William Penn Life, 1987 (22. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1987-09-01 / 9. szám
September 1987, William Penn Life, Page 3 Festival From Page 1 and soon became friends. Like the Festival itself, the rain brought people together in a way that could only serve to heighten the fraternal spirit. And once the rains stopped and the booths reopened, one could sense a strong communal feeling and an even stronger determination to enjoy the day. The skies gradually cleared and the grounds soon filled with people eating, strolling and having a good time. A live band, featuring National Auditor Louis Fodor on fiddle, played a variety of country and blue grass music to the delight of the Festival-goers. Meanwhile, in another part of the grounds, dozens of children scurried about, participating in the various games that saw them filling bags with candy and peanuts, digging through sawdust and literally kicking off their shoes. Families gathered to enjoy hayrides that took them all around the 535 acres that comprise the Mount St. George facility. Other Festival-goers ventured into the mansion to view the many pieces of history that enliven this National Historic Landmark. Still others walked up and down the midway, trying their luck at bingo, the horse race, big wheel and plush animal stands. Towards the end of the day, the festive mood intensified as the dancers from the Hungarian Ethnic Group of Western Pennsylvania performed for the crowd. Soon after the last dance, the Festival-goers got back in their cars and buses to start the journey home, and the Festival came to an end. One Festival organizer was heard to say: "despite the rain, I still think we did all right.” Why the Festival "did all right” could be attributed to several reasons. For starters, the Festival lived up to its name, offering a variety of activities for every member of the family to enjoy. The fact that the proceeds from the Festival benefit the residents at the Home for the Elderly makes everyone work harder for a successful event. Plus, as everyone at the Festival learned that day, it takes more than a little rain to extinguish the fraternal spirit. It’s a 'mad scramble’ as children search for coins in the sawdust. A young dancer from the Hungarian Ethnic Group of Westem Pennsylvania completes a skip-twirl as part of the group’s annual performance at the Mount St. George Family Festival. (Photo by Louis A. Fodor) National Secretary E. E. Vargo makes sure every youngster gets his fair share of goodies following the children’s games. (Photo by John E. Lovász) Festival-goers chipped in to help keep things dry during the rainstorm. Here, Pubications Editor John E. Lovász serves as a makeshift tent post. Some children, like this boy, seemed more interested in the sawdust than the money at the children’s games. Visitors They have the same sort of interests as their American counterparts and got along well with the kids in the neighborhood, Mr. Paulovitch said. György enjoys playing soccer, is skilled on the skateboard and rides a dirt bike in his spare time at home. Orsolya plays with dolls and loves to ride a bicycle. Both children said they missed their cat, Cirmi, who couldn’t come on the trip. Their hometown lies in the Alföld region in south-central Hungary. It is a flat region, similar to Kansas or Nebraska here. They live in a two-story home in Hungary, which in their terminology would be called a threestory house. A basement in Hungary is considered the first floor of a building. The children are "sophisticated gourmet eaters” for their age, Mr. Paulovitch said. They like hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries (all smothered in ketchup), any kind of cola and chocolate. They enjoy listening to rock music, but have no liking, for punk groups. They like to go to movies and spend a lot of their time at one of the government’s sports complexes, which is similar to a racquet club in this country. One of the more humorous situations Mr. Paulovitch and his guests encountered was during a shopping trip, when György and Orsolya were looking at "jam” shorts, a popular American fashion today. One of them looked inside a pair at the label and it read "Made in Hungary.” The stay was arranged earlier this year after Mr. Paulovitch got a call from a friend in March. The friend told him a Hungarian doctor wanted his children to get a chance to stay with an American family for three weeks to learn about the United States. The Bartfais also offered to host the Paulovitch children in Hungary for three weeks next summer. Mr. Paulovitch learned the Hungarian language when he was a young child and spent each day with his grandparents, who spoke only Hungarian, while both of his parents worked during World War II. From Page 1 GYÖRGY AND ORSOLYA BARTFAI (Photo courtesy of The Advance Leader)
