Ever since reading that green tea helps fight cancer, I’ve been sucking it back on a daily basis. But, now in Hungary, my Anti Cancer regiment of ass-kicking foods has been challenged, meaning that I had my green tea around 9.30 PM, instead of 9.30 AM today. This explains why Zsolt is in the bed beside me with a pillow over his head, and why I’m still here at the computer clacking away on this large keyboard.
So, that’s the explanation. Not that it helps anything, because I still don’t feel like hitting the bed.
My CAN friend is here and it’s been such a surreal experience – a wonderful experience, of course, but surreal to mix worlds together. In my dreams, worlds are constantly overlapping (Zsolt at my elementary school, my parents at a house party, etc) . . . but in the real world they’re rather well defined. Canada has my family and close (currently visiting) friend. England has my English (and international) friends, Hungary has my other family (Zsols’s family) and my Hungarian friends. These people do not mix and meet. Ever. With three exceptions: my wedding, my BC bullshit, and right now.
Watching Cami (alias suggested by a website called Rum & Monkey, a page forwarded by another, non-visiting, friend from Canada – so Cami is now short for ‘my friend from Canada who is visiting’) mix with Zsolt’s family is so much like my first time in this country. There are the wild gestures, the miscommunication, the repeating “jo” meaning good, and “egan” meaning yes, etc. And seeing this helps me appreciate how far things have come. I’m no longer the guest, I’m the daughter in law. Their conversations do not allude me (not entirely) and I can actually contribute with my barrel scraping knowledge of the language. No one minds when I wash a dish. And most importantly, Hungary isn’t a place to visit, it’s a place to go home.
So here I am at 11pm, household sleeping all around, typing in my Hungarian bedroom, waiting for the tea to wear away. Thank goodness for this blog. She keeps me company no matter what time of day (or night). And thank goodness for green tea too – despite the buzz, because it’s helping fight a good fight.
But now I’ll post this and get off the computer. Zsolt must be going bonkers with all this clacking at the keyboard. Tea or no tea, it’s time to sleep.
Good night!
Bumpyboobs ~CatherineBrunelleWrites 
Hi Catherine,
I like the name “Cami”. Makes me think of “mon ami du Canada”. It’s a perfect alias.
I like naming things, so just this past Thursday, JP created a new exercise for me called “Jerry’s exercise”. You see, my cat, Jerry, weighs 21 lbs. Every time I pick him up, I hurt my back. JP’s new exercise comprises of a 24 lb kettle ball which I pick up off the floor while doing a squat with a straight back, then I raise the kettle ball over my head while going on tippy toes. Repeat 15 times, rest for 30 seconds, repeat 15 times. I have now named the blue kettle ball, “Jerry”, in honour of my cat.
JP’s theory is that if I learn how to use a proper technique with a heavier weight, then I won’t have problems picking up my cat. Hum… but I don’t think that Jerry, the cat, would like being hoisted over my head.
Enjoy your Hungarian summer!
Mmmm! Green tea, I need to stock up now that chemo is over (they actually asked that I not drink it during chemo because it helps clean the chemo out of your body – which is what I should be up to at this point in the game). What a fun experience to travel and what a treat to have friends all over. 🙂
Hmm, very interesting about the clearing of chemo from the body, though I guess it makes good sense. But now that you’re done – gulp that tea down! It’s bitter at first, but the flavour grows on you. 🙂