Dancing

Actually, my love for dancing is not a recent thing. The familiy archive video collection is full of my dancing performances - from the age of two - that I liked to do in the dresses and shoes of my mother even if I could fit in those clothes twice. My favourite was lambada and I created several different coreographies to that song. In primary school I attended a rock and roll dance course for two years  in Szekszárd. Then I fell in love with aerobics and I used to be a member of a group for eleven years. We got acquianted with different genres including hip-hop, funky, step aerobics, show and latin dances. We learned several coreographies, participated in a lot of national competitions and were frequent performers of local programs e.g. vintage and pentecost festivals, charity balls, evening programs for companies. Four years ago when I left my home town to continue my studies in a university I had to give up aerobics and I felt I left a part of my dreams there, too. For a couple of years I didn'n find my place in Pécs but luckily I found myself again and I hope this would last for a long time.

How to survive winter

      If I think of winter gloomy, dark, cold and sad are the first words that come to my mind. I was born in August and my season is summer. I need sunshine to feel good and in winter time I very often cocoon in my room and, if it is not a must, I don't leave the warm and cozy flat. When I arrive home from school or work in the late afternoon I would rather not switch the TV on because I'm not interested in the Mexican or Hungarian soap operas, the dinner battles, stupid celebrities or even the newest reality shows. Instead I drink hot fruit tea to heat myself up, munch chocolate to obtain hormones of happiness and choose a book or a film to entertain myself. But during the long months of winter I can easily get bored of these things. In order to avoid depression I created my own recipe.
     Ingredients: training clothes (a pair of comfortable shoes is very important), a fitness centre to go to, a good trainer, a group of enthusiastic people and music. Fortunately, I have found all these things in the neighbouring building. I can choose from different types of trainings. Recently I have become a fan of zumba - a new genre which mixes latin, funky and disco elements. Another style I am fond of is kangoo jumps. I feel I started to become addicted. Each and every training is like a party. Everyone  is singing, dancing and enjoying music. When the training reaches the end you feel you don't want to stop. One hour is just not enough. It is like a huge party and you don't want to go home at its height. If I can not go for a couple of days I feel something is missing. And when I enter the room again and see the familiar faces and smiles I forget that outside the weather is terrible.
    

    

Clothes don't make the man

For me the 10th anniversary was special because it was the first large-scale program of the company I had the opportunity to participate in. The celebration was preceeded by long preparation and hard work. My responsibility was to deal with clothing.

     At first we contacted the local museum of Dunaszekcső. The settlement organizes a Roman camp - called Lugio Days - every year (since 2003) with the aim of familiarizing the participating groups with the Roman customs including clothing. There is a significant collection of Roman costumes made by the hard-working hands of local dressmakers. The museum was so noble that it lent the most beautiful pieces to us such as the costume of the emperor, the empress and soldiers.

     After having the clothes I only needed models to wear them. Fortunately, enthusiastic high school students volunteered for this task. Then I collected materials to prepare a presentation and a plan for a fashion show. On Sunday the cemetery was full of smiling teenagers wearing tunics, togas and sandals which supported the Roman atmosphere. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon my presentation was the next in the program. I felt very nervous. But, as always, the presence of a supportive audience, colleagues and family made me perform well. The colourful cavalcade of costumes was very spectacular. 

Celebration

On 28th November the early Christian late Roman cemetery of Sopianae celebrated the 10th anniversary of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The visitors were welcomed by Roman soldiers at the entrance door. Then girls - also dressed in authentic Roman costumes - guided the  guests around the cemetery. During the tour, they could also dress in tunics and togas or try Roman board games. The archaeological corner - that illustrates the complex work of archaeologists - was presented to the public for the first time on this special day. At 3 o'clock interactive presentations started in different topics with the aim of giving an idea  to the audience of the Roman way of life. Such topics included architecture, holidays, games, foods and clothing. The participants were given a taste of cheese, fruits, salads, squash and desserts made according to contemporary recipes. A fashion parade was also part of the program which was ended by a flame show. Little candles were put in the form of the Christogram - the monogram of Jesus Christ and the symbol of the World Heritage Site of Pécs.

Guiding with head lamps

I felt always nervous and excited while I was guiding the first couple of groups in the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre. After a while I started to get used to the situation and guiding became a routine. But before the first evening guiding I felt the same excitement as before. We - me and my colleagues - started to prepare 30 minutes before the actual program. At first we placed about one hundred little candles into the seven apses of the Cella Septichora. Secondly, we went around to light the candles. After that we cut off the main lights completely. That was the time for a brief rehearsal. We had one more surprise for our guests: we decided to dress in authentic Roman clothes - typical tunics - that we borrowed from the International Limes Camp of Dunaszekcső. By the time we finished clothing the visitors arrived - my mother, father and some friends among them. Not only my acquaintances but also the size of the group - we have only 15 head lamps - made the atmosphere familiar to me. The informal nature of the program made the participants more willing to ask questions and that made us more enthusiastic. I think I can say that the night-guide program was successful and we hope that we can make a tradition of it. The next guided tour with head lamps will be organized this week on Friday (26th November) starting at 6 o'clock. You still have the opportunity to come. (Note that previous registration is needed either personally or by telephone.)

A special evening

November 12 was a special day in the calendar of the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre. After the usual closing time (6 o'clock) all the lights were turned off. Darkness fell upon the cemetery. A special view offered itself: nothing but little candles lit the remaining walls of the seven-apsidal Cella Septichora. For the first time a guided tour was organized in the unlighted visitor centre. Entering the cemetery everybody was given a head lamp and could look at the place in a new light.  It was an exceptional opportunity to discover the hidden secrets of the mysterious place and feel the spirit of it. Furthermore, the participants were given a taste of the antique clothing since the guide was wearing an authentic Roman tunic.

Funny

Many friends and acquaintances of mine are interested in the question: what is it like to work in a cemetery? My answer is: funny. It is not what people expect to hear. And then I start telling the wittiest stories and the most remarkable incidents as evidences. There have been so many that we decided to dedicated a booklet to record the best moments. Here is my top 10 list. Enjoy!

No.10: Visitor: Will the concert of the Dome Museum be held here? Receptionist: No, it will be held in the Dome Museum.  

No.9: Tourist: How much is the entrance ticket to the basement?

No.8: We have a model of the cemetery. It is white and it posed the following question in a visitor: Is it in wintertime?

No.7: The same model depicts the Dome square and its buildings. When visitors push a button the model lifts and shows the underground structure of the cemetery. And once it raised the question: Does everything move up and down in real life?

No.6: Tourist: We are looking for the Cella Septicóla. Are we in the right place? Receptionist: Not really. It is the Cella Septichora.

No.5: Guest: Have the guided tour of 5 o'clock already started? Guide: Madam, it is half past 7. Guest: Really? So late?

No.4: Guide: This early Christian late Roman cemetery was used from the 3rd century until the beginning of the 5th century. Tourist: Before or after Christ?

No.3: Visitor: Can I go back to the visitor centre to take some photos? Receptionist: We're closing in a minute or two. Visitor: It's not a problem. I need only five minutes.

No.2: Guide: Here you can see the Wine pitcher burial chamber (Korsós sírkamra). Gypsy tourist: Orsós? 

And the winner is: Tourist: How much is it? Receptionist: 1200 Ft for adults and 600 Ft for students, seniors and teachers. Tourist: I won't pay so much for using the toilet. Receptionist: It is not a public toilet it is a visitor centre. Tourist: Really