Going to PSU. On my way there I was meditating on the connection between Francis David's theory, the Freudian castration complex, and the LGBT in churches.

With Joe and Maryann on PSU: The American Intellectual Tradition. This time presented by a different teacher (Dr. Patricia A. Schechter). Joe introduces us to her. She is a middle aged lively woman with curly hair and lots of teeth. She explains ideas with all her body.

One student talks about philosophers Henry David Thoreau from North, and George Fitzhugh from the South: principles on society, economy, slavehood. A second student: man and woman relationship, its role in political thinking in North and South. It was good to be there, I asked the teacher if I could come to the next classes also.

Lunch in a Thai restaurant. I asked for a large bowl of vegetable soup with "meat balls". Big pieces of cabbage, onion and sausage in hot water. Small cakes with slips of paper hidden in them telling me that you are having nice thoughts of me...

Goodbye to Maryann. She is going to leave to Mexico with Camille. I take a short walk with Joe.

Went to the Powell's to buy the American Intellectual Tradition. I bought six more for $38: three Jung, two Fromm, one Frankl. Took them home, came back to the church to attend a lecture. Had an Angus hamburger at MacDonald's.

I had one more hour before church program, so I went back to the Powell's. It is amazing the amount of books they have, and it is a good system. Here's the red room where I spend most of the time:

Freud and Jung have a whole rack. Four years ago I bought here Henry Clarke Warren: Buddhism in Translations. I was looking for it for 20 years. They had it! A single copy. I feel at home. This morning, musing on some issue I marched into the women's restroom, and was taken aback by a female adjusting her makeup in the mirror.

I read for a while and looked at my watch: 7 minutes to 7! Covered half a mile in 7 minutes to the church. The person at the reception already knew why I came, he showed me the way without my asking. Enews:

Back from Afghanistan (Our Peace Action Group invites you to hear Tom A. Peter, a freelance Middle East and war correspondent based in Jordan who writes regularly for The Christian Science Monitor, and Global Post, and has provided ground analysis from Iraq for NPR.

Young guy with an Arabian style beard. He talks about the situation in Afghanistan, how dubious it is the American presence there. Even the humanitarian aid. A power plant built highly over the planned budget, working only with half capacity. Missing electric wire system. Most of the houses having only one bulb. Villages where people have never seen a mirror. A person decapitated for a charge of collaborating with Americans. He received humanitarian aid. Election ballots completed by a few guys who didn't mind the jurnalist taking pictures. Americans reluctant to leave, lest Talibans take over their place. Confusion near Pakistan: travellers harrased with the charge of illegal crossing, 10 miles away from the border. Indian workers paying $2000, denied both work and going back home, staying in a tent, 6 sharing one bed for 2 months. Greg Mortenson is a well-known, and appreciated person in the Middle East. His book is a must read there. His schools are working well, unlike those of the Taliban's.

Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed Minister in Residence: "Never the Water; Only a Wave" Buddhist sermon: Change is the law of life and our lives like rolling waves heading toward a distant shore. A personal story about how I came to understand the nature of life and eternity.

Afternoon: Temple Baptist Church, the Dickens Carolers Holiday Concert. Patrick is a member, he invited me. Before the show I talked to the young overweight woman next to me. She is a member of a Christian church, that doesn't belong to any denomination. I asked her about their principles and life.

After concert I meet Susan, Patrick and his parents and friends. Cookies and cider in the congregational chamber. Susan asked if I was feeling uncomfortable with the religious songs: I said, one needs to understand them in their own cultural and symbolic context. They have the same message in a different symbolic language. Afterwards I spent some time in the Powell's.

Reed College, Cooley Art Gallery: The Language of the Nude.

For centuries, the nude body was the highest expression of human aspiration. Religious figures, gods and goddesses, heroes, and even personifications of abstract ideals found visible form in the undraped human figure. This exhibition of 60 rarely seen drawings from the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California, examines the nude its place in the artist's process, and the ideals and desires it expressed in European art. Tracing how artists saw the body, for example the influence of Michelangelo and Raphael in the 16th century and French Academy nudes in the 18th, it also examines the body's context in Christian art, Classical mythology and literary subjects.

Pieces of classical art, with descriptions and analyses. What does the nude symbolize on it: purity, candideness, truth. It was good to linger there. Alone in the world. Read them all.

I was sitting for a while in Grant park, then took a long walk on Broadwayn and Sandy Boulevard.

Another thanksgiving dinner at Randy's. I had a nice time with their friends, including a person who is half black foot indian. It was a special pleasure to talk to him, I was excited as if I had an exam. We recalled the positive experiences of Lewis and Clark with the black feet tribe (Stephen E. Ambrose: Undaunted Courage). For dessert: two kinds of pumpkin pie. Randy gave a lecture about the iPhone. You can even pour beer in a glass with it and receive ratings.

Don took me home. His daughter works as a guide in New York.

Thanksgiving dinner in Eugene. Driving with Randy, Julie and Charlie. It was raining and there was a traffic jam on I5, we had to take another road. Julie told me about her work. When someone noticed there was something wrong with his neighbor he called and she went to check up on the person. If he seemed too deranged she recommended his treatment. It was the same in communist system. Only, they sometimes recommended the treatment of completely sane people. Artists for example, whose ideals seemed to be disturbing for the regime.

Our hosts: Nancy is a teacher, Will psychologist and musician. They have two young daughters and there are two more guests: a woman and a dentist. We chatted before dinner. Everyone has ideas about religion and spiritual issues, it is a pleasure to listen. Philosophy of Japanese symbols (older daughter learns Japanese for 10 years now). Wondering why vampire movies became so popular. The dentist turns out to be an aspiring philosopher...

Dinner is ready, we take our dishes to the kitchen. Nancy reads Obama's message on the laptop. After dinner talk: Nancy about teaching, one of her daughters about her work, and Randy about an interesting show on TV. Following this, for a while we have arguments on how statistically impossible things can statistically be proved possible. And watch a new craze: flash-mob, on the lap-top.

Bike ride to Forest Park, NW Portland. On the winding Leif Erikson drive I made 4 miles, then turned back. Too muddy. In spite of this I saw many running and jogging people. I was wondering: how far did they go?

In the afternoon I went to Powell's and bought those two books for Bettina. During the night we had two more hours of Lonely Dove. Don enjoyed the bickering of the two old cowboys, me the two cute pigs running after their wagon.

I took a bike ride to Columbia and did the loop. Wonderful scenery with the river on the left and the airport on the right side! Planes landing and taking of in short interval toward Mt Hood. I stopped several times to take in the view and take pictures. At the bridge I had an apple, and observed a cormorant standing on a rock in the middle of the water, with his wet wings spread in the feeble sunshine. Got on the bike and left the riverside.

Rode along Fremont street by Lonely Pine Cemetery. Left the main road and admired the nice homes with pumpkins still everywhere.

After I arrived back took a walk toward Lloyd Center, thought I would do my shoppings this time in Safeway. Lots of stuff on the shelfs, an abundance of brands, shapes, colours, smells, I feel overwhelmed. I realize what it must had been like for those who in some way managed to escape from communist Romania, with shops desperately empty all the time. They must have felt like crying, I'm sure...

For dinner: Hungarian sausage. (Pat did some shoppings in that German grocery store again for me.) She took a picture of the table. I'm sure they have a different kind of menu with me here. Afterwards I prepared the dessert: American waffle. They were good. Don had two. He said I should do this every day.

We watched the first part of a long western movie: Lonely Dove, Don's favourite. Naturalistic pictures: chickens, pigs, farmers, reminding me of life in my village in Transylvania.

Julie picked me up at 11:30 and took me to lunch to a place on Broadway. I had crépes with pieces of fruits wrapped in it. Very delicious, we have to make them at home. Julie used to be a social worker, her last workplace was at the veterans' institute. She is an adherent of Eastern philosophies, you can tell that. Since June she is retired, learns Tai Chi at a place where they teach Eastern martial arts, too. During lunch I explain my analytic theory on the Holy Trinity: dynamic relationship between the Super Ego, Id and actual self.

We had a long walk in the neighborhood. Julie used to live in one of these houses while a student. She told me about her uncle who understood the creation literally. I told her about the communist system of free health care: slipping envelopes with money in them in pockets.

We assembled a shelf with Don. During dinner my hosts told about their family stories. I realize: in America everyone still carries his or her own ethnic heritage while searching for a universal connection. The word nation here means something utterly different than in Europe.

During the night we saw Pat's favourite movie: Driving Miss Daisy.

I asked Pat to take me to a Vancouver worship service. This is going to be a Buddhist one. We introduce ourselves. Patrick leads the choir. Topic of the service: the sound. How the sound of your voice speaks about your mood, your state of mind, and your character.

I compare the humanistic lectures with the worship service, note the symbolic elements, meditate on the ambivalence of using them: connecting and separating. Note the parallel of Francis David's dealing with the problem of using symbols. Patrick also gave a lecture on singing. We learned a sing-along with the choir. I note an interesting custom: rubbing hands together instead of clapping. Meditation: think of a beloved one, call out his/her name aloud... think of the humankind.

On our way back Pat showed me the college where she used to work 17 years as a councellor for the students. She was picked out for this new job from 350 people. Her specialty: women's rights. In a time when this used to be a difficult issue. She was recognized as the mother of the women's rights movement, they organize meetings each year, several thousand attending on these occasions. After she retired she missed the community, this is how she found the First UU in Portland.

I discuss with József my nomination to "Theological Workshop". We go to Cuba Night with Pat. We see the movie "Lista de Espera" (The Waiting List).

Interesting movie. It reminded me of the Romanian communist era. Thus the meaning is obvious, I try to explain it to Pat on our way home.

Walk by the Willamette and Columbia river, in Kelley Point Park. Following Pat's example we gathered all kinds of trash from nut-sized to suitcase-sized ones.

I've been talking to John about meditations. I explained my theory: it is a common misunderstanding that meditation means emptying your mind. I would better call it: attainement of instinctive perception of the reality. The most adequate description of what I understand it to be I found in Henry Clarke Warren's: Buddhism in Translations. It includes a description of the technique of the "earth-kashina meditation". This is in fact a practice to reestablish an ideal natural state of mind, just as the breathing practice connected to it is also an endeavour to reestablish a relaxed normal state, of "being present" to your senses.

We had a tea in Saint Johns and did some shoppings in a Mexican shop.

At 7:30 p.m. Reed College, Psychology Building, Greg M. Epstein book presentation: Good without God - A Positive, Humanistic Approach to Non-Belief. I was early one and a half hour. Took a walk on the campus. I saw an announcement "Takács Quartet" a famous Hungarian group gives a concert on December 7: First Baptist Church, on 8th Reed College, Kaul Auditorium.

The conference room of the Psychology Building has a full house. No charge. By the pulpit a young group of people settles on the floor. There are people sitting on the floor in all the isles, I stand propped to the wall, barely able to move my feet. There are about 150 people. Elderly and young ones. Many of the latter are more interested in their iPhone though, than in the lecture. Greg is a young, agile guy, with egg-shaped head. Humanist minister of Harvard. He steps to the pulpit nonchalantly and starts his presentation. He tells about the story of his family in New York, about his father having books on all kinds of spiritual trends, being disappointed by all; about his mother, Cuban immigrant at 13, child of the hippy movement. Greg follows his older brother to the Jewish seminar, is disappointed, practices Zen, goes to China to learn the mantras on original language.

Then he speaks about the book. He admits: the title already implies a contradiction: it sounds negative although it bears a positive message. Youtube.

I notice that Greg does not use any kind of notices, speaks freely. He is a good, practiced speaker, who must have been prepared for these presentations accurately. Questions and answers follow. It is getting late, people start to leave, me too. I have a feeling we expected much but missed something essential.

Maryann picked me up at 8 a.m. sharp. Drove to Camille's, and started out toward Tacoma. Beautiful countryside, it felt as if I was in Brassó, Transylvania.

In the glass museum we watched as a team of artists assembled three wineglasses into one artistic combination. Had lunch in a nearby restaurant, and watched another team creating the lower part of a huge goblet. Then we saw first the exhibition of an Indian artist and then another interesting one, created according to children's drawings of phantasy animals. Sometimes the kids added funny comments to their designs.

For dinner I prepared some American waffles and watched an old movie I chose: Some Like it Hot. I guess last time I saw it some 40 years ago.

Took a bike ride to the Powell's. While in there it started raining. By the time I arrived home it was sunshine again. Had a big chicken leg with pickles, took a walk on the streets and thought about the connection of the theory of Francis David and Freud.

Dinner: Hungarian sausage, mashed potatoes, green beans. Afterwards the delicious flan for dessert.

Visited Marilyn. I took a walk in Laurelhurst park, where we have been together 4 years ago, and this spring. Now it is fall, a cold wind carries the rotten leaves among the trees and benches.

The dog with two kinds of eyes received me with great enthusiasm. He leaned against my leg with all the weight of his body, and while we talked he layed his head on my lap, peeking out from under the rim of the table with one of his eyes. It was good to talk to Marilyn. She said she considered herself too, a humanist. We talked about his husband and his son, the movie he made on his climb of the Eiger. He also wrote a few books, published on several languages.

This night I took a walk in downtown and had a hamburger in MacDonalds.

10 a.m. "New Coalitions", second part of professor Robert Schmidt's lecture. America's political partners today. Ambivalent relationship with Russia. Recognizing Cuba and cooperation with the South American political left.

Lajos sent me the first 50 pages. He also recommended a very good Hungarian article on religion and psychoanalysis written by a student on psychology. We made flan with Pat. Six weeks have gone, I still have four left.

Latte, the dog of the children is here for a few days. I have never seen such a quiet and beautiful dog. He lays all day long on his cushion. Sometimes gets up, takes a walk around the house, watches me musingly with intelligent eyes, and goes back to his cushion again.

Discussion with Lajos at 4 p.m. This time I rode the bike to his home. His son Bandi, and his partner brought sandwiches, we had dinner and a nice talk. Bandi seems to prefer zen Buddhism, he is having arguments with his father, for whom Hinduism means the caste system. I enjoy the intelligent debate. I tell them about my translation. Bandi's partner talks enthusiastically about her new job at an environmental preservation institute.

Thursday hike. It was a short walk, we lost our way because we didn't locate correctly the parking lot where we started from, but eventually an another group of hikers, the Steel Men, a jolly group of retired guys, enlightened us of our whereabouts.

Afterwards: Francis David. I finished the summary of the second book. Dinner: Hungarian sausages with mustard, mashed potatoes and boiled carrots. Don and Pat told me they have a Chinese daughter, too, who actually took part on the events of Tienan Square. We watched a documentary about Portland and neighborhood artists and a bike ride to high elevations.

I worked on the book proposal, the summary of Francis David's theory. I still have 20 more pages. Nice sunshine, took a walk. On Broadway, leaning to a pole a young couple: both are over 70.

Walked downtown by the riverside. I watched a boat pass under Steel Bridge. Young homeless people under the next one, good looking, talking on phone in the sleeping bag. Took a walk downtown and realized I haven't even taken a real look around until now. Rain was coming, took MAX back home.

I took a long walk on Broadway and Sandy Boulevard. Sat down in a bus stop and marvelled at the fact that I was here.

At 5 we left to have dinner with the Xi family. Pat and Don's "Chinese son" showed us his office and told about his story. He was 26 when he arrived in the US with $20 in his pocket. While studying here, the Tienan square events took place, the US government gave him a refugee status. He learned to assemble and fix computers. They have two daughters: Angela and Patricia.

Dinner is very delicious, five courses, traditional Chinese cuisine. Seems to be very close to the Transylvanian one.

After we talked I rushed off to meditation. PROGRAM GUIDE:

Meditation - Practical Experiments in Centering the Mind/Body/Spirit. Several approaches to meditation will be offered in this class, with the goal of finding what you might be drawn to and what seems to work best for you. Experience and learn a variety of meditation techniques including: The Relaxation Response, Hindu and Buddhist Silent Mantras, Chant, and Kundalini Yoga. Wear comfortable clothes. Reading materials will be provided. Facilitator: Kristina Armetta - is a voice teacher, a UU choir director and a meditation teacher.

Facilitator this time: Katie Raditz. We were 10: 4 men, 6 women. Channing room. Chairs in a circle, table with "altar" in the middle. They tell about the course, the things they used and how everyone used to meditate. Meditation and breathing practice. Katie gave us reading material. We went out to the hall, read a few quotes hanging there, took a slow meditation walk in the old sanctuary. After settling down again we told about our insights. Katie reads a poem: Say I am You. We choose two lines and explain what meaning it carries for us. Another poem, James Wright: A Blessing. This is also analysed.

Dinner: Hungarian sausage, I have it with mustard as usual in Hungary. Don also tries it. "We will be half Hungarians by the time you leave. You should stay forever."

Until 9:30 we stay in the bed, house is shaking, Patrick is fixing the skylight on the roof. I go out for a walk and take several pictures. It is good to roam the woods, brings back memories from Transylvania. Breakfast: fruit salad, eggy bread made by Patrick, with eggs from their own (!) chicken. Very delicious.

Patrick tells the story of his childhood compulsory problems: "walking the line". We go out to the empty riverbed. Magnificient scenery with a Q rushing off toward another dog in the distance. Screaming and shouting with no avail, but he comes back after all.

Going back, Susan and Patrick are thanking us that we spent the weekend with them. We are embarrased: we should be the ones to be thankful. In the truck again: playing word games, Q excitedly scanning the road ahead. At Patrick's house I say goodbye to Jacquie and Susan. Patrick takes me to the backyard to see the 4 chickens, producers of the eggs for the eggybread.

Patrick takes me home. I take a shower, wash my things. I realize this have been a transforming experience. After the impressing American civilization: the similarly impressing American wilderness. And a similarly civilised wild dog.

Don introduces me to Mike, his son. After four a clock we leave to Albany. I invited my hosts for a Hungarian dinner. We drove around the town for a while, made a telephone call eventually, and found Novak's Hungarian Restaurant.

Nice place, lots of people. We have chicken paprikás with Don, before that vegetable soup. Everything is Hungarian, I only have to add a little salt to the soup. Don seems to enjoy it too, they feel sorry there is no Hungarian restaurant in Portland.

I ask the middle aged woman if there is someone who speaks Hungarian. Only Papa Novák she says, but he comes only in the afternoon, or in case he has a guest from Hungary. She brings me the e-mail address.

People start getting up at 9 a.m. Girls have coffe at the fireplace, I go out for a walk. Breakfast at 11. We go out for a walk in the rain. Enormous trees, moss, I feel in a fairy tale, expect to see dwarfs peeking out from behind the brushes. We get soaked in 5 minutes. Dogs enjoy themselves. We stop at a place where about 5 giants stand in a circle. Linger among them for a while, trying to guess their secret, experiencing the spirit of this natural chapel, Patrick's favourite place. I have my sandwich with Hungarian salami bought in a German grocery store. We go back to the cars, wet dogs are wrapped in blankets.

We hang our trousers above the fireplace, Patrick goes out to chop wood. I join him. We gather old boughs and put them on a rack to dry. Patrick splits huge logs with an ax and wedge. I feel good. Later on we play several games.

Dinner is vegetable soup, homemade bread prepared by Susan. Card game afterward, we enjoy it greatly. Q is everywhere.

Today the two of us talked with Levente visiting in Madison, WI, on Skype. He in the middle, me on the West, you in Hungary. I made some shoppings in Fred Meyer's for $10. On my way back took a picture of this enormous pumpkin and a house under construction.

Don took me and Henryt to the PSU, where he used to be professor of accounting. Had dinner there. Students from all the world. I admired a young woman, who looked like as if she had just stepped out from the Arabian Nights. Her looks was mesmerizing.

Washed, packed. Pat gave me a rain trouser.

Patrick picked me up after 6 p.m. with a SUV. In their home two dogs greeted us. Patrick had to restrain one of them for a while. His name: Q. Restless dog. After he cooled down somewhat Patrick let him loose. Shouts erupted, he stuck his nose between my legs. Eventually, I greeted Jacquie and Susan.

After one and a half hour drive we arrived at the cabin. Surprize. Old building, I feel in a homestead out in the western wilderness. Patrick lights all the fires in one hour. Q rushes around like crazy. Huge fireplace inside, immense wood outside. We stepped back 100 years in time. This house is like a museum, every piece is a curiosity. People are chatting in front of the cosy fireplace. Susan and Jacquie too have some kind of experiences, or studies in spiritual sciences, meditations.

Short walk with Pat to Mt Tabor. Mentioned my ideas on connection of philosophy, religion and psychology. Pat told me there are educational institutions which are more open to innovative spirit then others.

After coming back I took another walk. Bought a pack of Snickers. I enjoyed counting change with the Afro-American woman: neither of us proved to be too bright, nevertheless it was a mutual pleasure to figure out $3,49. During the night I wrote the book proposal, took a 10 minutes walk in the rain.

I've been to the PSU with Joe. The course, The American Intellectual Tradition is the title of the book also, which they use. They discussed the two Great Awakenings, life and teachings of Jonathan Edwards (1730?), and Elmer Gantry after the War of Indepence (1790). (On Elmer Gantry see Sinclair Lewis' book. I recalled the movie I saw as a child with Burt Lancaster.)

I saw it interesting the way they had this class. It was similar to the church meetings and courses. Teacher: "When do you think the First Great Awakening took place?" "What was the cause and aim?" Eventually she summed up the answers. This is how the class went on, in a leasurely discussion. About 10 students, 2 retired persons (me as guest).

Joe introduced me to all the people. First, while we were waiting for the class to begin, to a guy looking like Sylvester Stallone, in his thirties, with eyeglasses. Then to other students, to the teacher, and even to the waitress in the snack bar on the other side of the street. She studied to become an English teacher. We talked to three students at the door, I mentioned my studies. It was a surprize how much these young guys were interested in spiritual sciences.

We had a lentil soup with Joe after course. It had some grated cheese on top, and mesclum salad in a side dish. I asked for a bread, too. The Vietnamese waitress brought some small buns with poppy seed.

I asked Joe about the American educational system. Primary school (1-8), high school (9-12), undergraduate school (4 év?), college, university. Grades: bachelor, undergraduate, grade, masters, doctorate. You can study whatever you wish, even skip degrees. This seems to me a jungle of opportunities. I felt good with Joe.

After the course I felt the same like after the humanist meetings. A sense of liberation and anger toward my memories of a totalitarian system. Then I realized the conflict our teachers had been trapped in. It was horrifying.

Realization: Unitarians dropped original sin, and with that grace too.

At home Don continued explaining: there is the PSU (Portland State University), the Oregon State University and the Oregon University. PSU is the largest (32.000), followed by the other two institutions with about 25-25.000. His son is attending a two year course at college, $8000. In case you are not from Oregon: $40.000.

After we talked I went out for a walk to think. I the evening I just roamed the streets in the neighborhood. Pat wasn't home, Don took me out for a waffle. We went to Elmer's, a nice, cosy, clean and spacious place. Big fireplace. Don and Pat used to bring their children here. I chose waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. It sounded good. The guy asks: "What would you like: sausage or ham?" I look at Don: don't understand... He says, "You can choose." I say, I got no idea, what would you suggest? Sausage. OK, let it be sausage. Guy asks: "How would you like the eggs?" Eggs??!... What kind of eggs?!... Looking at Don: what options do I have? They are laughing and saying both: scrambled eggs, and... OK, I say to the guy: let it be scrambled eggs.

There is a mini casino in the restaurant. This chain brings 1 billion in tax a year. They finance education with it. Indians also have these kinds of casinos, tax free. In return some give large amounts for public causes, some don't. They have their own police. The FBI comes only in case of felony. They do not like FBI, they think it often messes with their business without good reason. We also talk about Pat's family. Her father worked at a power plant, a project started during the depression by the government.

Dinner is ready: a huge waffle. Besides that: three sausages and the scrambled eggs. With a little bread it would be three meals at home. I look at the guy when he places the plates in front of me. He enjoys it. I switch plates, eat first the sausages and eggs. Very good, but without bread... The waffle is also excellent, but too much. I take home the rest.

I took a walk afterwards, and I thought I should write this down to you before going to bed...

After 5 p.m. I took a walk toward the Willamette along Broadway. Warm evening, nice hills over the river. Full moon and stars above. Dinner: delicious steak, with potato, homemade Maroccan bread. Don and Pat mentioned they had a farmer friend in Montana, it's 20 hours by train.

I took a walk. Good program on the TV: the story of the humans started 5 million years ago. He walked on two legs 3 million years but his skull was flat, like a monkey's. 2 million years ago the climate changed and the size of the brain started growing.

Thinking on yesterday's experiences: religious authority means a restriction on instinctive life, which means self-supression. Facing the authority, adhering to reason and awareness means asserting your inner self. It brings a sense of independence and wholeness. You feel a more intimate connection to your inner self.

We planned to meet with Joe at PSU. He explained it in detail where we were to meet, and still, I waited at the wrong place. It is shiny but it's cold. I have my warmest pullover on, while some walk barefoot in sandals...

During dinner with Don, Pat, Ingrid and Henry we had philosophical discussions. I mentioned about my translation, my insight and plans. "Árpád has an interesting idea" said Don, "there might be something to it. He thinks the problem with the UU is they do not have a unifying credo, as the Hungarian Unitarians." "We'll have to create one." "Árpád works on it." "You mean a theological credo?" "No", I said "time of theological credos has passed." "What then?" asked Henry. "Psycho-philosophy." They are laughing: "You asked for it Henry!"

The nature of the God-idea is difficult. "God is everything." - says Ingrid. "Well, yes, this is a nice philosophical explanation. But we are not to forget the practice. Fundamentalism is also about God..." Pat invited the company to see the hiking pictures.

Upon leaving Henry said with a smile: "We would like to have you for dinner sometime. We'll discuss the psycho-philosophical understanding of God."

Noon, just came home from the humanists. I rode there with bike, across the Broadway Bridge. Getting used to traffic. The place was called Friendly House. At the entrance the same name tags. Small room, sat down in the back row. Similar people, most of them seem retired. About 100. After I sat down an elderly man came and asked if I was attending for the first time. Yes, I said, I was from Hungary. "Gulyás" "Csirkepaprikás", "Budapest" "Buda and Pest", he recites. He visited there, and liked it very much. He told me he would introduce the newcomers. When the program started he came right to me with a microphone. I had to tell my name, where I came from, and also that I found out about the HGP on the Internet.

The lecturer was a university professor over 60, a lively person. Title of his lecture: America's Role in a Multi-polar World. Northwest Humanist Monthly:

Professor Robert Schmidt will host a 5-part series on "New Directions in American Foreing Policy". Professor Schmidt will discuss what changes in American foreign policy might make for a safer world. Should America work more closely with Russia and Latin America? Should we recognize Cuba? What about a one-state solution for Israel / Palestine? How might we end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? What is necessary to deal with failed states and those that oppress their own people? This course will explore new options and changes in American foreign policy.

Flyer: Robert Schmidt has taught International Relations, Theology, and World Religions at Concordia University in Portland. He has a Ph.D. in Political Science and several graduate degrees in Theology. He has taught and lectured in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Germany, Japan, China, Kazakstan, and India and also traveled in Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Mexico. He has lectured recently at Clark College, The Humanists of Greater Portland, the Senior Studies Institute, several Oasis classes, Terwilliger Plaza and at Willamette View.

He used a projector, flashing pictures, pointing with infrared light to maps. Very organized, vividly descriptive. He enumerated America's role in the world events after First World War. After the II. WW the US had mainly peace keeping role. Later on took part in several wars with different purposes. Today the US is not a hegemony anymore. Its interest in wars is not always humanitarian, but often has financial motivations. After lecture a half hour discussion: questions, answers, the microphone is passed around.

In the end program recommendations (e.g. Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea is having a lecture in December). The host has a suggestion from the part of the community: there should be music too, just like in a church, but he adds: of course, he means classical and modern pieces. At the door a wooden bowl with banknotes. There is a form, I fill it in with my addresses. Gathering some fliers, saying hello to Dave.

Nice place, I had a good time. The humanist association (AHA) is a secular one - this is emphasized. There are many atheistic allusions (see the fliers), while there is an effort to create a community which has the same role as a church. They have Sunday meetings and ministers, who "officiate at weddings, memorial services, rites of passages, and counsel humanists and the community in ethical and philosophical questions, servicing as the humanist equivalent of traditional clergy."

I bought 4 pieces of fried chicken wings at Fred Meyer's: $3,56. Quite expensive. It was good but instead of tasting salty it tasted sweet.

Afternoon. A clear sky and bright sunshine. Bike tour to Columbia river. On my way there I had a gorgeous view of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens. I took some pictures.

The sun was sinking fast, so I rode just as far as the river. Arrived back home in 45 minutes.