Reflections on @ Summer!

Wow, that went by fast!  This has been by far the best summer of my life.  The other interns were amazing and really fun to work with.  The camp was incredible.  And these past two weeks in Budapest and Central Europe were the highlight of my summer.

The last two weeks in the camp were even better than the first two.  We spent one night at one of the interns house in Kecskemet.  After an endless supply of giant, homemade "bagel bites", she took us to a hill with a great view of the city.  We were then treated to an incredible piano performance by her older sister back at the house. 

The activities put on by the camp the last week were even more exciting.  For the last night we had a talent show where we were treated to a Michael Jackson dance, a Hungarian folk song by some of the interns, and a rendition of Grease Lightning by the camp workers.  Afterwards there was a showcasing of the movies made by the filmmaking team, followed by a dance for the students, with a live DJ. 

I really enjoyed my time spent at the camp for those four weeks.  I originally thought the internship took place in Budapest, so I was surprised to learn that it actually took place in a small village a couple hours from the capital.  After the first week however, I realized that this was for the better.  The camp was its own world, where we were able to get really close to the other interns, and to the Hungarian workers (squirrels as they were called by the students).  The camp was really supportive of us and gave us around $30 each week for snacks or whatever we wanted.

The last two weeks in Budapest were a phenomenal reward for our time at the camp.  We got free housing in a hostel in Budapest, and with the public transportation system we were never far from anywhere.  One of the first days the AIESEC team took us on a grand tour of Budapest.  We saw the castle, did a boat tour of the Danube, and went to some world famous clubs around the city.  After that day, we figured out for ourselves what we wanted to do.

We spent a couple more days in Budapest, before the majority of us left for Prague.  We spent two days  there, which was just enough time.  We got to see all the major landmarks, and ate at some traditional Bohemian restaurants.  Afterwards some of the group went to Bratislava, while two of us left for Munich, which was my favorite city of the trip.  After seeing the world famous beer gardens and tasting some world class beer, we took a detour to Neuschwanstein castle.  This castle built during the romantic era was the inspiration for the Beauty and the Beast castle in Disneyland. 

After returning from Munich we spent a day at the Sziget festival in Budapest, which was voted as Europe's best major music festival.  There was a ferris wheel and a whole bunch of other activities to do during the day.  Then at night we got to see Steve Aoki live.

The following day we all went to Vienna, which was a beautiful city.  Despite its beauty, it was a little too quiet for my liking, and one day there was good enough.  We spent our last days in Budapest souvenir shopping and seeing any monuments we missed.

All in all I had the time of my life on this trip.  I had a great time at the summer camp, interacting with the kids and bonding with the AIESEC interns.  Then I got to see all the major cities in major Europe all while having a home base in Budapest.

-Zach

The People Team

The following post includes two entries- one written after the teaching stint of my internship had ended, and one upon returning home after the additional two weeks of travel in Europe.

7.27.12

Our camp was a renovated military bunker

It’s the last day of teaching. And with that, these four weeks in Kecskemet have come to an end. There is an odd lack of closure, but then again, few things rarely come with the closure I expect. The ending of freshman year of college, for example came with an odd lack of finality. Perhaps it was the awkwardly staggered trickling of exam endings, and the absence of a final bell, a la high school, that would symbolically herald the arrival of summer.

Fire shows at the camp

Regardless, we are done! I say not free, mostly because I didn’t feel constrained in Kecskemet, despite the fact that teaching started at 8:30 each morning, five days a week. There are no further lesson plans to be made, and instead, our efforts focus on planning our vacation time in Budapest (and ideally Vienna and Prague!). Fridays, while usually reserved for a weekend trip to the city center, and usually savored as an opportunity for a change of scenery from the camp, have donned a new outfit today. Instead, we stay at the camp, passing what we know to be our last afternoon and night. Actually, then I retract my prior rumination. Although it hasn’t quite hit me that these are our final hours here (forgive the dramatic connotations of that phrase), we’ve each made our little goodbyes. Kim and I played tennis one last time, which seemed a little more special as there was a wonderfully refreshing sun shower that accompanied our game. The Andys (our mentors) gave us little embroidered and tie-dyed bags, as well as diplomas, as a souvenir of our time here. There is a talent show tonight where we will sing our goodbyes to the camp via Hungarian folk song (that will hopefully be performed with at least minimal degrees of proficiency).

Exploring Kecskemet's town square

The Hungarian band Animal Cannibals performed at the camp.

I’m trying to look back and aptly summarize my experience, but I can’t find a thesis-like umbrella to categorize my thoughts under. We ate a lot of bread. And ice cream. Took daily naps, sometimes at least two or three in an afternoon. We swatted flies. And tennis balls. And badminton shuttlecocks. And ping pong balls. We (the Americans at least) enforced the obnoxious tourist stereotype. We adapted to the fizziness of the water. Adopted an air of professionalism as we taught (I failed miserably. I’m not intimidating, and I can’t be stern. Even my kids asked me, “Why are you so happy all the time?”). Bounced on trampolines. Counted the stars. Patted ourselves on the back when we could respond with simple phrases like “Koszonom.” Sang. Climbed a hill. Drank from buckets. Attempted to smuggle food out of the hangar. Tickled and poked each other mercilessly. Mastered the copy machine. Lesson planned. Improvised shamelessly as lesson plans proved ineffective, or if we blatantly left them unmade. Befriended little Ukranian boys. Taught American slang. Facetiously(?) argued for the superiority of our respective hometowns and countries.

Nostalgia is now settling in, and it’s not even over yet. 

Until Budapest,

Kelly 

8.15.12

At Sziget, the largest music festival in Central Europe

I’m sitting at a coffee shop in Miami again, my two-month stint in Europe now just a memory. Tangibly, I’ve come away with a few things, including: a handful of paprika spoons to give away as souvenirs and a ridiculous amount of photos that pretty much categorizes me as an obnoxious Asian tourist.

I’m actually flipping through the photos as I write this post and I know already that what I will miss most will be the people. Budapest was amazing to explore, Prague was a very fun blur, and Vienna was absolutely breathtaking in terms of its architecture. But this past internship was so valuable, not because of the sights that I was able to see, but because it taught me so much about other cultures and opened me up to so many new experiences. I not only was introduced to the Hungarian culture, but also to the cultures and values of the other AIESEC trainees that I worked with. Ireland, Canada, Poland, Brazil, Australia, and China are now also less elusive to me, and it was fascinating to compare and contrast our respective pop cultures, educational systems, and slang. I gained insight into Hungary not only by exploring my surroundings, but also through the stories that my students would share. They loved to ask me questions about America and I was equally intrigued by their own lives. They introduced me to the sport of handball, and I played them American rap in return. I learned some Hungarian as well—they thought it would be funny to teach me Hungarian curse words as well as pick up lines.

A view of Budapest from Gellert Hill at night

In terms of other things that I’ll miss, I’m already craving a gyro from one of the seemingly infinite stands that mark virtually every street corner in Budapest. Forty-cent gelato scoops. Paddle boating in Lake Balaton. Getting lost in a strange new city, without the correct currency or knowledge of the local language. Pedro eating mushroom soup with bananas. Katie mocking my American accent. Dinner at Zsuzsi’s house. Bonfires in the forest. Climbing hills. Etc. etc.

Thank you to all those at AIESEC that made this possible. It’s been an absolutely amazing summer.

Best,

Kelly

Hungarian Reflections

It’s been a week since I left Budapest, and I’ve been missing it constantly. I don’t just miss the other trainees, who I still talk to occasionally; I also miss working in the camp. Having a regular schedule gave structure to my day and made me feel like I was actually accomplishing something. Also, I miss my kids.

Summer for Youth is a camp that aims to teach high school-aged kids about other cultures and about English through immersion. Because we had kids of all ages—our youngest was 11, at one point, and our oldest was 20—we had to keep changing what we were doing in order to keep them interested. We did presentations on our home countries, on the problems in our countries, on our cultures, on our native languages, and more. We went to Zumba and Margarit Island once a week each. We played games like Japanese football, Red Rover, Manhunt, Kabadi, etc. We taught them the different AIESEC roll calls and had a “wish box” where the delegates at the camp could ask us to do any crazy thing they wanted us to do (within reason). We had team-building exercises and scavenger hunts.

What we really struggled with was the changing roster of the camps. Some people stayed for one week, while others stayed for two weeks—not always consecutively. This meant that we were never sure who had seen that presentation already, or done that activity in a previous camp. This also meant that, at least with the kids who came back for a second week, we were able to establish bonds of friendship beyond those of just teacher and delegate.

Just to talk about a few:

Brigitta was Hannah’s host. We went to Síofok and the baths with her. I actually tutored her in algebra for a little while.

Zsambo and Csenge, brother and sister, were the Justin Bieber and the baby princess of the camp, respectively. Both of them were in my homegroup because, as the youngest trainee, I was in charge of the youngest delegates. (I couldn’t be put in charge of delegates who were older than me.) Zsambo’s English was very good, but Csenge’s English was very poor. At ages 13 and 11, they were the youngest delegates at the camp, and also arguably the most energetic.

Tami is an enthusiastic English student, and was always active in every activity, asked questions during presentations, and was generally interested in the camp. He still Facebook messages me occasionally, asking me how I’m doing and sometimes asking for help with English homework.

We had two Réka’s (Réka means river in Hungarian), both of whom we grew very close to. One of them had an American parent, and won a trip to China. The other one turned fourteen while all of us were still in Budapest, so we took her out for chocolate fondue and dinner on her birthday. She later told us that it was the best birthday she’d ever had.

I really, really miss these kids. A good number of them—the most active ones, and the ones I talked to the most—have added me on Facebook, and we’re on good enough terms that we feel comfortable chatting with each other and commenting/liking posts and pictures. I love knowing that I have tens of people willing to host me if I ever go back to Budapest (which I definitely plan to do). It really makes Budapest feel like home.

When I was shopping for souvenirs for my friends and family at home in the last few days I was in Budapest, I realized that I didn’t know what to buy. Usually, there are a few specific items you should get from a place that represents it very well—bits of the Berlin Wall from Berlin, crystal from Prague—but I didn’t know what to get from Budapest. I simply didn’t feel like a tourist there, and I didn’t know what would encompass my entire experience there.

Someday I’ll be back. Hopefully “someday” doesn’t lie too far in the future, because the idea of those kids forgetting about me is heartbreaking. But for now, I’ll continue messaging them and seeing how their lives are going. Summer for Youth didn’t just teach Hungarian kids about other cultures from around the world; it forged friendships across borders.

Czech Republic Recap!

I am sitting here writing this entry on a luxurious train on my way to Prague! I am so excited that my AIESEC internship has allowed me to travel all over Eastern Europe while I have been here. Starting today, I will be embarking on a road trip with 4 other Yalies as we traverse through Prague, Budapest, and Vienna. I can’t wait! However, I still cannot believe that my TN has ended and I am beginning a journey that will soon take me back to America and the hallowed halls of Yale I call home. It was an incredible experience! Although I suspected the last week of my internship would be quite similar to my experiences at the other camp, I was proved quite wrong. Even though it has only been a short time since I last wrote, I feel like I have learned so much and had some crazy experiences in the last two weeks.

Before we traveled to our next camp, the other intern and I decided to have some fun on our few days off. We got in contact with some of the people from the AIESEC chapter in Ostrava and learned that there would be a lot of interns in the area as well! One of the friends we made while in Ostrava, Marek, picked us up at the bus station and took us to the main square in Ostrava. There happened to be two different festivals going on, so there were people and street art everywhere. It was really a cool time to be there. That night, we went out to Stodoní Street (the most famous street in the Czech Republic) with the other interns and had a great night. I had an awesome time meeting these people from all around the world – the people we went out with were from Canada, USA, Bulgaria, Turkey, India, Egypt, China, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. It was so cool! And since we were all AIESECers, everyone wanted to have a good time and loved to dance.

After staying at Marek’s house for the night and learning more about Czech culture from his family, Ellie and I headed to our new camp. After a long bus ride through rural areas and climbing the longest, most never-ending hill I have ever walked up in flip flops, we arrived at a camp that turned out to be very different from the last. Instead of 225 kids, there were 25, and instead of cabins with electricity and mirrors and nice beds, we were staying in tent flap cottages with wooden slabs and sleeping bags for beds. Not to mention that there was no electricity or running water at camp. Welcome to group showers and wood burning stoves! Although it was different from what I expected, I actually love. it! Being cut off from the world is so nice for a change, and I am truly a wilderness girl at heart. The camp itself was gorgeous, with hills and trees everywhere the eye could see. It was stunning!

We quickly got used to the way of life there, and became good friends with the counselors. Although we did have a “translator” who spoke both English and Czech, it was nice to know some Czech at this point and be able to communicate. The counselors were so open and friendly to us. I think one of the funniest experiences was playing charades with the Czech counselors, with us yelling things like Cinderella and someone else having to figure out if it’s the same princess in Czech! So cool that things are the same, and also that we learned so much about other Czech fairy tales.

The theme of the camp was “Around the world in Seven Days,” and we went ALL out with the kids – from dressing up as airline stewardesses to checking their passports to sneaking them across the border from the US to Mexico in the middle of the night. It was so fun! One of my favorite nights was our Carnaval in Brazil, where we all dressed up with masks and colorful skirts, doing conga lines through the camp and blasting music from camp speakers made of large pots. We also took a hike to a pool in the next city and played games in the forest. No matter how much I see of the Czech countryside, it continues to amaze me.

The last night at camp, we had a giant bonfire on the hillside that served as a great ending to my experiences. Sitting around that fire with a full moon and singing the few Czech songs I know while listening to others was so picturesque, and I truly felt as if I would be leaving a family behind the next day. Campfires bring people together, but also allowed me to reflect on the past few weeks and realize how much I had changed and learned throughout this experience. After the campfire, we had a huge party with all the counselors and ended up sleeping outside on a hilltop as the sun was rising, trying not to get trampled by the sheep that roam the hills at night. It was a perfect end to a great summer! Czech was definitely an adventure, and one that I will cherish for a long time.

Ready for the children to board the plane! 

Hike day with the kids

Ready for Carnaval! 

Conga line shenanigans

 Hanging out with Dominiku at the sausage-roasting fire 

 Bonfire on the last night of camp

- Amy D.