So what personality traits does Zsuzsa share with her diplomat husband? “My husband and I are both very stubborn,” she candidly admitted, smiling. “But we are stubborn on different issues. He is a man of principle who never compromises; it is difficult to live with a man of principle. And I refuse to compromise when I pursue a goal, no matter what the price, time involved. I wanted a three-bedroom apartment in Budapest, something very unusual since almost all apartments there are one or two bedroom. But, after much searching, I finally found it.” Zsuzsa thinks that their two sons — 29-year-old Kristóf and 23-year-old Daniel — are a combination of both parents, though they each have their own distinct personalities. “Our older son is just like his father, an idealist and not so practical,” Zsuzsa said of Kristóf, who is currently working toward his doctorate in sociology with a dissertation on integrating the Roma (or gypsy) population into society. “He doesn’t care about making money, having a high, prestigious position, driving a jazzy car, wearing good clothes or being with pretty girls. He is not typical of so many Hungarian youths today who are money-oriented, who missed so many years of fancy trappings they want everything now. I tell him that he better marry some girl from a wealthy family because he won’t earn money with just ideas,” she quipped. “He cares only about changing the world,” added this proud mother. “Daniel is 23 and he is much more like me but he still wants a fulfilling job. He has a [bachelor’s degree] from Cambridge and is getting his master’s in theoretical physics and wants to work in applied physics for a company like Microsoft or Google,” she explained. “We lived here before when the boys were little and my husband was cultural attaché from 1988 to 1991,” Zsuzsa noted. “I love Washington and, then and now, love to go to all the museums and art galleries here.” Although she misses seeing their two sons this time around, Zsuzsa has lost no time reacquainting herself with Washington. Only here a few months, she has already held many dinner parties, embassy events and a huge ladies VIP Christmas luncheon at the residence, introducing herself to all of her guests with a personal handwritten note tucked into the formal printed invitation. Entertaining is natural to this diplomatic wife who has a wonderful new chef at her disposal and relishes making things happen for Hungary in Washington. “Hungary needs ‘niche marketing,’ just like our great wines need exposure,” she said, citing a recent commentary in the Wall Street Journal about the high quality of Hungarian wines but the lack of marketing for this potentially lucrative export. “We have small vineyards which produce very high quality wine. We even have our own grapes — Juhfark, Furmint and our most famous, Tokaj –— which are found nowhere else in the world. These unusual but extremely special wines are perfect for wine bars and American and Western European wine collectors, connoisseurs who are tired of chardonnays and cabernets. We are starting to have more wine tours and wine bars in Hungary, but the vineyards need to be promoted. And we need to find different names for them because they are very hard for non-Hungarians to pronounce and remember,” Zsuzsa said, pointing out that Hungary boasts 22 official wine regions. “We always serve Hungarian wine,” she proudly noted of her own diplomatic events. Always ready to put Hungary’s best face forward, Zsuzsa suggests visiting her homeland in February for the Hungarian Film Festival, or throughout the summer to enjoy the countryside, or in early September for the 10-day Jewish Cultural Festival of music and dance. “We have world-class spas and mineral springs, famous chefs, and more and more B&Bs where you can rest and feel at home,” she added. Recently back from a weekend in Palm Beach, Fla., where former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Nancy Brinker exhibited her extensive collection of Hungarian art, Zsuzsa also wants to remind everyone of Hungary’s artistic legacy, both past and present. She proudly showcases some of the country’s best-known contemporary art on the walls of the residence, saying that, like its wine, Hungary needs to do a better job of branding and marketing its thriving arts culture. Zsuzsa loves the arts but is personally interested in dance. “I started as a ballet dancer when I was 3, but I hated my teacher and turned to modern dancing. Now I love tap dancing. I’d like to find a good teacher here and I want to see the Washington Ballet,” she said. This energetic 54-year-old also enjoys swimming and has recently discovered Bikram yoga here. “You exercise in the heat and I love it, but I wonder what happens in May when Washington starts to get hot and humid — maybe I won’t love it so much then,” she joked. “I still think like I did then, like I’m 25,” Zsuzsa said. “I think that’s why I’m so playful. You can get older but you don’t have to get old in your mind. I think it is my curiosity that keeps me young.” Gail Scott is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat and lifestyle columnist for the Diplomatic Pouch.

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