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

All Saints' Day

          On 1st November I'm usually filled with ambivalent feelings. It is really nice to dedicate one day in a year to the dead. This time people aim at the cemeteries with huge bunches of flowers and wreaths. They light candles and commemorate their dead relatives and friends. This holiday has a peculiar unworldly atmosphere. To be honest I don't really like all these shallow things. In the last few years All Saints' Day has been commercialized. It is not about the dead any more. Sadly this is more about money. Traders sell their products at extremely high prices but consumers still buy flowers because it is a tradition. Some even compete whose wreath is bigger or more expensive. Others stand in front of the graves and indulge in self-pity: "why did you leave me alone?", asking the dead.

         

           My dead relatives are not in the cemetery; they are always with me in my heart and memories. I don't need to go out to the cemetery to remember them. I don't need a special day to recall their faces and smiles. I really miss the shared moments, their advices and stories about the past. At the same time, I'm grateful that I knew them and they were parts of my life. For instance I was only three years old when my great-grandfather died but I didn't forget when he sang the song starting with "Kecskebéka felmászott a fűzfára". I still remember the taste of the poppy-seed strudel made by my great-grandmother. I have to laugh when I recall one of my grandfathers swearing heartily and the other telling stories about his juvenile pranks and seductions.

Cultural differences

It is not an exaggeration to say that people come from almost every part of the world to visit the early Christian late Roman Cemetery of Pécs. This place is often a witness to intercultural encounters and sometimes to misunderstandings resulting from cultural differences. I attended an intercultural communication course at the university and it makes me easier to recognize situations which can easily become troublesome.

          For instance I remember when a young guy came to visit and he barely spoke any language besides Chinese. At first I tried to explain the prices of different kinds of entrance tickets in English. He did not understand me. My second try could be to sign the numbers on my fingers but it came to my mind that Chinese have a very complex system (different from our) to do that. Instead I wrote down the amounts on a sheet of paper and showed it to him. He nodded gratefully. 

         On another occasion there was an Indian man in the group I guided in the visitor centre. For the first time it was strange that he was listening to me with his eyes closed. And then came a thought into my mind. I remembered that monocronic people concentrate on one thing at a time and they often close their eyes to exclude visuals that can distract attention. Another explanation can be, of course, that I was boring. But I hope it was the first.

         There were some cases when I was not careful enough. For instance I was in trouble when a Russian guy showed his student card to me and I just could not recognize it because of the Cyrillic letters. Another cautionary thing is evaluation. My collegue created a questionnaire for visitors to measure their satisfaction. They had to sign their opinion on a scale from 1 to 5. For us it was obvious that number 5 marks the best. But there are countries where it works the opposite way which made the final assessment a bit difficult.

A guest

Last month we had a special guest in the Cella Septichora - the artist of our temporary jewel and sculpture exhibition. Pál Kepenyes was born 84 years ago in Hungary. He left the country in 1956 and settled down in Mexico with his wife.  He became well-known on the American continent and his jewels have already been used as accessories in several Hollywood films. Meanwhile, we - Hungarians - could barely hear his name. But Pál Kepenyes did not forget Hungary, his friends and his mother tongue. He is proud of his origin and comes to Hungary very often because he really loves being here. He was glad that the mayor invited him and his works to Pécs. I found his works very impressive but what I liked more was the artist himself. He was very friendly and easy to get on with.  I was very surprised that he - unlike many emigrants - did not forget Hungarian. Moreover he taught the language to his wife. When the exhibition came to an end he even gave parting gifts to us. I got a silver coin with an image of the Virgin Guadalupe made by him. He said it would save me and bring luck in the future and I always carry it with me.

Unforgettable moments

I have already guided hundreds of people in the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre. I can not recollect every single face but there were some people I will never forget. First of all, there was an English lady who taught me the appropriate pronunciation of sarcophagus. I think it is a beautiful word but not easy to pronounce. At first I was in trouble with it. Then came this English lady who were so nice to whisper the proper pronunciation (sär-kŏf’ə-gəs) in my ear and I had to repeat it loudly. Since then it is my favourite English word. If I want to be precise I must note that it has Greek origin (sarkophagos) and its meaning is flesh-consuming stone.

Another person I clearly remember was a French lady. She participated in an international conference in Pécs. The weather was unfriendly: cloudy, cold and foggy. A bit later a heavy rain began falling and this poor lady realized that she had left her raincoat in the hotel. She asked me whether we sell umbrellas. We did not. But she was lucky because I found one unclaimed. She wanted to pay for it but, of course, I did not accept the money. She was very grateful and she wanted to express it somehow. Finally, she presented a badge to me and fixed it on my coat. Before she left she told me that the capital letter "A" stands for ambassador.

Sweet memory

I clearly remember my first group in the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre. One day my colleague asked me whether I could undertake a guide in English for a Finnish group. As a beginner I hardly knew the Hungarian version of the text and it was a surprise that I would debut in English. I spent the whole day with preparation and when the big day came I was terribly anxious. My hands and voice were shaking. But my goup was so friendly, supportive and inquiring that it gave me strength. At the end of the visit they applauded and gave me Finnish souvenirs. I ate the candies and chocolate right after they left but I still keep the fridge magnet and every time I have a look upon it my lips turn to a smile.

Cella Septichora

Cella Septichora

Sarcophagus

I would like to introduce a place which has a very important role in my life. It is my work place, the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre, which has been my second home for a while. Actually, it is a cemetery and many people find it weird to work there. There are people who find it rather dangerous and frightening (probably because of the ghosts). For me it doesn't mean desolation and death even if I feel the spirit of the place every day. Quite the opposite: this cemetery is full of life and people. As a part of our World Heritage the late Roman early Christian Cemetery of Pécs/Sopianae is a popular destination for both Hungarian and foreign tourists. This unique subterranean world provides not only unforgettable experiences to the visitors but also place for weddings, cultural events, international conferences and exhibitions.  It's like a time travel back to the Roman Ages amongst the concrete walls of the visitor centre: the 1600-year-old buildings often host modern pieces of art. Among others Mexican jewels, Croatian sculptures, Hungarian felt objects, Gambian photographs and Italian mosaics contributed to the establishment of an intercultural environment. I think the citizens of Pécs can be proud of this beautiful underground complex situated in the heart of the city.

Hi!

This is my new blog. The word "new" indicates that an older blog must have existed. To be honest, I just didn't want to continue writing that old one. It was created four years ago and last updated about three years ago. Many things happened to me and very many things changed in my life since than so I just could not continue with it. I wanted to begin with a clean sheet of paper. A paper which needs to be filled with ideas worth sharing, feelings worth living for and sweet memories worth remembering. I hope it will work.