Czechmatediary

I am really interested in this one: if you are Czech (or of a Czech descent, or just think like Czech) what is currently your most favorite TV show? I really like Lost and 30 Rock with Tina Faye, she seems to have a  Czech style of humor :0)

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What? Your show is not on the list?? Voice your opinion it in the comment box!

The theory of relativity is probably the most famous accomplishment of Albert Einstein, the scientist of all times. A few people know however, that the idea may have been born in Prague. ‘How is that possible?’, you may ask. ‘Einstein was not Czech he was German!’ That is true, he was born in Bavarian Ulm (1879) and died in the USA in 1955. But in 1911 and 1912 Einstein spent 16 months teaching at the German university in Prague.  He and his family lived in Lesnicka Street while he was lecturing theoretical physics at Klementinum and at the German Institute of Physics in Vinicna Street. There he had met a mathematics professor, Mr. George Pick, who advised Einstein on what books to study in order for him to find answers for his unanswered questions. During his stay in Prague Einstein published numerous articles on theory of relativity, gravitation, thermodynamics and quantum physics. [continue reading…]

This year has been a very special year for the Christians in the Czech Republic. It so happened that the Bible was finally translated into a contemporary Czech, making it more user-friendly. The last time all the biblical texts were translated was 3o years ago. The translation process took 17 years to complete, having 7-member team of translators on board, but all say the time was well worth it.

Until recently the most used Czech bible translation was the Czech Ecumenical Translation from the 1970’s, although many people still read the 16th century translation known as the Bible of Kralice. “The Bible is not flat. There are different styles in the text; some texts are very simple and straightforward, while others are very poetic. There are songs, the Book of Psalms, and so on. [continue reading…]

Hello everyone!

Many of you wanted some further information about Barack Obama having Czech roots so here is the detailed SVU article about it (click here).
CZ: Ahoj, mnoho z vas chtelo dodatecne info o Obamove ceske krvi, tak tady je o tom cely clanek (kliknete zde).

Livance could be described as something in between the French crepes and American pancakes, except livance are not as boring as the American pancakes and not as fufu as crepes – they are just right. For those who are not familiar with them, livance are small, slightly sweetened spongy cakes which are usually served with sweet toppings. Although the recipe itself is very simple you can let your imagination run wild when it comes to these toppings. The traditional decorations are any kind of jam, whipped cream and fruit on top….very Jenny Craig style :0)

Ingredients (makes about 10 livance):

• 2 cups of sour cream
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbs sugar
• 2 Tsp of baking powder
• 1/4 Tsp of salt
• 3 eggs
• oil for frying
• Topping material: strawberry jam, whipped cream, fruit (blueberries, strawberries..); nutella…….anything! [continue reading…]

Here is my Easter story. What am I about to say here may be really interesting for those who didn’t grow up in Czech or Slovakia (and a “nice” reminder for those who did). The “My Czech Republic” website gives you the cheery and playful version of this tradition but my recollection is not so cheery. Of course, we do the fun stuff like coloring the eggs, baking cakes in a shape of a lamb and sing merry songs. However, as I mentioned in my other posts, Czechs really like their alcohol (they have been no.1 beer-drinking consumers for ages now) and if you mix that with Easter – or any other celebration – things can get pretty crazy.

I can speak with a dose of authority since I have experienced the “wonders” of Czech Easter many, many times. As I mentioned before, when I was a kid my family spent the weekends/holidays at our cottage, located in a little quaint village near Prague. And villages are the places where things get REALLY crazy when holidays – especially Easter – come around. [continue reading…]

According to the Lidove Noviny newspaper Barack Obama has Czech ancestors! How is is possible? It is easy! Obama’s mother was descended from the British royal family line, from King Edward III and Kind Edward I. That links us to Eduard I and consequentially to the Czech King Vratislav II and further back to Prince Borivoj who was the first officially confirmed Bohemian prince  of the Premyslid dynasty.

As I said before, without Czechs people would be still living in caves…;0)

CZ: Podle Lidovych novin ma pry Obama ceske predky! Jak je to mozne? Oduvodneni je velmi jednoduche: Obamova maminka je potomek britske kralovske linie a to od krale Edwarda III a Edwarda I. To nas vede k Eduardovi I a pote konecne take k ceskemu krali Vratislavovi II, tudiz i k princi Borivojovi, prvniho oficialne korunovaneho ceskeho prince z dynastie Premyslovske.

Jak jsem jiz konstatovala v minulosti, bez Cechu by vsichni zili jeste v jeskynich….;0)


Source: http://www.radio.cz/en/current/magazine

Hi you guys, here is the summary essay on a current situation of the Czech-American community in the USA (if you would like to see Ivana’s more detailed report click here.)

CZ: Ahoj! tady je zbytek diplomove prace ceske studentky Ivany Stavarove, ktera popisuje nynejsi situaci Czecho-Americanu zijicich v USA (vice podrobnych udaju muzete najit zde).

The Czech-Americans of the 21st Century

by Ivana Stavarova

The 159 respondents, the Czechs, Czechoslovaks, and Czech-Americans, put together a vivid picture of the lives of Czech descendants across the sea in America. Their viewpoints differ in relation to their age, generation, the environment in which they were bought up and also their own nature as to how they approached the origin side of their identity individually. The Czech settlements in several parts of the United States are over one hundred years old, the evidence of Czech presence on the American land is hundreds of years old, yet the Czech life and Czech ways there are still very much vibrant, as we have learned from the current descendants’ answers. [continue reading…]

There has been a lot of discussion about what are Czechs like these days. The outsiders see us as intelligent,polite,somehow cold and critical at times but love our dark sense of humor. As far as religion goes, we are the biggest atheists of all of  Europe.

But what did we (or our great-grandfathers) look like to the outside world in the 18th century? Listen to this:

‘In the year 1794, Jos. Ant. RIEGGER, knight, German by birth but otherwise an authority on things Czech, described, in his outline of the ‘statistical geography of Czech lands’ the nature of the Czech people as follows: “As regards their physiological features, the Czechs are of middle height, not fat but muscular, resilient, firm and strong. Their build is excellent, and they are possessed of much sensual agility. The Czechs’ spiritual nature is generally good. Their heart is tender and gentle. A generally prevailing passion which might have Czechs in its grip is not in evidence. Their mental gifts are certainly excellent. Their aptitude for various sciences and art is tremendous. [continue reading…]