William Penn Life, 2006 (41. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
2006-11-01 / 11. szám
-J American Experience By Tamás Hovanyecz Tamás’ experience included a whirlwind tour of the eastern U.S., including a stop at Niagara Falls. G oing to a different continent makes someone really excited, especially when it's America. People in Europe have different views of the United States. I was bom in Hungary, raised in Szeged, and traveled a lot in Europe, which made me as open-minded as I can be at the age of 20. Studying international communications, I have to communicate between cultures. To be able to communicate with them, I have to know their history, their habits, their backgrounds and their culture. Visiting Europe's different nations gave me the possibility to acquire this skill, and now I'm here to understand America and its lifestyle and culture. What I've got so far is a five-week holiday around the east coast and a seven-week internship—not enough to say that I know the American traditions, but enough to create a picture in my mind about the way of life here. When I first came to the United States, I thought everything was huge. The first thing I saw was JFK with its eight terminals, it's own train and several long-term parking lots with lots of cars. As I continued my trip, I discovered that a large pizza is enough for four and a big portion of ice cream at Niagara Falls is at least 4.7 inches. Traveling from Miami to Philly is 1,100 miles-and you're still in ABOUTTHEAUTHOR Tamás Hovanyecz is a 20-year-old Hungarian currently studying international communications at the Budapest College of Communication and law at the University of Szeged. He recently spent three months in the United States, courtesy of a scholarship grant from the Hungarian American Coalition. As part of this program, Tamás served for four weeks this October as an intern at the WPA Home Office. the same country. Hungary's length is 1,318 miles and is surrounded by seven countries. A flight from London to New York is six hours; from New York to San Francisco is five and a half hours. I also came to understand how the infrastructure here is different in comparison to Hungary. Urban living is more prevalent back in Europe, where we don't use our cars as much as people do here, and public transportation is more popular. I have to get used to the fact that if I want to do something around the city, I definitely need a car. What I don't understand is American food? I've eaten hamburgers, Chinese, Indian, sea food and doughnuts, but I was wishing for traditional spicy Hungarian food. Then I realized what American food is—cosmopolitan! At one meal, I can eat Ethiopian food, a chili dog and a Turkish kebab. (I just need a car to find them.) I traveled 7,500 miles by car in five weeks. I've seen New York City, Boston, Niagara Falls, national parks, Chicago, Washington D.C., Miami and several small cities. I discovered exciting and beautiful parts of the country. New York is such a great city and Boston is really European. Niagara Falls and Acadia National Park are breathtaking and unbelievable. I met many Americans and each of them were different, kind and helpful. Being here for 13 weeks as an intern, I had the chance to get to know them better. These people welcomed me, not the way some European countries do (even if they are in the same Union). Kindness and attention is dominant in the places I worked, both in Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. Being an intern here is more challenging than in Hungary. Employers here treated me on an equal footing with their full-time employees. That allowed me to gain more valuable experience which will benefit me after graduating from college. I spent four weeks at the William Penn Association and enjoyed a very profitable experience. I worked with National President George S. (Pete) Charles Jr. in the field of communication, and I helped organize a memorial celebration with Fraternal Director Endre Csornán. In those four weeks I also got acquainted with the organization and how it works. I admire what WPA does to keep the Hungarian traditions alive (sometimes more than in Hungary). I will never forget this aim and the kindness I received during my month there. Being in a more modern and structured environment keeps our eyes peeled and gives us the possibility to import our knowledge to Hungary. Different continent, culture and habits, but full of likeable folks! I'm happy that I could fight against my preconceived notions and enjoy being in the United States. |WPL| William Penn Life, November2006 3
