Dear Family and Friends,

Today is September 1^st. We have been in Hungary about 10 days now. We have spent these first 10 days adjusting to the many changes. We have adjusted our bodies to the new time, our stomachs to the new food, adjusted our spending to the new budget, and our living to the small apartment, (33 m² or 330 ft²). The language and culture adjustments will continue for the full year for each of us. I love being back here. Returning to Hungary reawakens so many memories from having lived here from 1988-1994. A part of me comes alive here in Hungary. Yet, since we are in a new town, Balatonfüred, I am enjoying new experiences and the pleasures of a small, old town on Lake Balaton. Tammy has found that her language ability is better than she thought and she has been pleasantly surprised at her ability to communicate. She loves the opportunity to simplify our lives for a year. We have reconnoitered the town and know where to get food and supplies. (Late summer and early autumn are the best seasons for the best of Hungary’s fruits and vegetables, peaches, plums, peppers, tomatoes, grapes.) The kids are doing wonderfully. I am overwhelmed with their positive attitudes and their willingness and eagerness to learn Hungarian. After recovering from the first days’ exhaustion, they have been eager for every adventure we have put to them. They have been willing to go everywhere with us. They have patiently sat with people even though they can’t really speak to those around them. Yet, they find many ways to engage and interact. They ask us how to say this or that in Hungarian and then go up to people and ask them.

Yesterday, we attended our first school function, the school year’s opening ceremony. All students at the school, 135 of them in grades 1-8, gathered in the gymnasium wearing white shirts and black pants or skirts. The students from previous years wore their school scarves or neckties. There were three poems recited by students about saying farewell to summer and hello to the new school year. The school principal spoke and so did the assistant. Parents then went off with the students to each of the classes to hear the plan for the Thursday and Friday of the first week. I accompanied one of the kids, and Tammy went with the other one. Both were very patient and attentive, obviously not understanding any of the words, but figuring out what was going on by intense observation. Today they will have time to get to know their classmates and have a small introduction to some of their courses. On Friday they will go on field trips. Grades 1-4 will take a hike and grades 5-8 will have a bike ride. Both kids expressed having butterflies in their stomachs going to school this morning, but there are teachers at the school who speak English and many of their classmates are eager to get to know them. I write this letter as I wait for the end of their school day.

The school system here is much more standardized across the nation than in the US. The students grades 1-12, throughout the nation all start school on September 1^st. Their textbooks in grades 1-8 reflect a national curriculum. Their school supplies are even standardized. When we shopped at a large Costco-type store last week we saw many students consulting posted lists of school supplies unique for each grade. There are different types of notebooks that the students buy for different grades. The lined notebooks have different sized spacings depending on whether the student is in 1^st, 4^th or 7^th grade. Students in higher grades have notebooks with graph paper for mathematics. When students move to high school they begin to specialize in their studies, either applying to a “technical” high school that will prepare them for a job when they finish 12^th grade or applying to a “gymnasium” which will prepare them for university.

We have worked out some of our logistics. We have a cell phone now. You can reach us by dialing 011-36-30-351-9817. The first three numbers gets you an international line. The “36” is Hungary’s country code. “30” is the cell phone network and the last seven numbers make up our phone number. Please, remember when calling that we are 6 hours ahead of the East Coast and 9 hours ahead of California. We will turn our phone off at night. Since we are living in Balatonfüred and the kids are going to school 10 miles away in Veszprém, we have decided that we will need a car after all. We have found an 11-year old Passat that we will buy from Emil’s mechanic. The purchase of the phone and the car depended on our registration as foreign residents, a process that is a bit like applying for a “green card” in the US. We successfully acquired our “tartozkodási engedélyek-et” yesterday, Wednesday, Aug. 31.

We think of what is going on in the US right now both nationally and locally with you. We are saddened by the bits and pieces we hear about the terrible destruction and loss of life in Louisiana due to the recent hurricane. We also know that many are preparing for the opening of school, saying goodbye to summer. We send our warmest greetings. Fortunately the differences of life here and the immediate demands of for our adjustment keep us from terrible homesickness. We miss you and pray for you.

With love,

Bob (for all the Auses)