Hello friends,
I'm sure by now you are expecting a huge long update, and I could give you one, but I want to report some tragic news for now.
Saturday night three young teenagers died at a club here in Budapest. There have been mixed reports as to how and why. No names have been released. But I'll keep you updated. Here are two reports:
http://lemarietta.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/what-if-the-hungarian-guard-came/#comments
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12201916
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Bank Robbery in Buda - Friday, November 26
I kept some news off of my blog so as not to make my parents worry, but like the government and the whole information leak incident, the news was relased on The Ippel's blog, (my teammates and next door neighbors -- the link to their blog is at the bottom of the page) which my parent's frequent often. So because of this, I will no longer withold this news:
After several months of living in one place, following roughly the same routine, it is easy to get comfortable and complacent; however, as you know, God always has His way of putting a rock in your shoe; two weeks ago, He did just that. He reminded me that feeling safe is really a false sense of security.
There was a bank robbery in Budapest. To be more specific, three men with one machine gun at 3:30 in the afternoon robbed one back. To take it one step further, these three men robbed one bank two blocks away from my panel house, one man died.
On Fridays, I finish with classes at 1:30. This particular Friday I had to run errands. So I went home, changed my clothes, and took the 50 tram east to a store similar to Aldi's called Lidl. This is away from my flat (of course) and from my school. (I get my cereal at Lidl). Now because I don't have a car to store the items and because Europe is very strict about bringing unkown bags into stores, I had to stop at my flat before going the opposite direction (toward my school) to go to Interspar (comparable to Kroger's or Safeway).
To get to Interspar, I have to take the 50 tram west toward/past my school. After this back and forth, to and from my flat, I left for Interspar at about 3:40. As I was passing the first stop, I noticed a crowd gathering in between two panel houses along with severl ambulances. Immediately, I took out my cellphone and texted Jack -- "5+ ambulances and a crowd two panel houses over." I was on the tram so I couldn't become another number in the corwd, but I figured Jack might want to or he could at least see if anything was showing up on the news. His reply said, "I heard what could have been gun shots earlier."
Something went down and due to our lack of Hungarian, we had no way of finding out. So I continued to the store. I was looking for an item that I had never puchased at Interspar, which seems to often be the case when I end up there, and somehow after an hour of looking, I walk away empty handed. At about 5:30 I headed back to my flat. By the way, it is night at 4:30 here. Pitch black and misty, I passed the panel houses one stop away from mine on Tram 50, and the same crowd I saw earlier became a huge crowd with roads blocked off.
Something huge went down. I got back and told Jack, so we decided to call our co-worker that lives right in the area that the crowd was gathering. She told us that three men robbed a bank on Fö utca (Main Street); however, someone saw them enter and called the cops. These men ran from them and were right in front of our co-workers flat when her husband heard shouting outside the window, "Drop the gun!" Minutes later gun shots were fired and the man with the gun was killed on Szigligeti Street. One of the other men was caught while the third was not to be found right away.
Witnesses thought that the third man ran into a block of flats (about 35 flats) so that panel house was evacuated and searched over night. The people in those flats had to stay in a nearby school.
I went to school on Monday and asked my students about it and several said they were in the area when the commotion was happening. )It happened at 3:30, barely an hour after school ended) One of them said he saw the gun and the dead body. It truly is amazing that no one besides the robber was injured or killed; there is a lot of foot traffic in our area around 3:30.
After several months of living in one place, following roughly the same routine, it is easy to get comfortable and complacent; however, as you know, God always has His way of putting a rock in your shoe; two weeks ago, He did just that. He reminded me that feeling safe is really a false sense of security.
There was a bank robbery in Budapest. To be more specific, three men with one machine gun at 3:30 in the afternoon robbed one back. To take it one step further, these three men robbed one bank two blocks away from my panel house, one man died.
On Fridays, I finish with classes at 1:30. This particular Friday I had to run errands. So I went home, changed my clothes, and took the 50 tram east to a store similar to Aldi's called Lidl. This is away from my flat (of course) and from my school. (I get my cereal at Lidl). Now because I don't have a car to store the items and because Europe is very strict about bringing unkown bags into stores, I had to stop at my flat before going the opposite direction (toward my school) to go to Interspar (comparable to Kroger's or Safeway).
To get to Interspar, I have to take the 50 tram west toward/past my school. After this back and forth, to and from my flat, I left for Interspar at about 3:40. As I was passing the first stop, I noticed a crowd gathering in between two panel houses along with severl ambulances. Immediately, I took out my cellphone and texted Jack -- "5+ ambulances and a crowd two panel houses over." I was on the tram so I couldn't become another number in the corwd, but I figured Jack might want to or he could at least see if anything was showing up on the news. His reply said, "I heard what could have been gun shots earlier."
Something went down and due to our lack of Hungarian, we had no way of finding out. So I continued to the store. I was looking for an item that I had never puchased at Interspar, which seems to often be the case when I end up there, and somehow after an hour of looking, I walk away empty handed. At about 5:30 I headed back to my flat. By the way, it is night at 4:30 here. Pitch black and misty, I passed the panel houses one stop away from mine on Tram 50, and the same crowd I saw earlier became a huge crowd with roads blocked off.
Something huge went down. I got back and told Jack, so we decided to call our co-worker that lives right in the area that the crowd was gathering. She told us that three men robbed a bank on Fö utca (Main Street); however, someone saw them enter and called the cops. These men ran from them and were right in front of our co-workers flat when her husband heard shouting outside the window, "Drop the gun!" Minutes later gun shots were fired and the man with the gun was killed on Szigligeti Street. One of the other men was caught while the third was not to be found right away.
Witnesses thought that the third man ran into a block of flats (about 35 flats) so that panel house was evacuated and searched over night. The people in those flats had to stay in a nearby school.
I went to school on Monday and asked my students about it and several said they were in the area when the commotion was happening. )It happened at 3:30, barely an hour after school ended) One of them said he saw the gun and the dead body. It truly is amazing that no one besides the robber was injured or killed; there is a lot of foot traffic in our area around 3:30.
Monday, December 6, 2010
For My Grandpa
Every year for the past four years I have neglected my impending school work to go to my Grandpa's and help him bake banket. (If you don't know, banket is a bar with almond filling in the middle.) As long as I can remember, he has baked banket every winter; he normally bakes over 100 bars a year. During my time at college, he was my desperate distraction during the last weeks of the fall semesters. Baking with him was my escape from the busyness and my place of peace. I think he is one of the reasons I love baking so much; however, now that I am in Hungary, I was not able to join him this year -- a difficult fact for me to cope with. Because of this, I decided that I couldn't let him down. The show must go on.
If I couldn't bake banket with him, I could at least bake banket on my own as a way to remember the last four winters with him. (He has not passed away; I assure you.) So I did just that. Luckily, and I am ever thankful for their assistance, the Baker parents were coming to visit their daughter Arielle, who is on the Calvin semester, and they were willing to bring almond paste from the states. I know of no item similar to it here; if there is a similar item close to it, it is beyond expensive.
When I got the almond paste, I went to work. After some learning curves and small kitchen mishaps, I was successful. I made 8 bars (8 more to go) and cut them in half and gave them to my colleagues. It was a big hit. It was something they haven't had, even though, all of them love almond flavored baked goods.
Below is a series of banket pictures from beginning to end. I will tell you that my flat (and the Ippel's flat) is to small to make banket, but it doesn't matter. If I am here next year, I will make it work again all for my Grandpa.
I had to move to the dining table.
Here's the dough cut out.
The almond paste filling and three sticks ready to go.
Three sticks ready to go.
Three sticks done.
If I couldn't bake banket with him, I could at least bake banket on my own as a way to remember the last four winters with him. (He has not passed away; I assure you.) So I did just that. Luckily, and I am ever thankful for their assistance, the Baker parents were coming to visit their daughter Arielle, who is on the Calvin semester, and they were willing to bring almond paste from the states. I know of no item similar to it here; if there is a similar item close to it, it is beyond expensive.
When I got the almond paste, I went to work. After some learning curves and small kitchen mishaps, I was successful. I made 8 bars (8 more to go) and cut them in half and gave them to my colleagues. It was a big hit. It was something they haven't had, even though, all of them love almond flavored baked goods.
Below is a series of banket pictures from beginning to end. I will tell you that my flat (and the Ippel's flat) is to small to make banket, but it doesn't matter. If I am here next year, I will make it work again all for my Grandpa.
I had to move to the dining table.
Here's the dough cut out.
The almond paste filling and three sticks ready to go.
Three sticks ready to go.
Three sticks done.Monday, November 22, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
November Update: Windows of Opportunity
Greetings from Budapest, 
Over three months have passed since I have arrived and become a conversational English teacher at Trefort Agoston. I teach nine groups of students, ranging from ninth grade to thirteenth grade and beginner to advanced.
The first three months have been a learning period for me as I try to understand the Hungarian school system and teaching – it’s coming to me slowly. At the same time, it has been an important time for me to create opportunities to build relationships with teachers and students. And boy, have those opportunities taken shape!
First, my love for baking has been able to start a lot of conversations in the English teachers’ office. Soon after I arrived, I decided to bring in a baked good at the beginning of every month. My colleagues have enjoyed this; in fact, they look forward to it every month just as much as I do. This opportunity has helped me break down that initial barrier between strangers. I’ve found out that many of the teachers have a love for baking and cooking as well, and it has given me the chance to swap recipes and learn cooking tips.
The second opportunity came with my students. Sharon Bauer, Jack Ippel, and I started an after school English club that the students have dubbed JUBAIP – figure that one out. It’s an hour and a half a week of homemade American treats, fun activities, and English conversation. It has been an amazing time to hang out with the students and to get to know them more. On October 26, we celebrated Halloween with pumpkin carving and a costume contest – it was a big hit! Jack pointed out that the most important thing about JUBAIP is that it is a comfortable place for the students to talk and spend time with their friends instead of sitting at home and playing computer games or doing some other mindless activity.
Being able to call Budapest home has taken time; however, these windows of opportunities have brought a comforting breeze into my life and have helped me find God’s peace here.
Thank you all for your constant thoughts and prayers, and bearing with me as I figure out what it means to be a missionary with supporters. My blog will continue to grow as I continue opening
Thank you all for your constant thoughts and prayers, and bearing with me as I figure out what it means to be a missionary with supporters. My blog will continue to grow as I continue opening
windows, so please stop by and stay awhile: desperatedistractions.blogspot.com
May the Lord’s face shine upon you,
Justin
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Support Goal: $4500 to go.
Cheb - The Beginning of Fall Break
I had fall break from October 30 to November 7. I began my fall break by going to Cheb, Czech Republic. (From my understanding, you say the Ch in Cheb like you are hawking a loogie) This smallish town is as far west as you can get in the Czech Republic; it is a 2 mile walk to Germany, I believe.
We visited two and a half other ESI teachers who work in Cheb. (I say half because the third teacher was with ESI last year.) Cheb is a beautiful place with supposedly one of the oldest castles in the Czech Republic. To note the size, we were given a tour of the city and we ran into several people that the teachers there knew.
I know that I live in a place filled with an elaborate history, ranging from Roman civilization to Nazi occupation to the reign of communism, but the history of the places that I live and have visited didn't hit me until I visited Cheb. When I stayed in Cheb, I was in a dormitory/class building that I found out was occupied by the Nazi offices. Upon further investigation, we found a picture of the town square with a huge crowd "heiling Hitler."
I'm living in a place with a huge history...
We visited two and a half other ESI teachers who work in Cheb. (I say half because the third teacher was with ESI last year.) Cheb is a beautiful place with supposedly one of the oldest castles in the Czech Republic. To note the size, we were given a tour of the city and we ran into several people that the teachers there knew.
I know that I live in a place filled with an elaborate history, ranging from Roman civilization to Nazi occupation to the reign of communism, but the history of the places that I live and have visited didn't hit me until I visited Cheb. When I stayed in Cheb, I was in a dormitory/class building that I found out was occupied by the Nazi offices. Upon further investigation, we found a picture of the town square with a huge crowd "heiling Hitler."
I'm living in a place with a huge history...
Garages
Lenin
The Town SquareIf you have not done already, continue reading to find out about the rest of my fall break.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
Karlovy Vary. Our first day trip of two while we were in Cheb. This place is beautiful, yet bizarre. It is about 45 minutes east of Cheb; Cheb is as west as you can get in the Czech Republic, which means that one must travel through all of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Belarus or Ukraine to get to Russia -- that's a long distance.
If you want a hint of Russia, though, you can go to Karlovy Vary. This spa town has almost every sign translated into two languages: Czech and Russian. Three countries to cross, yet a huge Russian population is there. It's not like a Chinatown or a small area devoted to another culture, this whole city is largely influenced by Russia. (There was even a beautiful Russian Orthodox church.)
I can understand why Russians would flock to Karlovy Vary. It is gorgeous. It weaves through the hills following a river; it is a spa town -- there were tons of 4 star or 5 star hotels and resorts advertising relaxing spa treatments; Karlovy Vary has money -- it shows. It also has the Grand Hotel Pupp. You might say, "What the heck. Who cares?" I'll tell you the significance. This hotel has been featured in two movies, most notably is 007: Casino Royale. Yup, I know, right?
The Russian Orthodox Church
A Sweet View
Probably Another Resort
Like I Said, A Sweet View
Behind the Grand Pupp
The Grand Hotel Pupp
The River that Runs Through
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