Czech castration

Maybe THIS is the reason why we don't hear about rapes and other sexually violent crimes over here.

Wow! Talk about a deterrent!!!

oh, slow down jen! - a conversation about israel...

The other day I was talking with my student (yeah, the same student who remembers the American tanks from WWII) and somehow the topic of Israel and Gaza came up - she asked about Obama and then my opinion.

I didn't quite know what to say - I don't fully understand the dynamic between the US and Israel but from how I see it, it's like we back them 100% no matter what... which I don't quite agree with. My memories, attribute it to my youth :) , are of the Israeli army bulldozing houses and displacing Palestinians whose families had inhabited the land for centuries - I can understand the basis for the tension between the parties... and I also see that there are militants on both (all?) sides... and peace is hard to find between extremists.

So I guess that I don't think the Israel actions are proportionate to the Hamas attacks... in my view it's another situation where the civilians are being punished not for the government or nation's actions but because of extremists inhabiting their borders -and the ongoing difficulties the UN and ICRC have in reaching the injured, dying, and starving are unacceptable... bombing UN safehouses is insanity...

I didn't state any of that. Not even close. I hedged, but apparently not enough.

As she tried to communicate her views I realized I am living in a nation were Jews have suffered - where it is part of the identity of the people. Where there has been great interplay in the recent cultural identity between these people and the people of Russia - which as a very strong Jewish Orthodox history... and that I had somehow ended up in a conversation with someone who believed that because of their history of persecution any action taken by the Jewish people will be the right action. That we are living surrounded by concentration camps and there is a heightened awareness of the suffering and persecution endured.

I have no concept - I don't have the structural system to comprehend the horrors inflicted upon and observed by people I know here. It is truly beyond my grasp, and god-willing, it will forever remain so.

And yet I don't think that the past gives you an eternal 'get out of jail' card. I still have a hard time seeing it like that. I still don't quite accept the reasoning or logic, and it has made me pause for a moment.

My reality and existence to this date has helped me to form the views I hold, but that is so very different from the person who engaged me in conversation that I could not continue the conversation - her emotion and strength of her conviction showed me deep rooted passion, which, with her personal history is totally justified.

I believe I have a lot more to learn. And could benefit from closing my mouth more often and opening my ears a bit more... and my eyes.

Cultural Season Indicators

Can't remember if I've written about this yet, so here it goes (again?)...

Shortly after arriving we went shoe shopping. There was an adorable pair of boots that I really, really liked. They were white. I wanted to get them, yet in the back of my mind I heard both my Grandmother and my Mom saying you don't wear white shoes after labor day. And I thought, jeez, labor days in a just about 2 days, maybe I should get something else.

NEWS FLASH!!!

One - I'm not in the US - THERE IS NO LABOR DAY
Two - I'm in the Czech Republic, you can wear whatever you want whenever you want!

The, there was a complete lack of Halloween decorations. It felt like it went from summer to fall for 2 weeks to Christmas. We skipped both Halloween and Thanksgiving, two things which happen prior to entering the Christmas season

Well, Halloween is very western and not really acknowledged here.

And Thanksgiving - yeah, same as the white shoes - wrong country.

Christmas is an interesting time. Rather the month of December is quite interesting. Here I am in the land of St. Wenceslas, and celebrating St. Nicholus - or rather, St, Mikulas - in a country without a concept of Santa Claus. There is no Santa Claus here.

Last week was St. Mikulas's time to travel with the angel and the devil and either allow the good children to receive treats and presents or the bad children to be swept off to hell. In another two weeks it will be Christmas. Children learn about Christmas in their public schools. Every classroom comes equipped with the old fashion advent wreaths. Christmas is when Baby Jesus comes over while you're eating dinner = the giant carp that's been living in the bathtub - on Christmas Eve and leaves presents for you to open during dessert.

No Santa, no jingle bells, no reindeer, not much shopping, no stockings, no Rudolph or Frosty. Charlie Brown doesn't need a tree. No Red Rider BB Gun. No Jimmy Stewart. No kidding.

A Communistic Comparision

I was overwhelmed by all the religious based activity in pre-school this week, and had a conversation relayed to the Czech teacher through the other multi-lingual teacher I work with.

I was telling them about some of the big differences - we wouldn't have major celebrations in our public schools focused in Saints, wouldn't be teaching them about Baby Jesus, or building a creche, or dancing with devils, or any other number of things we've done recently. I explained how the separation of religion from government does not allow religious elements to enter in to our classrooms - and she laughed and responded in such a way that the translation wasn't necessary, however for your benefit:

That sounds just like communism!

I am done

with everyone urinating on the sidewalk here. It's quite common for people to simply urinate into a bush or onto a building, especially at night. However, I did see something that was kind of uncommon. 

I was on my way to school, when the man in front of me (who I think was homeless, but I'm not entirely sure) suddenly stopped and began urinating in the middle of sidewalk. It was pretty surprising. Usually, people have the courtesy (well, I guess it could be called courtesy) to go out of the way, in an alley, bush, or against a building. But no, he just stopped and then started. Disgusted, I simply hurried past him to school.