Night at the Opera House

Four sets of heels clicked along the sidewalk as we made our way to the State Opera House. Naturally we had embraced the opportunity to dress up, but we had to look classy! We were attending a Hungarian Opera, of course.

The building was stunning, to say the least. I'm quite sure my mouth was agape like every other stupid-looking tourist in the theater as my eyes scanned the intricate detail and artwork that covered the walls from floor to ceiling. Mind you, I try not to act like a tourist anymore, but I just had to pull out the camera and snap a few shots.

The evening program included two performances; the first a ballet "The Wooden Prince"; the second a folk-music opera, "Spinnery". I enjoyed both, however I found the ballet to be a bit more beautiful and inspiring. The lifts that the dancers performed were truly impressive-- I am 100% sure that everything is a billion times harder than it looks on stage! The Opera, on the other hand, was rather confusing until I read the synopsis and learned that the plot wasn't intended to make a lot of sense anyways- it was simply framework for the music.

This was definitely one of those experiences that must be tucked away in memory as a "Highlight of Budapest." The culture around the Fine Arts in Budapest is one of the most important aspects (I think) of the city. The art, the music, the architecture- all I can do is soak it in and hope I'll be able to walk away with a greater understanding (and a better appreciation too) for what it all means.

On a side note, I met a nice couple from New York today on the metro. They were in Budapest for a few days, and had already enjoyed the reader's digest version of the city on a 2 hour tour bus ride. It really made me think for a minute how much you miss when you zoom around on a bus, watching some of the most fascinating pieces of architecture and history go right by.

They also told me that they had had no English-speaking issues whatsoever, and it seemed like everyone spoke it. I really had to laugh at that one, and told them they probably hadn't ventured far enough from the tourist areas. Most of my day-to-day interactions outside the College are with people who speak minimal, if any, English. Regardless though, it was fun to chat. They asked about Szentendre, which I highly recommended, as I had been there only a few days before, and wished me luck on my studies before heading to a nearby museum. I find it funny how nowadays hearing American English is a good-enough reason to start a conversation with complete strangers; back home I would never have done such a thing. Then again, random conversations and idle chit-chat are one those things that you don't notice until it's not there. Kind of like oxygen, ya know?

Yep, all in a day of life in Budapest.