CzechingIn

From the title, you can infer that I received a speeding ticket for over 80 in Virginia. In this lovely state, any moving violation over 80 mph is charged as a criminal offense; it is at the same level as a DUI. The maximum penalty includes $2,500 fine and up to one year of jail time. From what I have read online, there have been several attempts to reduce these penalties, but there are financial and political benefits that have kept them current.

Letters soliciting my business from Virginia lawyers reached home (Illinois at the time) almost before I did. These firms specialize in representing out-of-state residents facing criminal charges for speeding in Virginia for no less than $1000. With the threat of jail time, I can understand why some people bite, especially if they have a less than perfect driving record. 

These lawyers clearly did not know this specific audience because there was no way would pay for this. First of all, I haven’t had speeding tickets since high school (mostly because I haven’t been driving that much). Second, I have recently navigated the Special Marriage Act in India as well as the U.S. Immigration process with no legal counsel, so I was feeling empowered. Third, I am currently without a vehicle and have no immediate plans for one; therefore I have no concern regarding a rise in my insurance rates.

After speaking with one law firm, I decided to write a letter to the judge. I felt confident because the officer had kindly recommended this option. I am not here to share legal advice on whether or not to hire a lawyer for speeding tickets in Virginia. The point of this post is just to warn you about this special law and to share my letter to the judge in case you ever find yourself needing to write a similar letter. Without further a due, here is a sample letter to the judge:

<Insert Your Address>

January 23, 2018

Alleghany County Combined Court

P.0. Box 139

266 West Main St.

Covington, VA 24426-0139

Dear Honorable Judge Moore,

I'm writing in regards to Case Number <Insert Case Number> with misdemeanor charge RD 89/70 SP. I am not able to be present at my 9:00am adjudicatory hearing on January 30th. Please accept this letter as testimony in place of my presence.

On Friday, January 12th, I was driving from Lynchburg, VA to my hometown of McHenry, IL. It was an unusually warm Friday afternoon with favorable road conditions. I was driving my sister-in-law's vehicle, and she and my sister were both passengers. We were returning from a one week intensive course that my sister-in-law attended at Liberty University where she is a graduate student.

The weather and road conditions were good, there was no traffic congestion, and the road was a straightaway. In these conditions, I recognize that I sometimes exceed the posted speed limit, and I admit to speeding at that time. However, I never knowingly or intentionally exceed the limit by more than 10 mph. I believe the officer clocked me at the bottom of a hill; I recognized the black car to be an official vehicle and I immediately slowed down. I don't know to what degree I was speeding, but I have no reason to believe the officer would provide a false report. For this, I apologize for putting fellow drivers and passengers at risk.

I pride myself in being a safe driver with a lifetime accident-free record. I have not received any moving violation in any state in more than ten years. I would be most grateful if you would take into consideration that my actions were not a criminal act but rather rather a traffic violation.

I appreciate your consideration and thank you for your time and service.

Sincerely,

Trenčín, Slovakia 

Crystal Glamour Factory Tour: 

July 10, 2012, Okrohoulice, CZ

We had so much fun!  I don't know if it was the seemingly primitive production method, them having zero concern for liability, imagining how many safety regulations would be violated if we were in the US, the simple and carefree environment, or seeing the workers equally amused by our presence and awe.  Whatever it was, the tour was very different than anything we could do at home, and it felt like we were experiencing something unique to time and place.

Lessons reinforced from "learning" student:

The importance of asking questions, listening, and then responding.

The first week at a new job is the hardest.

Masters degrees are not as daunting and unachievable as they seem.  The programs are challenging, but many people are successful.  You can do it. I can do it.

You have to actually try something and work hard at it to know if you like it or not.

It is more comfortable and less stressful doing a job when you have training.  The more experience and education you have for your job, the easier it is.

For all the travelers with a one way flight ticket who are uncertain about entry into a Schengen Area country.

My mom had this issue flying from Chicago to Prague with a transfer at London Heathrow.  Virgin Atlantic was set on not letting her fly to London because of this "rule."  After talking with the airlines/ debating about the regulation/ skyping with me, my mom was lucky that a Polish baggage man spoke up and told the present manager that you do not need a return flight ticket to enter the Schengen Area.  

The Czech Republic is part of the Schengen Area which is a group of countries with open borders between them.  This area includes 25 European Union countries with the exception of the United Kingdom and addition of Iceland and Norway.  If you read through entry and exit requirements for the Schengen Area, you will not find a requirement stating that a return ticket is needed for tourists.  To be certain of this, I confirmed this with two representatives from the US Embassy in Prague.  There is no special rule requiring travelers to have a return ticket when they enter the Czech Republic.

It is unusual to fly to Europe from the US on a one way ticket without a visa.  This may raise questions at customs.  From my understanding and from no official source, customs officials can deny you entry into the country if they believe you are trying to illegally immigrate.  This does not seem to be a problem for Americans traveling to the Czech Republic, especially with the lax customs officers at Vaclav Havel Prague Airport.

Airlines have two reasons why they will misinform you and not allow you to board the plane without a return ticket:

1) An airlines is responsible for you if the country to which you are traveling denies you entry.  One online discussion board on the topic mentions a situation when an airlines had to pay for food vouchers and an airport hotel room when a traveler was denied entry into the country.  Other discussion boards claim that an airline is responsible for sending you back to your original departure country if you are denied entry.

2) Airline companies are in the business of selling tickets.  So, if you find out last minute that you cannot get on your flight, let alone through security, you are likely to buy an expensive one way ticket from their company.

Other countries outside of the Schengen region will probably have different rules and regulations.  If you are unsure about entry requirements to a country you are traveling after reading the websites of the Department of State, the American Embassy in Country XYZ, and the XYZ Consulate in your country, make a phone call or write an email to the consulate and/or embassy.

To avoid this situation, buy a round trip ticket if you can.  Round trip tickets are cheaper and more convenient.  If you really want to be indecisive or carefree with your travel plans, just be able to stand your ground at the airport in the US.  Ask for a manager, ask for proof, and be confident in your ability to fly into the Schengen Area without a roundtrip ticket.  At this point, you probably know more about the topic than they do, so do not be timid.

Budapest: Authentically Hipster, Happily Tragic

January 6-8, 2012

Dusseldorf was too short of time with my cousin, so I am happy to report that Andrea and I continued our travels together after she arrived New Year’s Day in Praha.  I had to work when she was in Praha, but, as a seasoned traveler, Andrea was able to see the sights and make friends while doing it.

Vienna, Austria

January 9-11, 2012

Our first day in Vienna was a total SNAFU.  The day started with the most intense run of my life, trying to catch the bus to actually get to Vienna.  Andrea and I were very lucky the bus was running 45 minutes late, although this would have been nice to know before I broke my lungs.  We were able to tour the catacombs at St. Stephen’s Cathedral and walk the historic district, but the rest of the day was spent trying to find a place to stay that didn’t have reports of bed bugs and unsuccessfully coordinating a meet up with Brona.  I was so, so happy to take off my backpack once we settled on a hostel.

Andrea and I started our one full day together at Schloss Schonbrunn or Schonbruun Palace.  This was a pretty sight in the winter, but I presume 100 times better to see in the spring, summer, or fall.  Next, we stopped in the personal home and office of Sigmund Freud to inquire about why we are blessed with such great mental health.  The doctor wasn’t in, so we headed to Belvedere Palace to see the major works by Gustav Klimt.  We got to Kunsthaaus Wien, designed by famous architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, just after sunset to take a few unsuccessful photos of the fun, quirky buildings designed with bright colors and strong elements of nature.

By late evening we were quite tired, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity of attending a mini opera at the Vienna State Opera or Wiener Staatsoper for just 3.5 euro.  We were very excited because Grandma & Grandpa really hyped up the music scene in Vienna, just like Rick Steve: 

“As far back as the 12th century, Vienna was a mecca for musicians, both secular (troubadours) and sacred. The Habsburg emperors of the 17th and 18th centuries were not only generous supporters of music but fine musicians themselves. (Maria Theresa played a mean double bass.) Composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, and Mahler gravitated to this music-friendly environment. They taught each other, jammed together, and spent a lot of time in Habsburg palaces. Beethoven was a famous figure, walking — lost in musical thought — through Vienna's wooded parks.”

The standing area was slightly embarrassing to be a part of as there were cellphones ringing and a steady exodus of people as they bore tired of the opera.  If you ever make it to the opera, stay until the end.  Watching the performers take bow after bow after bow is the most entertaining part of the experience. 

The third day Alyssa and I visited the famous Naschmarkt- a long street of fresh food stands with scattered restaurants and a flee market.  My new food experience- dragon fruit!

It was quite sad to say goodbye to my cousin, but I am happy for our time together. 

June 6, 2012 

Exhibition of the Castle Guards:  featuring my one and only.

Twenty Three.  I had a truly wonderful birthday weekend with Kuba and the Dubecky family.  Highlights were Cirque du Soleil, seeing the sheep get their spring haircut, running from village to village with Míša, playing some crazy Czech card game with the fam, birthday cake, and rollerblading on my new rollerblades from Kuba.  I feel really, really fortunate.

 _____________________________________________________________________

Below are some excerpts from my annual birthday journal entry.  I think they are an honest reflection and assessment of my current state.  ______________________________________________________________________

"Greatness.  I really want this."

"Family: I miss them.  I miss my family of friends as well...  I struggle because I feel like by choosing to stay in Prague, I am sending a message that these people aren’t important to me, which couldn’t be further from the truth."

Fill a large bowl with water and remember this

If she floats on her side eat her with pride

If she stands on one end in to the baking pan

The Netherlands

April 20-22, 2012

Petr surprised me with a last minute opportunity to go to Amsterdam (for free!!).  He was acting as a tour guide and translator for a busload of 57 Czechs.  We had one very full day in the Netherlands beginning with a visit to Keukenhof, a garden situated near Lisse where over 7 million bulbs are planted by hand annually.  It covers an area of 32 hectares and has 4.5 million tulips in 100 varieties.  Areas of the park were overwhelmingly touristy, but once one ventures out a bit the park becomes both relaxing and breathtaking. 

Our next stop was a small village, Zannse Schans.  Petr and I used this time to get work done in a pub where wifi was available, so I really didn't see much.  (wifi is pronounced weefee here, haha) 

Upon arriving in Amsterdam, Petr guided our group through the city doing what he does best.  Having never been to Amsterdam before, he had to use his imagination when giving the tour.  Once Petr finally managed to ditch the group, we went shopping at the flee market and walked the city.  It was a nice getaway from Prague, and I would love to return to Amsterdam better prepared to learn and take full advantage of all that it has to offer.  The architecture, people, and feel of the city were completely different than in any other place I have experienced.

Velikonoce: Easter in the Czech Republic

Modern Easter celebrations in the Czech Republic reflect the long, dynamic history of the geographic area.  After the spread and adoption of Christianity, pagan spring celebrations were adapted and merged with Easter.  Religion was banned during communistic rule, hence Easter festivities shifted back towards a celebration of spring.  Now, close to 60 percent of the country identifies with atheism, so the meaning behind the traditions for specific practitioners is unknown.  It seems that most Czechs celebrate out of custom without emphasis on the religious meaning, if they even celebrate at all.  In this post, I will share my own Velikonoce experience and try to unravel the meaning behind the unique and vibrant Czech Easter customs.  

Like elsewhere in the world, preparation for Easters begins during Lent and continues throughout Holy Week.  Holy week in the Czech Republic begins with Ugly Wednesday or Škaredá středa.  The name of the day reminds people that this was the day Judas betrayed Jesus.  On this day, the whole house must be turned inside out for heavy cleaning.  This tradition is borrowed from the Jewish ritual of cleaning the home in preparation for Passover.  

Green Thursday, Zelený čtvrtek, follows.  There are several theories that explain the origin of this name.  The explanation I find most interesting is derived from the linguistics of the German word for Green Thursday, Gründonnerstag.  It is possible that "grün" does not refer to the color green, but is a modification of the word "greinen" (weinen, to weep). Among other possible explanations for the name Green Thursday are Jesus praying in the meadow on this day and the ritual of eating only one green, or vegan meal.  In Prague, some observe Zelený čtvrtek with the drinking of a naturally green beer.

Velký pátek, or Great Friday, is the name used for Good Friday in the Czech Republic.  This is a day of fasting and prayer in sadness for the Crucifixion of Christ.  Folk tradition says that the weather on Velký pátek predicts the weather for the next year.  "A rainy Good Friday makes for a thirsty year."  

The Czech name for Easter, Velikonoce, refers to the Veliké noci or great night as Saturday is the night that Jesus resurrected from the dead.  Easter Sunday is a day of preparation for Easter Monday.  Girls paint Easter eggs or kraslice to give to the boys and the boys braid pomlázkas.  Geometric patterns are a popular choice for the talented or competitive egg decorators.  Flowers are also common for kraslice designs.  An Easter pomlázka (from pomladit or "make younger") is a whip made from pussywillow twigs.  Being whipped with a pomlázkas is believed to bring good health.  This tradition dates back to pagan times when the whipping chased away illness and bad spirits.  Nowadays boys purchase their pomlázkas because the skill of making them is no longer widespread.

The work of Easter Sunday is brought to life on Easter Monday.  Beginning early in the morning groups of boys travel house to house singing Easter carols and using their pomlázkas to bring good health to the girls.  The boys are then rewarded with Easter eggs.  It is becoming popular to hand out chocolate or money to carolers instead of eggs.  Kuba and Petr hated receiving eggs and would sometimes throw the eggs to the side of the road after receiving them... tsk tsk.  It is common for elderly men to travel through the village on Easter Monday, except they receive shots of alcohol instead of eggs.  One can imagine the level of intoxication by noon.  After noon, if a boy whips the back of a girl’s legs, the girl can douse him with a bucket of water in order to bring him good health for the rest of the year.  I didn’t learn until after Easter that the roles are sometimes reversed when it is a leap year.

Easter festivities in the Czech Republic are best exemplified in villages where the traditions are kept more intensely.  Luckily, I had the privilege of observing Easter in Dymokury, a village of Bohemia.  Kuba’s mother colored “home grown” eggs with boiled onion peels, we ate lamb cake with our breakfast, and a drunken neighbor wandered in through the gate for a friendly visit.  Michaela and I greeted a group of gypsy boys and passed out eggs.  I am thankful for the traditional Easter experience; I should soon be feeling younger and healthier because of it.

Liberec Vylet

History of Liberec... as MK understands it

The first written record of Liberec was in 1352, but it wasn't known as Liberec.  The original name of the city was Reychinberch.  The name is derived from the German words reicher and berg meaning "the village on the rich/resourceful mountain."  The name was often shortened to Richberk and Riberk, which gave rise to the Czech name Liberk.  

The name of the city is fitting as it is located under Ještěd mountain whose peak rises to 1012 meters. Liberec used to be the second largest city in Bohemia after Prague.  The textile and metal industries helped this city become prominent and wealthy.  The city hall (shown above) was built in the neo-renaissance style and was completed in 1893 as a symbol off the economic and cultural richness of the city.

After the fall of the Austrian-Hungarian empire, Reichenberg/Liberec became the capital of the Sudeten German province of German-Austria.  This lasted until December of 1918 when the Czechoslovak Army occupied and then reclaimed Reichenberg and the Sudeten German province.

The World Crisis devastated the economy of the area causing a rise in unemployment and hunger.  This led to a quick rise of the populist SdP Party founded by Konrad Henlein.  Although he declared allegiance to Czechoslovakia, he negotiated with Adolf Hitler in secret.  In 1937, he voluntarily became Hitler's puppet and helped to destabilize and occupy Czechoslovakia.  The city's Jewish and Czech population fled to the rests of Czechoslovakia or were expelled.

Between 1945 and 1947, under the Beneš decrees, about 3 million ethnic Germans and Austrians were deported from Czechoslovakia.  This traditionally German region was resettled by the Czechs.  A small German minority remains in the city which consists of anti-Nazi Germans who were active in the struggle against Hitler as well as Germans from Czech-German families and their descendants. 

In 1989, Václav Havel, at that time a candidate for President of Czechoslovakia, suggested that Czechoslovakia apologize for the deportation of Germans and Austrians.  Havel stated that the expulsions were "the mistakes and sins of our fathers" in an apology for the massacres of Germans during the deportations.  Although the government never followed through, Havel suggested that former inhabitants of the Sudetenland might apply for Czech nationality to reclaim their lost properties.  Germany and the Czech Republic signed a declaration of mutual apology for wartime misdeeds in 1997.

Hervis 1/2Maraton Praha: March 31

Yesterday I ran my first half as a 'bandit' runner (not paying/ registering for a race).  I literally had to climb through a fence to get into a start group.  The security was pretty tight, but my experiences at Country Thunder more than prepared me for this moment.  

The horrendous articles I read about the immorality of 'bandit' running got the best of me, so I didn't take a medal.  The combination of exhaustion and shock of finishing must have temporarily messed with my normal thinking.  I immediately regretted my decision; they obviously had extra medals and who cares that I didn't pay?  Besides, the race was at capacity, so I couldn't register if I wanted to.  And someone should be paying me 50 euro to run... not the other way around.

Despite not fulfilling my materialistic need for a medal, my race experience was exhilarating and good, clean fun- maybe more work than I anticipated.  Props to anyone and everyone who is able to run a full marathon.  I met my first goal of actually finishing and my second goal of finishing in less than two and a half hours.  Yay for me!  I hope to run more halves in the future.  It hopefully won't be as difficult with a proper diet and training.

If you are interested in training for a half, I have heard good thing about Hal Higdon training guides: