I have arrived!

Thanks to a fantastic amount of help from roommate Chris, Kili climber Leslie and good friend Meri, I somehow managed to pack 5 large bags, hockey sticks and carry-ons into my van cab and head to O'Hare on Wednesday. Unlike the trip to Kilimanjaro in July, no bags were lost.

I'm renting a temporary apartment from a very friendly person at work, and her fiance (Abel) picked me up at the airport. Turns out he plays hockey! As background, I hadn't planned on bringing my gear as I didn't think there would be much of a chance for me to play in Hungary. However, a night or so before I left, I emailed the Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation and they got back to me right away, saying that there were actually two women's teams in Budapest. So, turns out I may play on a women's team and/or scrimmage with Abel's team very soon.

The flat is incredibly nice and it's right on the main shopping street in Pest (a one-lane cobble-stone pedestrians-only affair), immediately next to a gelato stand. I'm a two-minute walk from a great view of Buda across the Danube river (essentially the view you see in the picture above) and a ten-minute walk from the office. I'll be living here temporarily until I find a more permanent apartment.

I went into the office on Friday to pick up my computer and blackberry, as well as get a general orientation. Everyone seemed friendly - it was a Friday in August, so there weren't many people around. I don't officially start until September 1, but it was nice to meet people in advance.

The definite highlight of the day was watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies real-time (8:08pm Beijing, 2:08pm Hungary, 7:08am Chicago) in Hungarian with a few people at the office - thankfully they translated parts of it for me! It really brought home how the games bring the entire world together. Interesting fact: Though Hungary is a nation of only 10 million people, it is ninth ALL-TIME in medal count at the Olympics. This is mainly driven by fencing, canoeing, wrestling and swimming - all summer sports, so watch for them in Beijing!

Finally, my first official blunder/"welcome to Europe" moment - I went to an Italian restaurant. They gave me bread. I couldn't figure out where to put the olive oil, as I had no plate. The only option seemed to be the artsy square-like thing in the middle of the table. I asked the server if olive oil holding was indeed the thing's intended purpose. Turns out it was an ash tray. I got the impression that this was not a question he received very often.