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European Library Definitions:

Closed stacks – A place to keep one copy of every book and back copies of print periodical. Now a days your electronic number lights up when your order is in.

Reading Room – A place you can read the books checked out to you from the closed stacks. Also provides a large table, a reading light that no one uses and wireless for your laptop. Many tables now have plugs too.
Library Cards– Most Hungarian/?European libraries are open only to card carrying members. For research libraries this means paying a small fee and possibly furnishing a letter of recommendation or description of your research an explanation of why you need access to the collection.

Building & Library Guards – Almost always a burly guy who checks your library card before you can go UP to any library. Exception is the university library does not require a card but the coat check lady keeps an eye on the entrance AND the theft detection alarm.

Budapest University of Technology & Economics (founded 1782)

Library Homepage After much struggle I found this

14,000 students enrolled

Open 9-8 Mon.-Friday

Periodicals back issues kept for 150 years

Books over a 1 million most in closed stacks

Catalog System: ??something different  ALT200 Dictionaries KOZL503 Bicycles, Motorcycles etc.

Periodicals subscribed to: nearly all

Security: Coat and bag check optional but the lady in charge is going to check YOU out

Databases – A gazillion

Open stacks for technology in the basement and 3 reading rooms

Food, drink and smoking prohibited

WC facilities limited

No library instruction program. Hey they are technical students they should be able to figure it out

Central European University (founded 1992)

3000 card carrying members

Homepage http://www.library.ceu.hu/

Open 7 days a week when university is in session

150,000 volumes and rapidly growing about 8000 per year

Collect only in curriculum areas, offer a small fiction collection, specializes Human Rights & International Law

Catalog: Dewey Decimal for most books; Law Uses LC numbers

Microfilm & fiche/ AV collection (videos/dvds)

Periodicals databases and e-books – Lots

Food, drink and smoking prohibited but there is an espresso cart with snacks just out the door

They called them “Reading Rooms” but it all looked like a library to me

Security: Two burly guards want to see your library card as you enter the U. Student worker checks you in if you are actually able to find the library. (It’s a round building, I got lost.)

Databases: Only half a gazillion

Coat and bag check mandatory

Two required instruction sessions: Library orientation/ databases

Last Saturday we had a great trip down the Duna(Danube) to Esztergom. I was the guest of Itsa Matte and Kati Dobos. Itsa planned, organized and insisted on treating me to everything including a slice dobos torte before they put me on the bus for home. Kati got me to all the right places as Itsa is having some foot problems and isn’t comfortable walking. Both of them have been exchange teachers in Spokane and their English is excellent. Itsa could entertain you all day with funny incidents where she misunderstood some aspect of U.S. culture.

Esztergom was the first capital of Hungary and the place where St. Istvan (Stephen I) was crowned. I believe we briefly viewed his hand in the relic room. The main attraction is the 19^th century basilica. When we arrived it was filled with tourist and the bishop was conducting mass.

Kati figured out that she and I could climb to the top of the dome while the mass was finishing. There is a narrow granite one-way spiraling stairs straight-up to the dome. A couple of other people had the same idea and it was a continuous line of people all the way up. At one point when the line stopped at a particularly stuffy spot, I thought I was going to have my first panic attack some combination of claustrophobia & agoraphobia. We were stuck in a small high place jammed up with a bunch of people and no air. Luckily the line began moving and the next time we were stuck we were in front of a vent which wasn’t bad at all.

We had a funny thing happen when Kati and I were in the Treasury. Kati said it was announced in the 90’s that if the Treasury at Esztergom were sold it would pay the entire Hungarian national debt. Kati was really enthused to examine all these valuables. Much of the collection is ecclesiastical robes and Kati is quite knowledgeable about the fine embroidery techniques. There are also lots of priestly paraphernalia embellished with jewels & gold filigree. Kati and I were bantering in English of course when the Hungarian guard/guide heard us and sensing Kati’s enthusiasm, he began to try to explain everything to us in his broken English. Sometimes he would have to pause and use his finger to write a number on his hand because he didn’t know how to say the number in English. At some point Kati whispered-“I’m just going to just keep speaking English.” We felt a little guilty; this poor guard followed us through the rather large exhibit struggling to explain everything to us in English which meant he didn’t have a lot of time for the Hungarian visitors. It was a great tour for us though. Kati justified his struggle by explaining it is her mission as a teacher to encourage Hungarians to use English.

One last historical note on Esztergom it is the final resting place of Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty who was arrested by the communists and lived in the U.S. embassy for 15 years before fleeing to Austria in 1971. Kati says he is still considered a controversial figure and apparently they are also arguing over the Wikipedia article.

Slide show http://picasaweb.google.com/Janwingen/Esztergom

Hungarian Bureacracy has its good side.  The last weekend in April I had to head to Zagreb, Croatia in order to get my passport stamped.  It seems Croatia is the closest country NOT a member of the European Union.   Apparently, the permit from the convenient housing authority is impossible to get.  I was informed that there is a long tradition of foreign English language teachers leaving the country to get their passport stamped.  Before Hungary joined the EU you could take a quick trip to Vienna (3 hours) but now we are required to leave the EU and come back.  I’m a little confused about this custom because 90 days does not seem too long for a European vacation.  Anyway I followed directions.  I went down to the railroad station with a piece of paper Budapest à Zagreb  and Zagrebà Budapest and along with dates & time.  She seemed a little puzzled at first but somehow got it & I was issued a ticket for the next day. 

My compartment mate on the way to Zagreb was a Bosnian student working for her Master’s degree in translation at the University in Zagreb.  She was delighted to have someone to talk to and she told me everything I needed to know about Zagreb.  If she hadn’t been late for her three Saturday classes she would have shown me the town. 

It is a wonderful old historic city, apparently untouched by WWII or the recent civil wars.  I stayed in the only $$ medium priced hotel  recommended by Rick Steves, their aren’t any cheap hotels so my decision was easy. 

Too make it even easier, I completely forgot to check  the exchange rate before I left so when I was faced with the cash machine and the hotel price sheet I had no idea what I was spending.  I highly recommend this strategy for a relaxing vacation. 

The seven hour train ride back with no food or water available on the train could be a little horrendous.  My food supply thoughtlessly included salty pretzels but I survived. 

 I always eat lunch at the university restaurant and then if I want some meat I just have a sausage or salami with a vegetable for dinner. They are Hungarian specialties, flavorful, easy and they even specialize in the Mangalitsa, a “good cholesterol” pig. The second day of my four day weekend I decided I just could NOT eat another sausage for dinner. I got the idea of buying a piece or two of what looks like pre-cooked fried chicken. I’ve seen it in my closest grocery store. Wanting to avoid the long rush hour lines I rehearsed the word for chicken and then headed over to the Match grocery store at 6pm. The store was closed at 6pm on a Friday night. What is wrong with these people they must care more about their employees than their profit margin.  I headed to the discount grocery store which is nearly always open. I knew they didn’t have ready to go food but I have to eat something. I was forced to purchase frozen chicken nuggets. My small box of chicken nuggets cost about $6.00. I should have thought of going across the block to Burger King & checking out their deals.
My box of chicken nuggets has directions for cooking in EIGHT different languages and NONE of them are English. Also I am quite sure none of them involve a microwave or an oven. I’m going with guessing the German directions and frying them in “Pflanzenfett or Butterschmalz.”

 I have also been doing some traveling.  My strangest trip was with Zsuzsa.  She asked me if I wanted to accompany her and a group to go swimming at a resort, see the sites of Eger in northern Hungary and visit the wineries there.  Quite a bit to pack in one day but we started  at 8:30am. 

It turned out the group was about 80 Swedish engineers. (90% men)  They were very nice but many of them would prefer to sit in the hot swimming pool or drink a beer in the sunshine to touring the fortress, or meandering down cobblestone streets.  Well who can blame them.  It’s been a long winter. 

It was a great opportunity for me.  I got a soak at this very modern spa outside Eger.  The Hungarians were drilling for oil but as apparently happens often here, they hit hot water instead. 

There is kind of a mini-Mammoth Hot Springs beginning to build.  The rest of the water is being channeled into huge swimming pools.  You are issued a black plastic wristband, which you scan to find your locker in the coed locker room.  There are changing booths but it initially seemed a little disconcerting to find I had a swim locker between two burly men.  The huge pools are various warm temperatures and large hot tubs are attached.  You can enter the warm water inside the building and walk surrounded by water to the outside pools.  It is incredibly clean and modern.  Restaraunts, bars, cafes, saunnas and various massages and treatments are available in the building attached to the pools. Charge everything to your wristband and pay as you leave.  I must confess I found the modern hot spring resort the most intriguing part of the adventure.