And so I had a strong desire to write that night

I love to travel in bus late in night. When there are nearly no people inside and the driver listnens to his favourite music, loud. It´s like you secretly and quietly wallk into his very own world. Lastly, when I went from my friend´s place in univerity dormitory at about 10 pm, the driver was listening to QUEEN. The bus was full of emptility and light and I was sitting and writting this down on one piece of paper I luckly found in my bag. Chewing gum with no flavour anymore was in my mouth just like the city in the bus I looked form window and saw the reflection of the the bus on the road outhere and so it seemed like the road was in the bus. How funny, some people in the bus, bus in the town, town in the bus, but still no people in the town. Only lights. Those from shopping center, bank, luminous advertisings and that Queen song. I don´t know the name of it, but it lighted, it highlighed the atmosphere. Fuck, I should have been studying biology that time. What everything I can do just not to study. rather think of this road that just ends. Just a few steps and I´m at home. Finally eat something and take my make-up off. I think I have enought of this mask for today... "I WANT TO BREAK FREE!"

"God knows I want to break free!"

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!!