Monday, February 28, 2005

Monday, February 28, 2005

After an opulent breakfast buffet, Veena and Sarah joined Rick and me for an excursion to the Jewish Museum, which opened on September 9, 2001. The museum was designed by Daniel Liebeskind, the same architect who got the World Trade Center commission. The building was actually completed in 1999, and between February of that year and February of 2001, over 350,000 people visited the empty structure. Many argued that the building should be left empty as a memorial to those killed in the Holocaust, despite the fact that a museum by definition includes a collection. Some condemned the architecture, describing it as “a built horror” or as being “like a wounded animal,” while others have praised it, and in fact, it won the German national architecture prize. The design is based on a rather involved floor plan which provides connecting lines between locations of historic events and locations of Jewish culture in Berlin. These lines form a basic outline and structure for the building. Liebeskind also used the concepts of absence, emptiness, and the invisible—expressions of the disappearance of Jewish culture in the city—to design the building. These concepts are evoked by kinked and angled forms throughout the building, orchestrated to allow the visitor to see, but not enter, certain empty rooms, which Libeskind terms ‘voided voids.’ The ideas which generate the plan of the building repeat themselves on the surface of the building, where voids, windows, and perforations form a sort of cosmological composition on an otherwise undifferentiated, zig-zagging zinc surface. Libeskind derived the folded shape of the museum from many sources including lines on a map of Berlin connecting important sites in the Jewish cultural history of the city. The windows bear no relationship to the division of floors within the building; the single window above the Holocaust Void (tower), a concrete, freestanding structure connected underground to the museum, is the only source of light for the empty, unheated interior of the tower. The building itself stirs emotion, from the stark meeting of the zinc-paneled exterior and the sky and the sharp incisions of windows, to the haunting Garden of Exile and Emigration, in front of the south facade of the museum. Forty-nine concrete columns stand at an incline, with trees planted inside. Forty-eight columns, filled with Berlin earth, stand for 1948, the year the nation of Israel was born. The 49th column, filled with earth from Jerusalem, stands for Berlin. http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/resource/gallery/BJM1.htm
Inside, two Millennia of German Jewish History are related in 14 Sections. The permanent exhibition offers visitors a journey through German-Jewish history and culture, from its earliest testimonies – a decree from the year 321 issued by Emperor Constantine to the Cologne municipal authorities, through the Middle Ages and up to the present. The museum is still collecting mementos from Jewish families, to show insights into German-Jewish life through personal documents and objects, and to make one more aware of the destruction of Jewish property and cultural artifacts, which occurred during National Socialism. A large proportion of the exhibits are loan items either from other museums or private collections, as well as the many replica and reproduction items on display. The exhibition designers, Würth and Winderoll, have adeptly used artifacts to show the multifaceted culture of the Jews and to make the destruction and dissemination of the Holocaust both visible and tangible. The contrast, between the confined spaces crammed with artifacts and information at the beginning of the exhibition, and the sparse, cold-seeming and bare areas which deal with the Holocaust, is stark. By using a minimum of exhibits in this area, not only is this sense of human and cultural destruction heightened, but it also avoids reusing the graphic images of concentration camps, to which many people have unfortunately become desensitized. In fact, the more subtle technique of using items close to most people’s everyday lives, such as a letter, a suitcase, a toy or a diary, are probably more effective in breaking down the “us and them” or “then and now” psychological defense barriers. http://www.vl-museen.de/aus-rez/reid01-1.htm.
Rick was particularly moved by the sympathetic and accessible treatment of early European contributions to Ashkenazi culture. The tiny Jewish communities in the Rhine cities of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz were at the center of Jewish scholarship in the period from about 900 to 1300. Rick and I have spent many hours in our Torah study class discussing Rashi. Rashi’s commentary is a running river of midrash into which one dips from time to time, and it’s a thrill to get a glimpse of the historical circumstances in which he lived and thought. As someone who lives in the world of ideas, and whose heroes are people whose ideas change the way we take in the world, Rick is particularly taken by the human circumstances of the people behind the ideas.
Unfortunately, we did not have as much time for the museum as we would have liked, nor did we have time to visit the Neue Synagogue, although we could see the façade in the distance. The Neue Synagogue is a neo-byzantine building with Moorish influences, with a 50-meter high gilded dome.This was Germany's largest synagogue in 1866, and the symbol of the Jewish community in Berlin. Situated in the Scheunenviertel district (Barn Quarter), it lies in the heart of the then large Jewish district. During the infamous Kristallnacht pogrom on November 9-10, 1938, the synagogue was desecrated by the Nazis, and it was destroyed in 1943 by allied bombing. The building was finally demolished in 1958 and it wasn't until after the fall of the Wall that the reconstruction started, and was completed in May 1995. Together with the reconstruction of the Neue Synagogue, the whole Scheunenviertel district has enjoyed a revival. It is now a lively area, with many restaurants and cafés.
We got back to the hotel barely in time to get on the bus to go to the Einstein Forum in Pottsdam. The presentation, which took place in what was Einstein’s summer house in Caputh, was about “Einstein in Germany and the World.” It was given by Professor Susan Neiman, former (1982) Fulbrighter and now director of the Einstein Forum. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s famous theory of relativity. Dr. Neiman talked mostly about Einstein’s political work, most of which took place after he left Germany. Her point, broadly stated, was that the popular conception of Einstein as a bumbling but lovable scientist is inaccurate. Most of the work of his later life, of which he left a voluminous record, was devoted to three causes: opposition of racism in all forms, support for the state of Israel, and socialism. Dr. Neiman’s informed opinion is that history has born out Einstein’s positions in the main. She also believes that Einstein was keenly aware of his reputation, and that he coolly used it to maximum advantage in his political work., (Einstein was the intellectual rock star of his day, and received a ridiculous amount of public attention.)
Some refer to 1905 as the miracle year, for it was then that five of Einstein’s greatest papers appeared. These would change the way human beings viewed the physical world, and would establish him as the world’s leading physicist—“the chief engineer of the universe.” His best-known papers are the two that founded special relativity. The first showed that absolute time had to be replaced by the speed of light; and the second, in which he asserted the equivalence of mass and energy, would lead to the famous formula E = mc2.
But we all know that. In 1920 Einstein's lectures in Berlin were disrupted by demonstrations which, although officially denied, were almost certainly anti-Jewish. In 1921 Einstein made his first visit to the United States. His main reason was to raise funds for the planned Hebrew University of Jerusalem. However, he received the Barnard Medal during his visit and lectured several times on relativity. He is reported to have commented to the chairman at the lecture he gave in a large hall at Princeton which was overflowing with people: “I never realized that so many Americans were interested in tensor analysis.” How fortunate that Einstein left Germany for Princeton in 1932, just three weeks before the Nazis came to power. Einstein became a US citizen in 1940 and died on April 16, 1955. http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Einstein.html
The chartered bus took us from the Einstein Forum directly to the Berliner Ensemble, formerly the Bertolt Brecht theater, for the Conference’s formal Opening Ceremony. Anne Chermak, Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Berlin, who is also the chairperson of the German-American Fulbright Commission, gave a short introduction, as did Dr. Rolf Hoffman, the Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission in Berlin, and Rolf-Dieter Schnelle, vice chairman of the Fulbright Commission and Deputy Director of Culture and Education in the German Federal Foreign Office.
The keynote address was given by Dr. Antonella Mei-Pochtler, a senior VP for the Boston Consulting Group in Vienna. Most of us thought her presentation about “Marketing Germany” was uninteresting and even inappropriate, but she was obviously chosen because BCG is a sponsor of the Fulbright program. Ms. Mei-Pochtler is an Italian-born economist who has worked in Germany and Austria. She is considered to be a marketing expert, specializing in product branding and involved in the reform of the German education system. She gave labor and attitude-survey statistics, mostly about Berlin, and talked about German negativism, low self-esteem and the current barriers to entrepreneurship. Her point seemed to be that negative media messages add to the German pessimism that is stifling growth and innovation. Her solution to “what’s wrong with Germany” includes a branding campaign with the theme of “Serious and Sexy,” capitalizing on the German values of quality, punctuality, and discipline.
The rest of the program consisted of splendid piano, violin, saxophone and percussion, and vocal performances by current Fulbright students and scholars. After the performances, we were treated to a reception with wine, beer and hors d’œuvres, mostly sandwiches. We were too engaged in conversations to gather at 8pm for the tour of Turkish Berlin. We also were not eager for a 2-hour walking tour on this dark and very cold evening. Instead we waited in vain for a bus to take us back to the hotel. Finally, we followed a large group to the tram station and retired to the hotel bar to continue our conversations.

Sunday, February 27, 2005

Sunday, February 27, 2005.

Veena and I had arranged to meet Sarah, Andrea, and Rick on the noon train to Berlin, so we had time for a leisurely breakfast at a small deli/café across from the hotel, and a walk through the square. Despite the cold, snowy weather, there were more people around this morning than there had been at 10pm the (Saturday) evening before. We had no trouble getting to the train station in plenty of time to find a perfect compartment in a non-smoking car that would accommodate the five of us (there was only one young man in the car). We were able to find the three others, and gathered for a leisurely 2 ½ hour ride to Berlin. The trains are so smooth and quiet that the time passes quickly, helped, of course, by the conversation with our Prague friends.
We arrived in Berlin at 2:45, took the S-bahn to the Park Hotel to check in, and had time to freshen up and have tea (or coffee) before the official evening ceremonies at 6pm. The Park Hotel is very nice, and our room was very modern but a bit strange. There was ample closet space, but no drawers. The shower was heavenly, with a hand-held shower head as well as a large (optional) spigot at the top, but the stall is clear glass, facing the bed. Rick particularly enjoyed the voyeuristic opportunities afforded by this arrangement. The separate toilet was less pleasant; its translucent glass revealed a shadowy outline of anyone inside the stall, even though the occupant could not see out.
It’s interesting to be in Berlin, a bustling city of many contrasts. Until the seventeenth century it was a small town of little importance, surrounded by unproductive sandy heath. But by dint of ruthless and energetic rule, backed by military prowess for which it became a byword, the unimportant state of Brandenburg-Prussia became one of the most powerful in Germany. By the middle of the eighteenth century, with Frederick the Great at the helm, it was successfully challenging the great powers of Europe. Ambitious campaigns were instituted to endow the capital with a grandeur appropriate to its new status. Palaces, public buildings, and new districts were constructed. At nearby Potsdam, Frederick’s second capital, he created the park of Sanssouci, among the finest ensembles of gardens, palaces and pavilions to be found anywhere. At the beginning of the nineteenth century Berlin took on international importance architecturally with the works of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the greatest of Neo-Classical architects. Since historical Berlin was virtually levelled in WWII, most of the existing city is either restored or built on rubble. Even now, construction cranes are everywhere in evidence. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the re-united city has been struggling with cultural and economic problems, as it works to knit together the two halves of the city and to rebuild and restore monuments which had been neglected for decades.
This week’s Berlin Conference falls on the 100th birthday of former senator J. William Fulbright, who died only five years ago. It is the 51st Fulbright conference in Berlin, which has the largest program in Europe. There are over 400 attendees, 311 of whom are current Fulbright grantees. The official kickoff activities began with a lavish dinner in the hotel, followed by an explanation of the week’s schedule and tour options. We congregated at the lobby bar for after-dinner drinks and conversation.

Saturday, February 26, 2005

Saturday, February 26, 2005.

Waking up at 5am was not easy, especially after only four hours’ sleep. But I rallied and was on the 6am bus, along with only about 6 others. No cars were in sight until we reached the metro station. Six people were waiting to board the bus at the Hradcanska end. Once inside the metro, however, there were many people headed somewhere early Saturday morning. The newsstand was already doing a brisk business, although other kiosks had not yet been set up. The metro to the train station was quite packed, mostly with people carrying skis, but the train station was fairly empty and quiet. Veena and I had a whole car to ourselves most of the way to Dresden. We were both tired and should have slept, but instead talked for most of the 2 ½ hour trip, gazing occasionally at the lovely scenery.
This particular morning Veena and I were headed to Dresden, former capital of the Electorate of Saxony. The city suffered terrible destruction during WWII, and, although there is still a lot of construction going on, most of the old buildings have been rebuilt, even in the historical part of town. We arrived in Dresden shortly before 10 am and by 10:30 had checked into a hotel near the train station. We felt like we had the whole day ahead of us, but the time passed quickly. We sat down in a little café to plan our itinerary and by the time we set out to the sculpture museum it was already 11:30!
Our first stop was the Church of the Holy Cross in the center of the square, the largest protestant church in Central Europe. Originally built in 1743, this church is a splendid but austere building, with rough cement walls as a reminder of its many destructions, the last of which was in 1945. We headed toward Theater Square to the Semper Opera House, but it was closed.
We walked through the center of town to the Residenzschloss, the former Dresden Royal Palace, now a museum, to visit the New Green Vault, an extraordinary collection of clocks, goldwork, and jeweled decorative objets d’art from the mogul emperors. Former seat of the Saxon royal family, Residenzschloss Palace was built between the 12th-19th centuries and exhibits a magnificent array of different architectural features from the Romantic, Renaissance, Baroque and neo-Renaissance eras. As with most historical buildings in Dresden, this too was heavily damaged during World War II, but is gradually being reconstructed. The Crown Jewels, Coin Museum and Copperplate Engraving Collection will move to the palace when the building is complete. We did see the world’s largest green diamond, and some of the collections of classic and modern art, but we didn’t take time to visit the Old Masters Gallery, since we had a long list of sites we wanted to see, all of which closed at 6pm.
As we headed across the square at 2:30, we noticed a line at the opera house, so we stood in line to get in. This would be our only chance to see the opera house, since we had found out that there was no opera to go to this evening. Unfortunately, once inside we were ushered around as part of a group with a German-speaking guide and were forced to spend an hour and a half through lengthy explanations that had absolutely no meaning for either of us. By the time we left the opera house it was 4pm. We both wanted lunch, but instead we walked along the terrace above the riverside ramparts toward the Albertinum, a gallery of 19th and 20th-century paintings and sculptures. Since we only had two hours before everything would be closed, we took a whirlwind trip through the sculpture wing and some of the painting exhibits, and ran across town to the state museum shortly after 5pm, only to find out that it was closed for repairs.
So we went to the Synagogue – a very modern building at the end of the old city area – but of course we could not get in. This synagogue, completed in November 2001, was the first new synagogue to be built in the former East Germany since World War II. The old synagogue was burned to the ground in the 1938 pogrom known as Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass. The synagogue is intended to be a physical reminder of some 6,000 Jews who lived in Dresden in 1932, reduced to 70 by the end of World War II. A community of several hundred Jews has gathered in recent decades.
Apparently, the synagogue was constructed largely through the efforts of Dr. Henry Landsberger, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor of sociology emeritus, who helped raise funds for the $10 million building, on the same spot as the original landmark in his hometown. There, Jakob Winter, Landsberger’s grandfather, was senior rabbi for 50 years. In 1939, Landsberger’s mother, fearing for his safety, shipped him to England when he was 12 on one of the Children’s Transports to save Jewish youngsters. His father had just been discharged from the Buchenwald concentration camp. Later, his parents emigrated to Chile. Landsberger went on to American graduate schools and to the UNC faculty in 1968. Landsberger’s work for the synagogue helped foster that understanding partly because of the broad range of people he helped recruit to support the project, including Lutheran pastor Siegfried Reimann, an Episcopal minister in Pittsboro, the wife of a British air force pilot who helped bomb Dresden and now lives in Wilson, the Durham-Chapel Hill Jewish Federation, and American and Dresden businesses, political, and cultural groups. The city of Dresden and the state of Saxony contributed about $8 million to the total project cost. Landsberger receive an Order of Merit in Dresden from the State of Saxony, of which Dresden is the capital city, for “outstanding service in fostering Jewish-non-Jewish understanding.”
Finally, walking in the windy snowy dreary weather, we retired to Ladencafe Aha, a café that Veena had picked out from her guidebook, to have a light dinner. This turned out to be a wonderful choice. We had a lovely vegetarian meal, with a fresh-berry/yogurt cream with almonds for dessert, and took a leisurely stroll back to our hotel, exhausted but refreshed, at 8:30pm.

Friday, February 25, 2005

Friday, February 25, 2005.

I was up early and so was Eva. Her revisions were waiting for me in my e-mail inbox, along with several other “urgent” messages. I only had time to print out what she had done – and what I had done last night – to read on the tram on the way to her office. I also used the tramride to read the material for the case presentation that I was scheduled to give for Martin’s class at 11:00.
I arrived at VŠE at 10:30, and Ondra was waiting to set up the video camera in the classroom. Staňa, Veena, and Eva came to the class as well. Staňa and Veena participated in the discussion; Eva observed the students (and me). There were about 14 students in attendance, and the discussion was lively with all except three students participating in the discussion. Some had excellent English; most had halting English but obviously good comprehension and good ideas to share. All in all, it was a successful class – judging by the students involvement and comments I received afterward. I was especially pleased to hear Eva and Staňa’s compliments!
Immediately after the class, Eva and I went to her office and set to work on our revisions. She had done much more than I had thought, so we were in much better shape to put nearly-finishing touches on the manuscript and send it today (the submission deadline is the 28th of February, but I leave town early tomorrow morning). We worked until 2:30, at which point I headed home – stopping only at the bakery to pick up a cake for this evening’s dessert – to do further editing (a bit of formatting and English-language tweaking), which I barely got finished –and sent—at 5:30. I was out the door to Shabbat services at 5:45, caught the 5:46 bus, ran to catch the metro (subway) and was in the Spanish Synagogue in record time, arriving by 6:15. Whew!
The service was lovely – and crowded – as usual. There were about 50 people, 16 of whom are students doing a semester of study in Prague as part of a CET program. CET Academic Programs is a private study abroad organization based in Washington, D.C. that has been designing and administering educational programs abroad since 1982. They offer study abroad programs in Vietnam, China, the Czech Republic, and Italy. The programs specialize in integrating students into the society in which they are living by taking them on local outings and to cultural lectures and programs. CET currently sends more than 400 American students abroad annually.
After the service, Rick and I had dinner with Howard and Marketa at their flat. Marketa prepared a spectacular salad and baked chicken, Howard uncorked some nice Chardonnay, and we had a relaxing meal. After dessert (I had bought a fresh-fruit cake and Marketa whipped some cottage-cheese and cream), we looked at the photos they had taken on their recent trip to South Africa. The photos were dazzling, and brought back memories of our trip there seven years ago.
Back home, I’m copying files, printing stuff I need to take with me on the train tomorrow, and packing my suitcase (and writing this blog entry). I need to leave at 6am to meet Veena at the train station. Howard suggested that I call a cab instead of taking the tram, which would save – at most – a half hour. It never occurred tome to call a cab. The tram is much more reliable! Unless I oversleep, I’ll surely get to the train station on time.

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Thursday, February 24, 2005.

While I was meeting with Staňa at VŠE this morning, US President Bush was in Bratislava meeting with Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic at the Presidential Palace and then Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda at the Government Office. While I am meeting with Eva this afternoon, Bush will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at Bratislava Castle. According to Pravda, Laura Bush and Lyudmila Putina will meet at Bratislava Castle and then visit the Primacial Palace in the centre of the city. In the evening, they will tour the Old Town and visit the city museum. And, by the time you read this, the Bushes will have left central Europe to head back to the U.S.
Meanwhile, back at the University of Economics, Staňa and I had a nice chat and talked about her research – she’s in the Informatics (IT) department doing research on learning styles and interactive computer simulations. We had a light lunch at the school cafeteria – lots of traditional Czech dishes to choose from and, of course, beer on tap – before heading back to her office for coffee.
At 2:15, I headed downstairs to Eva’s office, to prepare for our 3:00 interview with Miša, the daughter of the glass-bead company owner in Želežny Brod. Miša is the company’s sales manager, so she filled us in on the company’s strategy, among other things. Eva and I need to have a draft of the case tomorrow, so I’m sure we’ll both be up late transcribing notes and making revisions.
I headed toward the American Embassy at 4:30, arriving only a few minutes late to the 5:00 lecture by Bob Gluck, sponsored by the US Embassy and the Jewish Museum in Prague. The lecture was part of a series on “Jewish Presence in Contemporary Visual Arts,” and Gluck’s presentation was billed as “Layered Histories” in connection with an art exhibition at the Jewish Museum. Had I read the announcement more carefully, I would have know that Mr. Gluck would be talking about “the development of new electronic music interfaces for installation and performance, offering image, sound and video examples…[and] then discuss the evolution of his own work in the multimedia installations “Sounds of a Community” (2001-2002) Gluck is a composer, performer, and educator whose compositions integrate sounds and music from Jewish culture. But the lecture was pretty strange and disjointed and ended with slides and sounds of Gluck’s home-built interactive electronic instruments, including the sensor expanded Turkish saz and shofar (ram’s horn), the multi-sensor “eBoard” and a variety of musical sculptures modeled upon traditional Jewish religious objects. His music has been discussed and reviewed in Hadassah Magazine, Computer Music Journal, Moment, The Forward, Berkshire Eagle, Reconstructionism Today, and in music critic Seth Rogovoy’s “The Essential Klezmer.” He has won grants and awards from Meet the Composer and The Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity, is a Reconstructionist Rabbi, Assistant Professor and director of the Electronic Music Studio at the University at Albany, Associate Director at the Electronic Music Foundation, and a concert pianist. I’m afraid Rick and I didn’t sufficiently appreciate his brilliance.
After the lecture, we went to Haveli, the Indian restaurant near the Hradčanská metro station, with Veena, Aaron, and Aditya. It’s interesting to hear the perspectives of three American students in Prague. This would have been a nice end to the day, had I not had so much work to do after I got home. So I was up very late revising Eva and my case study, finally sending her a draft after midnight, at which point I was totally brain dead. So much for this being a relaxing year with no deadlines.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Wednesday, February 23, 2005.

Helen Epstein, a Jewish journalist and noted author, gave a lecture this morning on “Women’s memoirs as genre?” to a class at the Philosophical Faculty Language Institute at Charles University. Epstein was the first tenured woman professor in New York University’s Department of Journalism, and has taught writing since 1974. She represented the United States in 2001 at the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize Writers Conference in Tromso, Norway. She is the author of five books of non-fiction, including “Where She Came From: A Daughter’s Search for her Mother’s History,” a family memoir and social history of 200 years of Czech Jewish life, begun while Epstein was a visiting scholar at Harvard University’s Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies in 1982. She is also the translator from the Czech of Heda Kovaly’s award-winning “Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague.” She is best known for “Children of the Holocaust,” which is widely used in university courses and by therapists. It is the first book to deal with second generation and post-traumatic stress syndrome in children of Holocaust survivors. Epstein was born in Prague in 1947, the daughter of a concentration camp victim whose parents died in the camps in Poland, and moved to New York before her first birthday. She became a journalist while an undergraduate at the time of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. For the next 25 years, she worked as a freelance cultural reporter for the Sunday New York Times and other national publications, writing profiles of such figures as Leonard Bernstein, Meyer Schapiro and Joseph Papp. Her profiles of classical musicians have been collected in the book “Music Talks.” She is currently on the faculty of the Prague Summer Seminars at the Charles University and an affiliate of the Hadassah International Research Institute on Jewish Women at Brandeis University, where she produced “In Other Words: The Jewish Writer Reads Her Work,” an audio anthology on CD. She lectures frequently on long-term psychological effects of war-related trauma as well as on family history, and about memoirs as literary history. Her upcoming book is about her first love – in the context of the political and social issues and different family values, attitudes and backgrounds – at age 15. Needless to say, her lecture was riveting.
Following the lecture, I went to another Charles University building to meet with Alena at the Center for Gender Studies at the Sociological Institute. Alena is doing research on women in family businesses – focusing the work/family balance/conflict issues – for her dissertation. She is teaching a class this term on Gender and Work, and I have agreed to teach a session in May on women entrepreneurs.
Later in the afternoon I met with my landlady, Milena Halova, and her daughter Marketa. Both women work at the Czech National Bank, which is the central bank of the state and works closely with the Ministry of Finance and the Institute of Economics. CNB supervises the activities of banks and the safe functioning of the banking system and other financial firms. The Czech National Bank has the exclusive right to issue banknotes and coins, as well as commemorative coins. It also administers pensions and social welfare payments. Milena is currently involved with a massive computer software upgrade, to allow smoother cross-border transactions, and Marketa is working with the legal department to advise government ministers on the new EU constitution provisions and their fit with those of the existing Czech laws. They have both been working overtime on these projects, to the point of spending many evenings and weekends at the bank. Fortunately, they enjoy their jobs – and don’t have children at home.
Rick went to his Czech lesson this evening, so I met Brad at the Blue Garden pizzeria before heading home to an empty flat. It took me nearly 15 minutes to find the restaurant – it’s a little hole-in-the-wall on National Street – I must have walked past it three times before finding my way around to the back entrance! We talked about Eunice’s company – and the hifi market in the Czech Republic – and Brad’s new computer company. Entrepreneurs all around!

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Tuesday, February 22, 2005.

As I left the apartment for an early-morning Czech class, I had an opportunity to finally meet young Mr. Stok who lives in the basement of our building with his girlfriend. He works for a British-owned insurance brokerage, whose headquarters are in Budapest. There are only seven employees in Prague, but there are over 100 throughout Europe.
There are only three of us in the intermediate Czech class at VŠE. I am the most advanced, but it is a good level for me since I have so little time to study these days. The class gives me an opportunity to review things I learned long ago, and also to speak and practice common phrases and expressions. Mrs. Antošová has a nice way of explaining all the various forms and cases, most of which are slowly creeping back from my more intensive studies seven years ago. I can understand much more than I can say, partly because forming the proper case and word order is difficult, but also because I still struggle with pronunciation. (There are some sounds I rarely say correctly, and it is little comfort that Czechs, especially Praguers, mispronounce many of these same words).
I met with Martin from 10:45-11:30 to discuss the chapter and cases for the textbook, and also to talk about the class I will teach for him on Friday. I then met with Eva until 1:30 to talk about the paper we’re writing for a conference together and the interview appointment she has scheduled for us on Thursday. Most deadlines are the end of March, so we have a bit of breathing time on paper. In fact, we will have little time to work on these things, given other commitments over the next few weeks. After a quick lunch in the school cafeteria—where we ran into nearly half of the Managerial Psychology department—Eva ran off to class and I decided to come home before heading out for the evening.
It’s been snowing all day, so it’s nice to be inside. The view from my window is prettier than the view from the bus- or tram-stop. The Prague-Ruzyne airport closed at noon today for nearly four hours because of poor visibility as a result of the snowstorm. Last week, the airport was closed for ten hours and 71 flights were cancelled.
Rick and I were invited to the closing of the exhibit of “Certain Traces, New Dialogues: Los Angeles/Prague,” at the Kampa Museum, along with Fulbright alumni and art patrons. http://www.clubmagazine.cz/2004_04/pdf/page_94.pdf Barbara Benish, an America artist and former Fulbrighter who has been living in Prague for the past 11 years, guided our tour of the exhibition. We were also treated to a commentary by art historian Sarah Brock, curator of the museum and Prague resident since 1993.
“Certain Traces” is a 15-year commemoration of the historic Dialogue: Prague / Los Angeles show of 1989/1990 that defied Communist sanctions and presaged the final dissolution of communist Czechoslovakia. As an anniversary event, Certain Traces celebrates the achievement of the original show and expands the original concept of open dialogue to explore the meaning of creative discourse for a diverse group of artists from Los Angeles and Prague in a newly defined open society. http://interactive.usc.edu/archives/002471.html The original show gathered 12 Czech artists willing to risk official sanction to take part in an open artist exchange with 12 Los Angeles counterparts.
We also got a chance to see an exhibition of paintings by Catherine Cabaniss, the wife of the American Ambassador. While it’s easy to say that her works were displayed there because she’s the wife of the ambassador, the truth is, she is quite an accomplished artist, and her works fit perfectly with the museum and especially with the room they were displayed in, which overlooks the Vltava River.
The Kampa museum has an interesting history. It has only been open for little more than a year, having had to postpone its original opening because of the floods in 2002. From roughly the 10th century until devastated by fire in 1896, the building was a mill. Reconstructed in stone in the late 16th century, the mill was used by the Swedish army during the thirty years wars. Different parts of the complex were used over the years to house a family apartment, wood and metal workshops, and, finally, part of the Czechoslovak Academy of Science. It is only because of the efforts of Meda Mladek and her late husband Jan that the building has been turned into an inspiring, light-filled space that houses the largest and most important collection of modern central European art in the world. The Mladeks collected works by Czech artists, most notably František Kupka, Jiři Kolař, and Otto Guttfreund, and brought them to Prague shortly after the 1989 revolution. Some of the works on permanent display are haunting sculptures done by artists who were teenagers when the revolution took place, caught up in the social consciousness and protests of the time when their art was prevented from being exhibited.

Monday, February 21, 2005

Monday, February 21, 2005.

Monika was gracious enough to grant me two hours of her time over a very pleasant lunch. As a result, I think I have enough information to finish the case study about her company – and I also have a better picture of how family life in the Czech Republic is changing as people move away from their hometowns and women embark on careers. Most young children still have very close ties with their grandparents, even if they live several hours away. The school day for primary grades is shorter here, so children are usually at home with their mothers or grandmothers in the afternoons. Under communism, this wasn’t so difficult, since most factory schedules started early (some still start at 6am) and many women were finished with their at-work day by 2pm. No one took work home and few establishments operated on weekends. Most weekends were spent with relatives at the family’s country cottage. As businesses have adapted to a more western (really American) pace, work starts and ends later. As in the U.S., the work day for managers and professionals is longer; for entrepreneurs weekends are not really “free.” As children get older, however, they are more independent here than in the U.S. Many children ride public buses to school and it’s not uncommon to see kids of all ages together on the buses and in the parks on the weekends – although often they are with parents. The schools are changing here as well. School children now have more homework and more organized after-school activities. Still, Czechs are, for the most part, more family-centered than the Americans I know, and most people still leave the city on weekends to relax with their families or friends.
I had time to go to the bank and the post office before meeting Andrea and Veena at the train station at 5pm to get tickets to Berlin. Veena and I plan to stop over in Dresden on Saturday, and then rendezvous in Berlin on Sunday for the conference reception. Rick and Andrea intend to leave on Sunday and go directly to the conference, so we needed to make sure we understood where, when and how to meet.
Veena has a Czech class on Monday evenings, but we had time to go to a café for coffee and sweets and a nice chat. Veena has been talking to women involved in gender issues and gender-focused NGOs (non-profits), and it’s interesting to hear her perspective on the generational differences between the activist women of her age and those of my age. The biggest issues here are childcare and pay equity, but older women don’t seem as concerned about discrimination or harassment at work, since they have worked side by side with male colleagues throughout communism. They see promotions as being linked more to favoritism than gender. Younger women see the dearth of women in power, so they see the gender-based roadblocks in business and politics. Younger women want men who are true partners, not just (money) providers, and are more inclined to postpone (or avoid) marriage and children.

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Sunday, February 20, 2005

The Prague Post had listed a hockey game between Zlin and Slavia Praha at the T-Mobile arena at Vystavyšté Park this afternoon, but the stadium was dark and locked at 4:30. I should have paid more attention to the Slavia Praha website or the T-Mobile website, both of which listed nothing today in Prague. I think the game may have been yesterday, but I can’t be sure. HC Sparta Praha did list a game at 5:00 today, but it did not look like it was a home game (my bad Czech skills). Despite the fact that the T-Mobile arena is an unheated bare-bones multifunction amphitheater built in 1962, and was deemed unfit for the world championships last spring, I am very disappointed, since this may have been our only chance to see a live hockey game this year.
The exhibition area at Vystavyšté was busy with an Indian carnival and “Holiday World” expedition, sponsored by travel agencies. Now in its 14th year, this is the largest tourism fair in central Europe, with 700 exhibitors from 50 countries. Over 30,000 visitors leave the show with bags full of brochures, catalogues and posters of enticing destinations (which is not so great for domestic tourism). As I rode on the tram, I was surprised to see how many stores and markets were open today. Prague is changing, and Sunday is no longer as quiet as it used to be. In our neighborhood, only two grocery stores are open, the small one on the corner from 3-6pm, and the larger Julius Meinl from 10 am until 5pm.

Saturday, February 19, 2005

Saturday, February 19, 2005.

The evening with Charlotte and Bruce was a welcome respite from transcribing interview notes. Bruce put steaks and veggies on the grill, Charlotte made a wonderful salad and fresh dinner rolls, and we hunkered down for pleasant evening. Charlotte had rented a DVD of the 1999 film Pelíšky (“Cozy Dens”), set in the Christmas season leading up to the “Prague Spring” of 1968. The story is about two neighbor families, the Šebeks and Krauses, who live a suburban apartment building in Prague 5 (northeast of us). Teenage Michal Šebek has a major crush on his cool and pretty neighbor, Jindřiska Kraus, but they are divided by politics, personalities, and another suitor. Mr. Šebek, a simple-minded, good-natured officer by profession, is a supporter of the ruling political regime. In contrast, Mr. Kraus, a former resistance fighter with bitter war experiences, is his staunch adversary. Each member of both families lives out his/her own story in his own “cozy den” until the Soviet invasion in August 1968 violently disturbs their world. It’s a sweet film about aging parents, maturing teens, losses and loves, friendships and families.
We know Prague is a small town, but we didn’t expect to run into two mathematicians -- Daniele Mundici from Florence (Italy) and a colleague from Barcelona -- at our bus stop on our way home. They were here for a birthday-tribute conference for someone at Charles University. Unfortunately, they will only stay one more day, but I was pleased to meet Mundici, since Rick has talked about him. We had hoped to use him as an excuse to visit Florence – that will be unlikely this year, despite the fact that we'd both like to visit Italy before we head back to the US this summer.

Friday, February 18, 2005

Friday, February 18, 2005.

Rabbi Norman Patz from Temple Sholom of West Essex, New Jersey, led the service at Bejt Praha this evening. He and his wife and eight students from the 10th grade confirmation class (and a few parents) had come to Prague for a visit. We had met Rabbi Patz seven years ago when Bejt Praha met on the second floor of the Jewish Town Hall. It was nice to have a Rabbi lead the service, especially because he gave a brief commentary on this week’s parsha about the ner tamid, the eternal light. The message of the parsha is that there is a spark of this light within each of us and that we should use this internal spark to do good things. A nice uplifting message to greet the weekend.
Helen joined us for dinner after the service, this time at Restaurace v žatecké, just across the street from U Kapra. We had a very nice meal and, of course, interesting conversation. It’s so nice to have time to become friends, not just acquaintances, with people we meet here.

Thursday, February 17, 2005

Thursday, February 17, 2005.

The University of Denver’s Daniels server was down all day yesterday, so I was relieved to be on e-mail again this morning. I had feared that there was a problem with my account again, so even though the problem this time was bigger, at least my account is functioning.
Eva and I spent most of the afternoon on manuscript revisions and laying out a schedule for the rest of our projects. We have accomplished a lot, but still have more that we want to do before I leave Prague. We’re hoping to meet with some of our interviewees next week and fill in some missing information. Scheduling is difficult right now, since classes have begun again.
Aditya is back in town after a week-long visit to India, so he joined us for an early dinner after Rick’s afternoon Czech class. After dinner, we all went to the Rudolfinum, this time for a concert by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, which regularly plays there. Tonight’s concert was conducted by Ilan Volkov, a young man from Israel who, at 28 years of age, has already performed with the Boston, New York, Israel and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestras, and has been Chief Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra since 2001. The concert program consisted of Britten’s Sinfonia de requiem, Strauss concerto in E flat mjor, and Debussy’s “Images.” The Strauss concerto featured French horn soloist Ondrej Vrabec. The Czech word for French horn is “hunting horn” or “forest horn.”

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Wednesday, February 16, 2005.

It snowed all night so we woke up to six inches of snow on our balcony railing. Trudging through the snow was pleasant – I was particularly happy to have to rely on public transportation instead of negotiating the slippery, slushy roads in a car.
My afternoon interview appointment, which I had expected to be an hour, lasted four. Again, people are generous with their time, and I was pleased to be given so much information. But instead of heading home at 3:00, I was not on the tram until after 5:00, and home shortly after 6:00. Fortunately, Rick had dinner waiting, so we were able to leave in time for the concert at the Rudolfinum at 7:30.
The Rudolfinum is one of the Prague’s jewels, built between 1876 and 1884 in Czech Neo-Renaissance style architecture (like the National Theatre). It was named in honor of Crown Prince Rudolph of the Habsburgs. In the years 1918 - 1938 and 1945 – 1946, the Rudolfinum was the seat of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. The largest room is Dvorak Hall, named after the great Czech composer, which was originally designed for a picture gallery, collection of antiquities and concerts. This evening’s concert was performed by the Manhattan String Quartet, as part of the Czech Society for Chamber Music series. The first hour was a symphony quartet by Mendelssohn and a short piece by Shostakovich. The last hour added another cello for a quintet performance of Schubert. Of course the audience made sure that there were several curtain calls and an encore (Mendelssohn again).

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Tuesday, February 15, 2004.

The Vice-Rector at VŠE had informed me of an intermediate Czech language class for exchange students that would meet every Tuesday morning for an hour and a half. This is the first week of the spring semester, so the class met for the first time this morning. This morning was spent in review, most of which I knew, but some things were new (or at least unfamiliar) to me. Since the class is small, free, and convenient, I hope to attend when I can (although I know that I’ll be out of town many of the class days.)
After class, I went upstairs to talk with Martin about my chapter and cases for the Psychology of Entrepreneurship book. We also talked about potential seminars/lectures I would give to his class this term. The first case in the book is about Monika, who is a single mother. Martin was particularly interested in how she handles her many obligations, since he has a young child at home. I may get a chance to teach this case to his class next week, and I’ll be interested to hear the students’ perceptions. We called Monika to see if she could come to speak with the class when we use her case, but she also teaches on Fridays, so she will not be able to come. I have a list of questions to ask her – and will undoubtedly have more after talking with the students.
In close order drill, I took the tram to Flora to meet with Brad. This was really a social meeting, not business, although we did talk about Eunice’s company. We had an opportunity to go into a home electronics store in the Palac Flora mall and audition some of their high-end stereo equipment. Most of the components they carry are mid-range prices and quality, but they did have one tube amp (made in Brno) and some integrated amplifiers ranging from $3,000 - $5,000. Most of their products are made in Japan.
Rick went to Irena’s for a Czech lesson, so we did not eat dinner until 10 p.m.

Monday, February 14, 2005

Monday, February 14, 2005.

Today is Valentine’s Day. The lines at the flower stands show just how much this American holiday has been embraced by the Czechs, who don’t need a special occasion to buy flowers. Today’s name day is Valentyn, so perhaps the holiday isn’t so American after all.
There’s a theater that shows American movies with Czech subtitles (most movies here are dubbed into Czech), so we went to see Sideways, Alexander Payne’s “comedy” about two 40-something guys on a raucous male-bonding road trip. The title – “Sideways” – is both the proper way to store a wine bottle and the angle one sees the world from when drunk. Rick says that even though the movie is an alcoholic send-up of the more vacuous features of California pop culture, its sweetness made it a perfect Valentine’s Day movie. Ross Anthony (Hollywood Report Card) calls it a “modern reconstruction of “The Odd Couple.” Josh Bell (Las Vegas Weekly) says it’s about “the plight of the middle-aged white guy.” I side with Ty Burr (Boston Globe), who calls it a “comic symphony of lies” and male self-deception. The movie is “often uncomfortable to watch, but it’s generous to a fault and to the characters’ faults, too.” Despite their behavior, it is hard to dislike either character. But I sure wouldn’t want to be involved with, let alone married, to either one. I recoil at the psychological cost that would be levied by trying to live with either of these men. I’m glad to have my current beau. He says he’s tickled to have me, too.

Sunday, February 13, 2005

Sunday, February 13, 2005.

It is interesting to wander around the castle at night, because there is no one there except the guards. Everything is dark except the lights illuminating the castle. The castle guards stand rigidly at attention and make no eye contact. In this ceremonial post, military bearing is everything. The guards are decked out in wonderful uniforms, with every button glistening and every fold of every fabric crisp. When they march in threes to change the guard, every step is in perfect unison and the coordinated slap of their shoe leather on the cobblestones resounds throughout the castle grounds. The short drill which changes the guard is done with such precision and snap that it makes you draw in your breath.

We were trying to get to a concert which I had mistakenly thought was to take place in Vladislav Hall, so we spent ten minutes at the opposite end of St. Vitus Cathedral before we returned to the front (west) portal of the castle complex. Only the distant sound of the music prevented us from abandoning the search, but it still took another ten minutes of trying many doors before we found the entrance that leads to the Spanish Hall. Despite the fact that we were sorely underdressed—we in jeans (appropriate for Vladislav Hall, but not for the elegant Spanish Hall, which is part of the “New Palace”) and 90% of the audience in black eveningwear, including President Klaus—we were glad that we found the concert. The music was performed by Russian sax player Alexel Kozlov and his “progressive jazz rock band” Arsenal, who have been playing together since 1973.
The streets are slippery today, since the cooler temperature has turned the rain to ice. Colder temperatures are predicted this week. We made our way carefully to the tram, arriving home just minutes before Matt’s call. It was great to hear his voice. Allegedly, after much fuss and many phone calls, he has plane tickets awaiting him at the JFK (New York) airport for his visit here in two weeks. If anyone from Czech Airlines reads this blog, they should fire Andrea.

Saturday, February 12, 2005

Saturday, February 12, 2005.

It’s been raining for two days—I was severely tempted to purchase an umbrella this afternoon—so the snow and ice are melted. I decided to go to services at the Jubilee Synagogue, despite the fact that I can’t follow any of the Hebrew. In the winter, Saturday services are held in the upstairs chapel just off the women’s balcony, since the large sanctuary is unheated. There were 15 men and 5 women today – mostly regular attendees. Following the traditional wine and challah blessings in the anteroom after the service, we were served a real Kiddush lunch, which consisted of wonderful strudel and a vat of cholent. Cholent is a bean-vegetable-grain soup, made with rice or barley or kasha and often with meat, that is kept on a low flame throughout the Sabbath (from Friday afternoon until sundown Saturday) so that orthodox Jews had plenty to eat during their observance of the Sabbath, when fires could not be kindled. Some contend that every slow-cooking dish made with beans derives from this Jewish technique. There is no doubt that, in Hungary, it evolved into “shalet,” one of the national dishes, while the Pilgrims, after spending time with Sephardic Jews in Holland, adopted it prior to sailing to the New World. The substitutions they later had to make for some ingredients resulted in Boston baked beans. One website attributed the origin of cholent to the pre-Inquisition Sephardic kitchen. From there, it probably “traveled” to Alsace, where it is believed to have been called “chault-lent,” Old French for hot and slow. When it was then brought to Germany and Eastern Europe, it took on the basic composition which characterizes it today. It is still traditionally served on Shabbat by Jews all over the world.
There’s an old joke about the Jewish guy who says: Goldberg comes to shul to talk to God... I come to shul to talk to Goldberg! Well, I really went to the synagogue this morning to talk to Eunice. After the service and lunch we went to her flat for tea. Eunice used to have a big house in Prague, but after her husband died she moved into a small apartment. She has amazing artwork from her husband and his family – paintings on the walls, figurines on tables and cabinets – and lots of antique radios and gramophones!
This evening I went to hear the Frames, an Irish contemporary/rock band, who are on a European and North American tour. The venue was Divadlo Archa, a modern concert-hall/theater not far from Republic Square. The theater was first opened in June1994, after two years of reconstruction of a building that had been owned by the Czechoslovak Commercial Bank. There are two halls which can be transformed into multi-functional spaces. The small theater seats up to 100; the larger one can seat up to 400 but for concerts such as this, it holds as many as 1000 standing visitors. Both theaters can be connected via a system of shifting walls, to serve various productions from opera or drama to dance or even multimedia performances. The foyer and the theatre club (bar/café) are used as exhibition spaces as well. The concert tonight was in the big hall, with no seats so it was standing room only, literally to the rafters. The music was excellent and many in the crowd were obviously familiar with most of the songs, and enthusiastically sang along. I was tempted by buy one of their CDs, though I can only play it on my computer here.

Friday, February 11, 2005

Friday, February 11, 2005.

It rained throughout the night, but the sun is trying to dry things up today. It’s warm – about 40°—but not very sunny so there are still patches of ice on the north-facing sidewalks.
There were over 30 people at Bejt Praha, half of whom were tourists from various places in the U.S. and are visiting Prague as one of several cities on their itineraries. We didn’t have long to chat with people, since Yehudes had made dinner reservations for 7:15 at Husa (the goose), an interesting yuppie-Czech hospoda not far from the Intercontinental Hotel, a few blocks from the synagogue. Helen invited Bonnie to join us, so we were five at dinner, Rick and four women! Helen and Bonnie teach at the same school; both arrived in Prague this fall and intend to stay. Bonnie is from Yonkers, New York, and Helen lived in New York for 15 years, but they met in Prague this fall. Helen has taught English language for many years. Bonnie was a French teacher, but has recently obtained certification to teach English, in anticipation of her move here. The conversation at dinner was lively, mostly centered around American culture and politics.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Thursday, February 10, 2005.

This morning was the formal graduation ceremony and presenting of doctoral diplomas at Charles University. My friend and VŠE colleague Eva was one of the twelve graduates. The ceremony was quite lovely, befitting the ancient building with its stone walls, arched ceilings, and organ music. Promptly at 9 a.m., the 12 candidates for Ph.D.s entered the large hall of the Carolinum to the sounds of the organ music, followed by teachers of the relevant faculty (all in academic gowns), the Promotor, President of the Faculty, Dean, Vice-Rector and Rector, in order, dressed in academic gowns and each carrying the school insignia. After the playing of the national anthem, the Dean gave an introductory speech and introduced the graduates by their first names, surnames (and possibly maiden names) and their place of birth. She stated the programs of study they concluded and noted whether they had graduated with honors. This was followed by the Rector’s approval for the act of graduation, and then the Promotor’s reading of the formula and the text of the oath from the Constitution of Charles University. The Rector said (in Latin) something like “You have made the matriculation oath and Charles University accepts you into the Academic Community. Do not forget this moment, do not forget your oath and do not forget your personal resolutions of these days. I believe they are good and clean resolutions. I hope they all come true. Quod bonum, felix, faustum fortunamque eveniat.” Each graduate makes this oath by tipping the mace and saying “Spondeo ac polliceor” (I promise). After the Promotor handed each graduate his/her diploma, one (designated) graduate gave an appreciation speech, and the organ resumed, played traditional Czech music for the recessional. No one would have mistaken the meaning of the ceremony, even without language proficiency. However, at all of the U.S. graduations I know of, the graduates would be wearing gowns and would be presented with doctoral hoods, neither of which was part of the protocol here. Only the officials wore gowns, none with a hood designating degree and/or degree-granting institution. (It’s a good bet that all the administrators attendance today had degrees from Charles University, since there are few other institutions where this university can recruit high-quality Czech-speaking academics. As a result, the academic community here is very inbred.)
While there were only twelve graduates, the ceremony was well attended. At the end of the ceremony, each graduate had multiple bouquets of flowers. Eva’s mother and stepfather were there, as were Hunsa and his parents, and two of Eva’s VŠE colleagues. The Jarosovi kids are in the mountains with friends enjoying their last free week before classes begin again, so none of Eva’s children was at the graduation (although they did call this morning to congratulate their mother). Eva, Hunsa and both sets of parents went to the art nouveau café at the Municipal House for tea and desserts after the ceremony.
Rick and I had intended to take Eva and Hunsa to dinner, but they really took us to dinner instead. We went to U Pĕkniku (“at the penny”), a Czech hospoda not far from Eva’s house. We had some of “Mr. Penny’s” specialties, all of which contained various types of meats, vegetables and cheese toppings. And, of course, lots of Czech beer.


The graduate!

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Wednesday, February 9, 2005.

The presentations this morning were from the newly-arrived scholars, who gave overviews of their professional experience and plans for the coming semester. Of the seven new grantees, only two will be teaching in Slovakia. The presentations ended early, thanks to Hanka’s prodding to leave on time, so that we could get to Brno by 3:30 for those who needed to catch the train to Český Budejovice or Olomoc. Lunch was early and bags were on the bus in plenty of time for pictures and goodbyes and, for some of us, last-minute therapies. Veena had not been as enthusiastic about her mineral mud pack (not a full-body mudbath, just another version of a back-rub with mud), and I had heard mixed reviews about the shiatsu massage and foot reflex massage, and was not interested in the underwater massage or whirlpool tub. At Nora’s suggestion, I had signed up for a “honey detoxication massage,” which was essentially a gentle backrub with honey. Most of the honey was absorbed by a hot towel, but a few sticky spots remained until late in the evening!
We boarded the buses immediately after lunch. The Czech group comprised at least 30 adults and 11 children, so getting everyone in the bus – and back on the bus after a short pitstop in Brno – was not without careful counting and double-counting to make sure no one was left behind (we had only one near-miss). We got to the main train station in Prague shortly after 6:00 p.m. and said our last goodbyes, at least for a while.
Rick insisted on going to the Czech class at Irena’s flat, since we had plenty of time for a quick bite before the class started at 7:15. The class tonight was only Young Richard, Big Ed, and Rick and me. We are learning pronouns, which have (too) many forms, depending on case and gender. On paper, it is not difficult, but speech still requires much thought, and the shortness of our remaining time in the Czech Republic makes it ever more tempting to bag it. Rick, however, is determined to hang in there, no matter how poor his Czech is or will ever be. He can sometimes be a little stubborn about these things, but he claims that it has something to do with his making him a passable mathematician.

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Tuesday, February 8, 2005.

After breakfast this morning, the high school teachers gave their presentations. Most are teaching English, despite the fact that only two are true TEFL or English teachers. The schools are hungry for native speakers, so they are less interested in the science or math or history that these people had planned to teach. From the presentations, it looks like these people are doing a splendid job. Unfortunately, their exchange partners (Czechs who have taken their positions in the U.S.) have not been as successful. Most are not used to the demands of the U.S. system, both in terms of time and in terms of student commitment.
The afternoon was set aside for a guided tour of Trenčin, roughly a half hour away by chartered bus. Trenčin was originally a Roman military outpost named Lauregia. There is clear evidence of the Roman inhabitation of Trenčín on an inscription carved in the castle rock glorifying the victory of the Romans over the German tribes (179-180 A. D.). The fate of this territory after the withdrawal of German tribes and before the arrival of the Slavs is completely obscure.
Trenčin castle dates from the 11th century, and is the second largest castle complex in Slovakia. In 1241, the castle was attacked by Tartars, and became an important center of the Hungarian Empire that ruled Slovakia at that time. Trenčin became a free royal city in 1412, and in the 15th and 16th centuries, fortifications were built around the castle in preparation for war with the Turks. In the 15th century, the palace was equipped with a Gothic portal and a gable bearing the coat of arms of Queen Barbara, the second wife of Sigismund of Luxembourg. Among the subsequent users and feudal leaseholders of this royal dwelling worth mentioning are Queen Elizabeth, Jan Jiskra of Brandýs, Ján Hunyady and his son Mathias Corvinus. Here, in 1461, the daughter of the Bohemian King George of Poděbrady had become engaged to be married to Mathias Corvinus. From Mathias Corvinus, the castle went to the hands of Zápolský family. Reconstruction of the castle during the Zdpolskýs was extensive, and another palace was erected within the upper castle grounds. The ceilings of Barbara’s Palace and the Gothic chapel were reconstructed and provided with high brick vaults. The fortification was further strengthened by the construction of mighty walls, deep moats and a mill tower connected by a bridge to the older Jeremias Tower. In the lower castle a two-story barracks was built. In 1528, the castle suffered extensive damage during the siege of the castle by the Emperor’s general Katzianer. The oldest known picture of the castle dates from 1580, after reconstruction of the Jeremias Tower.
In the 16th century, the castle went from hand to hand as a royal lease, since King Ferdinand Habsburg was financially exhausted by the war with Turks. At that time, with the support of Irnrich Forgáč, and assisted by Italian masters, several reconstructions were made that considerably changed the architectural pattern of the castle. Low attics with arcaded frieze, a typical element of the Renaissance, replaced the high roofs. In 1594, the castle and its lands fell into the hands of Štefan Illéšházy, and after his death, to his nephew Caspar Illéšházy, a follower of Gabriel Bethlen and a humanistic man of learning who gave shelter to Habans and to protestant refugees after the Battle at Bílá Hora. In 1666, the Illéšházy family leased the castle to George Rákoci, who improved the security of the castle by erecting a gun bastion and new buildings and barracks around the lower courtyard. Only the underground part of the barracks remains. The presence of numerous German troops at the castle prompted the moving of the Illéšházy family from the castle to their chateau at Nemšová in 1663, and later on to their chateau at Dubnica. The castle lost its importance and in 1783, on the order of the Empress Maria Theresia, the imperial troops left the castle too. On June 11, 1790, disaster came in the form of a fire that engulfed the castle. Štefan Illéšházy II sold the castle to Baron Sina, but neither he nor his descendents were willing to invest in the castle, and they eventually donated it to the Trenčín town. Efforts to rescue the damaged castle had been started in the first half of the 19th century, however, these attempts for reconstruction were insufficient and incompetent. Only after the designation of the castle as a National Cultural Monument in 1953 did a turn for the better come along. A real reconstruction, which still continues, was started after an archaeological survey and proper project documentation. Some of the reconstructed buildings are currently used as exhibits.
Trenčín castle is surrounded by a rich mythology. For example, the courtyard of the castle contains a “well of love” which, at least according to legend, was built by a certain Omar. It seems that his beloved Fatima had been taken captive by Stefan Zapola, the cruel lord of the castle. Omar pleaded, “I will give you silver, gold, jewelry, precious Persian carpets...anything you desire. Only set my Fatima free!” “Everything you offer, we already have,” sneered Zapola. “What does Your Highness not possess?” begged Omar. “Water. Ordinary water,” came the reply. Omar and his Turkish cohorts immediately set to work, hewing at the rock. After three long years they finally struck water about 80 meters (250 feet) down. Zapola was delighted, for the discovery meant that his castle could now withstand even the longest sieges, and Fatima was thus set free to rejoin her lover. Omar’s well of love has stood in the courtyard of Trenčín castle for five centuries since, a silent testimony to the (possible) truth of this story. Year round, couples in love still come hand in hand to toss a coin down the 80-meter deep well for luck, and to pay homage to the legend of Omar and Fatima’s enduring affection.
The massive rock promontory the castle sits upon is also significant. Here, near the regal Hotel Tatra, a carving in the rock is the oldest written evidence of Roman troops on Slovak territory, dating back to 179 AD. It is also the most northern confirmation of the Roman soldiers to be found in central Europe. We hiked to the top, along a steep foot path which takes approximately 10 minutes to climb, to see the castle and also to view the city from the highest point of this very high castle. From this vantage point we could see the restored Trenčín Old Town, the Vah River sliding lazily by the city, and the sprawling farmlands to the west of town.
Currently, the town of Trenčin, whose population is roughly 60,000, is known as the Slovak town of fashion. It has an elongated center square with skating rink in the winter and fountain in the summer, surrounded by shops and entertainment. There is a column in the middle of the Old Town square that was built by Duke Mikulas Ileshazy in 1712 in memory of the victims of a plague epidemic which ravaged the city in 1710. Behind the town walls near the Lower Gate, also known as the Turkish Gate, is a clock tower from the 15th century. At the opposite side of the square there is a large Neo-Romantic style synagogue building with a large cupola that makes it look like an oriental temple. This building, which was built in 1913, is only used for art exhibitions or concerts now. A small room at the back is still used as a prayer room, but there are few Jews in Trenčín to attend now.
We returned to the Flora Hotel in time for dinner, which was followed by an orientation program for the new scholar grantees (which had begun the evening before). Hanka Ripkova, the director of the Czech Fulbright Commission, gave a formal presentation outlining the public school and higher education system and degree offerings, and discussed some of the issues and legislation, both from the EU and from the Bologna agreement, that are driving education reform now. Mary and I (and Rick) went to this session to answer questions about the university system, class schedules, student expectations and behaviours, etc. Most of us were back in the bar before 9 p.m. We were prepared to migrate to the wine cellar, which offered music and longer hours of operation this evening, but the barkeeper made no attempt to close early, so we stayed until well after midnight in the bar.


Trencin Castle


Trencin Synagogue

Monday, February 07, 2005

Monday, February 7, 2005.

Today was a marathon presentation day for the Fulbrighters in the Flora Hotel at Trenčianske Teplice. Fortunately, the current scholars (researchers and lecturers) gave their presentations first, so I was finished with my official obligations before the first coffee break and could relax for the rest of the conference. It was interesting to hear about others’ research projects and teaching experiences. The Czech education system is quite different, not just because most instructors lecture and give only a final exam for the course grade, but because most classes meet only once a week and most students take 12-14 classes (which means they do little or no homework or reading for class). Of the scholars who have been here since September, I am one of only three who do not have teaching assignments. Kris is an administrator, working with the Faculty of National Economy at the University of Economics in Bratislava for potential AACSB accreditation and Bill, now retired from teaching and administration) is consulting with the administration of Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra. The other four scholars are here on teaching assignments: Steven is teaching international law in Bratislava, Fred is teaching economics in Nitra, Myrone is teaching in political science in Bratislava, and Mary is teaching philosophy at Charles University. Neither Jerry, who was teaching law in Brno, nor Marty, who is teaching anthropology and ethnography at Charles University, were at the conference, since both are back in the U.S. Jerry has finished his Fulbright stint and Marty will return next week when the spring semester resumes.
After lunch, the students, only one of whom is studying in Slovakia, gave presentations about their research. Most of these were informal progress reports. All students are post-baccalaureate, but only three are formally enrolled in graduate programs right now. The other five are recent graduates, most of whom have applied for graduate study when they return to the U.S. Areas of interest range from music to women’s studies to economics to theater to Jewish history to sociology to urbanism.
Dinner, another lavish affair, followed a big lunch which followed a lavish coffee break which followed a buffet breakfast of cheeses and meats, yogurt and jam, pastries and breads, fried eggs and omelets, sausages, cereals, and juices and coffee and tea. Breakfast is the only meal not accompanied by beer. After dinner, beer continued to flow until late in the evening. After the restaurant closed, we went to the bar; after the bar closed we went to the wine cellar. The wine cellar is usually closed on Monday evening, but the hotel called the barkeep to open the establishment for us. The poor man wanted to go to bed, but accommodated our wishes. Nevertheless, we kept him up well past his preferred bedtime.

Sunday, February 06, 2005

Sunday, February 6, 2005.

Sunday, February 06, 2005.
This morning all the Fulbrighters and their families headed to Slovakia for the Fulbright joint Czech-Slovak mid-year conference. The conference is in Trenčianske Teplice, once acclaimed as one of the loveliest spa towns in the Hungarian Kingdom, with its Moorish marble arches that surround intricate fountains sprouting mineral water drawn from the local springs.
We left Prague shortly after 10 a.m. and arrived in Trenčianske Teplice around 4 p.m. to join the Slovak group at the Flora Hotel. The conference is focused largely on presentations from the scholars (university professors), students and exchange teachers (public school middle- and high-school teachers) about their research and teaching experiences, with only a short time for relaxing and touring the resort area. The famous spa is not far from our hotel, but we never got to see it because of the tight time schedule. The Trenčianske Teplice spa was developed by Joseph and Nicolas Illéšházy, two of the last members of the royal Illéšházy family, who owned a chateau in Trenčianske Teplice. George Illéšházy founded several factories and supported the Slovak national revivalists in their struggle for equal national rights.
Mary and I took a short walk before dinner, so we saw a bit of the small town, but could only find modern spas and hotels. Doctors prescribe the curative mineral water and sulfureous mineralized mud to treat mobility problems, post-operative or accident trauma, as well as some types of neurosis and neurological disorders. Usually people go to the spa for three weeks (or more) each year, fully paid for by Czech or Slovak health insurance.
Dinner at the hotel was a lavish affair, followed by wine and entertainment in the wine cellar, just around the corner from the hotel. We were treated to Slovak folk music from an ensemble, which both played and sang. We first heard Slovak folk music at a math conference in Slovakia seven years ago, when the Slovak patrons of a local tavern burst spontaneously into song. The music is powerful and unforgettable, with close harmonies fully voiced in pleasing male timbres. On both that occasion and this one, some folks got up to dance –we were all in high spirits.

Saturday, February 05, 2005

Saturday, February 05, 2005.

The sun is out this morning, but only through the haze of the overcast sky. There is frost on the windows and the streets and sidewalks are icy. Walking on cobblestones when they’re icy is not an activity for the faint of heart or those who have problem with balance. And it’s certainly not advised for those who have slick or high-heeled shoes. Despite the fact that I have good shoes and warm clothes, I decided to hunker down and work today, mostly in preparation for the conference in Slovakia next week. I only have a 15-20 minute presentation, but it’s good to take some time to think about what I might want to say.
When people ask about my research, Rick says I’m writing case studies about women, and of course this is true. I try to put the women I talk to in a general context and look for the commonalities and differences between them. The women I seek out—in the US and in the Czech Republic—are all company founders and have regular employees. Most of the businesses are either owned solely or in partnership (few are investor-owned) and are formally (legally) incorporated. I’m not interested in micro-enterprise or self-employment, because I look at business formation and managerial processes, not self-sufficiency. I am told that most women entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic are part of a husband-wife team and/or a family business. This is a typical business configuration in small towns in the U.S and South America as well, but my area of interest or expertise is not with family firms but rather with women entrepreneurs, only a few of whom have involved their husband or children in their businesses. I prefer to look at companies poised and eager to grow, rather than those that want to stay small and merely eke out a living for the founder and her family.
Among the women I interview, most talk about balance in their lives and about the consuming nature of owning a business. While male entrepreneurs are also at the beck and call of their businesses, I have never heard a man talk about balance, although I have heard them talk about their frustration at not having more time with their families. Childcare issues are major concerns for parents everywhere, but less so for those who have family close by (usually their mothers) who can help out. In the Czech Republic, most people live close to their parents and extended family. This is seldom the case in the U.S.
The women I talk to here are more likely to put their business aside in the evenings and, depending on the nature of the enterprise, on weekends. Few are interested in getting rich, although most want to put money back into the business for growth and development. Few entrepreneurs here seek outside financing, while it is common in the U.S. to use credit card debt or take out loans. (This is difficult for women everywhere, although bank lines of credit are common here as well as the U.S.). Fewer people here use credit cards. Few women entrepreneurs seek investor financing, but that depends largely on the nature of the business and the capital requirements for startup and/or growth. In the Czech Republic, taking out a home mortgage or car loan is still uncommon.
Entrepreneurs in general suffer from isolation – they have few people to talk with about their business. Partnerships everywhere are delicate balances, so I am never surprised when partnerships dissolve. Women allegedly have better social skills than men, but they take partnership difficulties personally and may dissolve the business to save the friendship. Few partnerships (here or the U.S.) allocate ownership by tasks, expertise, or time devoted to the business. I’d bet that this is true for men as well.
Few women I have talked to feel discriminated against, except in the area of financing and, occasionally suppliers, but rarely from customers. Most women are engaged in service businesses (70% here as well as the U.S.), with less than 10% in manufacturing or product innovation. There are fewer drawbacks to business ownership here than in the U.S.: healthcare and pensions are government funded (businesses contribute the lion’s share, but the money is not targeted to their own employees) and all women receive maternity benefits for three years. More women here than in the U.S. are in the professions: law, medicine, accounting and financial services. More entrepreneurs here than in the U.S. complain about legislative changes (which are common occurrences here) or under-the-table dealings and dishonest employees or suppliers, but all complain about the maze of legal and tax regulations, the cost of accounting services, and high employment-tax rates.
Among entrepreneurs, it is estimated that about a third are women, here as in the U.S. and Canada and in most western countries. The wage gap among women in large corporations is also similar. As in the U.S., women are more apt to hire women—or to strive for diversity among their employees. Across the board, entrepreneurs are energetic, enthusiastic, innovative, optimistic, and hard working. The people I meet have interesting stories to tell and are managing interesting enterprises, which why I love field work.

Friday, February 04, 2005

Friday, February 04, 2005.

Bejt Praha was host to Rabbi Seigel and 47 seniors from the Solomon Schecter High School of New York who are on their way to Isreal for two months, via Prague and Poland. Solomon Schechter High School of New York is the only egalitarian Jewish high school serving the five boroughs, Westchester and Rockland counties. The school opened its doors in 1996 with a kindergarten, and now includes an elementary, middle, and high school, serving grades K-12. The students who visited us this evening represent Solomon Schecter’s first high school graduating class. The Solomon Schechter name connotes affiliation with the national Solomon Schechter Day School Association, an arm of the Department of Education of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. There are over 70 Solomon Schechter schools throughout the United States and Canada, the first of which was established in 1951.
After the service – and the blessing of wine and bread and hugs all around – Yehudes and Helen joined Rick and me for dinner at U Kapra. Helen is British, but lived in the U.S. for fifteen years, mostly in New York and Pennsylvania. Yehudes grew up in Boise, Idaho. So far the only common acquaintance we’ve established is her pediatrician, who was our daughter’s doctor when we lived in Boise. So, the conversation transitioned from politics to food (American BBQ and fresh fruit all year) to American and Czech culture (theater and music) to mutual experiences (picking fruit in Emmett, Idaho) and small-world connections. We didn’t leave the restaurant until nearly 10:30 p.m., but set a date for next week to continue the conversation. We talked about people and things we miss in America, but next year the conversation with our American friends will undoubtedly contain things and people we’ll miss from Prague.

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Thursday, February 03, 2005.

Yesterday’s snow has turned to rain and the warmer weather has turned most of the snowy places on the ground to ice and slush. I met Eva at her house this afternoon, to talk about the cases and chapters we are writing for Martin’s book. We still have a lot of work to do, and little time to meet the publisher’s deadline. I’m glad I’m only a bit player here, and also that I am not teaching. Eva is much busier than I am because she’s involved in departmental meetings – they are going through a re-accreditation process this month – and preparing for the start of classes next week, in addition to the case study research we’re doing and Martin’s book project.
There are a lot of legal changes going on in higher education here. A new school law took effect on January 1, 2005, the intent of which is to eliminate the traditional “drill” method of teaching and adopt more modern and varied teaching methods that require the active participation of students in class. While this law is aimed at basic education, pressure is being put on universities to adopt more innovative teaching approaches as well. Few teachers have experimented with experiential learning methods and European students are not accustomed to responding in class, working in teams, or presenting in front of a group. Most classes are still traditional lecture, with no graded assignments during the term. Only a final exam (which is often oral, or a combination of written and oral) determines the grade for the class. (Students are usually allowed three chances to pass the exam. They are not allowed to retake a class.) Eva and Martin’s department (Managerial Psychology and Sociology) is quite innovative, but other departments in the School of Business Administration are not. I am scheduled to talk about interactive teaching and experiential learning as part of a faculty-wide colloquium on the 24th of February.
The bulk of my day was spent catching up on the pile of e-mails that are now sitting in my inbox, preparing my Fulbright presentation for next week, and working on revisions to three manuscripts (two are case studies). These always take longer than I think they should, but at least I can see progress. Martin said he is happy with my revision of the chapter for his book, and so am I. He has given Eva some suggestions for three of our cases, all of which are good, so I am grateful his comments before we send the English-language versions for journal review.

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Wednesday, February 2, 2005.

Thanks to Eddie, my wonderful IT guru at DU, I am back on e-mail. How frustrating it is to be out of contact, especially being so far away from the US. But I also rely on e-mail here to send files and notes, so I am quite dependent on technology. Perhaps it is telling that the enormous convenience of IT is something I take for granted, while its temporary absence drives me crazy.
Today was a good day not only because my computer is fixed, but also because I was able to spend time with people I like. I met Eunice briefly for tea this afternoon—it’s always nice to catch up with her and chat, even if just for an hour.
I had planned to meet with Monika earlier in the week, but our schedules haven’t allowed time together until this evening. Her days are busy at work, so she invited me to her flat for dinner. What a treat! She made duck for the first time, and I was her willing guinea pig. With the duck came potato dumplings and a spinach sauce, and we had pastry with fresh strawberries and cream for dessert. Her son Mikie is six, a sweet boy. His father is American, so he speaks good English! Monika is a lawyer, so this evening was a combination of pleasure and education for me, since the legal system here is so different from the US. The biggest difference is that lawyers here are advocates, much like the British system where cases are argued before a judge, not a jury. But there are also differences in expectations and legal requirements for attorneys. Meeting women like Monika is the part of my job that I love most, since I get a chance to meet interesting people and learn new things.
While I was meeting with Eunice, Rick was meeting with Ales, and while I was with Monika, Rick was attending his Czech class. The class this evening had only three people, Young Richard, Big Ed, and Old Rick. I’m impressed that (old) Rick is so conscientious in learning Czech. I’m the laggard this year, but we are both improving slowly. I’m grateful that he forces me to study, even though it’s less than either of us would like. Irena is a good teacher and a lovely person, and I hope to go to the class next Wednesday if we get back from our trip to Slovakia in time.
Another new person in our life is Coleman Raeboi, the cantor from Florida. This is his last evening in Prague (he’s been here for two weeks), so we met for drinks near Republic Square after Rick’s Czech class and my dinner with Monika. Coleman is an interesting and warm man and we had some interesting conversations about the Jewish community here, and also about family traditions and such. He may come back to Prague this spring, this time with his wife and infant son. Rick and I look forward to seeing Coleman again and to meeting his family. And Coleman is looking forward to visiting Prague when it’s not quite so cold and snowy!

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Tuesday, February 1, 2005.

This evening was spent with our good friends from seven years ago, Pavel and Ivka and their four children. Pavel is a theoretical chemist, whom we had met through Rick’s Israeli cousin Ronnie. Ivka is a psychologist who works mostly with parents of hearing-impaired children. Pavel is a great cook and Ivka makes wonderful desserts, so again we had more food than we should have! It was interesting seeing their children after so many years. Their boys, Tomas and Matej, are now teenagers and the little girls are not so little – both are in school now (Rut is 7 and Sarah is 10) and play the piano (as does Ivka). The kids are quite fluent in English, having lived in California when Pavel had a research grant at UC-Irvine last year. The whole family is athletic, so they were skiing last week in Switzerland, and will go skiing again next week in Bohemia, not too far from where we were last weekend.