What's in a Name?

As many of you know, the name on our son's official birth certificate (which, by the way, will say that he was born in Carmel, Indiana--how weird is that?!)will read Maximilian Janos Unruh. Here in Hungary he's actually known as Jana (pronounced yah-na). That's what we called him while we were visiting him in his foster home. Since then we've been addressing him as Jana-Max. It's funny to hear him repeat it back to us--sounds like Jana-Maks. Next week we plan to start dropping the Jana and just going with Max, so by the time you meet him, we think he'll understand that you are talking to him when you call him Max.

Speaking of names, the town we are calling home is Hajduszoboszlo, a name we are still practicing to pronounce. So, what is it like? Apparently it's the vacaction destination of many Hungarians and surrounding countries--Romanians, Slovakians, and Germans. Hearing English is rare; we can count on one hand the number of times we've heard English. It's famous for its thermal baths, and it began growing as a resort destination in the 20's. Think of a cross of a little beach town, minus the ocean, and a big waterpark. Interestingly enough, the waterpark boasts iodine baths, which are supposed to be good for one's health; these baths are a brownish/reddish color (no, it doesn't stain the skin) and are actually quite relaxing. As the season is turning, the outdoor activities are closing, but we hope to try the indoor pool next week. Many of the houses have red-tiled roofs, stucco exteriors, and are very charming. We've enjoyed walking many of the streets and feel like we have a good grasp of the area. It's known for having good weather during the warmer months. How thankul we are for 28 days in a row of sunny weather!