HOUSE OF HUNGARY IN SAN DIEGO REOPENED

SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA HOUSE OF HUNGARY  One of the International Cottages in Balboa Park, San Diego, and first built in 1936 for an exposition, the house is open again and traditionally celebrates Christmas and other holidays. Hungarians of San Diego maintained a presence and contributed so the cottage could continue. (Read the history and the Hungarians who have been instrumental are named there.)

The house maintains a small library of books in Hungarian language.

SAN FRANCISCO A HUNGARIAN AMERICAN HOT SPOT

It's been a while since I posted about Hungarian - American clubs and I'm not sure how I missed this one. Hungarian Heritage Foundation of the San Francisco Bay Area is a group so welcoming all you have to do or be is interested. They have a website that will take you to a PDF file. They are ambitious. 

hacsa.org

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What does it mean to you to have Hungarian Heritage?

POPPIES! HUNGARIAN BLUE and CALIFORNIA ORANGE SUPER BLOOM

The poppies for poppy seed to put in bread and rolls are from the Hungarian BLUE poppies, not to be confused with the California Poppy which is all brilliant orange or the California Coastal Poppy which is orange in the center to middle and yellow from the middle to tips.  Although there is always talk about people getting high by eating poppy seeds, really it's the blue or breadseed that can be turned into opium.  To make things a little more confusing, the Hungarian "Blue" looks to be purple.  Because California has gotten so much rain this season that we are officially out of drought, we have a SUPER BLOOM OF POPPIES...

LA MAGAZINE - LAKE ELSINORE SUPER BLOOM of POPPIES

Excellent photos on this link.

LONELY PLANET -CALIFORNIA DESERT SUPER BLOOM

MY DOG and ME : A COLD and STORMY WINTER

As anyone who reads my blog knows, I have a small dog that I love and have had many adventures with as we take walks together.  She is quite the sentient being, and seems to love life so much, though I'm a morning person, there is no sleeping in when she is raring to go outside. 

Over the last few months we've been walking in nature in less citified areas of Southern California, closer to the beach areas, where the day begins fogged in and this winter season has been colder and stormier than previous winters.  We await glorious profusions of native plants and wild flowers - brilliant orange and golden poppies are beginning to bloom -  because of these rains - and she seems to have become more lively in the cooler temperatures.  We have experienced extreme heat and dust in drought and last summer I was carrying her to the grassy areas because the driveway and sidewalks were too hot for a dog's paws, but I also thought she was aging, slowing down.  Now I think the heat had been getting to her more than I thought, so I hope we will continue our walks in nature and near the beaches, as the exercise is good for both of us.
However, I must say that I am looking forward to spring and warmer temperatures because I have been more bundled up than usual.  I long to wear sandals and dresses or shorts without hose and to feel freer in my movements.

IS A WISH FOR PEACE JUST RIDICULOUS? THEN CALL ME THAT! THE STATE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

The recent Presidential election left many Americans, including me, embarrassed and exhausted.  The winner, Donald Trump, might just make America Great Again, one of many campaign promises he made, but he seems to be a mercurial person. 


Many people I've spoken with have told me that they expect campaigns to get nasty.  It was just so nasty, it left me wishing and hoping that we can all hit the restart button, and begin again, in brotherhood and peace, with not politicians but with leadership. 


AM I JUST RIDICULOUS?  Maybe so, but if there is any time of the year in the Christian world where we can have such hopes, I think that's the Christmas time.   It's become the most materialistic time of the year.  It should be the most idealistic.


It's coming up on us fast, and so is the swearing in of Donald Trump as the President of the United States. People I meet are not idealistic about his - regime.  They are afraid they will go without health insurance or housing and be out on the street.  It's enough to make me think MAYBE CALIFORNIA SHOULD BECOME ITS OWN COUNTRY... WE'RE ALREADY BIGGER THAN SOME!  THE MENTALITY HERE IS JUST - DIFFERENT.  Some people are suggesting we leave the Union - for four years or the end of Trumps regime, whatever comes first.


No, that's not likely to happen.


In particular to my state, California, there is a lot of fears about illegal immigration, that there will be "sweeps," and people will be taken away, like the Nazis taking away the Jews in the Holocaust.


One of my friends is a librarian for the city, of Mexican origin, her great grandfather walked into Arizona, worked full time there, and founded a family that has done well for itself.  On the library desk I found print outs that had been left there by immigration advocates, in both English and Spanish, intended for illegal residents to hand to any police officer that might start asking them questions, stating that they are going to stay silent.  I took one for my wallet, even though I'm legal, as a reminder that I don't necessarily have to answer the questions asked by an officer, though I don't think I'm headed for trouble with the law.  I told her that I did not think there would be sweeps.  Our mayor and police said they would not cooperate if ordered to.  However, if someone commits a violent crime or is dealing drugs, especially if that person has broken Federal law, then I would not be surprised if they were deported.


What is so difficult about becoming a citizen?  If you come legal, it's not!  I have a neighbor from Hungary getting his citizenship.  Another neighbor who got his a decade ago came as a refugee from Kosovo.  There is a Moslem family, peaceable, who are refugees from Pakistan, also in process.   Another neighbor, has just gotten dual citizenship - Great Britain and the U.S.  Yes, there was time involved, and money, and tests, but it worked out.  None of them ever felt their stay here was threatened because they were doing the right thing from the start.


I believe that if you do the right thing from the start, you will be honored.


Recent killing rampages by people of Moslem origin especially, have basically sanctified what Trump is talking about, and that is, that we have let in all sorts of people who do not deserve to be here.


Do we really need more immigrants?  We welcome the educated, but Blue Collar American Trump advocates want their jobs back here and now.  Here is the hitch.  Illegal immigrants are not protected by labor laws and can be hired for cash and less than minimum wage and they are not likely to complain about the worst conditions.  Some of them are afraid that becoming legal will mean no longer getting work.  They also break the Unions, simply because they are willing to be underpaid.  It's not hard to find them.  I suspect that every construction site has some.  Some dirty people take terrible advantage of them including dumping them off after a days hard labor without the promised pay, and the threat to call the INS on them.


It's kind of like the situation for background actors for film.  Everyone who does it wants to get into SAG, the union, because the pay and benefits are then decent, but everyone says that once they got into SAG, their bookings diminished, so they worked less, and made about the same money.


California decided that a person didn't need to be legal to have an ID or a drivers license, which means they have to be insured for accidents, they can have library cards, they can have medical care at County hospitals, and they can have education.  Why?  Because California decided that these benefits benefit everyone, not just the illegal person. 


Much is made of Mexican gangs.  They exist.  They shoot  and kill each other and innocent people.  However, there are gangs of Armenians and Russians, and other ethnic groups as well, and sometimes it seems like identity theft and more sophisticated frauds are committed by these more educated criminals 


So, will a wall actually keep people out - or in?  If you read around it, you'll learn that the wall has been an ongoing project in the Obama administration, and that it isn't always a physical wall. 


Our illegal immigrants are not all criminals and our criminals are not all Mexican.

SPRING - PLANS FOR A GARDEN - YOU TOO CAN MAKE SEED BALLS and PROVIDE BUTTERFLY and BEE FRIENDLY FLOWERS

MY GARDEN is starting to spout,

 including some plants that made it through the winter

that were only doing so so last year, including

YELLOW CALENDULA, PALE PINK PERFUMED SNAPDRAGONS, RED GERANIUM,

a single SUNFLOWER, and, the secret of whatever seeds I put into a SEED BALLS.

Since I posted on the heat wave, we finally got hit by a few rain showers locally. We will still attempt to conserve water. 

I attended a SEED BALL MAKING WORKSHOPS for ADULTS at a local LIBRARY here in Southern California a couple weeks ago.  The idea is to make these seed studded clay balls, then drop these them here, there, and everywhere there is a need for plants that butterflies and bees love .  (Try not to waste them by planting them where gardeners wack down anything they don't recognize as a weed!  But consider old graveyards, along certain road sides or crossings, between buildings... places were there is some land where they can grow as nature allows.)

You need to buy water based modeling clay such as the Crayola Air Dry Clay brand, which is the dough kids use to make little sculptures and comes in quart sized plastic buckets.  It turns out that this clay, water based, can harden but also resoften in the rain, or when you water it and the ball provides a good seed sprouting environment. 

You will also need some peat moss and some seeds.  We used Calfornia poppy seeds as well as a package of bird and butterfly mix.

Take about a quarter cup of this clay, roll it around into a ball, then flatten it like a pancake.  Sprinkle a generous amount of peat moss on it, and then a few seeds.  Roll this again into a ball, and roll the ball in more peat moss.  Viola!  You have a seed ball.

One thing California and Hungary have in common is POPPIES.  Our native poppies, a brilliant gold color, are our state flower, and one of the reasons that California is called The Golden State.   (The other reason is that by summer much of the once-green landscape is covered with golden dried out vegetation.)  We had some rain, finally, and the desert, including various succulents and cactus,  should be blooming brilliantly very soon. 

I made eight balls in fifteen minutes.  You do not need to dig deep to plant these balls.  Just a little scoop out or simply place them on furrowed ground.  Four of them I planted along an old abandoned rail road track that has a path past it.  So far, I have not seen anything sprouting when I walk past this area, but you never know.  Because of the rains there are the native California mustard plant (short, unlike the Spanish mustard the Spanish explorers are responsible for, as they claimed the country for Spain by throwing their own mustard seeds), as well as native wild geranium (rarely do these survive long enough to bloom out due to all those wackers!), mint, and a number of small yellow flowered and purple flowered ground covers that seem to hibernate for years just waiting for enough rain to sprout.

The four balls I left in a bag to be planted later all sprouted in the bag and have been transferred into a large pot.  I cannot wait for one or all of them to grow into beautiful plants that I can try to identify!

I found this link that will explain more about seed balls PERMA CULTURE - ANCIENT METHOD OF NO TILL AGRICULTURE



HUNGARIAN YOUTH LEAVING THE COUNTRY - SHOULD YOU STAY OR LEAVE? SOME ADVICE and THINGS TO CONSIDER before COMING TO THE UNITED STATES!

Since I'm descended from Hungarians who did leave Hungary in the 19th Century, how can I advise anyone to STAY in Hungary when they may rightly perceive that life in another country could be better for them?

I will try.

Just the other day I overheard two young people from Czechoslovakia talking in Czech on a park bench.  A couple months ago I met young people here from the Ukraine.  They all look so healthy and blond, but I dare not ask them HOW THEY CAN AFFORD THE RENT!  It's been a while since I met young recent Hungarian immigrants.   But in each case, I first ask them "Are you here as a tourist or are you here to stay?"  Often they laugh or say they don't know and I suspect they came as tourists and are now trying to figure things out.

THAT IS THE WRONG THING TO DO!  A lot can go wrong, so at least PLAN AHEAD!

The world is an extremely different place than it was prior to the World Wars, and air travel and electronic communications mean that IF YOU LEAVE HUNGARY you may not be cut off from those who remain behind as my ancestors were.  That's a positive.  And it may be that visiting friends and family left behind will be as easy as affording a ticket.

Though many Hungarian men came to the United States as seasonal industrial workers and returned to Hungary to do seasonal agricultural work for the family farms before making a DECISION to become American Citizens over a hundred years ago, the process was blocked for years because of the difficult politics of the World War I era.  Hungarians were one of the ethnic groups who had to wait if their process wasn't complete because they were considered foreigners who might be spies.  Some of them waited into the 1920's.

BEFORE YOU CONSIDER LEAVING HUNGARY do extreme research on the rules for entry of the other country you hope to live in, the rules for staying, and what you may be expected to do once you get there, including how much money you should have with you since you may not legally earn any for some time.  As for the United States, life can be very different depending on the region, state, city, or local that you go to.

Consider that Hungary is providing incentives for youth to stay in the country of their birth.

HERE IS MY ADVICE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY COME TO THE UNITED STATES - MAYBE EVEN MY STATE OF CALIFORNIA!

These days there seems to be far more opportunity to learn the most useful second language in Europe and that is English.  BE SURE TO HAVE EXCELLENT LANGUAGE SKILLS before you leave and once you are in your country and city of choice, take more lessons from a local to have a good accent.  There are very few Hungarian speakers in California.  You may have to head to the local HUNGARIAN-AMERICAN CLUB to find any!

Although accented English can be charming if a person has a large vocabulary, a heavy accent can still be a barrier for employment unless you are very well educated - say in the sciences - or you have a relative that owns a restaurant.

I've met people who did jobs well beneath their education, like working at a car wash, in order to be employed and earning money at something who did progress after they were speaking well.  (Working at the car wash where I live has become the cash job for Mexicans but not so long ago you could find Israelis doing it.  There's no shame in a days work honestly done.)

CASH JOBS?  It happens all the time in the big cities, and though it's not true that no Americans want these jobs, and it is true that there can be an INS raid and you can find yourself in deep trouble, what is true is that Americans hire recent immigrants for cash because THEY WANT TO PAY LESS THAN THEY WOULD PAY AN AMERICAN.  It may be that you'll find work as a live-in nanny or maid or gardener.  More likely they will expect you to commute to their home and live elsewhere, even in with a half dozen other people in small apartments.

CLOTHING: You can wear sports shoes or casual shoes for everywhere but... Though you may find casual clothing OK for the job you get, for interviewing it's still best to dress like you're going to be the next CEO, suit and tie, serious shoes.  Tattoos?  If your body art can be seen you'll probably be thought of as an artist, musician, or part of a subculture.

SOCIAL LIFE?  MARRYING AN AMERICAN?  Read everything you can about cultural differences, especially if you are unmarried and are interested in meeting and maybe marrying someone from your chosen country.  Perhaps more than business, this is the area of social life that is most perplexing.  It is perplexing for those of us who already live here and is still sometimes called "the battle of the sexes." 

What do women want? 
What do men want?

I would think they want someone to be respectful and loving to them.

BIG CITY YOUTH are EXPERIENCED SEXUALLY and may not think of having a fling with a recent immigrant as anything but sex, not love, and not a relationship.  So if you are in the mood for a fling with an American ALWAYS USE CONTRACEPTION and PROTECTION.  There is a herpes epidemic and HIV/AIDS is still a threat.

Women should know that American men will likely think of you (or anyone from a previously Communist country of Europe) to be "exotic" or expect you to be sexier or more feminine (i.e. more willing to do everything his way) than an American born and raised women.  You may not by nature be this way but will have to speak up for yourself to be known.  It's up to you to protect yourself from predatory men.  They are out there and some of them hate innocence.  The best way to do this is to go out on the town to meet people with a like-minded girlfriend and stay sober and alert.

Men... American women are looking for responsible men who they can count on!
 
Try to make friends before you try to have a lover, but whatever you do, error on the conservative side.   Find yourself out on the town with a wild bunch?  Be careful.  You can get into troubles that they can't because you are not yet a citizen. 

SMOKING AND DRINKING?  You may have to change.  No doubt people still smoke and drink for the companies that sell cigarettes and various alcoholic drinks make a fortune.  Still, there is a huge trend towards healthy living that means that many people no longer imbibe, and it isn't even especially religious but more of a holistic and spiritual way of living and seeing life, including the conservation of Mother Earth.  There are SMOKING BANS in many cities.  You may not smoke on the street or in a restaurant when there is a smoking ban and can even get fined.

COST OF LIVING...  HIGH!  (Are you wealthy?)

An average one bedroom rental is over $1000 a month in Los Angeles, and you may have to have excellent credit and references to get it.  Aim for a two bedroom for $1200 to $1400, a compatible room mate, and an income of at least twice that, three times that is better.

Standard grocery stores are bringing in more and more organic but expensive produce and other items for sale that one used to have to go to a specialty "health food" store to buy.  On a budget it may be impossible to eat the highest quality produce.  Millions of Americans can barely afford to eat at all and use a government benefit to buy groceries.  The least expensive produce is often not surplus but ready to expire.

MEAT EATER?  Most people have cut down on how much meat they eat, especially meat like pork and beef, preferring chicken, turkey, and fish.  Partly this is because meat is becoming unaffordable, with prices going higher and higher because of the drought, partly it is the trend towards vegetarianism or Mediterranean diets.  When you see a fat American, that person is usually fat from sweets, breads, beer - carbohydrates - than overeating good foods!  There is a big emphasis on eating enough vegetables and eating twice as much vegetable than the meat on the plate.

Hungarians eating American hot dogs and versions of sausages may be disappointed and consider them bland and over-processed or drowning in condiments.

There are peppers here, the hot ones mostly in Mexican markets, but there is little zeal for cabbage.  People are eating broccoli and cauliflower more than ever.  For groceries consider that the ARMENIAN OWNED stores do import some Hungarian meats and cheeses as well as the biggest cabbages for the stuffing.

PEOPLE CARRY BOTTLED WATER WITH THEM EVERYWHERE. 

COFFEE and COFFEE HOUSES!  They're everywhere, and there are still people talking to each other in them, even though long rows of people are more attached to their lap tops and cell phones.  Search out the local, privately owned coffee houses and smaller chef or family owned restaurants. As for the coffee itself, there are so very many varieties imported that you can have your choice, but expect to pay about $2.00 on the average for coffee in a paper throw away cup, often more, and it will not be especially thick or dark.  Many people avoid any caffeine except for an early morning wake up cup.

CELL PHONES?  Opt for a PREPAID phone from Metro-PCS.  There are many small companies.  This one has unlimited everything for $40 a month and some fairly inexpensive phones.

CHURCH?  Fewer young Americans are declaring themselves to be affiliated with a church or religious.  Still church can be a good place to start socially so you may want to visit various congregations and see what you think.  Be aware that there are still cults thriving in the United States, that they didn't all end with the 1960's, and some of them are "Christian,"  so if you want to worship rather than become entrapped, stick with the big well known denominations and avoid store fronts, street preachers, and cute girls with flyers inviting you places when you land at the airport.


C 2015  Magyar American BlogSpot.  All Rights Reserved.

USE GOOGLE TRANSLATE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN HUNGARIAN!

THEY'RE ALL MILL HUNKS : STEREOTYPE OF HUNGARIAN - AMERICANS

 

This stereotype comes from the Industrial Revolution, the early 20th century, and the immigration of so many Hungarians who were leaving rural areas and rural work for the next new thing - factories. 

Of course, for the people, mostly men, who had been master craftsmen in Hungary, this wasn't too much of a change, because they had performed hard physical labor and were hands-on and detail oriented before they left the country.  As many family story goes, they were sold on the idea that the streets here were paved with Gold, thought they would make some money and go back to Hungary, and many of these men did go back and forth to Hungary, working home farms and wineries in season. Some came to the United States after working in manufacturing, including steel making, and had technical educations in Hungary before they came to the United States.

However, there were Hungarians in early colonial America - some - and there were Hungarians who marched with Freemont when he came to California to claim it for the United States. 

Hungarians who spoke German, and that was the language they went to school in once Maria Theresa instituted public education during the time when Hungary was part of the Austrian empire, could find work where Germans also worked. This was true in Texas and in New Jersey. Perhaps it's the prevailing settlement pattern.

There is nothing negative about hard work and enterprise, it's the notion that many other Americans had and still hold in some cases that the MILL HUNK is NOT INTELLIGENT.  Despite the fact that factories required SKILLED LABOR, and that the working conditions were killing - split shifts and six day work weeks for starters - pollution and heat as well - and these men labored without the representation of Unions for some time - some people simply want to believe that others are less than them somehow.

These days the manufacturing that once was has left America. The Steel Belt became the Rust Belt long ago when the steel making was sent to Japan. Many sons and grandsons of MILL HUNKS have found themselves following the next new thing - computer technology.  Some remain Blue Collar Workers while others have chosen college educations and white collar careers.

Be it that he's wearing a muscle shirt or is suited up, these men "clean up nice."

We are thankful to be here because of them.

C Magyar American 2013  All Rights Reserved