Friday 21 December 2012

Day at the hospital





Long was this day, for everyone. And not light, at all. My brother had a surgery on the past Wednesday and like every surgery, either simple or indeed complicated, people get a little anxious and we all hope for our beloved to leave the operation room. His, in particular, last 15 minutes, wish is nothing but still, either my mum and dad felt a little tense about all this.








Anyhow, he came out and there waited, for hours and hours to come, in the room, waiting for doctors and nurses to come to check is status, make sure everything was checked and no issue was to come post-surgery. From little walks around the room, pain in abdomen area and boredom, we all stood and did the best to make things run a little quicker. Oh, I forgot... he got in the hospital at 8 o'clock, only to leave with the all of us at 7.00 p.m.. No reason to say that spending a whole day in the hospital is something we care to avoid, if possible!








But still, we endured. From a movie screen, a few games and conversations in between, we there did all at our hand (perhaps not at everyone's eyes) to make the place the comfiest possible. Yet, this is an hospital, hence having a feeling of cold and uncertainty in it, no matter what might be the situation...
At the end of day, already night had covered the city with his big vast mantle, we left. And from this point on, a few weeks of no-runnin'-around await my brother. Everything to prevent his wound to open up again.





But for now, we wait for him to get, step by step, better!

Cheers!

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Family's new member




As little as a cat can be.
Sweet, gentle, grumpy,
Mewls when she sees me.
Ever demanding fondling
Or food, or play time,
Her name is Tika.
Old she shall grow, and
Happy, for days to come.




Sunday 16 December 2012

Budapest - the last hours




Being this the last day in the hungarian capital, I stood aware that this should be remembered no as something remarkable but an opportunity to see new corners of Buda of to re-visit places to me not yet seen quite right... or even unrealised wishes light that was keept but in the mind.
Heading to the same place has I fist went to Natalia's uni but this time leaving at the tram station over the river, from there I hence walked to Buda side, to see what wonders this place could keep safe for me.









Having had some less trouble minded event around, I was cautious not to provoque the same kind of attitudes towards me, even though I felt that this time things would work differently - which they did, happily.






As light was walking down the sky, I remembered of a very nice hill that could be of a very good spot to concretise the bus ride view. And thus, from the tram station, I walked, going under the bridge, towards the rail station, to there walk up some roads and get lost, once more.








The road went up, and up it went. People, walk-passing me looked oddly, as if to reject my existence there, as I was heading up and up more. Some houses looked beautifully abandoned, with looks of very potential making projects for occupations or social developments, but yet that was not the reason to why I was there; thus I went up a little more. 









Then, at some point, after turning left and right again, a flight of stairs appeared to me-self and after those, the road gave room to trees and an icy, muddy treek that I imagined to lead to the vey top of the hill. Yet, as the top revealed to myself and the openness of the space, trees were stopping me from achieving this wish of mine from a few days ago. So, after a bit of walking, I quit and went down.

However, going down made me thing of climbing up a pine tree that look strong enough to handle my height.  I did tried, a few times, but branches kept cracking and I decided not to take the risk of falling down from it and break my bones, thus making me wonder if this would be the end of it...

Still, as I was doing the back direction, I saw Budapest again, only to see that the view I was looking for was the opposite direction from where I had came! And in the very next moment, I saw a path going along the line of the river! So, without hesitating a bit, with the sunny warm lights turning down, trying to get covered by some stormy winter cold clouds I ran, as fast and slow as I could to avoid not slipping on the ice and then... a wall showed to me. I got closer from it only to see it was fenced. With some gloves on, I tried to climb it but the view wasn't still the one I wanted; still to many trees. Went down and ran along it, only to see road again. This road was of a car park, and bellow it, as the hill was going down (not the car park) I saw an open spot. The will was a bit step and with my bag on my back, cold in my hands, and a fading sun, I went down. Grabbing the branches I did one step down; a second one and... a jump. Put my arms around a tree and, like in a illumination, walked, believing that this was going to be the right place to be and do it. Putting the branches away and as I went down the last one stopping me from getting there, a light shone on... it was light magic.






Magic that felt different from the bus journey, for sure, but still worth all the trouble, if you want to call it, to be there, and get there. As a result, I had a photograph and a big smile on my face! ^^

I then went down the hill but to get to the same rail station were I was confronted by the bourrée man. But this time, no drunk man was around, apart from the same man, near the stairs heading to the station, selling chestnuts wrapped in newspaper.

From there, I head to the center, only to be confronted by the freezing wind that was accompanying the misty clouds. A warm minus four degrees was making my nose turn red, and my hands felt like freezing, even though we have had worst temperatures felling way warmer than the one I was feeling. Not bearing the cold, I head back home, at the break-of-day to chill out and enjoy the last couple of hours in Budapest with the people that had host me, pack everything nice and calmly and get ready for a very long journey back.






Still, there I was, with cold hands, but content in my whole self. If you ask me was it worth it... damn worth it was! Everything is worth the shot, even if to say in the end... well, I'm not gonna go there again. And Budapest is a place I am definitely going back to again!!


And for now, we stay here. 

Monday 10 December 2012

On the outskirts of Budapest




The days are already being counted down. Having very good experiences and others less good, but indeed worth the travel, I set out to the outskirts of Budapest, to see how the big capital would be and also how much of a difference was from it and the surrounding areas.








Not having planned to go very far off Budapest, I set out only a few kilometers of the edge of the biggest city of Hungary and started wondering. Because I had no money, all I could do was walk explore.

Very rural Hungary looked, or to say more, what I saw seemed to be like. It also looked that many of the people would probably work either on the surrounding areas or ones with residency there, but fellow workers of the major hungarian cog-wheel. Many cosy houses, some more than others, were everywhere likewise the wildness of their forest. And here, I really felt that nature is predominant and people are less powerful, if you want to call it, that Her.

Such feeling, notion of having to be worried about our equals less, but nature more was very freeing and a-one-to have more, and more, and more.








Little houses, little roads, little tram lines. Everything was not small minded, but humble. All around this area was just as big for what people should aim. Enough to have all the commodities one might want, but small enough not to compromise the landscape to much. And as I think of this more, the more I realize big cities are the consequence of reckless, selfish and over-look for safety and comfort.







How much beauty is here on this village. All is more of contact. You see some fields, some horses eating the last impressions of grass before snow and frost take all that is left; people patiently wait on the stop for their transport to come. And even here, the same bus seems to run slower than the same journey in the capital, again. Here, everything rose up. The buildings, the noise, the traffic, the rush, even for a city like Budapest, seemed excessive. And shouldn't excess be something to try to avoid?








People would rather take the bus or metro for 5 minutes over the fun of walking or thrill of cycling. People'd rather not go out because it's raining over the magic getting soak and wet and uncertainty of the outside! Well, I don't know about you but for me, there is nothing but a good history and experience, and that is something I won't definitely have if I'm seat on my coach, zapping through the channels all day long. So, instead, I go out. And this is what I get.

And now, we stay here.

Sunday 9 December 2012

The Christmas Party




The night of this Saturday was a merry special one. Because it would be the last time all the Erasmus students here in Budapest from Natalia, Adriana and Paula's uni were going to be together, so it became set that this date would be a dinner party! Everyone cooked something (majorly from their mother country) to share a last gathering time with lots of world culture in between.








From cakes, to cookies, soup... even some deserts...! this was a dinner that had nothing but full table. Everyone was merry and so did our stomachs. Many and broad were the conversations and, for me, who was sort of like an outsider, this gave me an opportunity to meet some new more people and share some histories!












Many, many hours later, sleepiness already was ashore - some from the Polish night, others just from exhaustion and fatigue. Almost everyone had already left, but some still remained. As we were about to leave for a failed attempt to go to a bar, I looked back and saw them, chit chatting with each other, wondering how longer would these crazy people leave to allow them some well deserved rest. Still, just before we all left, I managed to grab this instant of the Three Marias, with an eye resting, the other half-asleep, but very merry indeed.







And for now, we stay here.

Saturday 8 December 2012

Portuguese Pest's day; Polish Buda's evening




This day, for a change, was not particularly hungarian. To say more, it was a very portuguese day! Not for the things we did, but for the company, that was only portuguese. Me and Natalia met Maria (a Natalia's friend from Lisbon) to have lunch, at a simple, cheap yet delicious chinese restaurant, where we had Ramen. However, my struggle to heat with the sticks was too much and I only managed to eat half of what was served. Don't worry though, for the rest came home to be eaten later.






After lunch, light was already fading, and Maria suggested a Tea house called Sirius - the country -, stating to be very cosy, friendly and very nice to spend some time together and hang around. And following her lead, we marched.








After a quick journey on the metro, we left. Facing the fresh breeze and cold air, we walked and in no time we arrived. Hidden enough not to be accidentally found, if not only but the frosted glass that adorned the door entrance. Going down a flight of stairs and another door, we would go inside of what seemed like a tea house playground! Let me explain why. The house had three separate rooms. One with regular tables and chairs, like a café, and the other two with low tables, likewise the Oriental style, pillows to seat on and this area was non-shows only, which I found very homy. With small rooms and second levels for people to "hide" in and be, if that's the case, be in a very intimate, isolated room, just for themselves. And it was in this tea house playground that we sat down, had a hot drink and chat for hours and hours, untile we lost notion of time...










When the night was getting serious, we head home, made some dinner and went with Adriana, whose brother and three friends had just arrived on the same day, to one of her friend's house, to have a Polish night. What is a Polish night, you might ask? According to Polish tradition, Vodka is a common drink, like water is to some countries (just kidding). So, its nothing but natural that we, being in a Polish house, with more than many Poland natives, drank water until we all became very merry!

And for now, we stay here ^^