A little while before the Thanksgiving, the Czechs celebrated their own important holiday, called the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day. This day is always on November 17th and it commemorates two important events.
In 1939, shortly after Germany invaded Poland and the Second World War began, the Czech college students held large protests against the German oppression. Germans responded with open fire, shutting down all the Czech Universities and declaring a state of emergency. Read more about the Czechoslovakian situation shortly before WWII in the extended entry.
Continue reading "Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day"
On November 19, the ancient town of Kuystendil was shaken by controversy. A large billboard of two bare-chested men, in an erotic embrace, greeted some 50,000 citizens. The ad showed one of the participants biting his muscular partner on the chin, their naked bodies set against a black background. Was this a protest for gay rights or an art statement of a controversial new artist?
Continue reading "SCANDALOUS!!! But really?"
When I talked with some students about the major strikes in France these days, their reaction was "strikes in France, really?" Déjà vu! French people are well-known for going on strike and to the streets when they want to make themselves heard. The reform that the government wants to pass (to change union privileges for some public sector workers) seems as unpopular these days as the CPE was (Contrat Première Embauche) in 2006.
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December 1st is the national day of Romania. Romanians celebrate 89 years from the union of Transylvania, Bessarabia and Bucovina with Romania, a union which will always remain a salient event in the history. Not only because it was the result of political work, a military victory, or a government struggle but because it represents the act of Romanian will and the triumph of a national ideal after long battles of fights and sacrifices to achieve the national unitary state. On December 1st 1918 the National Assembly of Romanians decreed the unification of those Romanians and of all the territories inhabited by them.
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A constant issue deeply embedded in both Estonian and Finnish culture is our unhealthy relationship to alcohol. According to BBC,
Heavy drinking is widespread in Estonia, which comes near the top of European Union rankings for alcohol consumption. On average each Estonian drinks 12 liters of pure alcohol each year and every year they are drinking more. Experts say alcohol kills between 1,500 and 2,000 people a year in Estonia which is one of the EU's smallest member states.
Continue reading "Drinking around the Finnish Gulf"
A flash of a Oaxacan Market:
On the main square of a historic downtown there are two well known traditional markets in Oaxaca City: Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre. ¨Benito Juárez¨is located two blocks southwest of the Zócalo which is the main square in downtown that was built in 1893.
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Hello,
My name is Raution and I am an international student from India. I am a number person and i do not understand the rhetorics of culture and of their philosophy. I came to the US because it has a mature financial market where I can learn more. I am a youtube fan and spend hours watching it.
Continue reading "India, the land of festivals"
On the 5th of November, Bulgarians honored the male St. Archangel’s “All Souls’ Day” (Архангелова мъжка задушница). The day is commemorated the Saturday before St. Archangel’s Day, thus the name.
The religious festival is one of the three Major All Souls’ Days (Големи Задушници), which orthodox Christians mark annually. On this day, Bulgarians pay their respects to the dead and vow eternal gratitude to the officers and soldiers who fell for Bulgaria.
Continue reading "Commemorating All Souls' Day"
The cost of living in the Czech Republic is certainly lower than in the United States. Health care is public, housing and most of the food and services are less expensive, higher education is tuition-free ... but the average wage is also significantly lower. This is the information released in one Czech economic newspaper.
Czechs second highest earners among EU states while gap with west narrows Czechs earn the second most per hour of all the countries which joined the European Union in 2004, according to the Czech Statistical Office. Only the Slovenians earn more. The average Czech received CZK 109 (USD 5.58) an hour in 2006. That lags far behind western European wages, but the gap is narrowing. In real terms Czech salaries increased by 35 percent in the 2000-2006 period, compared to 2 percent in neighboring Germany.
Continue reading "Average Wage, Visas and Cyclo-Cross"
How foolish and productive is the rhetoric used by the Bush administration but also from other sources like Sarkozy? How well does it really deal with the issue of Iran that the “West” is now trying to solve?
All of these talks are so weird for me to hear because I can see behind the rhetoric of it. Although I could hope that the public, especially in the US would see that too, I have my doubts. The problem isn’t even that much with the masses but the elected officials in Congress and the White House. We can see how the rhetoric of them has changed during the last months to a much more aggressive tone, much reminiscent of the talks for the Iraq war just 4 years ago. Are the public and Congress going to be swept away with the current leading harsh rhetoric surrounding Iran or what? Should we care about what the IAEA has to say or what? We didn’t last time in Iraq and look where it got us.
Continue reading "What’s up with all of this anti-Iran rhetoric? "
Hello,
My name is Heiki Eesmaa. I am here in Willamette as an exchange student for the year. In the University of Tartu, the University I am enrolled in at Estonia, I am a law student. Here in Willamette I have classes both at the CLA and Law School. My country, Estonia, is a small country in Eastern Europe with a population of but 1.3 million. Despite our size, we have economically been considered as one of the model countries in the area. Having gained our independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, we are now proud members of European Union and NATO.
Continue reading "Introducing Estonia"
