That means graduation. The school year has wrapped up here; the kids are on summer vacation. This weekend, the older brother of one of the little boys I work with graduated from grade 9. Here grade 9 graduation is a big deal, as it marks the successful completion of one level of education and perhaps the transition to another. For these particular families (the families of the children with which I've been working), finishing high school isn't a given. The graduate's mother, from what I understand, probably only finished grade 3 or 4 and I've even met adults in that community that cannot read or write. So for this family, their son's graduation was really a reason to celebrate, and celebrate they did. I felt so honoured to be invited, along with Peter (my site supervisor) to attend both the graduation and the party the family hosted afterwards. And it truly was a wonderful afternoon, full of good food, laughter, Roma music (which I enjoy thoroughly) and dancing. 
Tanévzáró
The little ones, too, had a special event to mark the end of the school year. A carload of us who worked with them at Wednesday tanoda (homework help) and Saturday Bible school went to the ceremony. The kids were precious. Some of them did some folk dancing, and the group that comes to Bible school got up and sang one of the songs they've learned in front of their classmates. I was so proud of them. It was another reminder of how I'm going to leave part of my heart behind with these kids (those reminders have been coming more often lately, sometimes bringing tears to my eyes). They were excited to see us there, smiling and waving from their seats. Afterwards, one of the little girls came running up to me, threw her arms around my waist and gave me a big hug. Take one look at them and tell me you don't fall in love with them too!
Szabina and Náti (above on right), Tibi (below, looking at the camera). I didn't have to say a word, they just saw me with the camera and looked, cute as buttons, right towards it. 
Bicikli Túra
You may be able to guess this one: "bicycle tour"! I went on my first ever bike trip last weekend. One full day and two half days and we biked 350 km! It was an absolutely fantastic experience, and the most physically challenged I'd ever been. I went with another volunteer and three of her friends. We began in Southwest Hungary, pedaled into Croatia, where we pitched a tent in a field for the night, and then all the way back home to our respective villages (tenting another night in Hungary this time). It was difficult, but the camaraderie was fantastic. Looking back I don't think I can remember anyone complaining even once (someone inclined to complain could have found plenty to complain about from rain to sunburn, mosquitoes to stinging nettle. One of the guys fell 3 metres out of a tree (we were picking cherries alongside the road), picked himself up, dusted himself off, and got back on his bike.) At the end of it all, I had such a feeling of accomplishment as I pedaled into the village again (oh, and let me tell you it felt good to be home!)
Időjárás
The weather. I talked to an elderly woman the other day who remarked, "I'm the oldest person in this village, and never in my life have I seen this kind of weather in May." Temperatures were, for the most part, cool, and it rained, rained, rained. There was flooding in many parts of the country. Fields were beginning to look like rice paddies and lakes began to form in places where there shouldn't have been lakes. Rivers, like the Danube and the Tisza were swelled to fearsome high levels. In this area we were lucky to have avoided the flooding that affected other parts of Europe.
Tanévzáró
The little ones, too, had a special event to mark the end of the school year. A carload of us who worked with them at Wednesday tanoda (homework help) and Saturday Bible school went to the ceremony. The kids were precious. Some of them did some folk dancing, and the group that comes to Bible school got up and sang one of the songs they've learned in front of their classmates. I was so proud of them. It was another reminder of how I'm going to leave part of my heart behind with these kids (those reminders have been coming more often lately, sometimes bringing tears to my eyes). They were excited to see us there, smiling and waving from their seats. Afterwards, one of the little girls came running up to me, threw her arms around my waist and gave me a big hug. Take one look at them and tell me you don't fall in love with them too!
Szabina and Náti (above on right), Tibi (below, looking at the camera). I didn't have to say a word, they just saw me with the camera and looked, cute as buttons, right towards it. 
Bicikli TúraYou may be able to guess this one: "bicycle tour"! I went on my first ever bike trip last weekend. One full day and two half days and we biked 350 km! It was an absolutely fantastic experience, and the most physically challenged I'd ever been. I went with another volunteer and three of her friends. We began in Southwest Hungary, pedaled into Croatia, where we pitched a tent in a field for the night, and then all the way back home to our respective villages (tenting another night in Hungary this time). It was difficult, but the camaraderie was fantastic. Looking back I don't think I can remember anyone complaining even once (someone inclined to complain could have found plenty to complain about from rain to sunburn, mosquitoes to stinging nettle. One of the guys fell 3 metres out of a tree (we were picking cherries alongside the road), picked himself up, dusted himself off, and got back on his bike.) At the end of it all, I had such a feeling of accomplishment as I pedaled into the village again (oh, and let me tell you it felt good to be home!)
Időjárás
The weather. I talked to an elderly woman the other day who remarked, "I'm the oldest person in this village, and never in my life have I seen this kind of weather in May." Temperatures were, for the most part, cool, and it rained, rained, rained. There was flooding in many parts of the country. Fields were beginning to look like rice paddies and lakes began to form in places where there shouldn't have been lakes. Rivers, like the Danube and the Tisza were swelled to fearsome high levels. In this area we were lucky to have avoided the flooding that affected other parts of Europe.
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