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The Math Prize
The memories of the the Jews of Szentendre are like notes left in the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem – messages periodically collected by the Rabbis and buried in the hills of the Olive Mount, so as not to be forgotten in the memory of God. The earliest mention of Jewish people in Szentendre was about…
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Car Story
Yes, that’s just another car here in Hungary. Or, is it? Actually, there’s a richer, more complex story here. If you’re a bit of a car buff, you might recognize this as a Russian-built Lada from the late 1970s or early ’80s. If you look closely, you’ll notice little bits of grass growing through the…
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If We Dare
“The problem is not just those who hate, it’s those who stand by complicitly, and do nothing.” Eddie Gloude, Princeton University What would I have done? What would you have done? Fair questions indeed. Some, no doubt, must have left proudly, though certainly indignantly. Others must have resisted, leaving their nail marks on the doors…
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Joseph’s Gift
He greets me many school mornings, hand outstretched, a smile on his face. I didn’t know his role at the school and frankly it didn’t matter. His is a friendly and calming countenance, a momentary oasis, in an environ-ment of noise and commotion–a typical Hungarian high school. One day I asked him what he did…
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Biking the Lake of Hungarian Politics
“Water is a precious commodity, but hope is a priceless one.” Anonymous The chance to live in a country, other than one’s own, is certainly a gift. And to be lucky enough to return to a place for a second or third time, provides the opportunity to understand the culture on a much deeper level.…
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The Locksmith
It began as just another normal weekday morning: pour-over coffee, shower, quick breakfast. I was about to literally roll out of our building on my bike and head to school to begin another day of teaching. It was Friday, a relatively light teaching day, and I was looking forward to ending the week on a…
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Mazel Tov
We met a young couple while waiting to get in one of our favorite restaurants here in Budapest, Mazel Tov. They were ahead of us in line and when we heard them speaking English with the “greeter,” Marsha asked them where they were from. “Vilnius, Lithuania,” they responded. Well, that kicked off a flurry of…
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Inner Courtyard
Meanderer. Meandering is how I spend a good slice of my life. Some of it is quite noticeable–you might see me heading down a cobble-stoned street in Portland, Maine, or perhaps one here in Budapest, Hungary. I’ll likely be staring at buildings, or gazing at passers-by, stopping every so often to try a local version…
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Biking Balaton
If you’re like me, you probably have never heard of the place. Few people outside of Hungary have. My lack of familiarity accompanied me through the spring of 2017, until I was walking along an enchanting path across northern Spain, meandering my way to a city I had never seen, and will never forget, Santiago.…
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Sweet Dreams Are Made of These
“Sweet dreams are made of these, Who am I to disagree? I travel the world and the seven seas, Everybody’s looking for something…” The Eurythmics, 1983 I don’t know exactly when or where this started. Perhaps it was in high school, although I think I may have been hooked many years earlier. From my earliest memories,…
American in Budapest
A Year of Living Extemporaneously
American in Budapest 