TRIP WITH THE FINNS

I think one of the most important extra-curricular activities of the Baktay Ervin Grammar School is our twinning with the Finnish school. Due to this relationship the students of our school can practise and use the English language. It's not negligible the fact that they can get to know a foreign country's culture and traditions and they can build up friendships with the foreign students.

Since we became twin schools we have had two projects: World Heritage and a new one, Tolerance. We think it is important to understand the terrors of the previous century and to meditate on why people tortured and tormented others to death. The aim of this program is to show us that this way of thinking is wrong and to make us understand and tolerate those whose mentality and feelings aren't similar to ours. Our teachers organized this week in the spirit of these topics and Hungarian traditions and culture.

On Thursday we went by bus to pick up the Finns from the airport, then we took them to our school where our headmaster, Zoltán Tolnai greeted them. After that we went to Kisduna Panzió where we had a meeting with the Mayor of Dunaharaszti, Mr László Szalay who welcomed them and in his speech expressed his hope to enlarge this relationship to the towns as well.

On Friday morning we went to the House of Terror. This block of flats at 60 Andrássy Street was built after the plans of Adolf Feszty in 1880. It belonged to the Perlmutter family until 1936. The Szálasi movement rented rooms in this house since 1937. In 1940 the Arrow.Cross Party made this house their general headquarters. Since 1944 it was a gathering centre and a prison as well. In 1945 the ancestor of the State Security Authorities, the Political Police took this place.

The building was too small for them therefore they wanted to own the whole block. In the basement they built prisons. The building belonged to the State Security Authorities until 1956. After that it was rebuilt and was used as an office building. They erased all signs in the basement. We visited this building and we were so sorry and felt for those who had lost their relatives inthose dark years. The rest of the day was free.

The students made the weekend program. On Saturday the whole group visited Buda Castle. Matthias Church, the Fishermen's Bastion and finally Margaret Island. On Sunday we split up into smaller groups. My group went to the Zoo and the City Park. A few members of the group visited the park of Vajdahunyad Castle. On our way home we took a walk in Váci Street as well.

On Monday we set off for Tokaj. During the journey we stopped in Miskolc for a shor,. sightseeing. Then we went straight to the city of Tokaj where we could taste the world famous wines of the region. We were put up in a very beautiful part of the city next to the river Tisza. In the evening small groups roamed the nice little streets of the city centre. The following day we stopped in Eger and visited the Cathedral. We had lunch there in the Valley of Beautiful Lady. The restaurant was pleasant and tidy. The walls were covered with bottles of wine. And the meal was very tasty. At the end of this trip we went to the former labour camp of Recsk.

On Wednesday we took our guests to the market of Dunaharaszti. We spent there two hours. After that we went back to the school, we visited lessons and had lunch there. Then we went home and started to pack. In the early evening we had a farewell party at the student hostel of our school. I want to thank Mr István Födó for the delicious meal he cooked for us.

On Thursday morning we took them to the airport and unfortunately we had to say goodbye to each other.

In their opinion Hungary is an interesting and beautiful country, because it's completely different from their home. They liked everything that is Hungarian including the food, the landscape, the buildings, etc. They think that Hungarians are very friendly and talkative.

To sum up this trip it was well organized and magnificent. However, I was sorry we didn't have a guide in Recsk and in the House of Terror. And if I had organized this trip I would have made more trips in the nature. But I think we successfully showed them the important events in the history of our country and in the Hungarians' lives.

Finally, I want to thank the local council for the warm welcome, our school for the organization and the last day's delicious lunch and Nexus Ltd. for the transport.

Bella Ádám XI. A