2016 - Danube River Cruise
Above: Black Hills, South Dakota. 03 May 2016.
Image captured out of left side of Boeing 757 en route to New York JFK.
Think, Sturgis... the annual motorcycle rally that attracts over 300K people annually.
Think, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse statues...
Think, Deadwood, then... brought to life by the excellent HBO television series and its topic, Wild Bill Hickock (assassinated in Deadwood 02 August 1876 by a cowardly assassin with a shot from behind. And, Hickock's pal, Calamity Jane. And who can forget Al Swearengen?
Think pre Deadwood... US government giving the Black Hills to Crazy Horse and the Sioux, then taking it back again when gold was found in them thar (sic) hills. Crazy Horse wasn't happy. What a troublemaker. Didn't know his place in the grand scheme of things.
Think Dr. G living in nearby Crow Agency.
Think Deadwood now... two bit casinos and Kevin Costner's "not bad" restaurant, "The Midnight Star."
Think nearby... Devils Tower, Little Bighorn Battlefield, Badlands National Park.
Stephen D. Taylor was feeling hungry at InterContinental Praha with Margaret Taylor.
Yesterday at 7:06am · Prague ·
Above: Facebook post. Prague, Czech Republic. 04 May 2017.
Driver Learnings 04 May 2016:
Park City to Salt Lake Airport driver:
I was a school teacher for 20 years in Davis County. I didn't retire, I had a few more years to go. Still, since I had worked for the state before I started teaching I had vested retirement income.
I was a math teacher in middle school. There were too many risks to being a male teacher. The girls. A teacher never knows when he will be accused of some form of harassment or abuse. You have to be very careful. A male teacher has to always ensure that he is never in the presence of a female student without another adult present.
On the floor of the classroom, I taped in a line dividing the students from my desk. I asked that the students not cross the line. Twenty years ago when I started teaching fearing female false accusation was unheard of. Now its common.
Driver from Prague Airport to Intercontinental Hotel:
Q. Does the Czech republic receive a lot of immigrants or refugees from the Middle East?
A. No. They don't want to come here. Czech Republic has no welfare system to sustain them. There is not money for them. They want to go elsewhere, like Germany, where they can receive benefits from the state.
The population here is more homogenous than is seen in other countries.
Above: Some of handwritten names of 77,297 Czech Jews sent to the gas chambers at Auschwitz and other camps on wall of Pinkas Synagogue, Prague, Czech Republic. 05 May 2016.
Czech Jews were especially hard hit by the Holocaust. More than 155,000 of them passed through the nearby Terezin camp alone. Most died with no grave marker, but they are remembered here on the walls of Pinkas Synagogue.
Jews first came to the Czech area of central Europe in the 11th century. Pre WWII there were 150K Jews resident in Czechoslavakia, most in Prague. Today there are 3000 "registered" Jews in the Czech Republic, 1800 of which live in Prague.
The several historic synagogues of the Jewish Quarter are maintained financially by contributions from US Jewish organizations, Israel, and the Czech government. The several synagogues in the Prague Jewish Quarter are among the most ancient structures in the city. The Old-New Synagogue dates to 1270.
Above: TIMDT observes impressionistic (apropos of Kafka's fantastic writing style) statue of Franz Kafka. Jewish Quarter, Prague, Czech Republic. 05 May 2016.
Franz Kafka[a] (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-language writer of novels and short stories who is widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work, which fuses elements of realism and the fantastic,[3] typically features isolated protagonists faced by bizarre or surrealistic predicaments and incomprehensible social-bureaucratic powers,[4] and has been interpreted as exploring themes of alienation, existential anxiety, guilt, and absurdity.[5] His best known works include "Die Verwandlung" ("The Metamorphosis"), Der Process (The Trial), and Das Schloss (The Castle). The term Kafkaesque has entered the English language to describe situations like those in his writing.[6]
Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He trained as a lawyer, and after completing his legal education he was employed with an insurance company, forcing him to relegate writing to his spare time. Over the course of his life, Kafka wrote hundreds of letters to family and close friends, including his father, with whom he had a strained and formal relationship. He died in 1924 at the age of 40 from tuberculosis.
Few of Kafka's works were published during his lifetime: the story collections Betrachtung (Contemplation) and Ein Landarzt (A Country Doctor), and individual stories (such as "Die Verwandlung") were published in literary magazines but received little public attention. Kafka's unfinished works, including his novels Der Process, Das Schloss and Amerika(also known as Der Verschollene, The Man Who Disappeared), were ordered by Kafka to be destroyed by his friend Max Brod, who nonetheless ignored his friend's direction and published them after Kafka's death. Wikipedia
Above: Bernie Sanders takes coffee at a Prague sidewalk café. Prague, Czech Republic. 05 May 2016.
Above: Czech millennial girls enjoy a smoke outside Jerusalem Synagogue in The New Town. Prague, Czech Republic. 05 May 2016.
Above: Our group with guide Slavska, Wenceslas Square, Prague, Czech Republic. 05 May 2016.
Bishop, looking out "upon the Feast of Stephen."
Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav [ˈvaːtslaf] ( listen); c. 907 – September 28, 935), Wenceslas I, or Vaclav the Good[1] was the duke (kníže) of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935, in a plot by his brother, Boleslav the Cruel.
His martyrdom, and the popularity of several biographies, quickly gave rise to a reputation for heroic goodness, resulting in his being elevated to sainthood, posthumously declared king, and seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of "Good King Wenceslas", a Saint Stephen's Day carol. Wikipedia
Addendum:
Thought you might enjoy couple pictures for my part of the state. Also I'm curious if you have ridden the road to Los Alamos national Lab. The roads very nice and Los Alamos is beautiful. It would extend the ride to Cortez maybe 100 miles from Albuquerque. I'm planning to ride with you from Albuquerque back to Park City June 1
ITYW,
San Angelo, TX
Looking forward to riding together!
As I was exercising on my bike in the gym, I saw an interesting show. On Bikers, and the town of Sturgis and the food scene there. Have you ever go one to that rally?
Bridge,
Palm Beach, FL
Went there once... for purposes of sociological study, 18 years ago.
....couldn't agree more with Hoops and Dr. Bill. Trophies should be earned fair and square by being a winner or a runner-up and not just given out to the young for merely participating or showing up. Life in the real world doesn't work like that!
As a former selector for ELGA, I found that the worst thing was the "pushy parent syndrome" - mums or dads popping out from behind a tree to tell me how wonderful at golf their daughters were! Those poor girls' handicaps were, very sadly, their parents.
Eton Mum
Altausee, Austria
How can trophies be awarded when there is no score and and no one keeps track of wins and losses? This is why the kids got participation trophies. I would have concerns if they got participation trophies in a league that kept track of wins and losses.
Rudy Jr.
Salt Lake City, UT
Keep score?
When coaching pre-high school kids, over 16 years, in baseball and basketball, there was no question to me that the child's best interests were served by banning all parents from games.
I spent much baseball time with Frank Bartolotta, a baseball savant, former instructor with the Yankees, WWII vet, who helped some 400-500 kids get baseball or softball scholarships to college.
He had a procedure at his winter indoor baseball clinics which I first saw at his clinic for 7 and 8 year olds. Fathers would show up with their gloves, very enthusiastically ready to get involved and help out Frank with their own baseball experiences. Frank was very gracious to the fathers and would direct them over to an area so that they could meet the other fathers as Frank prepared for the clinic.
When ready, he directed Kenny, in his gravelly three-pack-a-day voice -- "close it up." The fathers were all in a chain link-fenced protective area, really an 8 by 8 cage, and Kenny would then close and lock the door
to the cage.
Frank would then commence his intense, very instructive, precise, kids-in-action clinic. The fathers were somewhat forlorn looking as they stood in the locked cage still holding their gloves. They were now passively watching a remarkable instruction for their kids and accepted their status. I was fortunate to be one of Frank's assistants, I followed his instructions and his directions and learned, so I was outside the cage.
Hoops
Above: Metronome sculpture. Prague, Czech Republic. 06 May 2016.
Across Checkov Bridge from near our hotel, Intercontinental Hotel Prague.
The Metronome is a giant, functional metronome in Letná Park, overlooking the Vltava River and the city center of Prague. It was erected in 1991, on the plinth left vacant by the destruction in 1962 of an enormous monument to former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The 75-foot-tall (23 m) Metronome is now mostly a scenic vista and a meeting place for young people. It was designed by international artist Vratislav Novak.[1]
The area behind the metronome is also a popular skate spot where skateboarders from Europe and around the world congregate and film throughout the year. Wikipedia
The metronome reminded me of my periodic coaching drum sessions with Buddy Rich, where we use an electronic metronome regularly.
Above: Stalin sculpture extant until 1962 in location where metronome sculpture is located today.
Above: Astronomical Clock. Old Town Square. Prague, Czech Republic. 4 PM. 05 May 2016.
The Prague astronomical clock, or Prague orloj (Czech: Pražský orloj [praʃskiː orloj]), is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still operating. Wikipedia.
Popular Prague attraction. Square was full when I was there today. 12 apostles parade by the two windows at the top of the clock on the hour. At the end of the chime, the gold rooster above the windows flaps its wings. The skeleton to the right of the upper dial yanks a chain.
Above: Watch exhibit at Bulgari store on Paris Avenue. Prague, Czech Republic. 05 May 2016.
Paris Avenue is kind of the Rodeo Drive of Prague. Lots of uppity stores. The street links our hotel to The Old Town Square.
I captured this image for two reasons.
One. I was amazed at the price of the watch most prominent in the image. Circa $50K.
Two. At breakfast at the Murano hotel a few years ago, I sat next to (not with) Bulgari ( Sotirios Bulgarios, born in Greece of Bulgarian parents). He was extremely rude to the wait staff. He is also the owner of the largest collection of Buicks in the world.
Above: Steve Taylor, Margaret Taylor, V.J. Khanna. Intercontinental Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic. 05 May 2016.
Prague is the first stop for Margaret and me on a Danube river boat tour which starts in Nuremburg, day after tomorrow, and ends in Vienna ten or so days later. During our brief Prague stay, It seemed like a good idea for us to reconnect with V. J. Khanna, full time Prague resident and former Citibanker.
Via the Park Citi list and Facebook, V.J. and I have been able to stay in touch. It was great to meet up with him and listen to his fascinating banking career story after all these forty three years of never having seen one another face to face, since our working days in Citi Calcutta, 1973.
I asked V.J. to review his career for the benefit of Park Citi list members.
Note: Note taker is fallible. Mistakes are his. V.J. is welcome to make any corrections/clarifications to these notes.
V. J., with a Masters Degree he earned in Bombay, joined Citi in 1969 and was assigned to Calcutta Branches. In Calcutta he worked, in succession for Calcutta senor branch operations officers (SBO), Mike Callen, Paul Darnal, David Ansell, and me, very briefly (in 1973). V.J. spoke highly of Bruce Brenn, who was Calcutta Branch head, my boss, when I arrived in Calcutta, 1973.
V. J. moved to Citi Delhi in 1973 where he became a trader. 1974... Bombay trader.
From 1977 to 1985 he was SBO, successively, in Madras, Delhi, Calcutta and Bombay.
In 1985 he moved to Thailand where he worked with Tatsuo Kabota at the newly Citi acquired Mercantile Bank.
He moved back to India (Bombay) in 1987, where, working for David Leong, he had a regional Treasury/risk management position.
In 1990 Victor Brunst (Citi's man in Moscow) brought V. J. to Yugoslavia where, where he worked in successive positions in Vienna, Belgrade, and Prague to advance Citi's presence in Central Europe. Carl Svoboda came to Central Europe and became a mentor to V.J. during this period. David Ansell rejoined Citi, after living semi retired in Kenya, and was part of Svoboda's Central European effort.
V. J. left Citi in 1995 and moved to Munich where he took the position of Emerging Markets head with Bayerische Vereinsbank.
In 1996, Carl Svoboda, not longer with Citi, enticed V.J. to move to Saudi where he joined Carl at United Saudi Bank, owned by Prince Wahleed, Citi's largest shareholder. Mike Callen was CEO of Saudi's National Commercial Bank during this period.
V. J. moved to Prague in 1999 where he set up a banking consulting business. He worked on a number of banking projects in the Gulf until 2008, including once, working on a project in the Gulf for Kantic Das Gupta.
In 2003, he married, second marriage, Eva Moravova, a bank executive in Prague.
In 2008, he joined Raiffeisun Bank in Prague as Treasurer.
In 2012 he retired from banking. He and Eva have a home 20 kilometers from downtown Prague and a Prague pied a terre.
V. J. notes he is enjoying retirement. He walks his dog, gardens, manages his investments, and once ever year or two visits his two boys, by a first marriage, who live in the United States. His Bay Area son works for Google and his New York City based boy owns his own software company. V. J. has four grandchildren, two by each of his two sons.
PS. We reminisced about other members of the Indian Citi diaspora... Surinder Singh in Seattle, Chita Gauba, in Vancouver/Oman, Kantic Das Gupta, Dubai, Rana Talwar, Delhi/London, B. M. Rugwani, New York City... and many others. V. J. informed me of Dave Ahuja's passing some three years ago. Both of us also had fond memories of Ajit (deceased) and Royina Grewal and Mehli and Saker Mistri who were our supervisors in the Citi Delhi branch. Margaret and I saw the Mistris and Royina at Rana Talwar's Delhi home earlier this year. Also at Rana's were Chita and Mandira Gauba, Jerry Rao, and Mike and Vickie Callen.
V.J. Sood, S.K. Jain, Manob Chakravarti and Nirendu Dutt Mazumdar are other names I knew well from that period. Also, Victor Menezies joined Citi in India while I was in Calcutta in 1973/74. A lot of important names left out here... .... and I'm the wrong one to chronicle a great era of Citibank, India.
I hope this note jogs some memories, images (photos) and some anecdotes!
Above: Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral. 9:00 PM. Prague, Czech Republic. 05 May 2016 Image taken from roof restaurant, Prague Intercontinental Hotel.
Above: Spago. Prague, Czech Republic. 05 May 2016.
Image looks over Prague from roof of Intercontinental Hotel.
Above: Woodwind Quintet. Tauck Tours welcome dinner. Intercontinental Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic. 05 May 2016.
Addendum:
Very true it was a terrible place for Jew's also in the Budapest area - if you're in that area be sure to visit the synagogues and also the ghetto area / Tony Curtis father started the tree of life in Budapest -Enjoy
Mr. Z3,
Ojai, CA
Bernie Sanders's "coffee" looks remarkably like a beer.
Best regards,
FeeNix,
Phoenix, AZ
Above: The Bishop eyes St. Vitus Cathedral. Prague, Czech Republic. 07 May 2016.
Every bit Chartres or Notre Dame.
Maintenance? Little or no state assistance. Catholic Church in Czech Republic doing very well, thank-you very much. Post Communism, 1989, Church received back considerable land holdings confiscated by the Communists.
Adherents? That's another matter as some 60% of Czechs profess to be atheists, the highest percentage of non believers of any country in Europe.
Czech indifference to religion has come up in several of our tours. Many of our group assumed that the influence of the communists must have affected Czechs' attitude towards organized religion.
According to the guides, Czech religious apathy pre-dates communism. Since the xxxx's Czechs have been subjugated to outside rule.... Hapsburgs and Nazis before the Communists. Being forced to pay heed to the varying ideologies of their rulers, without having the chance to forge their own national identity, likely contributed to a cynical indifference to religion generally.
The Armenians are a former Soviet Republic and church activity there is over 90%. Church activity is growing in Russia notwithstanding 80 years of Communist rule.
Above: Stained glass window. St. Vitus Cathedral. Prague, Czech Republic. 07 May 2016.
Zoom into the lower right panel. There is a man holding a pretzel. The individual who funded the creation of this window had a thriving bakery business.
Above: Zizkov Television Tower. Prague, Czech Republic. 07 May 2016.
The tower was completed in 1989. There is a restaurant in one of the tower.
Addendum:
Steve,
Thought you might appreciate this 70% sized Honda Monkey Bike and all-titanium violin seen recently.
Malc
Tokyo, Japan