Thanksgiving in Hungary

Bill and I hosted our first Thanksgiving last Friday and it was a smashing success. Finding the needed ingredients ended up being somewhat of a scavenger hunt, but we found almost everything from either the great market or our grocery store across the street.  Bill and I were a bit nervous to host our first Thanksgiving since we would be working on both Thursday and Friday, and had seldom used our tiny oven.  I'm glad we went ahead and hosted Thanksgiving though, because everything turned out great, and our guests seemed to really enjoy themselves.

We had 15 Hungarian friends and colleagues over to join in the celebration. They were all so gracious and polite, and I will never forget many of their looks of surprise when we unveiled the 8.5 kilo turkey.  Bill had quite the audience while he was carving his first turkey....but he came through like a champ.  We couldn't have asked for better guests.  It didn't hurt that most of them had never had a Thanksgiving dinner before, so there was no worry of being compared to past Thanksgivings.

Bill carving the turkey

stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce

serving up the food

We have felt so welcomed by our Hungarian friends and colleagues over the past three months, and have appreciated all they have done to introduce us to Hungarian food, culture and history.  It was nice being able to give back and finally share something that is quintessentially American with them.

I am thankful for...

...friends & acquaintances, near and far, who have taught me so much about life & happiness

...my wonderful parents and sister who show me unconditional love and support

...being able to call so many different places home, and for so many different reasons

...having two sets of healthy grandparents who inspire me with their upbeat attitude

...past and present colleagues who make work not actually feel like work

...the little things in life that make each and every day better

...living in Hungary where I learn something new everyday

...my mistakes and failures that have enhanced my character and led me to the life I have today

...the wonders and beauty of the world in which we live that keep me inspired and curious

...my incredible husband who I love more than anything and makes me so unbelievably happy just by being him

Advising is the life for me

On Thursday evening I walked through my door after a day at work and couldn't help but yell out "I love my job, I love my job, I love my job!"
This is what my day at the EducationUSA advising center looked like:
1) Met for an hour with a high school student who applied to NYU Abu Dhabi and needed help completing their financial aid form (that was due by that evening).  Completed Successfully!
2) Worked with a student for two hours who is targeting US undergraduate programs that offer financial aid for international students.  I looked over his essays for his common application, and we together made the decision that he would apply Early Decision to Amherst College (where if he is accepted, they will cover his full need, even though he is an international student).  It was fun seeing his excitement as he signed the 'early decision' agreement, which marked the fist big decision he made this year in regards to his applications.
3) Met for one hour with a student who began university in Budapest, but wants to start over and apply to undergraduate programs in the US, specifically Cal Tech and MIT.
4) Met with a student who finished her bachelor's in Hungary, and is a dual Hungarian-American citizen. She thought that since she has lived in Hungary her whole life she would not be eligible for federal financial aid when applying to master's programs in International Relations at GWU and Tuft's.  I did some investigating and contacted the prospective schools, and she is in fact eligible for federal aid as an American citizen!!  Seeing the look of excitement and relief on her face made my day.
5) Conducted a writing workshop for seven students/scholars (ranging from high school to full professor) and then after met with four of them individually to look over personal statements and resumes.
6) Met with an Iranian student who is taking a few classes in Budapest right now, and wants to apply to undergraduate aerospace engineering programs in the United States.

Instead of being tired after a non-stop day at work, I felt completely energized.  I absolutely love meeting with students who all have such different goals and life experiences.  I am constantly learning from them, and I'd like to think they learn a thing or two from me as well.

Best Zoo Trip Ever

I am always very interested in going to zoos in other countries.  A lot of people might think that this is silly, because zoos usually house animals from all over the world, so how do they really represent and reflect the country they are in?  Well, the zoo in Budapest does a wonderful job in supporting my hobby of visiting foreign zoos: what we take for granted as proper zoo care and behavior is not the same everywhere.

The other week ago Bill and I had the afternoon free, so we went to City Park in Budapest (which is a big public park that also houses a zoo) and decided to visit the zoo.  Within minutes of sitting down to enjoy our picnic by the bird and turtle pond, I was shit on by a bird, TWICE!  Rather than getting upset, we laughed it off and shoved my head into a fountain to clean up and moved on to other parts of the zoo.

Now we get to the good stuff.  There is an exhibit that is supposed to represent the central/south American rainforest, and in it they have iguanas and sloths.  The animals aren't exactly enclosed, so they walk onto the path that the visitors use. One of the sloths was extremely active and moved his way to the visitor path, and plopped down.  We took quite a liking to him, and named him Ignatz.  Right as we were leaving the exhibit, we see Hungarians petting and rubbing the sloth (as if he were a dog).  At first I was horrified, and then I realized Ignatz actually liked it!!  So clearly we went back and took our chance at petting a sloth.

Ignatz loves Bill

Just hanging out and loving life

 Later in the day we go to see the prairie dogs. In most cases I would walk right past the prairie dogs, but I was startled when I saw there was red all around the mouth of one of the prairie dogs.  At first I thought it was blood, and then I looked into the habitat and saw a huge, half-eaten beet!  I literally looked at this little prairie dog and couldn't stop laughing for a good 10 minutes.  Whenever I want a good laugh, I just think Beet Mouth!



Our last stop for the day was the indoor primate house.  Before walking into the house we saw movement behind the glass door, but couldn't tell what it was.  Then as I am just about to walk in, I see a lemur standing on top of a glass display case, and the first thing I think was, oh no, the lemurs got out, what if we aren't allowed to go in?  We go in anyways, and notice that the lemur exhibit is in the middle of the room, and it is completely open.  The lemurs were intended to walk freely.  At one point we actually saw a lemur looking through a glass wall and into one of the monkey habitats (unfortunately we were so enamored we didn't think to take a picture). The concept of the zoo really has been revolutionized in Budapest.

Who says a test can't be fun?

One of the classes I am teaching at Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE) is for American Studies and English majors during their final year.  The purpose of the class is to prepare students to feel more comfortable speaking within formal and professional environments (oral thesis defense, workplace meetings, workplace presentations, interviews, etc.).  The last few weeks I focused on resume writing, cover letters and interviewing.  This is something I REALLY enjoy teaching.  Most people dread searching for jobs, but I actually find it to be quite enjoyable, which explains why I am constantly sending people jobs I stumble across that I feel suit them well.

The test for this class ended up being the most enjoyable class to date....yet it wasn't really a class.  For their test I required them to find a real job posting that they would be interested in applying to, and to write a resume and cover letter for that particular job and have it sent to me three days before their test date.  I took the time to take notes on each student's job description, resume and cover letter.  Each student signed up for a different 10 minute time slot and came for a mock interview with me, which served as their test.

I doubt the students had as much fun as I did since they had a grade to be concerned with, but I was so impressed with all of them.  Some students were initially caught off guard when I opened my office door and said "Hello, I'm Jamie Hoversen, it's very nice to meet you." They caught on quickly though and switched from deer in headlights to professional mode almost instantly.  It was fun getting to come up with interview questions on the fly and make up answers to the well thought out questions the students asked about the position or company they were applying to.  There were particular students I would have absolutely hired for the job they were 'applying to' if I had that opportunity.

This test ended up being an interesting way for me to get to know my students better; to understand what their goals are, what experiences they have had and what they are passionate about.  Although they are all American Studies and English majors at ELTE, they have such a range of interests and experiences that go far beyond what they are studying.  I am proud of these students and have a good feeling that most of them will be able to find a good  job soon upon graduation.  And I do think that what they learned from me in relation to interviewing, resume writing and cover letters will actually be something they use again...and that makes me feel good.

No time machine needed for these students!

Election Day Abroad

Tonight, Bill and I have plans to go to an election party hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Budapest.  We figure this is probably the only fancy-schmancy election party we will ever be able to afford, so we have to seize the opportunity while it's here.  The funny thing is, that since we are nine hours ahead of the west coast, the polls will be closing in California right when the party here is ending at 4:00am.

Since it is election day, I got thinking about what I was doing this day, four years ago.  Four years ago at this time I had been living in Chicago for just two months, just as I now have been living in Budapest for two months.  During the 2008 election I was working at EF International Language School, literally across from Grant Park where I brought a group of students to see Barack Obama's acceptance speech.  Today I am working at a Hungarian university, and will be at an election party that is nearly 5,000 miles away from Chicago.  And four years ago, I didn't even know Bill existed, and now I get to share every election day with the love of my life.  Oh how life can change in just four years.

Grant Park during the night of the 2008 Elections

Feels good to be 'home'

Home can mean a many different things depending on who you ask, and when you ask them.  Home can be where you grew up, or maybe where your current residence is.  For some, home is not a physical place or an address, but a feeling of comfort, safety and happiness.  Over the past 17 days, Bill and I have spent only two days in Budapest.  We were in Poland for five days over a long weekend, were back for barely 48 hours, and then off to the airport before the sun was up to go to Spain for ten days during our fall break.  Both Poland and Spain were absolutely amazing, but by the last few days of our trip I was ready to go home.  When I had this feeling, I had to pause and ask myself what I meant by home.  I thought of family, friends, workplaces, new and old; San Francisco, Chicago; my favorite restaurants, parks and streets.  On early Monday morning at 2am, when I walked through my doors at Ferenc Korut 14, I opened my dresser drawer, pulled out a clean pair of of pajamas and laid my head down on my pillow....I knew I was home.

Warsaw, Poland

Granada, Spain

View out our window in Budapest, Hungary