Friday, December 31, 2004.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Today is called Silvestr because it is Silvestr’s name day, the last day of the year. Buses are on holiday schedule. Banks and post office are closed, and most stores near us are also closed for the weekend. It rained last night, but the sky was lovely this morning, overcast but pretty. Our apartment is particularly pleasant because we have a nice view of the city. From the window overlooking my computer desk I can see the spires of the Castle and, of course, the Žižkov tower. One of Prague’s most interesting and controversial buildings, it’s a TV tower that rises 216 meters above the working class quarter of Žižkov. The popular story is that it is a communist era relic built to jam media signals from the West, but in fact it wasn’t actually completed until 1992.
So today we bid goodbye to 2004. We are blessed with good friends and good fortune. Despite the fact that the dollar is at an all-time low, we are doing fine. We are land-locked with little danger of earthquakes, tsunamis or hurricanes. Granted, Prague had massive floods two years ago, but chances of recurrence are remote, especially at this time of year. We will thankfully be spared any presidential campaigning in 2005. We pray for an end to senseless conflict, not just in Iraq but everywhere. We are grateful that we and our children are in good health, and pray for good health for our parents, relatives and friends.
Our last evening of the year was spent with our dear friends Charlotte and Bruce. At the table were old friends Michele and Barbara, and new friends Amy and Maggie. Barbara, who has been in Prague off and on since 1965, is the author of “The Velvet Philosophers”, the story of Czechoslovakia's underground universities, and is now Executive Director of the Prague Society for International Co-operation; Michele is Director of Broadcasting for Radio Free Europe (which doesn’t broadcast to Europe anymore!) Amy and Maggie are young students from Chicago who are visiting Prague for the week. Actually, Amy is from Ohio and Maggie is from Reno, but both are working and enrolled in graduate programs at the University of Illinois Chicago Circle, Amy in environmental chemistry and Maggie in linguistics.
Bruce hauled out the grill once again, this time for a rib roast, at least as good as any first class restaurant. Of course we were hardly hungry, having consumed so many tasty hors d'oeuvres. But we rallied for dessert, obviously just to be polite. Around 11:30 p.m. six of us went to a party in Mala Strana (“Lesser Town”) to welcome the new year with dancing and music. The Czechs seem to enjoy setting off fireworks as much as they like drinking beer or hunting for mushrooms. There have been intermittent fireworks displays over the last several weeks, but tonight there were rockets and firecrackers everywhere – Letna, Petřin Hill, Old Town Square, in many streets and on the bridges.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004.
Rick and I are both struggling to meet end-of-the-year deadlines for a few of our projects. He’s farther along than I am, but we are both putting in time on the computer. It’s hard to believe how fast this fall has gone. We’ve both been incredibly busy, and are enjoying the stuff we’re working on (mostly). Eva had sent me her notes for corrections to one of our case studies, but I will not have it done in time to send her today.
Eva had invited us to dinner at her house at 6 p.m. and we didn’t want to be late. The Czech custom is to be prompt, not like in the US, so we have learned to plan ahead (mostly). Twins Adam and Suza are now 16 and both have been taking English in school, so we had an easy conversation. Even Hunsa could understand most of what was said without translation, although Eva and Adam were ready with explanations on both sides when necessary. The older son was out for the evening, so there were just six of us at the table. We had delicious fish soup (really vegetable soup in fish broth) to start the meal. Eva was kind enough to serve, as sort of an antipasto, some fried carp and potato salad left over from Christmas eve dinner. Rick and I thought it was delicious. Of course, carp is like many other bland fish, where the preparation is everything. Carp is a bony fish, so we had to eat carefully! The main mean was more traditional Czech cooking, meat with good sauce, rice and cooked vegetables, followed by a modest salad. As usual, there were many desserts. Suza had made a strudel (really, an apple roll with nuts and raisins), probably because Eva knows how much Rick and I love the strudel here. We were also served several kinds of Christmas cookies, most of which were hard to resist. We are so blessed with Czech friends here. My dream is to retire with enough money to fly between continents for dinner with my Czech friends, Denver and Boise friends, and California and Colorado family, at whim.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004.
Eunice is preparing for her trip to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week, so Brad and I went to her factory to plan a tentative sales strategy. Brad had not seen her factory or listened to her amplifiers, so it was nice to show him around. He’s not so much an audiophile as he is a techy and he understands marketing. He’s willing to help Eunice at CES if they can work out a reasonable plan. It’s an 11th hour effort, but miracles do happen.
Most neighborhoods are fairly quiet this week, but Old Town Square is still festive, with entertainment on the stage every night. There’s a “fairy tale” puppet show for children at 6 p.m., usually followed by singers or choral groups. Today they had several magicians, some of whom were pretty amateur. The children enjoyed them nonetheless. I enjoy the ambience. Its always a family place, always a lot of tourists taking in Prague for the first time. Rick and I sampled two kinds of roast boar (sandwiches) and spiced wine before sitting down to a formal dinner.
Rick had it in his mind to find a brewpub that had been recommended, so we ended up at the New Town Brewery for dinner. Rick described this place as an anthill, because it’s on at least four levels, two or three underground and a terrace above the main floor. According to the brewpub’s literature, this brewery dates back to 1933. The combination of mini-brewery and restaurant in a single building gave rise to the complex of interconnected cellars and surface-level dining space. Depending on where you sit, you can see the copper kettles, the fermenting cellar, the storage cellar, or the kitchen. They have only two kinds of beer, light and dark 11° unfiltered barm beer, which is free of preservatives and, of course, unpasteurized and unfiltered. The food is typical Czech cuisine, a bit pricey for such modest fare, but the service was quite good. Toward the end of the evening we were serenaded by an accordion player. The brewpub’s website says that they have a harmonica-player every evening. Perhaps we didn’t stick around long enough.
Monday, December 27, 2004.
As promised, Mr. Halle and a plumber showed up at precisely 8:00 this morning to fix the toilet. The apartment is small enough that the sound of the toilet running was quite annoying, not to mention my concern over the wasted water. Living on the third floor buffers us from most street noise, so things are usually pretty quiet around here.
This evening we had dinner with Ales Drapal and his wife Marta. Rick has spoken of Ales many times, but I had never met him. Ales was Peter’s professor, when Peter was a student at Charles University, and has visited him in Denver. The Drapals have four children, two of whom still live at home, but they were off with a group of friends for a few days, so dinner was just the four of us. Marta is an excellent cook and a charming person. She teaches people to work with disabled teens and adults. We felt privileged to have been invited to their house. I only wish we could reciprocate. Our flat is meager, and we hardly cook, other than throwing a roast or chicken in the oven, adding water to a package of instant soup and/or putting together some veggies for a salad. Now, if I had my trusty gas grill here, that might be another story. On the other hand, we only have four plates, four bowls, and four cups, two mismatched wine glasses, a few pots and a very small kitchen.
Sunday, December 26, 2004.
Despite the rain, the Old Town Square was a party scene this evening. Instead of the typical slate of community choral groups, tonight’s fare was jazz and rock by local performers. Interspersed among lively Czech hits were familiar favorites such as Three Dog Night’s Joy to the World (in Czech), Frank Sinatra favorites (in English), a Louie Armstrong rendition of It’s a Wonderful World (in English) and a solo acapella White Christmas (Irving Berlin) in Czech to the tolling of the Old Town Clock at precisely 7 p.m. (19:00). As the night wore on, the crowds and umbrellas increased. The hot food and drink stalls appeared to be doing well, but the few gift stalls that were open did not seem to generate much interest.
kids dancing to the music at the Old Town Square stage
Saturday, December 25, 2004.
No white Christmas in Prague this year. In fact, the weather is sunny and warm (at least 40-degrees Fahrenheit). We walked down the street to the little St. Matthew church, whose spire dominates the skyline of our neighborhood, and peeked in before the 10 a.m. service. It is quite small, with seating for at most 30 people. Near the altar is a Bethlehem scene rendered completely in gingerbread cookies. We left as congregants arrived, surely more than the church could accommodate, all of whom looked casually dressed.
Prague is very quiet today, but the contrast between today and a typical Sunday is not so great as the contrast between Christmas and a typical Sunday in the U.S., since here most businesses, outdoor markets and neighborhood stores are closed on Sundays. Fewer restaurants are open in the city center today than usual, and the Christmas markets are shuttered for the weekend. The trams and buses are on a holiday schedule today, and there are few crowds. Still, there are families strolling through the parks, many with dogs and baby carriages. There is nothing scheduled in the Old Town Square until 6 p.m., at which point there will be community choral groups performing on the stage until 9 p.m.
Christmas dinner at Charlotte and Bruce’s flat started around 2 p.m. and we were still eating, drinking and talking at 8 p.m. Bruce’s family is here – both kids and their spouses, 3-year-old granddaughter, and ex-wife – and another American couple, John and Michele, long-time friends of Charlotte’s. Rick misses his family most acutely at this time of year, since they have a tradition of Christmas dinners together, so it was nice to share in the warmth of family and friends and splendid home cooking. Bruce brought a Weber grill from the US, complete with hickory chips and charcoal and grilled a pork roast and turkey breasts for dinner. And of course there were many many desserts, including home made pumpkin, apple and mince pies, complete with whipped cream with vanilla bean paste. Delicious! Charlotte and Bruce are gracious hosts, so naturally we ate and drank as if we would not have another meal for a week.
fish soup at Old Town Square
fresh roasted boar for sandwiches
Friday, December 24, 2004.
Today is Christmas Eve. In Czech the day is called "Generous Day" or "Giving Day," because it is the day that people give presents (or put presents under the tree to open after dinner). The Old Town Square was a veritable soup kitchen this afternoon, with delicious fish soup for a huge crowd, amidst the last vestiges of the Christmas Markets. The other food stands were also busy– boars on spits and stuffed with sausage, hot wine and mead, trdlo and other confections. No sign of carp today, since carp should be either in ovens or frying pans, in preparation for this evening's dinner. Christmas trees and candles are still selling, and a few people look like they're carrying bags with last-minute gifts.
Having time to spare before Shabbat services, I went to check out the new developments at Barrandov, the southern suburb that overlooks the Vltava River, where Hana and Radim still own a flat. Barrandov was named for the French geologist Joachim Barrande. In the 1920s and 1930s Václav Havel, (father of Václav Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic) started to built a garden town on the Barrandov rock, with a scenic restaurant and café, swimming pool, residential quarter and film workshops. Inspired by America, the businessman Havel created a small Hollywood in Barrandov. Old factories were rebuilt and new ones were built, traffic increased and some new bridges were constructed. This promising development was interrupted by World War II. During the war, the Barrandov area was a seat of various resistance groups and Red Army occupation. After the war, prefabricated housing estates and industrial plants were built, in typical communist style. About a third of the population lives in these “paneláks,” most of which are pretty drab on the outside and in dubious condition. In Barrandov now, in place of many of the older run-down buildings and former factory halls, there are several fancy shopping and business centers and many of the old, drab apartment buildings have been repainted and/or refurbished and the common areas upgraded (playgrounds, parks, walkways). The tramline to Barrandov was built in 2003, so now it’s not so difficult to get there without a car, but it’s still more than a half hour from the center of town.
While most people in Prague are celebrating Christmas Eve, the Jewish quarter in Prague is celebrating Shabbat. The Altnai Shul (orthodox) and Masorti (conservative) held services at 4 p.m., just after sundown. I went with Eunice to the Masorti service, which is in the Jewish Town Hall where Bejt Praha used to meet six years ago when the Spanish Synagogue was being renovated. Rabbi Hoffman’s kabalat Shabbat was quite lovely—about 15 people in attendance—with most of the service chanted in Hebrew. He also gave a brief overview of this week’s parsha. At 6 p.m. I went to the Spanish Synagogue for Bejt Praha’s service. Peter led the service, but this time the songs were led by a chazzan from New York (his wife’s family is Czech) who had a lovely, strong voice and added elegance to our usual low-key service. There were at least 50 people there tonight, quite a good turnout, considering most of them are Czech and have families who are getting together for the holidays. Peter’s wife Magda has two weeks off of work, so they will go to the mountains next week and there will be no Bejt Praha service on New Year’s Eve.
The Old Town Square was virtually empty this evening, as was Wenceslas Square, with few restaurants open (there were some sausage stands and hot wine kiosks, but little else). Rick and I had planned to go to a “Christmas Jazz” performance at one of the old town jazz clubs, but decided instead to head home. (Jitka’s cookies beckon.) The metro, trams, and buses are on a holiday schedule, running at 20-30 minute intervals, so it took quite a while to get back to our flat. Fortunately, it’s not too cold outside today, just a bit drizzly.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004.
A slight skiff of snow ushered in the first official day of winter, so it was a bit warmer today than yesterday. Today is the last day of classes at VŠE, so the university is bustling with students and faculty. Eva and I met after her classes, partly for our weekly progress-report exchange and partly to plan our research interview schedule for January. I returned home with a box of cookies from Eva’s students, and was greeted with an even bigger box of homemade cookies from Jitka that Rick received during his visit with Ales. So, it’s cookie and chocolate time at our flat.
At the Christmas markets, hot wine and trdlo (a hot pastry "muff" cooked on a metal cylinder which is turned over an open flame) seem to be the best sellers. The lines for carp, candles and Christmas trees are also long. Some stores have piped-in Christmas music, but most of the sounds at Staromĕstská are from choral groups on the stage and horses’ hooves on the cobblestone streets. Our neighborhood is quiet, as usual. I have only seen a few windows with advent candles or Christmas trees. Carp sales near the Julius Meinl grocery store, the Hradčanská bus stop, and at Vitĕzne námĕstí (Victory Square, near Dejvicka) are brisk.
trdlo at the Christmas marketplace
fresh carp for your Christmas dinner
Monday, December 20, 2004.
Rick suggested that I go with him to his Czech group, four students who have arranged to meet at Irena’s house for semi-private tutoring sessions. My vocabulary is bigger than Rick’s, but I’m embarrassed at how little I retain. The group intends to continue to meet in January, and our plan is to go together and study together. If nothing else, we will be forced to take some time in class, which, in and of itself, is more than I have been doing on my own.
This evening’s entertainment was another choral and instrumental concert, this time at the University of Economics, Prague (VŠE). By the time we arrived, there was standing room only. Similar to yesterday’s order of events, first the choir sang (mostly acapella), and then the orchestra performed. Most songs were in Czech, and it was obvious that the words sung in English were not understood (we would not have understood had we not been familiar with the songs already)! The high point of the evening was a performance of Jakub Jan Ryba’s Czech Christmas Mass “Hey, Maestro, Stand Up Brightly,” which is a masterful composition for soloists, choir, and orchestra traditionally performed during advent. Needless to say, the voices and instrumentation were superb, as all musical groups here are.
Sunday, December 19, 2004.
None of us wanted to get up early this morning, but we all managed to rally in time to catch the 8:00 a.m. bus to the train station to see Dick off on the 9:18 train to Dresden (and then to Frankfurt for his flight back to Denver on Monday). It’s wetter and warmer today and, since it’s Sunday, there were not too many people on the bus, tram, subway or streets. The nicest thing about riding the tram in the morning is the vantage point of the city. Prague really is like a movie set, with its many sculptures, carved building facades, interesting rooflines, winding streets, small markets and corner kiosks, and bustling squares with roundabouts.
Sunday evening we were treated to a lovely concert at the Hilton Hotel, which was loosely connected to the diversity conference on Thursday and Friday. The concert is a charity event, now in its 8th year, performed by the Czech National Symphony, a non-state-supported orchestra. The auditorium was filled to capacity – roughly 1,200 people, about 100 of whom had been at the conference. I don’t know what the typical admission fee is, but most people were dressed to the nines (some men in tuxes). Conductor Paul Freeman, who also conducts the Chicago Sinfonietta, is the father of the conference organizer, which is why the inaugural World Diversity Leadership Conference is in Prague and why we were invited to the concert. The Highlands Park (Chicago) High School Chorale, 80 students on a tour of Prague and Budapest, performed with the orchestra during the first half of the program. The voices were stellar. They reminded me of one of the Cherry Creek HS choirs. The second half of the concert was a mixture of impressive orchestral pieces and some fun, both in music and in banter between the conductor, guests, and hotel manager (who paraded his chefs to the March of the Toys, renamed March with the Strudel). This last piece was intended to prepare us for the feast to follow. It had been listed as a “reception,” but it was a several course meal (several buffet tables) with a variety of meats, pastas, and hot dishes, vegetables, cold meats and cheeses, and just about every kind of dessert one could imagine.
pick out your favorite live carp
Saturday, December 18, 2004.
Dick and I had a leisurely morning tour of old Prague, following much the same path that I took with Vicki, walking from Malostrana across the Charles Bridge toward Old Town Square, stopping at the orloj (astronomical clock) before and after lunch at the Prince Hotel café. Since Dick had seen the castle yesterday, we had some time to go in St Nicholas church at Malostranské Square, considered by some to be the most beautiful Baroque church in Prague. This church (kostel sv. Mikuláše) was built from 1673-1765 as part of the Jesuit college which now houses Charles University’s applied math and computer science faculty where Rick meets Ales every week. We strolled across the bridge to the Old Town Bridge Tower and went in St. Francis Church, the small Baroque Church at the edge of the square with the bronze statue of Charles IV, erected on the 500th anniversary of the founding of Charles University.
As we mulled around the Christmas markets in Old Town Square, we saw a large vat of carp, a sure sign that Christmas day is near. Raising carp has a long history in the Czech lands, dating as far back as the 11th century when carp was an important food for Lent. Apparently southern Bohemia is famous for its fishponds, with more than 7,600 of them, covering a surface area of 27 thousand hectares. In the middle of October, the fishermen begin to fish out the ponds, which lasts until the end of November, when they are transported to the marketplaces in time for Christmas. To this day, Christmas dinner traditionally involves carp, usually fried in breadcrumbs and accompanied by potatoes or potato salad. People who purchase carp a week before Christmas keep the live carp in their bathtubs (a nice excuse for kids not to bathe for several days) and bash their heads in on Christmas morning.
We walked from Staromĕstská along Celetna toward the Municipal House in New Town (Republic Square). Continuing on Hybernska, we went to the main train station to check on the schedule for Dick’s Sunday morning train to Dresden. From the train station, it was an easy walk toward the National Museum to Wenceslas Square and then to Můstek. We had time to top in a few stores and kiosks, and walk around the Estates Theater and the Fruit Market square (which now has an ice-skating rink). We walked to Jungmanovo Square and had time to go into the Church of Our Lady of the Snow (established in 1347 as a Carmelite monastery church) to see the November 17, 1989 photo exhibit in the little St. John Nepomuck chapel.
Part of the responsibility of hosting guests in Prague is making sure they get a sampling of Czech food and beer, so we took Dick to U Pinkasů for the beer-lover’s dinner experience, followed by a rather roundabout walk to the Municipal House café for coffee and dessert before heading home on the tram.
ice skaters at Ovocny trh
Friday, December 17, 2004.
We were all up early this morning, Dick to finish grading his exams and get the grades sent in on time, me to dash off to the Hilton Hotel for a conference that started at 7:45, and Rick to start thinking about math, as usual.
The Hilton Hotel, which is the largest conference property in Prague, hosted the “inaugural World Diversity Leadership Summit...the first major effort to drive thought leadership related to global corporate diversity practices.” It was hosted and attended mostly by Americans, but there were several people from other countries (and a few Czechs in attendance also). Some of the panels were quite interesting, others old hat. The opening plenary session was a panel discussion about some of the challenges facing multi-national organizations. Nancy Carter, who is now a VP at Catalyst, was one of the panelists and I was pleased to be able to see her again and to tell her how impressed I was with the research she (and others I know from USASBE) had been doing about women’s advancement and employment issues, much of which I had recently read for the book chapter I have been writing for VŠE. The most interesting panelist was Ken Dubin, who is currently directing a “public administration strategy solutions” group in Madrid. He had been a professor at Berkeley and visiting professor at the University Carlos III in Madrid and had studied the legal and political issues surrounding cultural, ethnic and gender issues in Europe and Asia. Another interesting woman on the panel was Mary-Francis Winters, who runs a consulting practice in Maryland.
The second panel focused on the role of the “Global Diversity Officer” in a multi-national corporation, which was not as interesting to me, although several people on the panel had some very interesting things to say about their companies, in particular about Kraft, Sun Microsystems, Coca Cola, and MTV Networks. The luncheon speaker was Frans Johansson, an African-American Cherokee Swede, who currently lives in New York, and has written a book “The Medici Effect,” which talks about cross-cultural innovation teams. I was not happy to miss the afternoon panel on legislative and country environments and the economic impact of diversity practices, which conflicted with the Fulbright meeting scheduled for 3 p.m.
I raced down to Zizkov to the Fulbright office, arriving late to the meeting but well ahead of most others since many were coming to Prague that afternoon from Brno, Olomoc, Český Budejovice, etc. after their Friday morning classes. Most of the one-semester people had just finished their assignments and were headed back to the US this weekend. The meeting started with a show-and-tell from all of us about what we’ve been doing and how things were going, along with suggestions for new grantees. It was nice to hear about everyone’s experiences, and to get a chance to chat. After a short bit of official matters from Hana, we went en masse, on two tram connections, toward the Poet’s Pan restaurant (U basnika panve) for a very elegant Czech meal together.
I had expected Rick and Dick to take in the town by mid-morning, they didn’t leave until after noon. Fortunately, they enjoy similar rhythms, so they had a nice afternoon at the Castle before meeting us at the restaurant for the Fulbright dinner. We introduced Dick to Hana and some of our Fulbright friends, and continued our discussions throughout dinner, and on our walk to the metro station toward home.
Fulbright dinner party (clockwise): Rick, Harriet, Hana, Marty, JW
Thursday, December 16, 2004.
Today is Beethoven’s birthday. Now if it were Mozart’s birthday there would undoubtedly be a lot of hoopla in Prague. I wonder who’s doing what for Beethoven in Germany.
After a quick post-office run, I went to the train station to meet my dear Colorado friend and colleague Dick Eisenbeis, who is spending his last weekend in Europe with us after teaching a 2-week MBA seminar in Esslingen, near Stuttgart. It gets dark in Prague before 4pm, so by the time his train arrived, the only options before us were to go to a concert or go to a restaurant for dinner. Dick chose the latter, so we brought him to our flat to drop off his luggage, and then took him to Na Staré Faře for a real Czech meal. It was nice to have time to chat during and after dinner before retiring for the night.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004.
Eva and I had a very enjoyable and productive day in Kladno with Jitka and Radka at their textile company. As usual, Jitka and her daughter Radka were gracious hosts, very forthcoming with information and time. With Eva there—a native Czech speaker—the conversation flowed smoothly, and she could probe for the specific information we needed for our research. The employees were very busy, finishing and delivering end-of-the-year orders. They deal in wholesale goods only, so they will close next week for a two-week Christmas holiday. We interviewed a few employees, some of whom Jitka had talked about previously because they have been with the company for more than 8 years. I was surprised to meet Mrs. S, because I had imagined her to be old and conservative. Instead, she looked younger than I had expected (she has teenage children), very attractive and very shy. Jitka said she rarely talks at work, but she is a good worker. Mrs. N likes the company’s work environment because it encourages team work and helped her to learn Czech when she came to the Czech Republic from Kazikstan with her family 8 years ago. Eva and I were particularly interested in how Jitka changed the company’s compensation system and culture, to promote teamwork, higher productivity and quality control. Radka was more talkative in English than before, so we were able to chat a bit more at lunch, mostly about personal, not business issues. Radka’s boyfriend has been in Ireland for several months, but will be coming to Kladno for Christmas. Both Jitka and Eva had late afternoon appointments, so our lunch was only two hours instead of three, as last time, and Eva and I barely returned to Prague in time for her to catch the metro downtown for her 4:30 meeting. I returned home just as Rick was leaving for the gym.
Charlotte and Bruce had invited us to go with them to Lucerna to a Swing Band concert, and Rick was originally enthusiastic about it, but then decided that he would prefer to spend a quiet evening at home instead. So after dinner, I started to transcribe some of my notes, and he is trying to finish a math proof – or, as he puts it, to understand a bit more about why his proof isn’t working — before he meets with Ales tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004.
The internet gremlins are having fun with my connection today. It’s up, down, up, down. Last time I waited, thinking that it would restore itself and I ended up without e-mail for three days, so this time I checked the modem initialization the first time it was down. No luck. Reboot, reinitialize, disconnect, reconnect. Finally, by late morning my e-mail was working again, so I sent notes to a few people to tell them to call me instead of e-mail, since I wasn’t placing any bets on how long the connection would work before going down again. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to turn my phone back on after having shut it off at the seminar last night! So I missed three calls – and ended up working at home instead of meeting with two people I had hoped to see. Too much technology to fuss with. How did people communicate before phones, faxes and e-mail? (Western Union said that the telephone had no useful purpose as a means of communication, and perhaps they were right!)
The internet problems prompted me to clean up my e-mail, including reading old messages that I haven’t had time to get to, and to organize some of my files.
This evening is the last night of Chanukah. We lit candles, but were careful to extinguish them before they burnt down to the the plastic holders! I'm glad that Chanukah is over before Christmas this year. And I'm looking forward to spending Christmas in Prague. Last time we were here, we spent December and January in South Africa, so we had a mid-summer Christmas feast instead of a winter solstice. Tinsel and ornaments hanging from the street lamps are not the same with warm, long days and bright sunshine! Here, people huddle at the outdoor markets, bundled up, drinking hot wine, as the sun sets before 4 p.m. No Santa Clauses with bells. And, so far, no piped-in Christmas music. Just school kids and community choirs singing acapella on the wooden stage in the square by the marketplace.
Happy Hannukah from Prague!
Monday, December 13, 2004
Eva and I have a date with Jitka in Kladno on Wednesday to go over details and make corrections on the case study we are writing about her company. So this morning we talked mostly about what additional information we wanted and the direction we think our analysis should go. We're also making progress on the book project. I had sent Eva the first draft of my chapter on women entrepreneurs last night and she had already printed it out and read it before I came to her office this morning. She is happy with the draft; I hope it is close to what Martin and Mr. Novy have in mind. According to Eva, mine is the first chapter that’s been submitted! The rest are in outline form.
I met with Radek in the afternoon, partly to talk about potential study-abroad course outlines and logistics, and partly to talk about case teaching. We had a nice lunch at the VŠE cafeteria, which has only recently reopened. The new building is in construction, which affects parts of the old building that is adjacent. But now the cafeteria is larger and more modern – and the food is good and cheap.
My evening was spent listening to a panel – and comments from the audience—discuss the future of higher education in the Czech Republic. I understood almost nothing, but I did tape-record the discussion for Eva and/or Ales. I know there is some controversy over implementing a tuition-based system, and there have been lots of changes in curriculum and degree offerings. I would not be surprised if there were not discussions about class size and the number of students allowed, since the numbers of Czech graduates is low by European standards, due to the competition for relatively few seats. The Czech government has only recently recognized private universities, but accreditation requirements are still controversial.
The panel discussion took place at the palatial headquarters of CERGE-EI, the Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education of Charles University, which was founded in 1991 as an American-style Ph.D. program in Economics taught entirely in English. In 1992, the Economics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (EI) was created as an economics research institution, and the two organizations merged in 1993. The building they now occupy was a pharmacist’s home during the time of Charles IV (1346-1378) and the street was called “Angel Street” (to this day, all Czech pharmacies bear the symbol of an angel). After the pharmacist’s home was demolished, a palace was built on the site, which was destroyed by fire in 1757, and replaced with a convent-hospital-orphanage operated by Empress Maria Theresa. In 1871, the present building was constructed as a palace for railroad builder Baron Jan Schebek and then in 1890 it was sold to the Austro-Hungarian Bank. In 1918, after the founding of the first independent Czechoslovak Republic, the building became the headquarters of the State Bank of Czechoslovakia. During World War II and the Nazi Occupation, the Gestapo used a building on the same street as its headquarters. As a result, the street today bears the name “Street of Political Prisoners” (ulice Politických vĕzňů). In 1963, ownership of the building was transferred to the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, which made it the seat of its Institute of Economics. The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic is still the owner of the building, and the designation “The House of the Angel” is still noted on plaques inside the building.
Rick spent the evening with his Czech class buddies. His class ended last Wednesday, but there is some negotiation for a follow-on class in December. He likes Irena, the teacher, and has been having fun studying Czech. He is encouraging me to attend with him. It’s been nice having some evenings to do research, but I probably do need an excuse to try to improve my Czech.
Matt called shortly after I got home, which was a nice way to end the day. We haven’t talked with him for awhile, and it’s nice to hear his voice and get an update on his activities and plans. His classes ended on Friday, and he has just turned in his English final, so he should have a relatively easy week studying for his other exams before he heads to Denver for winter break.
Sunday, December 12, 2004.
I escorted Vicki to the airport around 9:30 a.m. so we had time for coffee before she needed to go to the gate for her plane to Lithuania. I then hopped back on the bus, stopping at Julius Meinl for a few groceries before heading home.
Rick and I spent most of the day working on research projects. As I write this my computer – and the living room – is covered in soot from the Chanukah candles. Since we stayed home this evening, I let the candles burn, only to discover that plastic birthday-candle holders are not designed for melted wax and lit wicks. It is still raining black particles. I am not sad at the destruction of the candle holders, but Rick and I are both a bit peeved at having to clean up the mess. I guess I needed another distraction to take up time this evening.
Saturday, December 11, 2004.
Partly to make up for not being able to show Vicki around Prague yesterday, and partly because there is just too much to see of Prague for one short visit, we left our flat early for a whirlwind tour of some of the high spots. We began our journey by tram to Malostrana and then up to the Castle for a morning touring St. Vitis Cathedral, St. George Basilica, and viewing the city from the high castle walls. We spent some time in the shops at the Golden Lane before heading down the walkway to Malostrana and then towards the Charles Bridge. From there we strolled down to Staromĕstská, just as the astronomical clock (orloj) struck noon. Having missed the striking of the hour, we went in to the Prince Hotel café for what we thought would be a quick light lunch.
Two hours later Vicki went outside to see the clock’s figures move while I wanted a full twenty minute for the waiter to bring the bill. Of course, a steep service charge had been added, so I could not adequately show my displeasure at his lack of service.
We walked through Old Town Square, through the Christmas markets to the Tyn Church. The cold weather did not alter the lovely harmonies from the carolers on the stage in front of the church, bundled up in parkas. Over the next two weeks, there are community and school choirs at various places and times at most of the main squares. We headed down Celetna to the Municipal House and from there to Můstek for a stroll down Wenceslas Square. By this time it was 5:00 p.m., so I called Rick to see what plans he had made for the evening. While we had originally intended to take Vicki to a “traditional Czech” restaurant, Charlotte had called to invite us to her house for pizza and beer.
Choosing good friends and conversation over showy food, Vicki and I walked back down Wenceslas Square, and turned on Na Přikopĕ toward Charlotte’s flat. We stopped to pick up a bouquet of flowers, not daring to bring wine (Bruce is a wine connoisseur) or dessert (Charlotte makes the best dessert crepes of anyone I know). The pizza was delicious, the wine was heavenly, and we were too stuffed with Fanny May chocolates to even think about another dessert. We three Chicago girls did a lot of reminiscing. It felt like we had known each other a long time! I will not be happy to see Vicki leave tomorrow.
Friday, December 10, 2004.
Vicki arrived from Denver yesterday evening. As an added treat, she brought half a suitcase of US goodies, including marshmellows and graham crackers so I can make s'mores for Eva and Ales. She also contributed Hershey almond bars to my chocolate drawer. As if I wouldn't love her anyway!
I had intended to show Vicki some of the old city of Prague this morning, but she had set up an appointment with a potential distributor for 11:30 a.m., which cut into our plans. We arrived at the office of Mr. Topinka close to noon, so she anticipated that she would go to lunch with him. I went to the Hilton Hotel not far from Mr. Topinka’s office on Krizikova, to proofread the paper I am writing and read some articles I had downloaded the day before. When I didn’t hear from Vicki by 3:00 p.m., I decided to give her a call. She and Mr. Topinka were having a leisurely lunch at fancy restaurant at Maltézké námĕstí, and would not be finished for another hour. I hopped on the metro and met them at the restaurant at about 3:45 p.m., whereby I joined them for coffee, dessert, and Becherovka -- and delightful conversation with Mr. Topinka! Vicki and I finally left at 4:30 p.m. and headed home to change for the opera.
Our original plans had been to go to dinner at 5:30 p.m. downtown, and then to Narodni Divadlo at 6:45 p.m. to meet Eunice for the 7:00 p.m. curtain. Instead, Rick gobbled cold cuts and the three of us headed downtown at 6:00 p.m., arriving almost exactly at 6:45 and getting to our seats just before curtain. I was only able to get second-balcony tickets, but nonetheless, the opera was grand.
The story of Tosca is set Rome, in June of 1800, the year Napoleon invaded Italy. During the action, the Austrian General Melas is reported to have defeated Napoleon and the consequent celebrations were likely to be attended by Queen Marie Caroline, wife of the Neapolitan king Ferdinand IV, daughter of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and sister to Marie Antoinette of France. Baron Scarpia, the much-feared Chief of Police, is based on a real-life Sicilian figure, who incidentally affected old-fashioned dress more appropriate to an earlier period. Cavaradossi and Angelotti are supporters of the liberal group hoping for Napoleon’s victory.
Tosca is a story of cheating and doubt. Nothing seems honest and direct: even love is troubled by jealousy. Cavaradossi's torture forces Tosca, not himself, to confess. Scarpia is killed with a table knife by "sweet and innocent" hands. And even the marginal characters like the sacristan and the prison guard lie or act dishonestly. At least Angelotti seems a direct, idealistic figure, but he takes a woman's disguise when he goes to his hiding place in a fake well... The inappropriate use of objects and situations is used systematically to create a suffocating atmosphere of doubt and suspicion. Even something as definitive as Mario's death is just a “faked simulation” and causes joy and relief to Tosca. According to the synopsis in the program, Tosca, discovering Mario’s death at the end, jumps over a wall and escapes. But this version – and most others – have Tosca leaping to her death in grief to be with her Mario in heaven.
Vicki and Rick and I understood the story from the English overtitles; Eunice understood the Italian and was amused at some of the translation. After the theater, the four of us went to Kavarna Slavia for drinks and dessert. I was happy to have introduced Eunice to Vicki, since they both are managing high-tech companies in a hostile environment, in European transition countries.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004.
December 8th is the anniversary of the death of John Lennon, who was a powerful symbol of non-conformity for young people throughout Communist-ruled Europe. Following his murder in 1980, some young Czechs gathered every December 8th at a graffiti painting of Lennon on Prague's Malteske namesti square. For young people, the portrait of Lennon was important, since they associated Lennon with messages about freedom and peace. The portrait and messages of peace were repeatedly painted over by the communist police, only to be repainted by brave fans. Thanks to tourists taking pieces over the years, and the 2002 floods, Lennon’s portrait is virtually indiscernible, but there is still graffiti there.
Most of my morning was spent searching the web for references for the research I am doing with Eva. In the afternoon, I went to the Gender Studies office to meet with Linda and Lenka, two young women who have headed this interesting non-profit (NGO) research and outreach group. They have a library of over 6,000 books, many in English, that discuss gender issues ranging from social and historical issues to health care to economic issues to family and lifestyle issues.
Before dinner I met with Eunice for tea at Ami’s, her Berber friend from Algeria who owns a restaurant near Narodni Třida. Eunice is pretty stressed with the declining value of the dollar, since her pricing has been in dollars. She’s also preparing for the big tradeshow in Las Vegas in January, so she has been working long, thankless hours. Yesterday was her birthday, so the Chanukah party yesterday was a nice way to start the week. We chatted only a short while before heading our separate ways, Eunice to a Hebrew class and me to start dinner at home. I bought some baklava to take home for Rick. This is the last night of his Czech class, at least for this year.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004.
Today is Peter’s last day in Prague, so Rick and I took him to lunch. We talked mostly about DU math department stuff, but also about Prague culture. I enjoy having a chance to talk with him, since he can explain so much about things here to me. I will always be an outsider, and I have no real perspective on the changes that have occurred over the last 15 years, except for what I read and hear. Despite the fact that I find research about economic and social trends tedious at times, it’s the main way I learn about things.
Tonight is the first night of Chanukah and I was able to find some Chanukah-like candles and candle-holders so that we could light Chanukah lights in celebration. While Prague celebrates St. Nicholas Day and Christmas in high style, I was surprised to see a huge menorah in front of the Rudolfinum, put up by Chabad. On the one hand, it’s nice that there are no fears of public Jewish displays, but I am still uncomfortable with such public displays of religion. The Christmas markets have lots of Christmasy stuff, but little in the way of religiosity or incessant Christmas carols. Since I go to few stores, I may be oblivious to the extent of the commercialism here.
Instead of going to Bejt Praha to light the first candle, or to the Chanukah party at Rabbi Hoffberg’s house with Eunice, Rick and I went to Mlýnec to attend the Women in Business dinner. MIB usually meets on Monday, but this month they rescheduled to Tuesday (today) because the restaurant could not accommodate our group on Monday. Mlynec is a pretty high-priced place, but this must be the time of year for fancy dinner parties. So, since this is the one evening a year that spouses are included with the women, we decided to go, anticipating that there would be a crowd of people. My real agenda was to meet with some women entrepreneurs to network and expand the sample of interviewees for Eva’s and my research. On that score the evening was a disappointment. WIB had only two tables filled, and only a few independent business women attended. Most of the women who came tonight were employed rather than employers. Nonetheless, we had a nice evening. Rick had an interesting chat with Pedro Patricio, the Commercial Counselor at the Portuguese Embassy here in Prague, and I spent most of the evening talking to Jana, who is working with the Health Ministry on healthcare reform.
Czechs miss more work due to illness and injury than almost anyone else, twice the rate of Germany and Austria, and a third higher than the Slovaks. It’s unlikely that Czechs are more prone to illness, but that they take advantage of a social system that provides relatively generous sick-leave benefits. They still receive 69% of their average daily salary during sick leave, but now receive only 25% of their salary for the first three days of illness, compared to twice that much a year ago. As a result, the number of sick-leave cases has dropped considerably. The government is already planning to lower extended sick-leave benefits to 60%. To take further burden off the state, the government is also aiming to push through legislation which would require the employer—and not the state—to pay benefits for the first 14 days. The nature of the health-care benefits is a more thorny issue. Since healthcare is free – and mandated by the constitution—people commonly go to a doctor just for an aspirin. I won’t comment on the other extreme of the US healthcare system, but there surely has to be a compromise that works.
Monday, December 06, 2004.
This evening I feel brain dead. I’ve been sitting at my desk all day, trying to work on research – mostly surfing the internet for references – and not finding what I need or feeling inspired. I had planned to get a haircut, go to the grocery store, visit the Gender Studies organization, and perhaps meet Eunice downtown for tea or dinner, most of which will wait until tomorrow instead. It might have been better had I made some commitments, since I don’t have very much to show for my day’s work, despite the hours I put in. I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. Sometimes I distinctly do not like research or writing and wonder why I keep doing it. Right now, I think I’m driven by my obligations to Eva and Mr. Novy.
Eva sent me a translation of the EnFí Textile company case to send to Jitka, the owner of the company. I hope she can read the attachment and that she makes some comments and corrections. I have not started to work on the Teaching Notes, so I have only a vague idea of what type of analysis to apply. I also have to think through Eunice’s company’s situation. I have started sending her articles to read, but I need some operational and financial information from her, much of which she doesn’t know herself.
Rick didn’t get home from his Czech class until 10pm, so we had a late dinner of omelets and fresh bread and garlic soup. Dutifully, Rick ate ice cream for dessert.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
December 5th is really the first part of Christmas for many Czechs. December 6 is actually St Nicholas's Day, but it is observed the evening before because children around the Czech Republic were due to be visited on Sunday evening by St Nicholas. Czech children hang their stockings on the balcony (not many mantles in a panelak/apartment house) in the hopes that they will be filled with oranges, nuts, candy and other small gifts. Children are given sweets if they have been good and coal or potatoes if they have been naughty.
According to my friend Jitka Pultrova, the bishop St. Nicholas (Svatý Mikulas) was born on the break of the 3rd and 4th century in Greece, lived in Turkey, and was imprisoned for his beliefs under Diocletian rule. He was recognized and appreciated as late as the 10th century for his zealous defense of Christianity and his holy deeds. His glory and fame spread mostly among eastern Christians. There are many legends that refer to him. One of his deeds was liberating 3 young girls (sisters) from a brothel by throwing 3 purses with coins through windows, or saving 3 young boys from a death in hot boiling water. That is why he is often depicted on historical paintings either with 3 pouches of coins or with 3 heads of those poor boys, looking out of the cauldron! He was also known for helping sailors and fishermen in distress, ensuring people had enough food in times of famine, and defending widows, children, and all those persecuted and mistreated.
This evening, the Old Town Square (Staromĕstská) was teeming with people, many of whom were dressed in costume. Most of the St. Nicholases had white beards, carried a crosier (the bishop's pastoral staff), and wore a mitre (tall double-pointed hat) and flowing vestments. St. Nicholas is accompanied by a devil’s assistant (čert) on one side and an angel on the other. The čerts wore red and/or black, with devilish horns, a shaggy fur coat and tail, and carried chains and bags of coal or potatoes. The angels were dressed mostly in white, some with glittery halos, and had wings of various sizes and fabrics. Together, they determine whether or not the kids have been bad or good, and St. Nicholas hands out chocolate and other goodies accordingly. This is a lot of fun to watch, as trios stroll through the square interrogating kids, who take all of this really seriously, and will often be called upon to sing songs to “prove” they’ve been good, which is very cute! Traditionally, St. Nicholas quizzed children on the prayerbook and the Bible when he came to visit. Today, the questions are mostly about the previous year's behavior. The angel writes a record for each child in a large book. The devil rattles his chains, threatening to carry bad children off, but the angel, with a gold star on her forehead and dressed in a white gown, protects the children.
The Staromĕstská stage was set for the festivities, including vocal and instrumental performers, but the main event was an elaborate (and humorous) skit that involved contests for the best čert, angel, and St. Nicholas costumes. Despite our poor language skills, we enjoyed the entertainment. The MC was a talented singer and musician as well as excellent MC; and the featured singer was lovely and engaging, and the skit, featuring Albert the mischievous čert (with appearances by the devil himself), had just the right level of humor for the audience of kids, families, adults and teens.
According to Radio Praha, in recent years the Czech media has grown increasingly obsessed with the issue of whether traditional Czech Christmas figures like Mikulas (St. Nicholas) have taken a beating from western imports like Santa Claus and Rudolph-the-red-nose reindeer. To a certain extent the fears are justified. For time immemorial Czech children have looked with anticipation towards the eve of St Nicholas' Day, but recent years have seen mutations drawing the holiday closer to a masquerade ball or Halloween. Writing for Radio Praha, Jan Velinger laments the carnival atmosphere that has replaced the seriousness of the holiday. He views the interrogations of St. Nicholas as “a collective trauma shared by all Czech children but they all survive in the end.”
Saturday, December 04, 2004.
Rick took an afternoon break by walking through the Šarka. I went on the St.Nicholas tram through town with tons of kids (and parents). Tomorrow is St. Nicholas day, but tomorrow is Sunday, so some activities for kids are scheduled today instead. Every year, the transportation district sponsors an old tram (actually, there are two or three) that runs in a loop starting at the transportation museum. The trams are old, open-air wooden trams, with conductor (with a whistle signifying stops and starts) and St. Nicholas himself, accompanied by a nasty-looking devil and sweet angel. St. Nicholas here is dressed like a pope, not what an American would mistake for Santa Claus. While the devil made menacing sounds at children in one car, St. Nicholas in another car asked kids if they had been good and handed out candies.
Tomorrow, tons of St. Nicholases, accompanied by devils and angels, will parade around Old Town Square, interrogating kids. Last year Matt was horrified at this display, since some very young children are terrified by the devil shaking chains and a bag of coal, despite the angel’s pleadings to St. Nicholas to remember their good behavior.
St. Nicholas on the tram
Friday, December 3, 2004.
Prague is furiously getting ready for Christmas. Old Town Square smells like sawdust from the marketplace kiosks and performance stage in their last stages of construction. Wenceslas Square and Namesti Republiky are also setting up markets, all of which are set to open tomorrow and stay up through “Three Kings Day” on January 6th, the end of the 12 days of Christmas. The Prague Christmas markets consist of rows of brightly decorated wooden huts, selling mostly Czech handicrafts, hot sausages and hot sweet wine. Old Town Square always has a mini zoo and a live crèche, a sort-of Bethlehem manger scene in a wooden stable complete with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and the 3 kings. The Hari Krishna dancers/marchers add music to the bustling crowd around the Old Town Clock.
There’s a huge Christmas tree near the statue of Jan Hus, with its stray tinsel glistening in the streets from the overhead lights. Last year’s tree was almost 100 ft tall, but four people were injured when high winds knocked it down, so there was some controversy about putting up a large tree this year. Apparently, this year’s tree is half the size of last year’s and the organizers of the Christmas markets have been replaced with a new management team. Even with all the Christmas displays, walking through the square is enjoyable for me. I feel like I’ve been transported in time to centuries past. Of course, the Christmas carolers haven’t started yet, but I like the street life and the horse-drawn carriages and the people congregating in the square. The outdoor cafes are still serving dinner. There are heat lamps that warm the diners, most of whom keep their hats and coats on, but don’t seem to mind the cold.
The Spanish Synagogue this evening had a full house, mostly because of group of 30-some teenagers from Geneva, who came through Prague as part of their youthgroup tour. The rabbi, who had the most magnificent bass voice, chanted the parsha in Hebrew and one of the students translated the English to French. Petra translated to Czech, so we had a four-language service! The voices and enthusiasm of the kids added a lot of spirit to the service. They ended the service with a perfectly-coordinated Odon Alom that you could probably hear in the street.
After the service, we joined Howard and Marketa for dinner at a lovely restaurant, two stories underground – a typical Czech cellar with untypical modern décor and wonderful food.
Thursday, December 2, 2004.
The sun is out again this morning. I went to the bank and also to the Fulbright office so I could fax my registration form for the conference in Berlin in February. It’s always nice to see Hana and Andrea –they are both very cordial and helpful. Hana gave me some information for taking the train, which is much cheaper and easier than flying to most European cities.
I met John for coffee at Kava Kava Kava Internet café near Andĕl, which was a run-down area with lots of vacant buildings seven years ago. Now it is a bustling shopping area. There’s a huge mall (with three-tiered parking garage), which reminded me of Park Meadows outside Denver. The big anchor store is Carrefour, which is really a hypermarket. We went in the mall, to the Carrefour grocery section, looking for things such as marshmallows, sweet potatoes, graham crackers, and chocolate chips, and cilantro. I did find sweet potatoes, so I bought one to show to Eva. We also saw scallions (leeks are plentiful, but not scallions) and salsa (but only mild, not hot). I’ve been in too many stores this week – nothing looks appetizing or interesting at this point. I hate stores even in the US. And I especially hate stores at this time of year (no Santas ringing bells here, but lots of Christmas displays). Booths (outdoor shops) and decorated trees and lights are starting to crop up on the main street corners.
This evening I met three of Eva’s students for coffee at the Louvre. It’s very interesting to hear the opinions and views of students in their mid twenties. Young women are still torn between career and family, fearing that they won’t be hired for good positions when they’re young because employers still want young men, and also that they cannot start a career when they’re in their 40s. I’m sure there’s a lot of truth to this, and it’s not so different from the US. Juggling career and family is always hard on women, especially when so many employers expect long hours to move up in a company. Here the women I talk to expect to take 3-5 years maternity leave to raise their kids, which makes career planning even more difficult. Few women hire household help and men here are much less inclined to share in house and childcare responsibilities. Attitudes are changing (slowly, of course), catalyzed by the influence of immigrants and expats and the media.
Wednesday, December 1, 2004.
This afternoon I went to the main train station to meet Mary, a fellow Fulbrighter, for lunch downtown. She is teaching philosophy and ethics at Charles University for two different departments. She takes the train in nearly every day from Všenory, a small town just south of Prague, where she is renting a house for her family. She has five children, so finding a house for seven is both difficult and expensive in Prague. But the train is fast and cheap and her children are learning how to get around by themselves. Her stories remind me of when we were here when Matt was 11. He became quite independent, riding the buses and trams all over town by himself. It was a bit of a shock to his system when we got back to the Denver suburbs and he had to rely on his parents for transportation.
After lunch, I stopped at several bookstores downtown to buy holiday postcards, and then found myself near Museum where there was a percussion group dressed in white passing out strawberry-flavored condoms as part of an AIDS awareness campaign. I guess I should be flattered that they think I’m young enough to be screwing around. I may save my condom for Matt.
Shopping in Prague takes an inordinate amount of time, partly because there are few supermarkets, and because even the bigger stores have a limited selection of items. I went to the Julius Meinl at the Museum metro station to get a lightbulb for Rick’s office. No luck. I then went to the drug store. None there either. Undaunted, I stopped at the Vietnamese marketplace at Hradčanská, since there are at least two stalls with kitchen appliances and household supplies. No lightbulbs there either. One last try—I stopped on the way home at the Julius Meinl at U Mateje. I had to search, but there, on a low shelf, were two kinds of lightbulbs, individually boxed. They only had 40W and 100W, no 60W, but I bought the 100W just to check it off my shopping list. So now Rick’s office is bright again, even brighter than before.
Rick and I went to dinner with Ales and Jitka at U Pinkasů, one of our favorite places. As usual, the food and conversation were excellent, the atmosphere charming, and the service pleasant, but slow. Fortunately, we were not in a hurry, especially since were seated upstairs in a quiet, non-smoking room. When we finally headed home, we noticed it was 11:30 p.m.
