There Are No Calories While Travelling! (Part 2)

Well, I don't call myself the PROCRASTINATING Novelist for nothing.  After almost three months, I'm finally ready to give you all my second food-based installment of my travels.  Now, there is a problem with putting this off for so long, and that is that my memory (which has never been great) has faded a bit.  So there will be no order to these meals as there was the last time.  I'm fairly certain I'm putting them in the correct order, but I make no guarantees.  Thankfully, I did have the presence of mind at the time to jot some notes in my phone, but they weren't nearly as extensive those from Cardiff.  My hope is that as I get going, my natural penchant for embellishment will help me remember the particulars.

The Firehouse Rotisserie

After doing a (free) walking tour through Bath, I decided to scope things out again on my own.  I missed lunch and my travels kept me out until dinner time, and so I kept my eyes peeled for a likely dinner spot.  It was difficult to make a choice, because so many of the places in Bath were very expensive.  Though beautiful, Bath is and always has been a prime tourist spot.  So it was with great delight that I found this restaurant.  I saw the special on the window, and knew both my palette and my wallet would appreciate what I found within.

The Food: Half Texas Spice Rubbed Rotisserie Chicken with Jalapeno Coleslaw, Spicy Fries and a glass of house wine 
I have only recently realized that the 'salad' I mentioned in my notes was in fact the advertised coleslaw.  Perhaps it was an English version of the stuff I'm used to, but it was more like an incredibly spicy side salad.  And indeed, it was a perfect complement to the rest of the meal.  The chicken was juicy with crispy skin, and the barbecue sauce they used was sweet, smoky, and a little spicy itself.  The fries were perfectly crisp this time (it helped that I actually remembered to ask for once).  I don't usually drink wine, and the host/waiter was incredibly accommodating.  He let me try a few different wines before I settled on the Prosecco Rose.  He added a crème de cassis made of black current, and was kind enough to explain was that meant.  I don't really remember, which is why I've thrown in a hyperlink on that term.  All told, it was a delicious meal.  Everything was satisfyingly spicy, and the wine was a perfect pairing.

The Dessert: Banoffe Cheesecake with Peanut Brittle
I debated with myself on whether or not I would have any dessert.  Based on the fact that I was still hungry from missing lunch, and had consumed just enough wine to not care about my wallet, I indulged (I was also still stinging over the lack of dessert in Cardiff).  This treat was a divine revelation.  Generally speaking, I rush through my meals, but I will never hurry cheesecake of any kind.  I almost feel bad for eating this dessert in public, because it felt like I was was putting on an indecent performance.  However, the taste and textures of my dessert were too good to worry about what other people thought of my reaction...if they cared at all.  The peanut brittle was unlike anything I've had in the States, and tasted more like a peanut butter laden caramel.  The cheesecake was light and creamy and the perfect blend of cream cheese and peanut butter.  I was definitely sad when it was gone.

The Service:
As I said above, the person who seated me and took my order was wonderfully accommodating.  The restaurant was pretty empty, as I came in around 6:00, but he still made sure I was taken care of even when other people arrived.  He even went to far as to write down the spelling for the cassis so I would know what to ask for if I ever wanted it again.  Halfway through my meal, a waitress replaced him.  My guess was she had just shown up for her shift, and she kept the good times rolling.  Of course, she could have thrown water in my face and I still would have been happy once my cheesecake arrived.  Luckily, I didn't have to test that theory, and I left a incredibly satiated and satisfied customer.

The Price:
So the damage at the end of my meal was £16.95.  I ended up leaving £5 for the tip, and never regretted a penny left on the table.  Was it a little rich for my blood?  Sure, but I felt justified in the expense after missing lunch.  Was the food itself a little rich?  Oh baby, you bet it was!  But boy, was it worth it!

The Rating: 10 of 10

The Kennard

Let me start off by saying I give this hotel my highest recommendations.  Those who have traveled with me before know that my hotel-choosing skills are suspect at best.  However, in this instance I hit it out of the park.  The atmosphere was welcoming and homey, and the owner, Natalie, made me feel like an honored guest.  She was so sweet and made sure I was getting the most out of my experience in Bath.  I hope to go back again some day, and I will certainly try to stay there again!

The Food: 

I once again did the full English breakfast.  Most of the pictures on my blog have been taken by me, however I forgot to take one of my lovely breakfast.  Luckily for me, the Kennard's website helpfully provided one on their page.  I hope they won't mind me borrowing it for this.  I must say, they certainly use better lighting than my phone can produce.   Unlike this photo I had my eggs scrambled, but otherwise this is a perfect representation of my meal.  The eggs, bacon, and sausage were all done to perfection.  The eggs weren't a bit runny, and my bacon was the perfect amount of crispy.  This breakfast came with a potato cake mixed with some parsley.  It was a little plain on its own, but it cut into the saltiness from the other foods well.  And when it came to toast, I had as much as my little heart could desire.  They would have kept bringing me little salvers of toast until the kitchen closed.  I was good though, and stopped at one serving.  The meal also came with fresh tea (of course), and I chose the English Breakfast tea...because I'm cool like that. They also had a sidebar with fruits, pastries, juices, and condiments.  I chose sparingly from these to save room for my FEB, which is probably one of my favorite dining experiences in the UK.

The Service:
Given my accolades above, I'm sure it won't surprise you to know I had a wonderful experience here.  It was pretty funny, because this was a family-run B&B which has only been owned by this particular family for a short time.  When I went, they had bought the place only five months earlier.  I say this is funny because I got to see the family dynamics with Natalie and Guy (her husband) teaching their daughter how they wanted breakfast served.  I unfortunately can't remember the young lady's name, but she was very sweet and it was nice to see her getting in to the family's new business.

The Price:
This was a best price of all, because it was included in the cost of the room.  When one includes the fact that I got a small break in price because I booked on a weekday, this was a definite steal.  I only stayed two nights, but I had to leave the hotel at 5:15 on my second morning.  When I told Natalie this, she made sure to pack my room with goodies the night before I left to take on the train.  While I would have loved a second FEB, my flight times just would not cooperate.  Well, I guess that just means I absolutely HAVE to go back again ;)

The Rating: 11 of 10 (yes, I'm aware I've broken my scaling system.  But it's my system, and I'll do with it as I please!)

The Jane Austen Centre

Here is the crux of my decision to see Bath. Though this is not the place where Jane Austen grew up, it is the setting for two of her books--Northanger Abbey and Persuasion--both published posthumously.  The Centre is not where the Austens spent their time in Bath, but is the best representation the local Jane Austen Society could procure.  When I was done with my tour of the house, I showed myself to the Regency Tea Room for a spot of tea.

The Food: Lady Catherine's Proper Cream Tea with Chai
There were several choices on the menu, but my heart was captured by two words: clotted cream.  Some of my first (and favorite) romance novels are set in the Regency Era, and almost every one mentions this purely English condiment.  It was basically a creamier and sweeter version of butter.  Much like it sounds, it tasted like a thick cream.  I received one plain scone, and one with what tasted like currants.  Tea also came with regular butter, strawberry jam, and raspberry jam.  I chose a spicier tea than I planned, mostly because I was suffering from a slight sore throat.  The extra spice helped me taste the wonderful tea I was served.

The Service:
The woman who served my tea was very kind, and she obviously enjoyed her job.  I can't say as I blame her, because she and the other staff got to dress in period costumes and take on personas from Austen's novels.  If they weren't having fun, I would be happy to throw on my Empire-waist dress and show them how it's done!

The Price:
Normally this tea is priced at £7.90, however with the price of my admission into the Centre I received a coupon.  So for me (and other guests who partook) it was £6.95.  For the food and the experience of soaking up the Jane Austenesque atmosphere, I felt this was more than fair.

The Rating: 9 of 10

You may think my ratings are all a little high, and you could be right.  I don't think it's the fault of my memory however, I think it's purely prejudiced by how much fun I had while in Bath.  I preferred Bath to Cardiff in fact, because of the overall atmosphere of the city.  Someone (or some committee) in Bath has worked very hard to keep the city from becoming too industrialized.  There's something overwhelmingly satisfying about walking down the streets and seeing things that have been the same for almost 200 hundred years.  I think it's perhaps more significant for an American who rarely gets such a chance.  Either way, I'm totally down for a girl's trip with my mom and sister at some point around the Jane Austen Festival (which is currently in full swing...or quadrille as the case may be).

There Are No Calories While Travelling! (Part 1)

Okay, this is a blatantly false title.  However, as I don’t count calories when I’m home, I found no reason to start while I was journeying around the UK.  Unfortunately, I didn’t start doing all of this while I was in Budapest.  I know that I got some wonderful lunches and dinners, I just forgot to document them in pretty much every way.  Though I did get one picture of a lovely rosemary chicken with fried potato slices.  Now I’m gonna warn you, this will be a long one.   I will never skimp on a post about food.  And while this started off as one veeerrrrrrrrrrry long post, I’ve decided to split this between Cardiff and Bath.  So…you’re welcome.

Nando’s on Mermaid Quay

I was walking around Cardiff Bay (basically fangirling over Doctor Who stuff) and found this Nando’s facing the water.  I realized later I actually had a great view of the Doctor Who Experience as I ate (squeeeeeeee!!).  Since I didn’t figure that out until later, I focused on planning what I would do the following day (well...that and eating).  For the most part, I stopped at Nando’s because I remembered a Buzzfeed article about this uniquely British restaurant.

The Food: Butterfly Chicken; Medium heat Peri-Peri sauce; corn; chips (French fries)

The chicken of this South African-Portuguese fusion experience was juicy and well-prepared.  The peri-peri was initially a little underwhelming, but created a slight burn after a few seconds.  I added a (super small) dollop of the hot sauce.  Using only a touch of sauce on each bite was like being slapped in the mouth with a torch.  It was wonderful.   The corn was fire-grilled to perfection.  While there were some strings still attached, for me this only meant they used fresh ingredients instead of frozen.  The chips weren’t as crispy as I would have liked.  However, I didn’t specify, so for most people they would have been perfect.  In fact, for my grandmother, they would have been too crispy.

The Service:

As someone new to Nando’s, I was a little uncertain of the social norms.  So I’m not sure if this is the practice of all Nando’s, but I needed to go to the cashier to order.  This left me a little nervous because the restaurant is pretty much open to the public, so I took most of my things with me.  The ordering system felt a little like a Dairy Queen, where you order at the front, but the food gets delivered to your table.  The sodas were on tap for the customer, and unlike a fast food place they gave their customers actual glasses.  I didn’t know at first I was responsible for getting my own sauces and cutlery.  I'm a smart girl though (sometimes), so I caught on pretty quick.  The food was brought to me, but with rice instead of corn.  Frankly I can’t remember if I accidently said rice, but the waitress quickly brought me some corn.  I also had at least two people check on me throughout my meal.  When it came time to leave, I wasn’t sure what to do about tipping.  Looking at two other tables, I saw that no tip was left.  As an American I felt like a massive jerk for not leaving a tip, but I followed the social cues as I saw them.

The Price:

It was all a bit pricy.  All told, my meal came to £13.00.  This included my “bottomless” Coke (a luxury I didn’t expect).  However, the combination of taste and atmosphere was well worth it.  This Afro-Portuguese fusion restaurant (which I’m told is a favorite of Niall Horan of One Direction…it’s a British boy band) is definitely on my list of “Will Go Again.”

The Rating: 8 of 10

Missoula on St. Mary St

Frankly, I chose this restaurant based on location.  It was literally right next to my hotel.   I was planning to go to one of the restaurants in the vicinity, and this was just the first one to catch my eye.

The Food: Fish & Chips; Peas

I knew I couldn’t leave the UK without having fish & chips at least once.  The battered cod was flakey and perfectly crisp.  Their tartar sauce was tangy with more of a relish taste than I’m used to.  This complemented the cod perfectly.  The chips were hot and fresh.  I once again forgot to ask for them extra crispy, but I’ve never turned down a fried potato in this lifetime.  The peas were unexpected (I’m sure they were on the menu, but let’s face it, I was blinded by the main attraction), and not necessarily something I would have chosen if left to my own devices.  At first I thought there was something off about them.  Then I realized I’m just not used to fresh peas!  Generally I’ve only encountered these legumes as mushy green-brown pulps from a can.  These were plump and full of flavor.  While I didn’t finish them, I blame this on the fact that I filled up on fish & chips.  Plus, I  don’t think my body would know what to do with the sudden influx of a food that’s technically good for me.  As you might see, I also had a Guiness with my meal.  Sure, it's technically an Irish beer, but it's one I like.  This is a little confusing to most people I know, because I generally dislike beer; people in general dislike Guiness the first tie; and I loved it the first time I tried it!  Either way...beer must go with fish & chips.

The Dessert:

I was regrettably unable to get any dessert.  I only mention it because I need you all to feel the tragedy of my dinner.  My first choice was the “Salted Caramel Chocolate Slice,” which offered “layers of chocolate truffle and salted caramel on a chocolaty biscuit base, served with salted caramel sauce and ice cream.”  When I was told they were sold out, I tried to assuage my heart break by ordering the “Cookie Cup Explosion.”  This one seemed like a S’more’s wet dream with its “cookie cup filled with chocolate brownie, marshmallow, and chocolate honeycomb and served with ice cream.”  Alas, this was also denied to me.  While the “Chocolate Fudge Cake” and “Blueberry Pancakes” were both available, my tastebuds were clamoring for one (possibly both) of the first choices.  [Please note, those dessert descriptions were direct quotes from the menu.  I believe that should be a testament to how seriously my soul was wounded by this denial of sweets.]

The Service:

It was pretty slow when I went, so while I wasn't expecting to be waited on hand and foot, I did expect a bit more attention.  Once again, I went to the bar to order.  I didn't feel as nervous about leaving my things at my table this time, as it was an open floor plan and the other two groups in there were nowhere near me.  The two young men who co-served me were nice, and the guy who delivered my meal was kind enough to make a run for more tartar sauce.  The bartender was pleasant and empathized with my dessert disaster.  Overall, I think it's a different experience with service overseas versus in the US.  Everyone's pretty nice, but they're not going to do cartwheels in hopes of a good tip.

The Price:

The prices here were surprisingly low for a restaurant situated smack in the middle of the city center.  My fish and chips - along with my absolutely necessary pint of Guiness - only cost £8.55.  The desserts were £4.45, and what made my above story more terrible was that (had they been available) I could have gotten both desserts together at that £4.45 price.  Sure, I likely would have horrified the wait staff with my overwhelming appetite, but those things looked delicious…and I always appreciate a bargain!  Once again, I was unsure of the tipping policy, but this time I decided to leave some money for whoever cleared my table.

The Rating: 9 of 10

The Royal Hotel Cardiff

Okay, I know what you’re thinking, but no I’m not doing this backwards.  I just caught a small breakfast the first day and decided to have my “Full English Breakfast” before my travels to Bath.  I wanted to try the breakfast at my hotel both because I wanted the experience, and because it fit well with the schedule I needed to hold to.

 

The Food: Full English Breakfast + Continental Breakfast

I’m splitting this up between the two breakfasts, because the FBE was cooked to order, while the CB was normal hotel fare.  The FBE came with bacon, eggs, and a tomato sliced in half and covered with ground pepper.  The bacon was a typical UK bacon, which is thicker than what people in the US are used to.  I knew to expect this from previous trips to the UK.  What I didn’t expect was to find my thick-cut bacon crispy.  As I love my bacon that way, this was an altogether pleasant surprise.  My eggs were a little runnier than I would have liked, but their overall taste was good.  My tomato was pretty fresh.  I believe it was baked, so I had the rare experience of a hot tomato.  As someone who enjoys combining the food on her plate, the overall combination of these three was delicious.  The salt of the bacon enhanced the eggs, while the acidic tang of the tomato gave both eggs and bacon a slightly sweet spice.

The continental breakfast was part of the package when I ordered my FBE.  So I got some tea (it is the UK after all) and apple juice, some fruit, and a piece of toast with honey.  The drinks and fruit were as expected, nothing especially wonderful or awful about them.  However, I will applaud the Royal’s use of fair-trade teas for their guests.  As for the honey, it was absolutely delightful.  It had that perfect taste of clover, like Spring dancing on my tongue.  I was a little surprised they used store-bought honey, only because they had signs everywhere highlighting heir rooftop beehive (in 6B in case you were wondering).  They also had honey-based shower gel and shampoo, but I forgot to check if that was locally sourced or not.  I’m guessing if they didn’t use their own honey, it’s something to do with their health codes or something to that effect.

The Service:

The servers were pretty aloof, so I didn't feel too bad about not having some extra cash on hand for tips.  I think part of their attitude stemmed from the fact that I came in toward the end of breakfast time, so they were all ready to stop serving.  Once again, they were nice enough and answered questions if I had them, but my American brain wasn't quite awake enough to deal with aloof.

The Price:

My full breakfast came with an equally full price.  The total meal was £11.50.  I would assume that is in part because a guest can choose more from the FBE menu than I did.  The fact that the continental breakfast was a buffet (from which I never get the full value) should also be taken into account.  Really, the full breakfast was only £1.60 more to get the bacon, eggs, and tomato.  Like most buffets, I think they raise the price a bit to offset the people who (unlike me) try to “get their money’s worth”…and then some.

The Rating: 7 of 10

As you can see, I kept myself pretty well fed as I walked around Cardiff.  And when I say “walked,” I mean I averaged 8 miles a day (so sayeth the Fitbit).  For someone in an office job, I can tell you my feet were KILLING me by the time I came home.  But even taking all of the awesome food I’ve detailed above out of consideration, I wouldn’t trade my experience for all the foot rubs in the world!  Now, I don’t want anyone to think I was overly frivolous whilst traveling.  I did have a few cheap, on-the-go, meals and snacks to keep me going as well.  Next I'll detail some of my meals in Bath…and I’ll hopefully have that up in the next couple of days.

Until then, stay happy, and eat well!

Using Technology Abroad

I do not—nor will I ever—pretend to possess a great deal of knowledge when it comes to technology.  However, I am always willing to learn.  On this trip, I got quite the education.

First, I learned that the iPhone 6 is unlocked and ready to use a foreign SIM card.  Of course, this meant I had to call Verizon to confirm that info, and then learn how to eject the card already in there.  That last bit required a touch of Google research.

Now, this is not the first time I’ve gone abroad.  However, it is the first time I’ve ever used a foreign SIM in a US phone.  When I studied in Ireland, I just bought a local phone and learned how to use it.  When I wanted to talk to my family and friends back home, I just jumped on my laptop and used Skype or Yahoo! Messenger (which makes me feel old).  And during my 2014 trip to Budapest, I was given a local phone to keep in touch with the church people.  Communicating with family friends was once again done on my laptop through either email or Facebook.

Once I learned I could use my phone on this trip, I rejoiced in knowing that meant one less bag to carry.  That's right, I left the laptop at home and relied solely upon my phone.  Unfortunately, this meant writing down any blog ideas and rough drafts by hand before getting to type them out (oh, the old-school horror).  Then again, that also meant I got to feel especially artistic on the occasion I sat writing whilst drinking a Guinness in a Welsh pub (and yes, I'm well aware that was an Irish beer I was drinking in that Welsh pub).  To be honest, I feel that if I were to actually live in the UK or Ireland, this would be a regular occurrence for me…though I would probably choose tea if I became a regular.  

So, while I was in Budapest I could use my 1 GB of data to call or text people within the country, and I could still post the occasional pictures to Facebook.  I even sent a few Snapchats to friends…mostly because I like casually tormenting them :P  I even got the occasional WiFi signal, so I didn’t have to constantly worry about using up my data package for the week.  I turned the cellular data off for some of my apps so I knew they wouldn’t run in the background, and I could still use them when WiFi became available.  As I discovered, I could even have my phone in airplane mode and manually turn the WiFi and Bluetooth features on to prevent any chance that I’d use my cellular data.  This came in particularly handy once I gave my Hungarian SIM back and had my US SIM back in place.

However, once out of Budapest, I became entirely dependent upon the fickle nature of WiFi signals.  Throughout my trip, only the Heathrow Airport gave me the best and most reliable service.  The added benefit of their service was the fact that the first four hours were free.  Thankfully none of my layovers were nearly that long.  Even their underground train to the other terminals and Paddington Station offered a wonderful signal. 

Once I left the purview of Heathrow, however, I struggled to find a reliable signal.  Though one was offered on the train from Paddington to Cardiff, I got nothing but the spinning wheel and a message that “the connection has been lost.”  That turned out to be okay though, because it meant I had time to work on my (handwritten) blogs as we sped along to Cardiff.  The city of Cardiff itself was rather sad in its signal reliability.  Though I applaud their city council for offering free WiFi in certain parts of the city (mostly the city centre), I had a lot of problems even getting connected--let alone having access to anything online once I got connected.  My hotel was another source of disappointment.  While the man at the front desk kindly got me onto their network, I would occasionally lose signal while simply sitting on my bed.  What made this even more frustrating was the router sitting not five feet away, blinking merrily at my scowls.  I began to suspect my router wasn’t networked with the hotel (though I have no idea if that’s even technically possible).

By the time I got to Bath, I sort of gave up caring about any of it.  I must say there is something absolutely calming about that city.  Maybe it’s the Georgian architecture, or perhaps walking the streets Jane Austen and other classic writers have walked, but I suddenly didn’t care to be connected.  That doesn’t mean I completely gave up technology.  As always, I had my camera clicking away to capture the sights, and even brought my phone out on occasion in anticipation for when I would be back in Heathrow and could upload more photos onto Facebook.  Technically, my hotel in Bath did offer free WiFi, but I never bothered to ask for the password.  Instead I chose to end my days sitting quietly in my room and reflecting on the day (admittedly, I only spent two nights in this kind of quiet.  I think that’s a record for me). 

Overall, I learned some new things about technology, and especially learned some of the quirks of my new phone.  While I appreciate being connected when overseas, it was also nice to be unplugged once in a while.  I think I’ll have to do that more often when I’m home as well.

Tell me about some of your adventures with technology in the comments below!

My Week as an English Teacher

For the second time in as many years, I have traveled to Budapest to teach English.  Despite the fact that this would be my second time at the Forrai School, I still felt nervous about how the week would turn out. 

This was partly because our group was different this time.  Instead of going with my two pastors and their wives, I was to travel with only one pastor, a couple from O’Fallon, and two older people from elsewhere in Illinois.  The two older people each ended up dropping out.  One because her husband fell ill, and the other because he had an unexpected surgery.  So then it was just down to me, Pastor Ken, Steve (a pastor and counselor), and Mindy (a newly retired teacher).  Though we met twice as a group and exchanged some emails, I didn’t know what to expect from my new travel companions.  I didn’t know if we would work well together, or even enjoy one another’s company.

I was also nervous because I wasn’t sure how my new students would react to my teaching.  Last year I had six incredibly quiet girls.  I didn’t know if I would get the same kind of students, if they would be hyper-active, or if they would fall somewhere in the middle.  Not to mention I don’t think I did a great job last time.  I didn’t know what to expect, and I didn’t prepare nearly enough material or activities.  I’m certain my students last year were either totally confused or bored out of their minds because of my lack of preparation.  I could only hope that my experiences from last year would help me engage my students better this year.

One thing that didn’t worry me was getting to see all of the people from the church again.  Pastor Feri and his wife, Sara, once again opened their hearts and home to us.  Robi, one of our helpers and sometimes tour guide, once again helped us to understand our students and get around the city.  And I was able to impose upon Nora and Robert once more and stay in their home.  Their children, Andris and Balint, were shy of me again, and unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to spend as much time with them.  All of the members of the Pest UMC were warm and welcoming.  Their church is already beginning to feel like a second home.

Now, about my worries.  When it came to Steve and Mindy, those worries quickly disappeared once we set out.  Not only were they great traveling partners, they were just plain fun to talk to.  Mindy and I agreed that the best part of going to new places was experiencing new food.  We certainly agreed that Kürtőskalács (traditional Transylvanian funnel cakes-pictured left) are by far the best pastry out there (especially when it comes straight off a wood fire).  We also found the best (and cheapest) place to get gelato.  It was just north of the Oktogon, next to a Turkish restaurant (also a great place to eat).  Steve was asked to do two presentations about counseling.  The first was about understanding teenagers (a subject we all need a little help on), and the second about general counseling concerns.  Though I’d gotten to know Steve a little through regular conversations, those presentations really helped me understand him better.  It was especially interesting watching the way he and Mindy worked as a team when he spoke.  She helped him gauge time and the audience.  I could see that teamwork also went a long way toward teaching and helping their students.

My fears about teaching were the hardest to get over.  Though I learned a lot from last year, the first day or two were still pretty rough.  I had to learn what worked for my students, and what didn’t.   And I definitely didn’t prepare enough for that first day.  Hopefully they enjoyed my lessons; though I could never tell if they hated or loved the idioms I taught them.  They definitely preferred “Man Bites Dog” to other games I suggested, and they reveled in telling gruesome stories in English (the one about the cute little monster that eats faces is probably still my favorite).  They were also quite good when I adapted “Telephone” as a translation game.  Sara (who helped me throughout the week) gave me pointers as we went along.  I’m going to be optimistic and say that meant my teaching got better each day.  Overall, my students were an even mix of reserved and outgoing this time.  I think part of that was due to the fact that we separated the students based upon their level of English.  I frankly begged for the higher-level students.  Given how much I like to talk, I knew I needed the students who would struggle the least to understand me.  Technically, I think there were students in the lower-level classes who understood English well enough, but it was probably good that the other classes had some higher-level students who might have been able to help others. 

By the end of the week, I had a new-found respect for my high school Spanish teacher, Senora King.  I only dealt with my talkative teenagers for a week, whereas she’s been teaching for years.  Though she technically has an advantage because she can at least understand when her students began cracking off in their native tongue.  Though with Sara there, I could at least trust they were only goofing off and not insulting me or each other.  I do hate missing a good joke though.  The solution for that, of course, would be to learn Hungarian before my next trip.  I can just imagine the shock on my students’ faces when I answer some quip or jibe in plain Hungarian.  Sure, they’ll probably make fun of my accent, but at least they’ll assume I understand everything they’re saying from there on out.

We did have a couple of troublemakers this year.  Last year we got very lucky in that department.  Other than the usual youthful exuberance inherent in all teenagers (especially boys), they were all respectful of what the camp was trying to do.  My students this year, while generally talkative, did at least try to listen and learn.  Other classes were not so attentive.  With only four boys in the camp, one seemed to find the very idea of our camp repellent.  He appeared to find a kindred spirit in a young lady in his class, and they proceeded to feed off of whatever the other would instigate.  I find it unfortunate that neither of them found anything useful in our (non-compulsory) camp—other than new friends for the upcoming school year.  Those two certainly lived down to the “bad apple” stereotype.  Though I could be entirely wrong, I think it was their influence that kept some of the other kids from coming to the graduation recognition we held Friday night.  All I do know it that I went from having 4 of 7 students in my class saying they were coming, to having none show up.  While they could have all had valid excuses for bailing, it still felt like our bad apples convinced the others that the camp and subsequent graduation weren’t worth their time.  Well, to be honest I think one girl decided not to come because her new friend (entirely separate from the apples) wasn’t going.  Whatever their reasons, I confess to feeling hurt.  While I don’t regret the time and effort I spent that week, it is upsetting to think that none (or at least very few) of my students appreciated that effort.  However, I was mostly sad that I didn’t get to give them a proper goodbye.

Lucky for me, I bounce back quickly.  The ceremony was fun, especially the presentations by the students from each class.  We had two skits and a musical presentation.  The kids played games and got fed before the graduation, and I got to learn a couple of new games.  The kids playing cards with me also got an intriguing look at both my competitive side and extreme lack of Hungarian skills.

All told, this was yet another wonderful trip.  I got to see friends from last year, and made all new ones.  We saw some of the same sights, and also saw new views.  I’m grateful to my family, friends, and church for their support.  I appreciated all of the time, effort, and support from the people in the Pest church and the Forrai School.  And most of all, I thank God for His protection and guidance throughout my trip.

God Bless!!

Why Strong Female Characters Sometimes Frustrate Me

I feel that I need to immediately clarify my title. You see, it's not strong female characters in general that frustrate me; it's the characters of historical (especially Medieval) stories who cause my frustration. I'm sure you're asking yourself: "Who (other than a misogynist) could possibly object to a strong female character in any capacity?"

That is indeed a valid question. I do not, in fact, object to those characters. Please know that I still love the Mulans, Meridas, and sundry other badass historically fictional ladies (even the non-Disney princesses...none of which come to mind at the moment). You see, my problem is twofold. 

First, it frustrates me to see these representations that ARE so badass and spectacular, and yet see how little the world changed its views on women up until the 20th Century. And let us not limit ourselves to the fictional...Joan of Arc and Queen Elizabeth I were real-life butt-kickers. QE I ran the mother-lovin British Empire, but few (if any) laws changed to bring men and women to equality.  Joan of Arc saved France from the British and got burned at the stake for her troubles.  So while I greatly enjoy these depictions of women making their way in the world, it sometimes hurts to think about how they were seen as aberrations. These women (real or fictional) were seen as exceptions. As though no other woman of the time could possibly want the same things, like respect and a right to her own opinion. And we can't pretend that it was only the men living in these women's lifetimes who thought this way. While the real and fictional women may have inspired a small population of their female contemporaries, the majority thought them just as strange and unnatural as the males did.  Now I blame some of this on the fact that the ability to convey information readily and accurately didn't really become possible until the late 19th Century.  It's tough to fight sexism (or racism, or classicism, or any other negative -ism) when the information is being conveyed like a Broadway version game of 'telephone' across the known world.

My second problem is a little more in the now. It's also a little more difficult to articulate. The fact is, it's difficult to find what seems to be an accurate representation of women before the Women's Lib movement. While Hollywood and TV seem to be moving in the right direction, there always seems to be heavy disagreement between feminists of how women are portrayed. Women of the past are seen as either princesses, queens, mothers, nuns, witches, or prostitutes. There might be some mixes amongst those groups (Xena was a little bit of all of those at one point or another in her series), but we don't generally see much in the way of "common" women. As with most things, these tropes don't show us an accurate representation of a real human. And so people can never seem to agree when a woman is being shown in an accurate light.  Now, I do believe that many of those tropes came about for a reason.  For the most part, women could only be tropes (whether in stories or real life) because that was all they were allowed to be by the people in their lives.  Women before the Industrial Revolution weren't necessarily allowed to be complicated individuals outside their own heads (or families...if they married a particularly understanding man).  To do so would invite censure from the community, and in some cases incarceration in a mental institution.  Though let's face it, the ladies burned as witches or heretics definitely had it the worst.  Mostly, see all of problem one as to why my second problem exists.

Please do not take all of this to mean that I don't wish to see any more strong female characters in Medieval (or any pre-Industrial) setting.  In fact, I've greatly enjoyed the depictions of women in fiction like the Game of Thrones series (books and TV).  George R.R. Martin, David Benioff, and D.B. Weiss have done an amazing job of portraying women in several different roles.  While they do use those old tropes, I find their characters more three-dimensional.  Cersei isn't just a power-hungry queen, she's a mother who wants to protect and elevate her children at any cost; Sansa isn't just a sweet little innocent, she's a dreamer who learns to face a hard reality; Danerys isn't just a queen searching for her throne, she's trying to protect all of the people under her care; Melisandre isn't just the Red Priestess, she's a lady with a hidden agenda (seriously...what is that chick up to?!).  So far, my favorite ladies of Westeros are Arya and Brianne, as they are the truest female warriors (though I'm eagerly anticipating stories of the Sand Snakes).  I can't wait to see what this season brings them.

So really, I'm not calling for a complete cessation of strong historical females.  I just want these characters to be a bit more well-rounded.  I fully realize that women were limited in their professions before women started fighting for the vote, but that doesn't mean women weren't always fighting for their place in this world.  They just had to go about it a bit differently than we women would today.  And also, maybe writers could throw a farm-girl (or wife) in there every once in a while, so we can see how the 'common' women deal with all the shenanigans of daily life amongst these powerful women (and men).

All in all, I'm trying very hard to create a piece of fiction that contains these kinds of women.  Perhaps one day my work will stand alongside that of Martin, Rowling, and Gabaldon (author of Outlander...another awesome book/series with amazing women).

Can Bubblegum Crap Kill?

The short answer is no...but I was reminded today why I don't often listen to pop music--or what my dad always referred to as "Bubblegum Crap" (hence the title).  This morning I flipped the station to avoid ads, as I'm wont to do.  This time, it caused me to subject myself to two awful songs.  Now, you may be asking "why didn't you change the channel in the middle of the first song?"  This is a valid question.  Frankly, I did it for this blog.  But, hey, let's call it a social experiment to see what kids are listening to these days.

So first up was Carly Rae Jepsen's I Really Like You.  Now, I will give it to this girl that she sings incredibly catchy songs.  I'll probably catch myself humming this one later in the day, much as I did with Call Me Maybe.  Her two top hits have something else in common though: they both have terrible lyrics.  I seriously can't understand how something that repeats the word "really" 66 times (67 if you count the one in the first line) can become popular.  Not only that, but she asks "do you want me, do you want me too?" twice in each chorus.  That first "do you want me" is already superfluous.  Why does she need to ask that double question twice in each chorus?! Then again, the people who listen to this stuff will likely also tell you that Justin Beiber's Baby is a lyrical masterpiece. 

Now, I also watched the music video to see how this song was portrayed.  While I enjoyed watching Tom Hanks lip sync and generally go about his happy way, I found the video entirely misleading.  It makes it seem like this song is about being a happy-go-lucky person who enjoys greeting the day with a smile upon one's face.  The song is about sex.  No, no, we shan't sugar coat it.  It's about a girl who's being led upstairs even though “It’s way too soon, I know this isn’t love.”  So why is Tom Hanks in this music video?  Why is he singing along to these (awful) lyrics and greeting people in the street?  Is it meant to distract the viewer/listener from really (really, really, really, really, really) hearing what's going on?  Whatever the reason, I'm baffled as to why Mr. Hanks wanted to do this video.  He can't possibly need the money (though the dancing crowd scene at the end did look like fun).

Overall, I give this song 3 out of 10.  And the 3 is only because I can't get the damnable thing out of my head.  The lyrics are here if you feel like going crazy (just don't call me maybe).

While I hoped the next song would be better, it was so much worse than I could have expected.  Next up was Hey Mama by David Guetta, featuring Nicki Minaj and Afrojack.  It was a struggle getting through this one.  But I did it for science!  I thought it would be okay at first, because they were using a piece from an older artist at the beginning, and I was enjoying the island rhythms.  And then Nicki began singing.  For this one, I wish to address each stanza individually. 

Yes I'll be your woman

Yes I'll be your baby

Yes I'll be whatever, just tell me when you're ready

Yes I'll be your girl, forever your lady

You ain't gotta worry, I'm down for you baby

When I heard this first stanza, my main sticking point was the line: "Yes, I'll be whatever, just tell me when you're ready."  This line is basically telling us that this woman thinks she only has an identity based upon what her 'baby' needs.  While I get that some people might argue she's only proclaiming her devotion for her man, the fact that it's on his terms (just tell me when you're ready) is disconcerting.  But let's move on to the Pre-Chorus...

 .

Best believe that, when you need that

I'll provide that, you will always have it

I'll be on deck, keep it in check

When you need that, I'ma let you have it

So this pre-chorus is our first indication this woman is willing to act as her man's slave.  She's there at his beck and call (when you need that, I'll provide that).  And even if you assume that the "it" she's referring to is a slew of objects--drinks, food, remotes, etc.--that's still basically acting as his fetch-girl.  It becomes worse if we interpret "it" as her body.  You may think I'm overreaching here and only trying to become offended...but what else is she keeping "in check" for him?  Every time this chorus came on I was picturing a girl assuming the position, just waiting for her man to "tell [her] when [he's] ready."

You play my drum like, dum di di dey

I love the dirty rhythm you play

I wanna hear you calling my name

Like, hey mama, mama, mama, hey mama, mama

Beating the drum like, dum di di dey

I know you want it in the worst way

I wanna hear you calling my name

Like, hey mama, mama, mama, hey mama, mama

For the main chorus here, I only have one major problem: she has no name.  She responds to "hey mama," which is how I used to call our cat in for food when I was a kid.  Now, I'm not saying this is the first song to dehumanize a woman...I'm just saying a) it needs to stop, and b) it's made so much worse by the rest of the song, which is highlighted in the next (and possibly worst) stanza...

Yes I'll do the cooking

Yes I'll do the cleaning

Plus I keep the na-na real sweet for your eating

Yes you be the boss, yes I be respecting

Whatever that you tell me cause it's game that you be spitting

Perhaps you believed I was being overly sensitive with the first three stanzas.  But if you don't see where this is offensive, you need to take a step back and look at your life.  First of all, I had to hear about Meghan Trainor's stupid Dear Future Husband ad nauseum for weeks.  While I agree with those that found that song offensive and said it perpetuated gender stereotypes, I must ask why I haven't heard any controversy over this song?  Perhaps I'm just the first out of the gate, but I wonder if it's because Nicki Minaj is singing about keeping her "na-na real sweet" (and for some reason I don't believe she's talking about that yellow fruit that's high in potassium) instead of Trainor that things haven't hit the controversy wheel.  I've seen several articles (mostly Buzzfeed) that talk about what a feminist Nickie Minaj is (though I've seen interviews where she won't refer to herself by that label), and I've even applauded some of her quotes.  However, I think that makes this song all the worse.  Minaj is saying one thing in her real-life interviews, but telling young men and women that "yes you be the boss, yes I be respecting."  That's completely the opposite from the strong-minded and forceful young woman I've seen in the media.  How can she sing about doing "whatever that you tell me" when that doesn't seem like something she'd do in real life?  How is this a good example for her listeners of both genders? 

Whole crew got the juice

Your d**k game the truth

My screams is the proof

Them other dudes get the deuce

I might speed in the coupe

Leaving this interview

It ain't nothin' new

Now, while I will never object to a woman enjoying herself in the bedroom, I have a problem with the second half of this stanza: "I might speed in the coupe, Leaving this interview, It ain't nothin' new."  While this might be my overactive imagination at play, all I can see is Minaj in the middle of an interview when her phone rings.  Seeing it's her "Baby," she immediately picks up despite the cameras rolling.  After listening for a few minutes--never uttering a sound--she hangs up the phone.  "I'm sorry," she says to the flabbergasted interviewer, "I've got to go.  My baby needs me in his bed right now."  Then she speeds away in her coupe, ready for whatever he has planned.

Don't go missing, baby

I know just what you need

When you give me that word

I'll be good, I'll be bad for my baby

Of course she doesn't want to lose her baby.  So she'll do whatever he asks just so she'll never have that dreaded conversation with her friends and family.  "He left you?  Why?  What did (didn't) you do?!"  Obviously a lot of the points from the last stanza stand here as well.  Add to that she's basically saying "it's better to be a doormat than single," and you may see where I'm having difficulty.

Make sure that he's getting his shit

Make sure that his baby takes care

Make sure mama, down on her knees

Keep him, please him, bottom down

Be the lady and a freak

And here is the piece de resistance.  In case the other lyrics were too subtle, this one lays it all out.  She's literally telling the audience that her man's needs go far above her own.  That she is literally subservient to him "down on her knees" acting in whatever capacity he sees fit.  She is to be "the lady and a freak," which is just another version of the "virgin and whore" or "Madonna and Magdalene" to which every woman is apparently supposed to aspire.  That's right, ladies, don't worry about your wants or needs; that's what you have a man for!  (le dramatic sign)

While I know that Minaj didn't write this song herself, as a successful artist she is able to pick and choose her projects  In this case I believe she chose poorly.  I wish I could say the critics agree with me, but according to this website, several news sources were praising the single.  Only one of the critics on that site had a negative comment, and it only said that the song was boring.  Another critic praised the single, but briefly touched on the gender themes saying: "It’s hot, even if the gender role enforcement is a little…err"

I think 'cringe-worthy' would work better in place of 'err.'  After all this, I've decided to give this one 2 out of 10.  While I still enjoyed the instrumentals and the beat, I just couldn't get past the horribly misogyny (especially when perpetuated by such an opinionated woman).  Plus Carly Rae's single is still bouncing around in my head, so it wins the 'ear worm' category

Now, I'll accept any differing opinions in the comments, just keep it respectful.  Trolls will be ignored (or sacrificed to ogres).  Have a nice day with better music :)

tl;dr
No, but Carly Rae Jepsen's I Really Like You and David Guetta/Nicki Minaj/Afrojack'sHey Mama (and pop music like that) might make me wish to self-induce a coma.

Getting Old Sucks

So the other night, I had a real fun time L

Let me give you the full itinerary:

10 pm – went to bed

1 am – had acid reflux so bad I almost choked in my sleep

1:02 am – made myself warm chocolate milk (to soothe my stomach and get the taste out of my mouth)

1:03 am – looked up causes of acid reflux and foods to avoid

1:05 am – whimpered in distress at some of the items on the list

1:08 am – discovered ‘chocolate’ is on the list…mid sip of my beverage

1:08:30 am – decided: ‘Eff that, I’m already miserable…and half done.  Might as well finish it.”

1:12 am – Pinned the list for later

1:13 am – trolled around on Pinterest until I felt like I possibly, maybe, hopefully wouldn’t throw up again

1:30 am – went back to bed with great trepidation and pillows piled high

As you can see.  I had a fun and productive night *sigh*

I don’t know when my body decided to rebel against me, but I’m not a fan.  Sure, it probably has A LOT to do with my quickly approaching 30^th birthday.  

But I dislike unpleasant facts, so I’ll thank you all to disregard that.  

Technically, I’ve always had minor problems with acid reflux.  It was usually due to stress (e.g. I kept a bottle of Maalox handy during finals toward my senior year of college), and didn’t bother me too much at night.

A couple of years ago, I noticed it coming back, so I cut down on alcohol (which wasn’t much of a hardship).  That seemed to help a little, but obviously, it wasn’t a long-term solution.  Ironically, my sister was studying acid reflux and esophageal issues over Easter weekend.

As for cutting out alcohol, it turns out I was on the right track (it's number one on that list I was reading at 1:03), but I need to go a little further toward eating better.  To my complete (lack of) surprise, fried foods were next on the list.  

Oddly enough, I was thinking about cutting out a majority of my fried foods just that morning.  I gave up French fries for Lent, but I didn’t get a lot of good out of the experience (health-wise) because I just replaced fries with other fried foods.  Onion rings make an okay substitute…but I don’t like them nearly as much as I adore fries.  However, they’re certainly on par with fries when it comes to unhealthiness.  In addition to helping cut down on my heartburn, cutting out fries would also help whatever problems I might have with Diabetes down the line.  (Oh yeah, I can’t wait for my family medical history to catch up with me on that one)

There are five things on the list I don’t think I’ll have too much trouble avoiding: Coffee, soda, salt, cheese, and chocolate.  I’m sure some of you are horrified by those last two.  Amongst my friends, I’m well known as fully weird because of my cheese aversion.  Really, I like some cheese…some of the time.  Mostly I’m a fan of white cheeses (mozzarella sticks are heavenly).  And while I occasionally enjoy chocolate, I’m really more of a Skittles fan.  Coffee will be absolutely no problem for me, because I already avoid it.  Soda won’t be too hard, because I’ve been trying to keep away from that delicious poison for years.  Okay…actually I’ve never been a big soda fan, because my mom never bought it when my sister and I were young.  My mom is also the reason I’m already eating low sodium.  She didn’t use salt very often when she cooked, so I find foods gross if there’s too much salt.  However, pepper is also on the list, and that’s unacceptable.  In fact, spicy foods in general are on the list, and that makes me sad.  That was the cause of most of my whimpering at 1:05.  That and mint.  How can I cut out mint?!  That’s my favorite of all flavors!!!

Really, as I read the list of foods to avoid, I began to realize the reason for my severe reaction stemmed from my lunch that day.  I had eaten a bowl of soup that was incredibly spicy, and contained three other ‘bad’ foods: tomatoes, garlic, and beef.  To be honest, there was probably a high sodium content in there too.  As it was a homemade soup, I didn’t really have nutritional facts for the whole thing…but salt pork was one of the ingredients.  So…yeah…high sodium content as well.  As if all of that wasn’t enough, I also drank at least 20 oz. of Coke to wash it all down.  The Coke was left over from an office party, and it was beginning to go flat.  I hate to waste food, so I drank a good amount of a (3/4 full) 2 liter bottle before throwing the rest away.

All-in-all, I suppose I was asking to be woken at an ungodly hour with acid reflux.  Really, I’m only surprised it waited so long to strike.  The only thing that would have made it worse would have been adding the last three things on the list: oranges, sugar, and butter.  Though that probably would have made the soup taste so awful, I wouldn’t have eaten it.  Perhaps then I never would have suffered through this ordeal *ladylike swoon onto an ottoman*  And it’s not as though I even get a nifty kid out of all this heartburn, like my friend Niki.  Sure, she’s going through the same pain, but…nifty kid at the end.  Unfair :’(

With all of this, I’ve also decided it’s time to get serious about losing weight.  Not only because I want to fit in my clothes a bit better, but because of the health benefits.  Turns out, losing weight is supposed to help reduce heartburn and acid reflux.  To that end, my mom has bequeathed to me a Fitbit Flex, and I’m going to start trying harder to reach my daily step limit.  In fact, I actually exceeded my limit yesterday by more than 4,000 steps!  I was both exhausted and elated when I got home from my walk.  I even jogged for a (infinitesimal) bit.  By the way…that’s kind of hard to do when I’ve got my phone stuffed in one bra cup and my keys in the other.  That particular sports bra wasn’t equipped for that level of capacity.  Oh well, I’ll figure it out for next time.

My only other alternative to all of this nonsense is to find the fountain of youth.  As that has thus far proved elusive, I suppose I’ll have to bite the bullet and start getting serious about making healthier choices.  Though I wouldn’t say no to an exploratory mission to Florida.  I believe I’m correct in thinking Disney World might offer the best opportunities.  It couldn’t hurt to add a search through Universal Studios and Harry Potter World while I’m down there.  Anyone want to fund my mission?

*Sigh* Can’t blame a girl for trying :D