Saturday, February 24, 2007
Good idea?
Uncle Matt, as you are the founding father of this project, would you take a look at the forum idea? Do you think it would augment the existing family blog?
Dusty's right...
Alright Alright, I agree with Dusty - it is a lot easier to track who said what on his little post, instead of spending all day scrolling around to see if anyone commented. For those of us that really don't like change I would say this one is worth it. Just go to the link he said, and then you can see how it is all organized. Signing up is about as difficult as remembering your own email address, and you don't even have to do that if you wish.
All together now...to the new site or bust!
All together now...to the new site or bust!
Friday, February 23, 2007
forum
Ok, so Uncle David (or if your not as awsome as me, just plain David) suggesting making a forum. why? because it's alittle more orgainised. one topic one folder. not like ok so here's like a billion topics and you have none of the responces to them HAHA (evil laugh)
Plus it can be edited easier and it is more controllable.
yeah anyway i think i set it up so you dont HAVE to be a member to respond to things. it works better if you are but you dont have to.
ok so here's the site (p.s. if you dont like the forum, then tell me in the section devoted to that.)
http://kulkas.proboards62.com/index.cgi
Plus it can be edited easier and it is more controllable.
yeah anyway i think i set it up so you dont HAVE to be a member to respond to things. it works better if you are but you dont have to.
ok so here's the site (p.s. if you dont like the forum, then tell me in the section devoted to that.)
http://kulkas.proboards62.com/index.cgi
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Taking a risk
How about another new topic?
What was the most dangerous thing you ever did?
Not being the physical type, I think for me it was filling out an application for my first teaching job out of college. At the bottom of the form was the question "Could you teach a violin class?" As I had played the violin for years, it was easy to answer that "yes". Next came "Could you lead an elementary school orchestra?" This stopped me for a while. But then I figured I had played in an elementary school orchestra, as well as in several others, so I answered "yes". There was one more question. "Could you direct an elementary school chorus?" This took me very little time to answer. I figured if I could do those other two things, there was no reason I couldn't do that.
On that basis, I got a job as a music teacher in an elementary school. It was a dream come true for me. Before school started up in the fall, I took music education classes all summer, and even learned, among other things, to play the string bass. When I was assigned to a school, I was so lucky as to have a wonderful music supervisor, who helped me learn whatever I still needed to. I loved my time as music teacher, taught children how to play all kinds of instruments, led the band, taught music in each classroom, and led a chorus. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Sometimes taking a risk pays off.
What was the most dangerous thing you ever did?
Not being the physical type, I think for me it was filling out an application for my first teaching job out of college. At the bottom of the form was the question "Could you teach a violin class?" As I had played the violin for years, it was easy to answer that "yes". Next came "Could you lead an elementary school orchestra?" This stopped me for a while. But then I figured I had played in an elementary school orchestra, as well as in several others, so I answered "yes". There was one more question. "Could you direct an elementary school chorus?" This took me very little time to answer. I figured if I could do those other two things, there was no reason I couldn't do that.
On that basis, I got a job as a music teacher in an elementary school. It was a dream come true for me. Before school started up in the fall, I took music education classes all summer, and even learned, among other things, to play the string bass. When I was assigned to a school, I was so lucky as to have a wonderful music supervisor, who helped me learn whatever I still needed to. I loved my time as music teacher, taught children how to play all kinds of instruments, led the band, taught music in each classroom, and led a chorus. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Sometimes taking a risk pays off.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Permettez-moi de me présenter á vous :)
Hello everybody. I am glad i can join you guys.
First i´d like to say that the title above is in french. There´s already been used czech and english to say hi so I decided to write it little different :). One half of you already know me but I should little introduce myself to others who don´t know much or maybe nothing about me.
So I am Filip and Krystof is my brother....goooosh :D. We are Michal and Hanas´ children and Michal is Vit´s older brother ( btw Krystof is also older than me). The rest wrote Vit already only thing is that our grandpa and Felix were grandcousins.....complicated huh.... but this is not so important. Important is that we are all Kulkas.
Okey so I am twenty and I graduated from economic high school last May. Now I study university of hospitality management. It´s wonderful school I like it so much. I just pass through all end-of-term examinatons.... tralalalala :)
I did some sports when i was younger but now I am just lazy university student.....I am trying to change it but no progress yet :(.
I´d like to say first Hi to uncle Matt and Stacy and Ashley. It´s a pity that we haven´t met yet. Also I want to say Hi to Valda we´ve already met at the wedding this summer but just for a while. I hope we will know each other little better now.
.....looks almost like essay what i wrote here huh :D. so that´s all for now. ;)
Filip - Rebell
First i´d like to say that the title above is in french. There´s already been used czech and english to say hi so I decided to write it little different :). One half of you already know me but I should little introduce myself to others who don´t know much or maybe nothing about me.
So I am Filip and Krystof is my brother....goooosh :D. We are Michal and Hanas´ children and Michal is Vit´s older brother ( btw Krystof is also older than me). The rest wrote Vit already only thing is that our grandpa and Felix were grandcousins.....complicated huh.... but this is not so important. Important is that we are all Kulkas.
Okey so I am twenty and I graduated from economic high school last May. Now I study university of hospitality management. It´s wonderful school I like it so much. I just pass through all end-of-term examinatons.... tralalalala :)
I did some sports when i was younger but now I am just lazy university student.....I am trying to change it but no progress yet :(.
I´d like to say first Hi to uncle Matt and Stacy and Ashley. It´s a pity that we haven´t met yet. Also I want to say Hi to Valda we´ve already met at the wedding this summer but just for a while. I hope we will know each other little better now.
.....looks almost like essay what i wrote here huh :D. so that´s all for now. ;)
Filip - Rebell
Thursday, February 15, 2007
To lighten your day...
Every once in a while, someone around us does something so incredibly stupid, you just have to share it. Peter and I have a little tradition where we call eachother and share very funny stories of annonymous people who have done/said things that were not of the highest intelligence.
For an example, in one of my credential classes, we were talking about recycling. The instructor asked us to name a few advantages to recycling plastic. We were all brainstorming things like saving energy, resources, etc, when one of my graduate level classmates rasies his hand and says "If we all recycle plastics then we won't have to cut down as many trees". Huh. Never knew plastic grew on trees! He immediatly realized what he had said (or maybe the laughter of the class gave it away) and laughed along with us - but it made a really good story to call my brother with.
You guys have any good stories that might bring a laugh? I know Peter has some good ones....
For an example, in one of my credential classes, we were talking about recycling. The instructor asked us to name a few advantages to recycling plastic. We were all brainstorming things like saving energy, resources, etc, when one of my graduate level classmates rasies his hand and says "If we all recycle plastics then we won't have to cut down as many trees". Huh. Never knew plastic grew on trees! He immediatly realized what he had said (or maybe the laughter of the class gave it away) and laughed along with us - but it made a really good story to call my brother with.
You guys have any good stories that might bring a laugh? I know Peter has some good ones....
Monday, February 12, 2007
A short challenge
I was listening to NPR a month or so ago. I think it was "Weekend America" or some newsy show like that. There was a contest run by Smith Magazine (an online magazine). All you had to do is write a memoir -- but in six words.
I think the example given in the teaser was "Never really finished anything, except cake. "
Anyone game?
Edit: Here's the link to the radio article. It runs in RealPlayer. I don't know if that's a problem for Apple users.
I think the example given in the teaser was "Never really finished anything, except cake. "
Anyone game?
Edit: Here's the link to the radio article. It runs in RealPlayer. I don't know if that's a problem for Apple users.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Emily and Kulkas in Prague
Thank you all for those beautiful comments. I plan to reply to all of them (especially to those with question marks inside), but not now, because it is 1 AM of our time and I think I have a better idea what to do now :-).
So, only another link for your fun: http://homepage.mac.com/vkulka/kulkas/
Vit
So, only another link for your fun: http://homepage.mac.com/vkulka/kulkas/
Vit
Monday, February 05, 2007
Hello All!
Sorry it has taken me so long to add anything to the Kulka blog, I would like to blame it on classes but the good Lord knows I avoid those like the plague (Mom and Dad read Attend Class Often). Or it could be that it took me half an hour to figure out how to post something (you know they really should find something easier than the New Post button at the top of the page). I guess I do not have a good excuse so I will take whatever punishment is passed on for the delay and try to move on.
Sorry it took so long
Peter
What they were playing in Baoshan in 1994
Mom asked me to post something from my travel writing. Here's a little piece I wrote after coming a trip through Southwestern China in 1994:
In the late 1990’s I spent some time exploring China - mostly the northwest deserts of Xinxiang, which borders Central Asia, and the mountains and tropics of southwestern Yunnan, near Laos and Burma. Like many other travelers, I found China maddening, but at the same time endlessly lovable and captivating.
Talk about music! Musicians and singers were everywhere in China. Everywhere! Troupes and bands played on street corners, grandmothers in costume played ancient instruments, blind buskers sang rambling story songs at the train stations, children walked hand in hand singing together in lovely voices. There were roaming tribal musicians. In a taxi the driver was liable to start singing ballads, and on a bus the passengers might take turns standing and singing a song or two. It was often spontaneous, and always unselfconscious. Sometimes it seemed like China was one big hootenanny. When was the last time you heard someone break into song, simply because they felt like it? In parts of China, you’d experience that every day.
Most of the time it was a welcome treat, except for karaoke, which could really wear you down. The sound of a drunk Chinese salaryman howling Tie A Yellow Ribbon, leaking through the walls of your hotel room at 1 AM, is not a pretty thing.
My strangest Chinese musical experience was in Baoshan, a midsize city along the old Burma Road. The streets of Baoshan had a feature that was common in China; propaganda loudspeakers. Bullhorn style speakers were fastened atop the power poles every 200 feet or so, apparently fed from a little studio somewhere in the town - probably at the main police station.
China awakens early, and the authorities would crank up the propaganda machine up at around 5 AM. It was usually long rambling commentaries, history lessons, and accounts of meetings between government officials. The propaganda was loud, it echoed all over the city, and it went on for about four hours. The locals seemed to respond by talking louder and making more noise of their own.
After the official programs ended, the loudspeakers stayed on all day, playing music. But it wasn’t just any music. They played Kenny G. Loud, all over town, all day long and into the night, over and over again. I think it was the “Duotones” CD. I first heard it coming through my hotel room window, and I figured it was from a music shop on the street. But the same songs just repeated all day long, and after a while I realized that Kenny had the entire city covered. Nearly anywhere you went in Baoshan, day or night, you heard Kenny G, over and over again. I’m not sure what effect this was meant to have on the population, but I was more than ready to move on after two or three days.
I made my way west on the Burma road, crossing into Burma about a week later. But to this day I think of China any time I hear Kenny G, and wonder whether his mind numbing “soft jazz” tracks are still echoing around the streets of Baoshan.
In the late 1990’s I spent some time exploring China - mostly the northwest deserts of Xinxiang, which borders Central Asia, and the mountains and tropics of southwestern Yunnan, near Laos and Burma. Like many other travelers, I found China maddening, but at the same time endlessly lovable and captivating.
Talk about music! Musicians and singers were everywhere in China. Everywhere! Troupes and bands played on street corners, grandmothers in costume played ancient instruments, blind buskers sang rambling story songs at the train stations, children walked hand in hand singing together in lovely voices. There were roaming tribal musicians. In a taxi the driver was liable to start singing ballads, and on a bus the passengers might take turns standing and singing a song or two. It was often spontaneous, and always unselfconscious. Sometimes it seemed like China was one big hootenanny. When was the last time you heard someone break into song, simply because they felt like it? In parts of China, you’d experience that every day.
Most of the time it was a welcome treat, except for karaoke, which could really wear you down. The sound of a drunk Chinese salaryman howling Tie A Yellow Ribbon, leaking through the walls of your hotel room at 1 AM, is not a pretty thing.
My strangest Chinese musical experience was in Baoshan, a midsize city along the old Burma Road. The streets of Baoshan had a feature that was common in China; propaganda loudspeakers. Bullhorn style speakers were fastened atop the power poles every 200 feet or so, apparently fed from a little studio somewhere in the town - probably at the main police station.
China awakens early, and the authorities would crank up the propaganda machine up at around 5 AM. It was usually long rambling commentaries, history lessons, and accounts of meetings between government officials. The propaganda was loud, it echoed all over the city, and it went on for about four hours. The locals seemed to respond by talking louder and making more noise of their own.
After the official programs ended, the loudspeakers stayed on all day, playing music. But it wasn’t just any music. They played Kenny G. Loud, all over town, all day long and into the night, over and over again. I think it was the “Duotones” CD. I first heard it coming through my hotel room window, and I figured it was from a music shop on the street. But the same songs just repeated all day long, and after a while I realized that Kenny had the entire city covered. Nearly anywhere you went in Baoshan, day or night, you heard Kenny G, over and over again. I’m not sure what effect this was meant to have on the population, but I was more than ready to move on after two or three days.
I made my way west on the Burma road, crossing into Burma about a week later. But to this day I think of China any time I hear Kenny G, and wonder whether his mind numbing “soft jazz” tracks are still echoing around the streets of Baoshan.
Ahoj!
Tak vas vsechny zdravim. V prve rade dekuji vsem za pozvani do rodinneho blogu, velice si toho povazuji. Je to pozvani, ktere se neodmita. I pres omezeni ve vyjadrovani vseho co budu mit na mysli, diky jazykovym omezenim, vynasnazim se zustat s vami v kontaktu a cas od casu prispivat novinkami ze vzdalene zeme.
Pro vsechny kdo me jeste neznaji, dovolte mi se kratce predstavit. Jsem mladsi syn Hanuse a Hany Kulka z Prahy. Muj otec Hanus a Felix Kulka byli bratranci (doufam, ze jsem to nespletl)
Jsem zenaty, moje zena se jmenuje Misa a mam dva syny - Ondreje (prave mu bylo 16) a Mateje (7). Ti kteri by se snad chteli podivat na nejake fotky, mohou se podivat na webove stranky: http://web.mac.com/vkulka/iWeb/Kulkovic/Home.html. Fotky nejsou uplne aktualni, ale slibuji, ze se polepsim. Je zde i odkaz na starsi stranky, kde je mozno videt i trochu historie.
To je prozatim vse. Jeste jednou vas vsechny moc zdravim a brzy na prectenou.
Vit
For those of you who does not read well in Czech yet, here is a translation;-)
Hello everybody. First of all, I would like to thank you all ( I do not know, who was the first :-) for having idea to invite also Czech Kulkas to your family blog. Invitation that could not be refused. In spite of my limitation on expressing whatever I have in my mind due to my language limits, I will try to stay in contact with you and time after time to contribute with some news from far country.
For all of you who do not know me yet, let me introduce myself shortly. I am a younger son of Hanus and Hana Kulka from Prague. My father Hanus and Felix Kulka were cousins (nephewes?) (I hope I did not make a mistake:-).
I am married with Misa and I have two sons - Ondrej (just 16) and Matej (7). For those, who would like to see some pictures, look link stated above. Yes, it is not too up to date, but I promise, I will update it soon. On those pages there is also a link to the older pages, where you can see a little of history.
I think that it is enough for now. Once more best regards to all of you and "read you soon".
Vit
Pro vsechny kdo me jeste neznaji, dovolte mi se kratce predstavit. Jsem mladsi syn Hanuse a Hany Kulka z Prahy. Muj otec Hanus a Felix Kulka byli bratranci (doufam, ze jsem to nespletl)
Jsem zenaty, moje zena se jmenuje Misa a mam dva syny - Ondreje (prave mu bylo 16) a Mateje (7). Ti kteri by se snad chteli podivat na nejake fotky, mohou se podivat na webove stranky: http://web.mac.com/vkulka/iWeb/Kulkovic/Home.html. Fotky nejsou uplne aktualni, ale slibuji, ze se polepsim. Je zde i odkaz na starsi stranky, kde je mozno videt i trochu historie.
To je prozatim vse. Jeste jednou vas vsechny moc zdravim a brzy na prectenou.
Vit
For those of you who does not read well in Czech yet, here is a translation;-)
Hello everybody. First of all, I would like to thank you all ( I do not know, who was the first :-) for having idea to invite also Czech Kulkas to your family blog. Invitation that could not be refused. In spite of my limitation on expressing whatever I have in my mind due to my language limits, I will try to stay in contact with you and time after time to contribute with some news from far country.
For all of you who do not know me yet, let me introduce myself shortly. I am a younger son of Hanus and Hana Kulka from Prague. My father Hanus and Felix Kulka were cousins (nephewes?) (I hope I did not make a mistake:-).
I am married with Misa and I have two sons - Ondrej (just 16) and Matej (7). For those, who would like to see some pictures, look link stated above. Yes, it is not too up to date, but I promise, I will update it soon. On those pages there is also a link to the older pages, where you can see a little of history.
I think that it is enough for now. Once more best regards to all of you and "read you soon".
Vit
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Family sayings
I have been sitting here remembering some of the things my parents used to say. Now I may live to regret this, but I am interesting in hearing what some of the rest of you remember.
One thing I remember is that there were times when I was a child when the conversation over dinner became more interesting than usual. It might be a tidbit introducing the topic of what some neighbor had done, or something that happened to a friend. As I began to take more notice than usual, too often I would hear my father saying calmly and decisively, "Fortunately, that's none of our business". Oh, shucks.
For some reason, I was reminded of my grandmother as I wrote about my family. She was born in Bremen, Germany, and spent all her life there, even through the second world war. After the war, things were still very difficult in Germany, so my parents put their pennies together and offered to send for Oma. To their relief, she accepted, and at age 87 got on a boat and came to America.
Although she spoke no English, she turned out to be a very adjustable lady. We loved having her with us. And she was there when Felix and I got married, a few years later. The celebration was held at the club house owned by the German hiking club my parents were a part of. (Now, I'm getting there, I'm getting there.) Food was provided by the German ladies, so there was plenty. After we ate, all gathered in the dance hall. We danced to recorded German waltzes, polkas, and what have you.
At one point, some of us noticed Oma, who was probably 89 at this point, dancing with a young man. Bless her heart, I don't think I had seen her dancing before. When we had a chance, we told her how impressed we were. "Oh," she said, " no one was dancing with him, and I felt sorry for him, so I asked him to dance."
One thing I remember is that there were times when I was a child when the conversation over dinner became more interesting than usual. It might be a tidbit introducing the topic of what some neighbor had done, or something that happened to a friend. As I began to take more notice than usual, too often I would hear my father saying calmly and decisively, "Fortunately, that's none of our business". Oh, shucks.
For some reason, I was reminded of my grandmother as I wrote about my family. She was born in Bremen, Germany, and spent all her life there, even through the second world war. After the war, things were still very difficult in Germany, so my parents put their pennies together and offered to send for Oma. To their relief, she accepted, and at age 87 got on a boat and came to America.
Although she spoke no English, she turned out to be a very adjustable lady. We loved having her with us. And she was there when Felix and I got married, a few years later. The celebration was held at the club house owned by the German hiking club my parents were a part of. (Now, I'm getting there, I'm getting there.) Food was provided by the German ladies, so there was plenty. After we ate, all gathered in the dance hall. We danced to recorded German waltzes, polkas, and what have you.
At one point, some of us noticed Oma, who was probably 89 at this point, dancing with a young man. Bless her heart, I don't think I had seen her dancing before. When we had a chance, we told her how impressed we were. "Oh," she said, " no one was dancing with him, and I felt sorry for him, so I asked him to dance."
Kulkas in History
Several years ago, David sent me a great article about this. I was just browsing Wikipedia and stumbled on the story. There was much more detail in the article David found, but that was in print, not online. If I can find it online I'll throw in another link.
Until then, please enjoy...
Kulkas in History
Edit: Found the article that David sent me. (You really can find anything online.) This one's pretty long, but it's an interesting read. If you don't have time right now, read the Wikipedia entry above for now, and come back later for this one.
A Perfectly Understandable Mistake
-MK
Until then, please enjoy...
Kulkas in History
Edit: Found the article that David sent me. (You really can find anything online.) This one's pretty long, but it's an interesting read. If you don't have time right now, read the Wikipedia entry above for now, and come back later for this one.
A Perfectly Understandable Mistake
-MK
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