Toyota

 According to history, in 1933 President Hoover signed the Buy American Act. This rule is requiring companies who have contracts with the federal government  contracts to buy products from u companies. rather than from foreign countries. 

I believe this was a good rule. I know it was in force when I was working because we had to abide by it. I don't know if it is still in force or just in principle. I also believe that municipal governments should also observe this Act because they are just as American as the federal government. Actually, maybe even more because they are the closest to the people they represent.

As it is known I live in New York City. The other day my wife and I were driving and I saw two cars with city government license plates. Both cars were Toyotas. No matter how we look at it Toyota is not an american brand. Even if it is assembled in the US, it still a Japanese car.

Why the municipal government of New York City needs to purchase Japanese cars rather than American made?

I am not talking about patriotism, I am talking about common sense. I am sure in Japan the official cars are all Japanese made and not American made.

Time off

Because of a family visitor in our house, I will take time off from now until some times next week. I don't think it is polite for me to sit here and bang away while the guest is here. She might think I am writing about her (she would probably be right).

Real Baseball

Yesterday I was watching the Kansas City- NY Yankees baseball game. Not for long but long enough to come to the conclusion that baseball is a disgusting game, baseball players are behaving like oaves. They know that they are on national tv yet, they do not curtail themselves.

With their constant chewing like cows and spitting I don't think there is another sport where the participants behave like this.

Anyway, I am "glued" to the set because the game was so intense when the Kansas pitcher decided it was time to blow his nose which he did front of millions of people watching him. Right on national tv this idiot blows both of his nostrils, wipes his hand on his uniform then grabs the ball in that same hand and rubs it. After this he went on to scratch his genitals. Maybe this is the original greaseball?

It was not a pretty sight. And tv would not have decency to switch to onother view, they have to show everything no matter how disgusting it is. I know there is an explanation for every action but soccer players, football players or any other sport participants do not act this way.

I know in the old days they stuffed their faces with chewing tobacco, now it is gum by the pound. I can not imagine what the grass field and their dugouts must look like.

Travel

In the "good old days" there was a Hungarian airline called Malev. This airline had daily pretty good nonstop flights between New York and Budapest. Thanks to the total mismanagement by the Hungarian government and the airline's russian owners it was forced to go out of business in 2012. Now here is a country without its own airline. 

This is not something to be proud of. Every normal country in Europe has an official airline except Hungary. Shame on them. This makes travel to Hungary very complicated.

One would not realize that even though Budapest is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city with a major airport, but getting there from North America is a major hurdle. It seems that going to Kabul is a lot easier than finding good flights to Budapest Airport. 

Now that traveling is gradually easing up, we are trying to find ways for a short family visit but the available means are pretty uncomfortable. For one there are no direct flights. Other difficulties include either too long or too short wait times between flights at transfer points. There are also baggage limitations on most carriers. 

Some transfers are at extremely busy airports like London or Paris with insufficient time allowed. Amsterdam airport for one has some weird virus check requirement that makes going that way almost impossible. Prices like in everything else are high. Advertisements surface with unbelievable low prices but by the time we go through it the actual price is way too high. Yes, there are low cost flights but one has to be agreeable to wait about 32 hours for the connection without leaving the airport. Now, this is ridiculous. 

So, the search goes on.

  

Hungaricum

Hungarian is a very peculiar language. There is no similarity to any languages in this world. It is very difficult because there are many special rules and really there are no rules. I feel sorry and admiration toward anyone who chooses to learn Hungarian.

The language is filled with words that have outside origins and I show a few:

szervusz is a familiar way to greet a friend a collegue. This word originate from servus, the Latin word for servant or slave. (Servus is also the origin of the word "serf".) The phrase is an ellipsis of a Latin expression servus humillimus, domine spectabilis, meaning "[your] most humble servant, [my] noble lord". No subservience is implied in its modern use, which has the force of "at your service"

haver is a close friend.   Chaver is the Hebrew word for 'friend'. Very interesting that Hungarians use a word with Hebrew origin.

kukorica  is the Hungarian word for corn. This word likely originated from the serb and croate word kukuruz.

Sólet is a very popular traditional Jewish bean creation. Sólet is a variant of Cholent, the traditional Jewish Shabbat dish.  

This is the end of my hungarian lesson for the day. 

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Garbage

I was born in Hungary, I grew up in Hungary, at least my fist 20 years. I love Hungarian food and a few other things. I lived through WWII and the ghetto period. Thank God my immediate family and I survived the persecution. I don't dislike Hungary but I came to the conclusion that Hungarians are a garbage people.

They are lowlife, discriminating, hating everybody people. They hate the jews, the gypsies and their next door neighbors.

Short story: there is a very popular Budapest soccer club who has an ultra right fanbase. This club was close to going broke, going out of business. A Hungarian jewish businessman came to the rescue and bought this club and infused enough capital to keep it going. Now what did the "grateful"Hungarian fans did on the first match under the new owner? They put up signs saying "the train is leaving to Auschwitz".

Unfortunately, this hooligan mentality is spreading everywhere and the government is not doing anything to curtail it.

Recently an israeli movie was shown in Budapest. The movie basically criticized the orthodox way of life but it was still a tatefully done true story. The Hungarian aboriginese criticised the movie and threw all kinds of hurtful things at the orthodox and jewish people.

This hatred is there, buried under a false facade, and waiting for the first sign to wake up. That is why it was easy for the nazis to find sympathizers and helpers in their programs. During the soviet times this was all hidden but when the Soviet Union stopped existing and Hungary became the master of its own future old hatreds started to come alive. Just hoping that it will not go too far.

But, garbage can change its color, but the smell remains.   

Robin, Again

 Our routine is that Robin has to go out every five to six hours otherwise there is a possibility of an accident. He is pretty good at holding it but still. better be safe than sorry.

So, the last walk of the day is between 11 and midnight. I usually don't go on the daytime walks, those are handled between my wife and Abigail. But for the late night walk I go because I am the "great protector". The streets are pretty empty, and I feel better knowing my wife is not there alone.

But, interestingly there are days or rather nights when there are people out. We live in a very quiet residential area, and people out late is a little unusual. This is a predominantly jewish area but Friday nights are always more people filled. Families with little kids are going home from whatever they come from. I guess they celebrate Sabbath somewhere else, and when the party is over then they go home.

There are a lots of people who walk their dogs at that time. And thet creates a nuisance. Robin wants to say hello to every dog he sees and that is not a quiet thing. People are not very fond of dogs "talking" to each other outside their windows around midnight. So, when we see a dog approaching we go to the other side of the street in order to avoid it. Robin is not very happy about this move but hey, he is the littlest of us all, and he is on the leash (me too, but that's another story)

There is a street corner here where there is a huge tree growing black raspberries. Those berries are falling on the sidewalk and are covering the surface. Interestingly, Robin loves this fruit. When we go this way he is like a vacuum cleaner. Picks up every piece he can, and so far he didn't have any stomach problem. Figuring he likes this fruit, the other day we bought a box of blackberries at the fruit stand. Put out four pieces, he ate one and left the others.

I guess he only likes it when it is on the street, half squashed and not in the civilized way.

Finicky little shit.

Nothing

 Day of rest and brain recharging.

Juneteenth

Yesterday the federal government declared Juneteenth a federal holiday. I had no idea what that day was and what was its significance. But I read and now I am smarter. 

Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. 

Ok, fine. Will this be another holiday when people will not go to work, all workplaces will be closed? Or just a day when municipal and government employees get another day off in addition to their multitude of holidays?

Slavery in any shape or form is a terrible thing. But there were historical periods in this world when it was the norm. In Egypt, in ancient Greece, the bed of civilization, in Rome, in several European, Asian, South American and African countries that was the way of life. The week and the conquered became slaves.

Unfortunately, this country also took its place in history as a slave nation. But today, that is all part of  the past. There is no need to dwell on it, just remember it and learn from its experience.

Hitler, killed six million Jews in the 1940s. In 1945 the gates of the concentration camps opened and the war was over.  The surviving human skeletons were allowed to finally taste freedom.

Why don't we have a national holiday to celebrate this?

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Sun

Usually around this time, in previous years I was already sun tanned. As soon as the weather got milder beach visits were the priority programs. This way, by the time I got to the Caribbean I was already prepared for the strong sun. Thsi was not the smartest thing I did in my life but at the times it looked good and I never thought of the consequences.

Now I am paying the piper. Almost everything that is wrong with my skin is the caused by sun damage, according to my dermatologists. Well, looking back at my experiences I would say, it is ok now, it was worth it. Not the smartest thing, I know but what is done is done.

When we went on vacation recently, in 2019, I seriously protected myself. When in the water, shirt on, when in the sun, shirt on and hat on. Takes all the fun out of summer. Not very easy to swim with a wet shirt on one's back.

But what I miss the most even with these restrictions is the beach. I used to go out at least three times a week. Last year not once, and this year does not promise to be any different. My family is not very beach oriented, even though Abigail already visited a beach here with her boyfriend.

My wife has sensitive skin and understandably not much of a sun worshipper. So, I am locked in the apartment, dreaming of the sand and surf. Maybe, when we have chance to go to Hawaii, or the Caribbean I will be able to get a little enjoyment.

Is this what old age is about?

Geneva

We just saw the French Open tennis tournament. Like any other tennis tournaments this was not any different, except a few surprises. But that's not important. What I want to address now is something different.

Two players are on the field, each trying to better the other. Win at any costs is the slogan. This is not a contact sport but if the opponent gets hurt even better. Throughout the game they are eyeing each other with hateful eyes. If looks could kill these matches would be a lot shorter. 

After the game they all do the mandatory interview which is basically each player plays homage to the opponent. Each player notes what a great opponent the other one was. This is nothing but a mutual admiration society meeteing.

Today, Biden and Putin met in Geneva. These two hate each other like no others. Each one would be happy if the other did not exist yet, they thk  in a cordial atmosphere. What each privately think of the other is not yet known but surely there is animosity.

After they met, they each held press conferences where they expressed their feelings toward the other. Just like the tennis players each one remarked what a great guy the other one was.

At least in tennis the winner gets around $2,000,000 while the loser just $1,000,000. I wonder how much the Geneva players got?  

Robin, again

Today I might not have enough time to write about anything worthwhile. This morning we are taking Robin for his monthly beauty salon treatment and that will take up a few hours. He hates it but it is worth it. He looks so cute and clean afterwards that if he could see himself in the mirror he would agree with me.

The beautification includes shampoo, trimming, nail cutting. He must be very healthy because in four weeks his hair grew back pretty good, that is why we are trying to keep the four week schedule. It is almost summer, and the long hair makes him warm and uncomfortable.

Besides, he is white and after a few walks in street and his feet are all black. Interestingly, at home he behaves like a lion. Protective and barks at anything and anybody. At the grooming place he is like a big pussy. Not a peep out of him. I wonder what goes through his head. Maybe he thinks we are abandoning him. He is always extremely happy to see us when the time is here to pick him up.

Yesterday's walks were cut short because every time I went out with him (twice) as soon as we got to the corner it started to rain pretty heavy, resulting in fast withdrawals to the house. Resulting my wife and I getting soaked. He hates the rain so, he was leading the returns.

Fair

Yesterday, Sunday there was a street fair in our neighborhood. This annual event was not held last year because of the pandemic so, the big turnout was understandable, and the good weather was also a contributing factor.

The way life is, this was my main social event. The family went out to be seen and to check out what was available. In short it was ok.

There were political candidates, there was food and ample supply of things to buy. Things one normally would not buy but these wendors make us believe their merchandises are the best deals on town. We were strong and resisted all temptations...

There were a few food items that I liked and fell for. One was freshly pressed sugar cane juice. Teven if it is not very hehis is great stuff. I used to drink it in St. Maarten and I loved it. The downside of it was that a cup filled halfway up with ice and the rest with the juice cost $8. Pretty steep.

The other thing I like is fresh grilled sausage on a large bun with fried stuff with it. Every time we go to this fair I have to have one and yesterday was no exception. It is really very tasty even if it is not very healthy. Maybe that is why it tastes so good. This one's downside is that it costs $15. My wife and I each had one, there went $30.

I don't remember the previous prices but I am sure they went up. And, I don't hink Biden had anything to do with it.  

Leadership

Now, that we are in the midst of our political campaign season the candidates are all over to be seen and heard. Their phony attitude is becoming more and more obvious as the days go by. Each and every one want to show what an ordinary person he or she is.

They show themselves to be approachable, friendly, and one of us regular people. I guess this is also taught in political science classes. They are everything but that.

Once elected, they are beyond approach, promises not kept and they all talk their way out of any calamity they cause or getting into. No wonder, most of them are lawyers.

Political office seekers lie and cheat and get away with it. During campaign season they all walk around with a halo over their heads and make us believe that they can walk on water. They want us to believe that they are the answer to the problems the current office holder created regardles who that might be.

There is no racial discrimination in this country yet, every political office seeker blatantly plays the race card. By doing that they are emphasizing discrimination. But I guess they teach that also in political science classes.

It turns my stomach to see how they dance, play games, mingle and go to diners to talk to ordinary people in a show of being one of us. They are everything but one of us.

In New York City's mayoral campaign I can not find one candidate who in my opinion is qualified. One is a chinese businessman who seems to run in every election for whatever office is available, one is an African American politician who plays the black card, one is a former City commissioner (woman)  and one is a jewish City office holder who wants a promotion. And these are just the democrats. I don't know who the republicans are but I am sure they are not any better either.

I know my vote alone will not make any difference but still, I will think hard before Election Day. 

  

Getting Too Big

This morning (not early) my wife and I needed to go out for an errand. We got home around noon. We are expecting a FedEx package since yesterday. Early afternoon, when the package did not yet arrive we tracked it and found out that there was an "attempt" to deliver it but since they claim "Costumer not available" it was not left here. 

Very curious, because every day FedEx drops packages in the main entry hall of our building and people go there to find what is theirs (or what is not theirs). Why this time FedEx decided to be reliable is a mystery. I believe the driver did not feel like delivering our package into the building and just kept on driving.

I called their help line and got no help at all. I was told the redelivery is scheduled for next Tuesday. This is unheard of. Not that it was not delivered on the initially promised day (Friday), now we have to wait until next Tuesday to get it. It supposed to be back at their depot but we can not go there to collect it because that place is not set up for that kind of service.

I believe FedEx getting too big for it britches.

Election

When a herd of elephants are moving, they always follow one, who might be the leader. When the cows move in a large group, they always follow one in the front even if they don't know that one. Any animal group in their movements follow a kind of leader even if that leader leads them into their peril. 

Well, it seems that mankind is the same way. My Mother always told me not to be a follower. She said I should follow my instincts and not to listen to others. And, I am trying to live u to that teaching.

In New York City major elections are looming. From mayor down to several city positions are up for grabs. Television, as usual is filled with ads declaring the virtues of each of the candidates. These declarations are being done by the chest beating candidates themselves.

Each one of them has a slew of big name supporters, including unions and newspapers. They all trying to influence poor simple minded me for my vote.Well, it ain't gona happen!

Some of these supporters are the exact reason why I wouldn't vote for one or the other. Rep. Ocasio-Cortes,  Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Jerry Nadler are the specific ones that I do not like and their support for a candidate assures that he will not get my vote.

The way I look at it, if they have a supportee that means they also have an understanding. Instructions will be given and instructions will be observed. They are all crooked, they just work toward different goals. A newspaper's support means just as much. The way I look at it a newspaper today is only good for one thing: wrapping things. The New York Times is specially good for this task because of its size. But who the hell is the Times to tell me who should I vote for?

When the time comes I will make up my own mind and not because some crooked politician tells me to.

The Code

With the exception of my wife we are well. She is having headaches, her arm hurt and just does not feel well. Abigail, Robin and I feel ok. For a clinical trial this is pretty uneventful. 

There is a movement in Europe where a very large group of doctors (about 2,000) are going to court claiming that forcing the vaccine on people is similar to the nazi's method where people had no choice because they were forced to take part in human experiments.

In 1947 they came out with The Nuremberg Code. This code establishes rules to make sure that there will be no more human experiments without voluntary legal consent of the subject.

This laswsuit claims that the application of the vaccine is forced on the people and thus is against the Nuremberg Code. I am very curious to see how this will turn out.

The Nuremberg Code (1947)

Permissible Medical Experiments

The great weight of the evidence before us to effect that certain types of medical experiments on human beings, when kept within reasonably well-defined bounds, conform to the ethics of the medical profession generally. The protagonists of the practice of human experimentation justify their views on the basis that such experiments yield results for the good of society that are unprocurable by other methods or means of study. All agree, however, that certain basic principles must be observed in order to satisfy moral, ethical and legal concepts:

1. The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. This means that the person involved should have legal capacity to give consent; should be so situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, overreaching, or other ulterior form of constraint or coercion; and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision. This latter element requires that before the acceptance of an affirmative decision by the experimental subject there should be made known to him the nature, duration, and purpose of the experiment; the method and means by which it is to be conducted; all inconveniences and hazards reasonably to be expected; and the effects upon his health or person which may possibly come from his participation in the experiment.
   
   The duty and responsibility for ascertaining the quality of the consent rests upon each individual who initiates, directs, or engages in the experiment. It is a personal duty and responsibility which may not be delegated to another with impunity.
2. The experiment should be such as to yield fruitful results for the good of society, unprocurable by other methods or means of study, and not random and unnecessary in nature.
3. The experiment should be so designed and based on the results of animal experimentation and a knowledge of the natural history of the disease or other problem under study that the anticipated results justify the performance of the experiment.
4. The experiment should be so conducted as to avoid all unnecessary physical and mental suffering and injury.
5. No experiment should be conducted where there is an a priori reason to believe that death or disabling injury will occur; except, perhaps, in those experiments where the experimental physicians also serve as subjects.
6. The degree of risk to be taken should never exceed that determined by the humanitarian importance of the problem to be solved by the experiment.
7. Proper preparations should be made and adequate facilities provided to protect the experimental subject against even remote possibilities of injury, disability or death.
8. The experiment should be conducted only by scientifically qualified persons. The highest degree of skill and care should be required through all stages of the experiment of those who conduct or engage in the experiment.
9. During the course of the experiment the human subject should be at liberty to bring the experiment to an end if he has reached the physical or mental state where continuation of the experiment seems to him to be impossible.
10. During the course of the experiment the scientist in charge must be prepared to terminate the experiment at any stage, if he has probable cause to believe, in the exercise of the good faith, superior skill and careful judgment required of him, that a continuation of the experiment is likely to result in injury, disability, or death to the experimental subject.

Vaccine 2

Well, I am still here. So far nothing. No after effects. My wife's arm hurts, mine do not. Maybe I am strong as an ox. Who knows.

But here is something interesting I read about the Pfizer vaccine. It is untested and because of that they really don't know its long term effect. Basically, what the information sheet says they know very little about this vaccine. Now, I can understand why they were asking all these information supposedly for the state because we are the guinea pigs. It seems we are all participants in a huge clinical trial. Shall we call it the Fauci trial?

Very assuring! I have vaccine in me, and nobody really know what it will do! Now, in three weeks they are supposed to administer the second "installment" because they claim that is how it works. They say but they don't have the scientific date to prove it. Maybe thay are saying it so they can sell double quantities and thus double their profits.

So, who do we trust?

Vaccine

Today is the day that we as a family are getting the first vaccine. Honestly, I am not a happy camper. I do not feel any safer with the vaccine in me than if I did not get it. Results of this thing's effect are so confusing that it is unbelievable.

I am 100 percent believer that this is a hoax, a world conspiracy. It is a political weapon forced on the stupid population towards some hellish goal. A goal which is controlled by Gates and company or even above them. Their aim is to depopulate the earth and make it more livable for the remainder. It is not whithout reason that in Europe there are scientists who are not afraid to speak up and show proof of the ineffectiveness of the vaccine. In this country they are silenced by Fauci and others.

The pharmaceutical companies get on the bandwagon because of the easy money they can make. They really do not care about the effectiveness of their product. Good earnings will make people happy. The government with Biden up front is pushing this by making live more and more difficult for the ones who reject to bow down, like no flying, no public entertainement and many other things.

Why am I getting this if I am so strongly against it? Because Abigail's school requires it and if she gets it and we do not, we might be more prone to get infected with the Covid-19 virus.

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When I wrote the first part it was 9 o'clock in the morning. Now, it is almost 1 in the afternoon and my future is in God's hands. We all received our shots which went without a hitch. It was the Pfizer one and we will have to make appointments three weeks hence. 

I don't feel any different but mahbe it is too early to say anything.

I am a fatalist. As Doris Day sang it que sera, sera, whatever will be will be!

School

As I wrote it earlier, Abigail completed her first year of college with flying colors. Next is year two. But...

She mapped out the courses she wants and needs to take but there are some hurdles. There are courses offered for the fall that need prerequisits. Those prerequisite courses were not offered previously and the only solution was to take them in the summer.

Today is the first day for this summer event. As it is understandable she is not eagerly happy about it. These courses are squized into a two month time period, and the schedule is very intense. She has (online) classes four days a week for two months. Two days a week her classes are from 8 am until 8 pm. The others are just four hours a day. This is heavy studying. The only good thing is that she can do these from home, online. Out of the three months summer vacation time she only gets one month, August.

Her biggest problem is that her social life will not be as she planned it to be. Hey, that's life. Full of surprises.

I am writing this on Monday at 9:40 am and she is behind closed doors doing the Math class for two hours already. I am glad I don't have to do this.

Sunday

 Sunday was Sunday and I gave it a break.

Macho Man

Every day standing in the shower I have the opportunity to inventory myself. So, one day I decided to list my aches and pains from my hairline to the bottom of my foot (sole).

Short version is, if I want to write this down and list them I need a large sheet of paper. I don't know if  everybody at this age is like that but I am. And, the fact that we all have the same aches and pains and irregularities does not make me feel any better.

Others' aches and pains don't hurt me, mine do!

When I had my first cataract operation I was scared to death. The doctor told me don't be scared this is a routine procedure. I told him: routine for you but the first time for me. Anyway, if I would want to go to the doctors with everything that I don't like about me I could utilize the specialties of the entire medical profession. Instead of doing that, I keep my sufferings to myself. I act like a man. I do not complain, I do not share. Time will tell the results.

My frieand will tell me that they are all nothing, all his friends including himself have the same symptoms. So, as long as I can stand on my own two feet, I will survive.

I am a real macho man.

 

List of aches and pains

Wild West

Between 1947 and 1957 (when I left the country) the local media never published any crime related articles. We lived in the false belief that crime do not happen in the socialist paradise only in the capitalistand hellhole.

Well, we are in the middle of that "capitalist hellhole" and are surrounded with crime. People are being attacked on the streets of New York, while riding the subways, for being chinese or being orthodox jews or just for no reason at all.

The wild west was better than this. Chicago was better in the gangster days because gangsters only killed gangsters. This is impossible what goes on.

The bad thing is that the media downplays the whole situation. They are afraid to tell the truth because that might ignite race riots or something else. They don't want to point fingers at the perpetrators, because they don't want to hurt sensitive feelings. 

But what about the injured public? Don't we have the right to know the kind of world we live in? When subway crimes go up 54% in two years they say it is not so bad. This is the glass half full, half empty syndrome. When is it bad?

 

Peculiar

A couple of peculiar things in life. Some of them are mine, some I picked up from tv.

One is, why are there Interstate Highways in Hawaii? What other state is connected?

The other, and this is mine, why at highway rest stops, truck stops and most gas stations sell beer and other alcohol products when the primary slogan is don't drink and drive?

I'm sure I will come up with a few more controversies as time goes by, but right now this is it.                ___________________________________________________________________________________ 

Yesterday we spent an eternity trying to make an appointment for the vaccine. The thing is that for three people it is impossible to do it. So, we tried and tried and at the end we prevailed. All of us as a group, next week. I'll let you know if I survive it. I have qualms about the whole thing, but I follow my family's whishes. I will write more about this at another time.                                                                                    ___________________________________________________________________________________

One of the New York baseball stadiums announced it that starting from now they will sat aside 90% of the spaces for vaccinated people and the remaining 10% for not vacinated.

I wonder if there will be an electrified barbed wire betsween the two parts? Like in Auscwitz?  

    

19

Today is Abigail's birthday. Today shde is 19 years old. How time flies! When I first met her, about seven years ago she was a nice, polite little girl who was always happy to see me.

Now, she is a teenager. That one word describes everything. Actually, this is her  last teenager birthday. As much as she does not like it she will be treated as an adult. Living home, taking the first year college courses online from the comforts of her room does not provide much possibility for growing up and maturing.

I keep telling her that just by saying that I am 19 years old does not make her an adult. 19 is only a number, just like 84! Anyway, she is still her mom's baby and will stay that way regardless of her age. But I guess every parent is that way. I know, my parents treated the same way. Actually, when one one occasion my Mom was here in New York, at one time I said something and She smacked me in the mouth. I was 39 years old but she thought I deserved it. I probably did.

Anyhoo, today we are celebrating our little girl.

College

Abigail just completed her first full year of college. One down, three more to go. All this time, because of the current situation she had not once visited her school. Everything was done online. This is one hell of an education. 

But it has it advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that there is no traveling involved, all classes are attended in a familiar home environment. Disadvantages are that all classes are attended in a familiar home environment, there is no way kids can meet each other and get to know each other in order to develop friendships and, practical courses like labs are done online. How?

Anyway, the year is over and the fall term promises to be a normal school term to be attended at the school itself. Any class that starts early in the morning, like 8 am will make it necessary for Abigail to get up at 6 and be out of the house by 7. Well, nobody said college is easy.

I forgot to say, that in the first half of the year she made the Dean's List and the first year itself she finished with straight A grades. We are very proud of her.

Soup

Every nation has its own favorite and typical food. This is what most of the people love and this is what only they know how to prepare well.

And Hungary is not dragging its feet in this front. Fish soup Hungarian style (halaszle) is one of these national favorites. It is not easy to make, it takes a lot of preparation and that is why it is best at certain seafood restaurants rather than at home. This halaszle is a regional food. Various parts of the country make it differently but they all have one thing in common: it is great eating. It is so popular that they have competitions where people from different parts of the country come together and make this their own special way.

As its name hints it this is made from fish. One important thing is that it must be scaled fish. The fish is deboned and cut up to cubed pieces. Besides some other stuff it should be pretty spicy, and the spice should be Szeged hot paprika. So spicy that it should hurt twice!

Why am I into this? Because after years and years of "begging" by Abigail and me, my wife decided to shut us up by making it. It was just fantastic. 

Hungarian goulash soup, sholet (cholent), stuffed cabbage are like this. They all age well. Like us.