November editorial

It should be about All Souls Day. I have two souls-angels-my ancestors in a glass case and I light candles for them daily. Sometimes I ask them to help me. For example Mrs. Helenka Kovarikova- she used to come for fifteen years to do administrative work for me as a volunteer. How I miss her! Often I am asking my mother to help me with my cooking. She was a great cook and I took somewhat after her. Sometimes I ask my father about various practical topics, I ask my sister regarding music problems (she was an outstanding singer). I also ask her about various family problems.

Believe it or not- my souls are always helpfulbut I do not want to bother you with that- especially those who may not be believers. Today it is November 2 and we think about our ancestors- how they lived ( often very frugally, often overcoming hardships- they lived through WWI and WWII). I think about what they gave me and how they contributed to my life - they left a great deal. They brought me up to be well-mannered, to love children and old family members, to love every decent or handicapped person, to love all living things (see my book My Family and My Animals). They also taught me to pay attention and to be critical of iniquity and bad deeds that we might see around us.

I am very grateful to them... I can sleep in peace, my conscience is clear and I believe that THEY see me and that they help me when necessary

This would be the end of the November Editorial if I was not threatened with the possibility of ending all the pages. Even though we had changed in January from a printed to an internet form of our journal - it is not for free.

Therefore I am taking the liberty to ask you for your help Eva Strizovska

Dear Readers of Our Web Pages:

Thank you very much for reading our journal, for your opinions and ideas. Since January the readership of our new internet form of the Czech Dialogue doubled and it keeps growing constantly. I am very happy about that. I am especially grateful to those readers who contributed to its success. They are:

USA: Marie Dolanska, LUXEMBURG: Geoffrey Piper, NEW ZEELAND : Slava Trombik, AUSTRALIA: Marie Laytnova, SWEDEN: Blanka Karlsson, Ota Storch, Milos and Zdenka Havel, Jaroslav Sonsky, Jirina Klevstigh, the Koutny Family, SWITZERLAND: Dana Seidlova,Masa Exnarova, Majka Cron, Oldrich Cerny, AUSTRIA: Tom Vasicek, Rudolf Cainer, the Vadura Family.

This financial help had supported the edition of new promotional materials and covered expenses with the webpage during the first half of this year. Unfortunately in the second part of the year our financial resources are almost gone. We owe for rent for a small ( but inexpensive) room in the Klementinum, where we like to meet with you. We also have bills for the telephone, internet, cell phone, water and for other ordinary things like paper, ink for the printers, web page, etc. on the average the cost is 10 thousand crowns/month, and we all work for free.

It would be nice if we could find good people who would sponsor individual categories. Thus each article would be marked with its individual sponsors name. Sponsors - please write to us- you may chose your own category (e.g. Books, Travel, History, etc.) according to your personal preference! Your contributions in any amount- would go directly to the account of Cesky dialog/Czech Dialogue.. We promise that we would not use the money to travel to Mallorca - we are too busy to do that. We are working on the internet journal plus on other publications (Your beloved calendar Cesky kalendar is ready and is going to the printer. You may order it anytime.) We would also be glad to publish - for a small fee - your advertisement of a business or an announcement about a cultural activity that you are planning in your organizations, etc.

You may also become a sponsor of some other works-in-progress, e.g.: Talks Without Borders (Hovory bez hranic) . A collection of interviews of Martina Fialkova with interesting personalities who had been invited to lecture to us or whom we met around the world. The book is ready for the printer- we need money for printing and for graphics

From Eva Strizovskas writers workshop: Great Plains and Other Experiences - the third book about traveling in the USA and meeting good people. Among Our People in Australia experiencs from a three-month trip around Australia where Czechs live Lejdina and I- unbelievable stories and experiences with driving a 1938 car From an Editors Diary- sad and funny stories about the beginnings of the Czech Dialogue during the political and entrepreneurial boom of capitalism North and South America - what a Continent ! - the fourth book about a continent that intrigued the author very much My Family and My Animals a collection of humorous stories about the childhood and youth of the author in the 50s and 60s.

We do hope that our readers all over the world will continue to be interested in our work. You can help us to acquaint people with our/your journal and tell them about the existence of the International Czech Club (MCK). You can e-mail our interesting articles to your friends. Send us your opinions and wishes as to what the Czech Dialogue should write about, who to invite to speak to us at our monthly meetings of Talks Without Borders, etc. There is also room for your own original interesting articles. In short- the Czech Dialogue is here for you!

For the entire Editorial staff:

Eva Strizovska, Martina Fialkova

Translated by Marie Dolanska