They said it wasn't possible

As many of you know, my favorite book is Gone with the Wind and in 1997 I started buying copies of it in the languages of countries I've visited.  I never dreamed that purchasing a book in Hungary and the Czech Republic would be such an adventure.

It was almost half way through our time in Budapest that I finally made it to a bookstore, and when I inquired at the information desk was told that they were out.  I asked to have the title written down and inquired at a few other nearby stores with no luck.  It was suggested that I visit Museum Street with the antiquarian bookstores, at which point I went online and found that it wasn't even in publication and no copies were available on second market.  It was only my speculation, but I thought perhaps during the Communist era American novels might have been taken out of circulation.  I wouldn't have time to hop from one antique bookstore to another and decided not to bother.  A few days before leaving Budapest, I was out and about by myself and passing by the House of Terror (museum of Nazi occupation and Communist regime) when I noticed a used bookstore across the street and walked in.  I pulled out my slip of paper inquiring whether he had this title in Hungarian, was told to head upstairs to the loft and pulled this copy off the shelf.  I told the salesman I should at least ask how much it was, but honestly didn't care, at which point he opened the back cover, shrugged and sheepishly replied that it was 1,200 HUF.  That is $5.50!!  It was mine and my day was made!

I honestly thought the Czech Republic would be a cinch as I already had the title in Czech (thanks to Sandy P.'s mother-in-law).  I also noticed on a Google search that the movie had another title, so I wrote them both down.  While at the mall I waltzed into the Palace of Books, pulled out my other slip of paper and was informed by the 20-something clerk that they didn't have it.  I asked which title I should be looking for and was coldly told, "It don't exist in Czech."  :'-(   Today while at a pedegogical bookstore I thought I'd give it another try...pull out my slip of paper asking if either title is available and he said it didn't exist.  They only had Margaret Mitchell's book North and South in Czech.  Well, she only wrote one book! So, here it is...and for the time being my collection is complete!

There's only eight program days remaining.  People are getting tired, tempers are a little shorter than at the start, but there's also more laughter associated with the exhaustion.