Sorry for the delay in keeping this update. As my students would say, I just “couldn’t be bothered”. This blog, in a way, feels like homework. It’s like a weekly or biweekly writing assignment submitted online (or on this case bi-monthly). I had intended to give up homework for a long time when I graduated last year, but clearly this hasn’t been the case.
As I write to you now, I am sitting in an airport lounge waiting for my plane to Geneva. From there I go to Berlin, Copenhagen and Aarhus. Unlike my last trip, I am traveling with a friend (Aleks) who has assured me that she’s around to make sure I don’t miss any more flights.
A lot has happened from Budapest to today, so I might as well fill you in. I left Hungary to explore Vienna, Bratislava, and then Prague. These trips all went off without a hitch, and I had a blast on my vacation. It was far and away the most enriching week of my life today. I feel like I learned so much in such a short period of time, and just tried to sponge all of it in.
From Prague, I was supposed to take a train to Dresden (border German town) and tempt the Fates once more by taking a Ryan Air flight home to London. Seemingly on cue, Volcano erupts and cancels my flight. Once again, I am not on my flight. Luckily for me, I was staying with my Godfather in Prague, and was put up for an extra night at no extra cost while my travel plans were being sorted out. Getting home meant an 11 hour road trip across Germany with some of his EXTRORDINARILY generous friends. They dropped me off at Calais where I would catch a ferry back to the UK. Apparently I wasn’t the only person stranded in Europe trying to get back to England. After a 2 hour wait in line, a 2 hour wait for the ferry, and a 2 hour ferry ride, I was back in the UK. 2 hours of waiting for a 2 hour train ride later, I was back in London. The whole trip was 23 hours, and I might have slept for 3 of them. Not pleasant. At least I was back.
Waiting for me after my vacation was a brand new job. I started working at a new school in Tottenham (right next to White Hart Lane). I was supposed to go into work the morning I returned home, but I was not about to start a new job on three hours of sleep after a 23 hour commute. Of course everybody understood, and it was no problem for me to start on the Tuesday (My would-be department head was stuck in China and only made it back a week later).
I immediately fell in love with my new job. Being a classroom teacher was so refreshing. I have a classroom and desk to call my own, as well as about 4 new keys on my chain (which makes me look like an important person when I take them out). Working with my German boy was a good experience, but I can now see that I belong in the classroom
I just finished my 6 week stay in the Humanities Department, and will be moving to English after the break until the end of the school year. It’s really convenient that I will be getting experience in both of my teachable subjects.
As a Humanities teacher, I was charged with teaching Religion, Citizenship (Drugs and Sex Ed), and Geography. Unlike in Canada, most of my students only saw me once a week. All in all I taught 19 classes, with two sets of students coming in to see me on multiple days. This meant about 300 new names to learn over 6 weeks.
My experience at NPSC to date has been wonderful, although it’s certainly not for everyone. It is an inner city school that has to deal with the very real presence of gangs in the area. Drugs are easily accessible, and many of the students come from very poor family environments. While it has been a challenge, it is one which I have met and overcome, and my experience here has ultimately made me a better teacher. I look forward to working in Canada, because I think the students will be much easier to deal with.
As with any challenging school, I have not been without verbal and mental abuse from the students. I’ve been asked by three different students if I was gay, because it’s apparently not obvious. My teaching qualifications have been called into question, and then I’ve been told that I don’t belong in a classroom. I also had one student reach into his shirt and pretend to shank me with an invisible knife in an attempt to intimidate me after he was refusing to leave my classroom. Fun times.
Sorry again for the massive delay in getting this out there, and I hope that I find the motivation to post more frequently from here on out. The end is near.
Gyros Buffet in Budapest
April 9, 2010
Destination 3: Budapest
Like the two cities that preceded it, Budapest caused me a world of grief on my arrival. I didn’t know that there would be two train stops at Budapest, so I got off my train at the first one. It was a different name than I was expecting, but the first 4 letters were the same. There is probably something lost in translation, I tell myself. Nobody would confuse foreigners by making two different train stations with similar names. Besides, I couldn’t afford to not get off and miss my Budapest stop.
The train station was small, and not at all what I was expecting. I had a sick feeling that I was not where I should have been. I was supposed to be close to downtown, but there were no tall buildings in sight.
Parliament
Walking through the train station, I realized that Hungary has its own currency too. Not a problem. First stop, post office to get some local coin. I was starving after a 7 hour train ride (you could say I was Hungary…ha ha so lame) and needed to get some grub. The post office didn’t exchange foreign currency like in Zagreb, but they directed me to a bank just down the street that would do it for me. Ok, no big deal. I walked down that street only to find that the bank had closed. Food will have to wait, sorry stomach.
I returned to the train station to try to find my bearings on the map I made for myself. At that moment my suspicions were realized. I am at the wrong train station. None of the streets around me were on my homemade map. The train station was also facing the wrong direction. I walked across to the other side of the train station, but the story remained the same. Slow clap here for Mike Salvati. I found myself in a foreign city, with no currency, no comprehension of the language, no map, and essentially lost (Foolish English Tourist Moment #2). I will look back on this and laugh, I told myself. Everything will be alright… eventually. At the moment however, nothing was right. I was an alien here. I can’t speak or read Hungarian. The buildings looked run down while the locals looked unpleasant. I was not in a happy place.
I eventually found myself walking alongside a major highway like a hitch hiker. I was doing my best “not a tourist” impression. What backpack? Oh this, it’s more of a schoolbag really. It doesn’t have a laptop or digital camera in it. Just books and stuff… you know. Using my keen sense of deduction (I’m a modern day Sherlock Holmes), I decided that “Centrum” is downtown (It was Centaur in Croatia, when I had a map and knew where I was going). My hostel claims to be 10 minutes from downtown, so I figured that no matter where I go, I am walking closer towards a 10 minute walk to my hostel.
Canadian Embassy! The inside was nice but they wouldn't let me take pictures. Pfff, I practically own it. My tax dollars pay their salary (probably).
Eventually, I found a gas station off the road. Gas stations are the same everywhere, and this one was bound to have a map. Success! I strolled in, grabbed a map and opened it up to its fullest. I didn’t ask the clerk for permission to do so, because I had no money to buy it, and could not afford for him to tell me no. However, I was struggling to locate my position on the map and my destination. Budapest is a big city after all (3 million people). I gave up once I saw a Wi-Fi hot spot nearby. Unfortunately, the map wouldn’t fold was easily as I expected. It was awkward, and the fold lines were unclear. After a small struggle, I managed to get it away without destroying it, all the while trying to hide my activity from the store clerks.
I set up my laptop and confirmed good news and bad news. The bad news, which I already knew, was that I did in fact get off at the wrong train station. The good news was that the one I was supposed to get off at was not across town, AND that I was already walking in the right direction. Booya! After drawing myself a new map, I set off once more towards my hostel. I was tired, hungry, but now had purpose and a sense of direction.
Mike: Sorry I was late, I got off at Kelenfort instead of Keleti station, got lost, and had to find my way over here.
Hostel Clerk: Did you take the bus then?
Mike: No….I walked…
Hostel Clerk: Oh…
Over 2 hours and 5 km later I finally made it to my hostel….
Having wasted any opportunity to see the city on the day of my arrival, I was forced to see as much of it as I could in one day, because the following day I was bound for Vienna. Do you know how to make the most of Budapest on 1 day? I do now. You have to wake up early and walk around for 9 hours. So much walking…
The construction stereotypes are the same in Budapest. One man works while the rest watch
I found that Budapest is a lot like good-looking people. They can afford to be mean and cold because they are so pretty to look at. This is true of Budapest, which is an absolutely stunning city. It has a beautiful combination of mountain and urban landscapes, from rock faces jutting out from under cliffs to towering buildings lining its major streets. Budapest also has a massive Parliament (I’m told its 3rd largest in Europe), an outstanding Basilica, and a charming castle district. All in all, it was certainly a treat for the eyes.
The Opera
The cities unfriendly demeanour can also be forgiven for its cheap delicious food and the fine weather during my stay there. During my stay of about a day and a half, I must have eaten 7 or 8 roadside gyros (roughly 2 pounds each). I also had a massive lunch at a Market hall, enjoying a healthy serving of Goulash, a fried sausage, some bread and a half litre of local brew (all for about 5 pounds). This puts The Court to shame (My London home away from home). I was so full of deliciousness that I could barely walk back to my hostel. Mmmmmm. Good Eats.
I was also able to do my sightseeing in SHORTS! It was amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed my first shorts day of the year. I hope I never have to wear jeans again. The weather was about 20 degrees Celsius, and I might even have a bit of a tan (probably wishful thinking).
At his point, I could extend my good looking person analogy from earlier by including my other observations/experiences (cheapness and more revealing clothing), but won’t, because then things will just get out of hand.
This apple was massive! It looks normal, but I have BIG hands. I ate most of it until a dog came and licked it when I wasn't looking. Then I had to throw it out 
They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. This is especially true for me. Budapest may have tricked me into walking a marathon over my stay (Thanks for the blister….jerk), but rewarded me with its beauty and a full belly. It’s probably good that I had to walk so much to work off all that food I ate.
Next Stop: Vienna, Austria
Croatia: One Giant Patio
April 7, 2010
Destination 2: Zagreb
After spending two nights in Slovenia, my trip returned to its original schedule. I woke up and caught an early train into Zagreb, capital city of Croatia.
As with Ljubljana, my initial and final impressions of Zagreb were very different, albeit for different reasons. In Zagreb, I had the luxury of arriving in the morning and having pre-booked lodgings, but I did not have any local currency and the weather was miserable. It was raining and cold when my train pulled into the station. It was also Easter Monday, meaning that most of the city was shut down. After getting settled at my hostel, I had to return to the train station, because the post office next door was the only currency exchange open in town.
The Theatre
Croatian Kuna in hand, and determined not to let the rain impede my sightseeing, I set off to explore the city. Sadly, the rain took its toll on my morale. While I certainly felt the Zagreb had some redeeming qualities, I was cold, wet, tired, and thus not impressed. I managed to see about half of the city centre before retreating to my hostel for a nap.
After nightfall, the rain let up. After learning where the dangerous parts of the city were from the locals, I set off once more to explore Zagreb. I was well rested, dry, and eager for Zagreb to make up for the lousy weather from earlier that day, and was not at all disappointed. I walked around the city, making plans for the next day. The wheels were in motion for a Zagreb Redo. The next morning, the sun was shining and I got to see the city in all of its greatness. Easter was finished, and the streets and markets were bursting with activity. I made sure to visit everything again to make sure I would the city justice.
St Mark's Church
There were a lot of things about Zagreb that I liked. Like Ljubljana, it is a serious lounge city, which suits me just fine. There are several pedestrian alleys lined with cafes serving coffee and beer. It seems like half the city is just chilling and enjoying a drink on a sunny afternoon. Life is good (shouldn’t these people be at work at 1 p.m on a Tuesday?). The atmosphere was terrific, and a welcome change from the fast paced world of London and Toronto. In Zagreb, life didn’t seem to focus as much on filling up your day with activity and productivity, but rather to simply relax outside, enjoying nice weather, good conservation and the company of friends.
Zagreb is also a very inexpensive city (allowing me to eat like a king), with amazing currency. The Croatian Kuna is roughly 1/7 GBP, or 1/5 CAD. What’s nice about the currency is that there is hardly ever a use for denominations less than one Kuna, which means no pence or cents. There are 1, 2, and 5 Kuna coins, and this is just about all the change you will carry. While loose change in London and Toronto feel like a burden, The Kuna coins are very handy when buying a coffee, say, for 8 Kuna.
Another big plus for Zagreb is the lack of McDonalds. I MAY have seen someone carrying a bag at one point, but never during my extensive tour of the city did I stumble upon the infamous Golden Arches. It is refreshing to see that there are some places which remain immune to the long tentacles of corporate America.
Overall, Zagreb was a great city. The relaxed atmosphere was refreshing, and the people were all really nice. The beer, coffee and food were all really good too (and ridiculously inexpensive) all of which made it a big hit with this guy.
The Train Station
Foolish English Tourist Moment #1
It was bound to happen sooner or later. I walked into a bakery to buy some little cheese pastries. It was also the only time that I happened to have a coin smaller than 1 Kuna on me. Anyways, the clerk scooped up the pastries into a bag and showed me that they were 10 Kuna. Reaching into my back pocket, I retrieved a 20 cent coin. I showed it to her, and tried to explain that she should give me 20 Kuna worth, thinking that my coin (worth about 3 cents) would cover the cost of twice as many. Croatia is really is inexpensive, I thought. This is practically theft, I thought. Needless to say, she refused my coin, and wouldn’t give me the mistaken tourist discount. I soon realized my error and was a little embarrassed. This embarrassment would soon grow when she invited her friend over, explained to her what happened, and then they shared a good laugh together.
Next Stop: Budapest, Hungary
