The Folk, the Funny and the Fondue

February 2020 -

It is cold, then it’s warm.
It is rainy, then it’s sunny.
Some days, all of it at the same time.

But much happened this month, besides the wild weather.
Speaking of which, I have to tell you about Carnival first.

Yes, because every year Filantrópia organizes a Carnival costume party. Also in Italy, my country, it is common for people to dress up and go around the city in these days of the year, and although I don’t always dress up myself, this time I was glad to because we were organizing the event.

We decided to host our party in Pótkulcs, one of the oldest ruin pub in Budapest, that we knew very well, since we visited it several times before for after-work beer(s). The party even featured a best-costume contest with a price for the winner, so we had to work hard to create our costumes. Only items from our shop had to be used, of course.

But to be honest, the desire to win the price was not the top reason for the hard work (don't get me wrong, it was a fantastic price; it’s just that nobody needed a tool to make homemade fondue at that moment). We worked hard simply to make a good job.

Choosing my costume was hard though.

First, I wanted to be Filantrópia, the charity shop itself; I quickly threw that idea in the trash. Then, I thought of Forrest Gump, then a hippie, then a tennis player, then Bill Lumbergh from Office Space...

Eventually, I found an old straw hat in the back of the shop with which I built the ultimate Carnival costume.

Behold!

Who was I? I don’t really know, but I like to think I was a rice farmer, or someone from the east, anyway. I even had a wooden basket roped to my back…

Ok, ok. It was not the best costume ever, and my feet seriously froze off that night, but it was funny to share the hat with each other, as we went dancing in the club afterwards. (Yes, I had a spare pair of shoes, I didn't go clubbing with flip flops).

Speaking of best costumes, did you wonder who won the contest? 

The Red Riding Hood family!

Nailed it. That’s how you win a fondue.

Another interesting event of this month was discovering Legényes, a traditional dance from Transylvania.

It happened by accident. I was out one night with a friend, when a couple of women told us to go in the pub next to ours, because someone was making folk music.
As we arrived, a band started playing with violins and contrabass, whereas a series of men took turns dancing solo in front of the stage, accompanied by the cheering of the surrounding people.

The dance was performed by rhythmically beating the heels on the floor and slapping the hands on the shoes and thighs, generating a lively clapping sound that blended perfectly with the music. Naturally, it was all improvised in the moment.

The Legényes

Afterwards, more men and women joined in a ballroom dance where many dancing couples were smiling, singing, and swirling like spinning tops.

It was super.

In conclusion, I’d like to end by sharing something on how I feel, as I often do.

So, how do I feel?

I feel calm, at least calmer than 5 months ago.
I feel wiser, as I understand more about the world, via new experiences and books.

I feel more confident, just a bit, in my ability to thrive in this complex society.

And since my priority is to discover a way in which I can use my gifts, talents and passions to contribute to a better humanity and ecology, I feel happy to be here because I'm making great progress.

I care less about looking cool or what other people think, and I feel more impatient to embark in the heroic journey of life. A life of service. A life well spent. At least for me.

As always, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

See you soon!

Elia.