Magyar Hírek, 1985 (38. évfolyam, 2-26. szám)

1985-08-22 / 17-18. szám

A “SIX-COURSE” TOUR OF CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES

The “appetizer” was enjoyed in Britain the year before last. That was the first time a five-member team comprised of a journalist and a photographer of Magyar Hírek, Angéla F. Nagy, editor of the gastronomic magazine Magyar Konyha, the singer Kamilla Dévai Nagy, and Imre Antal, a Hungarian Television anchorman set out to meet old and future readers of this paper and to offer a taste of Hungarian food, Hungarian song and Hungarian humour. Success encouraged them to carry on, this time in Canada and the United States of America.

Toronto

We and the people who came to meet us missed each other somehow at the airport, so I went to the information counter seeking help. 1 addressed the young man behind the counter in English and gave him the Hungarian name of the person we were looking for. “You may speak Hungarian if you wish”—he told me as naturally as if we were not in a foreign metropolis and in another continent. And indeed, I spotted a sign there—just as I heard our message on the public address system—that they also speak our language there besides French, German and Spanish. So I was not really surprised when my companions told me how the girl at the sweets counter looked up suddenly hearing Hungarian words: “Are you Hungarians ... ? Oh, how glad I am ... ! Then I can speak a little Hungarian today again ... ! I was born here, but I did visit Hungary, and I very much liked Budapest!”

Then the hours of evening came, and with that our début in Canada. Our hosts, the Petőfi Kultúregyesület, hired a hall for the occasion. Kamilla Dévai Nagy’s folk-songs and the jokes “served up” by Imre Antal soon warmed things up. It was natural that cooking placed a star role in the presence of Angéla F. Nagy in the course of the discussion that went into the late hours. “Cook something delicious for your husband before asking for something!” cited my colleague the paternal advice given her as a bride.

Terézia Zakár, president of the association founded three years ago told us that: “The Petőfi Kultúregyesiilet has the objective of maintaining and developing our native language and the culture of our nation, disseminating knowledge of Hungarian folk-art among our youth in order to foster the consciousness of our Hungarian origin and in that way helping us to be powerful and constructive citizens of the great Canadian commonwealth of peoples. We want to help each other without religious or party-political discrimination to stay Hungarian in the un. shakeable faith that it is really worthwhile to keep, develop and hand down our ancient heritage.”

Niagara Falls

In the Petőfi House at Niagara Falls we found mainly members of the older generation aivund the tables, “old Americans”, who went

to Canada fifty or more years ago, the generation which established the paper Üj Szó, the circle of friends of which, our group and Imre Ugrai, First Secretary at the Hungarian Embassy in Ottawa and his wife were welcomed by Bálint Illés, the editor. It was good to see the elderly, yet youthfully cheerful faces and it was moving to feel the love they asked us to convey to the country of their birth and to its people. It was good to see the children and grandchildren also sitting at some of the tables. The grandchild of Lőrinc Kovács, winner of our first “Write it for us” competition is already a teacher, and the generations sitting side by side proved that they all appreciate Hungarian songs, the Hungarian humour and—no wonder —the Boeuf Esterházy and the stuffed cabbage rolls made 'to the instructions of Angéla F. Nagy.

Montreal

We were looked after in Montreal by the Bethlen Kata Nőegyesület (Kata Bethlen Women’s Club) of the Hungarian Calvinist Church. The present minister of the congregation, established in 1926, is the Rev. Dr Aladár Komjáthy.

The memorable evening opened with a heartfelt prayer said by the Reverend Komjáthy, inspired by being together, and communal singing followed by warm words of greeting said by Dr Erzsébet Horváth, assistant minister, now studying in Chicago under a scholarship, and Imre Ugrai and his wife. The hostess of the evening, Mrs Aladár Komjáthy introduced the touring artists and the representatives of Magyar Konyha and Magyar Hírek on behalf of the Nőegyesület. Following the performance of the Choir of the congregation and Kamilla Dévai Nagy’s programme of songs— accorded warm applause—Angéla F. Nagy began to speak. Pens and notebooks were quickly out to work, and the ladies jotted down the recipes of the generally admired food.

Cleveland

The organizer of our tour of the USA, László Borody, editor of the Cleveland Hungarian papers Magyar Népszava and Szabadság had to leave the printers to their own devices. It was easy to agree that rác ponty (Serbian carp) would be featered with our first appearance, but just then there was not one fishmonger in the whole of Cleveland with carp on offer. László Borody rang and rang until the phone ran hot, and eventually a large dictionary bopped up... (Who would know the technical terms used by these fishmongers?) Sincere carp was not available, these good people listed the various kinds of fresh water fish they had other.

“Catfish! (that is harcsa) that’s what we need!” cried out my colleague triumphantly. “That can be prepared in the rác manner!” The arranger of our tour, László Borody immediately jumped into his car, and we were soon on our way towards the nereby industrial town of Akron laden with fish.

Then we opened the bags in the kitchen of the Hungarian—American Club. Alas, it was not the catfish we call harcsa in Hungary. But what could be done? We started to lard them immediately. No wonder that this time those who did the cooking felt the worst stage-fright. It was a premieres of premieres: Carp in the rác manner made of American catfish.

Buckeye Road

This road is the heart of “Hungarian Cleveland”. Hungarian sign boards are still displayed in the vicinity, but our guide pointed out quite a number of closed shops: they had all been Hungarian-operated. The Hungarian Business Tradesmen’s Club had witnessed the opening and flowering of these Hungarian ventures.

After the well-received programme and the tasty dinner—pork cutlets 5 la slaughterhouse—I questioned Mn. Ferenc Kaszás, Marika to her friends, who has been taking care of the programmes, the food and the drinks for the past seven years.

“We have about four hundred full, and about one hundred and fifty associate members. The regular visitors are mostly foundation members, or the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of people who settled later. They can read only English, and speaking is much easier for many of them in the language which they use at school and now use in their work. Many of them have done well, six judges of the Cleveland courts are members of our Club.”

Garfield, N. J.

We are flying South East, heading towards Garfield, New Jersey. Here we came to know Ferenc Markó. He is the owner of a panel-beating shop, and also is an excellent cook. He barbecued the deliciously seasoned steak for the great army of guests at the afternoon picnic, and also assisted in the preparation of the milky ragout recommended by the editor of Magyar Konyha. The male choir of the League sang Hungarian songs, the Hungária group of folk-dancers danced Transdanubian and Transylvanian dances, while the Hungarian orchestra played csárdás at the picnic.

Kamilla Dévai Nagy was soon surrounded by many enthusiastic people —the picnic that opened the season was attended by about eight hundred —her songs go really well with the dances of the Hungária group.

Sándor Szabó, the president of the League first acted as compere, then joined the male choir and was busy managing things right through the evening.

People came to our table to say good night and see you again. It was time for us to go. See you again. Garfield, see you again, America!

ISTVÁN BALÁZS

Radio Hungary in English

The programmes are broadcast in English on Tuesdays and repeated on other days as presented below

September 3rd to September 9th Events and efforts during the decline of the Austro-'-Hungarian Monarchy in the early years of this century: Two outstanding political figures of the period: Oszkár Jászi, the leading radical politician who left Hungary in May 1919 to live and die in the United States, and Ervin Szabó. the Social Democratic advocate of an alliance between the workers and peasants.

September 10th to September 16th Imre Mikó, a patron of learning and the arts. Mikó used the respect he commanded and the finances he had for the advancement of Transylvania: he had railroads built, promoted the development of the Hungarian language and the dissemination of scientific knowledge, financed the activities of the national theatre in Kolozsvár and was a patron of schools.

September 17th to September 23rd A portrait from the gallery of great Hungarian personalities: Zoltán Tildy. A parson of the Reformed Church by profession, Tildy was one of the founders of the Hungarian Small Holders Party in 1930. The policies pursued by the Small Holders Party and Tildy and their role during the Second World War and in the postwar years.

September 24th to September 30th

Nagyvárad at the- turn of the century. The activities of some of the renowned men, of letters of the city: Ákos Dut'ka, Gyula Juhász and Endre Ady.

During the first three months of programming in the 9th year of the serial The Origins and Development of the Hungarian People Hungarian Radio will continue to adopt the previous method of repeating revised and updated versions of the most successful instalments of our serial broadcast during the basic four years of programming between the autumn of 1977 and early summer of 1981.

Each instalment is broadcast five times during the week. The programme is transmitted first every Tuesday at 18.00 Greenwich Mean Time (or 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time). It is then repeated four times according to the following sequence: —every Friday at 18.00 GMT (or 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time);

—every Saturday at 00.30 GMT (or Friday, 8.30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time),

—every Monday at 03.00 GMT (or Sunday, 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time).

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The Editors of Hungary’s Históriai Serial c/o Szülőföldünk Magyar Rádió, Budapest 1800 Hungary

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