fun of me all night! It's okay though because we were treated to an appetizer and drinks!! We stayed there until we got a call from Juliet's mom saying that she was in Barcelona and waiting for us at the Hard Rock Cafe... it was then that we realized our phones didn't work in Spain. We ran to meet up with her, and took her back to the hostel.

Us and our waiter at dinner...

KG and Juliet having a drink in the hostel before heading out!

That night we searched for "Rita Blue," a bar Katie read about that serves blue margaritas (go figure!!) We met some American guys that ended up being friends with Emma, my friend studying in Barcelona.

The rest of Barcelona included going to what people refer to as “the Dr. Seuss” park. It was amazing, and you really felt like you were walking in a Dr. Seuss book. We also saw some amazing architecture by Gaudi, a famous Spanish architect with a unique eye.

Dr. Seuss Park!

We met up with SMU people in Madrid, which was fun. Our friend Jett met us for lunch and showed us around the city. We took a day trip to Toledo, which was one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was really beautiful. Toledo is a small town with a beautiful cathedral. We talked along the river there, and Katie and I climbed on some old ruins in the water, which resulted in my trying to conquer my fear of heights, and Katie having an injured knee… but it was worth it!

In Portugal we stayed in a “guest house” in Lisbon. There were three welcoming Portuguese women who worked there, and who took us in as their own daughters. Our favorite was Lydia, who actually cried when we left. Granted- she didn’t speak, English, French or Spanish (the three languages the four of us speak), but we somehow figured out how to communicate.

My favorite part of our Portugal trip was renting a car!! Since I’m the only one who can drive a stick I drove us up and down the coast. We hung out by the ocean… on the other side... It was a blast! We found a little café by the water, where we hung out four hours, in a little village called Cascass. We also visted a mid-evil village called Sintra. All-in-all Portugal might be one of my favorite countries in Europe now. The night life was great too- it’s approximately 10 square blocks of bars where people can get drinks to stay or to go, and everyone hangs out in the streets together meeting up with friends! We met some really cool people before heading back to Lydia!

The ride back to Paris took 24 hours!! It was crazy… we took a night train to the south of France, then had to hang out in the station for our next train. Evidently during the second leg of our trip, there was an accident on the tracks. So we had to hang out in a random train station for an hour and a half before we finally got back on track (pun intended!).

The trip was amazing, and it actually took me about a week to recover after!! But it was well worth it, and I can’t wait to go back to Portugal again sometime!!

Out in Paris... Fondue and baby bottles?!

Yes... it's true... We went out in Paris one night for fondue, and at the restaurant (where half of the party actually has to climb over the tables to get to the booth!!), they served wine in baby bottles!!!... It was nuts. The night consisted of lots of cheese, 100 pictures, our two Scottish guys, metro fun, walking a couple of miles (in heals), late night at my favorite club in my neighborhood, retired Canadian NHL players, getting a man to open his creperie for us, and coffee with Abbie at a cafe until the metro opened.... it was a good one.

Study Trip

So Instead of sending out another mass email, I decided I would just write a post, and those who want to read it can.

So much has happened since my last post... where to start?

Study trip:

We went to Belgium and Lille on our study tour, and it was amazing. We all met at the train station, and believe it or not- Everyone made it!! When we arrived we took the metro to our hotel. The metro in Belgium is nuts- they're as small as buses, but it seems as thought they go from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds! haha :)

We dropped our stuff off at the hotel, and headed out for the main square in Belgium. It was freezing, but we spent a lot of time outside anyways. We went to the square where all of the buildings were constructed at different times, which is evident by the architecture of each one. They were beautiful, and we took a lot of pictures. We also viewed a museum of the history of Belgium, but I won't bore you with (what are actually very interesting) details.

We split up for lunch, and I must say that this is the first time I've ever been heckled to come into a resaurant! The people line the street, and practically grab you and pull you in! All of us were told how beautiful we were, and evidently lots of restaurant workers fall in love instantly when a potential customer walks by... Perhaps we should impliment this at Blue Ridge... Anyways, we finally picked a place, and it was really funny to see the guy standing outside our restaurant smirk at all the other people in the street- he was actually proud that he got customers!!

The rest of the day consisted of going to the European Commission to listen to a lively German man speak to us about the EU. At one point he got on some tangent and stood up, raising his voice, and asked us how we would finalize a contract for buying a car (still not quite sure what it had to do with anything...) After we suggested such ideas as "Go to an office;" "Sign the contract;' "Get a witness;" "Go to a bank;" he finally said: "No!! You go to Starbucks!!"

.....WHAT?!?!?! Yeah- we didn't get it either... something about going to a public place to sign a contract... Evidently the EU has it all wrong, and the reason the constitution didn't pass is because they weren't meeting at Starbucks... at least that's what I got out of it...

We had the afternoon off, and believe me we all went for some Belgian Waffles in Belgium!! And yes... they're amazing!

That night was dinner at the hotel, followed by all of us being lame and staying in for the night.

The next day we went on a tour of "Undergroud Belgium." The palace burned down hundreds of years ago, and they ended up just building on top of the ruins.

Me, Jilian and KG feeling like we're in Willy Wonky in "Underground Belgium."

This was probably the best tour I've ever had... Our tour guide was absolutely amazing. As in, I'm pretty sure he could make the instructions in a manuel to put a desk together sound as exciting as The Da Vinci Code. Of course it was a bit over the top, and many of us made sure to take video!! The best part was probably his use of a massive flashlight instead of a laser pointer... He seemed pretty proud of it too :)

We saw some Ruben paintings in the museum there, and ate another waffle before heading onto the bus to Lille, France.

On our way to Lille we stopped to visit what used to be a coal mining village... Above is our tour guide on the right with the most amazing mullet I had seen up to this point in Europe!

---Here's where the trip gets interesting....

When we got to the hotel, Abbie and I decided to have a drink downstairs at the bar while waiting to meet up with her friend who lives in Lille. There was one wall separating the bar from the main entrance, and the concierge managed both. He tended to give us attitude, but I think it's just because he had been working all day. We all had dinner at the hotel, and then met back downstairs later for a drink before going out... I went to pay the concierge at the front desk, and heard Lifehouse coming from his laptop. We started talking American bands, and he got my email address asking me to keep him up to date on good music (yeah.... me... hahahaha- since I'm so up on my music). He was about to get off work, so we invited him to meet us out... Well, long story short, by the end of the night he was professing his love to me... Which was helpful when our cab never came because 8 of us piled into his car to get back to the hotel!!

The next day we were fortunate enough to have our bus not come when it was supposed to, which gave us ample time to sleep in the hotel lobby!! Then when the bus finally came, we took it to Lens, where the future statlite of the Louvre Museum will be. It was really neat to stand on the ground where masterpeice paintings will one day hang (such a romantic, right?)

Abbie and me standing where the future Louvre will be!

On the bus ride back we realized we might not make our train!! When we stopped a light beside the train station, we all jumped off the bus, grabbed our bags, and ran to the train. We jumped on the first train car and all made it on just before the doors closed. Although we were happy to make it, we were all a little stressed when we realized our seats were on the OPPOSITE side!! We walked more than 20 cars to our seats carrying our luggage!!! Needless to say, I was a little sore the next day hahaha

Above is a picture of our bus driver NOT watching the road... yeah- he did it enough that I had time to notice, take out my camera, and get this good shot... we felt safe.

That's about it for the study trip... not to much drama, and everyone made it back. All in all I would say it was a great trip! If you're wondering, French guy has emailed me some, but upon my request he now leaves out any more professions of love or references to a future together....