Pálinka machine in Budapest airport’s Presidency waiting room

“Pálinka had growing success amongst foreign delegation members, who can now clink glasses after work, to cheer the Presidency’s successes before their plane takes off,” explained Ferenc Robák, on the idea of installing a pálinka machine in the waiting room. The waiting room is an excellent place to familiarise foreign guests with Hungarian traditions, culture and innovation. “In addition to working experience, our aim is to offer our guest cultural and gastronomic experiences they can take home.” the Government Commissioner added.

Peach, cherry and plum

“Men’s favourite is plum, while women prefer the peach pálinka,” said the representative of the pálinka distributor company, which operates the pálinka machine, explaining guests’ preferences to eu2011.hu. The elegant device contains genuine Hungarian peach, cherry and plum pálinka. Guests will find crystal glasses next to the pálinka machine, and by placing them under the appropriate pictograms, they will receive 2 centilitres of the fruity spirits, free of drops and ready to clink. The machine is designed to popularise the Hungarian speciality. Only members of invited delegations can enter the waiting room, and machine can be used free of charge and without limitations.

The Gömböc

The other new feature of the Presidency waiting room is a Hungarian invention, the Gömböc. The Gömböc is the first known homogeneous object to have only one stable and one unstable equilibrium points. “It is a roly-poly toy, only it has no weight in it,” said Gábor Domokos, the inventor of the Gömböc, giving a plain summary of his invention. He added, “If toppled on a horizontal, anti-friction surface, it resumes its original position.” The Hungarian pavilion’s chief attraction at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai won a number of scientific prizes throughout the world, and the delegations arriving to Budapest can see for themselves how special it is. Ferenc Robák expressed his delight that, through the Gömböc, Hungarian innovation can be demonstrated.

The waiting room’s success story

Ferenc Robák called the Presidency waiting room the Presidency’s logistical success story. The building, designed to handle international mail was leased for six months by the Hungarian government, before it was brought into use. The Government Commissioner said, the building is suitable for receiving delegations in a high quality waiting room, without having the increased traffic triggered by Presidency events, which normally causes inconvenience to other passengers; and it also offers the extra benefit of saving taxpayers’ money.

The building’s walls are decorated with the Hungarian Post’s stamps, featuring Hungarian inventors and celebrities; and proclaiming the international success of Hungarian science and innovation. Previously, the Hungarian Post has issued a stamp in honour of the Presidency, while its latest special sheet of stamps and one commemorative stamp, is dedicated to the Gömböc.