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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Author: Kateřina Erlebachová (CzechFolks.com PLUS)

“What? The Dalai Lama arrives? I have not heard about that!” That was the answer to the SMS sent to a friend from Slovakia who texted me a week before the Dalai Lama arrived in Prague. I immediately began to search the Internet to see if this is correct, because it seemed impossible to me, that such news is not published publicly. I found almost nothing except for pages of Vaclav Havel:

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

The house Zdena and Josef Škvorecký for quite a number of years called their home (and Zdena still does), is located in one of the nicest Toronto residential areas: an area of well-preserved middle-age residences with well-tended gardens and here and there a magnificent old oak (or maple) tree. Škvorecky’s is a truly historical house. Not only because it was a pilgrimage stop for journalists and prominent visitors from the Czech Republic (in February, 1990 - when their native land was still called Czechoslovakia - it witnessed a reception following president Havel’s appearance at the Convocation Hall of the University of Toronto, where he delivered an important speech to several thousands of his countrymen and received an honorary doctorate from the York University); but mainly because it was the editorial and publishing centre of 68 publishers, the most important exile publishing house. It is the house, where the last several years of his life he was cared for by Zdena, and from which he was taken to the hospital, where he died, after just a few days, in the morning hours of January 2, 2012.

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Montreal’s Alena and Ludvik Martinu are not just any married couple. Some time ago, we published a piece about Ludvik, a brilliant academician with practical bearings, who is - among other things - presently involved in developing an international research centre at the Mc Gill University. Now Alena, the editor-in-chief of Montreal’s publication Vestnik has decided to show that she, too, received talents from the Fates uncommon. Why did she decide to do so at this particular time?  One of the reasons is quite prosaic: the drawers in her study were overflowing with her manuscripts which she had started to produce many years ago and something had to be done. Why not simply publish some of the manuscripts? And once she decided to publish, Alena, who was born in Czechoslovakia and speaks several languages, chose English as the language of her first published work.

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

If you understood the title above, you know we are talking about the short evening children’s series on Czech TV. Vecernicek is the name of a boy (translated: Little Eveninger) that brings short fairytales to  little Czech or Slovak children every evening (”vecer”). During communism, this was a special time for kids, since at that time, the TV program selection was very poor.

Today, Czech and Slovak TV has many shows for children of all ages. Vecernicek is not as popular as it used to be. That is why Czech TV, Ceska Televize, has decided to move this show to their second channel. Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Today, the former Czechoslovak and Czech President, Vaclav Havel, has “peacefully” passed away in his sleep in his cottage. He was 75 years old.

Vaclav Havel was the most famous Czech politician in the world. The former playwright, who was a major figure in fight against Communism, later became the president of Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic.

His motto: “truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred” will stay embedded in our hearts as well as his contribution to the freedom of all Czechs and Slovaks at home and around the world. We extend our condolences to President Havel’s family. He will never be forgotten.

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Phase One of the Restoration of the Ceremony Hall Begins

CHICAGO, ILL. November 9, 2011 — The restoration of the Ceremony Hall in the crematorium/columbarium building at Bohemian National Cemetery began on November 1, 2011. Noted Moravian-born artist John A. Mallin decorated the Ceremony Hall in 1918 and led previous restoration efforts in 1928 and 1948. The current restoration project, initiated by Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery, is the first in almost 65 years.

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Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

In his younger days, he must have been a handsome fellow. Even today - even though time had bowed him a bit, and thinned his once luxurious lock of hair - he looks quite good. If you peered deeply into his eyes, you’d see in them shadows indicating that life did not always treat him (as it had hardly anyone) with much consideration.

Vladimír was born on November 11, 1931 in Pilsen’s maternity hospital (the family lived in Kralovice). It was in Kralovice, where Vladimír attended public school. During the war - in 1941 - his father, a professor at agricultural school, was transferred to Novy Bydžov, where - two years later- he was appointed deputy director. Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

The last hurrah (poslední hurá)

The region that witnessed the establishment of the first Sokol unit (and probably of any Czech or Slovak organization in Canada) is a region of magic names:  Rocky Mountains, Crow’s Nest Pass, Turtle Mountain, Elk river, Porcupine Hills, Deception Mountain, Coal Creek… A region where in the autumn dark green spruces and birches (at least I think it’s birches) dressed in gold march up the mountains’ hillsides, where at night a fairy tale  moon shines through the veils of vapor, drawing close to the mountain peaks and when - at daytime - the sun is hidden behind the clouds, the mountains which charmed at night, look down at you threateningly and with utter contempt. Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Author: Martina Roe (CzechFolks.com PLUS)

presented herself to Czech readers in Sydney in 1991, where she published her first novel “Útek z domova”, (describing the family’s escape from Czechoslovakia). In her second book “Andělské schody”, published in 1994 she is returning to her childhood and her life of a young woman responsible for a family in the war years. “Perpentuum mobile” is the closing part of a trilogy, and describes the difficult beginnings after arrival in Australia, and the developments in the lives of her family. It was published in 1995 and in the same year she also published her second book of poetry “Jak život šel.” Two years later she published her last book “Opál na dlani” (Opal on the palm), stories of very unusual experiences which happened during her lifetime.

In Prague, in the thirties, she published a small collection of poems. In Australia she wrote a number of short stories in the English language, which were published in the magazine “Fellowship of Australian Writers”. (They were: “Day of Execution”, “London Calling”, “A Thought”.) Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

Don’t miss this great opportunity. This is a one of a kind event and it is free!

First Year of Children’s Singing Competition in Interpretation of Czech & Slovak Folksong. Under the auspices of KAREL GOTT and PETER DVORSKÝ.