Zagreb Snapshot

Our little studio apartment.

A really cool graffiti wall outside a bar we like, called Oliver Twist.

The Zagreb cemetery on day of the dead.

More of the cemetery.

Celebrating a blue country in a former red state

Michael and I just returned from a thermal spa, so I am exceptionally relaxed and am resisting the urge to crawl back in bed. We went to Szechenyi bath, which has a combination of inside baths and three large outdoor pools. Soaking in a steaming bath, watching old men play chess and laughing at the ridiculous European Speedo was a perfect way to spend a gray Sunday afternoon.

We've been back in Budapest since Tuesday, when we took the train into the city to catch an election night party, sponsored by the American Embassy and American Chamber of Commerce. The party, which was held at this swanky hotel up the street from me, was packed full of Americans. I forget that there are that many professionals from the states here; the party could have been plunked down in any American city. Since the results of the election didn't start pouring in until about 2 a.m. Budapest time, we just kept ourselves occupied by indulging in the all-you-can-eat American buffet, complete with chicken nuggets, hotdogs and potato salad. We didn't hear the results of the election until the following morning, when Mike woke me up to tell me McCain had won. Luckily, I rarely take anything he tells me seriously, so I hadn't lost faith that Obama had achieved victory. While I am pleased that Obama won for many, many reasons, I am especially relieved to finally have a president in office that Europeans seem to respect, which is quite the opposite of what we have now. My hope is that American's image is improved with the new candidate, and that he continues to build strong alliances with both Americans and foreigners alike.

Last weekend in Zagreb we didn't end up celebrating Halloween, because there weren't any festivities that we were aware of, but we did take part in All Souls Day, or Day of the Dead, on Nov. 1. On this day, people flock to the cemeteries to show respect for their relatives by cleaning off their graves and leaving candles and fresh flowers. Zagreb has one giant cemetery, where people waited in line by the hundreds in the city center for the buses that took them there. Mike and I went just shortly before dusk, and walked around the grounds, watching thousands and thousands of people come in and out, and Michael took some beautiful photos. This day of reverence was incredibly touching and beautiful in an eerie way. As the sun set, the cemetery was enveloped by candlelight, especially in front of the war memorials.

What most intrigued me about this holiday is why we don't honor it in the United States. Perhaps Memorial Day is close, but nothing close to the scale of Day of the Dead in Europe, South America or Mexico. The more Mike and I talked about it, the more I realized just how little Americans discuss death, nonetheless devote a day to thinking about it. I think it would do our constant forward-thinking culture wonders to reflect more, especially about those we have lost.

Please stand-by

My blog seems to be having technical difficulties; I can't get my last entry to post online. So, please, wait patiently, and I'll have a new blog up soon!

Introduction to Zagreb

Michael was right; I did love Zagreb. Croatia’s capital city was a literal breath of fresh air. Set along a mountain range, the city is much smaller and less crowded than Budapest. It still has the terraced houses and much of the same architecture as Hungary, but it was cleaner, and every city square wasn’t a human traffic jam.

Since the end of the war there in 1995, there has been a lot of redevelopment and construction. Michael and my Croatian flat is only one year old, which for Europe, seems absolutely remarkable. It’s a studio, but feels more spacious than I thought it would be. Having all new appliances, an actual stand-up shower and a heated towel rack makes me feel downright spoiled! The apartment is just about a five-minute walk to a tram line, which takes us right into the city center.

Last weekend was a holiday weekend, marking the anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 revolution against communist rule. Rather than a day of reverence, over the past few years, the holiday has become a day of rioting against the current Hungarian government (not a particularly unjustified move from what I gather). In contrast, this year was quite calm. The police blocked off streets and were vigilant all over the city, but not too much happened. There was a nationalist/neo-Nazi rally in one of they city’s main squares, but fortunately, they weren’t violent. They marched down our street, so Vincent and I went and watched them disgustedly and exercised self-control by not throwing things at their bald heads.

Mike and I left to Zagreb on Friday and spent the weekend walking around the city, relaxing and working. The November issue of Business Hungary goes out next week, so I had plenty of writing and editing to do. A very kind co-worker of Mike’s, a Croatian/Australian named Dan, took us out for a beer on Sunday and brought us to a fish restaurant on Monday night. Fish is amazing when you’re not in a land-locked state. We selected our own fish from a pile of that morning’s catch. I had no idea how to spot a tasty fish, but Dan told me it’s all in the eyes: the more vibrant and glossy they look, the fresher the fish. Good thing he took special care selecting the eyes, because the cooked fish came back to us whole, and its eyes stared at Dan for the entire meal.

I came back to Budapest on Tuesday morning, because I had to be in the office on Wednesday and cover a debate about the US election. Sadly, I had to leave Michael, who has to stay in Croatia for at least a week or longer. The long train trip wasn’t too bad though, because I sat by a nice Australian backpacker. It was nice to have someone to talk to and after the trip, I helped him navigate to his hostel.

Helping a newcomer into the city made me realize just how tragic it is that for most travelers, the first taste they have of a new city is the train station. Most of these stations, especially in Budapest, are quite seedy and full of people trying to scam newcomers the second they get off the train. For instance, in Budapest, cab drivers and alleged hostel owners, stand right outside the trains, trying to snatch up the unsuspecting backpackers and charge them exorbitant rates on rides and accommodations. I wish there was a way to step off the train and suddenly be inside a gorgeous cathedral or next to a 1,000-year-old monument.

Luckily, the scenery outside the Zagreb station is much nicer than the Budapest one, because I am going back there tomorrow. It’s a lot of train trips within 10 days, about 30 hours to be exact, but I want to spend the weekend with Mike. I don't think the Croatians celebrate Halloween, so I think that party will be out of the picture. Nov. 1 is all soul's day though, and I hope I can make it to a cemetery and see it brimming with light from candles people left in honor of their relatives.

Pest Apartment

This is our street - Kiraly Utca, which translates to King Street. It's a very centrally located street with lots of stores, restaurants and bars.



The kitchen. A HUGE upgrade from our last flat. Everyday, I want to hug our dishwasher and the gas stove that I don't get burnt while lighting.



Our never-used dining room/entry way. All of our lights in this section of the apartment are burnt out. The light fixtures are on our 16-foot high ceilings, so until our landlord brings a ladder, we will continue living in darkness.



The living room, brought to you by IKEA. Notice the pretty red plant Michael just gave me.



This is our bedroom. Yes, I sleep under a Texas flag. This is what I get for being the fiancee of a states rights kind of guy.

Settling In

I’ve been back behind the Iron Curtain for about a week and a half now on my third expedition to Europe. My overall reaction to being back is difficult to define and rather polarized. It’s mixed with extreme happiness and comfort for being back with Michael, now my fiancé :), and loneliness for being back in a city in which I don’t feel very connected.
Besides Mike, who is always my biggest draw in coming overseas, I came back to accept a position as Assistant Editor of Business Hungary magazine, an English publication affiliated with the American Chamber of Commerce. After working at a daily newspaper for 11 months, I was eager to get back into magazines, especially with a leadership position that would be hard to attain in the U.S. Like my previous employment with the magazine, I’ll write a few in-depth features a month, but now I will also attend the editorial meetings and be a copy editor. It will be a good new challenge, which I think I will enjoy when it gets busier, but at the moment I am at my wits end from working alone all day and having newsroom withdrawal. My company does have an office, but the magazine’s staff only meets there once a month to do the editing, so there’s no real place there for me to work. So, like the other staff members, I can work from home, which is glamorous for about a day. Then, I am dying for co-reporters to hash things out with or at least take the occasional coffee break with. My frustration is also exacerbated with the fact that I am starting from scratch again in my market after having a developed beat in Colorado and struggling to find fluent English speakers as sources.
In addition to the Business Hungary work, I will also write for Where Budapest, a travel publication again, and I’m trying to get a music correspondent gig that would be fantastic if I landed it. This doesn’t remedy my working alone problem, but at least it’ll be some more creative and lucrative projects.
I started the position on the Monday after I came back, so I really haven’t had much down time to re-explore the city since I have three stories due this week. However, on Thursday, I will be going to Zagreb, Croatia with Mike, so I have a new city to learn. Mike is now splitting his time between Euro-Phoenix’s Hungarian and Croatian office, so when I can, I’ll travel with him. He thinks I’ll really like Zagreb, since it’s much smaller than Budapest, the people are really friendly and you can see the foothills from there :) I plan on taking language lessons there, which I’m really excited for, so I don’t feel like a mute anymore.
With Mike’s new work arrangement and my work meetings, I am worried that our schedules won’t pair up all that often, leaving us again in different countries, but at least it’ll be closer than the Hungary-American situation we were doing before. It’s about a six-hour train ride from Budapest to Zagreb.
Mike has been on a business trip in Macedonia since Sunday, but luckily he comes back on Wednesday – not soon enough. When he’s not here, I really miss my Colorado entourage. It’s been a rude awakening to have your best friends within a 50-mile radius to not having them within the continent. I’m happy I only have to go another six weeks without them until I come home for Christmas! A fortunate thing is I do have a roommate now – Vincent, a very sweet French guy who works with Michael. On my next blog, I’ll include some photos of my apartment and neighborhood.
And for all of you wondering, no I haven’t done any wedding planning since I’ve arrived, and I probably won’t until Mike has time to do it with me – it’s no fun doing it alone. However, Mike did make us a great Web site – check it out at www.MarisaMike.com.

New Digs

Yesterday, Michael and I had a successful move across Budapest into our new flat. We are no longer Buda dwellers, but are now Pestians. Since I leave on Thursday, I packed everything up as if I was going home, so now I feel like I am just staying at a hotel for a few days. The new flat, located on Kiraly Ut. or King St. is awesome. It's such an upgrade for our last place, and since Mike is sharing it with Vincent, the rent is much less as well. The apartment has been completely redone by an Irish man (we can actually have a coherent conversation with the landlord!), and he's put in all new appliances and furniture, so it seems like a completely new place located in a really old building. To say I am anything but envious would be a lie! I absolutely love the place. There are huge ceilings, a giant kitchen, an actual dining room, a living room, one and a half baths and a big living room. It's amazing. I definitely started drooling when I saw that he has a dishwasher too - what luxury! But, the best part of it is the location. We're a five minute walk from the opera house, where we saw Madam Butterfly on Friday, and the beautiful Andrassy street. We are also right by great bars and restaurants. Llast night we were at one of our favorite dive-bars which is two doors down from our new place and the power kept going out. But, everyone just flipped open their cellphones, and the party kept going. Our actual building is situated between an art gallery and a funky second-hand clothing shop and directly across the street from a perfectly stocked grocery store. What a great place to live. Maybe Budapest will beckon me back after all . . .

One of Michael's high school friends who lives in Paris is visiting us for the next two days. It'll be nice to have someone to visit the sites with during my last couple days. We're going to get him from the airport this evening after Mike gets off work. He had to work 10-3 on a Sunday. I dislike his boss more and more each day.