W 109 M

"What an apathetic loser you are." Many would say to you if you didn't have half a mind to go and see the United States and live there for a while. Thinking of the 'World of Chances' we see all those huge skyscrapers and only fit and happy people hanging around or lying in the sun. Before you go you'd rather weigh it up whether it has anything to do with reality or - I should say - anything to do with you or not. Being a part of this vast 'Melting Pot' for a longer while must have mixed effects on you and your personality. Although you might not turn into a complete stranger or a moron, you won't be exactly the same any more after you get back from there.

First of all I had to deal with the lack of my usual micromilieu when I first got to the States by means of an official exchange program. Working in a YMCA summer camp I realized that I was undergoing many changes: Instead of open-hearted conversations and caressings by my family and my girlfriend I had to content myself with "Hey-Dude-What's-Up..." greetings and senseless wavings. I couldn't enjoy the convenience of my room any more, but I learned how to tame skunks and chipmunks in a shaky tent, where I lived. I had no more nice and pressed clothes, in fact, I wore quite similar T-shirts after most of them had turned into pink on account of some stupid socks in the washing-machine.

Then I started to feel it might not have been a total disaster that I had to change my lifestyle. And what is more: I discovered that taking care of myself and feeling responsibility gave me power. After missing a few trains and buses and spending nights in some unheated waiting-halls I learned something very important: Sometimes you can only rely on yourself.

The other problem that I had to calculate on was the change of the everyday macromilieu. Being a Hungarian is not a privilege in the United States. Although they fancy Europe very much - just like we feel about America - they don't really have a clue what is going on in Eastern Europe. When they were amazed at me knowing who Jimi Hendrix was and also wearing Levi's jeans I decided that I would need to popularize my country a little bit for the Americans , as - being the only Hungarian there - I was representing it, anyway. So I began to tell them about all the good things here. Teaching them folk-songs and introducing them our culture and achievements I suddenly made them think that Hungary was the best place on Earth. At the same time I was also trying to get used to living the American way-of-life and seeing the world through their eyes. It was again another great adventure, as I wouldn't have done the same at home. Seeing that they liked me - and in this way my country as well - gave me a great pleasure.

"You've changed a lot at the other side of the world..." I heard my friends saying when I arrived back. Even though I had changed, I'm sure this trip didn't have too many harmful effects on me. Besides all I found out that not only skunks and other animals, but people are tameable, too.