Budapest Day 5

Almost half way, thank heck.

Drew todays game. Was really interesting, she offered a draw in a totally drawn position and played on running my king across the board with Queens and rooks still in play. Made for some serious calculation! I would have lapsed and surely succumbed had Laszlo not given me a bit of raspberry cake whilst in time trouble.

Before the game we got our photograph taken. I tried to time my smoking break so that I would miss it, but I'm sure Laszlo told the guy to wait until I was back. Basically my hairs stupidly long, and was all curly. How female do I sound.

After the game I met another English speaking person. Irish Simon, though he lives in Budapest and doesn't sound Irish at all, so I'm keeping him at arms distance. He seems really nice though, he wants to meet up for pre match banter or after game food and drinks, definitely going to take him up on that offer. He laughed and suggested we should have pre-match drinks when we play each other (Round 10), so maybe he really is Irish.

Another kebab for tea with Nickolas. The kebabs here are mega tasty and only five hundred forint, which is about a pound thirty. We looked over each other's games and had a giggle, then called it a night. Four draws. Not good.

Budapest Day 3 and 4

I've found a friend! Whoopee!

Today and yesterday's games were draws. I've been playing around with opening ideas so not too disappointed, just wish I wasn't complete trash at this game. I've been hanging about with Nicholas, an English man who claims to be Greek. We went for a kebab tonight, Although he was demanding that they arn't actually kebabs, since we're not in Palestine. (I didn't understand it either, just smiled and nodded along.)

Was going to try it on with the receptionist, but turns out she doesn't work on Mondays. Made myself all pretty and nice smelling only to be greeted by a Man at the front desk (A handsome one none the less, and its been a while...) but thought better. Its tough with the ladies, because my hair, beard and general attire make me look homeless, so I tend to rely on my amazing chat (And ridiculously effeminate eyelashes). Problem is no-one speaks English in Hungary, so I end up just making weird hand gestures and shimmying around like a fool, with more chance of getting spare change than a date. 

Budapest Day 2

First Saturday Tournament

Today was the start of the first Saturday tournament. Got to the venue and registered - everyone took their seats, then some Hungarian art student started singing and dancing. The music was really good, but the whole thing was a bit cringe. I got a draw - The position was weird, no doubt I wont analyse it and probably end up in the same mess in about four games time.

Had an hour long shower, just stood revelling at the metallic wall fixing. After the game I went out to get some food, although the selection process was cut short by a group of about 20 hooligans parading down the street, closely followed by about five police cars with their sirens on. Everything is really expensive here compared to Prague. And you cant smoke inside either. The food is good (Had a spicy sausage and mushroom pizza.) but would be better if I wasn't sitting on my own like a twazzik. Found a cracking little bakery for breakfast too - Its like a Hungarian Greggs, only instead of Steak Bake's they have Chicken liver bakes. I laughed at the woman when she told me what was in it - She wasn't joking though. 

Budapest is odd - It seems safe enough, but theirs an air of uncertainty that keeps you on your toes. Like just now I'm pretty sure someone outside is firing a mortar / Howitzer. The zurich chess today was awesome - Nakamura (My hero) lost to Carlsen, although at one point he had a totally winning position. The commentary was interesting because they were talking about the computer aspect and the psychology of the game. The computer found the win - And once it showed you the idea it was obvious, but to find the idea is ridiculously hard in the first place for a human. Going to watch some League of Legends now and goto sleep - The game starts tomorrow at four, so got ages for breakfast / to prepare.

Budapest Day 1

A Buddha pest in Budapest

So trained it to Budapest this morning, took about eighty minutes, had good fun trying to communicate a ticket and then finding the platform. (Try and charade "Does this train come here?" Not easy!) Went to the venue first and its nice enough. Got directions from their wifi and went to find my hotel. The area is dodge as hell ha! Its only two streets down from the main street, But theirs some right shady characters and shops. An obese beggar wouldn't take no for an answer, and just followed me around for ten minutes. My hotel is nice enough - The rooms decent and its got a real shower! A REAL SHOWER YESSSSSS!!!!

First game is tomorrow at 2pm. I bought water (Couldn't find any with my beloved magnesium) and am now just chilling in the hotel room. Went out for a pizza earlier on, looked cool as hell sitting on my own. Apart from the title, this is another shitty post. Ill do something crazy tomorrow or make something up so its more exciting.

Kecskemét Day 3 & 4

Days 3 and 4.

Not too much to report. Still snowing. Still -10. Just dossed about really - Been to the shops a few times and wondered about the village. The Chinese people left today, and as much as it pains me to admit it, I miss them already - hearing them Chinese-ing away and laughing just added to the unique and bizarre atmosphere this place creates. My fears for magnesium combustion were short lived - I realised yesterday that I hadn't been to the toilet since I started drinking the stuff (Two days), but I checked on-line and it claims the stuff cures cancer, insomnia, ham, astrology, pretty much everything.

So today I've just been lazing about, watching the Gibralter chess tournament live, then the Zurich Blitz chess. Tamás popped in for 10 minutes to draw me up a map of how to get to the train station. He tried to teach me how to say "One Ticket to Budapest please", but after ten failing minutes he's just written it alongside the map. I go onto Budapest on Friday.

Bit of a crap blog today. Sorry about that. But look! Some pictures! (I didn't take any of these, but they show-off the amazing architecture of the place. And its ten times more beautiful in the snow too!)

Kecskemét Day 2

Hungry in Hungary.

Tamás woke me this morning about 10am, and after a shit shower we headed to get some food. He told me that the "Food hall" is where all Hungarians eat, so I decided to give it a shot. You pay 750 forint (2 pounds) and you get a huge bowl of soup, a huge bowl of food (There's three options, I had the potatoes and beef one.), unlimited drinking water and unlimited bread. Only downside is the food's a bit naff. It was a nice enough experience sitting with all the Hungarian peeps.

I went to the supermarket today to try and buy cigarettes and water. After asking a few shop assistants ("Up, go up.") I found myself on the roof of the complex - They thought I was asking where I was allowed to smoke. Found four young chappies on the roof who managed to point me in the right direction. When I got downstairs and out the supermarket, they were still up on the roof, gesturing right or left and giving me eight thumbs up when I got to the right door, followed by a big cheer.

I tried to buy two bottles of still mineral water from the supermarket - Turns out they only sell liquid magnesium in Hungary. It looks the exact same, but it tastes wrong, and I'm always cautious about lighting a cigarette after having a drink, as I remember back to fourth year physics when Mr Dunbar showed us how bright magnesium burns and its application in fireworks. 

Got my washing done today and booked accommodation for Budapest. Almost went for a YOLO haircut, but papped it. If I go for it tomorrow I'll write all about it here!

Kecskemét Day 1

Loose ends

I just realised I never finished blogging The London Classic. Feels like a hundred years have passed since then! Guess I'll finish it anyway for sakes of completion. 

It was good.

Where the hell am I?

I feel like I'm starring in the first episode of breaking bad - I was woken up this morning by Tamás, the lovely Hungarian whose sorted me out with £10 a night accommodation. He took me around the town, explaining It's history and showed me the marketplace and that. He claims we're in Kecskemét, south of Budapest, in Hungary.

We travelled here from Marianske Laszne yesterday - a ten hour car trip. The troop comprised of Tamás, Laslo (Organiser of the First Saturday Budapest tournaments), Sultan (Thats his actual name) and me. The journey was as much fun as a long haul car trip can be, the highlights being when we stopped at garages Laslo and Sultan would stop me and tell me to say a Hungarian phrase to Tamás when I went into the petrol station. Each time they would tell me it just means "Hi", or "Welcome", but after the 4th encounter filled with everyone laughing it turns out they were getting me to say all sorts of rude sentences! Hungarian humour at its best.

We got to Kecskemét around ten last night - It was heavily snowing, and with no salt or diggers to clear the road, I thought we would surely perish. I could barely make the road markings out, surrounded by cars skidding about left right and center. I was a little scared - But we were being driven by a man named Sultan, what could possibly go wrong?

So my room is like a cosy, clean closet in an attic. I met the other people staying here - Australian Andrew, seems really down to earth and the only other person in Hungary to speak English, two pretty crazy Chinese guys, and another guy whose name has left me and I cant even give him a funny name because I cant remember where he's from. The shower is completely useless - There's no fixing for the shower head, so you have to look like a twit holding it above you with one hand and try to wash yourself with the other. And its either too hot or too cold. I would kill for a good shower...

I wonder if they have better showers in prison? If the Chinese people are as mad and noisy as they were last night, I'll soon find out.