Chapter 2

XIV. District.

This is the place where I begin my journey, for this is the district where I live. If you’ve never been to the east side of the city, God forbid, if you’ve never crossed the Danube then you might have some difficulties picturing this place. Imagine a huge, flatland which is bigger than districts VI, VII, and VIII combined.

It is well-known that it serves as one of the “living-districts.” The majority of the buildings are family houses with moderately sized backyards. Whenever the ice cream truck drives by two things happen. 1.: Kids run out of the houses, 2.: The dogs go mad. The whole atmosphere is very small-town-like. To elaborate the metaphor even further I’d say the district is like its houses. People get back here at evenings to have a rest from all day’s work. It is quiet, it has loads of backyards, its air is refreshing.

On the other hand, it doesn’t offer any entertainment, and one has to travel quite a lot to get to the office quarter. Its greatest “town center” is on the Örs vezér square, and that tells something; one of the major fun factors is a trip to the international furniture store. Which, I must add, is quite fun, though this is probably my institutionalized mind speaking.

It is not a surprise that the people who walk these streets are like hard working fathers, enjoying their Sunday afternoons. Pedestrians do have a tendency of slowly lumbering from one side of the street to another. Drivers actually give people the opportunity to cross the road; sadly, this is a feat that must be written down as a curiosity.

There are huge neighbor communities, something which is unseen in downtown. I remember, years earlier there was an assault on a woman not far away from here; for weeks the people would talk about it in the nearby pubs, shops, and bus stops. For some people this could be irritating. For those who seek a taste of rural life in the proximity it is perfect.