Carrying on with a ' Perfect Smile'

There were many moments here when I smiled to myself  and felt great, just when i thought it couldn't get better my Dentist Dr Suzanna held a mirror up to show me my final restorations. 10 days later here we were finally. Numerous visits, giving up coloured food, living on a liquid diet, reaching new pain threshold ,it had all paid off!

I couldn't help but hug her. Her hard work and patience has resulted in me having perfectly aligned teeth with a smile that even I felt I had to admire. I couldn't thank her enough and left the surgery feeling on top of the world.

As I walked back to the hotel i started reflecting on how amazing these last two weeks had been. This process started off as cosmetic but felt symbolic of the change I was making. Several months ago drained from everyday life I was struggling to smile and lacked energy. This change allowed me to smile with confidence and put my best foot forward. Hopefully this will have a ripple effect on things to follow.

This city has given me a lot of food for thought.......... from its culture to its amazing people. Most importantly it has given me my smile back and a positive attitude to 'Carry On' with confidence!

Art, Culture.....Hungarian is the new trendy

Budapest's uniqueness starts with Danube being at the heart of this city. On one side sits Pest, which holds the city centre, majority of the CBD, Jewish Qtr, quaint cafes and a very vibrant night-life.

Buda on the other boosts the Green and gives picturesque views of the city. Standing majestic on its bank also is Buda Castle that once belonged to the royals.

My stay in Pest began at the CASATI Hotel next to trendy Andrassy Avenue or Utca which is inner city and close to many touristy spots.
I found CASATI not like a typical hotel, unique in design, it reminded me of a Scandinavian design museum. Chic and Cool!

                             
Every morning we received CASATI news on weather and events around the hotel.
There was also an gallery attached to the hotel that supported young Art.

Outside the hotel there are many side streets with trendy coffee shops, galleries and Banksy like street art for the non conventional tourists. I was constantly surprised by the chicness of these places. You could never know what was waiting around the corner.

                         

Then of course there are the usual suspects....Parliament House,Chain Bridge,Opera house and much more.........to experience

The city reaches out to you...the more you see the more you want to. There is never a dull moment.

When the Sun Goes Down

One thing I understood during my stay here was that Budapest 
boasts itself on an amazing Nocturnal scene.

The evenings are when the city is most alive when locals as well as tourists come out to play. The city has many roof top bars with amazing views. 

However my favourite scene was the ruin pubs around the city. Szimpla being one of them. It reminded me of an old abandoned house filled with strange and bizarre effects. Sofa's carved out of old bath tubs. road signs and mannequins all added to an ' Alice in wonderland effect' for adults.

'Hello Baby' the city's newest establishment was also quite interesting for its Art work on the walls. It is also here that i met a group of young men who gave me an insight on the affluent youth of the city. ' We party all the time.....the rest we spend recovering' said one of them. 

             

Unlike London there any not many well paying jobs, however it doesn't stop the youth from being creative and having a great time. Something we can all learn from!  When we meet someone in London we ask them ' what they do' and 'where they live'......in this city they ask ' what do you think of Budapest' and ' you should see or try this....' I like the second better.

I find the people of this city shy at first but kind and quietly confident. I didn't meet anyone who frowned upon my language barrier or didn't stop to help. All in all it made me feel very much at home.

                                   

Why Budapest ??

Three weeks later after couple of more consultations, x-rays and wax models, I was on my way to Budapest.......

   

                  
Why Budapest ??? so many of my friends and colleagues asked. Several years ago I passed it on my way to Belgrade. It seems destiny had brought me back to explore my fascination of a city separated, yet joined by its two banks. Buda and Pest.

As I queued for my Wizzair flight, excitement and anxiety hit me at the same time. What was I going to do in a city I knew not a soul for two weeks ??? Not mention I didn't speak a single word of Hungarian.

Luckily Amy (lovely practice manager) from Vital  Europe was on the same flight and went out of her way to ensure I got to my apartment safely and promised to check on me at some point. ' you'll have a great time ' she kept reassuring me. 

True to her words the next few days was a cultural adventure.......

My First Day

My day began with sitting in a quaint coffee shop across from the apartment dreading my initial appointment which they warned  me would be my toughest.

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However I couldn't help soak in the calm and serene of this place which was once was a military factory for clothes but now housed office blocks. The day was bright and I was full of excitement. I managed to order myself breakfast in English, while the lady served me in Hungarian, Success so far!! : )

.....The next few hours was bit of a mixed bag. I sat close to 4 hours in the dental chair as Dr Suzanna measured me for my crowns and gave me temporary restores. Several anaesthetics later I was happily drooling and could have been in Siberia for all I cared.

I must say that my pain was managed very well by my caring Dr and her nurse,at no point I felt the need to panic and run into the streets of Buda, hailing a fast cab to the airport.

Thoroughly pleased with the initial work i waved everyone bye til my next appointment and moved on to my  hotel on the Pest side. I hoped this changed would serve as a good distraction from my dental therapy and give me a chance to explore the city.

I'll have that advert please...........

I was following my normal routine of drinking coffee and mindlessly flicking through metro on the train to work one morning when an advert caught my eye. Vibrant colours of green and white said Vital Europe - comparing dental prices in London to Budapest.

Unlike most other things I read in the metro and conveniently shake off, this advert stayed with me for some reason. 

Could have been the bright colours or that fact that having reached a certain pinnacle in my career and relationships, I felt a smile therapy was just what I needed to revamp my confidence and that somehow it would also solve all my other issues in life.Perfect plan!

My teeth even though not aligned properly never previously bothered me as much as they have in recent times. Could be that thing where we scrutinise ourselves more as that age ticks past a certain number!

So after mulling about it for 5 secs I called the number listed in the advert and booked myself for a consultation session in central London. At this point even I didn't believe it would be more just a curiosity call.

When i entered the clinic in London I was greeted by two lovely ladies with a perfect smile. I was immediately drawn to this. The idea that i may be able to smile like that appealed to me more and more by the minute.What i also noticed was the calm ambient at this clinic. Unlike most other surgeries this one didn't feel like a dental clinic that emits a certain fear of what could be coming next.
One of the ladies introduced me to my dentist Dr Suzanna, ' she's great' - she says. One of our best. For the next 40 minutes Dr Suzanna examined my teeth and gave me some options and came up with a price plan. by the time I left her room I was convinced I wanted to do this.