CHRISTMAS TIME

U. K.

·         FOOD:

o   CHRISTMAS pudding (It’s a cake made of dark sugars, currants and raisins and often a nice dose of alcohol (brandy for example). It’s served hot with custard or team)

o   Turkey

o   Mince pies (MINCE  = type of meat – in hamburgers)

o   CHRISTMAS CAKE –  fruitcake,

o   „snowballs“ – US: egg nag (vaječný liker - - liker Advocaat + lemonade)

o    

·         Father Christmas

·          Say: “Happy Christmas”

·         Christmas Cracker – paper tube,  inside is  toy and paper cup or crown, open them  with the person next to you (and startling the dogs)

·         25^th  morning – rozbalování dárků

·         Boxing day –  26^th  -  day after Christmas ( rating, seeing family and relaxing after the busy  Christmas )

·         Christmas cards to everyone you know – they give Christmas cards to even those you see every

·         Christmas lights

·         EVERITHINS IS CLOSED  on Christmas Day (shops, restaurants, petrol station)

·         Kids write letters with wishes – then burn it – ash go to Father Christmas

·         Queen gives Christmas speech to England - established in 1932

·         Christmas music TRADITIONS:  song which is NUMBER ONE IN CHRISTMAS

U. S.

·         FOOD:

o   Pumpkin pie, marzipan, fruit cake, apple pie, pecan pie, coconut cake or sweet potato pie

o   Ham or roast beef ( usually NO Turkey – drier than chicken -  They have it recently  on Thanksgiving day)

o   EGG NAG - spiced egg-based drink + liquor (usually bourbon, rum or brandy)  ( UK:  snowballs)

·         NO CHRISTMAS CRACKES

·         Stocking ( socks) on the fireplace

·         Say: “Merry Christmas”

·         Santa (Santa Claus) – he is from old European legend from Netherlands – Sv. Mikuláš

o   Mrs. Claus

o   From North Pole

o   Reindeers

o   helpers

·         No boxing day – 26^th is normal working day

·         Christmas lights – lot of them, they are very extravagant and

·         NO Christmas music TRADITIONS

·         Kind write  letters with wishes to Santa

CZECH REPUBLIC

·         FOOD:

o   CARP soap

o   Fired carp, potato salad

o   Hot mulled wine

o   Punch

o   Mead

o   Egg liker

o   Baking lot of small pieces of sweets

o   And Christmas cake which is made from long pieces of dough and then  you braid (splétat)  those pieces together

·         5th December Sv. Nikolas Day

o   Three people dressed as angels, devils, and St. Nicholas

o   Parents call those tree to their homes – They give St. Nicolas list of good and bad thinks that kids have done during the year

o   Devil scares kids by taking them to hell

o   Angel is calming devil down and  advocate kinds

o   Kids have to sing a song or recite a poem and then they get some package with sweets and if they behaved bad they receive potato or coal

·         Kids write letters with wishes for baby Jesus

·         Baby Jesus give kids present at 24^th , after dinner

TRAVELING

WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING PART OG FLYING AND WHAT IS THE MOST BORING PART?

·         For me is the most interesting part when you pass the security check point. I feel like every time I pass this control I am really released. Even though I know that I have not any drugs, weapons or other prohibited items, I am quite surprise that I passed and everything went well.

·         The most boring part is definitely the time when you wait at baggage reclaim – especially after arrival. This is the very end of holiday or trip and after you get you baggage you just go home. 

WHERE DO YOU OFTEN HAVE DELAYS AND WHY?

I think this is the problem of very large airport in big cities. Even if those airports are big planes have to wait because there is only limited amount of planes that are allowed to take of or land. So the rest of those plane have to wait and this is how is happening that planes are late.   Or it could also depend on the distance of flight.  There could be some problems or bad weather conditions that caused that planes have delay.

IS THERE ANY PART THAT FRIGHTENS OR WORRIES YOU?

·         I am quite used to flying but despite this fact I am frightened of turbulences. I have two very bad experiences and in both cases I really thought I am going to die. Bought flights have been long distance flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  One from Dominican Republic and one from Miami. I must say than the flight from Florida was even worse. We had turbulences maybe for 3 of 4 hours. It started at the dining time so we didn’t get dinner and with empty stomach we tried survive huge falls and rises. I was holding my fathers hand and trying to fall asleep but after one hour I get really scared. And then I saw fly attended prayed - this was the moment when I really thought - we going to die.  But after 4 hours it became better and we eventually land safety.

WHAT DO YOU USUALLY DO DURING MOST FLIGHTS?

·         It really depend how long does the flight take. Usually I read, watch movies in PC, listening to music or just sleep.

DO YOU ALWAYS EAT THE FOOD TAT GIVE YOU?

·         Again it really depends on the food and length of the flight. If I have chance to eat at destination or I have no choice because we will fly for another 10 hours.

IS THERE ONE THING WHICH WOULD IMPROVE FLYING AND MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING?

·         Definitely bigger windows. I reckon that it is shame that in planes are so tiny window.

WOULD YOU PREFER A HOLIDAY IN A SEASIDE RESINECE OR HOLIDAY IN THE COUNTRY?

·         In my opinion it is good to change destinations and types of holiday. I am really not keen on laying on a beach whole day so in this case I would chose country and explore the nature my some hacking trip.

WOULD YOU PREFER TO STAY IN ONE PLACE, OR WOULD YOU RATER GO TO DIFERENT PLACES?

·         As I said I am fun of exploring new places and I would definitely want to go to many different places. Fortunately this is the way how we spent holiday with my family.

WOULD YOU PREFER TO SPENT TIME LAYING ON BEACH OR RATHER GO FOR LONG WALK?

·         I don´t like long walks that much but It is better than laying on a beach.  Firth of all I get really quickly bored and secondly am a with type person with very sensitive skin so I am not fan of sunbathing.

WOULD COU PREFER TO EAT IN RESTAURENCE OF HAVE A PICNIC IN THE OPEN AIR?

·         I like to go to restaurants especially abroad when I have the opportunity of trying new cousins.

WOULD YOU PREFER SOMEWHERE THAT WAS QUITE LIVELY, OR YOULD YOU RATHER GO TO A PLACE WHERE WAS PEACE AND QUIET?

·         These days I feel like people are everywhere and plus I live in Prague – biggest city and I have school actually in city centre so I have tendency to escape to some quiet and peaceful places.

FORESTS, GREEN PLANTS AND Photosynthesi

All green plants are autotrophy organisms – it means that they make its own sustenance (potravu).  Plants are capable of very important changes. Its can change carbon dioxide and water (by energy from the Sun) to sugar – glucose. They make it by very complicated process called Photosynthesis. This process is also very important for human’s life and other living organisms on the Earth. The very important fact about this process is that by these changes is made oxygen. Oxygen which is necessary for breathing. Other advantage is that plants use for this transformation carbon dioxide which is very dangerous greenhouse gas.  Thanks to Photosynthesis we can use fossil fuels. Fossil fuels were created from green plants many many times ago – but without Photosynthesis those plants would not exist at all.

So if we think about this we really need plants and forests – Its are necessary for our lives and not only ours. 

Especially nowadays I recon It is very important to consider things like SEPARATING WASTE or buying recycled items (like toilet paper, notebooks, est.) – because by this we can prevent deforestation.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

GEOHGHRAPHY

It is located in the middle of North America. It is bordered by Canada in the north and Mexico in the south.  It has two cost lines. First in the east, where is Atlantic Ocean and second in the west, where is Pacific Ocean. United States include 50 states.

RIVERS

                Main rivers in USA are Mississippi (Missouri), Saint Lawrence River, Rio Grande whose have outlet to Atlantic Ocean; Columbia, Colorado, whose have outlet to Pacific Ocean.

MOUNTAINS

                The Rocky Mountains are located in the west coast. It is mountain range from western Canada to USA state – New Mexico.

 In the coast run The Coast Range, The Sierra Nevada and The Cascade Range.

In the eastern are The Appalachian Mountains.

In USA are Great Lakes – four lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario) near the northeast border with Canada.

NACIONAL PARK

                USA has lot of national parks. I would like to introduce some of them. Places where I have been a couple years ago.

YOSEMITY NP

·         This park is situated to California State. It includes The Sierra Nevada Mountains and couple of very breathtaking waterfalls. The most beautiful view you can see from Glacier point.

There are also absolutely amazing waterfalls like Nevada fall, Vernal Fall.

 DEATH VALLEY NP

·         This park is located to the hottest, lowest and driest area.

GRAND CANYON NP

·         Very old, enormous and colourful canyon shaped by erosion and Colorado River.

ARCHIES NP

·         Nation park with unbelievable shapes of rocks. The best are Delicate Arch – natural piece of rock that looks like a window.

POLITICAL SYSTEM

The United States is a Constitution-based federal republic with a strong democratic tradition.  Lot of states have government system created top-down (from the most powerful and important institutions to lowers).

 BUT USA has historically different system – there were 13 individual colonies under British power – after 1776 War of independent - COLONIES won the independence. Each state has their own system. According to Constitution form 1789 was established a federation - creates basic of the federal government.  Since this time the Constitution didn´t change much – IT IS VERY DIFICULT TO CHANGE (approve of all states). Creators also wanted to have it TOTALLY DIFERENT form British one (they hate England).

1789 - BILLS of Rights – it is base for OSN Charta; lot of other countries was inspirited by this document about human rights.

Each state has an executive, a legislative and a judicial branch. Negative is that everything is very slow and complicated.

Executive Branch – the President of the United States

o   THE PRESIDENT

§  By time He has more and more power.

§  RIGHTS:

·         make treaties, sign or veto legislation, amnesty criminals, recommend measures to Congress, and appoint Supreme Court judges

§  CANNOST DO

·         call special elections, dissolve Congress, overrule the Constitution

Legislative Branch – Congress (the Senate + House of Representatives)

·         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE

o   435 members, based on population of states

o   Elections every two years

o   Lower chamber

o   Work in comities (same specialization throw the parties)

o   perform legislative and investigation functions

·         THE SENATE

o   100 members

o    each state has 2 Senators (no matter the size)

o   Upper chamber

o   6-year term – Elections every 3 year (changes 33% of the Senate)

o   confirm most Presidential appointments

Judicial Branch - The Supreme Court (the highest one)

Political elections are created by major system (In CR – The president and Senate). This system is very politically stabile – it usually let only two biggest parties to compete (The Democratic Party   - OBAMA and The Republican Party - ROMNEY.  It not allowed any small or extreme parties. This system could be very unmotivated for people because it did not reflect their wishes.

 

MAJOR CITIES

SAN FANCISCO

This charming city is situated in the west coast in California State.  Usually, it is known for magnificent bridge – GOLDEN GATE bridge and famous prison Alcatraz.  There is a very popular Chinatown and cable cars system (tram). It has about 825 000 people. It was founded on June 29, 1776 by Spanish colonialists, whose build there a fort (pevnost). Thanks to The California Gold Rush (half of 19. Century) - this city developed very quickly. Some  parts of the city was destroyed by earthquake and big fire – but also very quickly rebuilt During Second world war It was major harbour for ships in Pacific Ocean.  There is very usual foggy and rainy weather (as you can see on those pictures above) and cool summers.