I really apologize for the prolongued silence! It was not my intention.

The Fulbright officially ends on Sunday, although a week ago was our Hungarian going-away party. Ours was an odd community -- despite the fact that we were transient by definition, we globbed together once a month in a hearty show of American-style camraderie. I'm sad to see them go, although for the most part I probably won't notice. That sounds calloused.

My attempts to work in Hungary careen daily between hilarity and desperation. My current task is to obtain a social security number. We spent two hours at the Fulbright discovering that this amounts to a textbook Catch-22: to get one, my employer needs to send a paper in requesting a second paper with which to apply for the number on my behalf. This also requires me sending in my work permit and my work visa. However, my employer doesn't want to sponsor me for a visa until I work for them, and I can't work for them without a social security number...

Budapest is so lovely these days that I've *almost* forgotten how miserable it was during the winter... Folliage so green it can hardly contain itself spills out from every corner, and every trip to the market the produce is larger and more sumptuous than the last. Citizens have shed their black and now opt instead for several varieties of revealing clothing. My favorite was the girl in the tube top, pink thong and 95% transparent white peasant skirt.

Outdoor bars are popping up left and right as well -- it's a bit unfortunately timing with exams and the termination of my fellowship and all, but fortunately my scholarly burden is light and my pockets are not yet empty.

There is so much to look forward to! On the solstace, several city museums are open "all night" (until two a.m.); I've found a half-dozen lindy hop exchanges around Europe; I'm going to be homeless for a month. I'm desperately trying to be less up-tight.