The Tovington Post

Tova and I got to Peto in the morning and she pretty much kicked me out of the room right away.
I stayed for 15 mins or so and then set up downstairs in the computer room to work for the day.

I went upstairs for her snack and lunch break. I watched them make Tova a slice of bread with butter and a slice of cheese and some cut up capsicum. Of course I thought they were a little bit crazy doing that since Tova can't actually chew. OR CAN SHE!?
The conductor helped Tova to cut it up very small and then Tova fed it to herself. Pretty clever. It's going to be life changing if I don't have to cook and puree everything Tova eats.
Again at lunch, Tova had rice, corn and chicken. The chicken cut up small. It's hard work for her to move her mouth so much in the 'chewing motion'. I don't think she managed to eat her normal amount, and it takes her a long time. I think it's making her tired all this 'chewing'. But, it's the beginning and it's amazing.

After lunch Tova went to the teenagers/adults room and joined them for a Halloween party. When I went and picked her up at 3.30, she was so happy, laughing and playing with one of the male conductors. It was nice to see her having fun.

Tova walked most of the way home from Peto. She really isn't into the pram these days, she's been refusing for a few months and actually we are thinking about Wheel chairs which are more age appropriate and give her independence on longer walks.

Apartments Budapest style

Sour Cherry drink with a yearly dose of sugar.. hmm

Tree/fence.. strange.

We left the apartment at about 8.15 for the 8.30am start at Peto. It's a great walk. By the time we get up the hills and over all the bumps and cracks and crazy old footpaths, I feel like I've been to the gym for an hour. And Europeans keep the inside of buildings at a billion degree, so I usually melt by the time we get there.
Tova has been happy to go each day so far, that's a great sign.
I'm pretty sure we should move here.

I worked from the computer room again today.. Well I tried. I had to go buy internet to make that happen today. I was even brave enough to jump on the tram on the way back for the second time. I was actually too tired to walk by then. It took my half the day to get my own net. I'll make up the time in the evenings and weekend I guess. Shame.. Oh well..
Interestingly.. While I was stressing out about all the work I have to do and not being able to do it, I went and sat down for a few moments with the Irish mum (she's been here for 1.5 years, visiting home a few times here and there as it's only 2.5 hours away by plane). She helped me calm down about my client needing my time and me having an epic fail of an internet day.
I wandered off to go get ready to make the walk down and up to the shopping centre to fix the sim card that wasn't working. I noticed some people signing.. COOL! So.. I asked them in Auslan if they were deaf..It's the same signs for Deaf and Hearing in Auslan and Hungarian sign. We SASSED and signed, and understood each other. They lip read, but in Hungarian.. so I grabbed a Hungarian and asked them to say a couple of words.
I learned how to sing the word 'Hungary' and we discovered there are a few signs that are the same and have the same meaning. I felt so happy to have the 'conversation' with them. I'm amazed that we could communicated at all. That cheered me up.
They work at the Peto institute, apparently all the maintenance staff are Deaf. I love seeing signing everywhere. They wanted to see Tova so I took them over to the window to spy, but she was in a different room.
I was trying to tell them that Tova is 8 years old, but they thought I was saying I had 8 kids.. I laughed and said noooooooo.. lol. I'm not sure how to say 'age' in Hungarian sign.. but we ended up understanding each other. Fun.

Also when I arrived this morning some of the conductors said "Kristina says hi".. haha. this is the conductor from Canada.. they've been talking about me and Tova.. it's nice.

The conductors looking after Tova today were outstanding. Tova is going to get so much out of this program. She has already started to learn how to CHEW.. ffs.. amazing. I mean seriously amazing. And drinking from a cup properly.. it's just astounding.
TOmorrow I'll take my lunch breaks with Tova and be more involved than today. Today was all about going back and forth to the shops to get a stupid sim card working.. It's not stupid anymore because it works now.

I like Budapest. I like Autumn. It's nice walking around in so many pretty leaves.
This morning Tova and I bumped into the Israeli lady when we got to Peto. We talked to her for a while. She is lovely. She was friendly and kind and I really liked talking to her. Her story is something like this. She is here for just this week with her little son, I think he is 3yrs old (I just made that up, I can't remember how old he is). She has a husband and 2 or 3 other kids back in Israel. Next year (or later this year, I also can't remember the finer details), she will move with her kids to Budapest (to the Jewish area) for an entire year. Her eldest will start school here, at the Jewish school and the little one will go to Peto.. for a year.. I'm jealous. That's very cool. I'd love that for Tova. There are actually many families like that here. Some are here for most of the year, and others have been coming twice a year for 10 or more years for a month at a time.. type thing. I'm one of the newbies. I'm most certainly not made to feel like a newbie or anything different. The other parents are very lovely. It's interesting to meet them.

So we got to the institute this morning and told that Tova was to join the other group, with the little kids.. Good. that's a bit more appropriate than being with teenagers and 20 year olds. Not that it mattered as they were all lovely and what not. BUT... I was asked to stay.. omfg. I've no idea why the office people didn't actually go and talk to the staff that run the classes.. It's so strange and so unprofessional. why didn't they just forward my email to the head of the international department. I just can't comprehend the stupidity.
I've currently got a massive client with a very, very small time frame to get her project up and running. I've been spending every last moment of my world working on this project. I must get it done, this client is relying on me. There is no way I can spend my days sitting bored to death in a room pretending to be interested in therapy with Tova. I pay people on purpose, I'm not interested. I told them as much. And that I had triple, triple checked before I left Australia many times, in advance, that I would NOT be required to be in the room with Tova. I can't think of many things I'd like to do less.

We compromised. I went back to the apartment (jogging, which was fun) grabbed my computers and went back to the institute to work there for the day. There is a library downstairs from Tova which I didn't use because they wouldn't let me keep my bag with me.. My bag that had all my computers.. ffs.. So I went to the room next door, a computer room and set up there. It's great actually. I'm going there again tomorrow for the day. No one else came in and no one came to get me about Tova.
But tomorrow I'll go upstairs for 2 breaks.. One to see her eat her morning snack and also for lunch, because they are teaching her to chew. They just talk about it as though it's something normal.. yeh.. she'll chew..Amazing.
So yes, there are a few shit things, but nothing shit about the therapy. I'm very impressed so far. The conductors (Therapists) are freeeeking lovely! Even dealing with a stressed out me. Impressive.

We got up at a more tolerable time this morning. 6ish I think. Tova was still in bed when I got up so I went and snuggled with her for a while. This sounds much better than it is. Tova Is actually horrible to sleep with and impossible to rest with. But I tried. It’s still nice to see her smile first thing in the morning.
It’s night now, after a long day and I have just put Tova to bed. I can hear her mucking around in her room. Which is fine, but dangerous and scary. She has no fear and is really nuts. She does dangerous things like try and climb walls standing on her bed etc.. and I just heard a bang, crash, laugh.. it’s freaking me out that it will be a bang, crash, cry. I went in when I heard the first bang, crash, laugh to investigate. I found a laughing Tova on the floor with her doona. She then fingerspelt to me ‘Slide’. Good one Tova.. So.. I’m a little on edge worrying about what she is going to break on her body. I also know if I go in each time it will make her do it more. But if I leave her alone she is going to get bored.

Tova had her first day today at Peto. Firstly. Before I came here I wrote about 40 emails with the Peto people. They were very, very, very unhelpful. If I wasn’t me, I would never have come. They are so unprofessional in the office. I may go find them to see why. But anyway. So they were terrible at communicating. But I did manage to get a few clear answers to some questions before I came here. Answers that helped me make the decision to come here rather than go back to Ability Camp in Canada.
1: 100% confirmation that there is a 4 week 8 year old group/session starting 26th October, with the opportunity to extend or shorten the visit if we like/dislike.
2: Peto have never, ever put little kids with teenagers or older, that offended them when I asked if they had ever done that (because I’d heard they had). They were appalled that I would ask such a stupid question.
3: I would not have to stay in the room with her to help or be part of the therapy as I have to work each day.
Right.. so I’m here. The staff know nothing about any 8 year old group. And thought it was strange that I asked about it
Tova is with not only in a group with teenagers but also the group has people in their early 20’s.
They were surprised when I started to leave for the day.

Tova is in a group of about 4. One man in his early 20's from America. Another man in his early 20's from Yemen. A young girl (teenager) from Ukraine. There are a few others that come and go. I think her group get's split up in the day, the others that come and go are 2 teenagers, one from Asia and one from England, and a girl (teenager) from Ireland.
All these people are LOVELY. I don't have a problem yet, with Tova being with these people, I do however wonder and am baffled about why they felt like they had to make stuff up/lie to me about it. I mean, I was going to find out the day I got here right. So what's the point. Aren't they going to be embarrassed about how stupid they look now? I don't get it. Some people are Twits.

I've seen a few religious Jewish women floating about. I said hi to one today, she seemed shocked that I asked her if she was Jewish. Not sure why.. I asked if she spoke English, she said 'Ivrit'. Hmm I can say Shafan and that's about it really.. so then she said "yes and English". She is here from Israel. I don't know any more as I was walking into class with Tova. Anyway. Maybe we'll talk more over the time I'm here. The irish mums that are wandering about seem great. I had a chat with two of them. One has her dog with her. He flies with them. Amazballs.. what a dog dude. He even gets a seat because he is a working dog. LOVE IT!

When I picked Tova up I didn't get told any info. I was asking everyone. No one had anything to tell me. So I'm sure I'll find out in the morning. It was different staff this arvo than when I dropped her off in the morning.
I stuck around for a little while, but have a few projects on for work, so I had to go. I liked what I was seeing and felt brave enough to leave. Tova told me to go and then cried when I left.

No photos today...

Tova woke me up at about 4.30am. Thanks for that.
I did some work for a while, and pottered around until it was time to leave for Tova's first day at PETO.

I actually can't keep my eyes open. I'll write this tomorrow..

Ok. It's tomorrow today.
I passed out last night quite early, maybe 8.30pm.. gosh. Probably because Tova woke us up ta 4.30am that morning. Anyways. So... we went up the hill to the Peto Institute. It's about a 10 min walk from our apartment. We spent about 2 hours talking with someone about Tova’s history and our goals etc.. Then we were told to come back tomorrow. They think Tova will only last half a day. I laughed. I said.. “you’ll see”.. She’d stay till midnight if she could.

Tova and I went back to the apartment. I worked all day and she watched orchestra people playing Straus.
My work was being frustrating so we went for a walk to the shopping centre in the afternoon. We found, much to Tova’s delight, SUSHI. But it’s not normal sushi like Melbourne style. They cut it into bits and, too hard to explain.. See the image. We got HEAPS. I asked for two rolls, and we got….. see photo. We ate it all of course. Tova refused to leave any. I wasn’t very hungry but ate some so that she wouldn’t eat it all and pop. Crazy eater Tova.

There are dogs. There are dogs in shops here. People don’t leave dogs tied up out the front of shops, they take them into shops. There are even Vets in shopping malls. It’s how it should be!