Poetry Out Loud Trifecta

Location: Budapest
November and December
Adventure #44

In December, I performed poetry at multiple events including a special reading at Hungary's National Library of Foreign Literature with my bard-friend Daniel. This event was particularly fun because we read our original work as well as some of our favorite poems by famous writers like Marge Piercy, Charles Bukowski and ee cummings. Here is one of my favorite verses by ee that I performed:

since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;

wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world

my blood approves,
and kisses are a better fate
than wisdom
lady i swear by all flowers.  Don't cry
- the best gesture of my brain is less than
your eyelids' flutter which says

we are for each other; then
laugh, leaning back in my arms
for life's not a paragraph

And death i think is no parenthesis

Also, I got to read at Budapest's Godot Literary Festival as a featured reader for the Budapest Bardroom. This disorganized event happened at a bohemian arts venue on a Friday afternoon. I was completely shocked that anyone even came, but I managed to attract a few loyal friends.

Lastly, my poetry performances of 2010 wrapped up with a slam performance at Merlin, a club and theater in downtown Budapest. A few performers and I read our work to the music of a DJ. He was quite talented, but we never practiced, so it was difficult to pace my writing to his music. It was a nice change in my routine though. In 2011 I have multiple events coming up including a "Write Like Bukowski Contest" and a love-themed poetry event I'm hosting on Valentine's Day. Bring on the creativity.

Happy Hanukkah

Location: Budapest
December 2, 2010
Adventure #43

I am a religious tourist - I enthusiastically seize any opportunity to experience a new holy ritual, whether it was attempting meditation at my college's Zen Buddhism meetings or having the honor of sitting through a Native American sweat lodge ceremony - I find it enriching to experience and study unfamiliar cultures and spiritual traditions first hand.
So naturally, I took advantage of my neighborhood and attended a Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony at a cafe. The event was part of a collaborative celebration in the Jewish district called Quarter6/Quarter7 that honors the heritage of Budapest and focuses on breathing new life into the area. At the event I attended, hosts led a crowd of about 40 people through a traditional menorah lighting ritual. Those who knew Hebrew joined in prayers as the host lit two candles (it was the second day of Hanukkah) on a humble, gold menorah. Although brief, the event was a touching celebration of God and community.

Pollock's First Snow

Location: Budapest
November 26, 2010
Adventure #42

Pollock does not like to get wet, so I did not know how he would react to snow. As it turns out, he loves playing in piles of it, as long as it's not sleeting on him. Here is a picture of him on the first night it snowed.

We were at a sports bar until about midnight watching college football with some of Mike's friends from Texas, and when we left the city was blanketed with the white stuff. It was about a 20 minute walk home, and I have never seen Pollock run inside our apartment faster than when we was getting out of the hard-falling flakes.

Now that the snow has settled, I can't keep him away from the drifts. Pollock loves to eat chunks of snow and chasing snowballs. Here he is, stalking his frozen prey:

Holiday Shopping Story

This month, I wrote my magazine's holiday shopping guide, framed around Budapest's best tourist sites. You can read the article by clicking here.