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While the Czechs are still a little hesitant about the usage of Euro as their  currency, the Slovaks have a different point of view. They are ready to “jump in” as early as January of 2009 and exchange their “boring” Slovak crowns for something more exiting… See for yourself in this video (click here)…

CZ: Zatimco Cesi stale vahaji o zavedeni Eura jako jejich hlavni penezni menu, Slovensko to vidi jinak. Zacne totiz pouzivat Euro jiz v lednu pristiho roku. Presvecte se sami v tomto videu (kliknete zde).

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!! I don’t know how about you but I feel privileged living in this country…

VSECHNO NEJLEPSI K DNU NEZAVISLOSTI!! (to zni divne…)

- ja nevim jak vy, ale jsem moc rada, ze tu ziju….I kdyz se my styska po Cechach

“If you help us find terrorists good things will happen for you…” That is pretty much the summary of the treaty that the USA signed with eight, USA-friendly states, Czech Republic included. Once all the American safety requirements are completed - which should be as early as October of this year - the Czech tourists will not need a visa to travel to the US. The traveling permission will be given out via the electronic system called the ESTA. (more…)

Hi to all friends of CMD,

I want to wish you all a happy Mother’s Day weekend! That’s a great thing about the United States - you get to really celebrate moms! Many of you know that we, the Czechs, have Mother’s Day as well but for some reason it seems to be the least celebrated holiday ever. It gets overpowered by the Children’s Day which is held on June 1st. I used to love Children’s Day though…

Every 2 years the EU commission assesses the situation of those countries of EU which in the future are planning to use the Euro currency system. The criteria range anywhere from the proper rate of inflation, share quotations to the rate of interest and other financial measurements. The Czech Republic for example does not fulfill the required inflation rate (in 12 months the IR = 4.4% with the EU limit being as low as 3.2%). Besides the CR other European countries such as Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Sweden, were going through a similar scrutinizing investigation. (more…)

  Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is going to be famous. The biggest known forgery painter Daniele Donde is planing to build a museum of False Art there. Similar museums are currently located only in Moscow ans Switzerland. Donde  himself is an interesting case: he never studied art, his falsification skills were learned from people that used used to sell his father fake art - without his father’s knowledge. Donde explains:”I gave those crooks a choice, either I was going to call the police on them or they will teach me how to paint like they do.”  (more…)

The Museum of Curiosities in Pelhrimov is quite the happening place these days. The 29-year old fakir, Petr Fiedor is planning on overcoming his past record of laying on hundreds of glass shards for 72 hours (His record from the year of 2000). This time he is hoping to lay unharmed on his “comfy” bed for 10 days. For 8 out of those torturous days (literally) is Peter going to be kept alive and well only via the means of IV - no food or drinks allowed. And why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone (or 2 flies with 1 swap, as the Czechs say) and make it a scientific experiment as well? (more…)

I am nearing the end of the semester in my level 2 Czech language course and what have I learned? I’ve learned much about the structure of this language without a whole lot of confidence that I can dare speak it to anyone (unless they don’t know a word of Czech). We, the students, have been told (warned) that third level will be entirely in Czech – no cheating with English. Great worry on our part.

So, having presented my instructor with the traditional American symbol (an apple) of respect and thanks to a teacher for a job well done, where to go from here? Our end-of-semester final is in two weeks then my wife and I take the plunge, despite stiff economic difficulties, and will travel to the Czech Republic, she to visit the small villages of her forebears and me to likely stand mute when I have this wonderful opportunity to speak this language I have chosen to learn. No matter how my language skills work or do not work, this will likely be the most interesting trip I have ever made. (more…)

Maybe the Czechs (and all of Europe, actually) got it right: smoking is good for you after all! Don’t believe me? Watch this YouTube “medical report”:

Mozna, ze Cesi (a vubec cela zakourena Evropa) maji s tim kourenim pravdu: koureni podporuje zdravi! Neverite mi? Tak podivejte na toto “zdravotnicke” YouTube video: (more…)

I have just finished my PDF-formated masterpiece called the “Survival Manual for Czechs and Slovaks living abroad”. It has over 88 pages (probably the longest thing I have ever written) but every page is worth gold. The Survival Manual includes:

• 40 (!!) pages of Czech/Slovak organizations in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and UK
  
• 20 pages of Czech/Slovak restaurants in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and UK
  
• Top 5 Czech/Slovak recipes
• Czech-American history

And MUCH more…..
If you would like to receive one of these manuals, subscribe to this blog by E-MAIL and I will send you a free copy by the end of the day!