Magyar News, 1996. szeptember-1997. augusztus (7. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1997-02-01 / 6. szám
It is good lo road Sitting across the table are Ferenc Varga and his wife, Karoly Molnár HSO members and Etelka Széni Deputy, Social and Health Affairs, Miskolc County truly is an architectural wonder and provides a splendid view for everyone. Concluding our tour of the Castle Hill, we headed for the bus. Betty and Nicole Maturo were already on board. Betty’s grandmother was bom in Hungary, and this was a great opportunity for her daughter Nicole to discover her family’s roots first hand. When we were all settled on the bus, we were heading for Csobanka. As we drove through the streets of Budapest our group found the trip fascinating. Budapest was certainly different from Naugatuck; our heads were constantly turning to see yet another new sight. However; as we spotted a Me Donald’s, a Pizza Hut, and a Dunkin’ Donuts we realized that perhaps we weren’t that far from home after all. In Csobanka we stayed at the institution which housed the soccer players who had been in Naugatuck last year for the Special Olympic World Games. We were looking forward to seeing them; but were disappointed to discover they were away competing in Switzerland except for one, Gabor Landler. Upon seeing us his eyes lit up; we were all excited by this reunion as we exchanged hugs, kisses, and caught up on what had transpired since the World Games. There we had lunch, then we went to Szentendre which is charming and quite picturesque. It is beautiful as it lies on the Danube; in addition, it has rolling hills which add to its splendor. Szentendre beacons Hungarians and tourists alike; it certainly captured our hearts with its quaint narrow streets, colorful historic buildings, museums, and art galleries. Upon our arrival to Szentendre, accepting Karoly Molnár’s invitation, our first stop was for ice cream which we thoroughly enjoyed on such a hot day. Next we visited the Kovács Margit Museum; I was thrilled that our group from Naugatuck would have the opportunity to see her works of ceramic statues and reliefs which capture not only Hungarian folk art but also the human spirit. We appreciated the quality of her craftsmanship and marveled at the massive size of her ceramic pieces! We continued our tour of Szentendre by walking through the narrow streets heading toward the Danube. The trip had been worth it for the scenery was lovely providing us with yet another photo opportunity. As we turned away from the river we had a chance to buy some of the numerous folklore items - needle point, pottery, crystal, etc.— in the quaint shops which lined the streets. When we returned to the bus some in our group were carrying bags which contained souvenirs which would eventually serve as lovely gifts or nice keepsakes.. Our first day in Hungary had been quite eventful and enjoyable. Charlie Molnár had a chance to visit with his family. His bride Lois had a chance to spend some time with her father-in-law, Karoly Molnár. Betty Maturo, her daughter Nicole, and I had an opportunity to discover our heritage. In fact, everyone in our group became a little more familiar with Hungary and its people. At the end of the day we realized that we were truly in store for an adventure of a life time. We were looking forward to seeing our athletes; we were eager to embrace the new discoveries which lay ahead; and we welcomed friends we were bound to meet along the way. Each of us would learn a little Hungarian. Jennifer Kirdzik became quite apt at rolling those “R”s. The most daring would eventually discover the ‘’Csardas” a Hungarian dance. Pat Noll and Jack Lewis certainly had no difficulty as they kicked up their heels. Ferenc Varga a member of the Hungarian Special Olympic was a wonderful host and a terrific teacher. In turn, we would teach the “Electric Slide” to equally daring Hungarians. Etelka Széni, the charming deputy head of Social and Health Affairs of Miskolc County, was among those who quickly mastered the steps. Our first day in Hungaiy set the tone for the delightful days which followed and we so fondly remember. We receive many letters and notes and the remarks in them make us happy because those are the gratification for all our volunteer hard work. Here is one of them: Dear Sir: I picked up a copy of your publication recently when I was in Fairfield and shopping at Drotos Brothers Meat Market. It smelled wonderful there just as I remember my Grandma’s kitchen! When I was a child and my father was alive, we used to meet our cousins, Juliana and Dezső Bartha and their son, for Sunday Mass at St. Emery’s Church. I particularly remember one Easter Sunday morning, when the congregation was singing, what I thought to be the last hymn, in Hungarian. As I looked around the church at the people as they sang I noticed they had tears in their eyes. I asked my father what the song was that they were singing and he said, “The Hungarian National Anthem.” They all sang with such heartfelt pride and love that I felt the tears fill my eyes as well. I thought, what a wonderful thing it was that God had chosen me to be part of this proud and brave heritage. We live in a wonderful and amazing country but it is important that we remember what our heritage represents and the contribution that our culture brings to this country. Thank you for indulging me. I look forward to receiving my copies of the Magyar News. Sincerely, Sally Hudak Sanderson Page 7
