Meeting the "Capitalist Infiltrated"

Ian and I had coffee today with my translator; today was the first time we've met her. We've only corresponded over email so far. She is a 62-year-old grandmother who was born in Olomouc, has permanent resident status in the U.S., and was labelled "capitalist infiltrated" in 1968. What an interesting life this woman has had, and what great stores she told us. Having lived through the various regime changes in her lifetime in this part of the world gives one incredible perspective.

I think I was most struck by her story of being a university student in the U.K. in 1968. She used the word "escape," that she was able to "escape" to the U.K. on a scholarship. However, had she emmigrated permanently, she was told that her family would be persecuted--especially her parents. They were teachers and they would not have been able to keep their jobs and would have a very hard life if she made the decision to leave. Her siblings similarly would have been in danger. And so she returned home, but in doing so was labelled "capitalist infiltrated." In other words, she had been exposed to ideas that would actively undermine the communist government and was a danger to society. She had trouble getting into school and finding work. However, her studies in medical ethics (interesting choice) preceded her and a faculty member at the Palacky University Medical faculty took her under his wing and she was able to continue her education and gain employment in the Medical faculty, where she worked until her retirement in 2004. She did research and published on linguistics, especially computer languages, and has great proficiency in languages--speaking at least 6 and understanding many more. Her latest language acquisition is Dutch. Now she does medical translation in her retirement. That's how I found her.

She is here in Olomouc for a long visit--but she can't stay here for more than 12 months at a time because she has permanent resident status in the U.S. So during the day she takes care of her 2-year-old granddaughter and her aging hunting dog and is in the process of writing a cookbook. She promised to send me some recipes! She is widowed twice. And I think she really enjoyed talking to us--two hours later we realized we should probably take our leave. She offered to show us around, take us on a train trip to see a nearby castle (a nearby castle!). And she told us where to get the best beer in Olomouc. Now that's my kind of capitalist infiltrated!