Hello everyone…
I hope all is going well for you…

I am not sure where to start this report because many things have happened to me since the last time I have spoken to you last…

I have recently started to experience Hungary to its fullest… My Hungarian parents help me a great deal by encouraging me and noticing all the positive things that I have excelled in, such as my language skills… I must admit that I am not the best…but I definitely have the motivation to become better… I have only just met and befriended another exchange student who attends my school and who has in recent times transferred into the senior class, the same in which I am apart of. (After having some complications with her original class). We both find that our experiences here are better spent together as we are trying to obtain familiarity with a country, which we once had no knowledge of before… I think that it is important to have another person with you during this experience so that you can obtain a mutual understanding of what is expected of you and also to develop a common idea of how to adjust to the different aspects of a typical Hungarian lifestyle… I realize that in meeting Malissa…I found someone to relate to as well as someone to share an opportunity with that will never be forgotten… We work together as a team, both transforming into people of maturity and of independence…



It’s funny how things alter themselves in such a short time.  I say this because I sat in the library today with some classmates and listened to the words and sentences that were muttered amongst them, and I suddenly understood!!!


As many of you have already read in the guest book…I finally saw snow!!! It was the best day of my life and I felt as though I was 8 years old again…my host parents came home one night and called me to the door…saying “snow, snow!!!” I thought they were playing with my mind, but sure enough, there was snow falling…I was so overwhelmed and overjoyed I ran outside in socks, shorts and a sweat shirt…I realized this is not proper winter attire but at that point it didn’t matter so much to me.  I am sure that many of you are laughing at me at the moment based on the fact that you have grown up with the blessing of snow, whereas I have only dreamt of it…and has just now became a reality… All the members of my family came over the next day excited for me, asking me of I wanted to play in the snow…which I did…I had too. My host brother and I had a few snowball fights…which was very amusing for me…and occupied my time for very long…


I attended another classical concert at a music hall close to the city where I live.  I went with a friend from school and found the evening much to my liking.  The performance consisted of the Szombathely orchestra.  When ending after two hours, I found myself wishing to see more of it.

Malissa and I joined the gym a few days ago when we came to an agreement that our ability to resist fatty food is non-existent as well as our desire to eat healthy.  It went well considering I needed help to get out of bed the next day.  I have a funny feeling that we wont get much accomplished based on the fact that right after our workout we stuffed our faces with two Hungarian pastries each…which I might add were heaven sent!!!

In Hungary there is something called a name day.  I have not figured out exactly what that means yet but apparently it is more important than your birthday and you receive many gifts and are surrounded by loved ones all day. My host mom Kati had her Nevnapot (name day) on Sunday so I decided to cook Bahamian cuisine for the first time EVER!!! The outcome was really good and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  They kept saying “FINOM, FINOM, FINOM!!!” which means delicious.  I made Macaroni and cheese and baked beans…ISLAND STYLE, OF COURSE!!! Everyone asked for the recipe…which made me happy… Preparing food is hard work!!! I gots to big it up for my mom at home in the Bahamas…way to go!!!

My host family took me to a spa in another village with a 15-minute drive from my house.  We went on a Sunday afternoon about 3 weeks ago and spent the whole day there.  I enjoyed it very much because I like the company of my family and because it was new to me.  The spa had connecting pools from the inside to the outside, which allowed us to swim in the open air with a temperature of 3°C.

My host family, Malissa and I went to see the show Grease that came to Szombathely for one evening.  The play itself was in German and the songs in English.  The performance was very entertaining and made me miss being on stage very much.

The school that I attend is planning to put on a spring production, which  I am thinking of auditioning for; depending on how well I speak Hungarian.

Among the many things Malissa and I did together, we went to see the final chapter of the Matrix in HUNGARIAN!!!…Yes…Hungarian.  It was quite an interesting experience seeing as though we are both amateurs to the language.  We didn’t know that going to the cinema could be such a challenge.  We ended up walking out halfway into the film. We both left feeling as though we had just attempted to complete one of the hardest things we have ever had to face!!! Even after being unsuccessful, we have decided that we would attempt to watch Nemo Nyomaban (finding Nemo – the greatest movie of all time)… I will be sure to let you all know how it goes…

On the 19th of November, Dori celebrated her 19th birthday so the family came over once again.  The night consisted of much laughter and delight…everyone had a good time and took with them, new memories to look back on… I attempted to teach Dori’s uncle how to belly dance…wow…that was interesting…it was definitely scary…a mental picture that will forever linger in my mind…L I also taught my host cousins some Bahamian chants and games…they kept asking me to teach them more and more, but eventually I ran out!!! The are really great kids… To all those who have seen the oh so famous film, Bridget Jones’s Diary…and remember the part when she is drunk off of her *** while alone in her apartment singing “All by myself” (Celine Dion) to herself…yeah well…I did that impersonation…everyone found it funny…I thought my host parents were going to fall off of their seats… Dori and I have both committed ourselves to learning that scene from the movie for no apparent reason at all…

A few weeks ago, my host brother and his friends took Malissa and I ice-skating.  We all had such a good time and enjoyed ourselves very much… Neither one of us fell…which was a surprise that I didn’t, considering that it was my first time at a real outdoor ice-skating ring. You never know, I may be a professional!!!

Dori and I go to a Disco called ROM CAT quite often.  I think that we always have a great time there.  I feel that I can really display, Bahamian roots there through dancing.  The last time we went to ROM CAT, they had someone playing live drums along with soca and calypso music.  I FELT RIGHT AT HOME… To everyone…I am known as Bahamas…very frequently at the disco I hear people yelling at me from way across the dance floor…which I think is fresh (cool)…

I FEEL LIKE SUCH A CELEBRITY JJJJJJJJJJJ

Well guys…
I think I covered everything for now!!!
I will be sure to write again soon…

Love you all very much…
Thanks for reading my report…

Szia…
Laura