Thursday, April 27, 2017

Potštejn and Home

25 April
Potštejn
Nad'a
Great Fun Room
We have been trying to fit in a trip to Potštejn to visit the Moravian church.  Nad'a Bět'ákova, the minister there, wanted us to visit to join in on the morning 'Mothers' Group' and two of her English language classes, as well as have lunch with her mother, Jane.  This past Tuesday we finally got our schedule flexible enough to make the trip.  The Moravian church there is under the auspices of the ECCB for national administration purposes and considered part of the family.  I really did not have a good idea of what the Mother's Group was but was soon sucked into the beautiful chaos of 5 mothers and a herd of kids..all boys!! For the next hour and a half or so, we greatly enjoyed the discussions (most moms were quite good with English (one, Denise, having lived in Chicago area for several years) and the interactions of both kids and moms.  One of the mothers, Marta - a local elementary school teacher - brought out her guitar and we all joined in some Czech kid's songs as well as a few stories and demonstrations. Take a look at the following for a quick lunch - Marta Baking a Loaf of Bread.

Off to lunch with grandmom (great-grandmom, actually) and treated to the usual wonderful bowl of soup and this day, a sweet main course of plumb dumplings.  I don't have the culinary expertise to explain those dumplings but just trust me, it was a real treat!  A quick walk (well ...  when it comes to Nad'a, there is no such thing as a 'short' walk) and then plans to pop by the church to meet the English classes.

The 'Glen'
However, on the walk we stopped by a monument, Modlivý Důl, just up the trail from town.  The translation is not straight forward but the closest is a 'praying glen' - glen as in a Scottish glen.  The
30 Years War was a series of conflicts, 1618 to 1648, between Protestant and Catholic states in, mainly, Central Europe.  The resulting Catholic win drove the Protestants underground.  The Modlivý Důl was an area where the Protestants gathered in secret at night to worship.  So, onward to the English classes in which we shared some slides and comments about Annapolis and Florida, our two hang-outs during an average year.

Home to Letohrad ....
... just in time for our Advanced Beginner class-- in fact, the train schedule did not support a timely return so one of our advanced beginners, Marcela Valentova, arranged a 'fast taxi' back; her friend gave us a quick tour of the back roads surrounding Letohrad!  But that is business and this blog is fun... so. On the train with Nad'a that morning, she gave us a hand out on the LegioVlak.  Take a look at the photo of the flyer.  The story is about the Czech participation in the conflict in Russia immediately following World War I in which Lenin's revolutionary forces (the Reds or Bolsheviks) were being

Nad'a and The LegioVlak

A Tank?
challenged by the 'Whites' or the counter-revolutionaires.  A replica train was constructed (see the drawing at the bottom of the flyer) and is currently touring the Czech Republic.  It is scheduled for 29 different stops from March to December of this year. This week it was in Letohrad on a side track at the train station.  There are several guides with the train who conduct daily tours.  The morning we were there (it was raining...duh) there was group after group of school classes jamming each of the various cars...good to see a interest in Czech history.  Nad'a met us there to help translate but there is enough to stay half a day and we needed to get back to complete preps for that night's two Discussion Groups. I would love to have had English translations and spent the day there...
but alas....





Wednesday, April 26, 2017

A Great Weekend

April 22 & 23

Saturday
The Train
This past Saturday was a special day here in Letohrad when a selection of local attractions were opened to the public either free or at half price.  There also was an 'auto train' to carry visitors to some of the sites.
There were nine participating sites as you can see from the photo of the flyer.   We opted not to take the train since we wanted to stay local and walk around a bit since the weather that day was very nice in relation to the bulk of April.  As we walked toward the main city park behind the Zámek Castle we noticed some activity on a couple of the benches.  According to Petr Fiala's Facebook (the town mayor) the carvings have just been installed and have been drawing a crowd of curious passer-byes who were sitting and clicking photos.










A Letohrad Dragon
As we continued up the hill adjacent to the park we noticed a familiar face; Eva, one of the teachers at the U Dvora elementary school at which we teach each week, was standing in front of a cave of sorts holding a padlock in her hands.  She had just unlocked the metal gate at the entrance.  It turns out it was one of the nine sites, Strašidelná Jeskyně or Spooky Cave.  We entered at our own risk since Eva told us a 4-year old had just emerged crying from the cave.  We boldly entered.  Inside was an assortment of dragons, the best I can describe them, with the main attraction at the end of the cave, complete with the leg of a half-eaten victim in it's mouth.  It was a pleasant find and one we had missed during the previous trips to Letohrad.

We dutifully moved upward as we neared the chapel along the ridge just outside the city.  The chapel was know to us since we had walked up there a couple time during previous trips, but it had never been open before.  But this walk was one of anticipation since the chapel (1734-36), dedicated to St. Jana Nepomuckého, was on the poster's list and was reported receiving visitors.  The trip up was unusually scenic since we had several different views of the valleys along both sides of the ridge line.
As we approached, the doors of the outer wall were flung wide and several hardy souls were passing through them.  As we entered the chapel itself we were quite taken aback at the interior.  It was built in a pentagon shape and had five complementary scenes on each wall on the five exterior faces of the center alter (I'm sure it's something else but that's as close as I can come).  The experience was completed by the soothing clarinet sounds of a young woman, placed discretely at the periphery of the chapel.

Saturday Night
That night we were the guest of Lida "Sr" and Lida "Jr" Stejskalovi at an event dubbed "Big Band Letohrad & Oktet Girls".  It turns out the band is composed of very talented musicians who have embraced the music of the big band era of the US.  This concert in Letohrad's 'Cultural House' featured the winner of the Czech's version of our 'American Idol' series.  Martin Chodúr was the 2009 winner of the Czech Superstar series.  To say we were surprised is an understatement.  We now understand why he is so popular across the country, especially to the nostalgic group.  There was one song, that if you closed your eyes, you would have been sure it was a Sinatra album.  We enjoyed the performance and the company. (Sorry, was not possible to get any photos but if you want to go to YouTube and type in 'BigBand Letohrad" you can get videos of the band from the last several years.)

Sunday Night
Sunday morning services were conducted by Renata since the pastor, Jiřina Kačenova, was presiding at the service in the preaching station in Písařov, several kilometers away.  I had the honor of reading a Bible passage and again enjoyed the songs, especially the one's geared toward the kids... could actually understand a few words. It's tough when the local 3-year olds speak better Czech than you.

That evening, we were invited to attend a session of ballroom dancing.  There is a course which meets weekly during the winter months. The instructors, Pavel and Pavlína Jantačovi, hold monthly 'demonstration' sessions to keep everyone sharp.  Several of the church members go to the dancing lessons.  Many of the youth also take dancing; it is very popular here.  Everyone was very gracious and accommodating as I barged in on their evening with my trusty iPhone camera in hand. Please click here to get a quick view at a wonderfully active evening.

April in Paris?? Nah...

OK... it's 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26 here in Letohrad and I just checked the temperature.  It is now 39 degrees F with a wind chill of 35 degrees F.  First off, let me say the locals here are also not happy with this weather and several have said this is worse than they remember.  I did find something that captures the situation beautifully.

Only a week ago with Zámek Castle in the Background
Quote....
April weather in the Czech Republic is unpredictable and can change from sunny to snowy in a matter of minutes. It can also get windy and temperatures can vary quite a bit. Here is what the old Czech weather lore says about the month of April:
"April is half March and half May."
"In April, up to nine kinds of weather can meet in a day."
"April weather is more capricious than a woman".

Don't know about the last one... it's just a Czech legend you understand.
In the spirit of full disclosure, the forecast for later next week is for temps to 'soar' into the 50's F with a bit more sunshine than we have seen lately.
So we trudge on into Spring with hopeful hearts and warm coats.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Pomlázka 2017


Let the Whipping Commence
Today I had the distinct pleasure of accompanying Aleš Pomikálk and his two sons, Ondřej and Samuel (Sam), in the Czech Pomlázka, a traditional after-Easter activity.  The root of the term means "make younger" and refers to both the tradition and the switch used in the symbolic whipping by boys on Easter Monday.   The origin of pomlázka dates back to pagan times. Its original purpose and symbolic meaning is to chase away illness and bad spirits and to bring health and youth for the rest of the year to everyone who is whipped with the young pussywillow twigs. 

Size Matters!
Aleš cut the raw material and fashioned the whips on Easter Sunday; and, as you will see from the video and photos, he overachieved a bit on the boys' version.  Daniela, Aleš' daughter, made my pomlázka to more traditional specifications.  

Adding the Ribbon 
Check out the video by clicking here at Pomlázka to see how the tradition works. The boys 'whipped' the willing females (and I am told that in other areas the girls may be doused with water which has a similar symbolic meaning).  Ondřej then recited an "Easter carol" asking for an egg or two and was rewarded with said egg, exquisitely decorated, and other assorted treats.  The entire process reminds me of our "Trick or Treat" tradition.  In addition to the eggs and sweets, there are some dynamite open faced sandwiches and, for the "mature' boys", some distilled liquid refreshment - it was tough to take!  The final reward was getting a colorful ribbon tied to the pomlázka to show the deep appreciation for our laborious task!  


The entire tradition is always finished by noon and since we made some 17 visits we were moving along quite smartly.  We successfully made it back home with overfull baskets of goods to be greeted by B.J. and Veronika. 

A Second Chance
After lunch and the sorting of the well-earned goods by the three Pomikálkovi kids - Daniela was, of course, offered a third of the take with a few items deemed indivisible passed to us adults.  In any event the morning was a wonderful dive into Czech culture and netted a few million calories for next week.

P.S. My whip, I am told, can be regenerated by a water bath and then replanting.  Nothing like a new lease on life.



Sunday, April 16, 2017

Easter Sunday 2017

Now... Happy Easter!
Today was a very special Easter Sunday since we had the opportunity to visit three churches in the Czech Republic today.

Renata at Pisarov
We started by attending the "Preaching Station" in the town of Písařov; a satellite church of the ECCB Church in Letohrad.  Renata Popelářova conducted the Easter services and we were excited to find that
Hana Habermannová was there; her family being a foundational element of the church.  Hana was our translator during a previous English to the Church Camp (our VBS) and we became quite enamored with her. She has since moved to Prague where she is a manager with a software development company.


After the services and communion at Písařov we headed for the area's notable landmark, Králíky monastery. The monastery is called the "Mountain of the Mother of God" and has been there for 300 years. It is a very popular tourist destination and is a pilgrimage site for the faithful.

Kraliky Pano
From there we moved to the town of Neratov and the unique glass ceiling church.  This church is near the Polish border (I would say ON the border since the trip in was along a river with constant signage that it was the border).  Neratov is a Baroque church built between 1723 and 1733.  It was destroyed at the end of the Second World War and renewed at the turn of the millennium.  The church has a roof made of glass in the shape of a cross.  This church high in the Orlické mountains and is a beautiful active church and prime location for events, marriages and the likes.  Please check out the video by clicking at Neratov and watch the end very carefully for an amazing light and shadow treat.

And, oh, did I mention it was snowing?!  Yea, so take that Annapolis, we get snow on Easter and Christmas!
A Snowy Easter


Good Friday 2017

Happy Easter.... or Good Friday as of this post.
Thursday's Bible Readings
Friday's Service
As with First Pres, Easter and Christmas are the center-points of the ECCB church year.  Accordingly, the Letohrad church planned for Thursday evening activities, a Good Friday morning service, and the Sunday main service. This year, just prior to the Thursday evening passion story, we held a Contemplative Prayer session comprised of a short body prayer, Lexio Divina, and a short meditation.  This was a new experience for those attending (except for the breathing practice that most had experienced in previous exercise courses) but we all were blessed with each others presence.  Immediately afterwards we collected in the sanctuary for the passion story reading; B.J. and I had parts which were mirrored in Czech by two of Letohrad's youth.

The next morning there was the Good Friday service.  I have enclosed the service program (for all you Czech language aspirants).  There were more passage readings and communion.

Later in the day, there was a special treat in the main square here in Letohrad.  The local Catholic church sponsored a passion concert by a choir and orchestra from a nearby village.  It was very well attended since I'm sure many people from out of the town were there in addition to locals, and Friday was a national holiday.  We were very impressed with the performance, especially given the weather conditions; strong wind and chilly temperature.  For a taste of the afternoon please click here - Letohrad Passion Concert 2017.  Immediately after the concert there was Mass in the church directly adjacent to the performance and a large percentage of the crowd packed into the church.  We decided to wait for a quieter day to visit the church.

Blessings.



Monday, April 10, 2017

Just a Typical Week

Thursday's Seniors Meeting
Thought I would give you a quick synopsis of a typical week here to give you a flavor of the flow of things.  We returned from the Prague events on Tuesday, April 4th in time to meet with the Advanced Beginners that evening.  This class had not been anticipated but we had requests from some church members to conduct an English class for this level.  We had four people show up, we went over some basic vocabulary and got a sense of where we needed to go with the group.  We have our work cut out for us when, after the class, they asked what the homework was; it turns out we have the homework assignment! On Wednesday we had the two hours of our Discussion Club; the advanced group at 6 and the Intermediate at 7:15.  We revisited the subject of the 2016 Election with some followup material and then introduced a study on the US Government structure. We both had a good laugh during discussions when we realized both sides needed a primer on their own basic governmental functions. Their homework was to explain their parliamentary system on the next session.   On Thursday we had the 'Seniors' at 9 that morning. We prepared a briefing on First Pres in Annapolis and went over the campus and history and talked about our missions.  Nadá Bět'ákova translated for the dozen or so attendees and we spent a couple hours in a fruitful exchange.  It was now time for our first Czech lesson from Adéla. Errrrr, we have a long was to go!!  It's Friday and time for the three classes at the U Dvora basic school. These kids are a dream; 13 through 15 and, all in all, quite good English. Can't say enough for the support of the teachers and school.  And we get a free lunch... which is stunningly delicious. Saturday = errands. On Sunday there was a family service which is focused around the kids.  A bit noisy and boisterous but fulfilling.  That evening we attended one of the monthly discussions held at various church member residences; this one held at Dr. Roček's in Ústí nad Orlici.  That evening we exercised the new ECCB catechism; it was an enlightening evening. Which brings us to Monday and back to the other basic school in Letohrad for an additional three classes.  Ditto on the kids and staff here!!  Although not yet able to fit it in, we are planning trips to Potštejn to meet with some of Nad'á 's congregation and also to Žampach and the special needs home for men.  But, this week is Easter so we are gearing up for the special services beginning on Thursday.  Blessings to All!


Blog Reprise

In the category of little, but important, things I want to revisit my blogs of April 4th and March 24th.

In the April 4th blog I chatted about the wonderful shopping carts here which allow a complete range of motion.  I just can't let it go, so I uploaded the short video on YouTube so you can get the real flavor of my epic revelation.  Try this:  The Shopping Cart.


Secondly, on March 24th, soon after both of us were settling in, I recapped the 'Green Monster' adventure in which we slogged our way through the Czech language owners manual to get the machine to cooperate and recover some much needed fresh laundry.
Well, I guess we did not show enough deference to the 'beast' because last Wednesday we both were frantically preparing for the evening's two sessions with the Discussion Group when the power went out in the entire apartment (including our accountant neighbor who shares an office in the entrance way).  Heading into the hallway we noticed something amiss in the bathroom; there was water all over the floor and the distinct smell of burned plastic.  It seems - careful not to assign any blame here - the drain from the washer (which must be manually placed in the sink) was overlooked and left hanging over the 'beast'. The water had entered the top and shorted out the electrical control panel.  A mess.  But, no problem, simply unplug the machine, open the breaker panel and reset the breaker (and clean up the mess).  But wait ... Problem.  It seems the primary breaker panel is located outside on the front of building-- makes sense from a safety perspective in that emergency services can disconnect power in a burning building. But the outside main panel has a special key which we did not have.  [Quick technical note; there is an internal breaker panel but the washer had tripped the local breaker and the main outside.] So, here's the accountant standing with her hands on her hips, with a client at her desk, in the dark.  As fate would have it, the hardware store just around the corner had the special key and we were able to get everything back to normal ... sorta.
The good news ... we got a new washer out of the deal (our landlady was very understanding!!)