(Or how I found our Socrates partners)

It was a boring school day in March 1997 when our head-teacher called for me. I was approaching his stylishly furnished office with a mixture of irritation and apprehension. I felt irritated because summons never meant any good since he was that type of person who rather gave a good dressing-down than praise. “Oh, not again!” I thought. But on that occasion I was met with a wild smile on his face. I became suspicious. “Oh, does he want me to do some overtime or to be a form teacher? Or what?” I asked myself. The reason I was invited into his office was to be appointed as European Co-ordinator of Xántus János School. I was charged to find some sister schools in Europe and to get information about the Hungarian Socrates Agency which was to be established that summer.

First I was taken aback, then I felt myself proud. “What a challenge!” On second thought, I simply felt frightened due to the fact that the success or failure of the plan depended on me. What if all my efforts had ended in failure? How should I start it?

I began calling all my acquaintances in Europe. All of them politely refused me as no one enjoys taking up some extra work. I just could not bear the idea of being unsuccessful. One night I couldn't sleep but kept tossing and turning in bed all night and I had a brainwave. “Oh silly goose! Why don’t you call the Hungarian ambassador in London?” I told to myself. The first thing I did the next morning was to call the Hungarian Embassy in London. Believe it or not, it worked. I held a long conversation with the Cultural Attaché, Mr. Odze, who was a charming man and gave me two English ladies’ hotel availability in Budapest. These ladies had arrived from St. Margaret’s School, Bushey and searched for Hungarian links since St. Margaret, the Queen of the Scots was born in Mecseknádasd, Hungary.

My adventure started. I chased them for days. It reminded me of a crime story in which I was cast as the clumsy detective who was never able to catch the wanted people. The chased two ladies moved from one hotel to the other. They seemed to be not teachers but hotel quality controllers whose task was to check all the hotels in Budapest. On the third day my pursuit took a twist. I was told they had left for England the night before. I just could not believe it. I was not that type who easily gave up. I made an appointment with my boss and reported him on my bad luck and asked him to cover the costs of my journey to London. “Crazy hen, crazy hen!” he must have been repeating to himself and he was hesitating. He simply did not believe in my “impossible mission” and “the two phantom ladies”. But my obstinate personality persuaded him. I played double or quits.

So the school’s chauffer drove me to the Hungarian Embassy in London. We were driving all day all night without a stop. Mr. Odze did not want to believe his eyes when I knocked on his office door. He called St. Margaret’s School immediately and made an appointment for me. Next day I was welcomed at the school and met the two “hotel inspectors”. They struck me as being so nice and polite. I found out that one of them was the headmistress of the school and the other one was the head of the modern language department. I was shown around the school; we had polite conversations over a nice lunch, but nothing else. I was shaken by the terrifying recognition. They did not encourage me with further co-operation since they had already made links with a few schools in Budapest.

I was unable to believe what had happened. My attempt was doomed to failure. My trip to London was absolutely pointless. I was going to lose my job. I was no longer in the mood to face my headmaster, but it was impossible to avoid him. I had to report on my failure. Anyway, he did not give me a sack. He came across as being quite understanding.

As the summer went by, the school year started again. In September I was full of energy and hopes. I was inclined to believe that it was worth being a teacher. I was doing my best in both of my roles, as a teacher and as a mother. Each job took time and energy from the other. I must admit I was not entirely satisfied. I could not still forget my unfortunate adventure in the spring. On a rainy Friday afternoon after having soaked to the skin I arrived home. I was longing for a hot bath and a nice drink to start my weekend with when the phone rang. It was Susan Hudson from St. Margaret’s School and informed me that our school had been chosen as a partner for their Socrates Project and for further co-operation. I almost jumped out of my skin listening to her. Oh, it could not be true! When I asked her why? She gave me a very simple answer: “You deserved it. You had been chasing us throughout Europe.”

Since then our relationships have improved a lot. We made really good friends and they took to Hungary and the Hungarian people immediately. Since then we have finished our first Socrates Project entitled “European Cultural Panorama,” taking three years and we have just started our second project “Water, the essence of life” planned for another three years. We have made a lot of partnerships with other European schools such as the Urspringschule in Germany, Högre Samskola in Gothenborg, Fjölbrautaskolin Breidholti in Iceland and Liceul Teoretic Adam Muller Guttenbrunn in Romania.

So fortune smiled at last on me and I stood the chance to make a lot of new friends, to meet interesting people and to visit a lot of new places in Europe.

I firmly believe that these friendships and links between schools have had an enormous and mutual influence on each participant, brought pupils and teachers closer to each other and deepened understanding of different nations.

Lucia Kákonyi 

(2002)