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

Living abroad requires a learning curve that is different for each of us. Everything is different - language, culture, fashion, cuisine … and we can go on with this list. One of our readers wrote an interesting story about how it is important to use the right spices when cooking Czech food. As our title already suggests, it was the caraway seed that she had switched with the cumin. You would think: “This can’t change the taste of the food?” but the opposite is true. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is confused with caraway (Carum carvi) due to its appearance but not the taste that is far different and can completely ruin your whole meal.

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

(animulavagula.hautetfort.com)

If you need inspiration in your life then you should read about Anna Zemankova - a Czech artist that made a large impact on art in the 20^th century. You may ask, “What was so special about her?” We would reply that it was her determination and passion to express her inner beauty by works of art. Moreover, her artistic expressions started much later in her life and all her techniques were completely self-taught. Her work was and still is admired at home and also around the world, and her willingness to explore new things could inspire many of us, expatriates.

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

It has been twenty years since the end of Communism in the former Czechoslovakia. Today, many adults of ages 40 and above still remember what it used to be like to live in a communist country. Some of them even attempted to escape the regime by illegal crossings through a border line with the western countries that was symbolically called the Iron Curtain. Many children today don’t know much about the tough times during the communist regime and even schools don’t teach them about this important part of the Czech and Slovak history. The change is emerging soon, however, since a new history curriculum is being tested at selected schools.  Possibly a new video for small children describing the end of the Iron Curtain by the Czech government will introduce a new way of teaching about the history of former Czechoslovakia after World War II.

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

Skoda Octavia 1959

On January 6^th, 1959 the Czechoslovak automobile company Skoda introduced to the public their new model. This day was special for the company because it was the first time the alphabetical naming was used instead of the usual numeric one. Since the car was the eighth model of the “nationalized industry” production, it was named Octavia. The car has changed throughout time and today it does not resemble its first version. As this model changed and as time went by, its manufacturer went through some changes as well. Would you like to find out how the company’s name originated? Continue reading the article to find out more about the company and Czech cars of today and the past.

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

Would you like to learn about the Czech Republic, its history and paths that lead the country to the European Union that it is presiding over? You may like the following animation that describes just that in the Czech language with English subtitles. The movie is called From Forefather to Union (Od Praotce k Unii) and the author of this cartoon is Pavel Koutsky. Even though the movie is animated, people of all ages can enjoy its simplicity and brilliance that captures all important aspects of Czech history.

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

It has been twenty years since the fall of communism and when we look back, we are amazed how different we used to live. It may seem that the former Eastern Bloc countries have moved on towards independence and freedom, but is it really true? The recent affair with Russian natural gas showed us again how much these countries are still dependent on this powerful country. This was a tough time for Europe, but it showed that EU countries could overcome this burden by helping each other during tough times. What will they do to make sure this won’t happen again?

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

K. Čapek

Karel Capek (1890 - 1938) was a Czech writer, political thinker, and philosopher that was known around the world. You have probably heard about him as an “inventor” of the word “Robot.” He was not only known for his resistance against the Nazis but also the Communists and always promoted a free and democratic Czechoslovakia. His work and pure democratic beliefs are just two of many reasons to read his great books that have been translated into many other languages. You may also find another reason to read his books - it has been 70 years since his death and anybody is able to freely publish his books, making them even more available to the world.

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

Airport (www.airdirect747.com)

The fact that the Czech Republic was added to the Visa Waiver Program is probably not new to you. You may not know, however, that many other countries were added to this program just recently, including countries that did not previously require visas to enter the USA. This has caused lots of problems for people that were not familiar with the new travel policy. For example, citizens of the United Kingdom would unknowingly still travel without this permit and then face deportation in the United States. Most Czechs and the Slovaks are probably already acquainted with this new process but maybe don’t know what it takes to obtain the permit. The information below could be helpful to many of you and can serve as a checklist to make sure you receive the permit and will be admitted to the United States of America.

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

Wilson monument in Prague

How many of you know that there was a monument to an American President in Prague? Yes, there was a statue of Woodrow Wilson located at the main train station in the center of Prague. The monument was destroyed by the Nazis in 1941 and was forgotten for more than 60 years. A new project, initiated by American Friends of the Czech Republic (AFoCR), will renew this monument in Prague to remind us of the close ties the Czech Republic and United States share.

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

Euros (www.moneymatterstome.co.uk)

The year 2009 is not only very significant for the Czech Republic but also for Slovakia. The Czech government took over the EU presidency for the next six months, while Slovakia became the 16th member of the euro zone. Both of the countries separately joined the European Union in 2004. Slovaks are proud of the switch to the euro currency and see this change as a source of their pride and future economic growth. When will the Czechs switch to euro currency then?

The Czech leadership will be tested for the next six months as it assumes the European Union presidency. The country will face lots of important issues such as the worst economic meltdown in Europe, a dispute with Russia, and the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. Read the rest of this entry (Čtětě více ZDE) »

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

Fontana pre Zuzanu

One of our latest posts in December was about Czech films online. Our article today is about Slovak movies over the Internet. Rental fees are very similar to Czech TV prices, but you can only rent each movie just for one day and not for one week. You can, however, watch some titles in the Slovak language and some are even free. A list of known Slovak titles includes, for example, Fontana pre Zuzanu, Modre z neba and so on.

All information about the service and movies for rent can be found at the end of our article.

Enjoy!

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