What My Day Looks Like in Budapest

What My Day Looks Like in Budapest

In the past two months, I received some questions from friends how my day looks like in Budapest? Well, it all depends whether it is during the weekdays or weekends. 

During the weekdays where I practically have my classes from Monday to Friday, I tend to have some routine activities before, during and after the class. These routine activities is what keep my activities organized and timetable followed effectively.

During weekends I do not have a fix schedule although I have some specified activities for the day. I have enough time not only to prepare for my ensuing weekday classes but also some time for myself to explore the city during weekends.

A typical day of mine during the weekdays usually starts with an early wake-up call from my small alarm clock which is set at 7:00. I have the tendency to forget my waking up time and lazily stays in bed if not alerted by an alarm. Hence, I make sure that I will get awakened by my alarm clock. Typically my earliest class starts at 9:00 in the morning. After fixing my bed, I immediately go to the toilet for my morning toilet routine and head directly to the bathroom to take a warm shower. I like the soothing effect of the warm water in my body especially during the late autumn days in Budapest where the weather gets colder in each passing day. After treating myself with lukewarm water from the bathroom, I prepare a simple breakfast for the day. I prefer cooking easy-to-prepare breakfast such as sunny side-up egg, ham or sausage with a cup of coffee or bread.

After taking my breakfast, I fix myself up in preparation for my next class, iron my clothes a bit and dress up. If I still have much time before my nine o' clock class, I usually take a walk near the Danuber river and pass through the Szabadsag bridge. An early morning stroll in this part of the city is refreshing. You get a feel of calmness accentuated by the rejuvenating November breeze. If you wish to relish the serenity of Budapest morning, taking a walk along the Szabadsag Bridge will set the tone. This bridge is likewise known as the Liberty Bridge. As the name suggests, it invokes in mind the idea of freedom, of autonomy and a burning desire to free one's self from the artificial restrictions imposed by the world. In the Liberty Bridge, you are free to have a silent commune with God and a tranquil meditation. The Szabadsag bridge in this photo looks so calm and serene and the Danube river shares the same sentiment as the bridge: stable, strong and tranquil.

After this early morning walk which has been a relaxed form of stretching my body, a light exercise in effect, I head towards the main building of Corvinus University where we conduct our classes. Buildings in the University of Corvinus are usually labeled as C building, E building or S building. Our classes are usually situated either in the third floor or fourth floor of the building. When the first session is through which is usually a three-hour lecture-discussion session, I head back to the dormitory to grab a bite. I usually cook my breakfast and lunch at the same time in order to save time. Usually my next class starts either at 1:30 or 2:00 in the afternoon so I still have ample time to rest or take a nap in the dormitory. Hence, I doze up for 45 minutes, fix myself up for my next class and head towards the university. Sometimes I still feel sleepy getting up so I prepare a cup of coffee or if not available in my cupboard, proceed to the coffee machine of the dormitory.

In one of my elective courses entitled Sustainable Development in Asia, a course which aims to explore sustainable development issues in Asia, with a special focus on China, India and Japan, the class is composed of students from different countries. The same can be commented to the course "Migration Studies" where the class is composed of around sixty (60) students coming from different countries. I noted that all the six continents are represented in this class. The students in Corvinus University are active and energetic. They participate in class discussion, take part in an engaging debate and contribute to a lively class interaction.

This is the facade of the main building in Corvinus University.

I was enrolled for two elective courses and three mandatory classes. In the mandatory classes, the members of the class are just the students of my master's program. My cohort is a small selected group of around seventeen (17) students, coming from different countries from different continents of the world. I have British, Canadian, Ukrainian, Kyrgyz, Indian, Bangladeshi, Ghanian, and Ethiopian colleagues in the program. Hence, it has a multicultural setting and a breath of international atmosphere. It is such a good mix of students bringing with them diverse viewpoints and personalities. Here is how a typical mandatory class of mine looks like.

 

The Corvinus University of Budapest is a magnificent institution of learning. The atmosphere is relax, students are well-disciplined, faculty members are intelligent and skillful and facilities are state-of-the art.  

When all my classes for the day end, I make a short trip to the Great Market Hall to buy some fruits and vegetables for my next days' provision. The Great Market Hall is located on the western side of the main building and is only about twenty footsteps away. I also look for new interesting items to see at the basement of the Great Market Hall.

The Great Market Hall is a thing of beauty for me. It has a grandiose architecture, stylish design that you will not be inclined to think of it as a market. The picture below which I have taken during my first semester in Budapest was taken at the northern part of the building. The Central Market Hall in this picture is just so amazing. In the left side of the photo you would notice some tourists taking a picture of this magnificent market hall. I am glad to have my dormitory and my university situated just a stone throw away to this great structure. It is only five minute walk from my dormitory and a mere one minute walk from the university. I can always drop by the market not only to buy fresh produce and fresh meat but also to admire its classic beauty.

 

After my sidetrip to the Great Market Hall, I go around the immediate vicinity to enjoy the beauty of the city. I also make it a part of my cultural immersion to observe the Hungarians' way of life, listen to how they speak Magyar language and learn from them. 

When I feel like lazy to cook for dinner, I go to my favourite Chinese restaurant to dine out. I love to eat out in this restaurant for two reasons: the price of the menus are reasonable and within my limited student budget and the staff are friendly and approachable. It is located adjacent to Asia Diskont, a store which sells Asian products. A typical lunch or dinner usually cost around three euros or nine hundred ninety five forinth. The servings of rice, potatoes, sweet or spicy chicken are enough to fill my gnawing stomach after a tiresome day. For drinks, I usually order a can of beer or a bottle of soda.

To ease the tedium after the dinner, I roam around the city, go to some touristy areas, talk with the tourists and had incidental chat with some of my acquaintances from the university who happen to visit the same area. After an hour, I head back to the dormitory, converse with other international students in the lobby, exchange pleasantries with them and capped the night with a cup of macchiato.

The next two or three hours before I retire to bed is composed of light reading of the materials or writing an assignment as well as bonding with friends and family in the Philippines via Facebook or Skype. I long to hear news from my hometown and in turn exchange tidbits with them about my life in Budapest.

When there are no exams, I tend to retire ealier in bed. But when exams are forthcoming and paper works are nearing its deadline I usually put myself off from the social media to concentrate on my academic activities. When I still have much time, I watch a news program in a Filipino channel or tune in to youtube for updates about my country. 

I usually sleep at around eleven or twelve in the evening. With the lights are off, my deep consciousness immediately travel to my dreamland.

During the weekends, I have variety of activities. During Saturdays for example, I prepare a simple breakfast, usually scrumbled egg with salami or ham and mashed potato with fruits like orange and apple. I took a bath for ten (10) minutes and head back to my room. However, I tend to stay in bed a bit later during the weekends. I stayed in the bed up until 9:00, sometimes even 10:00 when I don't feel like waking up early. 

After a light breakfast, I gather my used clothes and head to the laundry room to wash them. I takes around two to three hours to do my laundry. I am an advocate of efficient multi-tasking so while waiting for the laundry to get done, I browse over my readings, assignments and prepare for a report due for a deadline . I also check out my schedule for oral report presentation as well as finish all other pending academic commitments. When done with these stuffs, I still find time to get out of the dormitory, have a brisk walk in the city, exploring and discovering its nooks and corners. In my next blog posts, I shall be sharing to you some of the interesting places that I have visited in Budapest and some tips as well on how to save some money during your stay in the city. If it is a Sunday, I wake up at around six in the morning so that I may be able to attend an early mass at the St. Stephen's Basilica which is undeniably one of the most elegant and beautiful churches I have been to. Most of the time, I go around the city to explore the must-see spots and destinations before I head back to the dormitory. I read the materials assigned to me or my group, chat with friends and research for my next paper works.

This is how a typical day of mine looks like. There are lots of wonderful places to visit in Budapest, lots of marvelous destinations to enjoy and lots of nice people to mingle with. I have had a great time in this astonishing city. Each day is a new day for me. Each day promises new learnings and adventures. I would say that my Budapest experience is one of the best ever in my life as a student.  

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