Auch lahme Enten kommen mal ans Ziel :) 04/03/2010

More News from Budapest

Since the middle of February my boyfriend Julian is also studying here at the theological faculty Budapest. It is very nice to have somebody to talk again. I really was missing somebody who knows me and interprets my thoughts correctly. When you are alone in a foreign surrounding, you cannot speak very openly. If you think something is funny or strange, you cannot say it in a direct and easy way. You must describe it with nice words so that there is no risk to hurt somebody. For example the Luther euphoric in Hungary is for me unbelievable. Sometimes I get the feeling he is a hero or a Saint. Yeah, for Germans he is an important person, too, but we do not adore him. Here every theological statement has to be supported by Luther’s theology. Almost in every second preach they quote him, his face seems to be everywhere – t-shirts, statues, pictures, logos… Luther is the king among Hungarian theologians But if I try to explain my amusement, they mostly do not understand it. Julian totally understands. And I also can share the effort for seminars with him

And that is practical, because we are pretty busy: four main seminars, one reading, and Hungarian lesson. And I also have piano and guitar lessons. Every second Friday and every Sunday we went to the German congregation. We found many friends there and since a few weeks we go out together frequently. Julian also plays football in the university team (another funny thing: this time is the first time they have a out and a referee – so you see it is very simple, even they play in a quite high league).

This semester many will visit us. My aunt and uncle, my grandaunt and –cousin, two of our best friends – Denise and David, Julian’s father and mother with their life partners, Julian’s sister and my parents. My parents will come on the end of my stay in June or July. But I still do not know when I exactly will return to Germany or how I want to spend my summer time in Hungary and also in Germany. And how will I bring all my things home? Going home will be a big action.

——->So this is a must for all visitors coming with car:

Please have space for my belongings that I already can send back with you!!!

Thanks

I got a second Hungarian lesson! But it is still too less. In the semester break I learned without my teacher and so my speaking skills develop quite well. I hope that when I will leave, I can say more than “Hello, I am German. How are you? I want a cola. How much? You have a nice shirt. Bye.” Actually I already could survive only with Hungarian.

Julian finally could organize wireless LAN in his room – but it is a secret, if somebody asks

Julian had his first washing adventure. But unfortunately it was not very entertaining. He did it very well, just the hanging up was problematical in his small room.

It is becoming spring that means I will go jogging soon, or at least I want.

I am an awfully bowling player! Or should say: I am not a good player, but awfully because of a huge lack of luck.

English summary 04/03/2010

NAAW Report January

This time there are not to many news. I spend three weeks at home. I was pretty busy to visit all my friends and to organize my German life. And after my return to Hungary I made an internship in the German speaking congregation of Budapest (www.kirche.hu) for four weeks.

What I am experiencing here is not very Hungarian. It also could happen in a bigger German city. I am following the pastor, helping with the Sunday worship, joining in group meetings like bible lessons or conformation lessons. I also accompanied Pastor Erlbruch to his school classes. This was my personal highlight, because I was asked to hold my fist religion lesson. I choose the introduction into Islamism. I really enjoyed it and had big luck with this very nice small class. Through this work at the German School Budapest I firstly experienced what a private school means. It is very different to my school at home. I was at a Gymnasium in the countryside and a musical and humanistic education. Here the school is in a capitol and does not offer classical education at all – no Latin, no deeper music lesson and of course no Old Greek. That it was a private school, the very well dressed kids, the ignorance of simple behaviour rules and especially the reaction to notes showed me. There was a big fight if a student got a two/B or three/C instead of a one/A, because Daddy is paying… I heard really unbelievable stories! But the main part of this internship was not new for me. It was very interesting to experience a new kind of congregation, but mostly a congregation outside of Germany is basically not very different.

At the university it is very quiet. Everybody is learning. It seems they cannot do other things. But it is totally understandable. Sometimes they have more than three exams in a week and all together more than twelve. This is definitely another disadvantage of the BA/MA system.

I am already organizing my subjects for the coming semester. There will be New and Old Testament, systematical and also practical theology, church history and music lessons. Hopefully I will get more than 45 minutes Hungarian lesson. 45 minutes every week are almost nothing. No wonder that I am still unable to speak Hungarian. That is the only thing which makes me really disappointed!

A lot of snow and sometimes minor 12 degree Celsius… But these picutres were of the beginning of the snow period.

NAAW Report December

Now I stay more than three months in Budapest and the semester will end in a few days. Then I will spend Christmas and New Year at home with my family. I was very productive and made a lot of experiences – and all without getting very homesick.

I did really much this semester. I take part on four main seminars and one lecture and of course my Hungarian lesson. My highlight was the seminar with Jutta Hausmann. We analysed some psalms and I got a lot of insider information. These were very worthy because they were by a German who spent many years in this country. But the most helpful seminar was with the practical theology teacher Agnes. She taught my and the Finish exchange student the history of the Hungarian church and how this background effects the Hungarian Church of today. It was very helpful to understand some basic differences, so for example the less liturgy in worships and why most congregations do not accept the new liturgy order, which is very similar to the German order and uses more liturgy, because it is something new and unknown, but mostly because they think it is too catholic. (In Hungary was a catholic reformation as reaction of the protestant one. It was very brutal and the almost completely protestant Hungary became catholic again.)

For me it is really nice to be abroad. But Henrika, the Finish student, has big problems. She is a BA/MA student and has troubles with her credits. It is so stupid! This new systems makes more problems for studying abroad than it was supposed to make it easier. I can say: “Oh, relax. I just need a sign. That is all! No difficult credit counting, please!“ Yeah, the diploma system rocks But the Hungarians ignore this problem. They have to go to other countries. Budapest is the only faculty for Lutheran theology in Hungary. And because there are not many Hungarian theology books they can use, the students have to go abroad. They are spread all over the world. It is amazing how many contacts this 200 person university has! Here two examples for the lacking of Hungarian translations: Students do not have Hungarian dictionaries for Hebrew or Greek. And the Systematical Theology offered a seminar on Tillich, because some of his works were lately published in Hungarian. So they wanted a doctor seminar to discuss and to get familiar with his thinking so that they can teach it soon. But of course the basic books are also available in Hungarian, English or Germans. And the doctors studied many years abroad and can teach everything important.

The only disadvantages here are the antique copy machine of the university, the high taxes on imported products, no wireless LAN in the university and many stinky persons. Hungary is not very rich and like in every country the poor people crowd in the capitol. Here in Budapest it is very visible, because of the poorness of the state. There are too less police and charity institution. So the homeless persons are sleeping on streets, in the underground and in the public transports. And the last is very bad. If you have to stand in overcrowded bus next to a person who is unwashed and wears very dirty and stinky clothes, you feel very uncomfortable. It is very difficult and sad. Especially during the winter time, when it is for many weeks very cold and many homeless persons must die, because there is no money to help them. And many are not guilty; often they are victims of the economical and financial state problems.