The Hungarian Student, 1958 (2. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)
1958 / 4. szám
8 the hungarian student International House by G. F. 'T'HERE IS an International House in -*- almost every city of the United States. These houses were founded for the benefit of the many foreigners studying in America. The International Living Quarters at Yale University is planned for about forty students. This means that many foreigners have to rent rooms in the city of New Haven. That’s my situation, but all of us are frequently the guests of the International House. Even now I don’t know the number of the different nationalities represented by the students who live here. Frist of all, there is Her Highness, the Princess of the Orient. This is the name I have given her but her real name is Jamiileh, and she is from Persia. Despite all I know about anthropology, she is a readhead with dark brown eyes. She is studying medicine. Or, for example, there is Barbara whose home town is Hamburg and who is a blonde with a slim figure and a delicate face. She took up Latin; her English is perfect. This is not true of everyone here. A foreign student, however, receives a fellowship only if he knows English. The students can write and read, but they have difficulty speaking English. At times, even the British have difficulties! Susan, for example, who came from Oxford, England, and is studying to be a veterinarian, indignantly told me that “these Americans say ‘tomato’ instead of ‘tomaaato.’ Why do they distort words?” “Susan,” I answered, “why don’t you cal ft ‘paradicsom’ which in my humble opinion is proper, hm?” During the first days of the year I was invited to spend a week-end with the International House and the Churches. We are sitting now at the dinner table and after dinner is over, every guest will leave to spend a few days in the home of his host. The salon is glamorously decorated, the food is excellent, (except the grass green pumpkin which should be avoided, if possible). Speakers make speeches welcoming the students. It is happily announced that there are the sons of sixty-one nations, including Polish students, sitting at the huge table. Four of them were assigned to speak. The first one is German. He speaks about the era of hatred which so sharply excluded his countrymen from the rest of the world. But now—he says—we are all together here and the days of horror are over. Germany again found her place in the great family of the nations. We are trying now to build up what we have destroyed with our own hands! He is warmly applauded. It is customary that on such occasions everyone wears a card on his chest, showing his name and country. For the past few minutes, I have been watching a peculiar individual who sits just opposite me. He is an older Negro student, very modest, reserved. Scarcely speaking a word, he only tries to offer me the pumpkin pie. After a hopelessly difficult time, I read “Ansonia” on his card. I feel ashamed but I have never heard of such a country. My memory rides back over Africa from Libya to Ghana, but I cannot remember Ansonia. I sit puzzled, slightly annoyed with myself. “Where does this gentleman come from?” I ask the lady sitting by my side. “From Ansonia,” she answers. “I will never know where it is,” I think. “I am from Ansonia, too,” says the lady. I wonder.. . she is white .. . she must be the daughter of some English official.. . “Excuse me,” I finally ask her, stumbling over the words, “where is Ansonia?” “Oh, about five miles from Yale. It’s a very nice little town. You drive north on Main Street and you are there in five minutes,” I hear her voice say. “Incidentally, Mr. Hatwarhorht is a member of the host group on behalf of the Methodist Church.” In the meantime a student from Ghana speaks about his new, independent country. After the applause an Israeli student speaks. We hear about his new fatherland finally founded by his people, about orange trees which bloom on land that was formerly desert. The next speaker is a Hindu. His dark face, his clothes are characteristic. “We are an independent country now, after many, many years of despair and struggle. We built a completely new country, and we understand everybody who have good intentions.” Long applause. Everybody laughs, everybody seems to be happy. Brahman Hindus, and Shinto Japanese alike clasp their hands and smile. At the rear of the salon a hand appears in the air. The first one to answer the speeches is a Hungarian student. “I listened to the words of our four colleagues with deep interest,” he says. “It was particularly exciting for me to hear speakers of countries which have become independent during the last ten years. I wish them not to forget another country which fought one thousand years for her freedom, and it was during the same ten years that she lost it.” His words are followed by deep silence. The smiles leave the faces. But then we hear, stronger than before, the outbreak of applause. ENGLISH SUMMARY OF HUNGARIAN SECTION One Poem by Árpád Toth. Toth, (1886- 1928), was a noted Hungarian poet. He was a distinguished member of the socalled “West” group of early twentieth century Hungarian literature. * * * “April Fool’s Day.” This is a short story by Desider Kosztolányi (1885-1936), one of the greatest Hungarian poets and novelists who was also a member of the “West” group. Kosztolányi is the father of modern literary translations. His works include translations ranging from Horace through Shakespeare to Whitman and Rilke, and the translation of works by Thomas Mann, Thornton Wilder, and many other great writers. * * * An April story by “Kalap.” “Kalap” is a nom de plume of a young Hungarian architect now living in the United States. The story is written in a humorous style and deals with people who like conferences just for the sake of conferring. * * * Statistics. Conditions in the United States and Hungary are compared. * * * Letter from Austria. J. F., a Hungarian student, tells about the circumstances under which his fellow students live and study in Austria. There are about eighty Hungarian students now in Innsbruck who are trying to form a central Association in an attempt to bring together Hungarian students living in different parts of Austria. * * * Summary of the Petőfi Circle’s club meeting. This meeting was held on February 27, 1958. The topics discussed were, “the writers’ revolt in the Soviet Union,” and “Soviet Satellites.” * * * News from Home. The latest highlights from the Hungarian press, the most interesting data, and the most shocking economic and political events are related in this section. * * * Sports. Two world records were set by Hungarians in 1957, in swimming and in bowling. (1. Miss Kató Boros: 200 meters in 2:31.8 seconds; and 2. Mr. József Szabó, bowling: 894 hits with 200 balls.) * * * Humor. A man met a friend in Moscow. “Why are you running?” he asked. “I am all excited. I heard that on Gorki Street, as an advertisement for a circus, one can see a girl wearing a bikini riding on a horse.” “Is that the reason why you’re running?” asked the friend. “Sure,” he answered. “I haven’t seen a horse in ages.” A man instructed a friend in a small restaurant: “The best thing in the world is to be a vegetarian! It is the only way to live a longer life.” “But you just had the biggest steak I ever saw,” exclaimed the other. “My case is different,” said Mr. Nagy. “I am tired of living.”
