Makes Me Sick

When I write for the Hungary Years, more often than not, I'm writing about what happened on my way to or from work. It's just a small 20 minute walk but there's quite often something that catches my eye. In fact, I'd much rather swap the activities and spend 8 hours walking the streets of Budapest every day and 40 minutes behind a desk. I guess that's another one of those post-holiday blues.

Yesterday was the first of the year and it wasn't without event. My office is based in an apartment block on the korut opposite a very posh hotel. It's a great place for an top secret post as no one would guess that there's a load of people on the top floor busy working away. I suppose there's a few places in Budapest like that.

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The entrance of the building is normally locked during the night but is always open during the day as there is a dodgy dress shop on the ground floor. This means there's no way to stop people from coming in through the main door. A side effect of this is that the hallway tends to be used as a tramps toilet. There have been countless times I've had to jump over a puddle of piss to get to the lift. Sometimes they're pissing in the corner (if they're good*) when I step out for lunch.

My first walk to work of 2007 culminated with me stepping through the doorway to a vision of a woman tramp lying down by a paraffin lamp (I think) puking the liquid yellow contents of her gut onto the floor. After I side-stepped her and her activities, I had to skip over the small lake of urine that she must have left a few minutes earlier.

I did have a twinge of guilt about leaving her in that state, but she was obviously "ok", not about to expire or even pass out. She was quite awake and active, just completely rat-arsed paying the price.


* If they're not good, then they piss directly onto the shop display cabinets and door or the second doorway to the lift.

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