5 Days Remain...

       Today marks the beginning of the transition towards the final and the cessation of the trip. The notion of the end is a mixed bag of emotions. For one, the final is fast approaching and almost a quarter of the content has not been taught yet! But this is normal for those who have experienced an interim before (i.e. everyone except for me). Even worse, only a very limited amount of time remains to experience all of the wonders Buda, Pest, and the rest of Hungary have to offer! On the other hand, many students are looking forward to their upcoming travel in Europe during interim break and everyone, undoubtedly, including Professor Berliner, is looking forward to not having homework for a week. It is a stressful time of thinking about what we all could have possibly missed in Budapest that is truly important. However, we are all still in Budapest and enjoying its quite unique culture. Some students today chose to go Fisherman's Bastion and explore the castle a bit. 

      It had amazing views of the city and quite the excellent pastry shop nearby. Unfortunately, the sun rises over Pest and sets in Buda, so the sunset is was not easily viewable. Sunrise, alternatively, can be readily viewed from Buda if any brave souls become willing enough to go to Buda at 5:30 AM to view the sunrise. Homework, again, is the focus for all students, as class was extra long today. Random joke to put an end to the puns: The problem with math puns is that calculus jokes are all derivative, trigonometry jokes are too graphic, algebra jokes are usually formulaic, and arithmetic jokes are pretty basic. But I guess the occasional statistics joke is an outlier.

Phew, obligatory puns to appease my pun-loving professor (whom totally, 100%, without a doubt has an immeasurable love for puns). A large deal of comfort food was also consumed today. Everything from burgers and fries to newly adopted comfort foods like lángos and chimney cakes were consumed in what can undoubtedly be considered as normal, human-sized portions that are most certainly not unhealthy and will definitely not lead towards a tough week at the gym next week. 

YAY, pictures!! Lángos was eaten at the market and some pad thai was eaten from Pad Thai Wok bar, which has become a popular eat with the Ole crowd here in Pest. Truthfully, it feels like Budapest has become somewhat of a home away from home for many in the group. The transportation is quick and easy, the food is cheap and, in the words of Graham Elliot,"YUMMMY," and, most of all, the group is very tight-knit. I may not be able to speak for everyone in the group, but I almost have become blasé to the many sculptures, unique buildings, and historical sites because Budapest feels like a home. Every artifact and landmark is just a part of daily life, yet each work is rich with Hungarian culture. This notion of duality is what epitomizes Budapest; a juxtaposition of a rich history of conquest and revolution and daily life for the citizens of Hungary. It is a sort of crossroads between many diverse European and Middle Eastern cultures, and I, for one, appreciate its unique charm. Photos can only capture so much, but my peers and I will not easily forget what the photos cannot capture. It is sad to admit it, but the end is almost here, so we will all do our best to enjoy Budapest while we still can!