SAVHS International Youth Summit: 2011

Remy Glass & Emma Frazee

Hello I am sitting on a bus right now and my ipod has just run out of batteries and I was presented with this opportunity to write on the blog. This morning I woke up at 6:45 and took a shower and ate a breakfast of pastries with a sweet almond filling it was delicious. Our host parents were really nice but we still had to say goodbye. After breakfast we headed to the school. At school we said more goodbyes to our host students and the girls were crying. We had to wait on the bus for a little bit and the host students started singing. My host’s name was Viktor and he was THE MAN in every sense of the word. He also spoke English extremely well.

Now we are on our way to Budapest my new favorite city. It is awesome and I am thinking about buying some new shoes. If you haven’t seen the picture of me in my new fedora hat look at the pictures I look really good :). Budapest is beautiful and I really wish we had more time to spend there. Anyway Emma is sitting next to me on the bus and she is occasionally flicking my chin really hard and it hurts she is also playing plants versus zombies on Chris Wakefield’s ipad. Last night our concert went great and we all played and sang really well. Our hosts packed us an extra huge lunch and I think I am going to eat some of it. Now Emma is going to take over for a bit while I eat my food.

He isn’t really eating food. He’s playing on the ipad. The trip has been so amazing! I had the best host, Aggie. I already miss her. Oh, Remy started eating. The concert was fantastic. Chris’ solo was amazing and we all did our absolute best. It was really sad for me because I started to think about the seniors leaving but getting closer to them, especially Claire, is great. Saying goodbye to our hosts was really hard but the singing made it a little better, My favorite part was when Aggie asked Chris for a kiss (meaning the cheek) and he flipped out. She thought it was really funny. I’m really excited to go back to Budapest because it’s so gorgeous but also to come home soon. So, see you all soon!!

Remy Glass and Emma Frazee

Chamber Choir - Tenor and Jazz Band - Alto Sax

April 2^nd

Hungary - Erika Sawyer

Hungary does not live up to its name in the least. It’s impossible to be hungry in Hungary. The first night of our stay we were given soup. We ate the soup thinking that was our dinner. After finishing the soup we were offered chicken and rice. We took chicken, but as soon as we were finished we were offered another piece. After three pieces of chicken, a huge serving of rice and a piece of bread we were ready to call it a night. But, our host mom came out with a HUGE cake that she baked in our honor. Our stomachs were bursting at the seams, but we couldn’t refuse. And of course it was delicious. :) The next night we were given more food than last night and Tirumasu. After each meal there were still platefuls of food on the table because our host family was only our host mom, Dalma, and us. They have leftovers that will probably last them weeks. We were also given a second breakfast to eat everyday. Two sandwiches, several pieces of fruit, and candy bars to eat before lunch. :)

The hospitality and welcome we felt in Hungary is unmatched to anything I have experienced before. The people here are always asking, “Would you like something to drink?” and offering us food. Hopefully, we will be able to come back and visit someday. :)

Erika Sawyer

Chamber Choir - Soprano

Saturday, April 2nd

Nagykaniszsa - Ali Abdi

Yesterday could have been one of the best days on the trip. There was a huge castle and toured all of it, and most of the jazz band and chamber choir really liked it (even though it was in the mourning). The castle was just amazing because of its view of the whole city. After going into the castle we went into a museum about another castle and was huge. The library in the museum was really big and just astonishing overall, and we learned a lot about the castle.

The next thing we did was to prepare for our concert and get ready to play. There were four performances in the concert. The first group was a group called the Orff ensemble and they were really good, the songs I really liked were Sing Sing Sing and West Side Story. Once they were done the next insanely good band went on, their name was the Nagykanizsa band. They played one song that really made me happy and it was Jazz Police. I really loved their band and I was sad when they were done, but then it was our turn and I was really excited. I feel like our performance was really good especially these songs: Sing Sang Sung, Moanin’, and Georgia On My Mind. The solos were in these songs Alex G. (trombone) and me (trombone) on Sing Sang Sung, Phil S. (bari sax) and Davis B. (trombone) on Moanin’, and Chris W. (alto sax) on Georgia On My Mind, and all of the solos were amazing (especially Chris W.) The last thing that we did was we partied till midnight and it was sweet. The whole experience of that day was just huge and I personally learned a lot.

Unfortunately that day is over and a new day has started. We had to say bye to our new friends (and yes there were tears shedding) and wish them good luck in future times. I personally will miss Nagykanizsa and all that inhabit it because of its nice weather (NO SNOW :)) and my new friends.

Ali Abdi

Jazz Band - trombone

4/2/11

Budapest & Nagykanizsa - Megan Farmer

After arriving to Budapest at two in the morning, most of us had a hard time waking up the next morning. But we did it! We got on the bus and headed for the city. We first saw Hero’s Square. It is a monument dedicated to heros of Hungary. It was so beautiful! After seeing Pest we crossed the river to Buda and stopped at a castle. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen! There was a church built in the fourteenth century and architecture that is indescribable! I will never forget it! We then made another stop at Hungary’s Statue of Liberty, it was different from the U.S statue of liberty, but just as beautiful. After seeing a lot of Buda we all got to go and see the streets for ourselves. It is such a wonderful city!

About three hours after a journey stuck on the bus we arrived in our other sister city of Nagykanizsa! We pulled up to the school and our hosts were excitedly waiting for us. We went home with them and had a wonderful dinner of Hungarian food. Not once did I go hungry in Hungary! :)

We had the most fantastic three days in Nagykanizsa which included a tour of the beautiful city, seeing lake Balaton, touring two incredible castle’s, going to school with other students, learning more of the Hungarian culture, sharing our culture, sharing music, and a party of course! The people are so friendly and welcoming, it was hard to say goodbye. Most of us just got to know our Hungarian friends better and yet we still had to go. So back on the bus we go. Here we come for a last time Budapest!

Meagan Farmer

Chamber Choir - Alto

4/2/11