Today was another full day here in Budapest. We began with a return to Number Theory in the morning, learning specifically about Arithmetic Functions. It was nice to have had a little break from class in our trip to Pécs yesterday, but it is really a fascinating subject, so I guess we’re not opposed to learning a little more. In the afternoon we were visited by another guest speaker, András Nagy. As a renowned Hungarian playwright, philosophy scholar and professor (himself having visited St. Olaf) he shared with us a rather in-depth view of more recent Hungarian history and culture. After an informative description of Hungary’s role in the Second World War, and the cultural impacts of the resultant communist oppression and eventual democratic liberation, he then answered some of our questions. These ranged from issues concerning the global recession’s impact on Hungary and its political system to popular Hungarian music and composers. For us, one of the more interesting aspects of András’s presentation was his description of Hungary’s “Middle European” location. This central position is a defining characteristic of Hungary that has led to its tumultuous history of war and oppression as well as its unique identity as a mixture of eastern and western traditions. “Pessimism”, as András described it, seems to have been his country’s reaction to a history filled with numerous defeats and domination by foreign countries. Later on in the evening, a group of us went to a restaurant called Buddha Thai, (where the food was superb) and then back to our rooms to finish homework. It’s been nice to explore the many restaurant options. We’ve enjoyed Chinese, Italian, German, Thai, Mediterranean, and, of course, Hungarian cuisine all right here in Budapest. We are also looking forward to tomorrow after class and the beginning of another free weekend because another group of us is heading to Vienna for a couple days. Life in Budapest, you might say, is pretty neat.
-Mike and Christian
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