Vencek

Hello with my widest smile to you! :) I´m just so so happy right now. It´s because of all the wonderful memories I have and the great feeling that came back to me after reminding myself about one unforgetable evening/night. Of course, I don´t remember everything, but I can recall the smell of my antiperspirant, the pain in my legs, that soft touch of powder on my sweaty body, ...no commercials, but I use Rimmel London Stay Matte powder, great one..., my nervous heart beating, the aroma of the hairspray the hair-dresser used on my curled hair, firm grip of my partner, taste of that disgusting (sorry, for using such an expression on food, but if you had a chance to try it, you´d think the same) polish chocolate and many other things, but above all I remember that great sentiment about all of us, my body and the music.



Sounds like a great occasion, doesn´t it? :D It´s all about this event, "Venček", that took a place in April, 5th. ...Yeah, yeah, I know, I have to explain what that "Venček" thing is. I´ll try my best... In Slovakia (don´t know how it is in other countries), students of high schools have this opportunity to attend courses of ballroom dancing and as we are (my class) students of gymnasium, it is a more like tradition to take it. So, we had 10 courses and then it all finished with this evening when we had something like ball, or however I can call it, we just performed what we have learnd to our paretns who paid all that, not really cheap, stuff (courses, clothing, tickets, gifts = for me it was nearly 200 €). That´s venček. If you´d like to see some more pictures or read more vistit my schoolmate´s blog.

We learned 10 dances! English and Viennese Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Blues, Jive, Cha Cha, Czech Polka, Twist and Country.

First we had a parade and exhibition of all dances. Then there was dance with parents and some dances performed by professionals. And after this, COMPETITION TIME! 30 pairs, only 6 of them could go ahead trouhg theese: English and Viennese Waltz, Polka, Jive and Cha Cha. Try to guess, who was in this "first 6"! :) So there was another round and after every dance number judge revealed the valuation. And according to it, my partner and me, we won the 3th place! ...I still can´t believe that!...

Most of the friends just rolle their eyes when I say I was surprised or that I really didn´t think it could happen, not after so much mistakes I made, but nevermind. It was definately thanks to my great partner. Just like my sister said: "He was leading and you were smiling" :) ...And isn´t it how it should be?...(note from my 24yo self -No. That is not how it should be.)

Then there was a competition just for boys. One long track, girls running from one boy to another, having a short dance with them and pinning a small decorative ring-shaped wreaths (in Slovak "venček") on their suit. And the guy who had most of them, and so danced with the highes number of girls won. Would you believe me, if I say that MY partner won it? ...No matter if you would, he really did!... After that, it was boy´s turn to pick Miss Sympa by giving us flowers and chocolates, but it wasn´t a dancing competition, because if it were, we all would know who´d win it :) My great great friend Zuzike, who, surprisingly, won the 6th palce in the pair contest. And now, the most important thing for me was about to be told. I´m not hiding that my biggest ambition was to win as a creator of the prittiest "wreath". And I did! That was the most beautiful moment of all. ...I´m so fucking proud of myself!...

What happend next, I didn´t really care about, the ambitions have been satisfied. The end of the "ball", disco, saying goodbye, way to home and bed. Enough. Falling asleep as the happiest person in the world.

So that´s it. It wans´t such a big deal, but I felt like absolute lady. And you can see it in the pictures, it was all very elegant and classy, and I don´t know, I think most of us just like to enjoy that kind of atmophere once in a long time. And also, thanks  to pictures, this seems to be my first OUTFIT and make-up, hair and nails post :) As you can see, I was wearing beautiful black and cherryred dress from Bonprix, hair curled and pinned on side, nails painted on red, earrings from Lindex, regular foundation routine + red blush + Lasting Finish by Kate lipstick in 09 "Rosseto" was a great choise for a long night. ...What elese should I say?...

Oh, yes! I must thank to my great partner Denis, who was the best leader and who I´d never thought I could get so far without. And for that wonderful bouquet of roses he gave to me. My height and my maladroid legs were a problem, but he faced all the troubles (those I mentioned and plus his own sore ankle) with courage and our venček was a manifique feast for eyes of all in the hall.

"And now, I teach you to dance, so you know what to do when you feel infinitely easy but also undeathably heavy."

Mother (Tanec medzi Črepinami)

Adam František Kollár Part I.

"Slovak Socrates"

Today, I´m more than proud to present you this great man in every word meaning as this day is the 295. anniversey of his birth. He is quite lucky to belong to those slovak historical characters, about who children are still learning in school and so he is still remembered. And I´d like you, to know about him even more than some good friend could tell you :)

   Two Slovaks from Terchová

Adam František Kollár was born this day, again, in 1718 in Terchová (small village in central Slovakia now, formerly Terhely, Turózs county in Kingdom of Hungary). There have been born two great personages of our history in Terchová: A.F. Kollár and Juraj Jánošík (my post) who was hanged on a rib exactly 3 years and a month before Kollár´s date of birth. Two completly different (maybe even opposite) men as an image of Slovak nation. And now you can finally compare them on my blog. But anyway, he was born to the family of lower nobleman Matej Kolárik and his wife Regína Koláriková (born Myslovská).

   "Slovak I am and Slovak I´ll be"

If you have a chance to see some wrintings of his name, most of the time there is not used the slovak equivalent of it. What you can find is, in Latin Adamo Francisco/ Franciscus or German Franz or Hungarian Ferenc, all as Slovak František. Slovak language wasn´t officialy codified nor accepted in that time. Again, what is nice, that he was very proudly admitting his Slovak origin and developed studying of Slavic history (Slovaks belong to the group of Slavic nations).

   Education

As he is generally called "Slovak Socrates" the education is very important thing to talk about. In 1723 he moved to Banská Bystrica. First, he attended slovak jesuit colleges in Banská Bysrica, Banská Štiavnica and Trnava. This was all in Upper Hungary, now country of Slovakia. Then, in 1740 he started to study in Vienne. Philosophy, laws, classical and oriental languages. But he was learning all his life, thanks to it, he spoke 27 languages.

   Career

In years 1742 - 1745 he worked as a professor of jesuit high school in Liptovský Svätý Mikuláš. His career went on and he became a scribe of Imperial - Royal Library in Vienna in 1748. Then, very clever Kollár was named a second custodian and then the first custodian of IR Library in 1758. In this positions Adam´s work couldn´t end. He, for example, in 1756 completed and published Turkish Grammar Institutiones Linguae Turcicae from Fr. Mesganien - Meninski, or, he made a systematic catalogue of teological prints of the library. In years 1761 - 1762 he also published a collection of unknown documents, annals and chronicles, what get him in line with other well known scolars in the world.

 In 1763 he developed his plans for establishing a Hungarian (Kingdom of Hungary) University of Sciences and also published "Hungaria et Attila, seu de oringinbus gentis Hungariae" (Hugary and Attila, or about the origin of hungarian nation) by Mikuláš Oláh (Hungarian (again not today´s Hungary but Kingdom of Hungary) arcibishop and humanist intellectual of 16. century). Still, he was lecturing and translted Urbar by Maria Theresa (register of vassals´ obligations towards lords) to slovak language, as I mentioned above, the language wasn´t official (the official language of Kingdom of Hungary was hungarian) but it was a laguage of Slovaks, living in upper Hungary (now Slovakia) and without the translation they couldn´t understant it, as hungarian/ german laguage was total lingo for them. In this period, he also finished "De ortu, progressu et incolatu nations Ruthenicae in Hungaria"  about history of Carpathian Ruthenians and their church life.

His star was rising. In 1772, after the death of prefect Gerard van Swieten, Kollár was appointed as a chief of IR Library and from it, it took him only 2 years to became a director of IR Library, member of Iperial - Royal Court Study Commission - board of education and culture, director of all gymnasiums in the realm and, fianlly, Councilor at the Court of, herself, Maria Theresa!

 

What a man, ha? :D And this still isn´t the end! Just wait for PART TWO!!

Juraj Jánošík

17. March 1713 was the day, when Juraj Jánošík, in a cause of banditing, was sentenced and hanged on rob. That makes this day a 300 anniversery of his executon, so I decided to devote todays article to him.

Juro Jánošík, how we Slovaks call him famillary, is one of the most significant icons of Slovak culture. He is one of the few characters in Slovak history, who is still rembered and very popular. I can say myslef, as a native, that every child knows him, no matter what, and until he is in our minds, as an enteral hero of miserable Slovak nation, he will survive. In Slovakia, we have a wonderful (not that I like to hear it) phrase for "miserable Slovak nation" - "zbedačený slovenský ľud", very common phrase, especially in historical themes.
   Juraj Jánošík was born in Terchová (Terhely, small village in central Slovakia now, formerly Turózs county in Kingdom of Hungary) before 25. 1. 1688, as this is the date of his baptism in village register of Varín (Várna), because Terchová didn´t have its own rectory in the time. He comes form a liege family and from his childhood, he worked with his parents (as most of the habitants of Upper Hugary - now Slovakia) on lands owned by Ján Jakub Lowenburg from Teplička nad Váhom (Vágtapolca). As 18 yeas old young man, he was recruited to rebellion against the emperor Karol - Carolus IV. (as king of Hungary Karol III.) and all Habsburgs led by František - Ferenc II. Rákóczy. The rebellion failed in the battle near Trenčín (Trencsén) in 1708 and Jánošík fled home. But the punishmet was waiting wor him, and so, to serve imperal army for a few years. You are maybe surprised by such a low punishment for, in every word meaning, treason, but the emperor knew that most of the rebels were actually just young men forced to join the revolt. Anyway, they made him a prison guard of popular highwayman, Tomáš Uhorčík, who they finally caught. But you know, the word gave a word and before long, they both ran away from Bytča Castle, they both were prisons of in 1711. The legendery adventure can start.
   Uhorčík convinced Jánošík to join his group of bandits and soon, after Uhorčík left, he became a captain. With his group, they raided merchants and lords in Trenčín, Orava, Liptov counties as well as in Poland and Morava. After a year military caught him in a pub where Uhorčík was innkeepering under the name of Martin Mravec. In March 1713 they caught him again. He was quite lucky to have a court hearing in Liptovský Mikuláš (Liptószentmiklós) and an advocate but that didn´t help him. The mitigating circumstance were his young age, that he was the youngest in the group, that they didn´t kill or hurt anybody, and that his crimes weren´t as horrible as crimes of others bandits, but as I said, it didn´t help him. Jánošík was sentenced to death in the most painful way - hang on a rib. He was only 25 in the time.

And that´s all we know. Anything else you think you know is probably, the most sure just a legend. The legend that was created in the time of the strong national oppression of not-hungary nations in Kingdom of Hungagy by people. And then, during the Slovak National Revival by national revivalist who was trying to do absolutely everything that was possible to rise the courage and awareness in slovak people. That was the time of romantism in our literature. The most popular oeuvre is Smrť Jánošíkova (Death of Jánošík) by Ján Botto. And that´s why we, Slovaks and Poles and Czechs see this man as Slovak Robin Hood. Who stole from rich and give it to poor. Because if the legend is true or not, we needed it. We needed a hero like this. To survive with a flame in heart and Slovak language on tonge.

The Icon of Juraj Janosik: More of a tradition than a history, more hero than a man.

Dr. Ján Vilček

Today is a very special day for at least one person. And that´s why I chosed him for this day person I admire. President Barack Obama named Ján T. Vilček, MD, PhD, a recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation and gave him this price today, 1.2.2013. 

"I´m proud to honor these inspiring American innovators," President Obama said in a statement released  by the White House. "They represent the ingenuity and imagination that has long made this Nation great - and they remind us of the enormous impact a few good ideas can have when these creative qualities are unleashed in an entrepreneurial enviroment." 

   National Medal of Technology and Innovation is the nation´s highest honor for technological achivement, bestowed by the president of the United States on America´s leading innovators, who have made lasting contributions to America´s competitiveness and quality of life.  

   And why am I mentionig this? Well, because Dr. Vilček is a first Slovak who won this price and another prove of an often repressed fact that also in a such a small piece of land the greatest peolpe can by born. 

   Ján Vilček was born 17. June 1933 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). As a child he experienced World War II.. Slovak National Uprising and two years until the end of a war in a house of a very brave Slovak couple hidden with his, originally Jewish, family. Then they moved back to Bratislava.

Vilcek prize has a marvelous design

   In 1957 he completed a medical school. He joined the Institute  of Virology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava as a research scientist. He was succesful in his work, married a Marica Vilček but the socialitic regime didn´t fit him. Both emigrated to the USA in 1956 where he joined NYU School of Medicine as a Assistant Professor of Microbiology.

   Vilček is being recognized for his pioneering work on interferons and contributions to the develoment of therapeutic monoclonal antobodies. His work was instrumental in the developmet of the anti - inflammatory drug Remicade, now widely used for the treatment of, for example, Crohn´s disease but the most famos - arthiris. About 2 million patients have been cured thanks to this medicine.

   But the great oeuvre hasn´t ended here. Vilček and his wife, an art historian, founded the Vilcek Foundation in 2000 which apprize another immigrats who contribute the professional, academic and artistic life in the US. In 2005 he donated 105 million dollars to NYU School of Medicine for research. In 2010 he was awarded the Slovakia Goodwill Ambrassador in Bratislava, as a Slovak who has made significant contributions while living aboard.

If you are interested watch this great video. It´s in Slovak with English subtitles :)

"Study of a certain problem is actually never really finished. Every finding opens new questions."

Dr. Ján T. Vilček

Jubilee: 20 years of Alexander Dubček

Hello. Just a quick article about today´s jubilee. Today it´s 20 years after tragic death of the best slovak politician, leader but mostly the human

ALEXANDER DUBČEK

"Nezahynie národ, ktorý sa riadi tak svojím rozumom ako aj svedomím."

R.I.P. Alexander Dubček

In this year, there isn´t better time to devote article to one GREAT person, equitable politician, but mainly the good - natured and modesty Human. 

Alexander Dubček

* 27. november 1921 Uhrovec, Czechoslovakia (Slovakia)

† 07. november 1992 Prague, Czechoslovakia (Czech republic)

Today, he would be 90 years old. The icon of revolution and The Prague Spring. The man who gave hope to Czechoslovak nations. 

Thank you Alexander, sleep in peace.