Just a photo

This is from an evening walk I took on Castle Hill a few days ago.

Today I spent a lot of time hanging out in the trombone room, too. I talked with Balázs and Renátá a lot. We all had lessons today. It seems the studio is all beteg - colds and the flu, including Guszti (the affectionate abbreviation we all use for him. It's common for older people to get this). I've recorded my last five lessons and have written notes on all of them, and looking over them I am seeing fast improvements in overall sound. It's pretty incredible. I love having two lessons a week.

I've also been invited to participate in two events coming up. The first and foremost on my mind is a competition in April 4-7, held in the Hungarian city of Debreccen. I'm not expecting to go past the first round, but it will be exciting preparing to compete. The piece to learn is Bozza's Ballade, a difficult piece that's been on my to-do-(someday) list for a while. Three orchestral excerpts, also. Wagner's Ride, the Tuba Mirum from Mozart's Requiem... and I don't know the third. If I prepare well for this, it will be a great accomplishment in itself.

The other event I have few details on, but I think it's a trombone choir competition for the 'Visegrád' countries (Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland). Not sure where it's held (maybe Visegrád!), and I know I can't compete because I'm not a Hungarian citizen, but it will be fun to go! Maybe I can ask Jack to compete for me. He is a Polish citizen, after all :-)

After another great lesson, Renátá and I went Risza for a drink. Risza is right across the street, and remarkably cheap for its location. Renátá most times speaks to me only in Hungarian (and doesn't dumb it down much, I think), but somehow I usually understand what she's asking or talking about. It's very interesting. I'll just catch a word or two in a fluent sentence, piece it together real fast and answer with something, even though it's often nem tudom or nem ertem (I don't know/understand). I bought her a Dreher and she helped me with my Hungarian for an hour. We got through a lot, and I felt really good at the end.

We paid Émoké next month's rent today, and gave back the little internet stick we've been trying to use. Now the only internet access I have is walking to this café. I'm not as concerned about it as Jack is, because I can write e-mails and blog entries without having to be online, but he needs to call home every night, so it's a pain for him.

Don't worry, I'll still post as often as I can, Margaret.

Sok Puszi!