A Teacher in Czechoslovakia
Memoirs of an American Teacher
Madonna Moran (Donna Lee)
Holidays
May Day (May 1)
Early in the evening, I was looking out the window of my tiny room in the Doctor's office, when a crowd gathered across the street, in front of the apartment building. I watched as three young men pulled a telephone pole out of a pick up truck and tied a small pine tree on one end that had ribbons streaming down. More people came, as they stood the pole on end, in front of a third story window, where a young girl was peeking at them from behind the curtains. One of the boys sang to her in a beautiful voice, "Katerina...How I love the black eyes of Katerina!" The other two fellows harmonized as he sang this song to his "true love"!
Out of nowhere, a three piece band set up and started playing polkas, and someone rolled out a big barrel of beer! Just then, a middle aged and portly gentleman tapped on my window and motioned for me to come out and join the party! I was shy about doing this but went outside, where he was waiting with his arm outstretched. I took his arm, and he marched me to the middle of the parking lot. As the band began to play loudly, "The Blue Skirt Waltz", he waltzed me around the parking lot, as the rest of the crowd joined in. After it was over, I asked him, "Aren't you afraid that someone will call the police, with all this noise?" He looked at me and smiled.
In perfect English, he said, "I AM the police chief--and Mayor, too!" With that, he bowed and left.
Christmas in Kosice, 1990 December 18, 1990
I think my party for the students and teachers was a success. Since my bedroom is larger than the living room and has 3 beds to sit on, the kids gathered there and sang Christmas carols from my tapes. They had never heard most of them, except for "Silent Night". They loved "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" and "Yingle Bells Yongle Bells"...(They still can't say "J"'s!)
Milan had cut a nice tree for me from the nearby woods, and the students decorated it with homemade decorations. Dana Kacmaryova loaned me some electric lights, so my room was very cozy. the teachers and a big bottle of wine congregated in the living room, and we ate the delicious cookies and cakes that the kitchen ladies had made for us. The Sport School boys carried 70 bottles of Pepsi Cola up the "stairway to heaven" to my apartment, without complaining about it. (82 stairs in all!) I think a good time was had by all.
December 21, 1990
School was out early. Today I decided to go downtown in search of a pair of warm boots. It was "standing room only" on the tram for the 20 minute ride. Many people were holding onto straps with one hand and Christmas trees tied with rope with the other. I planned to go to Dargov's Department Store. It used to be Domino's, but the Russians renamed it Dargov's after a tank battle they had with the Germans about 25 kilometers away. (This battle enabled the Russians to "liberate" the Slovaks from German occupation.)
The Slovaks love the great outdoors in all seasons. On the way here, I saw young women pushing their babies in prams, although the snow is falling. Kids, all warmly dressed in bright colored knitted scarves and mittens, are being pulled by their dogs on sleds. I wondered why people kept dogs in their apartments!
Early in the evening, I was looking out the window of my tiny room in the Doctor's office, when a crowd gathered across the street, in front of the apartment building. I watched as three young men pulled a telephone pole out of a pick up truck and tied a small pine tree on one end that had ribbons streaming down. More people came, as they stood the pole on end, in front of a third story window, where a young girl was peeking at them from behind the curtains. One of the boys sang to her in a beautiful voice, "Katerina...How I love the black eyes of Katerina!" The other two fellows harmonized as he sang this song to his "true love"!
Out of nowhere, a three piece band set up and started playing polkas, and someone rolled out a big barrel of beer! Just then, a middle aged and portly gentleman tapped on my window and motioned for me to come out and join the party! I was shy about doing this but went outside, where he was waiting with his arm outstretched. I took his arm, and he marched me to the middle of the parking lot. As the band began to play loudly, "The Blue Skirt Waltz", he waltzed me around the parking lot, as the rest of the crowd joined in. After it was over, I asked him, "Aren't you afraid that someone will call the police, with all this noise?" He looked at me and smiled.
In perfect English, he said, "I AM the police chief--and Mayor, too!" With that, he bowed and left.
Christmas in Kosice, 1990 December 18, 1990
I think my party for the students and teachers was a success. Since my bedroom is larger than the living room and has 3 beds to sit on, the kids gathered there and sang Christmas carols from my tapes. They had never heard most of them, except for "Silent Night". They loved "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" and "Yingle Bells Yongle Bells"...(They still can't say "J"'s!)
Milan had cut a nice tree for me from the nearby woods, and the students decorated it with homemade decorations. Dana Kacmaryova loaned me some electric lights, so my room was very cozy. the teachers and a big bottle of wine congregated in the living room, and we ate the delicious cookies and cakes that the kitchen ladies had made for us. The Sport School boys carried 70 bottles of Pepsi Cola up the "stairway to heaven" to my apartment, without complaining about it. (82 stairs in all!) I think a good time was had by all.
December 21, 1990
School was out early. Today I decided to go downtown in search of a pair of warm boots. It was "standing room only" on the tram for the 20 minute ride. Many people were holding onto straps with one hand and Christmas trees tied with rope with the other. I planned to go to Dargov's Department Store. It used to be Domino's, but the Russians renamed it Dargov's after a tank battle they had with the Germans about 25 kilometers away. (This battle enabled the Russians to "liberate" the Slovaks from German occupation.)
The Slovaks love the great outdoors in all seasons. On the way here, I saw young women pushing their babies in prams, although the snow is falling. Kids, all warmly dressed in bright colored knitted scarves and mittens, are being pulled by their dogs on sleds. I wondered why people kept dogs in their apartments!
