I work like a dentist, model, like sports, bellydancing.

This title. Let`s talk about it for a second.

In the title section of blog, I started typing in "I." Then the rest of this showed up in a little scroll down thing (you know the one...when the computer intuitively tries to finish the sentence you started, as if it has ESP). So, I figured that this would be a great title to an absolutely boring post. It sure grabs the attention, doesn`t it (I wonder what profile this person put it in)? Since:

a. I love dentists, but I`ve no clue what they work like. I am assuming dentists work like sewer cleaners though.
b. I do not model
c. I suck at sports
and
d. Do I like bellydancing?

I have done nothing today. Literally. I painted my toenails, watched an episode of a French soap opera, and bothered my sister, who has to finish some sort of report for tomorrow. So, with absolutely nothing else to ponder, I have been forced to consider the tourist situation in Hungary around the lake Balaton.

I just started typing my ponderings, but the keyboard in this cafe sucks. What is a lot easier is if I kind of compile a list.
1. There weren`t many tourists there this summer, even when the weather was nicer.
2. The prices are really high for Hungarian standards.
3. So now, there are only German tourists left there basically.
4. However, the attractions there aren`t catering to this crowd. Case in point: there were 2 movie theaters close by. One of them is under about 3 feet of grass, the other one only shows movies dubbed over in Hungarian. A few years ago this movie theaters would be filled to capacity 10 minutes before a show (so, around 120 seats filled) and now there are about 15 people attending the movies.
5. The discos and clubs are closing down because no one comes to them. And even though they might sound lame in the U.S., they are definitely a huge pull here. Since there are none open, younger crowds don`t find it so fun to come to the lake. I can`t blame them.
6. What you have left is The Older Crowd. The Fishermen. The People Who Live Around The Lake Year Round.
7. What does that give you? Lots of people can`t make a living because these aren`t the people who are going to go to the restaurants or the tourists shops.

8. ...what a lame compilation. That list took about 5 minutes of strenuous mental work after I read the first 52 pages of a book.

I have played one too many games of free cell today.

It seems that life continues to move forward for other people. Julie is still in imminent danger of being attacked by sharks or abducted by aliens. Julie does not read this blog.

So what do you do when life starts moving on without you? You leave.

HOT OFF THE PRESSES:

I have a new freckle, people!

Can`t think of a title for this post, just like I can never think of essay titles

I am now updating from the cheapest internet cafe I could find in Hungary. This means that I`ve got the added pleasure of having a group of people leaning on my little flimsy cubicle while I`m trying to find apostrophes and things for this update.

Anyway, there`s nothing quite like saying goodbye to a city while spending the night on a doorstep. Ok, half a night. After I arrived back to Lisbon, I went out at around 12 midnight to say goodbye to a few people. Coming back at 3, I suddenly realized something: the door that always stuck before would probably stick again. So I wiggled and jiggled my key around (doing the wiggly jiggly dance with it) then I started to execute the super-duper power charged turbo wiggle jiggle wriggle dance, then I just gave up and sat on the doorstep to wait for Sheila to come back from her hot date. Of course, I was ringing my senora throughout this. What started out as timid little rings on her doorbell turned into insanely loud and elaborately patterned S.O.S. signals played out on the ringer because evidently the only thing harder than getting the front door open is waking up my half blind (and half deaf) senora.

The next day I left for Hungary. The plane left at 4:50. I left my apartment at 3:50. After running to the line to check in, I realized no one else was hurrying. What`s this? A style of living that FINALLY accomodates my penchant for checking in late to airports? Then I remembered how people cross streets in Spain: right when the flashing green light of the pedestrian is about to turn into red, an old grandma with her 8 year old grandma starts to cross the streets. The little boy panics, but the old grandma determinedly (yes, that`s a word now) keeps right on charging and hobbling her way across the street. And does anyone honk? NO! What do people do at 4 in the morning when they`re at a crosswalk waiting for the signal to go and there are absolutely no cars around? THEY WAIT FOR THE GREEN!

So, I leisurely checked in with about 2 seconds to spare before the plane took off, then upon reaching Milan we found out the plane for Hungary had been delayed till the next day. We got put in a great 4 star hotel with excellent food, and I also was forced to deal with this Hungarian girl who was having a panic attack because she couldn`t go home when she wanted to. She was the same age as me and was wailing at the airport because she had no clue what to do. I am so tempted to put in here now a great big sermon about what I think of people who start bawling because they`re put in unexpected situations, but I`m going to resist the urge.

I guess this update didn`t touch on what I did in Lisbon. That`ll come with picture. For now, I have to return to put in the fridge light and clean up a little more. By the way, there is absolutely no hot water in the shower here in Hungary for me. So shower (HA!) a little sympathy my way.