Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
STORM SANDY : BE PREPARED TO GO WITHOUT ELECTRICITY : CONTACT FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, FAMILY NOW and THEN
If you are living in the pathway of Storm Sandy, which appears to be a STORM THAT IS HISTORY IN THE MAKING, you need to be prepared, even if you are far from the Atlantic coast. I'm posting this message out of concern for the people who may not be taking the situation too seriously, as just this morning here on the west coast I heard someone laughing it off. IT IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE THAT SOMEONE HAS NOT HEARD THIS STORM IS ON THE WAY.
High winds in an area hundreds of miles wide, may be a bigger danger than immediate flooding. Elecricity may be out, so you may not be able to get on a computer or recharge your cell phone. High winds may mean that powerlines cannot be repaired for some time and high winds may cause more damage than water.
If you don't have three to seven days worth of drinkable water, start filling up some containers now. Muddied water may mean that it's some time before you can trust the water from your tap.
Have food like canned goods that don't need refrigeration. Not just for you, but for your pets.
Put your important documents that you might need in plastic bags and ready to carry with you... as well as any medications you may need to take.
DON'T GO OUT OF YOUR SAFE HOME to watch the water rise. Stay out of the way of emergency personnel.
BUT PLEASE - if you know of a neighbor or relative who lives alone, who may be disabled, who doesn't drive, who may need a call, make a call now, and later after the storm has passed.
Those of us who are in safe locations may try to contact relatives and friends in the storm's path using cell phones, but I wonder how it will go if the cell towers are down.
High winds in an area hundreds of miles wide, may be a bigger danger than immediate flooding. Elecricity may be out, so you may not be able to get on a computer or recharge your cell phone. High winds may mean that powerlines cannot be repaired for some time and high winds may cause more damage than water.
If you don't have three to seven days worth of drinkable water, start filling up some containers now. Muddied water may mean that it's some time before you can trust the water from your tap.
Have food like canned goods that don't need refrigeration. Not just for you, but for your pets.
Put your important documents that you might need in plastic bags and ready to carry with you... as well as any medications you may need to take.
DON'T GO OUT OF YOUR SAFE HOME to watch the water rise. Stay out of the way of emergency personnel.
BUT PLEASE - if you know of a neighbor or relative who lives alone, who may be disabled, who doesn't drive, who may need a call, make a call now, and later after the storm has passed.
Those of us who are in safe locations may try to contact relatives and friends in the storm's path using cell phones, but I wonder how it will go if the cell towers are down.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
TIME TO WORSHIP YOUR HUNGARIAN HERITAGE!
As you may know Hungarians in Hungary have no cultural tradition like Americans have developed over Halloween, and frankly I'm glad to know that. That's because Halloween, which started out as a Celtic spiritual celebration of one's ancestors, and communication with them though dead in mystical ways, has turned into a celebration of violence and horror, and all sorts of strange and often criminal behavior, especially in films.
I don't find horror films enjoyable or worth watching. I think they can do dangerous things to our psyche. I don't want the bad dreams they inspire.
I find All Soul's Day much more interesting. This is a celebration of the dead, the ancestors, a remembrance of them, that occurs about this time in many cultures that have strong historical roots in Catholicism. Even if you aren't religious or from an ethnic heritage that celebrates the ancestors at this time of the year, dedicating an evening to gathering to discuss family history, going through old photos, or working on your genealogy, can be inspiring.
For instance, when I think of my ancestors who immigrated from Hungary, I know that some of them wanted to go back to Hungary, one of them managed to visit there several months a year for many years, but most got to the United States knowing there was no turning back.
Still in a graveyard in Hungary there are a great number of ancestors of mine who I have never visited. I can't help but wonder about these people who came before mine, and who genetically contributed to who I am. I know about most of them not through stories because I was born after those who had the stories had died, but through genealogical research. Of course I wish they would "speak" to me and nudge me towards the best records so that when I write of them, I can represent them truthfully.
At this time of year I light candles for some of those who have passed before me, hoping though that they have gone on to greater things in the afterlife and in their spiritual journey, hoping that they have not hung around this earth to watch over me which might delay their progress that they have earned through living decent lives, and being people you would want to know, and just may, someday.
Christine
Maygar-American Blog
C 2012 All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights
I don't find horror films enjoyable or worth watching. I think they can do dangerous things to our psyche. I don't want the bad dreams they inspire.
I find All Soul's Day much more interesting. This is a celebration of the dead, the ancestors, a remembrance of them, that occurs about this time in many cultures that have strong historical roots in Catholicism. Even if you aren't religious or from an ethnic heritage that celebrates the ancestors at this time of the year, dedicating an evening to gathering to discuss family history, going through old photos, or working on your genealogy, can be inspiring.
For instance, when I think of my ancestors who immigrated from Hungary, I know that some of them wanted to go back to Hungary, one of them managed to visit there several months a year for many years, but most got to the United States knowing there was no turning back.
Still in a graveyard in Hungary there are a great number of ancestors of mine who I have never visited. I can't help but wonder about these people who came before mine, and who genetically contributed to who I am. I know about most of them not through stories because I was born after those who had the stories had died, but through genealogical research. Of course I wish they would "speak" to me and nudge me towards the best records so that when I write of them, I can represent them truthfully.
At this time of year I light candles for some of those who have passed before me, hoping though that they have gone on to greater things in the afterlife and in their spiritual journey, hoping that they have not hung around this earth to watch over me which might delay their progress that they have earned through living decent lives, and being people you would want to know, and just may, someday.
Christine
Maygar-American Blog
C 2012 All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights
Thursday, October 25, 2012
HUNGARIAN STEREOTYPES : WE ALL HAVE A LITTLE DRACULA (VLAD THE IMPALER) IN OUR PSYCHE
(Does this man look like your cousin?)
This stereotype is kind of funny if you think about it. It means that we have within us a Barbaric aspect, a Dark Side.
OK, so Vlad the Impaler was the "real Dracula" sort of. He was Barbaric by today's standards because he cut off the heads of his enemies and impaled them on stakes but didn't they do that more recently in Cambodia? LINKING TO HIS TRUE STORY ON THIS Castle Of Spirits site!
"Vlad the Impaler -Tepes (pronounced tzse-pesh) was born in the town of Sighisoara in Transylvania (now known as northern Romania) in 1431 and later ruled the area of Southern Romania known as Wallachia. His father was Vlad Dracul who was a knight in the Order of the Dragon which was a union of central and Eastern European rulers who were a tad worried about the rising Ottoman empire."
OK, so Vlad the Impaler was the "real Dracula" sort of. He was Barbaric by today's standards because he cut off the heads of his enemies and impaled them on stakes but didn't they do that more recently in Cambodia? LINKING TO HIS TRUE STORY ON THIS Castle Of Spirits site!
"Vlad the Impaler -Tepes (pronounced tzse-pesh) was born in the town of Sighisoara in Transylvania (now known as northern Romania) in 1431 and later ruled the area of Southern Romania known as Wallachia. His father was Vlad Dracul who was a knight in the Order of the Dragon which was a union of central and Eastern European rulers who were a tad worried about the rising Ottoman empire."
Saturday, October 20, 2012
AMERICAN HUNGARIAN CLUB - PALM BEACH FLORIDA
Planning a lot of parties, including for Halloween, this club looks to be very active and lots of fun!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
PUPPY MILLS ? I FINALLY MET A PUPPY MILL DOG
I finally met a puppy mill dog, a six year old female who had been kept in a cage and bred over and over again, no exercise, not properly fed - her ears and tail had lost their hair. Her teats were very enlarged.
The puppy mill was in a pet store. You may have heard that in some parts of the United States there is a great effort to end puppy mills, to even prevent pet stores from selling dogs.
I have mixed feelings about preventing pet stores from selling dogs and cats. I think there is a proper role for dog breeders, and that it is wrong to tell a store which is otherwise following our laws that they cannot sell any animals. It is the conditions the animals are living in that is the real question. Most of the time people go to pet stores to buy a puppy that is a pure breed.
Shelters and Rescue Groups have some pure breeds but also a lot of mutts. I think there is a role for the breeder and a good reason to get a pure breed dog, though mine is not. Though every dog is different, knowing the breed means knowing more about the breeds health issues, temperament, and the size the animal will be as an adult; you don't want to have to give up a dog that has outgrown its welcome in your apartment after puppyhood. You want to know how long the animal is likely to live. Though life is often what happens while you're busy making plans, you need to ask yourself before you take on a pet how many years you think you will have her. If you're a senior, you may not want a pet who will likely outlive you. I believe the dog I adopted was taken by a relative who had no time for her after a senior died or went to a nursing home or assisted living.
This poor puppy mill dog had a life of imprisonment, a life that was that of a slave. An employee of the store found a home for her because the owners had asked her to take it to the animal services to be put to death cheaply. The employee asked a woman who had two other small dogs and lived in a house with a yard and her three daughters if she would take her.
This is what the woman who adopted her told me. "She was afraid to put her feet on cement or even the grass. All she knew as normal was the feel of metal cage beneath her feet."
That's when I understood what PUPPY MILL means.
This dog's health has been somewhat renewed. After six months or so of good food her hair on her ears and tail grew back. She stays close to the woman who adopted her and who is kind to her, and luckily has joined a household full of loving women and doggie companions. She also gets to go to the dog park. This dog's breed has a life expectancy of about 12 years - maybe 15. I couldn't help but shed a tear looking at her, both from sadness knowing what she had lived and happiness that she will have some life that is worth living.
C 2012 Magyar-American blog. All Rights Reserved including International and Internet Rights.
The puppy mill was in a pet store. You may have heard that in some parts of the United States there is a great effort to end puppy mills, to even prevent pet stores from selling dogs.
I have mixed feelings about preventing pet stores from selling dogs and cats. I think there is a proper role for dog breeders, and that it is wrong to tell a store which is otherwise following our laws that they cannot sell any animals. It is the conditions the animals are living in that is the real question. Most of the time people go to pet stores to buy a puppy that is a pure breed.
Shelters and Rescue Groups have some pure breeds but also a lot of mutts. I think there is a role for the breeder and a good reason to get a pure breed dog, though mine is not. Though every dog is different, knowing the breed means knowing more about the breeds health issues, temperament, and the size the animal will be as an adult; you don't want to have to give up a dog that has outgrown its welcome in your apartment after puppyhood. You want to know how long the animal is likely to live. Though life is often what happens while you're busy making plans, you need to ask yourself before you take on a pet how many years you think you will have her. If you're a senior, you may not want a pet who will likely outlive you. I believe the dog I adopted was taken by a relative who had no time for her after a senior died or went to a nursing home or assisted living.
This poor puppy mill dog had a life of imprisonment, a life that was that of a slave. An employee of the store found a home for her because the owners had asked her to take it to the animal services to be put to death cheaply. The employee asked a woman who had two other small dogs and lived in a house with a yard and her three daughters if she would take her.
This is what the woman who adopted her told me. "She was afraid to put her feet on cement or even the grass. All she knew as normal was the feel of metal cage beneath her feet."
That's when I understood what PUPPY MILL means.
This dog's health has been somewhat renewed. After six months or so of good food her hair on her ears and tail grew back. She stays close to the woman who adopted her and who is kind to her, and luckily has joined a household full of loving women and doggie companions. She also gets to go to the dog park. This dog's breed has a life expectancy of about 12 years - maybe 15. I couldn't help but shed a tear looking at her, both from sadness knowing what she had lived and happiness that she will have some life that is worth living.
C 2012 Magyar-American blog. All Rights Reserved including International and Internet Rights.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
WHAT'S UP : HUNGARY A VERY INTERESTING SITE!
WHATS UP HUNGARY LINK - WHAT KIND OF BEER DO HUNGARIAN WOMEN LIKE?
I found this site because of the intreguing question..
"During the Budapest Sörfesztivál (Beer Festival of Budapest) several women were asked about their most preferred taste of beer. According to their answers, women like to try out unusual, different flavors such as banana, chili, pumpkin, chocolate or cherry but they also drink ‘classic’ beers such as Dreher, Corona or Heineken and they have often mentioned Belgian beer as well."
I found other articles on the site interesting as well.
I found this site because of the intreguing question..
"During the Budapest Sörfesztivál (Beer Festival of Budapest) several women were asked about their most preferred taste of beer. According to their answers, women like to try out unusual, different flavors such as banana, chili, pumpkin, chocolate or cherry but they also drink ‘classic’ beers such as Dreher, Corona or Heineken and they have often mentioned Belgian beer as well."
I found other articles on the site interesting as well.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
WE CAN TAKE A JOKE : MONTY PYTHON HUNGARIAN PHRASE BOOK SKETCH
Now I want to know if you think this is funny!