A Trip to Centrál Kávéház

Like most of the McDaniel students in Budapest, I do not have classes on Friday. The three-day weekend is rather strange though because back home in Westminster, the scheduling perk of "Free Fridays" is practically unheard of. I think it is partly due to the students' inclination to travel on the weekends, as well as the much more laid-back style of work hours in Europe. Plus, most of the teachers do double-duty: teaching classes in English at McDaniel, and classes in Hungarian at a nearby university.

My Free Friday began with a trip across the street to something like "Bed, Bath and Beyond" and I was actually rather impressed with its wide selection of things and stuff despite the petite size of the store. I needed a little lightbulb for my desk lamp, and successfully found one for 250 forints ($1.38). I then walked back across the street to the local mini-mart Spar and bought a week's worth of bread for 200 forint ($1.10). Food here is rather cheap, although beverages are not.

I've been very diligent in my bookeeping for the past two weeks, and plan to keep track of my spending throughout the semester. Since we have yet to settle into a "routine" I'm still in the process of determining the average cost of living. The initial fees for the school, books, cell phone, and cleaning supplies has by far been the most expensive, about $175. But they are initial, and we had been warned that there would be a few of them. Sharing the cost of groceries, I've spent roughly $80 in establishing our pantry- salt, sugar, flour, canned veggies, pasta, potatoes, garlic, ceareal, etc. However, a trip to the mini-mart for Milk, bananas, rolls, a tomato and stick butter only puts me back about $6. Dining out can be in inexpensive alternative as well, but going out to parties and clubs frequently is a costly hobby.

Right, moving on then! After my errands, we decided to go and check out Centrál Kávéház, which was rumored to be a very nice place and recommended to me by my Hungarian teacher. It was first built in 1887, nestled in the heart of the bustling city center. Used by journalists, reporters, and writers, the coffeehouse was rather lively and popular. Creativity and innovation simply thrived here. Surprisingly enough, the facility survived both World Wars, and in 2000 was restored as a replica of the original Viennese coffeehouse that it once was. The interior is beautiful and elegant, and we all agreed that the ambiance is just fantastic. I would highly recommend the experience to anyone visiting Budapest.

Everyone ordered coffee and lite fare, all of which was quite tasty. I had a cappucino and Central Coffee Cake, which was delicious. We enjoyed ourselves for quite some time, and commented that it was very nice not feeling "rushed" like we so often feel at home when we want to linger after a meal. Here, the service system is quite different. Waiters may take care of a certain area, but there is nowhere near the degree of "attentiveness" that we enjoy in the States. What's more, oftentimes an entirely different person will bring the tab and handle the money; it's customary to tip 10%, and must be given directly to the waiter. Having been a waitress myself, I find this both strange and interesting. There are so many cultural differences here, I feel like I've only figured out the tip of iceburg.

Until next...