• In elementary school, I wasn’t overly bothered by the physical nature of bullying. What really got under my skin was the hatred in their eyes. Ally Kennelfry*, Jell Ruleimi*, and their leader, Jean Hopenix* – this trio were Holy Rosary’s mean girls in my day. I still remember seeing the disgust in their eyes when I would catch their stare. Following their lead was the class alpha-male, Canon Sooner*. What shocked me the most was when I bumped into them individually – they would be nice all of a sudden. But as soon as they were together their nastiness came out like fireworks. On a few occasions I witnessed how herd behavior manifests itself, when kids turn from observers to participants. The students would feed off of collective hysteria and find themselves as fellow bullies. Thankfully, by the seventh and eighth grade new kids joined our class. As they became new targets, the bullies attention diverted away from me. Maybe puberty had a part to play, as well.
• I had to deal with a lot of anger issues from the many years I spent in that war zone. I had built up many layers of defense, The problem is that the bullied often becomes the bully. I first realized this when my cousin Roman pulled me aside after swim practice one day. I had joined the Burlington YMCA swim team when I was eleven years old. Roman started six months later. He said that the other kids didn’t like me because I was being mean to them. I was shocked to hear that, and it became a turning point in my behavior. I started to be nicer to everyone on the swim team, realizing that I needed to segment my behavior from school.
• Being bullied either makes you stronger, or it can break you down. I often look back at those years and feel that I kept my sanity because I had three sets of friends: Those on the swim team, my Czechoslovakian friends, and then there were the school kids. Since I was only hated at school, I managed to rationalized that the problem wasn’t in me.
• When I watch movies with an antagonist, I often wonder if real life bullies identify with the villain, or with the hero. I have always identified with the hero, even if I have played both sides at different stages in my life.
*Names have been modified to protect the guilty.
• Digital Photo Restoration
• 6 minutes 8 seconds
94 – Prague · Gabriel Dusil (Rocc Computers)
93.Nov – Prague · Gabriel Dusil (empty beer)
93.Nov – Prague · Gabriel Dusil (cigar & beer)
94.Jun – Prague · Gabriel Dusil95 – Prague · Gabriel Dusil96 – Burlington · Gabriel Dusil (sleeping)97.Aug – Prague · Gabriel Dusil99.Oct – Antigua · Gabriel Dusil (beach)99.Sep.25 – Prague · Gabriel Dusil (wedding reception)99.Sep.25 – Prague · Gabriel Dusil (wedding, getting ready)
• The summer before going to high school terrified me. I had anxiety in anticipation of five more years of bullying. In the first week of my freshmen year I breathed a sigh of relief after realizing all the kids that had bullied me went to a different high school. I started with a clean slate, and established new friendships.
• I had five great years at Aldershot High school. I made friends that have lasted a lifetime. I was also lucky to have an older cousin, and a few tough friends to create a protective aura throughout middle school. While swimming throughout my teens I decided to try my hand at Karate, and a bit of weight lifting in between to stay in shape. In hindsight we were all lucky to be in a relatively calm social environment in Burlington, Ontario compared to the level of youth aggression experienced in metropolitan cities.
• Gabičko
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• Physics was my passion as far back as high school. It’s thanks to Mr. V. Cantlon, my grade 13 physics teacher from Aldershot Secondary School. He was also my favorite teacher from middle school. The subject wasn’t particularly my strong point, but I felt I enjoyed the subject enough to pursue it into my undergraduate studies.
• My other favorite teacher was Mrs. L. Tessler, my ninth and eleventh grade English teacher, giving me the passion to express myself in words. Mrs. Tessler had the most wickedly teaching voice. It hypnotized me every time I listened to her, going as far as falling in love with her voice. I always wanted to impress her with my writing skills. But I could never seem to exceed an 80% grade on my essays. It wasn’t until I read the words of a 90% English student that I realized what it takes to get to the next level.
• Gabičko
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86 – Burlington · Gabriel Dusil, Tim Steele & Doug Little (Aldershot High School, lockers)86 – Burlington · Tim Steele, Gabriel Dusil & Doug Little (Aldershot High School, lockers)87.Jun – Burlington · Mr. Cantlon, Eva & Gabriel Dusil (high school graduation)87.Jun.11 – Burlington · David Forsyth, Gerry Galea, Drew Schemmer, Doug Little & Gabriel Dusil (high school prom)87.Jun.11 – Burlington · Doug Little, Gerry Galea, Drew Schemmer, Gabriel Dusil & David Forsyth (high school prom)87.Jun.11 – Burlington · Blake Paterson & Gabriel Dusil (high school prom)97.Dec – Burlington · Geoff Baxter, Gabriel Dusil, Ian Hawkins, Doug Little & Drew Schemmer (christmas party at Drew’s, 1)97.Dec – Burlington · Geoff Baxter, Gabriel Dusil, Ian Hawkins, Doug Little & Drew Schemmer (christmas party at Drew’s, 2)99.Sep.22 – Prague · Doug Little, Geoff Baxter & Drew Schemmer (stag)99.Sep.25 – Prague · Doug Little, Geoff Baxter & Drew Schemmer (wedding, best men)
• Introduction by Eva Dusil • Editing by Gabriel Dusil • 2014 November
• My early inspiration to veterinary medicine was from a veterinary student named Karel Šestak. He was renting a room in our apartment, and was studying at our local Veterinary College. Thanks to him I knew that I wanted to be a veterinarian. I was ten years old at the time. When I told him my aspirations, he smiled, as if not believing in a young girl’s dream. But he wished me well. Little did he know that one day we would become professional colleagues. Karel lived in our apartment until he graduated. He married the neighbor’s daughter and went on to work as a county veterinarian not far from where we lived.
• I was in ninth grade when I decided which middle school to attend. At that time in Czechoslovakia, we had two types of middle school. There were high schools called “gymnasium”. They prepared students for academic university studies such as engineering, law or medicine. Gymnasium is where the intellectuals went, and were viewed by the communists as the future leaders of the country. Then there were ‘technical’ schools for machinery, administration, or agriculture. Veterinary studies at the time was not considered an intellectual discipline because it fell under the umbrella of farming and husbandry. It was possible to attend university from a technical middle school, but it was much harder to get in. Luckily a veterinary technical school called Poľnohospodárska Technická Škola (PTŠ) was close by my home, on the outskirt of the city. I began my studies there in 1960. Little did I know that my future husband had just finished his final year at the same middle school, three months earlier.
• Mamička
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• Introduction by Eva Dusil • Editing by Gabriel Dusil • 2014 November
• According to communist propaganda, only rich people could attend university in the West. They told us many lies, trying to convince us that Socialism was superior to Capitalism. Constant propaganda brainwashed citizens in believing that the West was an evil imperialist empire. History has told a different story. Either way, the borders were essentially closed to the public, except for a select few who were allowed to travel and see the real picture with their own eyes. This included politicians and top athletes. Communist leaders told us that they were protecting our borders from the evil capitalists. But the ongoing joke was asking why border guns were facing their own citizens, and not the enemy.
• The younger generation believed much of what was told to them. When you grow up seeing, hearing, and reading propaganda, you believe it. Especially when you don’t know any different. Most citizens didn’t have any idea what the West was like. When we finally immigrated to Canada in 1969, our stories filtered back to family and friends in Czechoslovakia. The Canadian government offered us English language courses for free, and financial help get us on our own feet. We bought a cheap camera and took pictures among the fruit stands of a grocery store, to show our parents we weren’t starving. In those days our friends and family had to line up for toilet paper, potatoes, bread and other daily necessities. Store shelves in Eastern Europe were practically empty. Once in Canada, our eyes finally opened to the success of democracy and freedom. It was hard for the Communists to keep that a secret.
• Dusil
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• During our first week of orientation, the keynote speech was delivered by the Dean of Engineering. He told us to look to our left, then then to our right, “Before the first term is completed one of you won’t be here anymore.” That prediction ultimately came to fruition.
• In the first year we were taught the fundamentals of science, math, and technology. Essentially it was to equalize all freshmen into the program, from varying levels of high school education across the country (and abroad). If you made it past the first year you picked an Engineering discipline. I distinctly remember asking my cousin which one to choose. It was a Friday evening in the summer of ’88. We were waiting at the entrance of The Phoenix pub, at McMaster University. I told him I was on the fence to choose Engineering Physics or Electrical Engineering. He was entering his fourth year of Electrical Engineering at McMaster University. He said that if I chose electrical then I could potentially work for a big company like Bell Canada – the incumbent telecommunications operator in Canada. But I cringed at the thought, imagining that I would be installing telephones for the rest of my life. At that very moment I decided to go into Engineering Physics. I reasoned that if I started in the hardest discipline then I could transfer to an easier one in the middle of my studies with minimal damage to my established course prerequisites. After four years in the undergraduate program, only 18 students graduated from the 40 that started.
• In the late 80’s there was an unwritten hierarchy to engineering disciplines: Physics was considered the top, followed by Electrical. Mechanical was in the middle and Civil was somewhere at the bottom. The rest: Chemical, Material Science, and Computing fit somewhere in between. This categorization may cause emotional outbursts, but it was my observation when talking to other students.
• I wanted to study Physics because I loved the subject. That passion came from my grade 13 Physics teacher, Mr. Cantlon – a phenomenal teacher. His lessons were a work of art. I also migrated to Engineering because I was good at math. So Engineering Physics seemed the perfect fit for me. But it wasn’t long after graduation when I felt I had chosen the wrong path. My personality was more inclined to business. Pursuing a Master’s degree or PHD in Physics was out of the question – the undergraduate program was hard enough, and another two to four years would have probably broken me. Joking aside, I also realized I didn’t want to work in a nuclear power plant for the rest of my life. In hindsight I felt my cousin was right all along, and I should have gone into Electrical from the beginning. The employment options would certainly have been better. Even though many of my courses were shared with electrical engineering students, I never quite grasped the intricacies of their topics to the same intuitive level as they had. But I have no regrets. I never really had the passion to be a career engineer.
• As things turned out, I migrated to marketing and sales roles in the years that followed. University taught me mental endurance, how to learn, how to work hard, and it motivated me to pursue my life goals. Engineering Physics gave me a unique ability in marketing and sales to understand complex IT (Information Technology) topics and translate those concepts for business decision makers. I often considered myself strengths in being a liaison between the technical world and the business world. A manager once told me early in my career, “Gabriel, if you can understand it, then everyone will.” So I always wrote proposals, presentations, and articles, with the confidence that as long as I can explain it to myself, then everyone reading my work will also understand.
• Gabičko
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87.Sep – Kingston · Doug Little & Gabriel Dusil (Queens University, frosh week)87.Sep.6 – Kingston · Alica & Gabriel Dusil (Queens University campus)87.Sep.6 – Kingston · Alica & Gabriel Dusil (Queens University)88.Sep – Kingston · Gabriel Dusil & Jim Little (Queens University, frosh week)91.May.31 – Hamilton · Roman & Gabriel Dusil (McMaster University, graduation, Convocation Ceremony)91.May.31 – Hamilton · Vašek Vasak, Gabriel & Eva Dusil (McMaster University, graduation, Convocation Ceremony)
• Documents & Articles
91.May – Hamilton · Gabriel Dusil (McMaster University, Engineering, Obligation)92.Mar – Hamilton · Tracking UFOs At Sea92.Mar.24 – Hamilton · Taking Their Research On the Road92.Jun – Hamilton · Radar Research Takes to the Road
• These articles are from a research project where I worked as a junior engineer, after graduating.
• On the 26th of September 2015, the Slovak Judo Association held an event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Judo in Košice. Twelve members were honored, who were instrumental in building the foundations of Košice Judo over six decades. This is my speech I prepared for the event.
• English Translation
I would like to thank Judo Košice for honoring my father, Vaclav Dusil.
From childhood I admired my father, and I have admired him my whole life.
My father studied veterinary medicine in Košice and was the only student to graduate with honors. Together with my mother they established a successful veterinary practice, that exists to this day.
Before emigrating to Canada, my father won many awards in Judo and received his second degree black belt. He was a national champion in Slovakia, and in the 60’s became head coach of Lokomotiva Košice. My father was very popular among judoka, his fellow colleagues in university, in business and especially among friends and family.
He married the best wife and the best mother in the world. To have a better future for his family, we immigrated to Canada to begin a new chapter.
Not only was Vaclav the best father in the world, but also the best man I ever knew.
Thank you once again for your honoring my father, Vaclav Dusil.
• Slovak Original
Začiatkom môjho príspevku by som sa rád poďakoval Judo Košice za špeciálnu cenu pre môjho otca, Vaclava Dusila.
Môj Otec je mojim nekonečnými vzorom. Od detstva som ho obdivoval a budem ho obdivovať cely môj život.
Štúdium na veterine v Košiciach skončil ako jediný študent s červeným diplomom, ktorý mu pomohol v budúcností rozvíjať svoje schopnosti. S mamou založili úspešnú veterinárnu kliniku ktorá existuje dodnes.
Pred tým ako emigroval do Kanady, získal v jude veľa ocenení a získal 2 Dan. Bol majstrom Slovenska a v 60tych rokoch sa stal hlavným trénerom Lokomotívy Košice. Môj otec bol veľmi obľúbený medzi judistami, v skole, v biznise ale aj medzi priateľmi a rodinou.
Oženil sa s najlepšou ženou a najlepšou mamou na svete. Kvôli mne a mojej budúcej sestre, aby sme mali lepšiu budúcnosť, emigroval do Kanady kde začali svoj život od nuly.
Pre mňa nebol len najlepší otec na svete ale bol to najlepší človek akého som kedy poznal.
Ešte raz vám ďakujem za vaše ocenenie môjho otca, Vaclava Dusila.
• Košice Judo
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• Introduction by Eva Dusil • Editing by Gabriel Dusil • 2014 November
• I loved animals from the moment I was born. At least that’s what my mother told everyone. Anything on four legs fascinated me. When the circus arrived to my town of Košice, Slovakia, I was the first to run to the park. I watched with longing as the circus performers did their chores, wanting to be part of their daily routine. Other children rushed to see as the circus unfolded. My little heart trembled in the hopes that someone would call out, “Hey, you… Yes you… Come over here and help us!”
• The big moment arrived when they opened to the public and I could finally see the animals. I never had money to buy a ticket, but somehow I always managed to sneak in without being noticed. This was the place of my dreams. It was where I belonged. I loved the smell of horses, monkeys, and the wild cats. The smell of hay was the sweetest smell and remains so till this day. In the morning they would feed the lions and tigers and clean the beautiful Lipizzaner horses. The monkeys screeched as I walked by their cages. There was excitement in the air. I was in heaven.
• Finally the day arrived when my mother took me to the circus. It was a moment of great anticipation. With the little money we had I didn’t experience many circus performances, but this one was magnificent. Since I was a lively child it was difficult to keep me seated for long. I was ready to disappear into the stables at any moment. Nobody could stop me from going to see the horses. All I wanted was to caress and talk to them. I had no fear. I would hug them, blow gently on their nose, touch them as far as I could reach and watch those beautiful dark eyes as they followed me. I was one with them and never wanted to leave.
• Mamička
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• Introduction by Eva Dusil • Editing by Gabriel Dusil • 2014 November
• When I was accepted at the University of Guelph to attend the Ontario Veterinary College, my mother had settled down with the assurance that I would finally finish my studies. It was my promise to her before we left Košice. Within a relatively short time I made friends in the dormitory. I was surprised how dedicated my classmates were to their studies. It was in stark contrast to the college in my home town, where few students would attend lectures. The atmosphere in Guelph was very collaborative, and everyone was ambitious. Students took their studies seriously. They knew that studying hard was for a better future. I realized how lucky I was that I was accepted into the program. My colleagues explained to me that the University of Guelph was one of the most sought after schools, and one of the hardest to get in.
• At the time, there were only two other universities offering veterinary degrees: Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and the Université de Montréal, Quebec. Candidates were admitted to the program based on their scholastic achievements – not based on knowing the right person in high ranking positions, as was the practice in Czechoslovakia. Competition into the college was fierce. Moreover, in those days less than 10% of the students were girls. Once I graduated I felt that a new phase in my life had begun. I was in a new country, speaking a new language, and part of a new economic and political ideology. I would finally become what I dreamed of since I was a child – to cure animals.
• Dusil
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• After graduating from university I treated myself by visited my friend Robert Fridrich in Prague. He had arrived two years earlier to teach English. By the time I visited in June of 1991 he was starting Mac Source, an Apple reseller business with two partners, Tony Hasek and Glen Emery. I witnessed how the market was developing and the opportunities to make a fresh start. My challenge as a fresh graduate was entering the workforce in the middle of a North American recession. After struggling for over a year to get my career off the ground, I gave up on Canada decided to move to Europe. I arrived in Prague on the 21st of September 1993. Although I was grateful for my Canadian education, I ran out of patience and became apprehensive of the fact that my brain capacity was in perpetual state of decay. Besides, I saw the move as an opportunity to reconnect with my cultural roots. At twenty five I was ready for a tangential change to my life.
• Success is often defined by “time and place”. In 1993 I felt I had arrived late to the Czech Republic. In hindsight it was perfect timing. I was confident, ambitious, and brash, but had little experience in corporate business. I remember what Rob asked me, driving home after picking me up from the airport, “So what do you think you’re going to do here?” Clenching my teeth I said , “I’ll get a job.”
Chapters
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94 – Prague · Gabriel Dusil (Rocc Computers)
Gabriel Dusil • Time Is Relentless 