Recently I have been thinking about our first year...what exactly does that mean? Our first year in the Czech Republic or our first year of marriage? For us, the two can't be seperated, so this post will be about both of them. I know that in the past Jeremy and I have shared a lot about our activities inside and out of the church, but not really about our personal struggles and joys. I feel like this is a good time to do so.
Newly weds in a new country
We got married four months before moving to the Czech Republic, and I would say that we had an ideal situation. We both worked at a YMCA camp as naturalists, where we had friends, a community, our first home, and it was comfortable. It was there that we started our transformation from girlfriend/boyfriend to a married couple. Those of you who are married know that this can be both fun and frustating, because no longer are you living only for yourself and your well being, but you need to make adjustments to your lifestyle to met the needs of the other person. Cooking dinner is a good example of this. I might want to eat soup, but Jeremy would want to eat pasta; therefore, we would have to come up with some other option that both of us could agree on. So we had alot of adjustments to make.
After coming to the Czech Republic it felt like we needed to re-do all of the adjustments we had made in Ohio, plus more, since we now lived in a completely foreign country. Honestly, I underestimated how difficult this change would be. Not only did we need to a adjust to the language, culture, food and people, but also the reactions of one another while these adjustments are taking place. For example, going to the grocery store. In the united states I know what I can and can't buy at the grocery store, but here I'm still trying to figure this out. During our first few months here, the grocery store was a stressful place full of people with carts, narrow isle ways, and ofcourse everything being in Czech. It would take me about forty minutes to find half the things I was looking for and I would come home frustrated because I couldn't find something, or I couldn't understand that the cashier said to me, or the person behind me was pushing their cart into my butt in hopes to making me go faster. I would then tell Jeremy about the experience in hopes that he would understand and help me to feel better. So we had new emotional struggles that we needed to help each other deal with.
I am an introvert and Jeremy is an extrovert. This combination can be good for sometimes, like planning things, but adds a level of stress to other things, mainly social interations. In the U.S. this was not as apperent, because there was never a time when we could not make our needs clear to someone, and I knew how to deal with my introvertedness. After our move I was completely out of my comfort zone and felt like I was drowning at time. There were so many emtional stress, but the biggest was learning a new language, which effected everything we did. Jeremy took the lead in most social settings since his Czech was better, and I was afraid, but this put an incredible amount of strain on him. Our first year I didn't do a good job of supporting him and practicing the language with him, which has created a wide gap in our ability to communicate in Czech, but also made him feel that he is was let down in a time of need.
Old hat
We came into a program that was going into it's 6th year. A group from Oklahoma, who knew Pastor Jan and his family, had been coming to Policka for 5 years to do a English summer camp at the church. After the 3rd year of camp, a young woman from the group, Kati, stayed to teach English out of the church year round. She stayed for two years and we were hired to take her place and add new ideas to the already existing program. I found this was more challenging than I thought it would be, mainly because the first year I didn't have a single helper for my seven kids classes. I had to rely on a dictionary and the higher level kids for communication, because my Czech was not at a level where I could help them understand what I was saying in English.
Another challange was the feeling that we needed to live up to the past programs. Which meant that we needed to really think about how to make existing programs, classes and the halloween party, as good as, if not better than in the past. Ofcourse this is difficult to do since we weren't here, and we can only go off of what Kati wrote on her blog and what the kids tell us they did and liked. My most feared phrase in class was "we already did this with Kati" because it meant not only that the kids would not listen to me while I explained what we were going to do, but also that it was nothing "new and exicting" for them. We did plan some completely new events, which were sucessful, but for the most part, it didn't seem like people were interested in coming. It was like they were tired of coming to events at the church being led by Americans.
I would say the most suprising challenge that arose stemmed from us being second in line. On a number of occations people would tell us how much easier it is for us since there are two of us. They would tell us how lonely Kati was, or how difficult it was for her to adjust. I would like to think that people were just trying to make us feel better, but it had the opposite effect. It made me feel like my struggles and feeling of loneliness were unwarented. Yes, Jeremy and I had one another, but we spent our first year not knowing anyone in our appartment building or really anyone outside the church. We did make some wonderful friends, whom we can never express how much their friendship means to us, but it was and is still lonely at times. I don't want to make this sound like I am saying that our time here was more difficult than Kati's, I just want to show that our struggles looked a little different.
We have about ten months left in Policka, so there is still more to learn and see, and ofcourse more people to meet. I would like to ask that you keep Jeremy and I in your thoughts. I would be a great deal to us. Peace.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Racism in the CZ
One night while staying up and watching television (for language practice, geez!), I came across a program entitled, Mate Slovo? In English, this is directly translated as, 'Do you have words?', but more for our purposes, the REAL emotional/grammatical translation would be something like this, 'Do you have an opinion?'. The show is probably on late, because no one from the 'average viewing audience' would have any interest in the topics and themes that are brought up, as many of them are political in nature and I'm sure that bickering and frustration follows suit in about 80-90 percent of the episodes (think of Bill O'Reilly). But for me, the night I tuned in, the topic was really provocative.
The format of the show runs like a panel discussion, where you have one host (usually a nubile women in her early 20's that seems out of place asking questions about economic policy and liquidity--but, hey, you gotta get the 'viewers' some how!?) proposing a question and then hearing the answers from about 5 or 6 'experts.' Normally, the question or issue is posed as one that could be 'answerable', when in fact it isn't, because the inherent dichomoty of having seperated 'experts' each giving one-sided opinions to a question/issue that requires a holisitc answer is quite fruitless; but, I was sure it would make for some explosive-television entertainment. The theme that was to be discussed was, "Racism in the Czech Republic. Why is it so powerful here?" If any of you know me, then you know I HAD to watch.
The resident panel for that night was made up of the Minister of the Intrastate Safety Board of the Czech Republic; the Mayor of the Jewish community in Prague; the Mayor from a medium-sized, Czech city with Roma 'issues'; two Roma rights activists and one newspaper journalist, who has written extensivly about the issue. To get the conversation started, the minsiter from the Czech Government, claimed that he understood the worries of the Roma population within the Czech Republic (remember that due to the fact that the CZ is very homogeneous in population, the race quetsion is normally relegated to the Roma and a few asian, immigrant groups), but felt that sometimes the claims of violence are a little bit too extreme: he felt that they were effectively yelling "fire in a theatre" to get the attention of world at large. And, really, from that statement, the panel discussion went down hill. Throughout the 30 minutes that followed, I was appalled and shocked to hear, coming from the lips of politicians, the most down-right, unthinking, typically, insulting answers as to why Roma are discriminated against, and how they effectively, "have it coming" (they are lazy, no Roma want to work, they rob houses, they have violent gangs, they don't speak Czech well, they are dirty, etc...). The moderator did an admirable job of keeping all the opinionated 'bulls' (I'll call them that because they were all men with head-strong arguments) in line and on topic, but it just didn't seem to work so well. I'm sure that some of the politicans were trying to make populist points in their statements, and I'm also pretty sure that the Roma activists were not doing the best job of taking some of the responsibilities for their communties lack of educational and parental support. But for the most part, I felt that all of the 'experts' weren't taking the issue seriously enough to admit that it is a little bit more complicated than the fact that the Roma have dirty houses and that they are lazy.
Czech people have a lot of pride in their nation, which is one reason as to why they probably don't want to engae the issue on a deeper level than making blanket statements that push the blame onto the 'other' almost entirely. This is not just relegated to the Czechs, we Americans have a had this problem in the past and today, but I do think that at this time, in the Czech Republic, their civic nation is just starting to deal with some problems of immigration and 'national identity', so some of their political and social responses, to me, seem a bit immature. I don't want to make this issues of race in the Czech Republic seem very easy, because it really is not; however, in some instances, I wish Czechs could look at some of their traditional tendencies (mainly in regards to thinking/history) and see that there are some roots and seeds within their own cultural paradigm that make a racist worldview more conducive for growth and fruition.
To make this a little bit more understandable, I will use a specific topic that was proposed during one of the segments of the show: why is Nazism such a strong ideology in the minds of Czechs? In answering this quetsion, we have to remember the roots of Nazism and the cultural landscape that led to its rise. Again, not trying to make it too simple, but at the same time trying to think this out on a tangible level, I honestly believe that one of the strongest foundational underpinnings for Nazisim was the humiliation and broken pride of the German 'nation' after WWII (I have quoted 'nation', because for Europeans the word 'nation' has a more nuanced definition than the one we use in America. This has roots in both of our respective histories, but just for your knowledge, 'nation' in Europe does NOT signify the Civic State, but the ethnicity, the culture, the language, and even the color of a people; in Czech, this word is 'Narodnost'). In a not-so-small way, the Nazi movement is a vainglorious way of looking at one's standing in the world (which might work, until you have people like Jesse Ownens come and 'inconveinetly' call it out for what it is...). But, what does this have to do with Czechs?
Well, since were talking about Nazism, we have to remember that it is an ideology. From living in the Czech Republic for a year, I have grown to see that Czechs are very terrified of the idea/word ideology. I would say that many of them, who think like this, relegate the concept to just politicl worldviews and religion: both in a more negative sense than a positive; therefore, Czechs are afraid of being 'brainwashed' ( a word sometimes used to describe the workings of the Christian Church within this country) into being forced into any kind of ideological living that 'imposes' upon them certain rules (can you see how 40 years of repressive Communism might have made them 'gun shy' for any more ideology?). But we humans, whether we like to admit it or not, will never be able to get away from living a life that in some way or form is shaped by a paradigm, a praxis, or...an ideology. Sometimes we may choose to align ourselves with more 'free-spirited' or 'open-minded' worldviews that seem 'safer' on the outside than the liturgical life of a Catholic, or the 'dehumanizing' life of an Islamic woman. But in the end, it is still the same, whether that life is packaged as 'rationalism', 'marxism', 'materialism', or, and the one that is most relevant in this conversation about the Czechs, 'atheism.'
I guess what I am trying to say, is that the question of race, within in the Czech Republic, is also one of religion/theology (whichever one works better for you). Of course the public discourse on the matter of racism and its problematic manifestations within society should encompass economic, political, social and educational reasons, but if the Czech society at large continues to ignore the theological/philosophical/relgious aspect, well then, in my opinion, they can never begin to think creatively enough to engage in meaningful, reconciliatory conversation.
Most Czechs say that they are atheist. As an atheist, they too are still making a claim of 'allegience' to something, or sometimes, to someone. In parallel fasion, my Christian self makes an allegiance to God and to all the beauty that IS creation (art, music, humanity, nature, animals, etc). Therefore, it would have to be that my highest allegiance will always be above ANYTHING that has been created by the hands of man, including, the 'nation', the 'narodnost' and the civic state. However, for an atheist, each one can be a little different: Jim might find that 'peace and love' are his foundations on this earth; Susy might find think that 'being a good person and living a healthy life' are most important; and Bill, he might find his deepest root in his flag, in the stories of his 'nation' and in the language of his literature, songs and poetry. It is this last one that, I feel, holds powerful sway in the CZ.
I would have to give you about another two paragraphs as to why Czechs are so proud of their nation, because in many instances, they do have a lot to take pride in, but I'm not going to do that. However, I will say that sometimes Czech nationalism arises from a feeling of inferioirty or 'smallness.' It does have to do with their history: the fact that they have not been able to be a free, independent state for most of their existence and that they really are small in comparsion to their neighbors, has bred within in them a first reaction of defensiveness, where they have to proclaim their right as a people and as a culture to exist. Therefore, when their 'narodnost' perceives threats from the 'outside', maybe by way of immigrants or the Romas themselves, they have to fight it 'tooth and nail.' This problem is only exacerbated by the fact that many Czechs, who refuse to claim a 'religious' ideology, define their deepest existance not in creation, but in the Czech nation itself. Through this, there is no room for 'true' reconciliation, because people who come from a different 'narodnost', will really never be a 'part' of the nation, of the family, or of the country. Instead, they will be percieved as a threat when their numbers are too large for comfort.
I don't want to make this issue seem really simple, because it isn't at all. There is so much that I don't know about this culture and about their history with the Roma that I feel really unqualified to even talk about it. But, I just wanted to get some of my thoughts down....
Also, I don't want it to seem that ALL Czechs are like this. Just like in our country, there are a few radicals; the vast majority of people do not fit into this critique.
Sorry if this was too long, too poorly written, or just confusing...
The format of the show runs like a panel discussion, where you have one host (usually a nubile women in her early 20's that seems out of place asking questions about economic policy and liquidity--but, hey, you gotta get the 'viewers' some how!?) proposing a question and then hearing the answers from about 5 or 6 'experts.' Normally, the question or issue is posed as one that could be 'answerable', when in fact it isn't, because the inherent dichomoty of having seperated 'experts' each giving one-sided opinions to a question/issue that requires a holisitc answer is quite fruitless; but, I was sure it would make for some explosive-television entertainment. The theme that was to be discussed was, "Racism in the Czech Republic. Why is it so powerful here?" If any of you know me, then you know I HAD to watch.
The resident panel for that night was made up of the Minister of the Intrastate Safety Board of the Czech Republic; the Mayor of the Jewish community in Prague; the Mayor from a medium-sized, Czech city with Roma 'issues'; two Roma rights activists and one newspaper journalist, who has written extensivly about the issue. To get the conversation started, the minsiter from the Czech Government, claimed that he understood the worries of the Roma population within the Czech Republic (remember that due to the fact that the CZ is very homogeneous in population, the race quetsion is normally relegated to the Roma and a few asian, immigrant groups), but felt that sometimes the claims of violence are a little bit too extreme: he felt that they were effectively yelling "fire in a theatre" to get the attention of world at large. And, really, from that statement, the panel discussion went down hill. Throughout the 30 minutes that followed, I was appalled and shocked to hear, coming from the lips of politicians, the most down-right, unthinking, typically, insulting answers as to why Roma are discriminated against, and how they effectively, "have it coming" (they are lazy, no Roma want to work, they rob houses, they have violent gangs, they don't speak Czech well, they are dirty, etc...). The moderator did an admirable job of keeping all the opinionated 'bulls' (I'll call them that because they were all men with head-strong arguments) in line and on topic, but it just didn't seem to work so well. I'm sure that some of the politicans were trying to make populist points in their statements, and I'm also pretty sure that the Roma activists were not doing the best job of taking some of the responsibilities for their communties lack of educational and parental support. But for the most part, I felt that all of the 'experts' weren't taking the issue seriously enough to admit that it is a little bit more complicated than the fact that the Roma have dirty houses and that they are lazy.
Czech people have a lot of pride in their nation, which is one reason as to why they probably don't want to engae the issue on a deeper level than making blanket statements that push the blame onto the 'other' almost entirely. This is not just relegated to the Czechs, we Americans have a had this problem in the past and today, but I do think that at this time, in the Czech Republic, their civic nation is just starting to deal with some problems of immigration and 'national identity', so some of their political and social responses, to me, seem a bit immature. I don't want to make this issues of race in the Czech Republic seem very easy, because it really is not; however, in some instances, I wish Czechs could look at some of their traditional tendencies (mainly in regards to thinking/history) and see that there are some roots and seeds within their own cultural paradigm that make a racist worldview more conducive for growth and fruition.
To make this a little bit more understandable, I will use a specific topic that was proposed during one of the segments of the show: why is Nazism such a strong ideology in the minds of Czechs? In answering this quetsion, we have to remember the roots of Nazism and the cultural landscape that led to its rise. Again, not trying to make it too simple, but at the same time trying to think this out on a tangible level, I honestly believe that one of the strongest foundational underpinnings for Nazisim was the humiliation and broken pride of the German 'nation' after WWII (I have quoted 'nation', because for Europeans the word 'nation' has a more nuanced definition than the one we use in America. This has roots in both of our respective histories, but just for your knowledge, 'nation' in Europe does NOT signify the Civic State, but the ethnicity, the culture, the language, and even the color of a people; in Czech, this word is 'Narodnost'). In a not-so-small way, the Nazi movement is a vainglorious way of looking at one's standing in the world (which might work, until you have people like Jesse Ownens come and 'inconveinetly' call it out for what it is...). But, what does this have to do with Czechs?
Well, since were talking about Nazism, we have to remember that it is an ideology. From living in the Czech Republic for a year, I have grown to see that Czechs are very terrified of the idea/word ideology. I would say that many of them, who think like this, relegate the concept to just politicl worldviews and religion: both in a more negative sense than a positive; therefore, Czechs are afraid of being 'brainwashed' ( a word sometimes used to describe the workings of the Christian Church within this country) into being forced into any kind of ideological living that 'imposes' upon them certain rules (can you see how 40 years of repressive Communism might have made them 'gun shy' for any more ideology?). But we humans, whether we like to admit it or not, will never be able to get away from living a life that in some way or form is shaped by a paradigm, a praxis, or...an ideology. Sometimes we may choose to align ourselves with more 'free-spirited' or 'open-minded' worldviews that seem 'safer' on the outside than the liturgical life of a Catholic, or the 'dehumanizing' life of an Islamic woman. But in the end, it is still the same, whether that life is packaged as 'rationalism', 'marxism', 'materialism', or, and the one that is most relevant in this conversation about the Czechs, 'atheism.'
I guess what I am trying to say, is that the question of race, within in the Czech Republic, is also one of religion/theology (whichever one works better for you). Of course the public discourse on the matter of racism and its problematic manifestations within society should encompass economic, political, social and educational reasons, but if the Czech society at large continues to ignore the theological/philosophical/relgious aspect, well then, in my opinion, they can never begin to think creatively enough to engage in meaningful, reconciliatory conversation.
Most Czechs say that they are atheist. As an atheist, they too are still making a claim of 'allegience' to something, or sometimes, to someone. In parallel fasion, my Christian self makes an allegiance to God and to all the beauty that IS creation (art, music, humanity, nature, animals, etc). Therefore, it would have to be that my highest allegiance will always be above ANYTHING that has been created by the hands of man, including, the 'nation', the 'narodnost' and the civic state. However, for an atheist, each one can be a little different: Jim might find that 'peace and love' are his foundations on this earth; Susy might find think that 'being a good person and living a healthy life' are most important; and Bill, he might find his deepest root in his flag, in the stories of his 'nation' and in the language of his literature, songs and poetry. It is this last one that, I feel, holds powerful sway in the CZ.
I would have to give you about another two paragraphs as to why Czechs are so proud of their nation, because in many instances, they do have a lot to take pride in, but I'm not going to do that. However, I will say that sometimes Czech nationalism arises from a feeling of inferioirty or 'smallness.' It does have to do with their history: the fact that they have not been able to be a free, independent state for most of their existence and that they really are small in comparsion to their neighbors, has bred within in them a first reaction of defensiveness, where they have to proclaim their right as a people and as a culture to exist. Therefore, when their 'narodnost' perceives threats from the 'outside', maybe by way of immigrants or the Romas themselves, they have to fight it 'tooth and nail.' This problem is only exacerbated by the fact that many Czechs, who refuse to claim a 'religious' ideology, define their deepest existance not in creation, but in the Czech nation itself. Through this, there is no room for 'true' reconciliation, because people who come from a different 'narodnost', will really never be a 'part' of the nation, of the family, or of the country. Instead, they will be percieved as a threat when their numbers are too large for comfort.
I don't want to make this issue seem really simple, because it isn't at all. There is so much that I don't know about this culture and about their history with the Roma that I feel really unqualified to even talk about it. But, I just wanted to get some of my thoughts down....
Also, I don't want it to seem that ALL Czechs are like this. Just like in our country, there are a few radicals; the vast majority of people do not fit into this critique.
Sorry if this was too long, too poorly written, or just confusing...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Balkan livin'
For the past seven days, lounging around on the beach was the activity of preferred choice. NO, it was the most important option of the day, even greater than bathing and changing clothes...
Before our trip to Croatia, I really didn't know too much about the place; the language, the customs, the history, heck, even the weather were all quite mysterious. In fact, here is a summary of what I did know about this often-misrepresented, Balkan nation:
1. It once was part of old Yugoslavia.
2. Because it was once a province of Yugoslavia, I inferred that one of the greatest engineering marvels ever to be pieced together by the hands of man originated from its rock, desolate hinterland: the YUGO automobile.
3. There was a terrible war there 10 years ago.
4. Jake Nelko's ancestry is Croatian.
5. During the steel mill era, there must have been lots of immigrants from Croatia, due to the ubiquitous, sun-faded 'Croatian Club' signs that dot the corners of every former mill town up the Ohio Valley.
6. There was a Crusade there in 1214 where Christians fought fellow Christians (Catholic vs. Orthodox).
that's about it...
Consequently, when I found out that about 5,ooo,ooo (a little exaggerated) Czechs go there every summer for vacation, I was very much surprised. Whenever they would say Croatia, my mind instantly went to an old photograph that I had seen in a book entitled, America in the Age of Genocide. The picture was taken some time in late nineties, during the war with Serbia, where many Croatians were being placed into work camps, where ultimately many of them would die due to malnutrition and brutality. In the forefront, there was a gaunt looking Croatian man, who was completely naked. I could see all of his ribs and his face was so sunken in that it appeared as if you could cut your fingers on the sharp angles that made up his jaw. He was bald, and propping him up, as I'm sure his knobby knees were not up to the challenge of holding up his bony frame, was a medical doctor. I couldn't believe the picture, because it seemed as if it should have appeared in some large collection of photographs from the holocaust. But, it wasn't from some long-off war where photos were black and white. I could see color. I could see the pain in his deep, brown eyes. I could even see the caked on dirt that made him appear darker than he really was. It wasn't a tan; the man was just filthy.
That was the Croatia that I knew and read about. Vacation destination did not fit into the picture...
When Jamie and I found out that we would have about two weeks in August to travel, we initially wanted to wander over to Slovakia and hike in the beautiful Tatra Mountains. But we jumped on the idea of Croatia for two reasons: one, our friends from Camp Willson (Laura and Ben) were working there for the summer; and two, I hadn't been to the beach in about 3 years. Croatia also afforded us the opportunity to 'Czechify' ourselves even more, by engaging in a rite of Czech culture: taking a tour bus to your vacation spot ( we ended up being the only non-czech citizens on the bus, which made for a few comical situations at the border control, when the drivers thought EVERYONE was Czech; they were a little bit surprised to find that two Americans were amongst the sea of Bohemians...).
Jamie and I rode a 17-hour bus all the way to the city of Split, Croatia ( by the way, Croatia might have the coolest town/city names in the world) on the southern coast. We drove through Austria and Slovenia to get there (it still amazes me how small Europe really is: we cruise through countries like they are nothing but states). Split is quite fascinating, because it was the location for the Palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian, so some of the buildings there are over 1,500 years old. Amazing, right!? Who would of thought that in Croatia I would see ionic pillars and Roman tile work? Split was quite touristy and seemed as if it was the popular vacation destination for hordes of Germans, Czechs, Polish and Italians. People say that 10 years ago, it was a completely different story,because of the fighting going on in the country side: you would never have guessed it from the sleek, trendy shoe boutiques and the seaside cafes that served up some pretty over-priced wine. The city center is one large pedestrian zone, so we could effectively walk anywhere we wanted without the fear of getting hit by some manic driver. Also, it was great staring at the pavement of the city, as it appeared that most of the stones had been placed there during its Roman foundation: gigantic white blocks that were so worn that you could easily slide on them, as if they were well-polished, wooden floors.
Most of our day was spent walking back and forth from the city to the beach. Jamie, Laura, Ben and I claimed a little section of the coast as or own by naming a slab of stone "English Rock," because each day it seemed as if there were either English, Australians or Americans sunbathing on it (one of the more interesting aspects of the Adriatic Sea, is how calm it is. There are no sand beaches along the shoreline, because the sea itself does not create enough force to wear rocks into small particles of base minerals. So, when you go to a Croatian 'beach', you have to expect it to be made up of stones or fairly large rock-outcroppings that drop right into the sea: this makes for some good 'cliff diving' into the water.) The water itself was beautiful shades of turquoise, emerald and deep blue; Jamie and I took advantage of this by using our goggles and exploring some of the life that pulsated under the slight ripples of the sea. It was truly fantastic.
About halfway through our week in Split, we all decided to take a bus to a different location about 15 miles north, to a town called Trogir. From Trogir (a beautiful medieval-era island city fit with monasteries, numerous churches and an old fort), we walked about one mile to an 'auto camp', where we pitched a tent and spent the next three nights sleeping along the coast under a few, sap-filled pine trees (sap is a pain to clean). It was so peaceful and quiet; we could sleep, read, eat and swim without the distraction of numerous tourists and drunk party-goers.
During my time in Europe, I have come to realize that my worldview and many of my opinions have their root and their sustenance in the soil of American culture, and when I am separated from that American cultural paradigm, I see that there are people in this world who legitimately do not think like me or American people. There are so many examples that it would be hard to name a few, but one that was consistently thrown back in my face, on this past vacation, was how 'Victorian' our culture is in regards to sexuality. In many Europen countries, it is completely normal to see male and female nudity on television or in movies. Now, for Americans, we usually block that out, or relegate it to HBO; however, in direct contrast to us, Europeans are much more uncomfortable with violence: often times I see a very graphic seen of CSI or from some American film, which would be completely acceptable for viewing eyes in the States, edited or scrambled out. In Croatia, I also learned that this laxity in regards to sex transfers over into the appropriate bathing suit attire.
It breaks down like this:
Children: there is no need for a bathing suit at all
Women (ages 16-55): Bikini style suit. No top.
Men: very small speedos that do not cover up backsides (or much of the front for that matter)
-You get the picture?
Before our trip to Croatia, I really didn't know too much about the place; the language, the customs, the history, heck, even the weather were all quite mysterious. In fact, here is a summary of what I did know about this often-misrepresented, Balkan nation:
1. It once was part of old Yugoslavia.
2. Because it was once a province of Yugoslavia, I inferred that one of the greatest engineering marvels ever to be pieced together by the hands of man originated from its rock, desolate hinterland: the YUGO automobile.
3. There was a terrible war there 10 years ago.
4. Jake Nelko's ancestry is Croatian.
5. During the steel mill era, there must have been lots of immigrants from Croatia, due to the ubiquitous, sun-faded 'Croatian Club' signs that dot the corners of every former mill town up the Ohio Valley.
6. There was a Crusade there in 1214 where Christians fought fellow Christians (Catholic vs. Orthodox).
that's about it...
Consequently, when I found out that about 5,ooo,ooo (a little exaggerated) Czechs go there every summer for vacation, I was very much surprised. Whenever they would say Croatia, my mind instantly went to an old photograph that I had seen in a book entitled, America in the Age of Genocide. The picture was taken some time in late nineties, during the war with Serbia, where many Croatians were being placed into work camps, where ultimately many of them would die due to malnutrition and brutality. In the forefront, there was a gaunt looking Croatian man, who was completely naked. I could see all of his ribs and his face was so sunken in that it appeared as if you could cut your fingers on the sharp angles that made up his jaw. He was bald, and propping him up, as I'm sure his knobby knees were not up to the challenge of holding up his bony frame, was a medical doctor. I couldn't believe the picture, because it seemed as if it should have appeared in some large collection of photographs from the holocaust. But, it wasn't from some long-off war where photos were black and white. I could see color. I could see the pain in his deep, brown eyes. I could even see the caked on dirt that made him appear darker than he really was. It wasn't a tan; the man was just filthy.
That was the Croatia that I knew and read about. Vacation destination did not fit into the picture...
When Jamie and I found out that we would have about two weeks in August to travel, we initially wanted to wander over to Slovakia and hike in the beautiful Tatra Mountains. But we jumped on the idea of Croatia for two reasons: one, our friends from Camp Willson (Laura and Ben) were working there for the summer; and two, I hadn't been to the beach in about 3 years. Croatia also afforded us the opportunity to 'Czechify' ourselves even more, by engaging in a rite of Czech culture: taking a tour bus to your vacation spot ( we ended up being the only non-czech citizens on the bus, which made for a few comical situations at the border control, when the drivers thought EVERYONE was Czech; they were a little bit surprised to find that two Americans were amongst the sea of Bohemians...).
Jamie and I rode a 17-hour bus all the way to the city of Split, Croatia ( by the way, Croatia might have the coolest town/city names in the world) on the southern coast. We drove through Austria and Slovenia to get there (it still amazes me how small Europe really is: we cruise through countries like they are nothing but states). Split is quite fascinating, because it was the location for the Palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian, so some of the buildings there are over 1,500 years old. Amazing, right!? Who would of thought that in Croatia I would see ionic pillars and Roman tile work? Split was quite touristy and seemed as if it was the popular vacation destination for hordes of Germans, Czechs, Polish and Italians. People say that 10 years ago, it was a completely different story,because of the fighting going on in the country side: you would never have guessed it from the sleek, trendy shoe boutiques and the seaside cafes that served up some pretty over-priced wine. The city center is one large pedestrian zone, so we could effectively walk anywhere we wanted without the fear of getting hit by some manic driver. Also, it was great staring at the pavement of the city, as it appeared that most of the stones had been placed there during its Roman foundation: gigantic white blocks that were so worn that you could easily slide on them, as if they were well-polished, wooden floors.
Most of our day was spent walking back and forth from the city to the beach. Jamie, Laura, Ben and I claimed a little section of the coast as or own by naming a slab of stone "English Rock," because each day it seemed as if there were either English, Australians or Americans sunbathing on it (one of the more interesting aspects of the Adriatic Sea, is how calm it is. There are no sand beaches along the shoreline, because the sea itself does not create enough force to wear rocks into small particles of base minerals. So, when you go to a Croatian 'beach', you have to expect it to be made up of stones or fairly large rock-outcroppings that drop right into the sea: this makes for some good 'cliff diving' into the water.) The water itself was beautiful shades of turquoise, emerald and deep blue; Jamie and I took advantage of this by using our goggles and exploring some of the life that pulsated under the slight ripples of the sea. It was truly fantastic.
About halfway through our week in Split, we all decided to take a bus to a different location about 15 miles north, to a town called Trogir. From Trogir (a beautiful medieval-era island city fit with monasteries, numerous churches and an old fort), we walked about one mile to an 'auto camp', where we pitched a tent and spent the next three nights sleeping along the coast under a few, sap-filled pine trees (sap is a pain to clean). It was so peaceful and quiet; we could sleep, read, eat and swim without the distraction of numerous tourists and drunk party-goers.
During my time in Europe, I have come to realize that my worldview and many of my opinions have their root and their sustenance in the soil of American culture, and when I am separated from that American cultural paradigm, I see that there are people in this world who legitimately do not think like me or American people. There are so many examples that it would be hard to name a few, but one that was consistently thrown back in my face, on this past vacation, was how 'Victorian' our culture is in regards to sexuality. In many Europen countries, it is completely normal to see male and female nudity on television or in movies. Now, for Americans, we usually block that out, or relegate it to HBO; however, in direct contrast to us, Europeans are much more uncomfortable with violence: often times I see a very graphic seen of CSI or from some American film, which would be completely acceptable for viewing eyes in the States, edited or scrambled out. In Croatia, I also learned that this laxity in regards to sex transfers over into the appropriate bathing suit attire.
It breaks down like this:
Children: there is no need for a bathing suit at all
Women (ages 16-55): Bikini style suit. No top.
Men: very small speedos that do not cover up backsides (or much of the front for that matter)
-You get the picture?
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Enemy Character of the 2nd class
History can be a dirty business, but a redemptive one. In thinking back towards the past, one often has to open up old wounds or be held accountable to some action or statement that might have been made upwards of 20 to 30 years ago.
Is it worth it? Why do I need to get involved? Does anyone really care?
My friend Madla has been helping me with translation, and this week we worked on a document that is the most comprehensive, historical piece ever written about the relationship between the Czech Brethren denomination and the StB (statni bezpecnost)/KSC. The history is quite recent, so not surprisingly, not much has been studied on this topic: maybe it has to do with the fact that some are still uncomfortable talking about; others, are probably still living with the consequences. The document is 87 pages long and broken up into about five chapters. Some of the chapters deal with the preliminary theory of how the StB planned to influence and manipulate the CCE (Czech Brethren), the physical/practical application of that theory, a state breakdown of the pastors involved in anti-communist actions and a published list of communist informers. The research is in its preliminary stages, but I am starting to get a few glimpses of the larger story; and I've realized, that it is all gray.
An old pastor friend of ours, Mila Plechacek, is a great illustration as to how the past, here in the Czech Republic, still lives. I went to the gym yesterday in the late afternoon and stood outside of the entrance engaged in a light conversation with another women from the congregation. I noticed out of the corner of my eye a black, cocker-spaniel with her nose to the ground, hair fluffing up from her legs as she trotted along. I recognized this dog instantly. She is the beloved 'betty' of Mila. I was sure that they were both on a stroll, so I brought my head and followed the leash to its anchor point--Mila's hand. He noticed me first, and before I could say anything, he yelled my name. Normally, one of us would cross the street, give a small greeting, but today Mila saw my prior commitment (being at the gym and talking to a friend) so he decided to continue on. I watched him as he plodded along at a pace as if he was walking through a garden of marigolds and plum trees. I thought to myself, that in all the world, there couldn't be anyone more gentle( His smile is perpetual, which lends to its under-appreciation: usually, I notice a smile only because of the contrast between that person's resting expression, not with him, I sometimes don't notice it because it is always there). (sorry I'll get on the point)
That same morning, as I was perusing the pages of the StB memos, I came across the code name, 'Helvig'. Helvig was considered a dangerous personality who resided in the North-Eastern Czech state (today it is the State of Pardubice, my state). The report said that this man was a pastor who had been an original member of the 'New Orientation', which was a dissident group rooted in the CCE. The StB had planned a 'pressure' procedure against Helvig, in hopes that they could get him to leave the area ( in many instances, the Communist Regime would revoke working licenses, wire-tap houses, monitor correspondence and engage in long, exhausting interrogation procedures, all under the name of 'pressure'), as they were worried about the concentration New Orientation pastors in the North-Eastern Czech region. Officially, Helvig was an enemy of the 2nd class, because he had contacts with 'Capitalistic States', travelled abroad and had openly criticized the regime. In the end, they succeed in forcing him to move and later noted that he slowly distanced himself away from the actions of the N.O. Curious as to who this man might be, I went to the index of the book and went down the list of code names that the StB had given the 'enemies.' There were names like, The PASTOR, THE YOUTH, THE ROSE, THE IDEOLOG, and then there was HELVIG: Miloslav Plechacek (1939).
Watching Mila walk away with his dog, I wondered if he still thinks about the fear, the repression and the helplessness under the regime. Maybe he still sees some of the StB officers around Policka, the same ones who pressured him and his family to move, who watched his correspondence, who placed agents in the pub to hear his conversation. How has he forgiven? What does reconciliation look like? Does he still hold remorse?
In thinking and researching for this paper, I've come to the conclusion that maybe I should just make it a story of how they survived, how they forgave, how they lived and what lessons they learned (the pastors that is). History, in some ways, is the study of how ordinary people dealt and lived with processes that are often more powerful than they are. It is also the story of resilience, and a constant reminder of how we all need to do what is right when the opportunity arises. But, a more difficult question might be, how do we know something is wrong? And, how are we to act/react? Maybe the first step for all of us is to engage ourselves in the larger 'conversations' that are always in motion around us; we shouldn't be content with being comfortable, we must always challenge our worldview and speak up when we see perversion in our local communities, societies and our closest relationships.
Sometimes while reading the StB reports, I find myself laughing. I catch myself doing it and try to stop, but the schizophrenic and paranoid nature of the Communist Regime is comical. I mean, for real, how many times can they say, 'Capitalist, enemy states', 'Enemy personalities', 'pressure movements against the Government.' What does it even mean!? Then I realize that many times, these memos destroyed a family, imprisoned people for years and forced emigration away from homes, land and memories.
The next time I see Mila, I might have to ask him about his status as an 'Enemy of the Second kind'; but I hope that when I do it, he is holding Betty, displaying a smile and wearing his 'Route 66', jean-material apron. :)
Is it worth it? Why do I need to get involved? Does anyone really care?
My friend Madla has been helping me with translation, and this week we worked on a document that is the most comprehensive, historical piece ever written about the relationship between the Czech Brethren denomination and the StB (statni bezpecnost)/KSC. The history is quite recent, so not surprisingly, not much has been studied on this topic: maybe it has to do with the fact that some are still uncomfortable talking about; others, are probably still living with the consequences. The document is 87 pages long and broken up into about five chapters. Some of the chapters deal with the preliminary theory of how the StB planned to influence and manipulate the CCE (Czech Brethren), the physical/practical application of that theory, a state breakdown of the pastors involved in anti-communist actions and a published list of communist informers. The research is in its preliminary stages, but I am starting to get a few glimpses of the larger story; and I've realized, that it is all gray.
An old pastor friend of ours, Mila Plechacek, is a great illustration as to how the past, here in the Czech Republic, still lives. I went to the gym yesterday in the late afternoon and stood outside of the entrance engaged in a light conversation with another women from the congregation. I noticed out of the corner of my eye a black, cocker-spaniel with her nose to the ground, hair fluffing up from her legs as she trotted along. I recognized this dog instantly. She is the beloved 'betty' of Mila. I was sure that they were both on a stroll, so I brought my head and followed the leash to its anchor point--Mila's hand. He noticed me first, and before I could say anything, he yelled my name. Normally, one of us would cross the street, give a small greeting, but today Mila saw my prior commitment (being at the gym and talking to a friend) so he decided to continue on. I watched him as he plodded along at a pace as if he was walking through a garden of marigolds and plum trees. I thought to myself, that in all the world, there couldn't be anyone more gentle( His smile is perpetual, which lends to its under-appreciation: usually, I notice a smile only because of the contrast between that person's resting expression, not with him, I sometimes don't notice it because it is always there). (sorry I'll get on the point)
That same morning, as I was perusing the pages of the StB memos, I came across the code name, 'Helvig'. Helvig was considered a dangerous personality who resided in the North-Eastern Czech state (today it is the State of Pardubice, my state). The report said that this man was a pastor who had been an original member of the 'New Orientation', which was a dissident group rooted in the CCE. The StB had planned a 'pressure' procedure against Helvig, in hopes that they could get him to leave the area ( in many instances, the Communist Regime would revoke working licenses, wire-tap houses, monitor correspondence and engage in long, exhausting interrogation procedures, all under the name of 'pressure'), as they were worried about the concentration New Orientation pastors in the North-Eastern Czech region. Officially, Helvig was an enemy of the 2nd class, because he had contacts with 'Capitalistic States', travelled abroad and had openly criticized the regime. In the end, they succeed in forcing him to move and later noted that he slowly distanced himself away from the actions of the N.O. Curious as to who this man might be, I went to the index of the book and went down the list of code names that the StB had given the 'enemies.' There were names like, The PASTOR, THE YOUTH, THE ROSE, THE IDEOLOG, and then there was HELVIG: Miloslav Plechacek (1939).
Watching Mila walk away with his dog, I wondered if he still thinks about the fear, the repression and the helplessness under the regime. Maybe he still sees some of the StB officers around Policka, the same ones who pressured him and his family to move, who watched his correspondence, who placed agents in the pub to hear his conversation. How has he forgiven? What does reconciliation look like? Does he still hold remorse?
In thinking and researching for this paper, I've come to the conclusion that maybe I should just make it a story of how they survived, how they forgave, how they lived and what lessons they learned (the pastors that is). History, in some ways, is the study of how ordinary people dealt and lived with processes that are often more powerful than they are. It is also the story of resilience, and a constant reminder of how we all need to do what is right when the opportunity arises. But, a more difficult question might be, how do we know something is wrong? And, how are we to act/react? Maybe the first step for all of us is to engage ourselves in the larger 'conversations' that are always in motion around us; we shouldn't be content with being comfortable, we must always challenge our worldview and speak up when we see perversion in our local communities, societies and our closest relationships.
Sometimes while reading the StB reports, I find myself laughing. I catch myself doing it and try to stop, but the schizophrenic and paranoid nature of the Communist Regime is comical. I mean, for real, how many times can they say, 'Capitalist, enemy states', 'Enemy personalities', 'pressure movements against the Government.' What does it even mean!? Then I realize that many times, these memos destroyed a family, imprisoned people for years and forced emigration away from homes, land and memories.
The next time I see Mila, I might have to ask him about his status as an 'Enemy of the Second kind'; but I hope that when I do it, he is holding Betty, displaying a smile and wearing his 'Route 66', jean-material apron. :)
Monday, August 17, 2009
Update
I, Jeremy Ault, have been guilty of laziness and being aloof. I am sorry family, friends, readers....
The past month since the English Camp has been wonderful and nerve-racking. My mind has been consumed with thoughts about the future, and as I plan for the next years and those thereafter, I am always reminded of the beauty and the necessity of staying focused on the NOW. It's just really hard to do both at the SAME TIME.
Today, I searched for jobs and graduate schools. I might have found some interesting propositions for work in New England and I have given serious thought to pursuing a career in International development; also, I am wading my options with graduate school, as I careen back and forth almost daily as to what my focus should be: language, history, geography, environmental sustainability, geology, international relations. Ughh...
Something of note that might be interesting for some of you back home, is that I have engaged myself in a small intellectual challenge: I will be researching and writing a paper that deals with pastors in the Czech protestant church and their lives under Communist oppression. I have found the early going very difficult, as most of the resources are only in Czech language, which is incredibly challenging when I am trying to get an overall picture of the situation, yet it's great practice. In fact, today I just thought about taking the paper in a whole new direction: the lessons learned about ministry when it was taken from them ( the communist party would often revoke the state licences to preach from pastors who were openly criticizing the regime; forcing many of them into jobs of hard labor). Hmm...we shall see...
Jamie and I just got back from wonderful three days spent in the Slovakian 'Mala Fatra', which is a small mountain chain running east of the Tatras. It was so beautiful and quiet: we hiked, read, worked with our hands, cooked and didn't take showers for a few days. How wonderful!?
At the end of this week, we will be heading to the Dalmatian Coast (Croatia) for a week of sunbathing and snorkeling (maybe). Two of our friends from Camp Willson will be spending the 8 days with us, so needless to say, I am STOKED.
That is if for now.
The past month since the English Camp has been wonderful and nerve-racking. My mind has been consumed with thoughts about the future, and as I plan for the next years and those thereafter, I am always reminded of the beauty and the necessity of staying focused on the NOW. It's just really hard to do both at the SAME TIME.
Today, I searched for jobs and graduate schools. I might have found some interesting propositions for work in New England and I have given serious thought to pursuing a career in International development; also, I am wading my options with graduate school, as I careen back and forth almost daily as to what my focus should be: language, history, geography, environmental sustainability, geology, international relations. Ughh...
Something of note that might be interesting for some of you back home, is that I have engaged myself in a small intellectual challenge: I will be researching and writing a paper that deals with pastors in the Czech protestant church and their lives under Communist oppression. I have found the early going very difficult, as most of the resources are only in Czech language, which is incredibly challenging when I am trying to get an overall picture of the situation, yet it's great practice. In fact, today I just thought about taking the paper in a whole new direction: the lessons learned about ministry when it was taken from them ( the communist party would often revoke the state licences to preach from pastors who were openly criticizing the regime; forcing many of them into jobs of hard labor). Hmm...we shall see...
Jamie and I just got back from wonderful three days spent in the Slovakian 'Mala Fatra', which is a small mountain chain running east of the Tatras. It was so beautiful and quiet: we hiked, read, worked with our hands, cooked and didn't take showers for a few days. How wonderful!?
At the end of this week, we will be heading to the Dalmatian Coast (Croatia) for a week of sunbathing and snorkeling (maybe). Two of our friends from Camp Willson will be spending the 8 days with us, so needless to say, I am STOKED.
That is if for now.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Dried Fruit
Today I decided I would try my hand at drying fruit. Last year our friend Daša had given us some dried and we both really enjoyed it (apples were my favorite and plums were Jeremy´s). Anyway, it seemed easy enough and I had a bag of pears and I bought some apples. Anna let me borrow her drying machine and told me the temperature settings for each kind of fruit. So I was set.
Well, it turns our that Jeremy is right when he said that I can burn just about anything. The pears must have been cut into too small of pieces, because they turned out rather hard and my first batch of apples were ranging from dark brown and crispy to almost raw. (Today I also bunrt our pea soup at lunch...maybe today is just a bad cooking day...) This is my first time drying fruit. I have made jerky before, but I never really cared if it got a little too hard, however, "too hard" dryed fruit is slightly less pleasing than crumbly jerky.
Even with my bad luck I have become extremely curious to which fruits would be good to dry. I would love to try pineapple, but saddly they are hard to find (and I'm not sure if you can use the canned pineapple rings...). It seems like the most popular things to dry here are apples, pears, plums, mushrooms, oranges for christmas, and herbs/plants/flowers for tea. I'm not sure if people dry meat, but I know that is something I would like to do. I think our neighbor Ivan dried some meat last fall because the hall has a very familiar smell one weekend.
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