Category Archives: Hungary

When the Tanks Come Rolling In

Posted on 03/30/2022 by Jorge Medico

For several weeks now, I have been unable to turn on the TV news. The images coming from Ukraine are too similar to almost suppressed but not forgotten memories from my childhood. I was well on the way to my … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Communism, Death and Dying, History, Hungary, News and politics, Russians, Thoughts & Musings | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

New Year’s Traditions

Posted on 01/01/2021 by Jorge Medico

New Year’s traditions range across cultures and families.  A recent edition of Poets & Writers describes some of these. Rolling empty suitcases around the block to increase one’s chances of traveling (remember when we were able to travel anywhere?), pounding … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Communism, Family, Hungary, Relatioships, Thoughts & Musings | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

War Stories From County – Chapter 6

Posted on 06/24/2020 by Jorge Medico

As I mentioned in a prior post, my attending on the medicine service was an infectious disease specialist by training, and he persuaded me to select the infectious disease service as one of my electives. It was one of those … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Health and wellness, Hungary, Los Angeles, Medicine, School, Thoughts & Musings, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Cars

Posted on 05/16/2020 by Jorge Medico

The only people who owned cars in Hungary during my lifetime there were Communist Party members, government officials, some member of the military, as well as the secret police. Budapest had (and still has) an excellent network of trams, buses, … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Cars, Chicago, Family, Hungary, School, Thoughts & Musings, Uncategorized, Vietnam War | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Sunday in the Park With George

Posted on 05/14/2020 by Jorge Medico

In the world in which I grew up, children were included in all family social activities. This meant that every Sunday and family holidays were spent together with my parents and grandmother, along with my mom’s friends. My dad had … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Chicago, Family, Hungary, Thoughts & Musings, Uncategorized, World War II | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Memories of My Grandfather

Posted on 05/11/2020 by Jorge Medico

My mother’s father was a person of mythic proportions in my life. He was the only grandfather I knew, as my father’s parents had been killed in the war. By the time I was born, he and my grandmother were … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, Communism, Family, Hungary, Thoughts & Musings, Uncategorized, World War II | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Mother’s Day

Posted on 05/10/2020 by Jorge Medico

Today is Mother’s Day, a day we have set aside to pay special honor to all the mothers who made our lives possible. I recently posted a stories about my own mother, under the titles “Ladybug”, “Reunion”, and “Life Under … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Chicago, Communism, Family, Hungary, Revolution, Thoughts & Musings, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

My Grandmother

Posted on 05/09/2020 by Jorge Medico

My grandmother played an important role in my life, as she lived with us from the time I was two until she died when I was in college. The only time I was separated from her was during the period … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Chicago, Communism, Family, Hungary, Revolution, Thoughts & Musings, Uncategorized, World War II | Tagged | Leave a comment

Reunion

Posted on 05/08/2020 by Jorge Medico

After Russian armored units effectively crushed the Hungarian Revolution in November 1956, it didn’t take very long for the Iron Curtain to once again come crashing down around the country. If anything, security measures were enhanced to deter anyone from … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Chicago, Communism, Family, Hungary, News and politics, Revolution, Russians, Thoughts & Musings, Uncategorized | Tagged | 2 Comments

Life with my Cousin

Posted on 05/07/2020 by Jorge Medico

I wasn’t an orphan, but sometimes I felt like one. I missed my mother and grandmother tremendously, and wrote long letters to them. About once a month, I would get a letter back, though by allusions to events I had … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Chicago, Family, Hungary, Organizations, School, Thoughts & Musings, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment