We are in an unprecedented era of technology and change and our individual ability to affect the lives of millions. It is our duty and responsibility to share our lives and our personal observations of the world with those who freely search your opinion.
In Shenandoah in the governing state of Iowa on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, Mr. Howard Killion and I briefed the City Council on our productive trip to Tisovec, Slovakia. I was asked to read the address that was delivered before the Tisovec Parliament on behalf of the City of Shenandoah. This is the version in English. This is the version in Slovak according to Google Translater.
While in Tisovec we had a very understanding and productive meeting with local school officials as well as Mayor Peter Minac. The focus was on bringing our schools together through the means of the Internet. A common website should be built in which students separated by 9,000 kilometers can interact and solve problems. Due to the summer vacation officials on both sides will convene this project when the new school year starts.
I have met with school officials here in Shenandoah this past week and they are excited about the project. Right now we are in the process of exchanging email addresses between key players in technology and informatics. It was suggested at our Tisovec meeting that a team of at least four people be involved with the inner workings of the project from both sides. They will be the initial miracle workers both in Tisovec and also in Shenandoah. Once the site is up and running it will be the students on separate sides of the globe to become the miracles in keeping the project alive and progressing.
Be rest assured that the fires of experience that have warmed my heart in Slovakia still burn. I thoroughly enjoyed my meetings with school officials here in Shenandoah and recanting my fondest memories of interacting with the people there. Please allow me to divulge something of the heart. Since the nine of us visited Slovakia and especially mingled with the students there I have felt a strong compelling desire to be an active advocate for connecting students internationally from all parts of the globe.
I'm approaching forty years of age and this experience made me feel like a kid again learning all new things. Imagine the immense use this experience could do for scores of school age youth. It is my hope and dream to one day progress this project to where we may exchange a student age youth for a summer. I would love to see every summer sending a young man or woman from Shenandoah to Tisovec and to afford that opportunity to a young person from Tisovec. Yes, it is expensive and would require a great amount of investment and commitment. However, imagine the understanding and friendships that can come of it. Imagine world problems fading away because we took the time to learn and understand one another. This continues to be my pursuit for the sake of this new generation and their happiness and prosperity in a very different world.
English is thought to be the true international language. To an extent this may be true. It may be necessary to learn this language in order to more easily succeed and interact in the larger arena of the world. However, in my recent visit to Slovakia I've learned three basic universal languages that everybody already knows and would do well to master throughout their lives. These I've found in abundance in Slovakia and in Tisovec where I has hosted for several days.
I had the privilege of meeting an afflicted boy at a benefit concert who was bound in a wheelchair. It looked like Multiple Sclerosis to me but I didn't know what the condition was. I felt such a profound outreach of heart to this boy that he now resides in the purview of my mind and spirit. It was a most meaningful handshake that few can compare to. In Slovakia I've had the pleasure of lots of handshakes. Each one was with a sincere outreach. Few actions in life connect two people on an unexplained level than that of a true sincere handshake. It inducts us into a human family of brotherhood and sisterhood of common goodwill. The handshake is a timeless universal and international language.
There are masters of lies in the world. They've studied and tested the playing field and many prosper. Yet few are able to truly fool their own body language. The last remaining physical outlet of truth is in the eyes. All the world's libraries cannot hold the volumes that a simple pair of eyes can reveal of the intent of heart of an individual. In Slovakia it has been a refreshing blessing to see so many people look me in the eyes with true open friendship and curiosity. I've seen this greatly in Tisovec and I've seen this in Hnusta. Simple goodwill without vice is as simple as I can put it. It really helped myself and the group I was with to feel at ease and at home. The language of eye contact is almost unmistakable. It was a treat being flooded with this unique yet ageless form of universal and international language of looking at another in the eyes.
I don't know about anyone else but I was taught in a psychology class many years ago that the individual has a personal space of about a three foot radius. The mind becomes uneasy, uncomfortable and suspicious when that area is impeded upon by another human being. I've come to learn that this is a false wall that most of us build up to protect us from an unseen and probably unreal threat. I've had the pleasure in Slovakia and particularly in Tisovec where we stayed of being embraced in a hug by many people. A friendship hug has a bonding effect between two people. Like the eye contact you can definitely tell the sincerity in an embrace. It was humbling to be greeted in such a manner in a blessed place as Slovakia. Here's another revelation: It's really not that hard to learn when you are in a culture surrounded by such common exchanges. A hug is most assuredly a universal and international language.
The three above mentioned languages are among the most common to humanity but are not given their due credit. Striving to perfect these attributes will gain you more friendships, business contacts and success in this world than all the gold available. Even if you fluently learn all the verbal languages in the world you will still not fair as well as if you just work on the above simple languages.
While in Slovakia I learned two other awesome languages that were expressed freely and sincerely there. I quickly learned that properly greeting a woman is to kiss here on both cheeks. Being from the middle of America this was very different to me yet curious. It's definitely not a common practice in the cultures of the United States of America. In Slovakia it seemed so proper and right for the people. May they never lose this tradition and may all visitors take it home to their native lands.
Now, I'm not a drinker by any means. An accident in the military twenty years ago stopped alcohol consumption dead in it's tracks. People definitely like their beer and wine in Slovakia. From the very hour I first entered Tisovec I was introduced to the tradition of a toast. Toasts are held in high regard in Slovakia and it bonds people together in conjunction with an occasion. After a meal upon arriving at the home of Mayor Peter Minac of Tisovec he introduced a toast between us. He did so with a true heart and it was good to see. In the United States we have toasts but not anywhere near the quantity and quality as I've seen in Slovakia. I admit, people did find it curious that I don't drink any alcohol but it was great to see how accommodating the people were to it. At any toast I was at there was mineral water there sitting next to the wine. That was cool on their part!
To understand each other as a human family is to study and learn the traditions and customs of each other. Even the smallest things of note can have a profound impact on your impression of a people. Visiting these wonderful people further enhances my belief and testimony that we have much to learn from each other. I pray for the day that I may one day return to the land of Slovakia. It would be a grand occasion to even bring my family there. May God preserve and protect this land and it's people.
Nestled in the Slavic Ore Mountains is the small community of Tisovec, Slovakia. I’ve had the privilege of visiting these wonderful people and to enjoy their inherent hospitality. Because of the deep and lasting experience I have had in this historic place it is a mission of mine to extend this to all who choose to hear. Bear with me as I try to detail not only the agenda of the visit but also my own personal feelings of the visit. Because of this interaction I have been enriched as a person in search of something greater.
Through the Sister City Foundation I’ve been presented with the opportunity to accompany eight others to Tisovec. As a member of the Shenandoah City Council I traveled to this remote place as an official representative of our southwest Iowa town. Minus the travel time we were there a total of five whole days. It was a fun visit for some, a reunion of friendships for others and for me a spiritual quest.
Looking dowtown. Famous bakery on left.
The trip there was a little grueling. A total airplane time was about twelve hours. Security and the Passport check areas were quite interesting also. Our landing in Amsterdam was my first in Europe. It wasn’t the most fun in the world. The passport lines left much to be desired as far as courtesy in concerned. But when you are meshing a thousand different languages and cultures that don’t know each other into one area what can you expect? After we landed in Budapest we were kindly greeted by our drivers from Tisovec. From there things went very well.
Driving to Tisovec from Budapest took a few hours. It was a pleasure to speak with Philip who is an EGT school student. He spoke english relatively well. Students in Slovakia are taught english early. These people have embraced that in order to compete and survive in the modern world you must learn the international language which is english. I found this an interesting truth among them. I’ll explain later.
I endeavored to soak in every detail I could of the scenery and the people I could experience. The homes and buildings are curious. The use of colors were refreshing to see. Some of these color combinations we in America would see as clashing with each other but is common there and I believe helps the growth and development of the young. We even past by a distant castle that was badly damaged by World War II artillery. The journey to Tisovec was well worth the wait.
We arrived in the evening on Wednesday and were each taken to our host family homes. I obviously cannot speak for the others from Shenandoah but I was warmly greeted at my arrival by Mayor Peter Mináč and his wife Katy. Upon a brief introduction I was escorted to their dinner table for some late evening food. The soup was great and even the Tisovec-style pizza. Peter Minac proceeded then to propose a traditional toast between us. In America we put little emphasis on sincere toastings so it was refreshing to see this so prevalent in Slovakia.
On Thursday we were blessed to visit EGT (Evanjelické gymnázium Tisovec) school. We quietly sat in on a final exam for English speaking. It was interesting to see the students explain and communicate in the english language. By the way, these students we witnessed in the final exam did graduate with their class that Saturday morning. Congratulations!
After the exam we were delighted to sit in on an English class instructed by Mgr. Ivana Skoncová who also became our constant interpreter for the duration of our stay in Tisovec. As part of her instruction she paired each of us up with a student in her class. She had nine freshmen students and there were nine of us. It was a perfect fit! The assignment was to interact and get to know each other along with a few questions to be answered. Being new to these people it was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn and understand these good people. This was a pivotal point for me and let me explain.
For anyone I meet its important for me to see them on a human level. I want to know that they experience the same problems the rest of us do in the world. I don’t remember the young lady’s name but I was paired up with a student in her freshman year of EGT. She was very open and every bit as curious of Americans as we were of them. So fluid was our conversation that she explained how she has suffered the divorce of her parents and that alcoholism has had its effect on the family. For many of us in the United States that is reason enough to give up and accept the futile life that we feel we’ve been given. Not so in this case. This young lady exhibited hope and drive to learn, expand and be all that she is able to be in this life. This experience proved to me that the young of this world are very much the same even given the various environments and cultures. She will never know but I thank her for the education she provided me in our conversation.
After the EGT trip we were treated to tour a sheep ranch called Salas Zbojská. They make cheese there of all different delicious flavors. I think I enjoyed the smoked cheese the best but it was all absolutely wonderful. We were warmly received there and in our tour silently knew the precious gem of experience this was. It was a gem because it was simple and pure in setting and operation. It was traditional and protected.
The sheep ranch ride!
Friday morning was rather rainy so our planned community service did not happen. Tisovec is experiencing dry conditions as well as Shenandoah so the rain was welcomed. In its stead we visited the museum of Vladimir Clementis and also the Tisovec museum inside the city building. We learned a lot about the rich history of this area and the people, notable and common, who made this place what it is. We also visited the local library and watched a Tisovec resident make dolls with corn shucks.
It's a "corny" idea but she's got talent!
Friday afternoon was the time that I’ve been nervous about for a couple weeks. After we were all suited up we joined the Tisovec Parliament in the city building for warm welcomes and gift exchanges. I can’t speak for the rest of the group who attended from Shenandoah but I was sweating bullets during my presentation address on behalf of the City of Shenandoah. Prior to these narrative exchanges we were entreated to singing and musical instruments. Also a young lady in traditional dress sang for us. She was excellent! She also performed again on another day. I don’t remember her name either but her courage to sing before complete foreigners was inspiring to me.
After these proceedings we adjourned to the outside in front of a school for our Friendship Tree planting ceremony. It was great to see the enthusiasm of Mayor Ing. Peter Mináč. It added a deeper meaning and bonding to the whole event. We are blessed to have his association in this partnership. The planting of a tree represents growth and the fruits of that growth. It is the establishment of a foundation of commitment. Being a simple guy from rural Iowa in the middle of the United States I was humbled to be a part of this occasion.
The Friendship Tree - a beacon unto the nations.
That evening Mayor Mináč and his wife Katy took me to the town of Hnúšťa for an event. There I met other notable people of government and business. I felt completely out of my league but Peter always made me feel welcome. Especially regardless of my short nature. The event consisted of an awards ceremony of various people for different civic and outstanding achievements. A drama group of six teenagers then presented a deeply touching play for us. Obviously I didn’t understand the language but I knew that it had meaning and effect on the audience. Afterwards I asked my interpreter what the play was about. His name was Peter who was a young man from the EGT school. The play depicted the occupation of Hungary and its effect on the Slavic people through the eyes of the young people. It was very interesting and humbling.
On Saturday I had experienced another revelation. We all suited up again and attended the EGT Graduation ceremony held at the Lutheran church nearby. Graduations from what I understand are relatively new in Slovakia and was adopted from the American tradition of acknowledging those completing school and moving on to higher education. They all had caps and gowns just like we have. They had moving songs and eloquent speeches. Going further they even had students weeping and crying at their own graduation just like American students. I understand that I am alone in finding this so interesting but I marvel at how small the world is and how connected we really are on a basic human level. They also topped off the event by tossing their caps in the air. Sound familiar...
That afternoon we were audience for a local folk dance group. I personally loved it! They even had a group of men playing the spoons! At the end of their presentation we were invited to the stage for some dance instruction. I don’t know about anyone else but this really brought to bear my “slight” overweight problem. Dancing takes a lot of work and I have a renewed respect for those who continue the practice.
We were all then taken to a city for a cancer benefit concert. This for me was an unforgettable event for me. This couple several years back lost their nineteen-year-old son suddenly to cancer. Since then they’ve established a foundation to raise funds to help children and families affected by cancer. It swelled my heart to hear the story as told by the parents. They told our group directly before we entered the concert hall. Several people with wet eyes, both American and Slavic, were obviously touched by the hand of cancer. Though a destructive condition it is another bond that all mankind shares. As we awaited the start of the concert I was deeply softened at heart toward a young boy in a wheelchair sitting front row center with his parents or grandparents. I will not go into detail what took place next but I am forever grateful for Ivana, our interpreter, for her service in what needed to be done at that specific time.
On Sunday we all attended the Lutheran church for services. The church is very old and modestly ornate. Jokingly, we’ve been told that the area Bishop declared this building as the coldest church in Europe. Having been there I tell you that it’s not the warmest place on earth. Still, it holds a special place for the Tisovec faithful to that religion. To them and others it is among the warmest places to be found. Being Lutheran, Ivana helped us understand the liturgy and the words to the songs in Slavic. Again, thanks to her expertise she helped us understand the people of Tisovec.
Lutheran Church in Tisovec dubbed
the coldest church in Europe.
After a traditional Slavic lunch each host family entreated their guest to an afternoon of activity. Peter and Katy invited me to go shopping with them at a brand new mall. Ivana accompanied us and again was most useful in interpretation. It was great having our photo taken there. Peter even got a bag of popped popcorn to share.
That evening our group entreated the host families and our beloved interpreter, Ivana, to dinner at a local pizzeria. We all got along very well and friendships visibly deepened as we knew the time has drawn near of our departure.
Monday morning was very busy. We first visited the art and music school. They have such talent there ranging the full spectrum of creativity. There were a few students who presented their talents to us using the piano and also the accordion. We then proceeded to the preschool and kindergarten classes a few blocks away. Those children were a joy to be around! Each class we attended prepared a song and dance presentation for us. They did so without fear and with great care and coordination. The teachers were very dedicated to their students as well.
After the school we walked a short distance to their waste water treatment facility. It was interesting. Being a part of the European Union (EU) has provided certain funding for upgrades for projects. Because of this their facility has updated technology with an excellent staff. From there we proceeded to the CSM Tisovec production facility. They produce telescoping excavating heavy machinery. Having a fluent english speaking tour guide there gave Ivana a little break which she really needed. The people of Tisovec are grateful for the success CSM has in their niche market.
We then convened to the school for lunch and to have a brief meeting with school officials to discuss the opportunities to further connect students from both cities. This meeting was very productive and we all left on equal understanding and commitment to the progress of the plans discussed. Finally, there was two or three hours of free time before we were all to meet at the Senior Center for an evening of food, friendship and sentiments of well wishes.
The evening began with warm exchanges between us. We were overjoyed when the Mayor presented all of us with certificates of mastery for our dancing efforts. He’s such a kidder! During our dining efforts to feed our stomachs we were delighted to a tour of the senior center. It’s an impressive operation.
I’ve made it a mission to learn all I could on this trip. I believe we all have something to learn from each other. Learning new perspectives, ideas and points of views can only lead to enlightenment and progress. EGT just celebrated their twentieth anniversary which coincided with the fall of communism there. Since this fall they’ve had a flood of technology and innovation cross their borders. This has served to their benefit because they have become a modern people yet have still retained their heritage and unique culture. This essential identity is exhibited in even the young who are full of hope and wanting to spread their wings in new opportunities. They will remember who they are and where they came from. I believe that many of us in the United States lack this benefit. We grasp and depend on every little innovation that comes along. In so doing many of us have belittled and lost our heritage and foundation of our beginnings. I hope that if this be the case for any of us in the United States that we will strive to long for that identity again and revive those traditions in our homes and communities that have preserved a people’s identity for hundreds and thousands of years.
At the end of our trip we visited Budapest which was a wonderful place. It was full of intricate architecture and history. Yet, the purpose of this article is to express the profound experience the people of Tisovec had on me and hopefully the entire group. It was worth more than all the gold in the world.
Budapest Parliament building as seen from Danube River.
I am eternally grateful to all those who have made this journey possible especially PhDr. Helena Pašiaková, Mayor Ing. Peter Mináč, Mgr. Ivana Skoncová and many others in Tisovec. From Shenandoah I especially thank Howard Killion for his dedicated efforts to the Sister City program.
Now that we’ve had this experience ingrained in our hearts the question is not where have we been but rather where are we going. For the sake of our young we cannot afford to treat this partnership lightly. So much can be learned. Both communities are rather small and in the rural setting. Great things can come from connecting our youth together that they may know that other like-minded people are out there on the other side of the world. They are just like themselves. They can talk together, gain lasting friendships, work on problems and even lean on one another for support in times of hardship.
Again, I thank these people and my God for this grand opportunity to meet our brothers and sisters on a land not so far away after all.
