Moravian Easter, ( whipping day)

How does one create a blog that has to follow the last entry regarding the deeds of Oskar Schindler in light of the holocaust? It can't but seem light and trivial. Perhaps then something light and trivial is called for... perhaps I should invoke the comedic... even comedy with its own dark thread.... but I promise you, not nearly so much as the former.

MORAVIAN EASTER

(the views that follow in this blog are not necessarily held or condoned by CzechRockwell Inc.)

It's Easter in the Czech Republic! or it was as this entry finds itself a bit late. So Easter... of note we will skip the lack of church going traditions, which for the most part are non-existent in this country. Now let me be clear; of course there are churches and there are some attendees. But I think by large, there is little relative involvement. So then... What makes Czech Easter "unique"?

Well, to begin with the Holiday, which is held on Monday, has a special tradition... let me walk you through the steps. And let me add for those savvy readers... think of my involvement as merely anthropological in interest.

Step one:
Monday morning, Easter morning... get your son and get in your car... drive to your neighbor's house. Then open the hatch back and pull out your willow woven... switch. It may have ribbons. The ribbons will become clear.

Step two:

Walk up to the house... let the other guys who have been visiting exit and call on your friends...

Step three:
Go up to the house, knock... gain entry

Step Four:

Then "greet" your host.
Ok, some explanation; This is a male tradition. The guys go to the houses of women they know and the women invite them in and the men whip their... ah... posterior. And as they do this the following mantra is spoken...
"Hodie hodie, Give me a brown egg and if you don't have a brown egg then give me a white one, the chicken will give you another."
This is the English rendering, of course.

Svetlana nicely seems to tolerate one of our party's "greetings".

Step Five:
For the whipping you recieve a ribbon on your whipping stick. Now let me add I've been told that this tradition of whipping is suppose to keep the women young and healthy for the next year.
(HEY!... I'm just reporting it. Don't shoot the messenger!)

Step Six:
She feeds you...
One important thing... and it is part of the tradition. The clear liquid in the small glasses. Take a guess. You should know by now that nothing is done in the Czech Republic without this substance: Slivovice.
Let me be clear... you get a shot at every house you visit. Since Tom is a Doctor he felt that it was important to visit several of his patients.. not to mention all his close friends.
Do the liquid math. My poor liver.
Above and worthy of mention because I really like these guys and it makes me mad I don't know the Czech language better... is, from right to left, Radek or "Czechy", Ivo, me and Tom.
Btw, "Czechy" : closest person I know who is like Jason Barrett. Same good hearted and natural warmth, and the soulful laugh... identical.

Time to stumble home.

Veprove Karma!

Let me introduce you to Tom and Svetlana.
I met Svetlana in one of my English classes. Let me be clear. I am not the professional that my wife is... and I get paid a lot less. But the true worth of the few classes I teach is the friends we have made. Svetlana invited our family over one day for a typical Czech meal. It turns out that she and Tom are both doctors and have a great appreciation for wine tasting. We sat down for lunch at their house and the next thing we knew it was 9 pm. Needless to say, we hit it off with these people.

But now let us recall the true winter activities in Moravia... Balls. Yes yes, you perhaps have read the prior blog regarding Czech prom night. But let me assure you, there are Ball's for adults as well.

Here we are with Tom and Sivitlana and another couple at the official Town Ball.
But of course we are in the Czech Republic and so we must not only drink some wine or beer, but we must partake of some homemade slivovice. Everyone has their own flask. Below Heidi shows her respect to the custom.
Before...
After...
Not a preferred drink for Heidi. Why is Mark not having any? "He must be driver tonight." NO! We walked home.

Now the dancing can begin. Hmm.... looks a lil blurry. Can it be the slivovice already?
There, the lights off. better.
OK, the above was Moravske Budejovice's Town sponsored ball. But Tom and Svetlana invited us to a second Ball sponsored by their children's school. Now I'm not sure, but I will assume it is held to raise money. Either way, there were no kids.

See here? This is a classroom where jr and missy learn their alphabet. It has been turned into a bar. See the blackboard. See it converted into drink menu. Good ole Blackboard.

We were invited to have tequila shots... several I believe. I would like to take a moment and confirm what everyone already knows... what I already knew. Tequila... at least the basic stuff... not a good idea. Ever.

Now, as we made our way to our table, we passed those prizes that one might win. This is very typical at Czech balls. Always a raffle.

Hmmm. Some fruit, some bread, some dry goods, some pig heads and leather briefcase....
PIG HEAD!?
Yep... Two actually. ...Two lucky winners get a pig head.

Now let me stop a moment. It would appear that the camera lost all the other interesting pictures of the evening and somehow only captured the pig head theme. Strange camera.
For those of you not delighted by such novelties, you may choose not to continue on this journey.

Oh, I had to get a close up.
So, one regular and the other smoked.
Yes, the lighter one is munching on parsely.
Good piggy!
Those are school lunch trays btw. What else are you going to put a pig head on?
Oh, and I'm pretty sure that at this point Heidi thinks they aren't real.

Well, I must get in on this raffle!
I've never won the lotto... but then I've never played. But when a smoked pork head is at stake, the gambler comes out!

Fate was with me that day, my friends!
No, I couldn't win the lotto if I tried. But I have pork Karma!

Now I must be honest, some other guy won it... and Tom traded him a bottle of wine for it. After all, what am I going to do with a pig head? I mean really, the novelty of winning one at a Czech ball is too much to pass up. But what to do with it? So it might be said that it was some relief that I didn't actually win. But then Tom, in his duty to give me the most Czech-like experience I can, made sure I "win" anyway.

What?
What is he saying?
Tequila... that's to blame.
Yes yes, That is me holding and us posing with a pig head.

But still, what are we to do now?
Tom had a plan... we were to come over on Sunday and have soup... made from my prize.

Svetlana making preparations...
Here is Tom in his kitchen trying to cut the head in half... as the pot is simply too small... or the head too big.
It's not really working.

No fear... we can fix that right up!
Nothing like an axe!
...or a hatchet!
Nice work!

Hmmm.... no pics of soup. It was very nice. I won't order it again though. We actually ate the meat out of the skull. No, I didn't eat the brains... though some do. I don't know what parts we ate, but it was definitely pork. The hot dog parts... that's what we ate.

Look here... some pictures of their sun room.
This is where we ate. All their screens are down.

Here is Heidi on the other side.
Going out on a limb here. We've seen some great houses here...some not so great. I want one of these. Love it... best room ever!

OK, one last ball to exploit. This time it's a Fireman's ball in the village of Pavlice.
This time I know the band... "Duha" ...so I'm on the inside.
Here is the band's table. Pavel and Jirka
and below... someone and Ladia
Got to get a close up
That is fried pork fat. They like it salty. Who doesn't!
Goes well with Pivo (beer)

The band plays... in case you didn't believe me.
Now, I want to draw your attention to the left side of the photo. There is a table. I said it was a ball. So this means there is a raffle. Here is a bad close up.

Just several things I want to cover in closing... The white bottles are pork fat. Yes, you can win pork fat. ...and if you're lucky, there was also (but not pictured here) a porn magazine.

Spring Blossoms

Garden Street

Our first introduction to Czech Gardens was last summer at Hana's Mom's house. Fruit trees were being harvested, and we were given a bucket full of the most delicious plums we've ever eaten. I made Plum Crisp; the locals made Slivovice. (If you don't know what that is, you'll just have to read our earlier entries!) Since that time, we have been watching the Czech gardeners working magic in their treasured plots of land. And today, April 27th, provided us with glorious sunshine and a cool breeze. As we looked southward out of our 8th floor balcony, the blossoming fruit trees dotting the landscape beckoned us to take a stroll among the gardens that surround the village. Spring has arrived in the Czech Republic!

Almost everyone here has a garden. Because many people live in buildings like ours, they buy a plot of land in the village and then spend hours cultivating their gardens. Below is a small sampling of such plots.

Here is the lane that winds between the plots.
Each plot varies in size and shape; some have drainage and wells and others do not. And some utilize whatever means necessary to procure water. The Czechs are frugal and industrious. I think my dad will appreciate this next picture.
Many plots have buildings of sorts. Some are for storage, but most seem to be more like a mini cottage with grill and hammock included.
The next picture shows the combination of both a flower and vegetable garden with a gazebo in the back. Notice the built-in box in the middle of the plot - it's made of old planks and used windows and is used as a mini greenhouse to grow lettuce heads. The Czechs demonstrate well the old adages "Necessity is the mother of invention" and "Waste not. Want not."

Here's another version of the same concept.
At present, the strawberry plants are beginning to flower, as are all the fruit and magnolia trees. I can't remember a spring when everything seems to bloom all at once. Chicago weather is too volatile for such a symphony of color. The Czech Republic's continental position obviously isn't.

Some gardens are ordered and symmetrical as in the one above. Others are more natural and wild in their design.
The garden pictured below has one of my favorite displays of color! Mariana loves red tulips, so maybe next year we'll try to duplicate a similar design.

Below are several varieties of flowers I had never noticed before in the US, but they are lovely!
And here are two of my favorite scenes repeated in various forms when we walk through the gardens.

Gardening in the Czech Republic seems to be a source of beauty and enjoyment as much as it is a necessity. I can't think of a better combination.

Mark and I love to garden, and walking through these Czech gardens every day has reminded us of the value and joy of doing so. I have missed squishing my toes in the cool spring soil as we're planting peas. And Mark will have to wait another year to fuss over his tomato plants. For now, we will let ourselves be inspired by all the possibilities.

Happy Spring!