overwhelmed

I wake up at 6, still a little confused as to where I am. I stumble the ten or so steps across the flat to the bathroom, make toast (which involves matches and open gas fires), pull on some respectable-looking clothes.

(My dad just called... hi Dad!)

Then I stumble down the 8ish flights of stairs, using 3 keys on my way out of the building. I breathe in a snap of cold air, and walk the few minutes to the metro. Catch it, and cram myself into a corner, closing my eyes to avoid the "awkward public transit eye contact." 7 stops later, off and up into the sun, trotting a little bit to catch the number 60 bus. Sweet, a free chair! Damn, an old lady right behind me! Again, cram into a corner and zone off.

Down the stairs off the bus, inevitably whacking someone with my bag or elbow. I'm awkward. Down the stairs to the school, around the flats. Jo reggelt to the woman watering her grapes. Up the stairs to the teachers' lounge, sziastok to the group. Gather notebooks. Wait awkwardly for the bell to ring, surrounded by conversation in Hungarian. To class. My acerbic Hungarian teacher partner informs me what we are doing today. I wonder when I will get to decide that myself. Teach, planning period, teach teach teach.

The first graders throw their hands in the air repeatedly with the frustration that I do not speak Hungarian. I throw my hands in the air with the frustration that they don't understand the phrase "sit down." Ah! Animal pictionary! Excellent, and somehow the 45 minutes are filled.

Back to the teachers' room. How were students? Oh, they were good. The boys were a little crazy.

Gather stuff quickly and flee. Headphones, bus, metro. Errands? Back to the flat. Lay.

I'm quite overwhelmed. I'm happy, and doing ok. I'm just overwhelmed. Must learn Hungarian.

Funny side note: Imagine, if you will, having to maintain a serious face and NOT LAUGH while a colleague explains in all earnestness to a group of children that they "like everything to do with balls." Twice. Because I somehow pulled it off.