Final+Slovakia+Project+Paper

Czechoslovakia No Longer- Slovakia
 * Slovakia Symbol: High Tatras (Mountain Range)**




 * Slovakia Literature- Song lyrics: Unofficial Anthem "V Dolinách"**

Slovak text of the song : V dolinách - kvitne kvet, ktorý lásku nám dáva jeho jas v tmavom ráne vždy svieti ako brieždenie V dolinách - lesný med vonia viac ako tráva na svahoch túlia sa ovčie stáda V domoch pieseň znie

V dolinách - Človek sám svoju prírodu chráni Každý strom, každá lúka na stráni je náš vzácny liek V dolinách - ľudia nemajú zamknuté brány Majú tam srdcia čisté a vľúdne ako prúdy riek

Je to kraj kde prísne štíty hôr Ticho dolín múdro strážia Pokým slnka lúč zazvoní na jarné zvonce ovčích stád Je to kraj kde ráno vstáva skôr Kde sa drevo z hory tíško zváža Je to Slovensko čarovné hrdé Mám ho rád

V dolinách - kvitne kvet, ktorý lásku nám dáva jeho jas v tmavom ráne vždy svieti ako brieždenie V dolinách - lesný med vonia viac ako tráva na svahoch túlia sa ovčie stáda V domoch pieseň znie

V dolinách - Človek sám svoju prírodu chráni Každý strom, každá lúka na stráni je náš vzácny liek V dolinách - ľudia nemajú zamknuté brány Majú tam srdcia čisté a vľúdne ako prúdy riek


 * Hawaii Symbol: (Pacific Ocean)**



The ocean was extremely essential to the ancient Hawaiians and played a prominent role in their culture, lifestyle, and everyday activities. The ocean and water in general is extremely important to Hawaii. Hawaii is an island isolated from the rest of the world by a vast ocean surrounding us on all sides.


 * Hawaii Literature: Haiku about the ocean**

//Turquoise hues glisten// //Liquid chills crash on itself// //Droplets bounce skyward//

A Haiku poem is a perfect example of a piece of literature to describe Hawaii and its culture. A Haiku poem, originally created in Japan. This poetic form represents the varying diversity and cultural clashes on the island. The poem itself talks about the ocean to further emphasize the importance of the ocean in our everyday lives.

Compare & Contrast As a child of Hawaii, I believe that the ocean is a symbol that can be used to encompass the majority of Hawaiian traditions and culture. The ocean defines out lifestyle. It shapes the economy, separates us from the rest of the world, and provides an abundance of life that is incorporated in our every day lives. Hawaii is an independent island that is bursting with a variety of different cultures, ethnicities, and traditions. As a child of Hawaii, I find that we are very accepting and friendly towards everyone regardless of race, gender, age, or religion. Values and cultures of Slovakia were illuminated during communication with my partner through the use of a symbol and piece of literature. I have observed that the people of Slovakia like to be seen as independent. At one point in time the Czech Republic and Slovakia were united as one entity- Czechoslovakia. The people began to recognize differences in their culture and as a result, dissolved their country into two. I have hypothesized that Slovakia does not like to be associated with the Czech Republic and would rather be seen as its own unique and independent country. The High Tatras symbolize hope, and a way of running away and escaping over the mountain, in this case, creating their own culture and running away from their ties with the Czechs. They even cast aside their national anthem due to its affiliation of the time the two countries were united as Czechoslovakia. In its place a new unofficial anthem was adopted. Hawaii is largely a water and ocean based community. Our lifestyle revolves around the ocean. If we want to travel anywhere other then around the island, we must find ways of traveling over or upon the ocean itself. In Slovakia, the nearest ocean is miles away. It is not a water-based community but instead, a mountain based one. Fishing is replaced with farming and herding sheep, and water sports such as surfing and paddling are replaced with skiing, hiking, and rock climbing. There are many cultural differences as well as physical/geological differences between our countries. Hawaii is very open and diverse; socially accepting of all races, cultures, and ethnicities. Slovakia may not necessarily be lacking in friendliness and hospitality, but they appear to be proud of their independence, thus being a little less accepting toward other cultures.

Essential Question In reviewing a symbol and song from Slovakia, I have begun to question how these two representations of Slovakia show the deeper aspects of Slovakian culture. After discovering that the people of Slovakia preferred an unofficial national anthem to their official one, I began to question if this was caused by the official song's association with the time Slovakia and the Czech Republic were combined as one country-Czechoslovakia? Does Slovakia relate to the Czech Republic at all? Do they define their country as a whole other entity and culture that cannot be compared with the Czech Republic even though they were once combined? How can a country once combined be divided into two separate countries? How did these drastic differences arise in order for the dissolution to occur in the first place? These are all important questions that better define Slovakia's culture. After learning about Slovakia and its culture, I was able to discover and understand a few of Slovakia's many gifts to the world. After learning about Slovakia's association with mountains and their preference to an unofficial national anthem, I have determined that Slovakia's gift to the world is hope, courage, and striving for freedom and independence. A symbol that encompasses the main values and culture of Slovakia is the High Tatras or Mountain Range that divides Slovakia from Poland. The mountains symbolize hope, as anything is possible. These mountains are highly treacherous and start with meadows and flat farmland that suddenly protrude to over 20,000 feet high. Climbing these mountains is extremely dangerous but reaching the summit is possible and continues to be a symbol for hope and possibility. The High Tatras also symbolize courage for in the past, it was the main passageway of escape from Poland. It took a tremendous amount of courage for the people of the past to over come their fears and trials in life, take matters into their own hands, and run away to a new land with endless possibilities. They saw the mountains as a passage to new possibilities, and continued to hope for a better future. Slovakia's adoption of an unofficial national anthem proves that Slovakia is determined to remain its own independent country. Slovakia, once combined with another country, stove to break free, accepted their own unique culture and created a new country where they could be independent. They show tremendous strength, courage, belief in hope, and strive for freedom. These are Slovakia's gifts to the world. Piece of Literature //One stanza translation (unofficial):// //In valleys - a man is protecting his nature,// //every tree, every meadow at the hillside is our valuable pill (medicine).// //In valleys people do not have locked their doors (gates),// //Over there they have their hearts pure and affable (nice) as flow of the rivers.//

After further conversation with my Slovakian partner, I realized that I made a grave mistake. While I interpreted Slovakia's choice of the unofficial anthem as a way of separation and disassociation from the Czech Republic-I was deeply wrong. My Slovakian partner explained to me that they viewed their ex-unified country, the Czech Republic as fellow brothers and sisters. The reason for their preference in the unofficial anthem was not to disassociate from the Czechs, but simply because they valued the meaning of the lyrics more than that of the lyrics in the original song. A translation of a small part of the lyrics above, emphasize their love of their land, their love of nature, and their pride as Slovakians. The official anthem emphasized war and conflicting times. Although Slovakians view their neighboring Czechs as brothers and sisters, they are still proud of their independence as Slovakians, although they will be there for the people of the Czech Republic if they were ever in need. This final piece of literature as tied together many elements of Slovakia that I never knew until now. Slovakia is a beautiful country that glorifies its nature and mountains. The mountains are a place of protection, not of separation. The High Tatras are a symbol of hope of a good life. The unofficial anthem is not about disassociating itself with the time of Czechoslovakia, but valuing the lyrics about land, love, and peace.