Some of my favorite little things:
1. Everyone carries flowers here upside down. Its the cutest. Apparently its good for the flowers?
2. The smell of Princess (a bakery) when coming up the escalator out of the Metro.
3. Hungarian. It gets me every time. Its so beautiful.
4. Paprika. on everything. bless.
5. Milka. on everything. :)
6. Greeting with a kiss on each cheek.
7. Hearing my favorite phrases: Visszontlatasra, Csokolom, Jo etvagyat, Tesek parancsolni
8. Tesco, Match, MAV, Muller (I love these stores..I mean, they have everything...and by everything I mean European chocolate!)
9. The cutest old ladies selling flowers everywhere
10. Did I mention that I want to shed tears of joy when I see my friends here? They are the best. They love so deeply! I wish everyone knew what it felt like to be a missionary in Hungary. I am literally grateful every second of everyday because of it! They think I am a way better person than I am.
11. Did I mention I want to cry I'm so happy?!
12. Street Musicians. (especially the tuba player at Keleti and the Water Glass player at Moszkva Ter, which is apparently Szell Kalman Ter now, but whatever..you can't just rename a square like that and expect me to recognize this change.
13. Have I mentioned food yet? I don't think I have adequately expressed that love yet. Paprikas Csirke, Toltott Kaposta, Rakott Krumpli....be still my beating heart!
14. I love how impressed Hungarians are that I speak Hungarian. I'm not even awesome at it, lets be real, I can totally rock some Magyar. But they are always excited someone has bothered to learn their language.
15. I love communicating with people in their own language. I wish I could speak all the languages in the world.
16. I love that I know my way around Budapest, I always want to stop and help all the tourists staring at their maps, and it makes me feel pretty great that I can just go wherever I want and take whatever form of transportation.
17. I love Elizabeth Bridge with all of my heart. I could walk along it all day. Its weird not to call it Erzsebet Hid, but I wanted you to be able to know what I'm talking about.
18. Which reminds me that I love the Danube and Budapest is definitely the best part of it.
19. Which reminds me that I love Parliament, its my favorite building ever. Its the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
20. I love train stations. And by that I mean, I love train stations in Europe. With old men milling about playing chess in buildings older than my country.
That's just the beginning of my love affair with Hungary. I want to gobble it up! Its part of me, I feel like it belongs to me. Weirdest feeling? All of these things make me want to go there so bad....JACKPOT I'm already here! Now I just have to fight that night before Christmas feeling of being too excited to sleep so I can start another day here in the morning!
Photos? I think so.
Photos? I think so.
Favorite Building. Exhibit A.
I love all the Magdi's in the world. Especially this one.
Most beautiful Mailbox award goes to....I love the Magyar Posta! It doesn't always love me. But the colors are like Christmas and they deliver packages! Well, You have to go pick them up yourself....
A Beautiful tribute to Hungarian Jews on the river Danube.
Seriously. Check that out.
I ate everything listed on this sign...twice.
Hero Square!
Buda Castle!
Doesn't this look like fun?! I love all the squares...most of which aren't shaped like squares.
Please sell me something. I have all the money in the world. Just kidding, but they think I do...jokes on them.
I love Nenis. Aka all the old women in Hungary pushing their carts. bless.
More Neni love. Just some adorable ladies selling flowers by the metro!
Two of my favorites! Ilona and the So Bacsi! aka...the salt shaker that looks like an old man...its legendary. Also, getting Hungarians to smile in pictures is a miracle in and of itself...
Except for this family, they are always smiling! Best. Family. Ever....and delicious food. win. win. win. win. win.
So many emotions come over me when reading this and I want to be happy but it makes me sad, and anxious, and in love, and even a little angry for some reason, and jealousy. So many Christlike attributes right? It's an amazing place. It really is. I feel blessed to have served in that place, and lived there again. I plan on doing it again. I love most of the things on your list. What especially gets me is the desire to speak to people in their own language. YES. I want to know Hungarian perfectly, and EVERY language, so that I can always speak to anyone and everyone. Gosh. I just want to be there with you. What's with all of us going back there alone? It happens way too much. We just need to have a mission reunion there for a whole month. That would make me happy. Keep sharing.
ReplyDeleteCONNER! Thanks for commenting. We should seriously all go back at the same time. I would die. I wanted to go visit when you were there. Im still jealous you got to spend months there! Man, we are some seriously lucky people to have served there.
DeleteLove your blog. Love your personality. Love YOU! It's a good thing you're having a great time there, because otherwise your absence from here would be inexcusable.
DeleteThose are great foodie pictures. I think it's no accident that the word Hungary is so close to hungry. Inspiring.
Sister Petersen! I love YOU!!!! I miss you all!
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