Matinee Lecture - Hungary
May.19, 2008

An Asian Nation in the Heart of Europe – The Miracle of Survival
A Matinee Lecture by Mme. Julia Laszlo,
Wife of the Representative of the Hungarian Trade Office

The second matinee lecture of this year was held on May 19, 2008. We were honored to have Mme. Julia Laszlo as our keynote speaker giving us a general introduction to Hungary. President Chih-hsuan Li Hou specially thanked Mme. Laszlo for her support to our cultural exchange lectures, especially since during that time all the diplomatic corps as well as members were busy for the Taiwan presidential election.

Mme. Julia Laszlo started the lecture with a power-point presentation focusing on Hungarian history. She explained about the origins of the “Magyar” people, how they migrated from Asia and settled down at the foot of the Carpatian Mountains in Europe. It’s a real tale of survival against all odds. Following the illustration of beautiful pictures, we glimpsed into the traditions, culture, and folklore of the Magyar people. There also was a video presentation showing Hungary today, so the audience gained the most updated information about this lovely country.

After the lecture everyone was invited to a light coffee and tea break. Mme. Julia Laszlo had specially prepared a homemade Hungarian dessert called “Somloi“ for all the guests. It is a very popular dessert in Hungary. To prepare Somloi, put layers of sponge cake (cut into 2-3 cm cubes and sprinkle with Baileys), vanilla cream, walnuts and almond slices, raisins (soaked in rum), pieces of dried plums or prunes, again sponge cake, chocolate cream, and further 2-3 layers repeating the above, then serve with whipped cream on top. The Somloi prepared by Mme. Laszlo was so sweet and delicious. All the members appreciate her generosity to the WTIC.