Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1988. július-december (42. évfolyam, 27-48. szám)
1988-07-21 / 29. szám
Thursday, July 21. 1988. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZO 15. Call ofthe Old Country It is not unusual that people spend their retirement years in Europe. The reason is partly financial, as their pension is worth more in certain European countries, but the decision may also be partly motivated by the fact that the continent offers new knowledge, sights and a way of life that is slightly different- Many people settle in Italy and Spain, returning to their roots, and in the FRG and Austria some small estates have been built expressly for retired people. Many people would also like to spend their later years in Hungary. As a census in the U.S. shows, 1.7 million people gave their origin as Hungarian, in spite of being second or third generation U.S. citizens. The number of Hungarians in Canada is more than 250 thousand. Many left Hungary in the second half of the 1950s and are now about to retire. The joint plan of HungarHotels, one of the largest Hungarian hotel chains, USA Gabriel Associates, Hotel Real Estate Consultants Co. is to build a Retirement Center and to offer its flats and services to retired ex-Hungarians. According to preliminary plans, a 350-apartment, residential centre is to be built at Fot, 25 kilometers from Budapest, near to the M3 motorway. The apartments will be 50 to 90 sq.m, in two-storey buildings. The centre is to have a swimming pool, tennis courts and community buildings, such as club houses, restaurants and coffee shops and services will include catering, cleaning, and a 24-hours reception desk, with doctors on permanent duty. Last year, jointly with Austrian and Danish contractors, HungarHotels completed the Club Tihany holiday village centre at Lake Balaton. The company has a number of hotels in Budapest and in the country, and owns the Budapest Forum. The prospective inhabitants of the centres will be more co-owners than guests. Up until recently, foreigners were not allowed by law to acquire real estate in Hungary, except by inheritance. The law was amended------' I "CITY OF GRAPE AND VINE" AWARD Sixteen Hungarian cities were awarded the title of the "City of grape and wine" at the world grape cultivation day that took place in Rome. Hungary occupies the fourth place among the world's wine exporters with its 2 million hectoliters of wine exports. The National Wine Classification Institute is of the opinion that from now onwards more attention shall be devoted to old wines, that is older than five years, produced in Hungary. While an 8 to 10 years old bottle of French Burgundy costs maximum of 6 thousand francs in the world market, a bottle of Tokai Aszú of 1957 is 15 to 20 thousand Ft. In order to increase wine export, Hungary is planning to set up a "National Vinoteka" where both traders and tourists can get better acquainted with Hungarian wines. Please give this page to a friend! in mid-1987 and foreigners may now enter long-term tenancy contracts with the owner of the houses. The amendment provided the legal background for the residential centre. Before launching the project, demand was surveyed, and it was ascertained whether there was sufficient applicant for the 1,000 million Ft Project. Preliminary survey* indicated a keen demand, although the first advertisements have only just been placed in Hungarian-language papers in the U.S. The project HungarHomes has already attracted several applicants, with some wishing for more than one apartment. LEGAL RELATIONSHIP' FOR 15 YEARS The price of the- tenancy is a fixed sum valid for 15 years. According to the concept, after this length of time, the company would pay back the sum to the tenant. This sum would finance the bulk of the project. The tenants would also pay a monthly charge which includes rent, and covers all available services, such as cleaning, the use of the swimming pool, tennis courts and sports centres. Other services will be extra as in a hotel, but all extra amenities such as hair-dresser's, beauty parlour and laundry will be available. Upon request, trips in Hungary and abroad will be organized, theatre tickets reserved, and specific requests such as hobby tours met. As soon as 50 per cent of all applicants have signed the contract, construction work of the centre will begin. The project would be in the form of a joint venture; the U.S. partner, Gabriel Associates in charge of marketing providing for the construction know-how and meet advertisement costs. Besides HungarHotels, several more Hungarian companies are expected to enter into the business and commercial banks have also shown interest. In addition to its holding in the capital, HungarHotels undertakes the maintenance and operation of the centre. , Zsuzsa Ban CUTEST POODLES The Allgemeiner Deutscher Pudel club of West Germany brought the cutest poodles and their owners for a third trip to Hungary, to match their appearance and behaviour against their Hungarian cousins. The Hotel Olympia in Budapest and the Neptun Hotel in Balatonföldvar put them up. GMBIMTION 1188 n. An issue we cannot ignore, no matter who is in charge, is the so-called Drug War. Daily we read about the drug busts, the demand for death sentences for dealers, harsher penalties, etc. Our esteemed mayor, Edward I. Koch, runs all over the country demanding concentration camps for dealers. Actually, it would be hard to devélop a more useless pattern than this one. When you escalate a war, you do just that; yqu. escalate. You don't necessarily win the war. You simply raise it to a higher level. The other side does the same and you are back where you started. That's what happened in Viet Nam. Likewise, that is what is occuring in the Drug War. How can we talk of stopping drugs when the CIA sponsors drug smuggling for political reasons, as they did with the Contras and Panama. And these are just the ones we know about. It is to Dukakis' credit that he has zeroed in on this issue and has promised changes - if he wins the 1988 Presidential election. How can you talk about stopping drugs when the rehabilitation clinics have six weeks waiting periods? Guess what these guys are doing while they wait for therapy? And how can you talk about stopping drugs when the kids who peddle the stuff have been known to make $1,000 per day? It is all well and good to say "No" to drugs. It is much better to say "No" to poverty. When we have this understanding of how to deal with drugs, we will have the weapons to win. Working pepole going to school after work is not that unusual. However, going to college is, and attending the Labor College definitely is unusual. Traditionally, unions have sent their officers to school but have not offered that opportunity to the rank and file. This makes us unique and we have a lot to contribute. Speaking personally, I would have been the happiest kid on the block if I knew about this school while I was working. Also, I think we have some damn good teachers. If that makes me sound like a teacher's pet, I would say that I'm a bit too old for that. I think whatever you do, whether your education continues or stops here, tonight is a milestone for all of us! Enjoy your new dignity! You've earned it! To the Editor * I Dear Editors: I frequently share issues of the "Amerikai Magyar Szó" with a colleague of mine at work. As he and I both read Hungarian with some difficulty, we really enjoy the page in English, although we also attempt some of the other articles as well, particularly the short ones. Wishing you and staff all the best in the future. Regards, Hans Fisher
