Snapshots of the Week

Last Sunday, several of the teachers went out to lunch after church at my favorite Greek restaurant. It's right on the banks of the Danube River and they serve an amazing hamburger. Since I don't get a lot of good beef around here, I've never even tried anything else on the menu. And, they know how to treat a girl right - every one of us was given a rose as a parting gift!

Monday afternoon was the Staff vs. Students soccer game. The staff team put up a good fight, but the students won 3-2 (or something like that).As you can see from the picture below, I was socializing more than participating. Really I was doing the staff team a favor. It would have been worse had I played. The people beside me are Izabella, Sari, and Hannah. Izabella is a wonderful Hungarian friend of mine who teaches Hungarian language classes to elementary and middle school students at ICSB. Her daughter Sari is a fifth grader this year. Hannah is one of my roommates and teaches at the school as well.Tuesday morning I decided to pay some bills. You might be interested to know that in Hungary, you pay your bills at the post office. Every bill comes in the mail and has a yellow perforated part at the bottom. You just take them to the posta and pay the lady at the counter. The ones pictured below are the receipts that I keep as proof I paid the bills.

Interestingly enough, this bill paying event was a little more exciting because the lady at the window didn't count my change correctly. Instead of giving me 3420 forint, she just gave me the 420. (A difference of over $15.) That meant I had to stand there and explain (without words) that I had been underpaid. After a game of charades, another lady came out and together the two women spent about ten minutes counting all the moolah in the cash box and comparing it to a computer printout. Finally, after much delay, she apologized and gave me my forint! I am so glad I was paying attention!Wednesday was our faculty meeting. In hopes that we will be prepared for emergency situations, we practiced fire drill procedures. This pic is a little behind the action, but you should know that we got to intentionally pull the alarm. I felt a little rebellious even being present for such an event.Thursday I made a long-awaited purchase! There was a mini sewing maching on sale at Tesco (British store sort of like a Wal-Mart) and I'm always needing to hem something, so I went for it. I should have known better. I guess you get what you pay for, because it only made it around one hem of one pair of pants. Now I have to figure out how to take it back. Oh the joys of living internationally!

And today I got a package from my dear friend Laura! THANK YOU!!!!! Even the padded envelope was cute. Inside were some very fun items, but I must admit the best part was when one of my students offered me $25 dollars for my box of Cheese-Itz!

Staff Retreat

This weekend was ICSB's annual staff retreat - we spent Thursday and Friday nights at a thermal hotel near Lake Balaton (Kehida). Although sometimes we use staff retreat to work or prepare for the coming year, this time we were blessed with a couple of days of rest and refreshment.

We swam in the thermal pools, slid down a water slide or two, listened to the Word preached, and enjoyed fellowshipping with each other. As you can tell by the pictures below, some of us even enjoyed the playground!

Here's one of my favorite quotes from the weekend:

Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small

Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all.

Acronym of the Day

Everybody needs to learn a new acronym now and again, and the acronym for today is RAFT. It floats (haha) around in the International Christian School world as a tool for helping students say goodbye well in the midst of an abundance of transition.

RAFT stands for:
R - Reconciliation (forgive each other)
A - Affirmation (affirm each other)
F - Farewell (say your goodbyes - to people, places, and things)
T - Think Ahead (duh)

When I came to ICSB in the fall of 2006, I began to look for ways to serve the Lord and be involved in the lives of the students outside of the school day. God gave me a wonderful opportunity with the 9th grade girls. At the time, every freshman girl was in my math class, and almost as nervous about starting high school as I was about teaching overseas. We began meeting weekly to study the Bible, pray together, and encourage each other.

I can't believe it, but now they are seniors. I am so proud of them and so thankful to have had the chance to watch as God has used them here and around the world. I'm already mentally preparing myself for what it will be like to say good-bye to them in June. I'm collecting as many sticks of memories as I can so that my raft is buoyant when the time comes. We had dinner together a couple nights before school began and they wrote notes to the new 9th grade girls, welcoming them to high school. And here are some of the new freshmen working busily in my Geometry class this past week. Don't they look engaged! I promise this was not a staged photograph, but it may never happen quite like this again!

Trouble in the Rubbish Box

The city of Diosd picks up our trash on Friday mornings. That means on the way to school, we girls drag the trash can out to the side of the road in hopes that the garbage men will take it all away. It's always a fun time, especially when I don't get anything gross on my school clothes!


Today is Friday, and we faithfully took our trash can to the curb this morning. This afternoon, however, we forgot to bring it inside. I thought it was going to be a very uneventful Friday night until Kati, our landlady called. The conversation went something like this:


Me: Hi Kati, how are you?


Kati: I am fine, but Emily, there are animals in your rubbish box.


Me: What animals? What is a rubbish box?


Kati: Your rubbish box that you put your rubbish in.


Me: You mean our trash can?


Kati: Yes, there are animals in your rubbish box.


Me: What animals?


Kati: I do not know their names.


Me: Ok. What should we do?


Kati: Fill your rubbish box with water. And Domestos. (aka. Draino)


Me: Uhhhh.....


Kati: Then wash it out. Make sure you do it right away. It is very hot. You do not want the animals in your rubbish box.


Me: Ok, Kati, we'll take care of it. Have a great night.


So a few minutes later, Hannah, Kim and I went to check out the trash can. I wasn't brave enough to do it alone. We weren't sure if there was a racoon in the trash can or maybe a snake or who knows what.



It turns out we had maggots.


So we got out the water hose and the draino and went to work. After letting our trash can sit for a while, we decided we should dump it out. It was quite the adventure. But don't worry, we took some photos!

St. Istvan's Day 2009

St. Istvan's Day has become one of my favorite traditions here in Hungary. Celebrated on the 20th of August, this holiday honors St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary in 1000AD as well as the person credited with bringing Christianity to the region. (You can compare it to July 4th in the US.) Since school workdays usually begin on the day after the holiday, I like to think of it as my last summer celebration as well.

This year (YEAR 4!) was no different. We piled 5 teachers in my car and 7 more in a van and carpooled into the city after lunch to watch the Red Bull Air Race, meander through the city, and watch some awesome fireworks.

The picture below is of a few teachers and me on the banks of the river.

As we were wandering through the crowds of people, I bumped into my walking buddy Becky and her family. Becky's husband is the math teacher for our middle schoolers, and they brought their children into the city as a surprise to watch the air races. I decided I needed a picture one of my favorite little people in the ICSB community. Isn't she a cutie!The air races lasted from 2 until about 4:30, but to be honest, we only lasted until about 3! It was hot, and we have a favorite cafe that sells cold lemonade. We enjoyed our spot there for as long as possible and then transferred locations to a pizza place for dinner. It was fun to catch up with friends before the marathon we call a school year begins.

The fireworks started at 9 and were one of the best shows I have ever seen. They were shooting explosives of some kind off two bridges, a hillside, and 2o pallets in the middle of the river, and it was all choreographed to Hungarian classical music. Amazing, and totally worth it!And now begins the start of school. I'm going to dream of bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils tonight!

Shaq and Me

I know I'm not normally a basketball fan, but who wouldn't want to have their picture taken with a life-size LEGO version of Shaquille O'Neal?

Internet and Teacups

First, my wireless is fixed! Praise the Lord! I went to the Toshiba service center this morning and they replaced my card for FREE!!!!

Second, the HS Bible teacher and his son came over this afternoon and installed my two little shelves. I've been collecting teacups as I travel and wanted a place to put them in my new room. Thanks, Linc and Caleb!

Since When is Hell an Energy Drink?

There is no such thing as a quick errand. This evening all I wanted was to develop a few pictures at the local Kodak store. It should have been easy (famous last words, I know). You put your card in the bright yellow computer, make a few decisions, and pick up your photos 15 minutes later from the very unhappy lady behind the counter. But tonight it didn't happen that way. Tonight it took over an hour. Ah well.

That meant I had an hour to meander through the mall and exercise self-control. Below is a photo of my most fascinating find, or at least a portion of it.

Yep, that's right. I've seen "Hell" energy drinks before, but tonight in Tesco there was a display so big you can probably see it from outer space. At first, it made me chuckle (and take a picture). Who would want to drink something called Hell? How could Hell possibly be a good thing? Yuck.

And then I realized it must be appealing to a whole lot of people, otherwise it wouldn't be for sale. Lots of people must think a drink called Hell is exactly what they want. Seems crazy to me.

Wow. What a reminder that without Christ, Truth is just plain foolishness, completely distorted. Join me in praying that God would continue to draw Hungarians to Himself. Pray they would find satisfaction and refreshment, not it a can of caffeine, but in Jesus!

A Visitor From Home, Computer Glitches, and a Hungarian Wedding

It's been a busy but good week around here. Sonja, one of my closest friends from college, came to visit! It was great to share my Hungarian life with a friend from my American life. We had a blast being tourists and even got the chance to spend a day in Vienna. This pic was taken at the summer palace in Vienna. Here we are on top of the Basilica in Budapest. It's one of my new favorite views of the city!
One of the more frustrating parts about my return Hungary has been computer trouble. When I was in the US a few weeks ago, my computer decided to call it quits. Thankfully, I have amazing and technologically advanced friends who helped me purchase a new one on short notice. I love it - very cute and snazzy if I do say so myself! The only problem is that after about three days in Europe, the wireless stopped working. (Sigh!) It's a good thing I've had lots of hours to spend dealing with it and even a better thing that I have an international warranty. (Yay!) Now I'm just waiting for the English speaking employee at the Toshiba place in Hungary to order a new wireless card from Germany. Let's hope this fixes my problems!

On a brighter note, my friends Meg and Gabor got married "Hungarian style" this weekend! Meg and I have been in a Bible study together for the last two and a half years; I am so thankful for her friendship. Gabor is a great Hungarian guy who helped me find an awesome car to buy last fall. I am going to miss them a ton when they move to the US next month. (And I'm going to have to find a new mechanic!)

The pic below is of the Hungarian wedding coordinator. We don't have anything quite like him in America. It's this guy's job to direct all the festivities while speaking in riddles and rhymes. He even has a stick with ribbons from each couple he's helped with wedding madness. Those of you who know me will be impressed to learn that I stayed at the reception until 1 AM! By that time I was pooped and tired of killing mosquitoes, but I'm pretty sure the party was going until about 4 - yikes!

Design on a Forint

My friend Robyn and I decided to do a little redecorating at our respective houses this Summer. We painted her craft room and my bedroom and decided that when our time serving as missionaries overseas is over, maybe we can start a painting business :)

I've been telling my mom about my new green wall, but I think words don't do it justice. So....without further ado....here is my new room!

Does anyone notice the clean lines?

This is my new chair from Ikea.

I've been wanting a Quiet Time place for a long time. Thanks, Lord!

This is the cleanest my desk will be until at least Christmas when I stop to clean it up again. I just finished painting some shelves for above and am going to start looking for an eager and willing shelf installer in the next couple of days.

Going Green, among other things...

One of the things I miss most about life in America is easy access to green. I love Hungary, but sometimes I wish my stroll through the neighborhood included a few more trees and a little less trash! I've been feeling pretty nature-starved, so last week some of my wonderful friends took me on some outdoor excursions. Here are a few pics.

Me, Bethany, and Bonnie

This is a pic from after church on Sunday. We clean up pretty nicely, huh!

Below is a pic of me with my friend Laura. We met in the airport in NY three years ago, and have been friends ever since. (Overweight luggage is a pretty tight bond!) This summer Laura moved back to the US, so we met for lunch and porcelain hedgehog delivery. Thanks to the woman at the make-up counter in Belks, we were able to photo-document our day.

And last, but not least, is one of my favorites. It was so good to spend the afternoon catching up with my friend Daphne. Thanks for the Chex mix and the conversation, friend! The two ballerinas in this picture are her adorable daughters. I'm beginning to think now that I should have been wearing a huge pink flower in my hair as well.

Back by Popular Demand

During my recent trip to the US, I discovered there were actually a few wonderful people out there interested in reading my blog. And so, because I love them, I have decided to begin again.

It only took me about 12 hours to remember my password, but now I'm in and beginning again.

As soon as I figure out my external hard drive, I'll add a few pics from my time in America.

My Birthday

Sunday was my birthday! I know it's shocking, but I'm now in my late 20's, whatever that means! Here are some things I'm thankful for:

1. A warm, fuzzy bathrobe
2. A bag full of chocolate covered apple slices
3. A handful of Reese cups!
4. Being sung to by over half the high school students at church on Sunday morning.
5. Being sung to by one of my favorite families in America - one wearing ski goggles. (I think that's a birthday first, by the way.)
6. Eating out at the Greek restaurant.
7. Laura's amazing cake.
8. Sara's somewhat amazing pictures.
9. A birthday party with my calculus class which included a cake that was supposed to be me - my hair was made with sushi rolls dyed pink.
10. Quentin thinking I'm 37!

Making Sushi

I have two students in my AP Calculus class and today they took a test - yuck! Half my class came after school yesterday for a little extra help (ok, just one student). Little did I know that after explaining differentials to Emily I would get my own lesson! That's right, Emily brought the supplies and taught me how to make sushi. I wouldn't get too impressed; I'm not sure I could do it again, but I thought you guys might like a few pictures of the adventure.

1. Emily and I, building sushi.
2. Me with my sushi - impressive, huh!
3. My roommate Sara trying the sushi - she said it was good, I choose to believe her!

Bible Study Party and First Snow!

Last year was one of the warmest winters on record in Central and Eastern Europe. As I recall, it only flurried twice. I have been hoping that we'd see some more of the white stuff this year, but I had no idea it would come this early. As we exited church this morning I could hear excited screams of the kids going through glass doors into what was becoming a winter wonderland. I haven't ventured very far outside this afternoon, but I thought you all deserved a picture! Ok, I admit I took the second one from behind a screened window!

On a completely unrelated note, those of you who have played the animal game with me in the past will appreciate the picture of some 10th grade girls, and another teacher and I acting like moose (Is it meese, or mooses, or just plain moose? I'm not absolutely sure, but I'm going to stick with moose!)

Shoes

This posting is a little late - I should have told this story back at the end of September when it happened, but better late than never.

Each Monday, Mary comes to our house and cleans. (I love Mary!) She comes after we leave for school and is gone by the time we return home. Mary does great things like clean the grill on our stove, change the sheets on our beds, and wash our laundry. She's sort of like a little fairy.

As is the custom here in Europe, we leave all our shoes at the front entrance to our house and wear slippers when inside. About six weeks ago, in late September, the highs were in the 60s or 70s most days. Wonderful fall weather. Mary decided it was time for us to no longer be wearing sandals. Hungarian customs, I think, no sandals once it's not hot! We came home from school to find all our sandals wrapped up in grocery bags, ready to be stored away until summer reappears. Needless to say, we didn't leave them there any longer than was necessary to take this picture! I might decide to put mine away now that the temps are rising to about 45!!

1st Quarter Projects

We finished the first quarter of school a couple weeks ago, and I wanted to share some projects from my Geometry class. The kids created their own string art designs and we used them to discuss symmetry as well as lines that are tangent to curves! If the math doesn't matter to you, maybe you'll appreciate how pretty they are!

Trip to Poland!

Finally! I'm sitting down at my computer and ready to post another entry on this blog. Things have been more than crazy a while, babysitting some great kids, the first quarter at school, and visiting Poland. This weekend has been a much needed time of rest. Yesterday was Saturday and I did no schoolwork AT ALL! (More rare than you would imagine!) What's more, this weekend was the time change and I gained an hour of sleep last night.

I thought I'd post some fun pics from my trip to Poland.

Last weekend I went to Poland with several other women from the missionary community here in Budapest. Jennifer, one of the ladies who planned the trip, is an aficionado in this area, and boy was I thankful. We drove about eight hours to the town of Boleslawiecs and spent two days exploring the factory stores that sell Polish pottery. On the last day, we even went to a factory where they make and decorate the pottery by hand. It was so much fun, and I purchased my first set of real dishes! These pics are from the factory. The lady is stamping a plate and the man is cutting the stamps from foam with a tiny pair of scissors - amazing! (Another interesting note, inside the factory we saw boxes that were being shipped to TJ Maxx and Marshall's!)

A Great Saturday

This morning I met a group of teachers and students at school and headed about 1/2 hour away to Velence to an orphanage. We played games, drew pictures of our shadows, painted each other's fingernails, and told the story of Noah and the ark. I chaperoned the trip to this orphanage twice last year, but this was the first one I have been on where I was basically in charge. Praise the Lord, nothing scary happened! The kids seemed to have a great time - I know I did. One of the biggest hits every time we go are our digital cameras. They are amazed every time they look at themselves on the tiny screens. I've attached a few to this blog entry for you to see.

Also, this coming week, there are several school families away at conferences. That means I am "babysitting" a family of 4 kids for the week! The highlight thus far? I pulled the lasagna out of the refrig. and it was stuck to the package of bacon below. I laughed, amused, and held the lasagna up with the bacon. It was fun until 30 seconds later when the two were no longer frozen together and the pyrex baking dish with the homemade lasagna burst on the floor. (Thankfully, there's a second lasagna in the other freezer! YES!)