Czechmatediary

What shoe size are you? The American-size number 8? Or the European number 37? The numbers could not get more confusing. But I have got a good news! The biggest shoe-makers in the world are wanting to unite the sizing system. The measuring units should be similar to the metric system, which will include also the biomechanical proportions of the foot. (more…)

Many of us , Czechs and Slovaks living in the US, have been on a desperate hunt for Czech/Slovak groceries. Some were more successful than others so  I got the idea to ask around and here is what my friends (thanks you guys!!) and I put together.

PS: I read through your great comments and added most of the new goodies in (highlighted in red).

CZ: Vetsina z nas, Cechu a Slovaku zijicich v USA, ma ten samy problem. Jsme totiz na nekonecnem honu po ceskych. (nebo alespon podobne chutnajicich) potravinach Nekteri jedinci byli uspesnejsi nez zoufajici vetsina a tak jsem dostala napad optat se v okoli. Toto je list, ktery jsme vytvorily s mymi kamaradkami (diky holky!!).

PS: Procetla jsem vase vzacne komenty a vetsinu novych vecicek jsem k listu pridala – jsou zvyraznene cervene

1. Trader Joe’s

• Trader Joe’s Yogurt cups  (vanila & Cream yogurt) – tastes just like “Pribinacek“
• Trader Joe’s rolls – Czech “rohliky“ (warm them up in the toaster oven)
• Czech beers -  Broucek, Starobrno, Krusovice, Staropramen
• “Slivovitz” (green bottle) – tastes the same as the Czech Slivovice
• Meringues (Trader Joe’s brand) – Czech “pusinky”
• TJ Potato chips – taste like the ones from the Czech Fair (chutnaji jako ty z poute: premastene a preslanene..vyborne!!)
• Mineral water – taste just like the one in Czech
• Melta (barley coffee-like beverage) – Pero brand is made in Switzerland, it’s very good (more…)

Are you tired of asking your friends and relatives to send you Czech/Slovak books? The situation gets really uncomfortable: books are usually heavy and the postage fee ends up being ridiculously high and you end up feeling totally guilty since your friend/relative pays that fee without wanting you to to pay him back.

Forget these awkward moments because I have recently discovered  a Czech website which has electronic books on-line! All you have to do is register and start reading (click here).

CZ: Ja nevim jak vy, ale ja mam ohromny seznam ceskych knih, ktere mym rodicum postupne posilam, aby mi one knihy preposlali do USA. Problem je v tom, ze knihy jsou tezke a postovne je diky tomu nesmirne drahe. Vzdycky je mi mych rodicu/kamaradu lito, zo to plati, aniz by chteli neco nazpatek.

Provnile pocity ted uz ale muzeme vsichni hodit do kose, ponevadz jsem nasla tzv. Imperium elektronickych knih, kde si muzete elektronicke knihy precitat zdarma. Staci se jen zaregistrovat a zacit cist!

Christmas is just around the corner so let’s review some of the most popular Czech Christmas carols and their actual words. I don’t know how about you but it is really hard for me to figure out the words just from listening to them on a CD . The angelic voices are so high that I get to catch only a few in each songs.

CZ: Jezisek uz skoro tuka na dvere, tak je na case zopakovat si nejake ty ceske vanocni koledy. Ja nevim jak vy, ale pro mne je hrozne tezke rozpoznat jednotliva slova poslouchanim CDcka. Ty detske hlasky jsou tak vysoke, ze vetsinou pochytim jen par slov.

Rolničky, rolničky (Jingle Bells)

Rolničky, rolničky, kdopak Vám dal hlas?
Kašpárek maličký nebo děda Mráz?
Rolničky, rolničky, co to zvoní v nich?
Maminčiny písničky Vánoce a smích.

Sláva už je sníh, jedem na saních,
kluci křičí, zvonek zní, jenom táta ztich.
Kouká na syna, uši napíná,
co to slyší v rolničkách, na co vzpomíná? (more…)

Lenka, also known as Slovak Mama, recently came out with a brilliant service-oriented website called “Postaram sa” (I wrote about it here). The English version is now available which means that it is now accessible to everyone who desires a foreign caretaker. This is what her website says:

‘Foreign Language Sitter was created to assist people who provide services in child care, senior care, pet care, housekeeping, and tutoring and who speak a foreign language. This site is for families that want their care taker to speak the same language that is spoken in their home or want to teach their child a foreign language.’

So if you are looking for a Czech/Slovak babysitter or any other caretaker check it out here!

It is really getting close to Christmas and most of us are getting ready for some serious Christmas-cookie-baking marathon. I myself will be baking some more of vanilla crescents (there is never enough of those guys) and some vanocka. To make it easier for you here is a complete recipe list of them:

CZ: Vanoce se blizi a s nim i neodlucitelny maraton peceni vanocniho peciva. Aby se vam lepe peklo, udelala jsem list vsech vanocnich receptu tak si ohrnte rukavy a jde se do toho!

• Rum balls/Rumove koule
• Vanocka
• Walnut Tarts/Orechove dorticky
  
• Linz Tarts/ Linecka kolecka
• Vanilla crescents/Vanilkove rohlicky

The Czechs have recently invented something incredible. What we are talking about here is a blow-up car seat which costs way less than the regular one. And if your children grow out of it you just blow it out, fold it into a little package and put it into the glove department until you have another kid. Do you know how much easier would it be to fly with this thing??? Complete heaven!!!

Not only that it passed the crash test but it’s also supposed to be super comfortable. The only drawback is that the BEDI car seat was created for kids 3 years of age and up (15kg and up).

This wonder seat costs less than 1,400 crowns (about $70) which is about 3 times less than a regular Czech car seat. You can order it via the internet and when shipped within the Czech Republic the shipping is free. (more…)

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I may be just totally embarrassing myself here but I just recently found a Czech-style ‘YouTube’! The website is called Stream.cz and it shows anything from news, TV shows and celebrity lifestyle to music, sport and children shows…and the picture is clear! No more inferior YouTube videos that kill your eyesight!

CZ: Mozna, ze se touhle zpravou prozradim a vy zjistite, ze jsem ve skutecnosti sto let za opicema. Ja jsem totiz nedavno narazila na webovku zvanou  Stream.cz, kde se muzete divat na cokoliv ceskeho (serialy, sport, detske pohadky, hudbu….) a to zdarma. Nejen ze to, ale kvalita kazdeho videa je naprosto vyborna! Sbohem YouTuuubbeeeee!!!!!!

Did you know that if you are a Czech living abroad you are eligible for the children’s allowance (11,400 – 3,000 Crowns per month)? And did you know that the Czech government will give you a birth  grant (porodne; 13, 000 Crowns per child) as well?  I know, it is hard to believe, isn’t it?

Here are the conditions:

• At least one parent has to have a Czech citizenship
• the child has to have a Czech citizenship

Conditions seem simple but the paperwork is ridiculous. But hey, it’s worth it! This is what you do:

• You make a call to the consulate of the Czech Republic and tell them you want to apply for porodne and pridavky na deti. The consulate will send you a complete application package as well as the instructions. (more…)

I know I have already wrote about this awesome website ( called Cesta Slunce) but that was a long time ago. Since then my daughter and I have been listening to their GREAT (contemporary and traditional) Czech songs almost every day. I urge you to download these hits – for free - and sing your heart out! Click here and start downloading…

PS: You can also donate a financial gift to promote their great cause.

CZ: Uz jsem sice o webovkach zvanych Cesta Slunce jednou psala, ale od te doby jsme si s Hanickou tak oblibily jejich pisnicky, ze to nadsene musim vsem maminkam doporucit znovu. Stahnete si desitek modernich i tradicnich detskych pisnicek  a to zdarma! Pokud mate zajem tak udelat, kliknete zde.

PS: Muzete  na jejich stankach take pomoci  jejich slechetne kauze a to jakoukoliv financni castkou.