In Slovakia in some schools there are four grades, in others there are five. On Friday May, 13th all Slovakia's seniors finished school. When I say "finished" I mean they only have tests left to graduate school. They got out on Friday now they have a week to study then they take the what many have told me is "the biggest exam of their lives".
Even though graduating from high school is generally considered a good thing, I think it is always a little sad. As Friday is the seniors last day together they absolutely must do something crazy, it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. The entire class makes something that resembles a poster, it reminded me very much of signs carried at a protest. The entire grades pictures are on the poster along with their names.
The Students parade usually around their school with their poster, they collect money, which is apparently used for drinking at the pub later. They also make as much noise as possible. They dress up in fancy cloths like suits and ties, get out their noise makers and parade throughout the streets chanting "Give us money" and for some reason many people do.
We saw many groups of students participating in this it looked like a lot of fun. I wish we did this in the USA because it's a memorable way to end your high school career. It's also the last fun thing they do all week, they have to study pretty much all week long. That second part is the only thing I don't like about the whole deal.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
White water races
On Saturday I saw my first white water slalom kayak race. When my father was young he used to white water canoe, I am now learning how to kayak.
I took the bus to Bratislava's "Botanical Garden" and then waited at a gas station. I was waiting for my dads old canoeing partner's wife who would drive me to the race.
After about 25 minutes I saw a small dark red Škoda car, it had two bars on top of the roof for carrying many things, but in that families, mainly boats. My grandparents have a car just like this and it is very common in Europe.
After driving for about 30 minutes in silence, mostly because of my linguistic problems we arrived at a rather big and artificial looking sports center of some kind.
It was obvious something was going on, there were cars everywhere and many trailers with boats of all sorts on them. We walked in the obvious direction of the water. When we got there it had already started and many people had taken there run.
I walked to one of the three concrete bridges, there was Radko (his wife had driven me there). I leaned on the bright blue round rail and asked Radko who had been canoeing partners with my dad how they had done in races and things like that.
There were some truly amazing kayakers and canoers, for certain not all, but some. I didn't know this at the time, but apparently there were two brothers there who had together won several Olympic medals, there mother is teaching me how to kayak.
Some of the people there weren't all that great at kayaking or canoeing or whatever. One kayaker flipped over and instead of flipping back around started swimming. Many others flipped over, which is very common and happens to everyone, but they were able to flip back around and continue on their way, it was very interesting to watch that, especially when it was the canoes.
The main difference between kayaks and canoes isn't the boat or the paddle, it's the way you sit. In a kayak you sit with your legs extended in front of you, in a canoe you sit on your legs or kneel. The paddles and boats are also different but they are not the main difference.
After about four or five hours of watching Radko and his wife drove me home, I had to fight not to fall asleep on the way, I think I lost that fight, not badly but a defeat.
I was dropped off at my grandparents apartment where my father is living, I saw him, told him about how it was and then went back to the Várys.
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| On the Danube river |
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| Trying not to fall |
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| Me, my father & the belly of the kayak |
After about 25 minutes I saw a small dark red Škoda car, it had two bars on top of the roof for carrying many things, but in that families, mainly boats. My grandparents have a car just like this and it is very common in Europe.
After driving for about 30 minutes in silence, mostly because of my linguistic problems we arrived at a rather big and artificial looking sports center of some kind.
It was obvious something was going on, there were cars everywhere and many trailers with boats of all sorts on them. We walked in the obvious direction of the water. When we got there it had already started and many people had taken there run.
I walked to one of the three concrete bridges, there was Radko (his wife had driven me there). I leaned on the bright blue round rail and asked Radko who had been canoeing partners with my dad how they had done in races and things like that.
There were some truly amazing kayakers and canoers, for certain not all, but some. I didn't know this at the time, but apparently there were two brothers there who had together won several Olympic medals, there mother is teaching me how to kayak.
Some of the people there weren't all that great at kayaking or canoeing or whatever. One kayaker flipped over and instead of flipping back around started swimming. Many others flipped over, which is very common and happens to everyone, but they were able to flip back around and continue on their way, it was very interesting to watch that, especially when it was the canoes.
The main difference between kayaks and canoes isn't the boat or the paddle, it's the way you sit. In a kayak you sit with your legs extended in front of you, in a canoe you sit on your legs or kneel. The paddles and boats are also different but they are not the main difference.
After about four or five hours of watching Radko and his wife drove me home, I had to fight not to fall asleep on the way, I think I lost that fight, not badly but a defeat.
I was dropped off at my grandparents apartment where my father is living, I saw him, told him about how it was and then went back to the Várys.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Huty and Easter
At the same time as spring break is in the USA we had Veľká Noc (that literally mean "Big Night") this is our Easter vacation. We had Thursday to Wednesday off. We went back to school on Thursday.
The Várys own a cottage in a small village in the mountains called Huty. Huty is in the high Tatars and is a pretty remote and isolated place. The drive there is not a short one, it was about five hours from Bratislava. When we were about two thirds of the way to Huty we were able to see the Tatras looming above us, they were capped with white snow and looked almost as if they were about to fall on us.
As we drove through the village I saw a whole lot of chickens. Apparently everyone that lives there year round raises chickens. There were very many old building that were made out of wood and had a very distinct type of architecture. There were also plenty of new fresh looking houses.
It is a remote village and it being remote means its hard to get running water up there so all the water is in one facet outside. The water from this facet was the coldest water I have ever felt, by far. There is also a latrine with a huge spider in it.
We pulled up to the Várys cabin or hut or whatever you want to call it. Me and Šimon got out of the car and opened a large picket wooden gate. After fumbling with the lock for about five minutes we finally got rusty hinges to grind out, then back into place after the car had driven inside the fence.
The immediate yard of the house was not very big, behind the house was a small wooden table. There is a little stream that runs behind the house, behind that his is an extremely short, but steep hill and behind that more small hills covered by tall grass.
I walked up the five or six steps into the house into a small room that slightly resembled a kitchen. There was a table in the left of the room and another right next to the door but the one next to the door was covered by a hot plate and other cooking utensils.
The next room was every image of what a cozy cabin cottage should look like, there was even a rocking chair. When you walked in through the door on you right was a small table with a pitcher of water or tea and glasses or mugs. Next to the table was a door to another room the next to the door was a heating oven powered by wood, then next to that was a shelf with assorted liquors and a radio sitting on it.
On the left was a small table with two benches and three chairs around it, next to that was a dresser with a mirror on top and lastly a sofa. In the next and final room were three beds another wood stove there was also another dresser with a fold-out bed on top of it.
Being that we arrived late in the day we didn't do anything but read and relax or chill or whatever for the rest of the day. The next day we woke up, Žofka had difficulties waking up so Šimon and Maroš went and got a pitcher of that frigid water from the facet outside, they came back inside and brutally assisted her.
After everyone was awake we had breakfast. After breakfast we all piled into the car along with the Várys dog Tory. We came to a parking lot which apparently housed more cars then anybody had thought could fit into such a small village we found a parking spot on the grass and got out of the car. There a smooth path made from small pebbles that was next a very small river.
After walking down the path for a good while we came to some old mill houses which were now big attractions of the village. There were lots and lots of people around the mills, being the same as everybody else we took out our cameras and started taking pictures.
After looking through the mills and enjoying the wonderful outdoors we went back home ate and fell asleep.
The next day we woke refreshed and anew, well everyone but Žofka who needed help in the same way as she needed it the day before, Šimon and Maroš gladly helped her. Soon everybody was awake. We ate as we had the day before took the dog for a quick walk and then piled into the car again.
We drove off and soon arrived under a ski mountain which being in the Tatras still had a little snow. The place were were at was called "Tarzania" it was a very peculiar looking ropes course. After a brief training session on how not to fall down and die we started on the ropes course. Surprisingly we did not fall down and die.
There were many things I have seen before in this ropes course and many things I doubt I could have imagined. There were some very easy obstacles which I just ran across and one or two where I got frustrated and simply climbed the cable my swiss seat was attached to.
After me and Šimon finished (we had been the first two to go) we talked with the guy who has in charge of making sure we didn't die. As it turned out he happened to be an excellent freestyle semi-pro skier, we talked about skiing, skis, snow and things of that nature.
After we finished we said goodbye to the employee we had been talking to and drove back to the cabin. Once we got back to the cabin we ate and fell sound asleep.
The next day was Easter. Slovakia, being such an old and historic country has many traditions. My favourite tradition of all is the Easter tradition. On Easter the men take could water and pour it over the women's heads after they pour the water they beat them with whips. The women are not allowed to retaliate in anyway, they must serve the men good drinks and food. The best part about all this is that its true. Somebody, I can't remember who, but it was somebody important said "Without traditions people wouldn't be people."
I watched as Šimon and Maroš practised tradition very vigorously. After all our traditional ceremonies we drove five hours home. We arrived and stumbled, almost zombie like to our beds and fell asleep. Everybody was extremely tired.
The Várys own a cottage in a small village in the mountains called Huty. Huty is in the high Tatars and is a pretty remote and isolated place. The drive there is not a short one, it was about five hours from Bratislava. When we were about two thirds of the way to Huty we were able to see the Tatras looming above us, they were capped with white snow and looked almost as if they were about to fall on us.
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| The Tatras |
As we drove through the village I saw a whole lot of chickens. Apparently everyone that lives there year round raises chickens. There were very many old building that were made out of wood and had a very distinct type of architecture. There were also plenty of new fresh looking houses.
It is a remote village and it being remote means its hard to get running water up there so all the water is in one facet outside. The water from this facet was the coldest water I have ever felt, by far. There is also a latrine with a huge spider in it.
We pulled up to the Várys cabin or hut or whatever you want to call it. Me and Šimon got out of the car and opened a large picket wooden gate. After fumbling with the lock for about five minutes we finally got rusty hinges to grind out, then back into place after the car had driven inside the fence.
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| This is the hut. |
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| The village, taken from the hill behind the house. |
The immediate yard of the house was not very big, behind the house was a small wooden table. There is a little stream that runs behind the house, behind that his is an extremely short, but steep hill and behind that more small hills covered by tall grass.
I walked up the five or six steps into the house into a small room that slightly resembled a kitchen. There was a table in the left of the room and another right next to the door but the one next to the door was covered by a hot plate and other cooking utensils.
The next room was every image of what a cozy cabin cottage should look like, there was even a rocking chair. When you walked in through the door on you right was a small table with a pitcher of water or tea and glasses or mugs. Next to the table was a door to another room the next to the door was a heating oven powered by wood, then next to that was a shelf with assorted liquors and a radio sitting on it.
On the left was a small table with two benches and three chairs around it, next to that was a dresser with a mirror on top and lastly a sofa. In the next and final room were three beds another wood stove there was also another dresser with a fold-out bed on top of it.
Being that we arrived late in the day we didn't do anything but read and relax or chill or whatever for the rest of the day. The next day we woke up, Žofka had difficulties waking up so Šimon and Maroš went and got a pitcher of that frigid water from the facet outside, they came back inside and brutally assisted her.
After everyone was awake we had breakfast. After breakfast we all piled into the car along with the Várys dog Tory. We came to a parking lot which apparently housed more cars then anybody had thought could fit into such a small village we found a parking spot on the grass and got out of the car. There a smooth path made from small pebbles that was next a very small river.
After walking down the path for a good while we came to some old mill houses which were now big attractions of the village. There were lots and lots of people around the mills, being the same as everybody else we took out our cameras and started taking pictures.
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| On the way to the mills. |
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| The mills |
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| I never knew goats could be so interesting. |
After looking through the mills and enjoying the wonderful outdoors we went back home ate and fell asleep.
The next day we woke refreshed and anew, well everyone but Žofka who needed help in the same way as she needed it the day before, Šimon and Maroš gladly helped her. Soon everybody was awake. We ate as we had the day before took the dog for a quick walk and then piled into the car again.
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| Maroš was more than a little annoyed. |
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| Šimon realised. |
We drove off and soon arrived under a ski mountain which being in the Tatras still had a little snow. The place were were at was called "Tarzania" it was a very peculiar looking ropes course. After a brief training session on how not to fall down and die we started on the ropes course. Surprisingly we did not fall down and die.
There were many things I have seen before in this ropes course and many things I doubt I could have imagined. There were some very easy obstacles which I just ran across and one or two where I got frustrated and simply climbed the cable my swiss seat was attached to.
After me and Šimon finished (we had been the first two to go) we talked with the guy who has in charge of making sure we didn't die. As it turned out he happened to be an excellent freestyle semi-pro skier, we talked about skiing, skis, snow and things of that nature.
After we finished we said goodbye to the employee we had been talking to and drove back to the cabin. Once we got back to the cabin we ate and fell sound asleep.
The next day was Easter. Slovakia, being such an old and historic country has many traditions. My favourite tradition of all is the Easter tradition. On Easter the men take could water and pour it over the women's heads after they pour the water they beat them with whips. The women are not allowed to retaliate in anyway, they must serve the men good drinks and food. The best part about all this is that its true. Somebody, I can't remember who, but it was somebody important said "Without traditions people wouldn't be people."
I watched as Šimon and Maroš practised tradition very vigorously. After all our traditional ceremonies we drove five hours home. We arrived and stumbled, almost zombie like to our beds and fell asleep. Everybody was extremely tired.
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| Žofka and Maroš taking a picture of us. |
Friday, April 29, 2011
Košice-Don't forget your Slavic blood
Everything must come to an end and this film festival was no exception. The festival was certainly coming to an end, but it had not reached it quite yet. There would be two more days and two more nights of films and then everyone who had come for the festival (mostly the filmmakers themselves) would leave sometime the next day.
We saw many more films, many more people, and I sat through (without understanding) many more Q and A sessions. As is common when something like this comes to a close people want to party and have fun.
After the films ended for the day everyone went to have dinner. Everyone was responsible for their own dinner and went to go buy some food somewhere. After dinner everyone was going to meet at this place called "Madrid" for beer.
Madrid was a pub. The door was locked the first night when we came and one of the people already inside had to come and open the door for us. We shuffled slowly one by one through a extremely narrow but relatively short hallway. We rounded the corner, and came into a small room, the light and even walls in the room were red, not bright red, but the same color as red sand or red stone. There were two rows of small tables pushed together to make two extremely long tables there were chairs all around the tables, many of them already occupied. All the people in the that room of the pub had some connection to the festival and my father knew many of them.
Smoking is much more common and publicly accepted in Europe so people were allowed to smoke in the pub. Since people were allowed to smoke in the pub they did, when we arrived the air was thick and hazy from cigarette and hookah smoke. We sat down at one of the tables and ordered kofola (coke only better) and looked around.
My father started talking to one of his fellow filmmakers, who I have no idea but I know he did. Šimon started talking to someone to, if you wanted to know who you would have to ask him. Eventually I started talking with a man from Prague, (Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic) we talked about all the differences between the United States and Europe. Although he did not speak good English nor do I speak any Czech we were able to communicate fairly well, we only had to use hand signals once or twice.
After our conversations ended and our glasses emptied we figured it was about time we went to the hotel and went to sleep. When we got back to the hotel it was around 2:45 in the morning, fortunately there was still a receptionist at the desk and we were able to get in. Everybody showered and then went to sleep.
The next day was very similar, we saw a lot of films then in the evening went to the pub "Madrid" as we had the night before. The only difference there was that we sat at the other table on the other side.
Everybody started talking, I had a conversation with one filmmaker named Adam that was very.....inspiring and interesting, I'll give you a summary.
This conversation was a while ago and very confusing, even at the time so this may or may not be in chronological or an other sensible type of order but I think that's okay.
We talked about the different regions of Slovakia, how if you travel just short distances you will be in a completely different place with its own pronunciation of words and its own customs and traditions. We compared and contrasted this to the USA. The USA is similar but definitely not the same.
According to Adam western Europe is more logical and progressive, while eastern Europe (Slovakia is in eastern Europe) is old and traditional often disobeying simple rules of logic or common sense in tradition.
We also talked about how people work together and become friends. Conflict is a problem, just by its definition. Since conflict is a problem it must be solved or bad things will happen. Conflict can come in any size or shape, but when it is big it usually involves many people. These many people must solve the conflict and by doing or not doing this they form bonds that we know as friendship or any relationship like it. At the time that is was spoken this made perfect sense, if you don't understand what you're reading that's okay, I don't understand what I'm writing.
This is an example of tradition, I mean the thing about conflict. There are some very old conflicts in Europe that have been existent for a very very long time. Two people will unite to conquer a common conflict and then become friends, maybe. This is the theory, this theory applies to everyone with Slavic blood, that means me and maybe you.
This theory is not mine, and I'm not going to tell you what my opinion is on it because right now my opinion is very confused.
As we were leaving the pub Adam out to me "Myko, don't forget your Slavic blood". Since then Slavic blood has been an interesting topic to my father, Šimon and me. All I know is that most certainly, not now or ever will I forget my Slavic blood.
We came back to hotel after braving the streets which were full of drunk hockey fans (The world championship was to be partly held is Košice and is going on there right now). After we came to the hotel we were greeted by the same man as the night before. It was about the same time as we had gotten back the night before (2:45) and we went to sleep gladly.
The next day we left the city. We went by train, it is a five hour trip from Košice to Bratislava by train and five hours on a train suck. We were in a cabin with two middle aged ladies and a nun. I tried the whole way to fall asleep but alas my attempts were in vain, I couldn't sleep because it sounded like somebody was trying to saw through the floor of the cabin with a metal filer. Soon, well not so soon actually we were in Bratislava.
We saw many more films, many more people, and I sat through (without understanding) many more Q and A sessions. As is common when something like this comes to a close people want to party and have fun.
After the films ended for the day everyone went to have dinner. Everyone was responsible for their own dinner and went to go buy some food somewhere. After dinner everyone was going to meet at this place called "Madrid" for beer.
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| Yummmm |
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| Left to right: Jan Gogola, Mišo Suchý, Marek Šulik |
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| Mišo and Jan |
My father started talking to one of his fellow filmmakers, who I have no idea but I know he did. Šimon started talking to someone to, if you wanted to know who you would have to ask him. Eventually I started talking with a man from Prague, (Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic) we talked about all the differences between the United States and Europe. Although he did not speak good English nor do I speak any Czech we were able to communicate fairly well, we only had to use hand signals once or twice.
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| Šimon |
After our conversations ended and our glasses emptied we figured it was about time we went to the hotel and went to sleep. When we got back to the hotel it was around 2:45 in the morning, fortunately there was still a receptionist at the desk and we were able to get in. Everybody showered and then went to sleep.
The next day was very similar, we saw a lot of films then in the evening went to the pub "Madrid" as we had the night before. The only difference there was that we sat at the other table on the other side.
Everybody started talking, I had a conversation with one filmmaker named Adam that was very.....inspiring and interesting, I'll give you a summary.
This conversation was a while ago and very confusing, even at the time so this may or may not be in chronological or an other sensible type of order but I think that's okay.
 |
| Me and Adam |
According to Adam western Europe is more logical and progressive, while eastern Europe (Slovakia is in eastern Europe) is old and traditional often disobeying simple rules of logic or common sense in tradition.
We also talked about how people work together and become friends. Conflict is a problem, just by its definition. Since conflict is a problem it must be solved or bad things will happen. Conflict can come in any size or shape, but when it is big it usually involves many people. These many people must solve the conflict and by doing or not doing this they form bonds that we know as friendship or any relationship like it. At the time that is was spoken this made perfect sense, if you don't understand what you're reading that's okay, I don't understand what I'm writing.
This is an example of tradition, I mean the thing about conflict. There are some very old conflicts in Europe that have been existent for a very very long time. Two people will unite to conquer a common conflict and then become friends, maybe. This is the theory, this theory applies to everyone with Slavic blood, that means me and maybe you.
This theory is not mine, and I'm not going to tell you what my opinion is on it because right now my opinion is very confused.
As we were leaving the pub Adam out to me "Myko, don't forget your Slavic blood". Since then Slavic blood has been an interesting topic to my father, Šimon and me. All I know is that most certainly, not now or ever will I forget my Slavic blood.
We came back to hotel after braving the streets which were full of drunk hockey fans (The world championship was to be partly held is Košice and is going on there right now). After we came to the hotel we were greeted by the same man as the night before. It was about the same time as we had gotten back the night before (2:45) and we went to sleep gladly.
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| Šimon asleep next to a nun. |
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Košice-First Films
As we had come for the film festival we decided to see some films. There were two film theaters, one was very large and grand with many lights, many seats that were the kind that if you shift your weight, even the slightest bit the seat switch from being on two legs onto the other two legs, on the first night there was even an opening with lots of food and wine and things of that nature.
The other theater, though much smaller was much more to my liking. It almost seemed slightly darker, as it probably was, also the seats were a heavy upholstery not a cheap plastic, they didn't rock back and forth or dig into your back.
All or mostly the all of the time we were watching films. Being the fact most of the time we were there we were watching films, and we were there for a while I cannot remember half the films or any sense of order; chronological or other.
My father had three or four of his movies screening at this festival so I got to see his movies and watch him talk about (I didn't understand anything; it was in Slovak). Since I can't remember the other movies, or writing about the ones I do remember would be extremely hard (Mišo and Šimon will understand) I'm just going to write about a few of my father's films.
When my father came to the US for the first time he didn't speak any English.Anyone who's have been to a country where they speak a different language that you do not, will probably understand the feeling of mute-ness that he felt. One of my fathers earlier jobs, before we was a professor, was a assistant dog handler.
My fathers movie "About Dogs and People" is a documentary that is, you guessed it, both about dogs and people. It shows things from a point of muteness and has very little dialogue. I personally really liked this movie because the situation I was in forced me to relate to it. It is both very funny and very sad at points. I was born after this film was made
"Home Movie" as you probably didn't guess is not a home movie. It is about my father adapting to life in the USA and all manner of different things about it that arose. I generally think of the movie as very humorous and warm, but there are some very sad and emotional parts, especially for our family. One of the most memorable scenes, is of my father getting a ticket because he didn't have his seat belt on, coincidentally the he got the ticket on the way to my baptism, it was also his birthday.
I saw many movies I didn't understand because of linguistic problems. I also saw many movies I didn't understand because they were above my head (I'm still not sure if it was only me or most of the people felt the same). After all this misunderstanding I had to sit through many Q's and A's with the film directors. I couldn't begin to even hope to understand these discussions. This may sound miserable and unbearable, and it was, but only a little bit at certain times. After having seen these films I feel that I know my father,and what he does better, I even feel as if I know myself a little better from the films he made about our family.
The other theater, though much smaller was much more to my liking. It almost seemed slightly darker, as it probably was, also the seats were a heavy upholstery not a cheap plastic, they didn't rock back and forth or dig into your back.
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| Master class of Jan Gogola |
All or mostly the all of the time we were watching films. Being the fact most of the time we were there we were watching films, and we were there for a while I cannot remember half the films or any sense of order; chronological or other.
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| Stopping for something to eat |
When my father came to the US for the first time he didn't speak any English.Anyone who's have been to a country where they speak a different language that you do not, will probably understand the feeling of mute-ness that he felt. One of my fathers earlier jobs, before we was a professor, was a assistant dog handler.
My fathers movie "About Dogs and People" is a documentary that is, you guessed it, both about dogs and people. It shows things from a point of muteness and has very little dialogue. I personally really liked this movie because the situation I was in forced me to relate to it. It is both very funny and very sad at points. I was born after this film was made
"Home Movie" as you probably didn't guess is not a home movie. It is about my father adapting to life in the USA and all manner of different things about it that arose. I generally think of the movie as very humorous and warm, but there are some very sad and emotional parts, especially for our family. One of the most memorable scenes, is of my father getting a ticket because he didn't have his seat belt on, coincidentally the he got the ticket on the way to my baptism, it was also his birthday.
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| Mišo Suchý master class |
Košice-Mr. Mušinka
In Prešov lives an esteemed anthropologist by the name of Mykolaj Mušinka. As you probably realized he shares his first name with me. Mr. Mušinka was born in Slovakia, but by blood is Ukrainian.
Šimon, Mišo and I walked down a nicely cobbled side walk till we arrived at a small cozy looking house with a short sturdy looking green wire fence running around its small yard. We rang the doorbell and were greeted by a older women who practically pulled us inside. Inside was a man with lots of bright white hair with a big, bushy, jolly looking beard.
We came to a room where nearly every inch of the wall was covered by a painting, photograph or anything else that can be hung from a wall. There was a plush couch on one side of the room, directly across from a small old looking television. Directly in between the TV and couch was a small square table with for chairs. We set our packs down on the couch and sat around the small table and then Mr. Mušinka sat with us.
Mr. Mušinka was a anthropology professor who was very well know in his field. When the Soviet occupation army came to Slovakia in 1968 he disagreed with its ideals and opposed it. Because Mr. Mušinka did not agree with the oppressive Soviet regime he was forced by it to give up his position as a University professor.
Mr. Mušinka returned to his native village in Slovakia and became a Slovak cowboy. He had lassos and horses just like the American cowboys, only he was Ukrainian . As a cowboy he made more money then as a university professor, he kept working.
Mr. Mušinka still had his opinion and thoughts which the Soviets were not able to take away. Many free thinkers who opposed the regime frequented Mušinkas home in his village. Soon the regime noticed this and after five years he lost his job as a cowboy.
He was made a heating technician. All while Mušinka was being oppressed his writings were being published around the world. In Czechoslovakia no one was allowed to say his name, to the government he was non-existent. Around the world in the field of anthropology he was extremely well renowned.
A university in Toronto, Canada offered him a position as a guest professor, he more than gladly accepted and was ready to go until a few days before his departure some KGB agents came and confiscated his passport, he was unable to go to Canada and stayed in Slovakia.
In 1989 when the oppressive communist regime fell he went back to working as a professor at the same university as before. He has more than 70 world wide publications, and although he was persecuted for having an opinion he still kept it. Even though as an intellectual he was forced to do physical work he kept working and maintained his spirit, he showed amazing vitality.
Šimon, Mišo and I walked down a nicely cobbled side walk till we arrived at a small cozy looking house with a short sturdy looking green wire fence running around its small yard. We rang the doorbell and were greeted by a older women who practically pulled us inside. Inside was a man with lots of bright white hair with a big, bushy, jolly looking beard.
We came to a room where nearly every inch of the wall was covered by a painting, photograph or anything else that can be hung from a wall. There was a plush couch on one side of the room, directly across from a small old looking television. Directly in between the TV and couch was a small square table with for chairs. We set our packs down on the couch and sat around the small table and then Mr. Mušinka sat with us.
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| Mr. Mušinka and me |
Mr. Mušinka was a anthropology professor who was very well know in his field. When the Soviet occupation army came to Slovakia in 1968 he disagreed with its ideals and opposed it. Because Mr. Mušinka did not agree with the oppressive Soviet regime he was forced by it to give up his position as a University professor.
Mr. Mušinka returned to his native village in Slovakia and became a Slovak cowboy. He had lassos and horses just like the American cowboys, only he was Ukrainian . As a cowboy he made more money then as a university professor, he kept working.
Mr. Mušinka still had his opinion and thoughts which the Soviets were not able to take away. Many free thinkers who opposed the regime frequented Mušinkas home in his village. Soon the regime noticed this and after five years he lost his job as a cowboy.
He was made a heating technician. All while Mušinka was being oppressed his writings were being published around the world. In Czechoslovakia no one was allowed to say his name, to the government he was non-existent. Around the world in the field of anthropology he was extremely well renowned.
A university in Toronto, Canada offered him a position as a guest professor, he more than gladly accepted and was ready to go until a few days before his departure some KGB agents came and confiscated his passport, he was unable to go to Canada and stayed in Slovakia.
In 1989 when the oppressive communist regime fell he went back to working as a professor at the same university as before. He has more than 70 world wide publications, and although he was persecuted for having an opinion he still kept it. Even though as an intellectual he was forced to do physical work he kept working and maintained his spirit, he showed amazing vitality.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Košice-Lunik IX
I went to school on Monday, but not on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Instead of going to school I went to a city in Eastern Slovakia named Košice. I went to Košice with my father and Šimon. We were in Košice for a documentary film festival at which my father had some of his films playing. Although most people think of documentaries as boring, I don't think these movies were boring, well some of them weren't.
We took a train from Bratislava to Košice, it was to be a four hour long journey. Soon after getting on the train I fell asleep. I woke and read a little bit then got bored and started to wander around the train. After wandering aimlessly around the train for a while I returned to my seat and sat there and tried to go to sleep. In the end I succeeded in falling asleep. I awoke when the train stopped at Košice. we exited the train and were soon found by the people who would be driving us to the hotel we would be staying in. There were two people a boy and a girl whose names escape me. The two people were working for or helping or doing something along those lines for the film festival. They took us in a car that was the festivals sponsor. They took us to the hotel and helped us put our bags in our room then left.
The first movie we were to see was titled Lunik IX. Lunik 9 is one of if not the worst gypsy ghetto in Košice. The special part about the screening was that it wasn't in a movie theatre, it was in Lunik 9. We were taken to the ghetto by the same people who had also picked us up from the train station in the same car, a baby blue car that closely resembled an ice cube. I think everybody in the car except my father for some strange reason I don't understand was extremely nervous.
As the car pulled to a stop we got out and I set foot for the first time in a gypsy ghetto. Gypsys for all you who don't know are the darker skinned people in Europe and are often times victims of unfair prejudice. Me being very white stuck out very obviously, somewhat like an elephant at the grocery market. We watched the film above on the projector in a small huddle. Soon my father started taking pictures of not only the film, but also the surrounding buildings and landscape.
Soon my fathers camera flash started getting attention, he got a few funny looks and then a drunk man came up to him. The man asked my father why he was taking pictures of the apartments and not the movie. My father told him some nice thing that was meant mostly to appease him. The two talked for a while it was hard to detect hostility or friendship in ethiers voice or comments. After a while the drunk man left leaving us alone.
We started to wander around, just my father, Šimon and me. A group of teens spotted us there were about six or seven of them. They came towards us, we kept giving each other nervous looks. They were right next to us and they started talking to us about the ghetto and how things were in it. It turns out that the apartment rooms where no light shown out the windows was not because all the lights were off, it was because the inhabitants were unable to pay for the electricity. We often saw the lights all around flickering on and off. The whole place felt very eerie.
We walked with the boys all around the buildings. They told us about the school and the other luniks, there are other such neighbourhoods but I'm not sure how many. We talked and what they said was very interesting, they told us about a rich gypsy who didn't live far away they also told us about the various problems of living in lunik IX.
Soon the movie ended and we soon after that left in same car we had come in but with many more people. We were packed in extremely tight. The car ride was uncomfortable, but when we got back to the hotel we took a very comfortable shower then fell on our beds and slept like logs.
We took a train from Bratislava to Košice, it was to be a four hour long journey. Soon after getting on the train I fell asleep. I woke and read a little bit then got bored and started to wander around the train. After wandering aimlessly around the train for a while I returned to my seat and sat there and tried to go to sleep. In the end I succeeded in falling asleep. I awoke when the train stopped at Košice. we exited the train and were soon found by the people who would be driving us to the hotel we would be staying in. There were two people a boy and a girl whose names escape me. The two people were working for or helping or doing something along those lines for the film festival. They took us in a car that was the festivals sponsor. They took us to the hotel and helped us put our bags in our room then left.
The first movie we were to see was titled Lunik IX. Lunik 9 is one of if not the worst gypsy ghetto in Košice. The special part about the screening was that it wasn't in a movie theatre, it was in Lunik 9. We were taken to the ghetto by the same people who had also picked us up from the train station in the same car, a baby blue car that closely resembled an ice cube. I think everybody in the car except my father for some strange reason I don't understand was extremely nervous.
As the car pulled to a stop we got out and I set foot for the first time in a gypsy ghetto. Gypsys for all you who don't know are the darker skinned people in Europe and are often times victims of unfair prejudice. Me being very white stuck out very obviously, somewhat like an elephant at the grocery market. We watched the film above on the projector in a small huddle. Soon my father started taking pictures of not only the film, but also the surrounding buildings and landscape.
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| The apartments of Lunik IX |
Soon my fathers camera flash started getting attention, he got a few funny looks and then a drunk man came up to him. The man asked my father why he was taking pictures of the apartments and not the movie. My father told him some nice thing that was meant mostly to appease him. The two talked for a while it was hard to detect hostility or friendship in ethiers voice or comments. After a while the drunk man left leaving us alone.
We started to wander around, just my father, Šimon and me. A group of teens spotted us there were about six or seven of them. They came towards us, we kept giving each other nervous looks. They were right next to us and they started talking to us about the ghetto and how things were in it. It turns out that the apartment rooms where no light shown out the windows was not because all the lights were off, it was because the inhabitants were unable to pay for the electricity. We often saw the lights all around flickering on and off. The whole place felt very eerie.
We walked with the boys all around the buildings. They told us about the school and the other luniks, there are other such neighbourhoods but I'm not sure how many. We talked and what they said was very interesting, they told us about a rich gypsy who didn't live far away they also told us about the various problems of living in lunik IX.
Soon the movie ended and we soon after that left in same car we had come in but with many more people. We were packed in extremely tight. The car ride was uncomfortable, but when we got back to the hotel we took a very comfortable shower then fell on our beds and slept like logs.
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