Salam Aleykum! Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Sharm El Sheikh is the biggest town of the Sinai Peninsula (the most southern point of it) at the Red Sea. It is a real diving and snorkelling paradise, it’s abounding with scuba divers and snorkellers. We’ve never seen such a clear turquoise-blue water and such a beautiful colorful fishes right in shore. By the way, there is desert everywhere.

The Three Corners Palmyra Resort is located in bay of Nabq. The beach of our resort was located 10-15 minutes drive by the bus of the hotel. It started at whole from the hotel hourly and at half from the beach. It was hard to get used to the sight of the men furnished with weapons all over the place, in front of the resort, at roadside everywhere. The tourist police takes special care of the safety of the tourists because they exactly know that Egyptian (and many other) people do well at the tourists’ expense, they make their living by tourism (think of terrorist attacks, attempts).

This holiday was different than last year. Not better in some respects, not worse in many respects. Krisz cherished the hope that we had an easier job with a 2-year-old. I knew exactly that he was mistaken. He has legs to use and will to work, can achieve his object – that is the difference between a toddler and a little boy. As for the rest… live and learn! Our main struggle was meal-times. Most of the times Dominik wanted everything else doing except eating. Even the mere approach of the restaurant generate the following sentence: „We shouldn’t have breakfast” (=Nem kell reggelizni!) regardless which part of the day it was.

Day One: The flight time was 4 hours including one more landing in Hurghada. Dominik slept a little and he said halfway „we should get out” (=kiszállunk). When he looked out of the window he saw the air-wing and said „it’s coming with us” (=jön ő is). We got to know at the Egyptian Airport that we’re not infected by H1N1. It was a really exhausting long day because we had to get up at 3:20 AM.

Day Two: The discovery of the possibilities and each aquatic environment including firstly the sea, secondly the amazingly giant water surface of the resort. We feeded the fishes from the floating stage on the beach. That night we started up from our sleep. Somebody was knocking on the door loudly. It was created some scare, our frightened eyes met in the dark sitting up on the bed. We thought of a kind of alarm or emergency. It was me who (was less undressed) opened the door. It was three guys what I was seeing and one of them was holding a cake with a candle on top. „My husband has birthday today!” said without hesitating. „The baby is sleeping” added immediately. I think this was the sentence which saved us a Happy Birthday song in tenor voice from three kind men in the middle of the night. They lit the candle up and said a quiet Happy Birthday and wished to have a good time and to enjoy the cake. What a surprise! What a courtesy!

Day Three: Dominik got up very early in the morning so we tried the playground in the light of the rising sun. A little bird stole pancakes from our little son’s plate at breakfast. He was seeing that scene a little bit frightened with wide open mouth and eyes. We had fun seeing the dolphin show in the afternoon. The cleverness of those animals was fascinating and touching at the same time. After Dominik’s nap we spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach and arrived the hotel with the last bus. The athmosphere was stormy on board, the song of Ali Baba howled from the cassette recorder. Everybody felt extremely well, the driver became one with the rythm that was expressed by his handling the steering wheel and the brake. We got to know Mustafa, Said, Ahmed, Miina by that time. Latter is the seller at the pool and asked Dominik „Whether you want to be my friend?” and lended a beachball to him while staying at the pool.

Day Four: Being on the beach in the morning and had fun with the staff on the bus. One of them especially symphatized Dominik and took some picture of him and was kidding all the way long. A cat joined us at the sea and Dominik asked repeatedly „What are you doing here?” (=Mit csinálsz itt?) By that time, our little son felt his feet and exactly knew where to go, what to do and what he wanted. In the afternoon we sat into a taxi in front of the hotel and asked the driver to give us a lift to the Old Market Bazar. We wanted to get an inside view of the life of the local poeple and buy souvenirs. Our driver was a very kind person and really helpful and useful, he seemed to be not only our driver but also our guide in the not so friendly, red-blooded, money-hungry environment where we dropped in.

Day Five: Glassboat – we saw the bottom of the sea, the colorful fishes, corals and coral islands through the glass bottom of the boat that left Dominik quite cold. He just said that „we couldn’t take them out” (=nem tudjuk kivenni). In the evening we visited Dominik’s favourite place in the resort as a rule. It was a cosy place for those who wanted to try hubble-bubble/water pipe. It was the colorful bulbs, pillows, poufs, carpets that he liked most. The staff smiled patiently in advance seeing his approach.

Day Six: Swimming in the pool. Dominik bended his knees so that the water was shoulder-high for him and said „I’m swimming about” (=úszkálok!) We got to know a nice black-white couple on the stage with their cute children.

Day Seven: We spent the whole day at the sea (gone back at noon). Krisz instructed Dominik in swimming and he proved to be a promising pupil. Mohamed entertained us in the rest of the afternoon with his biography while we were sitting on the sunbed. He’s 28 and wants to be a diving instructor, his brother lives in Australia and he lived four years there… and Dominik is so cute and we are lucky to have him. Amen.

Another Paradox

Here another paradox is in the midst of the economic crisis which is our summer holiday at the seaside by air. One might as well say that this is our crisis management: leaving the crisis area behind for a week in few days. We needed to tighten our belt so far as possible and curtailed expenses much more in the foregoing which wasn't very likely to succeed but we're leaving, that's the point. It's mainly because of Dominik, seeing his attitude and enthusiasm last year in Turkey, it would have been a mistake staying home referring to the crisis and not to make use of the advantage that is for babies under the age of 2.

Seek adventures, see destination next time.

When life is no picnic

I’m going to write about the general crisis that represents Hungary at this time, so it seems to be a strange paradox the 308 CC (=CoupeCabrio) that we used last weekend. Krisz had the pleasure of testing the new Peugeot model, first in Hungary. Dominik was an enthusiastic admirer of the coverless ride and taking the top up and down.
Slump. It’s a catch-phrase in these days. ”Fashionable” and necessary to mention it; everybody refers to it everywhere, every single day. Stars express their reflective measures on TV, in the radio, through the press. Nobody can say that it’s no affair of mine, it concerns us all. Too many people bear down hard and have bread-and-butter worries or more serious. We’re affected, too. Much too. All of us put too much faith in the early end of this odd situation that this poor country has got into – regrettably – and have confidence in the great future but nobody knows what has it in store. It might be a long procession and people must struggle for life, for subsistence till then. As an optimistic person I’m going to enlarge the good influence of this crisis.
So, the slump teaches us:
- to practice economy
- to make deliberate, well-thought-out, premeditated decisions; planned acts
- to preapare home made dishes much more often
- to keep the cheaper but entertaining and generative toys in mind, eg. asphalt chalk, soap bubbles, balloon…
- to omit using the car and to use motorcycle and cycle instead
- to wash the cars much more often with our own hand which is a great fun for the little one
- to think in terms of making money. I mean to think of different tasks that we are interested in like babysitting, letting our car as wedding car (with driver), taking photos of wedding ceremonies, sale by auction, to look for a part-time job -> some of them might be funny but aboriginal and I do/would do any of them with the greatest pleasure!

Babies & Bubbles

The absolute favourite thing at this time: soap bubbles. Simple and unboreable. It’s used not only for Dominik’s enjoyment but it is also fascinating for adults, for me, too. It’s useful even for the babies by reasons of the facts that the bubbles are always on the move, they’re transparent, they usually last for only a few moments before bursting, either on their own or on contact with another object. They develop the eye-hand coordination.
Good to know: soap bubbles can help solving complex mathematical problems of space, as they will always find the smallest surface area between points or edges; bubbles as playthings are at least 400 years old; according to one industry estimate, retailers sell around 200 million bottles annually, perhaps more than any other toy.

We live the period of two important, persistent questions like What’s this? and What is everybody doing? Thirst for knowledge is unappeasable, but that is very o.k. The answers are memorized, enough once to hear and recall when need. Every new little verse and explanation is listened with both ears. He smartly puts this and that together and is also able to express himself with other words meaning the same. His vocabulary is extremely rich and speaks very clearly, well-understandably. Everything.

I don’t know what to do with this new problem and mainly how to get rid of that is brought by the good weather and concerns the uncovered body parts all: superficial wounds and scores. My heart is always broken as many times as Dominik fall down. I’m afraid that there won’t be any uninjured part on his body by the end of the summer.

The weekend was full of family gatherings including a stew-pot party linking with cherry picking at our weekend house. Mutton was cooked on an open fire by my father. I contributed to the success of the delicious lunch with home baked bread and a bean cake. :-)

Finally, let me introduce the youngest members of our acquaintaceship:

Lake Cseke, Tata

After digging a lot and repairing the broken water-pipe in the garden, we ended the weekend with a pleasant walk combined with running about round a fishing lake encircled by a charmed forest with incredibly rich undergrowth; ruins remaining a lost town and little bridges and no end of hiding places. I was raking over the ashes of the past, of college years, as I spent some time there in between lectures and exams. At the end of the day, there was no need to send the little one to sleep.

After Easter

A new dimension began as regard our vehicle over the road. I got a new bicycle, equipped, which was my heart’s desire since the weather turned warmer. The most important part of it is the baby seat on the carrier rack that is Dominik’s grandiose place. He loves to sit into it, commenting and shouting louder than cars, buses, motorcycles passing by us and after leaving the cycle path of the highroad (thank God this is the shorter stage) and getting to the residential area he wrapped in silence and looks here and there, everything and everybody, becoming one with nature and silence.
Geraniums (Lat. Pelargonium = muskátli) are planted by now and are ranged on window-sill. They’re quite little so far but will grow very soon due to the constant care, continual watering, and – 2 weeks after planting – to the chemical manure once in a week. My grandma (on father’s side; god rest her soul) used to say that the most favourable time for bedding-out this kind is after the hundredth day of the year if you may rest assure that the geraniums will tide over the nights without perished by cold.
The bunny laid a tricycle with real pedals on which Dominik has to practice to come along. For the time being he runs before the wind (or before Mum or Sándor or anybody) but we’re in train and that’s the point. In fine, some Easter pictures - not distinctly in easy style, enjoy!

Before Easter

Spring set in suddenly and overnight: one day we shiver with cold, following day we’re roasted alive. My dispair, there is no need to have between-season pieces of clothes, passing from winter to summer is missing recently. The most beautiful season! The only exceptionable thing of the warm weather the different kinds of insects (besides spring fever). The warmer it is, the more insects exist and none of them can avoid Dominik’s observing eyes. He studies them and says shoo!, boo! to them. He spends most of his time outdoor – adoringly – with running about, admiring the flowers, dictating to Heni, playing, gardening. The absolute favourite object is a whirling thing which is been propelled/powered by wind (it’s not the whirlwind :-), it’s rather windwhirl – does this word exist?).
We will have guests on Easter weekend: my godparents and cousins will arrive on Saturday morning and will stay for a few days to spend the holiday with us. As regard the Easter menus, the real ”stuffing” will happen at my parents’ place. Even so, I can’t wait to prepare my favourite Easter dish which is an egg stew made of gammon, cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, parsley, chives, onion and is served with toast.
Dominik is so cute as he waits for the bunny. He has a favourite sweetie that he mentions almost every day and adds anon ”…the Easter Bunny will bring it to me…” as I promised him that the bunny is going to bring it to him.
He had his first ice cream this week and I can't wait to check the photos that were taken by a professional photographer by the help of a professional little model (called Dominik) posing at our place last Friday.

Nursery Rhymes

Believe it or not, Dominik started to tell little verses at the age of not quite 20 months. I didn’t believe my ears a few days ago. Dominik was playing with the nurturer chair, I was packing of his clothes in the cupboard. After the first words of ”Hinta-palinta” (=swing-swang) the whole little song was intoned – correctly, from beginning to end.

Hinta-palinta,
régi dunna kiskatona,

ugorj a Tiszába.
Zsupsz!

I wasn’t able to hide my immense joy. I can’t describe the feeling I felt the moment I first heard a song from my little son’s mouth. A song that I sang him over and over again without presuming to rehear (tho’ obviously this was the aim), a song that he learned from me. Then and there he immediately took away my breath giving evidence of his reflectiveness with another nursery rhyme. He’s thinking and drawing conclusions. Now, he starts to get out the things stored of the drawers of his brain. I told him the ”Cirmos cica haj,…” which is about cat and butter but it doesn’t say that the cat ate the butter, it’s just disappears. Dominik found out and said ”Megette!” (=ate it).

Cirmos cica haj,
hová lett a vaj?
Ott látom a bajuszodon,
most lesz neked jaj!

This week was passed in terms of revelation of our little son’s mind. Since the first song, he presents me with one new song but always strictly just on the following day.

Lóga lába lóga,

nincsen semmi dolga,

mert ha dolga volna,

a lába nem lógna.

Finally, let’s see what was March about:
- 1st: celebration of my cousin in the country who turned 20
- 7th: celebration of the 20th anniversary of Krisz’s workplace within the frame of a liberal table
- 11th: celebration of my father who turned 51
- 12th: celebration of my sister who turned 25
- 13th: celebration of Krisz on the occasion of his nameday
- 24th: Dominik turned 20 months
- flu that was the whole house down with; Krisz began and grandpa brought up the rear

Dominik's favourite video (at this time)

Visiting Angelika

Angelika is a friend of mine from the college. She is a real lady of the world, she has an enviable high life. I respect her because she can make herself at home at any point of the world. She is interested in turism and had a sense of her purpose even in college years and act always resolutely. That’s why she could get a job in an exquisite hotel even before finishing the school and could be promoted and make her way, could work on a river boat (where we had the opportunity to visit her last year in May --> the photos under were taken on that occasion) and could travel a lot. The girl from Slovakia found her couple from Croatia, got married in the U.S. (Las Vegas), bought a new flat in Budapest in these days (the photo of the guys above was taken on the occasion of visiting her new flat on Monday) and is going to fly to Croatia tomorrow. What an international story!

Fanni is another friend from the college who has these two cute little boy.

Masquerade on Valentine’s Day followed by Wellness Weekend in Velence with the hardest Snow of the Season till now

February is not only the month of lovers, but also the month of carnivals, balls, masquerades (and donuts!). I decided to take Dominik amongst children dressed up (as fairy creatures, animals, adults following different business etc…) Not for nothing, the youngest competitor had unexpected success: the puppy with the little verse finished in the first three, won a cake, could choose a toy and was interviewed by the local tv.

Velence Resort and Spa Hotel (****) is a brandnew huge complex at Lake Velence that we tried our greatest satisfaction at a low pre-price last weekend. There is a child-friendly environment for the youngest including a playhouse, toddler’s pool, playground. Masses of water is to recharge with thermal pool and the unique spa center has a water surface of 1000 sqms. The different parts of each pool always entertain you even in an uncalculated situation (rising geysers from the deep, spectacular waterfalls, the lay-by can change into water-massage bed and if you are not enough careful a bucketful water can landed onto your head). Looking out the large pool window (and from our apartman as well) we saw the calm, smooth surface of the lake which was frozen over the morning after.

The eagerly desired snow has arrived! After more unsuccessful tryings, nature presented us with enjoyable quantity of snow. This is how Dominik and Heni enjoyed. He spread his arms out and the snowflakes fall into his face turning heavenwards.

Csorba Győző: Hó-hívogató

De jó volna, ha volna,

ha hó hullna halomba,

ha már fű sincs, levél se

betakarna a tél mindent fehérbe.

Hét álló nap havazna?

Ha tenné is mi haszna?

A hó alól csak újra

az a csúf sár kibújna.
Kevés derű mi lenne?

Szépségtapasz a sebre.

Alatta mint előtte,

ami sajgott úgysem engesztelődne.
Azért mégis, ha így is

ha ez csöppet segít is,

de jó volna, ha volna,

ha a friss hó falut-várost bevonna.

Sincerely

If somebody had asked my opinion about Christmas right after Holy Evening, I surely would had said ”I hate Xmas and the fuss about it that everybody makes under pressure”. This is the more surprising as I’m a mother of a family and I managed to execute all my plans: getting the perfect presents, tiding the house inside out, decorating, cooking and baking – it was just the way I felt that wasn’t so festive. Cleaning and putting objects in order are fruitless effort weeks before Christmas because by the time everything must be in its pride, man should start from the beginning and decoration can go on just after dusting. As a precise wife/mother being exact in her housewifely duty I was very very hard-working at the fastest possible speed in a perfectionist way, very busy with the arrangements (like everybody else in a well-managed household at this time of the year) without stopping (in all seriousness: I forgot to eat -advisable diet to anyone before a great holiday-, I only stopped for feeding, changing the diapers, putting to sleep) and watching Dominik with increased attention in the rooms turned upside down.
After all is said and done, all my plans were executed but did anyone see my shining windows in the solemn half-light? (It’s a poetical question to which I don’t expect answer, on the other hand I’d read your time-honoured methods.) The great question is ”Was it worth for me?” I think it was. My soul was happy, it was only my body that was exhausted. And what is the holidays good for? For relax. Yeah.