Magyar News, 1990. november-1991. augusztus (1. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)
1991-03-01 / 5. szám
IN AND OUT OF THE PAST Every year, mostly at the beginning of the year we take time out to look back into the past. Doing so 1 feel sad. There are so many things missing. 1 find gaps, missing elements, and roots thrown away. These didn't happen with malice, but nonetheless they happened. 1 took a ride through the West-End of Bridgeport where the once so beautiful Hungarian community thrived. I couldn’t find the place where 1 was born. No mistake, 1 wasn’t looking for the house. 1 knew it didn’t exist. 1 just wanted to stop at a spot and say: “Once, somewhere here, I was born." But I couldn’t identify with the dump that took away something that was very precious in my heart. In the vast emptiness only the St. Steven School stood as a reminder. My footprints of five years leading to it were lost forever. The movie on the corner of Bostwick Avenue isn't there anymore, and somehow I don’t miss it. I don't remember any of the films that 1 saw there, but there is an everlasting imprint in my mind. I remember the little cart with a glass case filled with popcorn and the magic flame that seemed to be the only source of the delicious melted butter. And then the little brown and white pony pulling the cart and standing patiently while we were admiring it and buying the popcorn. 1 don’t think that in my entire life I ever had popcorn tasting so good. Then, a few blocks down, we kids from the neighborhood gathered around a motorcycle. It was green in color, somewhat battered, and our wide eyes were locked on the leopard fur that casually hung over the side-car. 1 never knew who rode the motorcycle, 1 only remembered that they were Hungarians traveling around the globe. They went into the Rákóczi Hall but we stayed and kept looking at the exotic fur. It wasn’t that we were not allowed to go into the hall. We’ve been there many times. As a matter of fact that was the place where my mother used to teach me the csárdás. Then 1 felt embarassed because of my clumsiness and did everything to escape out of sight. 1 had an easy shortcut. 1 went through the yard of the Greek Catholic church, where 1 first learned Hungarian, then ran a distance at St. Steven’s, there I was at home. One evening my parents were unusually excited. They got me ready and we left the house. For a short stop we went to Duka bacsi’s drugstore for an ice cream dipped into sprinkles, and then headed to the big furniture store on Hancock Avenue. By that time I was riding on my father’s shoulders, and stayed there for the rest of the event. The street was crowded with Hungarians and I had the best seat. A big window was taken out on the second floor of the store and there. HEART TO HEART This past year at the First United Church we experienced an outstanding concert. A group of school-age children from Nyíregyháza, Hungary came to the United States on a fund-raising tour. The church was jam-packed and the performance, both choir and orchestra, by the students of the music school was on a professional level, and it was tremendously enjoyed by the entire audience. With the slogan “Heart to Heart”, they were donating the money to the Heart Foundation in Hungary. This all was the result of an ongoing collaboration between the American Friends of the Hungarian Heart Association and its counter part in Nyíregyháza. The president and the driving force of this humanitarian activity is a well-known physician of our area, Dr. Alexander Matolcsy. Recently, Dr. Matolcsy invited two nurses, Violet Muller and Eva Bartók, to visit local health care facilities. Muller came from Szekesfehervar, and Bartók from Szeged. It was an eye-opening experience for them. In their short stay they learned about the new techniques. Both nurses are hoping that their visit and the equipment the American Friends are giving will help in the efforts to curb the number one disease, the heart disease in Hungary. We wish them success in their work and we thank them and the Heart Foundation for the concern they have forthe Hungarian people. About Dr. Matolcsy...we just have to wait till he comes back from Hungary and gives us a lengthy report on his great venture. TO THE READER As you know the Magyar News is free and you can pick it up at the Hungarian churches at the end of every month. If you wish to receive it to your home send 5-6 or more self addressed, stamped envelopes at a time. We can’t do the addressing. We asked for some token contribution if you so desire but you still have to send the envelopes. / Editor/. playing Hungarian music was a gypsy band. It was the first live broadcast from there. Somebody on the other side of the street put a radio into the window. I remember it caused a sudden turmoil and people were yelling to shut it off because it sounded like an echo. The sound of the radio came later than the sound of the musicians. It made things a bit worse because I was demanding an explanation, at least as loud as the radio, of how the man in the box was playing the same thing as the gypsy band. Once you get into it, your memories come back. Then, you find out how important they are. Joseph F. Balogh Talpra magyar, hi a haza! Itt az idő, most vagy soha! Rabok legyünk, vagy szabadok? Ez a kérdés, válasszatok! A magyarok Istenére Esküszünk, Esküszünk, hogy rabok tovább Nem leszünk! Magyars, rise, your country calls you! Meet this hour, whate'er befalls you! Shall we freemen be, or slaves? Choose the lot your spirit craves! By Hungary's holy God Do we swear, Do we swear, that servile chains We'll no more bear! This is the first stanza of the Nemzeti Dal with the translation into English. HOCI-NESSZE MEANS BARTER If you want to be specific in translating, you would say hoci-nessze (ho-tsee-nahsah) is “you bring and I give.” Well Hungary had a bartering relationship with Iraq. It was sizable, the Hungarians gave food and received oil. It amounted to 1.2 billion dollars. It seems like the Hungarians did their part, but Iraq was still to deliver a half billion dollars worth of oil. The war broke out, the oil didn't get to Hungary, and in this respect the Hungarians became one of the first casualties of the Gulf war. Definitely it came at a bad time. Despite the bad circumstances, the Hungarians joined in the international effort to stop Saddam and are participating in a humanitarian way, and they are sending medical groups to the Gulf. The Hungarians have experts in war type medical services. These people have experience going back to the wars in Greece, Korea and Vietnam. Then, on the other side, but times change. SEE ELLIS ISLAND The International Institute of CT is sponsoring a day-long trip to Ellis Island on Saturday, March 9,1991. Tickets are $45.00 and includes bus, ferry, admission, and lunch at the historical Fraunces Tavern. Also John Weiss, Director of the Hartford office of Immigration and Naturalization Services will give an informative lecture on the history of Ellis Island. For reservations, call 336-0141. Number of seats are limited. EUROPEAN NAIL SALON Judith Racz Anikó Kiss 16 Fiske St. Fairfield, CT 06430 Tel: 333-1468
