Hungarian - Qatari relations discussed

 

Minister of State for International Cooperation @Lolwah_Alkhater Meets Hungarian Foreign, Financial Ministers#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/AgU5KCtG1N

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) August 21, 2023

football related street art in Budapest

 

Budapest ideas for big brick walls in a football related theme……….just saying #afcwimbledon pic.twitter.com/A30kEkdJXU

— Simon Wheeler (@SiWheeler78) December 6, 2022

The library of my childhood

It was a dark November 🍂 afternoon when I was walking with my mom somewhere at our large compound . Passing near the cultural center I saw a lots of books 📖 and people  inside .

- What is this place ? - I asked

- The library - my mother answered . For a very small fee one can read the books there or even can take them home !

- Really ? - I asked happily 😊

- Yes - and even children can be a member . But now it is too late . We are about to move 🚚 to another town . Once settled I will take you
to their library .I promise .

It was a real WOW feeling just to learn about the existence of such facility .( I could compare it to the moment when I learned to ride my bike 🚲.) But even to be a member ! It was far beyond all my expectations !
I was seven and half and I already read all our books . Then the neighbours' books . Then I was starving and ready to devour any book I come across .I was waiting for my summer holiday visiting cousins and I was planning to read their books . Or a birthday , name day or something similar .

The existence of the library opened a new perspective to my life ☼. I praised in myself the one who invented it .I just wished to have something similar for toys and games . But my mom informed me that facility does not exists .


Moving to another town was a real cultural shock . The landscape , the people were so different .☹ But my mom kept her promise and took me to the library . That was a wonderful place ☺.It was in the town center   in an old historical building . Downstairs children's library - upstairs library for the big ones .

We had a really nice sized collection . Old books were well maintained not discarded . I read a lot .
As a result I became a ✍ good writer .Essay writing was always an easy job for me . Walking home from school the sentences ,ideas formed by themselves in my mind . I just had to write them down when arriving home .

My very best friend whom I met at age 12 was also a bookworm . We visited the library together , would read at home cracking apples . Discussing the stories after .One year later we found no books to read downstairs we read them all . So we were allowed to be a member of the library upstairs. But often returned to the kids section for its special atmosphere .

And the kids library just improved year after year . The new librarians were not only advising kids about what to read but they were ready to chat with them . They could tell them about their problems , they helped them with their home works .They provided them a shelter for the afternoons if conditions at their homes were not favorable . They organized competitions , they made some puppets and performed operas with them using their audio collection . Those librarians were real fairies .
We were very lucky .
When visiting cities later in my life I noticed that those city libraries were quite different .So impersonal and less inviting than our town's libraries .

Later it was declining - the libraries did not get much money to buy new books . It was quite sad . Especially to learn how little money our "fairies" made . They retired with very small pension . The new librarians were not similar to them . But the Internet attracted a lots of kids who could not afford it .

Yeah - when I grew up the Internet came and I "owned" whole libraries in my room . That was a real wow feeling but this is another story .

P.S. similar facility for toys and games opened when I was in my twenties - my kids visited it and liked it very much ...

A cute Syrian toddler at Keleti Railway station

Around 3 thousand Syrian refugees are waiting for the trains to take them to Germany ,Keleti Railways station , Budapest , Hungary .Trains are not going to Western Europe at all !
The frustrated people left without information during the day , they are supposed to register and wait in a camp for further action .Many of them bought tickets and spent all their money on the tickets then not allowed to travel .

Airbus A330-243 takeoff and landing - Emirates' new route

Oct 27, 2014
Emirates' new route from Dubai to Budapest . Welcome Emirates!

Budapest - Tehran luxury train journey

Budapest - Tehran luxury train   arrived in Tehran yesterday . The passengers were mostly wealthy Britons and Australians .It cost them more than  $3o thousand.Two weeks on train ! I like trains very much but it is so difficult to imagine that so much time can be enjoyable . The Golden
Eagle Danube Express train, operated
by Hungarian Railways -it offers decorated beautiful carriages and city tours in Iran .
What an unusual route and way to travel abroad !


I miss trains so much in Qatar !


some photos found on twitter !
thank you for sharing .

You can now take a train, the Golden Eagle Danube Express, from Budapest to Zanjan, Iran: http://t.co/GwsUm8miiw
— sam haselby (@HaselbySam) October 27, 2014

#VisitIran in 'Five-star' luxury. 'Golden Eagle Danube Express' to link Hungary and #Iran http://t.co/zFZifVpGVx pic.twitter.com/rboOxL4PFI
— Patrick McDermott (@P_McDermott) September 2, 2014

I like my bike

MY POST ABOUT CYCLING WAS WRITTEN IN 2008
Riding a bike in Qatar ? No way .
It is very dangerous on the roads and there are no bike paths at all .
During Ramadan when in afternoon the streets become deserted in the afternoon then it is nice .

---------------------------------

I like my bike. I left it in Hungary — it had served me faithfully for so many years.

On the Great Plain of Hungary, the bicycle is more than just a sport or hobby; it’s a means of transport. Simple and practical, it’s how we go to the market or get around town. Over the years, we’ve seen more and more bike paths built — even in Budapest, there are now dedicated lanes for cyclists.

I learned to ride a bike when I was six. It was actually my father’s bike — far too big for me. He would hold me from behind until that glorious moment when I finally managed to keep my balance on my own.

I got my very first bike when I was eight. I had been saving up for a whole year. At the end of the school year, my parents added to my savings, and together we bought a second-hand bike that had never been used. It was just my size. It shone in the sun and had that distinctive metallic smell. I was so happy.

But it was stolen from me during the very first week.

My parents felt so sorry for me that they bought me another one soon after. And  a  lock  ! 

Lost on a train - my childhood stories

 from my childhood stories

It was a wonderful trip with my father to Budapest .I do not remember exactly why and how but we traveled to the capital and visited my uncle and my cousins . We had great time together and Budapest ,the metropolis was always full of wonders for the little girl who I used to be .
Our two or three days were filled with joy and fun and when the time came then we took the train as usually to ride along Lake Balaton to reach our home hundreds of kilometer far ...Traveling together was pure joy . The beauty of the nature and the kids magazine that dad bought for me on the train made me feel that all the time was very special ! When the  young man who was selling sandwiches and coffee came then my dad bought a coffee for himself .  I asked him to buy for me some chestnut puree which looked so delicious  with some whipped cream on the top . I did not suspect then that this sweet treat  would turn our dream journey into a nightmare .

Summer at lake Balaton Canvas Prints by almawad
Browse more Lake balaton Canvas Prints

It was a very hot day and the whipped cream must have been stale on the chestnut puree ! At least it made me sick soon after I had it  and I threw up the whole  thing . This was just the beginning of the troubles . After cleaning me - my father was looking for potable water on the train -but nobody had any of that . Two hours or more ride was ahead of us and it was scorching heat .
"There is no other solution than getting out of the train and filling your bottle at the tap" said the conductor woman on the train . She consulted her timetables then she added " We will wait 20 minutes at the next railway station - you will have plenty of time to get water "
So my father left the train . I promised him to keep sitting there where I was whatever happens !
I was waiting quietly . One fellow passenger looked out of the window and told me " lots of folks at the tap - you must be patient ,little girl !"
So was I .
Then I heard the sound of whistle soon . Then the train was rolling under me . I could not understand the whole thing ! But one thing was clear : only some minutes passed after my father left the train and he was not back !

As the train started to gain full speed my hope to see my father faded . Suddenly I wished to cry - but I kept telling myself : "Do not cry ! There is no problem ! If you cry then it means there is a problem ! "
A fellow passenger looked up from his magazine "little girl - your father did not come back ?"
"No"
Then he went on reading ...
The conductor woman soon arrived excited ." Little girl ,your father missed the train - but do not worry I will take you home once we arrive " "what is your name address - can you tell me please ?"
Luckily ,my mother taught us well our personal details.Though I was so little but I knew all my personal data by heart .Then the conductor woman was relieved ."so no need to go to the police to find your family" "Do not worry your father is coming soon in the next train "
I looked at her at that moment like a savor !

All these things made me quiet but also made me wonder about other things :" what will my mom say when she sees me with this woman and my father lost ." "what will she say when it turns out that all the problems started because of that chestnut puree because I wanted it so much " 'will she blame me for all that ?"

But I did not have to think about those things for a long time ...
The train started to slow down  and we were approaching another railway station ... The door opened violently and my dad stormed into the compartment .He just hugged me and did not say a word . He was not able to....He was exhausted !

I could not understand anything nor did the other passengers !
Then came the conductor woman and started to yell at him : " You made a terrible thing it could have cost you your life ! It is strictly forbidden to jump on a train while it is moving "
Then my father shouted back and other passengers were angry with that woman who made a terrible mistake when consulting her timetables  and gave wrong information about the time the train would spend at that station.

Finally everything became quiet around me ...And sitting in my father's lap I could listen to his story ....

When it was his turn at the tap then the train started to move . He filled the bottle and was running after the train . He was running more than two kilometers when he managed to jump on the last carriage . All he could do was to hold himself tight while the train was at full speed .He could open the door and enter only when the train was slowing down ...

He knew very well how dangerous all of it was .. But he felt he must do it because all the time a terrible image haunted him : his little daughter opens the train's door wishing to find his dad and falls out of the carriage ...

Since that time I had known that my daddy is a real hero ...

DO you adore trains like I do ? See this Hungarian trainspotting page !

ladybug family by almawad
design your own business card online on www.Zazzle.com

People suffering from asthma find relief in the underground cave in my hometown Tapolca , Hungary . The high humidity and the 13C -18 C degree cures many respiratory problems .It is part of the town hospital - actually it is right under the hospital building . Does not it sound like a miracle ? A hospital is built then a cave with healing power is found beneath ?

Is Hungarian similar to Persian ?

Where are you from ?
asked me the driver at the end of our ride .
From Hungary .
Hungary ? Is it in the USA ?
No , it is in Europe .
I see . So you speak farsi? ( Persian)
Not at all, we have our own language Hungarian .
Similar to farsi not ?

 That is a big  question !
 The taxi driver is not an expert just heard as speaking our language and it sounded him Persian .Officially the Finnish language is the closest relative of the Hungarian but in the 19th century there were researches pointing to the Sumerian ,Sanskrit ,Persian languages .

RECYCLING IS FUN .
It is a most enjoyable thing . Before moving to Qatar it was like a social event for us . My friends and me went together to buy secondhand clothes which came by hundreds of kilos and were available for one day only . It was like a treasure hunting . While we were looking for the thing that was worth buying we were chatting around the huge tables set up for this event at the cultural house of the town . And so many things were there . For some women it became a passion - they became addicted ... not the poor ones .
Here it is impossible to do similar things . People are so snob here . Everybody wants new thing only . Secondhand clothes are for the poor Indians at the Najma market ... Though Hungary is not as rich as Qatar but there the really poor get free clothes from so many organizations ... for example my mum is collecting secondhand clothes all the year around in the shed - then once a year she rents a small room in the town center and let the needy know about it . Her one day charity is always a succes .
There might be here similar thing but I have never heard about that .

Recycling is not only fun but nowadays it is a must .
I really would like to find out where can I place our clothes we do not need anymore !

SYMPHONY OF GREEN - recycle by almawad
Make your own custom printed sticker on www.Zazzle.com
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Tips and tricks on eco- friendly housekeeping !

I would rather be at Lake Balaton !

Travelling by train in Hungary
travelling by train was always a great pride for me .I used to be very proud of our country and our railways . I was very sad seeing the last ten years how the rails are neglected and how many little railway station is closed .
Here in Qatar there is no train .I heard plans about skyline train but I do not know ho w serious were those plans .
The nearest train station from here is around 800 km away ;it is in Basra ,Iraq .Thus I spend her my summers without the joy of riding a train .

The Hippie and the conductor

Everything was fun on the train .I enjoyed the speed ,the tunnels ,the buffet , the magazine for kids , the conversation of the adults ,the view of Lake Balaton .There used to be only one thing I hated : the conductor .She /He used to come with a grim face "tickets please " then my parents always got scared as they had something to fear -and served her/him our tickets .he/She checked them with superiority and gave them back then I saw my parents getting relief .Other passengers used to behave  the same way .It was weird all in all .
Once a strange man entered our compartment : he was barefoot ,he had big beard and long hair .He was wearing striped jeans and a waste coat without anything under just his bare skin .
"Can I sit here ?" -he had asked with docile face .
Everybody had a shock on his face -but they answered : "yes ,you can ."
There was a big silence after that .The man with a strange look closed his eyes - and fell asleep or at least he pretended to do so ."hippie " the passengers whispered to each other .
Half an hour later the conductor came : Tickets !!!
The man did not react .She shook him very much .When he opened his eyes he looked innocently to her ."Ticket ?"
He checked all his pockets .There were a lot in his jeans and bag .He was quiet and did not seemed to be scared at all .Everybody was mute .When he finished checking all  his outfit  then he told to the conductor :"it seems that I do not have ticket " - everybody was scared hearing about such a big mistake but him .
The conductor was scared  from his tranquility as well .In her most polite voice she just answered :" Then please leave the train at the next stop "
So he did . After he left I asked my mum about him : "a hippie" she answered smiling .
 Then I admired him very much and at once I decided to be a hippie when I grow up and I will never be afraid of anybody especially not of big headed conductors ...

Sweet Memories by almawad
See other Strawberry Photo Cards

A SONG FOR THE HOMESICK HUNGARIANS
especially for those who have some nice memories of our capital .

HAPPY EASTER !

Creating an Easter ambiance here in Doha is difficult .We do not have spring here at this time - it is like summer 21C -31C .After that -there are no tulips or daffodils here -at least I did not ever see those flowers here .Our relatives are not here either : essential thing for a great holiday .Especially that the Great Hungarian Sprinkling Day at Easter requires male relatives who would sprinkle on you some water .( my husband never understands why it is so important for us )
What do we have ? Eggs to dye .Red food color . Internet to keep in touch .Delicious cakes I bought at the Center supermarket .Their bakery is really wonderful and I am a little bit tired to bake .And Duna tv to watch some old American film and other one on the life of Mother Teresa .That's how a Hungarian Easter in Doha .

Daffodil surprise!
by

drmilleranderson

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at Zazzle

Talmacsi,the Hungarian did not win the Losail race as he had planned .His motorcycle let him down .
However I am very proud of him - and it is a great feeling that one of my compatriots is performing very well here in Qatar .
My male relatives in Hungary were very much excited about this race .They strongly encouraged me to go to Losail to support him .The race took place 10 pm - and I do not know exactly how to get to Losail .The guys of our family could not really understand how I can miss such important event !:)
HAJRA MAGYAROK !

Hungary Flag Mousepad
by

FlagAndMap

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at Zazzle

hungary
by

almawad

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A SIXTY -FIVE YEAR OLD STORY

It was a very strange evening in Al- Bida park . It was late March - the weather started getting warm . After sunset it became all misty . The fog covered the park not evenly but in patches . When the park 's lights were on -it became even more whimsical .I was watching people walking on the paths - and disappearing in the dense fog then appearing again . Young ,slender girls walked into the mist like serious fairies in their black outfit and walked out of it .
. Pop corn, curry , biriyani , cardamom smell all mixed with the cool air from the sea . The park was loud with happy families relaxing , having picknick ,playing . Apart from the weather -it was a usual Friday night .
We met our friends there . Our children were playing ball and we were having hot tea and samosas and telling stories of our childhood .
Riding home we got stuck in a traffic jam . MY husband started to talk about the new car that we should buy .
And while he went on analysing the different models -I hardly could hear what he was telling .
IN my mind a picture appeared , a blurred but irresistible one . I stared into the lines of car to see he picture sharply :

I saw a woman walking on a country road . She was walking slowly with a big packet on her back . Hopelessly she moved forward . On her back there was a child crying :" Is it still far ?"
" Hush " - she kept answering " Soon we will be at home " - but less and less hope she had .Will somebody would feel sorry for her and take them?..
People in her village did no like what she did . When something started to grow on the neck of her little child
they kept telling her ;" God gave the child God takes her " ""we are not aristocrats , but poor villagers - we can not afford an operation "
But my grandmother had different view on this . She sold whatever she could and went to the town's hospital .
The doctor was rude to her ;" What do you want , Woman ?"
"Please , remove this from her neck " she was pointing to the small ball sized thing growing on her daughters neck .
"Where is your husband ?" " I am divorced ,I have no husband ." The doctor became furious hearing that :
" No husband ? What do you think ?An operation is too much money !!"
"Please ,listen to me ""It is true ,I have no husband -but I do have money ,I sold whatever I could - and if it is not enough I still have some lands to sell "
This way the doctor was ready to examine the little girl .He did not look into the her eyes when he took the money .Only little remained - my grandmother had to pay for accommodation and bought a little ,cheap toy for the five year old with a wound on her neck ...
There was no money left for paying for a bus ticket or horsed carriage ...
She took the child in the morning from the hospital and at sunset still there were some kilometres ahead of them . She had expected to arrive home before midnight . But there were also good men in her village .One of them stopped and took them home on his carriage ...

The next morning my grandmother went to the market to sell her fruit and vegetables and bought pigeons for the little girl .She had fed her by pigeon soup and she was living on bread and water . She was in great mood .She won .In spite of all the talk of the village -she saved her little girl .The doctor told her that type of cancer will not grow back most probably .
And he was right ! MY mum has just celebrated her 70 th birthday !


Slowly we arrived home from the park .We were packing our things and trying to arrange our memories . The misery of 1940 's today is only history in Hungary . But Europe is a long way from here . The distance is painfully big at times !

SZABO MAGDA , the much beloved Hungarian writer died some weeks ago . She was ninety and had a very exciting life and carrier .A woman novelist ,a great teacher .I must stop and think about her . WE met 27 years ago . I was a teenage girl she was the famous writer .She came to visit her cousin to the little town where my brother graduated from the secondary school . The form teacher of my brother happened to be cousin with the great writer and she had promised the visit on the farewell day of the class .The school building was from 18 th century , baroque style . It used to be monastery .ON the farewell days in my country all the school buiding is decorated by flowers .The students before the final exams walk along the classes and sing a farewell song .All of it was very romantic .She was there: a very simple person with very simple manners .
How nice to remember her !
IN her last interview she said this sentence : " I have had a deep fear in my soul since my early childhood : if I do not listen to those who want to talk to me then God is not going to listen to me either ."

Part of her great success was that she was a great listener !

learn more about her in English

Christmas story or the ugly book's tale

 1970 was a pretty difficult year .   My father saw no other way to   rise the family's living standard  than going to the capital to study  for a year  in hope of getting a better position   . It made us suffer financially and emotionally as well .  How much I missed  him ! He came home just for a short visit for the weekends . On Sundays he had to leave  us right after our lunch . After kissing him good-bye at the bus station my mum was walking home with grim face – then before arriving home she burst out crying .  Usually , I  could not help  crying with her - we were sobbing in the street . The next door women were laughing at us .” Hey ,are you crazy ? /” He is coming back next week – he didn't go to war , but to college ."

It was hard for my mum .She was left alone with three  little kids and very little money .My father had to concentrate on his studies . We had to suffer for a better future .

Christmas was very near and my mother had very little money for presents . She hoped to get something unexpected : bonus or some money from my father – but nothing came .She had to arrange all the presents somehow on her own means ..
The shops were going to close and remain closed for Christmas time when
my mother ran to the toy shop : she had found a wooden toy car for my little brother and a doll for me – after paying she was left with very little money .” could you suggest something for a nine year old boy ?” she asked „for this money we've a book „ she had pointed to a ugly looking book with grey cover in the shop window . It was meant for summer visitors – a travel book on lake Balaton at discount price .
„ No „ was the first reaction of my mum „ „ it can not be a present for him „
We do not have anything else -and sorry we are closing „ Are you taking the book or not ?”

My mother recognized that she had no other option . She bought an ugly looking discount priced book for her first born son . What will he say when he sees it under the tree? What a life ! How far were her dreams from the reality !

My father arrived  just some hours before exchanging gifts .He was not scared at all  when my mum told him about the book .” I will arrange that „ he had told her with confidence . (They never lied us about the presents – it was always clear for us that they bought it or they prepared them on their own .)

„ My son „ „ You get no toys this winter , because we thought with your mum that you are big enough to have a book instead – and not any book but a book written for adults . I consider that you are smart enough to read it and tell us later about it" 
That was my father's trick .
 And  it worked wonderfully ! My brother was not disappointed but proud !He started to read as soon as he found some free time . And the book  despite its ugly cover turned out to be very interesting : it told stories ,legends on the origin of the mountains and hills surrounding us . We had lived in Tapolca basin surrounded by so many different type of mountains . He had learned a lot about them .First he told these stories only  for us at home . Then he shared his knowledge with his buddies as well .Finally he became famous in the neighbourhood as an expert of mountains -and often even adults stopped him and asked him to tell about the story of this or that mountain .

When they asked amazed:where did you learn all this ?: he answered proudly : from a book I got for Christmas .

Epiloge

My brother is in his fourtiies nowadays and he still knows a lot on that area ,he loves the books and had learnt a lots of different hobbies merely from books wihtout tutors .And of course he still remembers with pleasure to that ugly looking book ...