Furry pigs, haggis, and so forth

So, life is full of fun and interesting things. I'm working long hours at work, but am still making time to do as many random things as possible (as you can see below). I've been running in the morning with a co-worker to train for a half-marathon (date/location TBD). I've got a good friend from high school visiting next week, and couldn't be more stoked. In April, I'll be coming back to the states for a week to visit business schools and hope to see some of you in DC/Philly/Boston/Houston. Thanks again for the emails and comments you've been leaving - I really appreciate it! Without further ado, here are some recent exploits:

Furry pig festival: Yesterday, a friend and I visited Budapest's weekend-long "mangalica" festival. Mangalicas are furry pigs (imagine a pig with sheep fur) and they are rumored to be a healthier alternative to your standard pig. I cannot begin to describe the absolute madness that pervaded the air. But, I will try:

• The festival was set around a castle located in city park
• The grounds were positively mobbed. People pushed and elbowed their way to make it to the best pig meat stands. You knew a stand was top-notch if it was displaying a furry pig trophy (stand pictured above)
• Men in top hats were selling roasted chestnuts on the side
• One section of the grounds were reserved for bakeries to display their entry in the mangalica-shaped cake competition

Haggis procession: Every January 25 since 1796, Scots around the world congregate to celebrate the life and works of Scottish poet Robert Burns. (January 25 is the anniversary of Burns's death.) Though the Budapest Burns Dinner was sold out, I managed to finagle a ticket to be among the 150 lucky attendees. I sprinted over after work and entered the Scottish church and was promptly confronted by a portly, silent sentry wearing a kilt. He did not make eye contact. After a first course of soup, a chorus of bagpipes rang out and a procession of kilted individuals entered the room. The entire 150 person contingent stood up and began clapping rhythmically to the bagpipe music. One woman toward the end of the processing line gracefully bore a plate of haggis (a Scottish delicacy made of pig parts). Upon reaching the front of the room, the woman dramatically read/performed Burns's poem "Address to a Haggis" in a thick Scottish brogue. At the climax of the poem, she emotionally and repeatedly stabbed the haggis. We then all stood up to toast the haggis with our freshly arrived cups of whisky. If you want to see what this sort of looked like, check out the video:


Walking blind: I visited an exhibit with a buddy that simulated you were blind. For 45 minutes, we were led around a pitch-dark exhibit hall by a wonderful blind woman. It was amazing. For instance, we entered a room that simulated being in a museum and had to feel statues and guess what they were. We walked through a "market" and had to identify the different vegetables being sold. And at the very end, we ordered drinks from a bar in the dark. While I was aware at the outset that our guide was blind, I nearly couldn't believe it by the end -- she always knew where my friend and I were and who was who, even when we weren't talking. When our guide reached for us to lead us further into the exhibit, she always grabbed our hands. (My friend and had to hit each other a few times before we realized where each other's hands were. It struck me that this would be a very awkward activity for a first date.) I believe there are similar exhibits in many other cities - it was worth attending.

Hockey: Unfortunately, the season's almost over as playoffs are coming up next weekend. We've outscored our opponents 199-9 (a somewhat unhealthy margin). I've really enjoyed the chance to practice Hungarian and have had a blast playing. If you haven't seen Hungarian in print before, here's a recent game recap.