Why Worry
Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 10:10PM Again it snows. Again the snow stops. At least the cars and rooftops had a little more this time. I took some pictures, you know, to prove that it actually happened.
My parents left today for Budapest. They're heading back to the United States on Monday. That means you're almost finished hearing stories about them. I'll soon be back to getting into trouble all by myself.
After they left, I took a nap. Sleep has been low on my list of priorities, so it was much needed. But it brought something to my mind that I think should be mentioned.
Paranoia.
Who doesn't worry about things while they're sleeping? Who doesn't think they might have forgotten something? Who doesn't think the stove might have been left on causing a huge fire that will trap them? Who doesn't jump out of bed - fresh from a deep sleep - and run around in circles for some unknown reason?
Don't you? Maybe it's not normal, but concerns like this pop into my head every night while I'm asleep. Did this happen before I lived here? No - at least not in the United States.
Here's why:
I'm used to a world where laws require homes to have smoke detectors, and occasionally alarms for other poisonous gasses. I don't have those here.
I'm used to a world where I can call the police, fire department, or an ambulance if I need emergency
help. Here, I don't even know the word for ambulance or hospital, and I have no idea what phone number will bring people to stop criminals or put out flames.
I'm used to a world I know what's going on. In Hungary, I'm constantly lost, and I love it.
I thought of all this because I woke up during my aforementioned nap - more than once. Each time I thought something like "Did I lock the door" or "Did I turn off the heater" or "Did I buy a lifetime supply of beer in case I get trapped here".
They were all questions that I hadn't been worrying about because other people have been staying with me. On average, I probably wake up two or three times per night and wonder everything from "Did I brush my teeth" to "Did I abandon a litter of kittens in the arctic circle".
Most of these are irrational, but it's funny what your mind can dream up when you're isolated from the world you know. It keeps things exciting and confusing. It's a side affect of living in a foreign land.
Want to know the best part? If some horrible emergency happened, it's highly likely that I wouldn't even know about it.
Now all I need is for some snow to stick.
Hungarian word of the day:
Bélyeg
Pronounced Bay-eh-g. This word means stamp, and I just learned it today. This is the reason I have a stack of postcards, and none of them have been sent.
Reader Comments (5)
You might have these feelings because of the very strong cold front.
Emergency calls:
112
Ambulance: 104
Police: 107
Fire service: 105
:)
Hmmm...
The phone numbers are useful. However, at the other end will they have a clue as to your emergency? It's a safe bet, that they don't speak any English.
If they ask for your address, will you understand the question?
If you did, can you pronounce the address so THEY will understand?
All these sticky questions...
Just write a Will to be sure... :)
Your parents:
Were they happy that you got yourself to a boring, sleepy safe place in a small town of a small country, without mayhem, dope, and hubbub, or were they crying all the way to America that their son, for whom they had the highest aspirations, have ended up in a boring, sleepy, safe place in a small town of a small country, without excitement, mayhem and hubbub?
Teaching in Békéscsaba doesn't seem to be a boring life for Alex. It is full of adventures living here as a foreigner. Or Is it better to be the president of the US? I don't think so.
He still have time for higher aspirations, these are the times he will never forget. He will talk about them to his grandchildten--I reckon leastwise.
Nat,
Thanks for the numbers, I'm going to write them down so I have them around...just in case.
Netuddki,
I don't know if I'd understand the question, but I have the pronunciation of my address down perfectly. I'll just yell that!
As for your question, my parents know me well enough to know that I can find excitement, adventure, and mayhem wherever I go. It's a talent of mine!
Nat's right, I'm not bored, I'm doing what I want in a place that I like (and I like it a lot more than if I were president of the United States!). Not a day goes by where I don't feel like I'm LIVING my life, one adventure at a time.
Alex