2. Nudity

Showing your body is normal today. In the past one would have to visit the hot baths to appreciate the Hungarian body. Now these semi-nude bodies, both male and female, walk the streets. It is not particularly exhibitionistic, but as I said rather normal. It is as if shedding the top layer is an emancipation: a right.

Walking with naked torsos is not limited to the capital. The cubistic villages, built in the communist age of János Kádár, with standard housing built for each family in a similar format and style and at the same distance of each other are shedding their conformity. There one nowadays witnesses the emancipation of the outer space. The space is exploited to create private gardens or balconies or even fences. It is more busy in these hidden lanes than on the high street. Within these courtyards one sees half-naked bodies busying themselves. In the green landscape they bring a touch of paradise. In private one strips naturally.

We went to see a Ukrainian theatre company at a traditional stage. The hall was packed with spectators. The message of the play was weak, but the acrobatics were spectacular. And some semblance of nudity was not shunned. The performance reminded one of a circus. The audience rose as one person to applaud at the end. But not in response to a uniform message.

It made me rethink. The breaking of the pot and the seeping out of water. Vital forces seemed at work.