I was born in Czechoslovakia
This country doesn’t exist anymore. Strange. It is almost 13 years when the Czech Republic was born. Sometimes it seems the world hasn’t notice that. Abroad I am usually introduced as Jana from Czechoslovakia. I don’t mind. At least in former Soviet Union people like Czechoslovakia. We had this “Friendship forever” between our countries (Se Sovětským svazem na věčné časy.)
But among young people Czechoslovakia is known for another thing. Do you remember “The American pie” movie? There was this Nadya from Czechoslovakia - hot chick, easy to get. Oops. It creates certain expectations :) (which are completely wrong of course :))))))) ).
Hmm, originally I wanted to speak about something else. It came up to my mind on Monday when I included a Slovak guy in the Czech delegation at IC. In AIESEC we don’t care whether you’re Czech or Slovak. In LC Prague (my home LC) there are maybe 1/3 of members from Slovakia. They are not foreigners. Every year there are some Slovaks at the MC and they are not considered as international members. They are our brothers. We were born in the same country. We understand each other, though we speak different languages. This year the Czechoslovak cooperation went even further when there was a Czech guy selected for Slovak MC. We keep the Czechoslovak spirit alive.
I am proud that I was born in this country, because we managed to split without any war or other conflict. Others should get inspiration from us. It is possible to solve disagreements without violence. Maybe we are one of the least religious nations of the world, but we don’t kill our brothers.
"Faith is what holds us together while religion tears us apart."
Angie Worth
9 Comments:
Ahoj Solnitchka,
I think the federal parliament split the country in the Czech Republic and Slovakia as of January 1, 1993 because Czechs and Slovaks had separate histories and greatly differing religious, cultural, and social traditions.
As I have a lot of Czechs and Slovaks in my entourage, I can say that the old generation still consider themselves as part of Czechoslovakia and that’s remarkable especially when we have gatherings and you just hear people speaking Czech and other Slovak.
It is so true when you mentioned about the the ice-hockey jerseys as I’ve seen most Czechs and Slovaks are so proud to show their red or white jersey everywhere. It becomes a nation’s pride and looking at the video of IC brought me back flood of memories of some conferences I attented.
My next destination would be slovakia and I can’t wait to get there and communicate with people in Slovak so I can see what’s my level.
These are exactly my words that I use when I speak about CR and Slovakia abroad. :o)) (well not exactly about Nadya but those other ones yes ;o))).
In Az they many times start to appologize for using the term Czechoslovakia in front of me but I do not mind it, actually on the contrary.
Once I talked to few Polish guys and they told me they have sooo many jokes about Czechs. They were from Warsaw so there was no real reason for jokes, meaning if they were living by the borders with Czech I would understand that. Well, and they ask me... do you have jokes about us, Polish? I replied that no, as I have never heard a joke about Polish. I added that we joke (IF we joke) then about Slovakians, cause they are the nation so close to us that we have jokes about each other. There are really deep ties between us, so we enjoy teasing one another.
Suddenly these Polish guys seemed really sad realizing that we don't joke about them... and hearing about the relationship between Czechs and Slovaks they got really jealous (in positive way) that they do not share this with any other nation as with Czechs, about whom Polish joke, the relationship is not mutual.
Actually Amine, from what I understood one of the biggest reasons for the split was the big need of Slovakians to create their own country for the first time in their history. They never had any unlike Czechs who existed somehow as a country since 9th century. Splitting for the Slovakians ment to get their independence that they actually never experienced, to self-determine themselves. That is why Czechs altogether never really wanted to split coming from very different history.
Unfortunately the word Czechoslovakia is widely used here in the U.S when referring to someone from Czech Republic or Slovakia.
About jokes, I’ve heard so many Slovak jokes but mostly about Roma (gypsies) or Russians and never heard any about Czechs so I guess I would have to ask for one then.
Well, we actually have heaps of jokes about Gypsies and others as well, of course.
Regarding the jokes about the Slovakians, I am afraid I did not write it right... it is not exactly jokes that I talked about... it is the way we refer to each other, the way we tease each other, all the little things when addressing one another. I guess it all goes beyond the jokes. :o)
Here is another point of view: in June I was speaking about this with Ďuro (MC Slovakia, Finland, Colombia). He said that most of the Czechs think that Slovaks wanted to separate because of the independence and self-determination (exactly what you said, Marťa). And he also told me that Slovaks actually didn't want to separate that much as we think. It was more a political game than some general feeling in the society. Well, hard to say where is the truth after so many years.
I totally agree... I mean we lived so comfortably together. So I was really surprised when I found out the country will split up.
Ahojte!
I was mentioned in one of the previous post. Nice to see to be reffered to our previous discussion, thank you Janca.
I really liked the post and yeah, basically it's also my opinion. I think that on both sides of the border are some 90% of "normal" people who really don't have anything against people living on the other side of the border, just usually we can listen mostly those 10%.
Personally I think, that if there would be referendum back in 1992, it wouldn't be successful also on Slovak side. And I think, that spliting of the republic was historical mistake, but most probably I'm only one of few.
There is also one good book around this issue, from Eric Stein, refugee from Czechoslovakia at the beginning of the war, who was than mediator by the new constitution creation. And since our political reprezentations weren't able to agree, how we should live together, the republic split... . Really said to know, that at the end two strong men decided... .
Juraj
from Slovakia, Finland and Colombia :-)
Incidentally, who's this Angie Worth? Google doesn't know..
Post a Comment
<< Home