Prague Journal

Thursday, November 11, 2004.

Today is St. Martin’s Day, which apparently marks the maturing of the wine, but also the coming of winter. St. Martin brings the snow, and families gather at the Rotunda of St. Martin at Vysehrad (one of the oldest Roman churches in Prague (http://www.experienceprague.com/vysehrad.htm) carrying paper lanterns. This afternoon the tiny church was packed – speakers broadcast the service to the large crowd outside – as three priests gave a prayer service and blessed the Martins and their families.
I spent the early afternoon with Monika, another dynamic Czech woman. Monika is the only woman on the 16-member Board of Directors of the Czech Bar Association. She started her own law firm three years ago; now there are four partners, two women and two men. Monika claims that women’s attitudes have changed dramatically since the 1989 revolution. Before 1989, men and women worked side by side, so there was not much competition, but also not much ambition. Women lawyers and doctors still outnumber men. But after 1989 men saw new opportunities in business and money became a driving force. Women who had subordinated their career to their children had less opportunity than those who were more skilled or had more experience. As men “flew away” for perceived opportunities, many women were left on their own. Now more women are focused on being self-sufficient, learning from the unhappy examples among their mothers or aunts.
The Business Leaders Forum hosted a “Big Bandu” concert at the Hotel Diplomat, not far from our flat. In typical Czech fashion, we were served plenty of wine, beer, and food. The music was more jazz than swing, with classic American 40s hits. Most of the attendees were Czech, but I ran into Annette, whom I had seen earlier this week, and also Tanya, another woman I had met briefly seven years ago. Prague is such a small town.

posted by JWinn @ 11:53 PM