Prague Journal

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Prague always seems to be either in the 60s or 80s, almost never comfortable 70s. Last week it was cold and rainy, today it’s hot and sunny. Rick and I went to the airport to deliver a suitcase to Ales D, who is on his way to Denver for a visit with Peter. We don’t have a scale, but Rick was sure the suitcase was well under the 70-pound (32 kilo) limit, so we added extra books. When we got to the airport, we found out that it weighed 38 kilos, so we had to subtract more than a few books and papers. Fortunately, the British Air folks allowed us to check it at 32.6 kilos. Most airlines are very particular about keeping to the weight limits. They are even weighing carry-ons now, which is why we are so concerned about sending some stuff ahead of time. Thanks to Peter and Ales, we should now be well within the airline’s limits.
Eva and Martin and I met this afternoon to prepare our presentation for the conference in July. We have only a half-hour for our presentation, so it will be a challenge to keep within the time limit and still have some time for discussion. I’m particularly pleased with our presentation, however, not just because I think it will be interesting for participants, but because it gives me an opportunity to learn more about what Eva and Martin are doing with their classes and in their research. Martin looks much more relaxed these days, since the textbook is finished – except for proofreading the galleys for the printer. The book should be on the shelves this fall.
After a quiet dinner at home, Rick and I watched “Larks on a String,” from a DVD borrowed from Marty and Harriet. This film was made in the Czech Republic in 1969, an interesting time here, and is based on a book by Bohumil Hrabal (who also wrote Closely Watched Trains). This film was inspired by Hrabal’s working experience in the Kladno steel factory in the 1950s. It depicts the everyday life of the former bourgeoisie – intellectuals and small shop owners – who were forced to work in a scrap yard as part of their “re-education.” To quote a review, “Positioned between hope and despair, seriousness and humor, it is a mosaic of individual destinies held together by a belief in love, kindness and indestructible humanity.” This gentle satire --- full of brief observations of life in a socialist heaven-to-be --- was a clear attack on Stalinism, which made it one of the most controversial films made in Czechoslovakia and prevented director Jiři Menzel from working for almost a decade. This film was banned forever only to appear 20 years later and scoop the Golden Bear in Berlin in 1990.

posted by JWinn @ 10:47 PM