vivi torontali

Not caught up? Read Episodes 1-28 here.

Life has been bustling for the Torontali family as of late. We’ve been celebrating the defeat of an authoritarian regime as well as a birthday, while also working hard to create more bløg-worthy material for future episodes.

Since the air has been warming up and we’ve finally seen the sun, my mom and I decided to go trash picking one day. The litter problem in our town has not gotten better since last year, but at least the municipality gained two new residents that are crazy enough to climb in the bushes and pick out the ginormous vapes that the high school kids discarded. Ironically, much of the trash that I picked out were plastic bags that say “pas på naturen,” “take care of nature.” The worst is near the train station— there are two bushes that, in less than a week, were somehow refilled with the same amount of trash as we picked out. The municipality did hire a trash picker, but I witnessed with my own two eyes that they purposely leave a lot of trash to work on the next day. My mom and I both climbed deep into thorns for even the smallest remnants of snack packaging, and now we wear our cuts and scratches with pride. 

We were all very happy to hear that my mom scored an interview with a high-end sports brand called On, which is opening a new store in Copenhagen. One bright and early morning, she had a chat with the hiring manager, and it seems to have gone quite well. However, she was rejected from the company. Her luck with finding work has not been good, and she came up with all kinds of theories as to why companies won’t hire her, so we asked the hiring manager why they chose to turn her away. May it be because it’s a weekend, or because they can’t be bothered, we have yet to receive an answer from them. Finding work in Denmark is way harder than we were led to believe. If any of you have had similar experiences and would like to share your story or offer some advice, please drop it in the comments.

In Episode 27, “Immigrated, Infiltrated, Integrated,” you read about my sister starting a new part-time schedule. She’s been doing fewer one-on-one coaching calls and much more behind-the-scenes office work. She’s been enjoying even more free time now because she also just finished her Masters degree! Her graduation will take place on May 9th, and she is this year’s graduate commencement speaker, so she will travel to Massachusetts and will be there for most of May. She and her doctor both agree that she needs to be fed, so “donations are accepted” (her words, not mine).

With the gallery opening drawing ever nearer, I’ve been completely focused on finishing up my work. I’m excited to get back to my paused projects, namely my table runner, 3D prototyping, and this bløg. However, I refuse to relax until all my exhibition work is done. I recently ordered ten physical copies of the art book I’ve been working on for over a month! It’s 76 pages filled with geographical information, beautiful photos from my friends, as well as some anecdotes and commentary of the artistic process. The physical copies will be sold at the gallery, and I am working on making digital versions and physical made-to-order copies available as well. Until that happens, here is one chapter from the book. If you’re interested in owning a copy, reach out to me at vivitorontali@gmail.com and we’ll get it figured out.

Additionally, I started printing the illustrations for display. I went to my local library’s makerspace and used their large-format printer to get a gorgeous print of Mount Kilimanjaro. I spent about two hours there, waiting for the file to upload and print cleanly. I chatted with some other makers and heard all about what they’re working on. It’s truly an inspiring place to be. The poster was originally supposed to be a test print, but after discussing with the gallery owner, it seems that all the works will have to be printed on poster paper rather than museum-quality paper. The reason for this is that the frames, printing, art book, everything, are all out-of-pocket expenses, and I work part-time in a café. The poster paper looks incredibly sleek, though. If you are reading this bløg episode through a link posted on Facebook, chances are that all you see from me is my work. If you have not been seeing those other posts, here are a few. I struggle with marketing, but at least I made a couple videos I’m proud of. While I’m at it, here’s the event link.

In the midst of all the work, it was nice to take an evening to socialize with my favorite people. This past month, I turned 23, and my mom convinced me to throw a party. Normally I’m not a big birthday person, but it’s a day for good vibes and an excuse to have people over. The day before, we made a cheesecake and a Nutella cake, bought some chips, and took out our stash of chocolates. Some friends from work, my New Zealand exchange semester, and some neighbors came by to celebrate. Nudli’s friends came over too. He and his best friend Bambi were running around all night, and Nudli was asleep for most of the next day. 

In the same week we celebrated my old age and many gray hairs to come, we also celebrated the result of the Hungarian elections. You didn’t think I’d write a new bløg episode and not mention the elections, did you? After 16 years, the corrupt prime minister Viktor Orbán was almost unanimously voted out of power. For once, Hungary is in the news, and for the best of reasons. People worldwide are celebrating, and I am so incredibly proud of everyone who voted him out (my family included). My two home countries, Hungary and the USA, are full of people who are fiercely passionate about democracy. Orbán was the reason why my family didn’t move back to Hungary in the first place, as you have read in Episode 9, “Why Denmark?” Now, there’s hope that the inflation will get better, the medical facilities will improve, and that we can one day return to the country we once called home.

I hope you’ve also found time to do work you’re passionate about, to socialize, and to celebrate. As always, thank you for reading this bløg. I hope you are well, and I would love to hear from you in the comments!