On October 29, 2003 Aruna Hall and I left Winnipeg for the 27th International Conference in Budapest, via Minneapolis and Amsterdam. The journey was not without excitement when our plane had to turn back to Amsterdam with faulty hydraulics. However we landed in Budapest a little late but in one piece.

We found our hotel and then went over the Danube to the Buda side to register for the conference and take part in the welcome reception, dinner and opening ceremonies. We were up bright and early for breakfast and then headed in to the opening plenary session.

Susie Smith made opening remarks and introduced FFI staff members and also the keynote speaker Dr Sandor Striker. Dr Striker told a wonderful story about a student in the 1970s who left Hungary, against all communist rules and stayed away in England for a year to prove his freedom and then was allowed back grudgingly and with great difficulty. He said one has to leave home to understand one’s home. The student was of course Dr Striker who is now a professor at ELTE University in Budapest and was previously director of the Hungarian Cultural Institute in London.

The rest of the day was spent in workshops on “Managing an FFI Club” and a presentation, again by Dr Stryker on “Hungarians – How We See the World and the World Sees Us”

and in the evening we attended a Folklore Dinner at the Ladik Czarda with food, wine, singing and dancing in the Hungarian folkloric tradition.

The next morning was the presentation of annual awards and we attended a wonderful workshop given by a world renowned photographer, Laszlo Tam who presented the Hungarian Culture through Photographs and Sound, complete with harmonica playing and singing by the presenter.

In the afternoon we went on a tour of the beautiful city of Budapest and ended the day at the gala dinner on board the MV Europa, cruising on the Danube in the moonlight and dining in style.

The next morning there was the World Bazaar and the closing plenary session and then we all boarded buses or taxis to go to the home stays, tours or the airport and home. Aruna and I went on a tour of Hungary arranged by FFI and so were able to experience the real Hungary in historic places like Eger, Kecsemet, Szeged and Pecs and to appreciate the relics of Turkish rule still visible in mosques and museum artefacts.

The international conference was a great way to meet old friends from around the world and to visit new and interesting places

Joan Hodgson