Bence in the States: December 2011

Christmas Time!!!

I don't have time to celebrate Christmas... I have to study... Of course, Tomi!:D (My little brother, Tamás)

My Dad stood up the Christmas tree

My Mom with the Christmas goose

The best, mandatory, mother-made, Bulgarian special cake: "Krémpita"

Tomi decorated the tree!

Tomi put together a computer to my mother's nameday (Eva, 12.24)

The Christmas Tree!!!

Presents

Waiting before eating

The festive table with fish-soup (Hungarian tradition) - we caught the fish

I love the Christmas!

My family!

The main dish: french fries, fried goose, fried fish, and onion rings, hmmm:D

Singing a Hungarian Christmas song: "Kiskarácsony, nagykarácsony..."

Christmas 2011! I had a great time with my family with visiting our grandparents and my girlfriend! It was a perfect Christmas Time!!!!

I am late to make this post. I write it from Hungary now. But dont run in advance.

So about the final week. Monday was nothing. As usual, we wrote our case study solution in a group and handled it to the professor at 20:30 Tuesday. Every exam was from 20:30 to 22:30. It was strange for me. So Tuesday 20:30, exam time. Every group got 3 questions related to the last case study and we had to answer the questions during two hours. We had a great time, Alex found a little free study-room for us and we wrote the paper. Strategic business solving is done, grade A.

After the exam I went home, watched a movie about a shaolin grandmaster (Il) and then around 00:30 i started to finish our business communication final business plan paper. I got every part of it from the others only the executive summary was missing. So i put everything together, designed it and wrote the missing part. I finished at 4:30 and went to bed. The deadline was next day 11am. So i got up and went to the university to handle it over. Business communication is done, grade B+.

Wednesday night I did not have business ethics exam, because we have already finished this class one week earlier. Business ethics is done, grade B+.

Thursday night I was silly, because I forgot the exam time and instead of 20:15, i was there from 17:15... But i got a chance to rehearse my presentation part in the actual exam classroom alone. So I went inside, started my laptop with our presentation and rehearsed it four consecutive times. Finally, everybody arrived and we started the last marketing class. We were the second group. I was full of adrenalin. My legs were shaking, my throat was bone dry. I had to stand up, go out from the classroom and made some circles in front of it to calm down. My teammate was in panic, where is Bence, asked the others:D When the first group finished its presentation i went inside again and started to present. I tried a new way to present. It worked everybody liked our presentation (my teammate also did a good job). I was prove myself after finishing it and felt happiness!! It was so glad to see how the others looked at me. I got some serious positive feedback. I was scared to present on an american class before, but now I am not. That is one of the most benefit of this class. Marketing is done, grade B+.

To sum up my first semester, I liked it very much, it was so good to meet Americans, got some American friends, got used to this culture, gained so many experiences. I became more open-minded and curious about the world! I am really happy to got the chance to learn in the United States. So it was cool! I am looking forward to get better and more!

The rest of the week spent with getting new experience. I went to Jeffrey Saturday morning. During the two days with them I saw the biggest Buddha monument in North America. http://www.pbase.com/jevvi/chuangyen_monastery It was just wowww!

We went to cut down Jeffrey's family's christmas tree. The whole close family was there. I got to know that this is an American habit, to cut down your own christmas tree with your family. They let me finish the cutting. See below the movie. (Dont look at me, i am stupid laughing in it.) And then we went to the Sycamore drive-in bar, which is among the oldest burger bars in Connecticut. http://www.sycamoredrivein.com/ They have the best home-made root-beer, i have ever tasted (the others were on the same opinion:). It is a real cool piece of the American history. We tried out some delicious sushi as well in an other restaurant. We discovered a big-big shopping mall during the christmas sales. What I saw there, it was just crazy! This is a buzz time of shopping. One month generates 20% of the total annual sales of an average retail shop.

I went home Sunday, packed up my stuff and got ready to go HOME!! Here is the itinerary of that certain day. Getting up at 08:00 (12.19.2011 / Monday) having some breakfast, packing everything into my car. 10:55 - leaving Whitney Village, heading toward Jeffrey's house. Arriving there at 11:45, leaving my car there and starting to go to the Westport railway station at 11:57. Departing Westport at:12:35 toward Grand Central, New York City. Arriving Grand Central at14:00 (the train was late half an hour). Going to JFK at 14:30 by a shuttle bus. Arriving JFK, Terminal 8 at 15:35, checking-in 16:30. Waiting for one hour and boarding at 17:35. Departing New York, United States at 18:10 (12.19.2011).

Taking off in Brussels at 7:35 (local time, GMT+1) after seven hours flying. Checking-in again and waiting for two hours. Then boarding and traveling toward Budapest by a Malev plane. ANNNDDDDD I have arrived to Budapest, Ferenc Liszt International Airport, Terminal 2A, Hungary at 11:35 (12.20.2011 / Tuesday). My girlfriend was waiting for me there! I was missing her so much! It was a beautiful reunion!

Now I am at home in Tarcal with my family, sitting in my chair in my room, next my little brother. I ate my mother's food, i slept my bed, got a Hungarian haircut, drunk with my father, visited my grandparents, visiting my friends! So I am spending my sweet home time!

Of course, I am in Hungary now, but I decided to make posts here too. I hope you will like it too! There is a unique Hungarian tradition that I have to show you! You gonna like it for sure!!