No matter where you live nature inevitably collides with civilization. In California, where I live, we get to deal with stranded coyotes, abandoned hummingbirds, injured seagulls and dolphins. In Czech the mixture is a bit different. In the fall the natural habitat rescue places get packed with different kind of animals. People mostly bring in hedgehogs because they assume there is something wrong with them. “they try to rescue them, but if they left them where they found them, the hedgehogs usually find some place to hide and survive the cold winter months”, says the founder of a local Czech rescue station. What an average Czech Joe does not know is that the hedgehog’s weight is the deciding factor as far as his health goes. If the mole weighs about 300 to 400 grams then they should survive winter no problem. [continue reading…]
Do you still remember how does fall in the Czech Republic feel like? It’s quite the experience. Yes it rains a lot and most days the weather is cloudy and grumpy but when the leaves start to change colors….that’s just magical. The My Czech Republic blog posted some cool pictures to help to put us in the right mood. Click here to see them.
CZ: Pamatujete si jeste, jak vypada podzim v Ceske Republice? Pravda je, ze vetsinou prsi, obloha je zamracena a sediva, no proste pocasi pod psa. Tu a tam se ale vyskytne krasny slunecny den, kdy muze clovek vychutnat svezest podzimniho vzduchu a ocenit krasne barvy padajicich listu. My Czech Republic blog nedavno vystavil krasne fotky prave techto nezapomenutelnych dnu. Posudte (a pokochejte se!) sami (kliknete zde).
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The Czech cultural pavilion in Shanghai (Wold Expo 2010) won a second place for creativity. In fact, the Chinese liked it so much that they bought the whole building for 33 million Czech crowns and now the pavilion is there to stay.
What is so incredibly creative about this building? [continue reading…]
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THIS IS A LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY SEASON REMINDER: If you are subscribed to this blog via email you get 10% off of any Czechmate Diary merchandise. What a deal, right? Hurry and start ordering because each item is one-of-a-kind :0)
To view what the Czechmate Diary store has to offer click here.
CZ: Nezapomente, ze ti kdo se zaregistrovali na Czechmate Diary skrze e-mail dostanou automaticky 10% slevu na jekokoliv Czechmate Diary darkove zbozi. Kazda vec,jelikoz je vlastnorucne vytvorena mnou (krome CDcek a iluminaci), je jedinecna a po zakoupeni ji tudiz nebude mit nikdo jiny, nez vy :0).
Czechmate Diary obchod muzete navstivit zde (kliknete zde).
Czech art is getting wilder and wilder. As the colder weather crept into the Czech Republic, the well-known Prague statues began appearing dressed in fashionable t-shirts and blouses. The group of certain Czech designers – who are the creators of this unique idea – claim it’s just another expression of Czech art but some argue it is a free advertising of their clothing line. Maybe they just felt bad for those poor statues who – century after century – freeze their buttocks off during the winter months ??
CZ: Cesti umelci jsou cim dale tim divocejsi. Tento podzim si skupina vytvarnych navrharu usmyslela obleknout zname Prazske sochy vcetne Karla Hynka Machy na Petrine, batolat od Davida Cerneho, nebo divky s holubici na Namesti Miru. Septa se take, ze si navrhari timto zpusobem delaji zdarma reklamu. Je tu ale treti varianta: treba jim tech chudaku soch bylo proste lito. Vzdyt z nich kazdou zimu lamou deti rampouchy!
[continue reading…]
Ivana is a grad student from Prague who is doing her thesis on us – the Czech-Americans! She has a fabulous questionare for people to fill out so please, if you get a few minutes, contact her and let her know you are willing to share your Czech-American life with her….and help building the Czech-American history.
‘Hi, I am a grad student from the Czech Republic and I am doing a research for my thesis, which concerns the Czech-Americans living in the U.S., but I don’t have enough contacts for nice people who would be willing to answer me some questions. The thesis concerns the generational gaps in perceptions of Czech identity, so I am especially interested in how much of the Czech identity do you actually keep in your lives. So please, if you want to help or if you know someone who would like to tell me about the life in the U.S., let me know on my email ivana.stojankova@gmail.com. Thank you very much.’
CZ: ‘Ahoj, jako studentka VŠ dělám výzkum k diplomové práci, která se týká čecho-američanů žijících v USA, ale chybí mi kontakty na hodné lidi, kteří by byli ochotní mi odpovědět na pár otázek. Téma diplomové práce je Generační rozdíly ve vnímání identity, takže mě hlavně zajímá, do jaké míry si stále udržujete českou identitu. Tímto Vás prosím, jestli se Vám chce pomoct nebo znáte někoho, kdo by si rád popovídal o životě v USA, dejte mi vědět na mail ivana.stojankova@gmail.com. Mockrát děkuji’
We are happy to announce the arrival of our sweet daughter Ava (an English variation on the Czech name “Eva”). Although she was only 7 pounds, men she is eating her way into being a 20-pounder in no time!
Our other daughter is adjusting fine except that she is terrified when the baby starts crying and runs into another room :0))
CZ: S radosti oznamujeme narozeni nasi sladounke dcery Evy (nebo-li Avy v jazyce anglickem), ktera se rozhodla pred par dny rozhodla prijit na svet. Ackoliv vazi pouchych 7 poundu, chut k jidlu ji nechybi a vubec me neprekvapi, kdyz z ni bude za 2 tydny ’20-pounder’.
Nase prvorozena Hanicka, si zvyka na novy prirustek do rodiny docela dobre, akorat ze pokazde, kdyz miminko zacne plakat, tak se ho tak lekne, ze se bezi schovat do druheho pokoje :0)
Most of you know from my Facebook updates that during this pregnancy I have developed a serious knitting addiction. Not sure if it has something to do with the nesting syndrome, all I know is that I can’t put the needles down and have most likely developed a carpal tunnel in both wrists. However, as it is with all addictions, I don’t care!
I made mostly hats and purses (and cell phone holers..and buttons) – all with Czech themes (and if there is enough interest next year I will come up with Slovak themes too) – which make them to be wonderful Christmas presents or just presents for any occasion. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, something that NO ONE ELSE will ever wear. But if there is a need, I can also custom make more of them, in different colors or children sizes if you like.
“PURSES”
1. The Earthly Lion
This hand knitted bag is my favorite. The mixture of earthly colors and textures gives it a hippie look which is very much in style now. However, the bag is also very spacious so one can fit almost anything in it: books, groceries, towels when you go to the beach…anything. This awesome bag is about 15″ wide, 12″ tall and 2″ deep. The strap is 25″ long. And the price? Only $39.99 plus $5.00 for shipping and handling.
1. “Burgundy beauty”
A hand-knitted ladies purse from a shimmery, deep red (and thick!) yarn; measures approx. 12″ across and 9″ high. I added a unique decoration of the Czech flag print, which is sewn on in a fun, ribbon-like way across the front and back of the purse. The shimmering red glitters woven in the yarn itself give it a very festive look with which you could show up even in the White House if needed. Cost: $29.99
[continue reading…]
The Czech school system decided to make a radical change and substitute cursive letters with the so-called Comenia Script. The letters are similar to printing letters and much easier to write. The teachers, however, are divided into two camps of thought: one side says that learning how to write with cursive letters promotes a better brain development; the other side claims that many children have problems learning it, therefore their self-esteem goes out the window. The latter idea is also supported by Petr Poethe, the Czech psychiatrist, who adds: “Some countries like USA or GB have not been using cursive writing for some time now and they are not dumber than us, are they?….It is also a nonsense for an older child to be getting lower grades for an otherwise perfectly written essay because his handwriting wasn’t neat enough”.
Some people also support the idea that even if one has a nice cursive handwriting, foreign countries will not be able to read it since nobody there is used to reading such ‘old-fashioned’ alphabet anymore. [continue reading…]
If you liked this post buy me a coffee! (Suggested:$3 a latte $8 for a pound) Thanks!
This is a must-see movie! It is entertaining and educational, you get a close look at one Czech-American family, learn how to make Czech puppets and discover how to cook a true Svickova or Bramboraky from a Czech chef himself.
Get a bowl of popcorn, make yourself comfortable and here we go! Click on the link below:
CZ: Toto je opravdu super reportaz of zivote Cecho-Americanu. Nejen ze se seznamite s Cesko-Americkou rodinou pana Jacoba Simonse, ale naucite se take, jak vyrobit ceskou pohadkovou loutku nebo se muzete naucit varit Svickovou a Bramboraky od sameho sefkuchare restaruace Zlata Praha. Takze se hezky uvelebte a jedem! Klikntete na nize uvedeny link.
http://www.ebru.tv/en/genres/LifestyleCulture/world-in-america/episodes/5/505-czech-americans
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