"I bless the rains down in Africa..."

Last night I turned on TV and I was looking for an enjoyable programme which is rare nowadays.. That's why I was surprised when I found something eye-catching. It was a film, the scene was obviously shot in Africa and I saw a black man and a white woman.

It was familiar to me but for a moment I had to stop and think why. After some moments of thinking I could recall my imaginations about the scenes of a book I have read some years ago. Unfortunately I don't really have time to read but that was different. I guess it was about two years ago in summer, when I found the book on my parents' bookshelves, which is called The white Masai written by Corinne Hofmann.

Corinne Hofmann is a Swiss writer and she wrote this book to tell about her adventures in Africa. I really liked it because it shows the reader an entirely other society and way of life. The story in a nutshell: Corinne goes to Africa and she falls in love with a Masai 'fighter'. She goes back to Switzerland, brakes up with his boyfriend and gives up everything she has at home, to change her life in Africa. She gets married to the Masai man and she lives there with the Masai tribe. She experiences all the good and bad sides of living in Kenya. They also have a baby and Corinne keeps on fighting for acceptance and to make Masai people's life easier.

It is fascinating to read about the rituals, habits they have. I wondered whether I could put up with these things or not. I think I couldn't but it would be a good trial to get to know myself and my limits better. I have always wanted to visit Africa and I am sure one day I will go there. My father travelled there some years ago. He and some friends decided to climb the mountain Kilimanjaro. Not too ordinary, is it? :D Anyway after he came back I think something has changed. I mean after that 'trip' he became a fan of everything about Africa. I guess it had a deep impression on him and I think it is no wonder.


So yesterday I realised soon, that I was watching the film which was based on this book and it was surprising because I haven't heard of the film version yet. I imagined almost everything the way it was shown in the film. I can recommend this book for everyone because it is such an experience and very interesting. Here is a picture and also a song which is rather known nowadays by Karl Wolf :)

The city of blinding lights

Here we are again. This is the last day of March and here comes April. Hopefully it will be a warmer month with sunny days. There are only a few weeks left from school and it makes me happy. I already have many plans for the holiday. The best one for me is the trip to Paris.

One of my best friends' aunt lives there and invited us to visit her. We have already booked the tickets in February, so they are much cheaper. It will be really special for me because I have always wanted to visit Paris, but I guess it won't be the last time. Paris is known as many things for example 'the city of love', 'the city of lights', 'the capital of fashion' and so on. There are many things I would like to visit there. The most importants are the Eiffel Tower,the Triumphal Arch, the Louvre, the Champs Elysees and Disneyland.

We will spend there ten days, of course it won't be enough to see everything but I am sure we will take our time. I plan to taste some special French food like snail, clam and of course all those delicious croissants. It will be special for me also because I have never travelled by plane before. I think it will be a nice adventure as well. Fortunately we will stay close to the city center, so I am sure the evenings will be fascinating. If I just think of Paris as the city of lights...

Now back to the present, there are still 101 days left until this nice trip ( yes, I am counting down the days :D ) and I have many tasks to do. Fortunately next week there will be a little break and I plan to go to Budapest with some friends. So wish you all an enjoyable spring break with nice weather!

Sweet twenty?

Happy Birthday... Sounds so good and happy for me, especially in this month. 3 of my close friends celebrate their birthdays in March, not to mention my mom and some other friends as well. Since December, it is a habit that we always surprise the lucky one with something really unexpected. The idea came from my birthday. I celebrated it in Germany but on the day I arrived home my friends surprised me quite well. I wanted to meet at least 3 of them, but somehow nobody had the time to meet me. Of course they gathered at a restaurant, where they knew I would go to. It was quite an experience. So when December came, I organised a little party in a nice café for one of my best friends. We knew that she would nip in for a minute, but I am sure she didn't think that she would spend the rest of the day there. She told me that it was the best birthday party ever. I was really proud of myself... :) Next one was my sister's birthday. It was fascinating too. We always have to figure out something new and unexpected. Often it is really hard to organise it and takes much time and money but it worth that. It is nice to see the excited faces.

The spring season of the other 'birthday-dump' started last weekend. Zsófi's 19th birthday was really good as well. She liked the present very much. And now here comes the one I have been waiting for so long. Lilla's 19th birthday, my mother's birthday and a names day party. It is going to be a bit 'crowded' weekend but I'm sure, pretty good at the same time. After that, next weekend comes another B'day. It is going to be a 'sweet 18th' birthday.. I wish I was so young too... :D I am invited to the family lunch as well. And after that, in the evening comes the best fun; being with friends and being surprised.

I really like organising parties as you can may see, but sometimes I find myself thinking about my B'day. The second X or something like that. I know that things won't change so much as they didn't change when I turned 18 almost two years ago. But I really don't feel like an adult in many cases. I won't start telling about details, because I share almost the same feelings as Andi told us about some weeks ago. I think we all know what it feels like. Anyway I'm sure the celebration will be such fun but this time it is going to be a hard row to hoe for my dear friends. :)We'll see in August!

Have a nice weekend!

The last week when snow is required

I usually don't like January and February but this year it was different.I spent most of January at home and I was really busy, busy with having fun. It was a bit hard when school started again but it's OK now.

Last week was fantastic. I love skiing and unfortunately I couldn't go last year so now I took the chance, though it was already school time. We were in Italy with a big group of people, most of them were familiar but I made new friends too. For example a 14-year-old girl. We shared the same room by chance. As it turned out she is from Pécs and she knows my cousin too. The weather was great, the sun was shining all week and we had a great time. Sometimes skiing felt like flying. I love it!


The only windy, cloudy and cold morning was on Tuesday. We spent about an hour up but most of it in the pub. Then I decided to go down to the town with 2 of my friends. Our accommodation was there some years ago, so I knew the place but I forget that we stayed in another village this time. So it wasn't sure that the bus will take us 'home'. As I realised this, we were already on our way down so I couldn't do anything. We got down and we went out to the bus stop. There were no buses and no schedules anywhere, so I decided to ask somebody there. I went into a hotel, a bar, a ski rental service, a shop and a bakery. Guess what? No one spoke English!!!! (we didn't dare to try German or French, it was unnecessary) I was very upset. All of them were shaking their heads and staring at me like I was asking for a gun or I don't know... That was annoying. And this happened again the same evening when we went to a restaurant. "-Do you speak English?" the waiter was laughing and said 'No'. I don't really understand it. I think it's a basic thing to speak at least one foreign language nowadays, even if you live in Italy, French or Germany... Whatever... We met a Danish man who was really helpful, and we found the bus we were looking for.

That was the only bad impression I had last week. We arrived home on Sunday and it was really hard to get back to weekdays. I was a bit confused and I missed classes so I had many things to do. I am working on them and hope that the weather will turn warm really soon cause I've had enough of snow and dark rainy days. That's all for today. I wish everyone a pleasurable spring semester!

Public transport - from an other point of view

I have never really liked travelling by bus but I have always been too lazy to walk to school in the morning. Actually when I had to go early to school (early means before 8 a.m.) I usually woke up on the bus. I've never really cared about the other people around me. In Kaposvár I knew most of them when I was travelling home or to school.

Here in Pécs it's totally different. I can say it is interesting for me. I travel by bus at least twice a day when I am here. I sit down if I can and while I am listening to some music I am watching the other people. Usually I see students and old people. It is funny guessing who they are, what do they do judging by their outfit. I often see students with drawings, studio and stand cameras, musical instruments and tote bags, and I wonder how talented they can be in what they do or how important it can be for them. Maybe later one or more of them will be a well-known artist, a notoriety or a famous sportsman. Who knows? When I don't listen to music I can hear interesting conversations by students, usually about the university and sometimes about parties and teachers as well. :D

Sometimes it can be really annoying travelling by bus. For example when old people think that the seats are made only for them. I always stand up when I see them, so don't think I am rude, but since I am here I have heard old ladies shouting many times with other old ladies because they couldn't sit down. They were quarelling about who will take the seat. It was crazy and happened not just once. It can be very pesky. So we can meet many kinds of people on the bus. Sometimes it is funny, sometimes it isn't, but I usually find a reason to laugh or at least to smile. :D Except in Budapest. The last time I was there and used public transport we were having fun and laughing with my friend but after a while we stopped, because the others were staring at us. It was like in a graveyard or I don't know. Kind of depressing moral.

Anyway, the gestures of other people, the way they behave with strangers or the way they look at you, can tell many things about their personality. It is maybe a bit philosophical, but I often try reading from faces,eyes because I am interested in how did this people get to where they are now. Why are they rude with others or why are they so polite? Maybe because they were taught to be polite, or they are rude because they are in a bad mood. You never know... It happens often that you think you know someone and suddenly you realise that you are mistaken. On one of my lessons we had a discussion about this 'mask' thing. I heard a saying which sounds like 'You get up in the morning and paint on a mask, this is a part of your daily costume.' Some people agree with this, some don't. I can only say that in certain situations this mask comes off and it can be amazing but horrifying as well, for example at a 'bus-situation'.

So after this short analysis I only wonder what do other people may think about me? :D

Take care!

Friends will be friends...

At kindergarten we often asked each others: 'Who is your best friend?' Well I could never name only one person. I don't like this question. I have always had at least two 'candidates' and I have never been able to choose one. I guess it's good so, I personally feel happy about it.

I was thinking about friendship. I knew before I moved to Pécs, that from September I would see who can be called a real friend. Well, I am not disappointed so far :) My tips were good, those I expected to call me or chat with me every day payed off. This was important for me because friends are essential parts of my life. As we know we can't choose a family (do not misunderstand me,fortunately I don't have any problems with my family), but we can choose our friends.

I think there are different kinds of friends. Some you have because you share the same workplace, diggings, hobby, dormitory or anything like these. I mean you don't have many things in common, it is usually by chance, you usually don't choose it. There are people who are the friends of your close friends and you may often go out with them but you wouldn't call them your real pals. There is another type, fair-weather friends. I think I don't have to explain it. Sometimes we just need this kind of relationships too. I don't think that it is a bad thing, though in Hungarian it sounds like for me. So the last one is the most important, real friends.

I have always been wondering when I was younger and saw my parents going out with their kith, whom will I call my true friends when I will be at the same age as they are now? My mum told me that she knows most of these people since high school or secondary school. So they have passed through many things together. I often imagine myself in my fifties or forties, sitting in my living-room or at the balcony of our weekend house in a summer afternoon circled by friends. We are laughing and telling stories about our youth. :)

Well I hope it is not so close yet!:) Now I must finish, because I am meeting some friends, may we will do something that we can talk about 20 years later too. :)

Take care!

Auld Lang Syne

Here I am again, it is Sunday afternoon and I am packing again. This is the first time that I go to Pécs on Sunday because I usually go on Monday. The autumn break was good and relaxing for me.

As the weather is getting colder and the afternoons are getting darker we are getting closer to Christmas :) Ok, I know it is not so close yet but if we visit some supermarkets we could think it is already December. Some days ago I was reading one of the advertising papers and I found chocolate Santas all around it. I told mum to give me the latest one because it must be from last year. She was smiling and said that it is the newest one, if I don't believe I can check the date. She was right and I was shocked. So if you can't wait until the 6th of December you can buy chocolate Santas immediately!

Anyway I don't really have problems with this time of the year. Ok, I am not very keen on rainy weather but I love the colours of the leafs and I like wearing coat,scarf and gloves. Though I was born in August I couldn't say that I like summer the most because December has always been a glamorous month for me. Christmas, New Year's Eve, they can never be boring... But in every year there was something extra, something special about December.

I love Christmas songs and I am always looking for new ones. My latest finding is called 'Auld Lang Syne'. I have heard this song for the first time (at least I thought so) in the movie, Sex and The City. It was really good and all of my friends liked it but no one knew it. I was listening to the lyrics but it was really hard to understand so I gave up. This week I had plenty of time and was surfing on the internet and I found it on youtube. There are a lot of versions and I realised why I just couldn't understand the lyrics. Auld Lang Syne is a Scottish expression which means good old times in English.

As I mentioned there were many versions so I chose a faster one. It was a good decision because I realised that I know this song in Hungarian too! It is called 'Régi dal' and at secondary school we all sang this song on the school leaving ceremonies for the graduating class members. Then came another surprise, Auld Lang Syne is known in English speaking countries as a Christmas song or they sing it at New Year's Eve. That was very surprising for me.
So my Christmas-song-assortment is enriched with a new one and I am glad about it! :)
Here are some versions for those who are interested:





Popular, isn't it? :)

Take care ;)