Disclaimer: As I am sharing my journey with you, please keep it mind it is merely my perception of life here in Budapest. As I explore this new place, I am curious about what captures my attention. I am thinking about what we see. Is it all about what we want to see, need to see, are willing to see or even are ready to see. How does the saying go, “seeing is believing” or is it “believing is seeing”? A curious thing happened to me yesterday as I ventured back into the City. I took my camera and planned to snap some pictures of those women in their high heels. Amazingly they were no where to be found. Where did they all go? Were they just a figment of my imagination? Instead I started to notice how many women wear skin tight tops, with low cut necklines, revealing lots of cleavage. Just as those in their high heels did, they do so with such ease, so nonchalantly and naturally. Clearly, quite comfortable in their skin. I am intrigued by this and look forward to what my unexpressed feminine self will reveal tomorrow. But for now, I ask that you not hold the women of Budapest hostage to the out picturing of my shadow self, seeking integration. Please know that, even if they do in fact exist, my intention is not to diminish them to my simple observations, but rather respectfully notice and take in the full range of expression.
Now, for bringing into focus my explorations here in Eastern Europe, Budapest Hungary, in the district of Buda, west side of the Danube River, home of Eva Rambala at #12 Busavirag Ute., I am a woman who was born in the Midwestern part of the USA, in Omaha Nebraska, having spent most of my life in Albuquerque New Mexico and today, deeply committed to living a life of complexities as a spiritual being having a human experience. With travel being my most favorite way of doing so, I will carry on in sharing my journey with you, into current time, mundane reality, where meaning gets spun out.
After a couple of days to recover from the frustration of his hour long wait, for the woman from the USA, Andrew has resurfaced and has decided he is willing to make a second attempt to connect, for which I am grateful. Sometimes all we need is the patience for time to do its perfect work in restoring connection. We will get together on Monday. This time with even more detailed directions, than before, I’ll keep you posted.
As long as I am reading the out picturing of my life, who is Andrew? Not a romantic interest, but certainly a part of my journey. Surely with time it will become clear, his significance. For now, I am enjoying the ease with which I am able to notice the dynamics of relationship without it being a heavy emotional dance. Ah, the beauty of not being attached. I met Andrew a couple of nights after arriving in Budapest. Magdi, the woman who welcomed me to Budapest on the night of my arrival, invited me to a film that was being shown at the local Baha’i Center. It was described as an equivalent to What the Bleep#@# . Having seen that film 9 times, this was a must see. It was The 11th Hour produced by Leonardo DeCapria. The movie was quite good. Contextually similar to What the Bleep #@#, while the content came much closer to The Inconvenient Truth.,actually taking it even one step further, in the grand scheme of things. In fact I had a whole new perspective of the global warming issue, as we are being challenged to make new choices as to how we are living our lives on this planet, in the year of 2008 B.C. It became clear to me, that Mother Earth is offering us a wake-up call. It appears as though we have reached a point in the evolution of consciousness, when we are being asked to wake up from our illusions which are based upon our belief's that we are independent, separate, isolated beings. The time seems to be drawing near that is is essential that we shift into a conscious awareness of our interconnected cosmic whole. I am hopeful that we will rise to the occasion.
After the film, we formed a circle and people shared their feelings about it. I really enjoyed this part of the evening. While the majority of those in attendance were Hungarian, there were about 4 of us who spoke only English. So, those that knew both languages, translated for the group. While the sharing’s took twice as long, it was a delight to hear the Hungarian language and then to be able to actually understand what was being said. The responses ranged from an expressed commitment to taking personal action to a desire to explore the creation of public policy. I do not know exactly where Hungary stands politically on environmental issues, but I do know that already I have been impressed with what I see. For instance, recycling bins are placed throughout the City. And while there are a good number of cars on the street, the vast majority of the people use the mass transit system. I am imagining that coming out of a Communist system; folks here have a better sense of the collective, in spite of some of the more unpleasant aspects of the previous political regime.
Socially, Budapest is said to have more shopping malls than all of Eastern Europe, with the vast majority of them emerging since the early 1990’s. I wonder about how this Capitalistic explosion is going to impact the well-being of the country and its people. I am thinking that this is a type of back lash, and that with a past based in a psyche of the collective, it will do fine. Speaking of the transit system, the underground trains are some of the oldest in Europe, second only to the one's in London.
Enough for now, with much more later.
