I have been asked several times by now (by friends, family and students) to point out the biggest difference between home and host country. To give the essence of the United States, preferably in one short sentence.I have been thinking hard, and realized (took me a couple of months) that there is no…

Most holidays have become international by now. The world is like a global village where we have similar fiestas, similar Christmases, similar days for mourning. Holidays have started to become globalized around the world and the United States leads the way.Many people argue in Hungary that we don't…

No, I don't gamble. But I win and lose.When you live in a foreign country you win a lot. You can experience and be part of a different culture. You obtain new social skills. You learn or master a language. You get to know fantastic words you'll never ever need in your life again, for example,…

There aren't many cities that look good in November. I have never seen Berlin in November but I expect it to look great. Kriszta Slachta can tell us if I am right or wrong.The other city that looks great even in this time of the year is New York. Even from a distance, as we did not yet make it into…

            The concept of the so called Deep South is, for many reasons, not really appealing to me. Regardless of the fact that I love having a chance to experience very different cultures, I feel restless at places that have an air of…

First it was due to the richness of natural resources, later due to the promising welfare of the economic leader that America became the land of pioneers.People have always been coming here to find something. To find something they were unable to in their homelands. Native Americans arriving from…

There is something moving in it when someone gives her or his home to a stranger to live there for ten months. There is something brave in it when you move into a stranger's home to live there for ten months. A lot to learn on both sides.Entering a home that is not meant for you is a very strange…

Living in a foreign country provides the opportunity to revisit feelings and sensations that have long since faded into the distant past. As young parents we have all experienced the helpless feeling that sweeps over us when we struggle to interpret the cacophony of cries emanating from the mouth…

As it is, this entry is still not about everyday life in New Jersey. But we are getting closer by the day. Just you wait!Last weekend we managed to get ourselves together and actually set off to visit Philadelphia. A city I have never been to before. We set off a bit late after doublechecking the…

It seems like this blog is getting quite philosophical which is not bad. Nevertheless, here are some pictures to nibble on for students as well. My flickr album does not work the way I want it so until I find some solution have a look at my picasa albums to enjoy some (not all) of the magic moments…

 With apologies to those mathematicians who revel in the interplay of numbers, espousing their predictability and absoluteness, I can unequivocally proclaim my disdain for all things numerical.  How much money do you make?  How many minutes to cook the pasta?  What’s your…

 I like the films of Peter Greenaway. They somehow give you the sensation of a painting and an opera put together and filmed without the actual music. The above mentioned film was probably the first I saw by him many years ago. Its morbid humor reminds me a little bit of my present situation. I…

When you go away for a week you have a problem with packing. Whatever you put into your suitcase depends on the weather. But can you believe the weather forecast? Not really. Maybe you should pack that extra cardigan. Maybe you should pack your trainers. Will you really run in the mornings? Not…

Food, water, shelter – basic human needs.  One could easily add “communication” to this list.  The ability and desire to communicate is as old as humanity itself.  From the Sumerians who developed a written language as a means to maintain important records to the…

Mark asked me yesterday whether I think the way we think now is different due to the fact that our forms of communication have changed. I have decided to write down some of my thoughts here hoping he will do the same.The ways we communicate is very different from the ones we used some years ago.…

I had to face with the minor but annoying problem of my decision to use a Hungarian blogsite. Those readers who would like to make a comment have to first get registered on the Inda blogsite. This is a fairly easy process once you get through some basic Hungarian.Click on the register word. Then you…

I was happy to learn that the title for this blog was related to the ocean.  For generations the lives of many members of my family have revolved around the sea.  My father operates a marina, two uncles have been fishermen and my grandfather was a ship builder.  Having grown up on an…

More than a week ago I took part in an orientation in Budapest. For weeks now I am a bit disoriented so it seemed to be a good idea. I spent the whole day with people I hardly knew at all or with people I had never met before.It is really interesting that if you have limited time to talk to somebody…

Dear Readers,I have decided to change the subtitle a bit as my exchange partner, Mark, seems to be ready to take part in sharing his future experiences about teaching and living in Hungary in this blog. Hence I have decided to make him editor and it means that this site will be even more colorful…

The idea of a travel blog came into my mind a few weeks ago when one of my students suggested uploading my future photos into my flickr album. I realized that although it's a good idea, how much better it would be to write about my impressions as well.This blog can give me the opportunity to keep in…