Fanni Fenyősi: “We have forgotten what ancient peoples do naturally”
Fanni Fenyősi, President and co-founder of the BHRG Foundation in Budapest, an institution focussed on the development of children with disabilities.
Interviewed on 8th March, 2024
“We will give them [the children] a lot of vestibular stimuli, that means we swing them, we lift them up, making somersaults and we sing a lot and recite poems.
Which is actually weird, because all these native peoples are doing this, rocking the child and singing, and this actually helps the brain to develop. But we've forgotten about this.
But [these days, many] just forget about it. We don't bring them to work any more, we're not singing any more, because we are just looking to put the child down at the YouTube channel and he can sing to himself.
But that is not the same as sitting next to the child and talking and singing [to them].
These are things that ancient people do, this is how we were developed, but we forget about this, so we have to bring it back, because this triggers the developmental parts of the brain, and then the child starts responding to that.”
Michael O'Leary: “Humility is at the centre of everything we do at Ryanair."
Michael O'Leary in Budapest at a press conference in 2022 seems keen to make a point. (Screen shot from an Associated Press video)
Michael O'Leary – yes, that quiet-spoken, reticent, never say boo-to-a-goose chief executive of Ryanair - was in Budapest last Febuary. Though famously introverted, when coached by a band of experienced, seriously hard-working journalists, some wise words were coaxed out of the otherwise tight-lipped Irishman on Hungary's special taxes, on plans to nationalise the airport and on which direction a good leader ought not to retreat.
Press Conference, Budapest, 20th February, 2024
“The Hungarian government, seeing the success of traffic here in Hungary, has introduced this bogus enviro[mental] tax, and they're now going to purchase back the airport with a bunch of French monopoly monopolists, which is not a good recipe for the future growth of Budapest.
But we're here now, and we're not going to retreat backwards.”
But before yours truly could ask which direction the CEO might wish to retreat, another journalist jumped in to defend O'Leary's criticism of rival carrier Wizzair, saying the Hungarian airline had been forced to charge higher prices because of mistakes made when hedging fuel prices. To this, Mr O'Leary replied:
“Wizz make lots of [expletive] mistakes. Wizz make mistakes on almost every cost they have. Wizz are just a not very well run [expletive] airline. They have pretty sh*tt* senior management, whereas at Ryanair we have very talented and attractive senior management.”
The former accountant then summed up the different philosophies between the Dublin-based carrier and Wizzair:
“Humility is at the centre of everything we do at Ryanair, whereas Wizz is just a bunch of bullshitters.”
Full Story: https://bbj.hu/economy/statistics/analysis/michael-o-leary-boeing-delays-remain-our-greatest-challenge
Kata Tüttő: “Hungarian politics is not attractive for anyone, especially not for women.”
Kata Tüttő, Deputy Mayor of Budapest (Hungarian Socialist Party), spoke to the Hungarian International Press Association on 24th April, six weeks before European Parliamentary and local elections in Hungary.
“You need to somehow encourage women to join in politics, but Hungarian politics is disastrous.
If you look at what's happening with politicians here, without boundaries, how you get into politics is not so transparent, what's happening to you after politics? There is no way out, and what's happening in politics, it's not very attractive, especially at campaign time.
This is the time of the year when I always say: Ok, this is my last time in politics, because it's so disgusting.
Because it's not about truth, it's not about reality, [there are] a lot of lies. Hungarian politics is not attractive for anyone, especially not for women.”
This next quotation was cut (probably because I wrote overlength) on an article about two Hungarian women striving to convert Magyars into lovers of Japanese sake.
Dóra Tallián: “It's always very difficult in countries which are really proud of their wine or beer, and especially if the population has got used to the local stuff."
Dóra Tallián, EU regional manager for Germany-based World Sake Imports
In an interview on 15th October, Dóra outlined the challenges of introducing the Japanese brew to a public who, outside the world of best sommeliers, know next to nothing about the rice-based beverage.
“It's becoming really cool to know about sake, and we mostly work with people who have at least a basic knowledge,” Tallián said, only to add: “But yes, at times I have to serve sake at a festival, and people come to me and say: 'Oh, you know nothing, this is a palinka! What are you talking about?' And I'm like, yes, sure, sure.”
(The published feature is here:
Zoltán Török: “They [the government] must cook the books, there is no other way round it."
Zoltán Török, Head of Research, Raiffeisen Bank, Hungary (Screenshot, ATV Hungary)
Zoltán, answering journalist questions speaking to the Hungarian International Press Association, 6th January, 2023
ME: "Does Raiffeisen have a projection for the budget deficit?"
Zoltán Török: “As far as the budget deficit goes, over the past 12 years, we've got used to the practice that whatever the government target was, and whatever happened during the first 11 months, eventually the government target was met.
"They must cook the books, there is no other way round it.
"I don't mean there is an outright cheating, but eventually they massage the numbers in such a way that, ok, if the deficit were to be too small compared to the target, they spend in order to meet the deficit, and the other way round, so eventually they end up meeting the target all the time.
"Maybe over the past one or two years it's been a bit different, but the transparency of the budget hasn't improved.”
András Simor: “It's a good thing for somebody to change jobs every so often.”
András Simor, Governor of the National Bank of Hungary 2007-13 (P Fodor, Northfoto)
András Simor, speaking to journalists, 29th November, 2012, four months before he was due to step down as MNB Governor. From 2010, the relationship between himself and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was, shall we say, less than cordial.
ME: “Have you got any regrets? Would you have changed anything in your time as the central bank governor, and would you take the job again in the unlikely situation that you were asked to [by the present Prime Minister Viktor Orbán]?”
András Simor: “First of all, I think anybody who after six years would say that he hasn't made any mistakes is probably not realistic, and not critical enough, with himself.
“Secondly, I actually believe that it's a good thing for somebody to change jobs every so often.
“I happen to have changed jobs on average every six-eight years in my career, and I think it's good for the personality and the organisation as well, because every leader, every CEO, president, call it what you like, will inevitably try and form the organisation the way he functions, and therefore the organisation tends, after a few years, to have the same strengths and weaknesses as the leader.
“And therefore, a change, I believe, after so many years is probably good for the organisation, and that applies to the central bank or anything else.
“But it's also good for the person, because new challenges bring new knowledge, new perspectives, new experience and a lot of fun.”
Thanks for getting this far! Happy New Year to all readers!
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