After a few days in Budapest, I think I'm starting - STARTING - to get a sense of the city, as I also gain a very, very basic sense of the language. By basic I mean I can say "hello", "please", "thank you", "wifi?", and a series of other useful, but hardly conversational, phrases. I think I've got the alphabet down too - it's the latin alphabet, but has lots of double letters and accents that change things up, for a total of 4-something different sounds. I've also mastered my confused-but-willing-to-try face.
There are a few main things that I've noticed about the city and the people.
1) While Budapest is definitely a city in the sense that it has a somewhat rushed, busy feel about it, especially on the public transport, people don't walk on the escalators. I find this fascinating, having spent most of my city time in New York and Boston, where there is nearly always a strict "stand to the right, pass to the left" sort of policy so that the most rushed of us can walk up escalators.
2) Trams are one of the best public transporatation systems I have ever heard of. Busses take forever, subways tend to not be quite as extensive, but trams can go everywhere cars can, just faster.
3) The architecture here is absolutely beautiful. It's a very interesting feel - the buildings themselves are among the most beautiful I have ever seen. It's all very Baroque and elegant. However, these buildings have been used and abused. Between two World Wars and a handful of revolutions, Budapest has seen its fair share of fighting. The area where I am living is the old Jewish Quarter, which was the Ghetto during WWII. One building across from me has a series of dimples along its side, which I can only assume are bullet holes. I don't think that there is anything else that they could be. Many other buildings are, while not run-down on their interior, somewhat shabby on the outside from weather wear and turmoil. It's very interesting walking in to what looks like an absolute pit to find a really lovely cafe, which is wear I am writing from now. What's also nice is that there are very few buildings higher than 4 or 5 stories, which makes the city feel much more accessible and human-sized than it might otherwise, I think.

Budapest is divided into two halves, Buda and Pest, by the Danube. I'm living in the heart of the Pest side, and I haven't actually seen the Buda side yet, but I hear it is quite different. For one, it is very, very hilly, whereas Pest is entirely flat. Secondly, there is a large castle directly up the first hill from the Danube, which I imagine sort of splits things up a bit. Tomorrow and Saturday we are being taken on our first excursion to three cities outside of Budapest - Szentendre, Visegrad and one other that I can't remember. We are also, if everything works out, supposed to take our return trip along the Danube, which should be beautiful.

We were taken to visit Parliament yesterday - it was STUNNING (it looks like some combination between an old Baroque church and a castle) and also one of the most touristy things I think I have ever done. I actually took pictures which as many of you know is a huge step for me. Usually I forget I have a camera, or just get too shy to take pictures. However, I managed. Expect some highlights soon.