Numbers of Note

7 and 8

Strangely enough, my favorite classes so far are the 7th and 8th graders. The are excited and eager to speak. They are willing to try to communicate, even if it comes at the risk of making a mistake. They loved attempting to describe pictures from my book of pictures today. The older group is reading letters written from my German students last year and will be writing back soon.

Zero

Number of students who know who Nikita Khrushchev is. I've tried to have some discussion on the topic of goals with my oldest students. I forget that I must teach interactivity to them, it's a largely foreign concept. But invariably, we turn to discussing Khrushchev, and not a single student has been able to identify or even recognize the name of the former Soviet premier. Hungary has certainly changed a lot in 15 years.

32

Number of CDs I own in Hungary. The song most commonly stuck in my head here? Sting and the Police, "Message in a Bottle." I must promise you that my current situation is less desperate than the song suggests, but there's something soothingly reassuring about singing "I'm sending an S.O.S. to the world" while walking down the streets of this city. First person to burn me a random CD with that song and others and send it to Hungary will be declared "Lifelong Winner."

271

Number of kids I teach. 59 in German, the rest in English. Wow.

1st

First venture on Hungarian buses this weekend, wish me luck. The road from Heves to Kalocsa goes through Budapest, so at least that is familiar territory. Paprika Festival in (cal-oh-cha) promises to be fun, with traditional Hungarian folk dancing and more good times with Americans Abroad.