Easter? We, Slavs, Beat Up Girls

Foreigners who come to live in Czech Republic for a longer period of time are often surprised or even shocked when they learn abou Czech Easter traditions. We don't hide-and-seek Easter eggs. To put it simply, guys celebrate and girls have to struggle to survive. :o) On Easter guys get their wickers with colorful bows on the ends and go to visit their female relatives, friends, girlfriends, neigbors etc. etc. Everytime they come to someone's door and the girl comes out, they "whip" her with the wicker on her butt and yell out the traditional poem that guys are supposed to say at that moment. Mostly it means "give me your painted egg and if you don't have a pained one give me an ordinary WHITE one". Yes, I know that eggs are normally brown but many years ago they were white. Then the girl gives each guy an egg. Younger guys get chocolate eggs, older guys and men VERY OFTEN get a shot of vodka or something. So at the end of the day most of the guys are trashed.


HIH To err is Aussie: directors ape HIH

Several of the practices that led to the downfall of HIH are in widespread use by Australian boards.
Justice Owen shows how, when combined in the HIH circumstances, they can be a lethal cocktail.
On paper, at least, the HIH board was by no means Australia's worst.
But Australian directors have great problems governing overseas businesses when they turn sour.
Owen reveals HIH lost $1.8 billion in the UK and the US – three times the losses on FAI. When HIH's UK branch was established in 1993 there was no evidence that the board contributed to a business plan.
Perhaps that's why it extended into film financing, personal accident cover to the Taiwanese military, and motor vehicle insurance – without terrorism exclusions – in Israel. Australian companies need to expand overseas, but they need the right skills and a clear strategy.
· HIH History [ News]