Week 12: November 22nd - 28th

Monday 1999-11-22

J-P on the Hungarian lecture: "Even crucifixion doesn't hurt this much." No comment, haven't tried. The culture lecture was boring. We are leaving for Vienna at 6 a.m. on Saturday, if the road is not blocked by snow.

Mikko paid for our accommodation in Italy. I visited a bookstore (the one in the Parisian arcade) and found Lost Tales I-II. I think I'll write my essay for the culture course about art or architecture. I have to go to the Atlantisz bookstore this week, the windows looked partly promising.

In the evening we watched videos in Martos. Something about Mary was ok, and Buffalo '66 was excellent. Why is B. Gazzara in all this kind of films?

Tuesday 1999-11-23

We got the control theory mid-terms back. Nice to hear now that the exam had no effect on the mark. Passing it only gives the right to participate the final exam. The teacher had the name Mikko Nieminen instead of me in her papers. Great. If she hadn't read the name aloud, Mikko-väliviiva-Petteri would probably have got my credit units. I have to see Eszter to settle it.

In the afternoon I planned to go to a scientific playhouse, but changed my mind on the way there. For a change there was a ticket control at the exit of the underground. I managed to pour all the 1000ft+ small coins on the floor. The ticket-policemen were nice and helped to pick them.

Wednesday 1999-11-24

The computer lab was cancelled so I had to go to the Hungarian lecture. I visited Atlantisz but didn't buy anything. Otherwise I'd had to buy everything. Jarkko's nearly empty wallet was stolen. They were having lunch in a restaurant near Lehel tér. The wallet was in the breast pocket of his jacket on the back of the chair. Some guys came to the next table for few minutes, after which the wallet had disappeared.

In the evening our team Ullavan Työntö (Dan, J-P, Anssi, Mikko, Jarkko and me) participated in an indoor football cup.The first game we lost ca. 10-1. Jarkko made our only goal. The second and last game went better, ca. 10-3 for the other team. All our goals were made after clever moves based entirely on good luck. Jarkko scored first; the ball bounced from the wall and the goalkeeper's ass. The other one went in via the legs of a defender and the goalkeeper. And the last one was a rebound of their goal kick that hit Mikko's calf.

The epilogue took place in J-P's room and consisted of beer, wine and seven of clubs. After one a.m. we left for School of Economics disco (Közgáz). The taxi didn't take five people (like always), and so me and Sarah went on foot.

At first I hadn't good time at all. The beer was stale and I counted the people passing by. I quit at -100 (+1 for female, -1 for male). In the end I had good time for some time before we had to leave.

Our departure was quite colourful and violent. J-P poured beer on some girl's lap and got a slap. She called the staff and two huge guys dragged J-P out. All the way out Jarkko was explaining everybody that there's no problem and we are not leaving and that we are good customers. Outside J-P spitted one of the security guys in the back and got a kick in his back in return. Meanwhile five guys were trying to throw Jarkko out. At first he insisted he won't go anywhere, but pretty soon he changed his mind and only wanted to pick his jacket and leave. That wasn't ok with the security, and they tossed him out without jacket.

I was waiting with Anssi on the background not wanting to get hurt. However, somehow Anssi got outdoors to receive kicks in ribs and head. While Jarkko was being thrown out, J-P ran to help him and hit one of the guards pretty hard in the knuckles with his nose. Outside Jarkko was also beaten up and was very confused, having absolutely no idea what's going on. Sarah brought his jacket.

Outcome of the evening: J-P's nose was bleeding and possibly broken, Anssi had bruises in his head and probably broken rib(s), Jarkko had black eye and bruises in the arms and forehead. Me and Sarah were not harmed. Nobody wanted to hospital. We limped slowly back to Martos.

Thursday 1999-11-25

I was in Martos at half past four, and skipped the morning lecture voluntarily. On the OS lecture we dealt with the problems given last week. Apparently the teacher checked the papers without reading them.

In the afternoon I visited the convalescents upstairs. J-P and Anssi were acquiring DIY anesthesia. They had bought a six-pack of wine (6 × 2 liters). We played seven of clubs, but the drunks were so slow that it was boring. I went back to my room to read Stern. In the evening the others planned to revisit Közgáz, but didn't make it, of course.

Friday 1999-11-26

I didn't see the others too much. In the afternoon I read Tolkien and in the evening newsgroups for hours. I got a packet of Finnish magazines from home. Remko arranged a farewell party; wine and peanuts. The other Finns didn't show up. Most of the time I talked with Rebecca. Also Fabiola had something to say.

Saturday 1999-11-27

An Economics college made a trip to Vienna, and Mrs. Gombos arranged places for our culture course also.

Wake up at five, meeting in Martos lobby at half past. From Martos four of us were going: Rebecca, Philip, Janne and me. Not yet fully awake I wore summer shoes. It was a very cold day. The bus left after six, and the trip went fast, snoozing. There were some Swedish girls sitting in front of me. I tried to listed what they talk, but couldn't understand a single sentence, just some words. At the border when everyone revealed her passport, it turned out they were Norwegian.

At the border of Hungary and Austria there was a several kilometer queue of trucks. Luckily we were not going by truck. They didn't even check the passports.

In Vienna we got off the bus at the Opera House, and walked along the local Váci utca to Stephensdom. Having a coffee on the way there was a shock to the wallet. The cappuccino costed twice as much as an expensive one in Budapest. The church was quite ascetic, I prefer the Mátyás church on the Castle Mountain, and the equivalent one in Cracow.

Next we headed towards the Belvedere palace. Somehow I became the guide though nobody had a proper map. Surprisingly we found the way there. Only once I made a 180° error and had to ask for the way. I understood just enough of the answer, but not a bit more. No-one else of us admitted knowing any German.

There were paintings in Belvedere. I forgot my ISIC-card in Budapest and had to pay the full price. So did Philip.

Then we saw the Hofburg castle from outside, and Rebecca and Janne visited a Dalí museum. Me and Philip couldn't afford it, and they didn't take credit card payments under 300 shillings. We walked around a couple of blocks and had coffee in a small bakery. While we waited for the others in front of the museum, we met Hunter who was in Vienna on his own. He recommended the Christmas Market => we went there.

Coca Cola sponsored and played American Christmas music. That sucked. The market itself was ok. They sold punch and crap and all the trees were decorated with a zillion lanterns.

The return to Budapest began with a traffic jam. It took almost an hour to get out of the city. The Norwegians had had punch in overdose, and were singing loudly all the time, especially one of them. At the border all passports were collected and we waited for them over an hour. We were at home at half past ten.

Sunday 1999-11-28

I woke up after two p.m. Someone had stolen a nearly full packet of cheese from the fridge, and the bulb above the mirror went off. I read Suomen kuvalehti all day.

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