developing a master's thesis

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I've recently come to the conclusion that I would like to write a thesis as part of my master's degree. I don't need to write one, it's not required for graduation, I just think that it would be a good thing to do.

Or perhaps I'm just a glutton for punishment.

Nevertheless, I'm trying to come up with a topic. I really don't know how. There are a lot of things that interest me, but can I write 100 pages on that topic? I'm not so sure.

I think I would like to write about the resurgence of far-right nationalism in Central and Eastern Europe, more specifically Hungary, but I need to narrow it down a bit...and find a thesis advisor....and then do research...and then write it...

I'd like to think I can do this, but I also have some serious doubts about my ability to produce a thesis.

My goal is to come up with a topic and contact possible thesis advisors over the next four weeks (while I'm still in Budapest) and hopefully (!) start some preliminary field research.

Oy vey!

This may very well be the worst idea of my life thus far.

budapest to do list

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Well, I'm two months into my three month stay in Budapest. I'm pretty devestated that it's coming to an end (yeah, I know...four weeks left, but I'm a doom and gloom kind of gal and prefer melodrama when it comes to my own life).

Before I headed here I made the most pathetic to do list with the intention of updating it soon after my arrival. Well, as is the trend for this summer, I'm behind. I have been keeping a running to do list in a notebook, but now I will share it with the world. Here it is with things I have and have not done and that I will hopefully get to do before I leave!

That's it for now...I'll try to actually update and add to this as things pop into my head!

sugar

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A few weeks ago my boss told me about this sweet shop, aptly named, Sugar. Well I took my sweet (ha!) time finding it- and that was a good idea, because this place is seriously dangerous. Diabetics beware! Actually, all people beware!

Look at all that candy! And an entire wall of Jelly Bellys!


And freshly made sweets and pastries. And ice cream. And a rice pudding bar…

Sarah and I restrained ourselves (for now) and split a slice of chocolate raspberry tart.


If I have to be rolled off the plane, you'll understand why. Please don't judge me. It was all worth it. I just can't say no to sugar/chocolate/sweets!

kőleves

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Sarah, Beata, and I went to Kőleves ("stone soup") twice this weekend. We walk by it all the time on our way to Szimpla and have heard great things about it, but, up until Friday, we had never been.


Friday it was a bit toasty outside, and possibly warmer inside, but we suffered the heat in order to have a good meal. Well, Sarah and Beata had a good meal, mine was not good at all. Sarah got some sort of chicken dish and Beata had matzo ball soup with goose leg. I ordered baked sweet potato, aubergine and spinach. Sounds good, right? Well, it wasn't!

This picture is a lie! My smile did not last past the first bite!


Despite the flop that was my meal on Friday, we decided to go back to Kőleves on Sunday after trying to go to a few different Kosher restaurants in the Jewish quarter and finding they exceeded our budget (Hanna was an "exclusive" Orthodox kosher restaurant...). This time my food was very good! I ordered a saffron risotto with vegetables and I ate every last bite.

I really like Kőleves. It has very interesting decorations (think meat grinders as statuaries, graters as light fixtures, and wine glasses and chandeliers) and the food, in general, is great; they have a lot of main dishes without meat- very unusual for Budapest. Also, the beer prices are very reasonable!

jewish quarter walk and szimpla

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This past Sunday Sarah, Beata, and I did a walking tour of the Jewish Quarter. Although we've walked by all of the points of interest over the past few weeks we wanted to do it during the day (some of the best bars are in the Jewish Quarter, including Szimpla) and officially. Officially meaning that we brought Arthur Frommer along with us and I read the short descriptions aloud in my 'tour guide' voice.

The Dohány utca Synagogue (or Great Synagogue)
the second largest in the world
The Tree of Life in the back courtyard of the Dohány utca Synagogue commemorating the Jews who were executed and buried in a mass grave there

Rumbach utca Synagogue (no longer in use)

Kazinczy utca Synagogue

I am of the opinion that District VII (where the Jewish Quarter is) is the best district in Budapest. If I ever live here, that is where I would look for an apartment.

Along the way we picked up a fellow American, Drew, who was traveling around Budapest. After our walk and lunch at Kőleves, we headed to Szimpla.

If you haven't noticed, Szimpla is my favorite bar in the world. I've probably spent more time there than anywhere else in Budapest...It was my first time at Szimpla during the day (it's open from 12 pm to 3 am daily) so I was able to take a few pictures!


Blowing bubbles because that's what you do when you're sitting in an old tub

Oh Szimpla...true love. I wish you could experience it for yourself- I hope that one day you can.

a hike up gellért hill

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Jackie, Beata, Sarah, and I hiked (walked) up Gellért Hill in Buda this past Saturday.

The hill about to be conquered

Let me tell you the reader's digest history of this hill. The Bishop Gellért was brought to Budapest by the king (which one? I don't know!) to educate his son. Unfortunately for Gellért, there was some tribe that did not approve of him…well, they kidnapped him, stuffed him in a barrel, drove nails into said barrels and rolled poor Gellért down the hill. Needless to say, Gellért did not go out of this world pleasantly. He was canonized and is the patron saint of Budapest…

We started our adventure by crossing the Danube at Erzébet híd (Elizabeth Bridge). This is where I got into a bit of trouble. Lesson of the day: never climb up a statue without a way to get down.


Thankfully some Italian men came to my rescue before Jackie or I got injured…

Once that fiasco was over we commenced our great hike!


Looking back across Erzébet híd toward Pest

The Bishop Gellért himself

It was a very pleasant hike up to the top where we had excellent views of both Buda and Pest.

At the top of the hill is the Liberation Monument, more commonly known as the giant bottle opener...

See the resemblance?

That's about all there was for us to do up there. Going back down the hill was a piece of cake!

szentendre

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I did not have to work this past Friday so I went to Szentendre- a small artist's colony just 40 minutes north of Budapest by train- with two of the girls from the Central European University Summer Program, Jackie and Ally.

We just walked around and had lunch at a cute cafe and then ice cream! before heading back to Budapest. It's a very nice town, aside from it's obvious nationalistic tendencies...I'll probably go back at least one more time before I leave


Szentendre is home to many nice doors

And dogs that bathe in creeks

The Danube

When it's over 95 degrees, bathing in public fountains is fully acceptable

The café where we had lunch

Jackie, Ally and I in the main square - Fő tér

a sauna disguised as a train and cluj napoca

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I feel like a majority of my time in Romania was spent on a train. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because, in general, I enjoy train rides. However, I most definitely did not enjoy our train from Brasov to Cluj Napoca. It was supposed to be about five hours long, but it was closer to eight. It was also about 95 degrees outside and the total lack of air circulation in the car (even with the windows open) means that it was even hotter in the train. Hanging out of the window did not even offer any relief from the oppressive heat. I tried to distract myself by taking lots of pictures of the Romanian countryside and experimenting with the settings on my camera...


We eventually made it to Cluj-Napoca and after sweating off the pounds in our sauna train we headed to our hostel- the Transylvania Hostel. It was probably one of the best hostels I have ever stayed in and the staff was so helpful! We were so exhausted from the train ride that we just went for dinner and then crashed at the hostel.

The next day was Sunday, a horrible day to do anything in Europe, but the only day we had to see Cluj. Here are some pictures from Cluj:

More Hungarian things...outside of Matthias Corvinus's house.

We tried to go to the Pharmacy Museum, but it was closed. Bummer!


What better entertainment than taking ridiculous pictures in front of statues?

St. George slaying a dragon
Me slaying Sarah (there is a whole fight sequence...)

Pondering near the university

Then we went for tea (not coffee! are you surprised?) at Demmer's Teahaus.


By mid-afternoon it was time to head to the train station where Sarah and I headed back to Budapest and Beata went on to Bucharest for a conference. Surprisingly enough, our train back was air-conditioned and on time! I enjoyed my time in Romania, but I was glad to return home! Yes, that's right, Hungary feels like home, despite it's flaws and my inability to grasp even the most basic phrases of the language...

bran castle and a bit more brasov

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What's the first thing you think of when you hear 'Transylvania'?

Rolling verdant hills? The Carpathian Mountains? A large population of ethnic Hungarians living in Romania? Probably not.

Dracula? Yes, definitely yes.

Our visit to Transylvania would not have been complete without a trip to Bran Castle, more commonly known as Dracula's Castle.

I was expecting all sorts of dim, dark, doom and gloom vampire stuff. Think Béla Lugosi (Hungarian!) your stereotypical vamp. Okay, you have that image in your head? Now get rid of it, all except the 1930s. We'll get back to this in a minute...

Bran Castle was once, way back in the day, used by Vlad the Impaler- the supposed inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula- during his raids. Vlad really was a nasty guy. Other than that, the castle was the home to Queen Marie starting in the 1920s and was in the hands of the royal family until they were expelled in 1948 at the beginning of communism. And so, the castle is decorated as it was in the 1920/30s. It's really quite nice, if they needed someone to live there and be the caretaker, I wouldn't say no.


There were a few, sparsely decorated rooms dedicated to the castle's Dracula connection, but they really only had 'words on the wall' no real exhibition. That was fine with me!

Bran Castle was beautiful and well worth the visit if you are in the region... But, don't waste your time at the market stalls- there are about fifty of them and they all sell the same Dracula related junk.

Bran is a quick hour bus ride from Brasov, so we were able to go there and come back and still have time to enjoy Brasov that evening.

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