William Penn Life, 2013 (48. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2013-07-01 / 7. szám
Tibor's Take tion can come from thousands of miles away. Another large area on the front of the Whirlpool is dedicated to upcoming events in the Magyar community. As I gaze at the announcements, I see the HBT Club's monthly menu which features the food of Ida. There are flyers about the Gulyás Cook Off and the 75th Anniversary of the Hungarian Cultural Gardens in Cleveland. The kapu (gate) pamphlet of the Northeast Ohio Hungarian Cultural Center is held up by tape not a magnet. (On a sad note, the Youngstown American Hungarian Club list of events for 2013 takes center stage in this area. Could there be a void in this section of the refrigerator next year at this time? Declining membership has made it difficult for the club to remain open. The place is for sale; the new owner likely won't be a Hungarian. I will always remember 2219 Donald Ave. There were so many memories and good times. Club stalwarts such as the Nemeth, Tobias, Tollas, Gran, Kripchak, Soos and many others families may not have a Hungarian home any more.) In the top right corner lies a partially exposed but distinct trio of magnets. They are not holding anything but are just there. The "Házi Áldás" is positioned next to my brother Endre with his Bohak cimbalom. Alongside both is a Matyó-themed, business card-sized magnet of Magyar Marketing. Next to the right door handle is a neatly decorated miniature white lace hat that is trimmed with red, white and green ribbon. It has been there for a few years, but I really didn't know much about it. So, I asked my anya. "A few years back," mom said, "your sister Lizzy bought it for me at the WPA Fraternal Fest. I think it was handcrafted by the woman that is a member of the WPA Board of Directors. She hails from the Dayton area." Before I continue with my tour around the refrigerator, I must say that only my mom is authorized to put up or take down anything. She will let one of us detract or add something, but only after careful scrutiny and extensive thought is performed on her part. This is my mom's queendom, and woe to the poor soul that tampers with the layout. The side of the fridge is purposed more for business than sentimentality. There are huge bundles of college papers, each bundle designated to one of the Cseh children. There also are a few newspaper clippings highlighting our academic achievements. There is a large caricature of my brother and sister that was done at a Mr. Chicken Cruise-In a few years back. Interspersed are newspaper obituaries of my Aunt Gena, Nagypapa Cseh and Uncle John. Sitting smack dab in the middle is the most recent issue of William Penn Life. Buried a layer or two below this mish mash of printed matter lies a map of Hungary and Budapest. With several sticky notes applied to it, I read short descriptions of places my apa and anya would like to visit on their next vacation to the homeland. A tablet taped to the refrigerator's side serves as the family shopping list. The current list calls for paprika, onions, flour, coffee, deodorant, shampoo, and ÄA batteries. Immediately to the right is another tablet. This one serves as our "Hungarian Radio Reminder Board." This plywood-based panel is attached with some heavy duty adhesive and has a layer of cork on top. Thumb tacks are used to hold the papers in place. I notice a request for "The Priest's Pipe" for Margie Dubos and Betty Anzevino from the grandchildren. A brief note saying RIP for some close friend, which means yet another empty line to our dwindling list of steady listeners. Another note merely says: "YSU July 6 and 7." This is a reminder to advertise the Youngstown State University Fine Arts Festival. That weekend, the Youngstown American Hungarian Club will have available for purchase stuffed cabbage, palacsinta, and cabbage and noodles. My brother Endre will be adjacent to the club tent performing on his Bohak cimbalom. He likes to play at this two-day affair because the majority of attendees are not Hungarian and are enamored by the haunting sound of the twanging strings that the mallets create. Most people do not know what the instrument is, but a quick verbal/ visual demonstration by Bandi enables each guest to learn a new perspective about Magyar ethnic/folk music. Just like our old Bible on the dresser or our Magyar cookbooks, our refrigerator serves as a gathering point for our family and identifies who we are. Sometimes my anya states out loud: "I am going to take everything off this thing and have an icebox that looks like those I see in magazine articles." But I know my mom likes the clutter and chaos of our old fridge. My family's refrigerator is the focal point of this chaotic and wild thing called life. Is your refrigerator the same? Éljen a Magyar, Tibor II Tibor Check Jr. is a member of Branch 28 Youngstown, Ohio, and a student at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He serves as a host of the “Souvenirs of Hungary” weekly radio show broadcast on WKTL-90.7 FM in Struthers, Ohio. Let's hear your take Let me know how you enjoy my thoughts and views on growing up Hungarian Style. If you have any questions or comments about me or my column, please email me at: silverkingl937@yahoo.com, or drop me a letter in care of the William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. William Penn Life 0 July 2013 0 7
