Hi folks Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a good holiday Personally being away from home sucks out all the anticipation for me, I almost forgot actually. I had to have gained another body in 2 weeks because in Hungary they eat and eat for the holidays. They don’t put up their tree until the 24^th, and they have a truckload of family over on the 24^th and 25^th. They open their presents immediately after they get them from their family, so nobody besides me put any presents under the tree. After this, they have thiis little ceremony where they cut off all the lights, plug in the tree, light candles on the tree, and just stand there staring at it with sparklers in their hands. Then we ate, ate, ate. New Year‘s I spent looking at the view from Margaret Bridge with some exchange students, its really beautiful there, even though it was icy cold! New Year‘s wasa big difference for me. These people come out in droves and just walk through the streets drunk, happy, and wearing those lil festive headbands and sparklers (from 1998 and 2000), and of course dancing like lunatics (but guess who forget her camera?)

So lately what have I been doing? I went sledding with my host mother and a Mexican exchane student (Dorian), which was fun – especially after we made a snow woman and ma host mother jumped on the sled and went down the hill…Classic! I saw 3 more exchange students off (Australians), and it was sad so I know what you mean Olivia. I have been to the theater (the brand new National one – built in March, had to add that) to see a gypsy musical, that I can honestly say was interesting though it was incredibly short, and in Hungarian. I also heard from a fellow Rotarian, Roger Pinder, it felt good to hear from someone from ‚over there‘. I‘ve been to see my „Ve‘pi family" twice since the last time I wrote that I went to them. They took me to a thermal bath (Sarvar), and believe me when I say that 99% of Hungarian women are stick figures and don’t they know it! Flitting around in their string bikinis. After that experience I checked the prices for gyms, and I think its just better to sit and watch them flit! I will do something if only from sheer boredom sometimes, but people here make you pay to flit. The second time I went (this past weekend), I went to a Rotary Ball. If I didn’t know any better I would swear that KC and The Sunshine Band were performing there. Those folks could dance and they did it all night, buli, buli, buli. They also had a ‚Tombala‘ (raffle), and some slamming prizes, VCR, Awia sound system, etc. I also went sledding again, this time on an icy road with their dog, Bruno, pulling the sled. The big happy brute thought it would be cute to give Donyelle a little kiss (somebody needs Listerine). Coming up are trips to Sopron, Kecskemet, and Debrecen and some birthday parties for exchange students, school celebrations and I am currently working on The 3 Litle Pigs and The Jungle Book in Hungarian. I can only say that I admire Hungarian children for being able to read these books!

Neway, Sziastok Emberek.