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Remember I wrote a story about my experience with the Czech versus the American educational system? Well, here is yet another guy that can expand your horizons on a similar topic. His name is Bill Cohn, the New York born lawyer who is also a professor of Ethics and Media at the University of New York in Prague (if you can make sense out of that name). Bill did an interview with the Radio Prague where he spoke on the topic of Czech students and how they differ from the American students. He is kind of wishy-washy with his answers (probably didn’t want to upset either side) but after some time of decoding his “politically correct” sentences, this is the bottom line: (more…)

What Czech actor (dead or alive) has made the biggest impression on the Czech audience? The results are not surprising (at least for me):

CZ: Kdo je nejoblibenejsim hercem/hereckou vsech dob? Vysledky nejsou zdaleka prekvapujici…

• 1st place
  • Female: Libuse Safrankova (Three Wishes for Cinderella)
  • Male : Vladimir Mensik (more…)
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I have a 10-month old baby. Her name is Hahna; that’s right – H-A-H-N-A - for people to pronounce it the European way (although many times she is still called Hannah). Picking a name that would work for both “worlds” was very important to me. I didn’t want to name her something very ethnic like “Drahomira” so that she wouldn’t be ridiculed at school and my husband could pronounce it. I also didn’t want to name her something like Cloe; although I like the sounding of that name, as far as Czech language is concerned, it is unfortunately completely useless and that’s because: (more…)

While America is kind of over the whole shopping mall scene (it was big hit of the 80’s) the Czech Republic is just getting started. There are currently about 60 shopping mall centers spread all over the CR while 50 other ones are on the verge of being built. More about the shopping mall boom and why do they grow like mushrooms after the rain (is that an American expression as well or am I making a fool out of myself here?) click here.

CR: Zatimco hit obrovskych nakupnich stredisek se stal v Americe jiz jaksi pase (byla to obrovska hitovka 80-tych let), v Cechach ted rostou jako houby po desti. V soucasne dobe je jich tam pres 50 a 60 dalsich nakupnich stredisek jen ceka na vystavbu. Proc tak nahly vzestup? Odpovedi na toto tema se dozvite zde.

Source: http://www.radio.cz/en/article/104814

89% of young Czechs believe that Czech Republic has discrimination issues. According to the Ipsos Tandor statistical poll 75% of these people thinks that Czech nation discriminates mostly against race, where as 43% of them also think that women are discriminated against as well. The article doesn’ t go into the race discrimination issue at all, which is a shame because I would like to know more about it. But it sure goes on and on about the discrimination of women:

• 52% thought women are not being treated fairly at the work place
  • maternity leave becomes a problem
  • lower salary (more…)
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The Czech literature is in trouble. Especially the current novels. The writer Jiri Kratochvil made a very good observation when he wrote “after a long, long time the Czech literature is not only free but also turns its back on any kind of ideology, mission and service to the nation”. When the Czech magazine Tyden had its “The Best Book of the Century” contest in 1998 the only current novel that had placed in the first 50 places was Sestra (Sister) by Jachym Topol - it won the 26th place. Lidove Noviny announced their “Book of the Year” list in 1991 with following 5 novels placed among the winners:

• Nesmrtelnost (Immortality) by Milan Kundera (more…)
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Have you ever found yourself translating Czech idioms into the English language? I have; and once you do there is no way out. No matter how serious the topic is, once you throw in the “…you can kill two flies with one swap that way….” (an equivalent of “kill two birds with one stone”) or “...that’s totally a Spanish village for me….” (meaning “I have no clue on this one”) you are bound to get confused looks from your English-speaking listeners and the serious conversation is over because everyone starts to laugh. Anyhow, here is some more of these play-on-words thingies that I found or thought of. Feel free to add some!

CZ: Taky vzdycky udelate tu samou chybu a prelozite jeden z nasich ceskych idiomu do anglictiny? A taky dostanete zmatene pohledy? Ja jsem v tomto ohledu “nevylecitelna”. Jestlize vam repertoar jiz dochazi, tak tady si jich par muzete pripomenout…

• Take your legs on your shoulders = vezmi nohy na ramena (take to your heels)
• Like soaked hen = vypadas jako zmokla slepice (you look glum)
• Throw it behind your head = hod to za hlavu (forget about it)
• To have a milk on your chin = tece mu mliko po brade (to be still very young and naive) (more…)
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My life-long project is finally completed! Here is a pretty cool list of famous Czechs and Slovaks (full-blooded or partial) living abroad. Some of those names were quite the surprise! Did you know for example that there are currently 5 Czech Victoria Secret models? Most of these people live in America but that is where my Google search ended up leading me. What I am trying to say is that this list is far from including ALL of the celebrities but it is the best one out there. So enjoy it! And let me know if you can think of any other additions….MOVIES

1. George Voskovec (actor)
2. Lucky Vanous (actor)
3. Jon Voight (his grandfather, Mr. Voytka, came to the US from Kosice) (more…)
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Czech moms living in London - there is a hope! In about a week a new Czech school called The Kids Art Club is opening up on Lough Road. So if your child is 6 years of age or older and has nothing to do on Saturdays, this should keep him/her busy….For more info click here. (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…)