For BSMers

- Last night in the Hummus bar there was a table of four guys, average looking, definitely undergrads, definitely American, and not really radiating "social skills" or anything like that, so I said to myself, maybe this is my chance... And I was right! They were, in fact, BSMers! I figured I had to run into some of them sooner or later and I had gone three months without seeing any, so it was about time. Turns out two of them were Ed Dewey's roommates. Eep!

- Also, Marie, our language teacher from two years ago, goes to my Bikram yoga studio! I saw her in the changing room before my class. Yoga bridges devides of age, class and political systems.

- This isn't strictly for BSMers, but it's funny/enjoyable to be an American around ElTE for the following reasons:

1. Many people I have talked to were unaware that there were any foreign students at all (mainly because there weren't until this September), so they are excited to have that modicum of diversity.

2. Some students are interested in US universities and like talking to me as a result. We can also commiserate about the GRE, although everyone I know finished taking it before I started studying and could therefore appreciate its idiocy in full.

3. Professors assume (correctly) that the only reason an American would come to Hungary to do math would be that she is an alumna of BSM. (Peter Palfy, in his raspy, breathy voice: "You must be from BSM... Why else would someone from Penn-syl-vania come to Hungary?"

Basically every professor who taught there also teaches at ELTE, so the program is well-known. I think they think of the American students as their special pets or something. In fact, it is quite possible that next semester I will be studying Commutative Algebra with Jozsef Pelikan and p-groups with my buddy Peter Hermann (that's my stab at who would be teaching it, anyway). Hopefully Peter doesn't remember me x_0.

I think the professors think of BSMers like their special pets or something. While I was there they really seemed to like us, and everyone who hears that I was in BSM seems excited enough. On the one hand, compared to Hungarian students, many BSMers are mathematical five-year-olds... We just don't take as many math courses! On the other hand, Americans do quirky things like get enthusiastic about the material, attend class regularly and turn in homework. This must be a breath of fresh air for Hungarian professors.

PS: I am STILL a little bitter that Soulmate got a better grade in Algebra then I did -- I dragged that motherf*cker through three quarters of the course!