International Birthday Wishes

Besides missing holidays, a downside to living this far away from home is missing celebrations for my friends and family. In particular, my oldest, dearest friend Jennifer (whom I've known since I was just a little over one year old) turned 25 today. I can't remember missing any of her previous birthday parties, so I was sad to miss this one and wanted to do something special for her, so I decided to make a video. A group of my international friends banded together to create this video for her, and I hope she loves it.

Bardroom Pics

Here are some photos from my reading at the Budapest Bardroom last week (see previous post). There was a great singer from the UK at the event, and her boyfriend took these shots at Treehugger Dan's bookstore in Budapest. The picture above is of the hosts Steve and Kalman.


I performed my opening piece with Rachel, the musician.



Rachel performing.


My friend Aubrey reading from his book.

Budapest Bardroom

Since 2001, the Budapest Bardroom - which hosts performance nights for the city's English-speaking literati - has hosted many writers and musicians from across the world. Last week, I was honored by being the featured poet at this winter's reading, where I performed a selection of my writing. Another American expat friend of mine, Aubrey Ramage-Lay, read his fiction, while an English/South African woman sang and played guitar. The whole combination was great, and I loved reading my work again. When I was in college, I co-hosted a weekly open-mic at a Boulder cafe, and I hadn't realized how much I missed participating in literary readings! I hope I can participate in more open-mics in the future. A large group of my friends here came out to watch, and I felt really lucky to have so much support.

I'm featured on the Bardoom website now too:

My profile on their website.

Dentistry Denied

Today, I was sent home from a Budapest dental office because my teeth were "too clean." Yes, this is a true story.

Usually, dentists and dental hygienists are a tough crowd to please. Even if I flossed daily, brushed multiple times a day with the softest bristles possible and never let sugar touch my lips, there is always room for improvement (like last year, when I was chastised for over brushing). However, my experience today has made me rethink my dentistry assumptions.

After months of procrastination, I finally found a reputable English-speaking dentist to visit in Hungary. Since this region is known for dental tourism and attracts Western Europeans to their experienced and relatively inexpensive facilities, I had no qualms about skipping out on my life-long Colorado dentist. Everything was fine when I arrived at the modern clinic, and a friendly English translator welcomed me back into the exam room. Before she explained the treatment, the clinic's hygienist did a precursory exam of my teeth so she could recommend a specific cleaning. After the brief look-see, she told the translator that there was no need for plaque removal, and a regular cleaning was not necessary. Since I am used to six-month treatments and it's been awhile, I couldn't believe the diagnosis. Even after I protested, they told me to come back in a few months and sent me on my way without paying a forint.

Now, I don't think this would ever happen in a Western clinic. Even if my teeth were as clean as they say (which I guarantee they are not, despite my golden flossing habits), who would turn away a paying customer? But, I will relish the dental compliment, because it will probably never happen again. When I return to my US-dentist, I am sure he will scold me for waiting so long between dental cleanings and tell me I'm under brushing this time.

**Editors note - After retelling this story to my American editor, he said the same thing has happened to him. Apparently, you have to be very firm with dentists here and demand that your teeth be cleaned.

The Last Oink

I almost lost my lunch in the grocery store today.

I have never enjoyed grocery shopping, and this distaste has only been exacerbated during my time in Hungary. Whether it's the grumpy checkout ladies who scold me when I forget to weigh my vegetables, the other customers who scowl at me when I have the temerity to pay by credit card or buy more than 10 items at a time, or worst of all - the sheer lack of healthy foods. The onlyfruits/vegetables I can count on being fresh and in stock are tomatoes, potatoes and the occasional mushroom. Spinach, crisp apples, lettuce - forget it. Vegetarians are not welcome here.

Another experience that can be daunting is meat shopping. Before I learned my words for sheep and cow, I often bought ground sheep rather than beef. Also, I get a little squeamish when my animal products actually retain traces of animal, like when my eggs have feathers stuck to them or there's blood on chicken breasts, etc. (And yes, I know I should be a vegetarian or spend ample time on a farm.) Anyhow, today, I had the worst experience at a meat counter to-date. I was waiting in line to order chicken breasts (this is the old-fashioned meat market where nothing is prepacked and the butcher fixes everything for you - usually with bare hands). The lady in front of me ordered pigs feet!!! I started to watch as the butcher grabbed from a tray of severed Babe limbs - separating hooves that got stuck together.

Exihibt A:
It was horrible. It looked like the pigs could have been alive yesterday, and all that was missing from the legs was blood. I started to gag and had to leave the meat counter. Needless to say, I didn't get my chicken. I know pickled pigs feet are eaten in the US too, and it is not a Hungarian specialty. But, I've never seen them in person. It's still gross, right?

Plitvice Lakes National Park

During my road trip through Croatia with my sister and brother-in-law, we made a stop at
the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO Heritage site. This national park is simply stunning. Ireland may be known for its myriad shades of green, but this site was a breathtaking second. During a three-hour hike, we saw a new waterfall with each turn of the trail, endless turquoise pools of water and crimson fall trees.

Here is a video of footage we shot during the tour of the park.

Sea Organs and Labyrinths

In October, I welcomed many visitors to Budapest, including my Aunt Elaine from Kansas City, my cousin Jessica from Berlin, and my sister and brother-in-law, Nicole and Nat, from Sun Valley, Idaho. We tromped around all of Budapest's major landmarks and even went underground into the castle district's labyrinths - a tourist trap I had not yet enjoyed. The picture above is of my sister and aunt next to the labyrinth's wine fountain, which represents the myriad wine cellars of the region. Unfortunately, no sampling was allowed.

Besides touring Budapest, I took Nicole and Nat on a road trip through Croatia. We stopped in Zagreb so I could show them my flat and beloved town, and then we went to Zadar, a small coastal town. Despite driving around for hours trying to find our apartment (which is a prerequisite to any trip to Croatia), our stay in the peaceful city was lovely. Our accommodations were right on the water and were gorgeous - this is a picture taken from our driveway.


Like the other charming coastal Croatian towns I've visited, Zadar had ancient Roman churches, city centers composed of narrow, winding streets and cobblestone walkways. The old part of town was on a peninsula, so it was easy to get to the sea, which we did to sit and watch the sunset. Alfred Hitchcock once said Zadar had the world's most beautiful sunsets, and I'm inclined to agree.





However, the highlight of the charming city was its sea organ, which trumped even the sunset. It is an experimental instrument activated by undulating waves and wind. On the surface, it just looks like marble stairs, but underneath the stairs are tubes that emit sound as water rushes into them. As air in the tubing is displaced, it plays a note and the pitch resounds through a hole in the marble stairwell. The resulting noises are soothing although chaotic. I found it completely mesmerizing. Here is a video of it.

Budapest Boo!

Of the many American exports abroad, Halloween has to be the most revelatory, and I am proud to be a seasoned celebrator of the day. Even since 2005 when I first lived in Europe, I am amazed at how this holiday has burgeoned - bringing along the jack-o-lanterns, creative costuming and parties that can do little but spread some ghoulish amity. Plus, it provides a nice juxtaposition to the somber All Souls Day on November 1, a holiday that I blogged about last year and one I think we should import back to the US.



This year I threw on a flapper costume, dragged Mike out in his "Texan" costume and went to an amazing party at an old mansion on Andrassy ut, one of the most famous drags of the city. The Colorado-native host (who went as a pharaoh for the evening) is Mike's business associate, and he opened his whole building for the occasion. There were cobwebs galore wrapped around the four-story building's giant antique stairwell and a spooky darkened entrance with fake smoke billowing out into the street. The floors were covered by chalk outlines of bodies and eerie messages were spelled out in blood on the mirrors - this, complete with karaoke on one floor and a DJ and filled dance floor on the other, made it quite a blowout.




One of the truly eerie elements of this evening is that the offices in which the party was held also used to be headquarters of both the Nazi and Communist parties. It is situated right next to the Terror Museum, also part of the former headquarters, which is now a museum dedicated to the grizzly aspects of the former reigns. Our host told us that there are even still prison cells in the basement. Also, he showed us the secret panels in his office which hide SS safes. This may be my only Halloween party I attend in what I'm sure is a bona fide haunted house.

Honeymoon Video

Here is a video of our honeymoon that I just finished editing.

Zebra Crossings

Fall struck Budapest abruptly last week, bringing gray skies and drizzle-filled days that always remind me of living in Dublin. All of a sudden, we have kicked on our radiators and stopped frequenting our favorite garden bars. Now, we head to the indoor, smoky joints for some cold-weather socialization.

One pleasant thing to come of the seasonal shift is that it brought the fall festival. My best girlfriend here, Zsofi, works for Budapest's Festival Center, so she keeps me in the know about large cultural events. Or better yet, she lets me know about the underground performances like this one I've posted a video on, called Zebra Crossings.

As part of the Fall Festival, multiple acting troupes went to different crosswalks (which they call Zebra Crossings, given their black and white stripes) and performed a different skit each time the light turned red. They were all up and down one of the city's most lovely avenues, called Andrassy, and performed to unsuspecting audiences of drivers and pedestrians. Thanks to an awesome wedding gift (go Beahm team!) I can now capture moments like this on our new video camera. Enjoy some of the skits!

Honeymooners at Grand Cayman

After the wedding in Denver, we headed south to Grand Cayman for a week-long honeymoon. Everything about the trip was perfect. It was the ideal blend of relaxation and adventure, and I could have stayed for months. The excursion gave us the first opportunity to get a tan that we've had in years, as living in Eastern Europe doesn't lend itself to sun-kissed hues.

We spent as much time as we could lounging on the world's most comfortable lounge chairs on Seven-mile beach - an idyllic beachfront with crystal clear water and white sand.


Playing with sea turtles as definitely my highlight of the trip and one of the reasons we chose this island. Sea turtles have been my favorite animal for as long as I can remember, but this was the first time I could hold one. We went to the Boatswain sea turtle farm where some turtles are harvested to provide meat to the island so they aren't poached off the beach, while others are grown for conservation efforts. The farm has released more than 30,000 of these endangered turtles back into the wild since the '80s.


Oh, darling Greenback turtle.


With our love of animals being far from sated, we also went to the Botanic Gardens, where we saw some gorgeous tropical flowers and bushes, as well as this endangered beauty: the Cayman Blue Iguana. This colorful fellow below is critically endangered as there are only a couple hundred left, most of which are at this preserve.


We couldn't resist stopping at the biggest tourist trap of the island: Hell. This "town" consists of a brightly painted building, which of course is a gift shop with catchy shirt slogans like "I've been to hell and back, and all I got was this t-shirt," and all types of kitschy merchandise.


Grand Cayman is an ideal place to scuba dive because of its lucid waters. Mike is a certified diver, so he went under the sea. I did a resort course on scuba diving, but I couldn't get my ears to equalize with the water pressure, so I couldn't dive. Major bummer.


I did get to go to stingray city - much to my dismay. At this sandbar, tamed stingrays allow you to pet and feed them. However, if you don't release your food (i.e. squid) fast enough, the stingrays will give you a hickie - I know this first-hand. The second I got off the boat, I was swarmed by the giant, rubbery beasts, so I found the experience unnerving although I tried to be a good sport.

Love and Marriage

My husband and I (I have to use Mike's new title whenever possible) are back in Budapest after the momentous month of August. Our wedding on August 15 went splendidly. It got off to an elegant start at our rehearsal dinner at the Brown Palace hotel in Denver, where we celebrated with friends and family and were the subject of many sweet toasts, and shockingly no embarrassing ones. The wedding was held the next day at Mile High Station, a historic building that was originally constructed in the late 1800s as a steel factory, later transformed to the current venue. Rather than try to recapture that emotionally charged, romantic day, I'll let these photos tell the story. They were taken by Northern Exposure photography and are posted in reverse order.

Croatian Coast

During the last week in June, our fab foursome (Binsey, Mike and me) rented a car and drove to Krk, Croatia for a long weekend. This is a popular holiday island just off the coast of Croatia - connected to the mainland by a bridge, which made our drive there quite easy. The only challenge was that we didn't arrive until 2 a.m. and had to go on a scavenger hunt with a bad map through the city to find our accommodation. We rented an apartment in Krk City, which was just a few minutes walk from both the beach and downtown and had a great balcony where we ate all of our meals.

Like the picture above, the island has beautiful valleys and rocky coasts, where we spent the majority of our time between thunderstorms. When we weren't on the beach, we enjoyed some fresh sea food, walked around the old, stone city center and ate lots of gellato. We all agreed that we should permanently relocate there.


We took a day trip from Krk City to Baska, another beautiful coastal town pictured above and below.


Mike watching the thunderclouds roll in:


Beautiful rocky sea:

Tomorrow I head back to Colorado for the next month to prepare for the wedding and spend some time with friends and family, which also may mean there will be a pause in the blog, but it'll be back come September.