Today's recipe only called for chicken, salt n' pepper, garlic, onion, chicken broth, rice, butter, and leftover cheese that I think went bad, but tasted fine in the casserole. Simple, basic foods. Sometimes I like to push the envelope (think American pancakes and chocolate chip cookies from scratch) but for the most part, every meal I successfully don't mess up is a source of pride and joy. It's sounds easy enough-- "just carry a pocket dictionary with you to the store" I was told-- but it's a whole different ball field cooking in a foreign country. It's not like home where I simply hop in the car, go to Giant, get everything I need, and come home. Not only that, but preservatives ensure that my food won't spoil until 2029, so my trips are much less frequent. All said and done, it's been a great experience and I've accrued a very nice collection of simple, tasty recipes.
Anyways, this weekend was a lot of fun. Friday night I headed out with a big group to a hookah bar-- there were 13 of us all said and done, and we were lucky enough to be seated in a private room where we enjoyed drinks, tea, and of course, hookah. I'm quite sure the waiter ripped us off, but it was a very nice experience regardless. One thing we've all realized is that Hungarians have no qualms whatsoever about ripping us off; perhaps it's because we're students, perhaps it's because we're Americans. Either way, it gets pretty frustrating after a while when you know it's happening, but you don't speak enough Hungarian to do anything about it. So we paid, and headed on our way. My friend Anna and I opted to stay and listen to a concert at the local Irish bar, Beckett's, and partook in drunken people-watching. Very entertaining, particularly because many were English speakers, so we understood what they were saying too.
Saturday I went to one of my favorite places in Budapest, Central Market, and bought my month's worth of Pick Szalami (it's amaaaazing) and bananas for the week. I did a little bit more souvenir shopping, and then took a stroll down the tourist trap of Vaci Utca. It was a beautiful day, and I was rather humored at myself because I simply wanted to walk down the street and listen to all of the English. The International vibes of this particular street remind me a lot of being in the States, so I walked along slowly, finding contentment in the chitter-chatter of American voices.
Later that evening I met up with a few other McDaniel girls, not knowing what sort of trouble I was getting myself into. We ended up at a nearby bar called "Szimpla" which was much more of a funky lounge than a typical bar scene. The drinks were reasonable, and the atmosphere was great for relaxing with friends. Time kind of meandered on by because before we knew it it was Midnight and we were off to try our luck at Disco Bank (on the right side of Nyugati Train Station)...
We needed luck because although the club was a scene to be reckoned with, the staff discriminates against non-Hungarians. If you don't speak Hungarian at the entrance, there is a very good chance you'll have to pay a exorbitant cover (as the Hungarian behind you walks in for free) or just get completely rejected. So, we swooped in like hawks on a group of single guys (only one of which spoke English) and convinced them (it didn't take much convincing) to let us be their dates. My escort informed me in broken English that I was to be a girl from Russia, and when asked where I was from (in Hungarian) to reply that I was from Russia. We practiced this exercise as we worked our way up the line, and the scheme worked. All of us got in to this incredible club without paying a penny! I can't help but laugh at the whole ordeal, but it made for a great evening as we danced the night away.
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