“In every job that must be done there is an element of fun” Mary Poppins (1964, film)
As mentioned in last week’s post, one of the many cultural sites we have visited here in Budapest was that of the Natural History Museum. Although this was originally for educational purposes, there was an element of fun to it, as Janice and I explored as if we were children in Primary School again! However this wasn’t our only educational field trip out in Budapest for uni… and definitely not one of my favourites. One of Budapest’s attractions, for tourists and locals alike, is the Zoo. Better than Belfast’s, Budapest Zoo houses a wide variety of animals from all over the world providing information and history about each specie. When given the opportunity to visit here for free, we naturally took it, not just to view it from an educational viewpoint but mainly just to enjoy and have fun! With the sun shining and an opportunity for petting kangaroos and baby goats, thoughts of work and presentations soon disappeared. Alongside viewing the animals, visitors are also given an opportunity to feed some of them, providing a more exciting chance to learn about animals.
“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” Billy Joel (cited by Nandy, 2011, available at dnaindia.com)
Teaching two days a week alongside presentations, portfolios and classes it is no surprise that as you draw near to the end of the semester work starts to build up. This does not come without its own rewards, especially those that surprise you. It was with excitement that we were told that one of Janice’s pupils had a lead role in a musical, so we decided to try and see if we could get tickets to see such musical. What we didn’t bank on was being given these tickets for free as a gift for all our hard work at the school. So, with a busy week behind us and with eager anticipation and excitement we headed off one night to see none other than ‘Mary Poppins’, with Janice’s pupil playing the main role of Michael Banks. Regardless of being in Hungarian, once again I was swept away with the music, magic and wonder as the show unfurled before me. Although I knew the story very well it was a new experience to see the show in another language, noting the subtle differences but seeing it with child-like wonder once more. The power of music will never fail to amuse me, even if I don’t understand the language.
This was not the end of our musicals for the week, as the next night we visited an American International School to see their school performance of ‘West Side Story’. Having not seen an English production since coming to Budapest, it was rather surreal to be back surrounded by English speakers, yet relieving to be able to fully follow the story of this musical. With the children ‘putting on’ a very successful production, and a brilliant soundtrack I was quickly captivated once more, driving away thoughts of the work that lay before me.
With music flowing from every corner of the world, it is no wonder that my trips to the theatre (especially that of Mary Poppins) will forever be a highlight to my travels in Budapest, with a close second being able to pet a kangaroo. As our time here dwindles to a close, I have mixed feelings to what is about to come. But, as Mary Poppins says, “Anything can happen if you let it” (1964, film).
References:
Mary Poppins, (1964), Film, Directed by Stevenson, R., United States, A Walt Disney Production
Nandy, P. (2011), The healing powers of music, available from http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-the-healing-powers-of-music-1573814 (accessed 15-05-15)
an adventure in budapest 