Czech Update

Scottish Harvest in Bohemia Wins BCSA Prize

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:38:10 -0500

From a BCSA press release:

A Scottish Harvest in Bohemia – Edwin Muir’s Return to Hope is the title of an essay that has just won a prize of £300 in a writing competition run by the British Czech & Slovak Association. The author is Clarice Cloutier.

The essay is an analysis of two beautiful and thoughtful poems, set in the Bohemian countryside, by the Scottish poet Edwin Muir. Muir, from Orkney, wrote Autumn in Praguewhile staying in the new state of Czechoslovakia between 1923 and 1925, and The Cloud while serving as Director of the British Council in Prague in the turbulent period from 1946 to 1949. The essay studies his style and evocative imagery and suggests the deeper meanings underneath.

Clarice has studied at Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, Oxford and Charles Universities. She lives in Prague, where she currently teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses on Central European literature and culture. She has won the Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Prize for Slavic Studies, and has compiled, translated and edited (with her colleague Bronislava Volková) a dual language selection of 65 Czech poets, Up the Devil’s Back: An Anthology of 20^th Century Czech Poetry, to be published in the USA in December 2008.

PF2009: Všechno nejlepší do roku 2009

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:04:00 -0500

Czech Republic Enters the Year Presiding over the EU

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:07:39 -0500

Nobody described the challenges ahead than Radio Netherlands:

International news - Radio Netherlands Worldwide - English

www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/6117...

The Czech Republic has taken over the presidency of the European Union from France today. Paris handed over a number of difficult issues to Prague including the economic crisis, the recently signed climate agreement and the latest violence between Israel and Hamas. Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg will travel to the Middle East to mediate between the two sides in the next few days.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus is a well-known euro-skeptic, but real power lies with Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek. The Czech Republic is one of the three EU member states that has not yet ratified the Treaty of Lisbon reforming the Union. Belgium and Ireland are the other two. Sweden will take over the EU presidency on 1 July.

Czech year in pictures

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:05:48 -0500

Czech online newspaper Aktuálně.cz published an excellent overview of the Czech political year 2008 in pictures. Including this picture of the Brother Mašíns' rehabilitation debate.

Books by Čapek out of copyright on 70th anniversary of his death

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:10:55 -0500

The title says it all really! Thanks to the people at the MobileRead forums. I assume this only applies to his works in Czech rather than the English translations which are more recent and carry their own copyright.

Books by Karel Capek are out of copyright from today - MobileRead Forums One of the greatest Czech authors Karel Capek (properly spelled Karel Čapek) has died exactly 70 years ago and the information about his books going to the Public Domain have even made news in the main evening news program. He was most famous for his Science Fiction books long before the Science Fiction became an established genere. He was the very first person to write about robots. The very word ROBOT was invented by Mr. Karel Capek in his play "Rosum's Universal Robots".(**) He also wrote books for children that are still very popular, detective stories, novels, fairy tales and theatre plays So now, I can safely post link that has two links to his books R.U.R. - Rossum's Universal Robots (1920) and The War With The Newts (Valka s mloky) (1936) http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/c/capek/karel/

Learn multiple Slavic languages at once with NiceTranslator

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:24:17 -0500

Nicetranslator.com uses the Google Translate service to give instant response as you type and you can even choose multiple languages at once including Slovak, Polish, Russian, Slovenian, or Croatian. This could be useful for students of Slavonic languages in general but it also shows bits of sentences as you type them in. For instance, when you're typing in 'I remember', you see the appropriate Czech 'Vzpomínám si' and when you add 'you' to make it 'I remember you', the phrase changes to 'Pamatuju si tě' - again the right word for the context. Pretty impressive! But unfortunately, it's not reliable. Simple phrases like 'How do I get to the train station' are mistranslated (eventhough still intelligible to a Czech). So not perfect but a decent start.

Google Announces Czech<->English dictionary - Best Online Tool Yet for Learners

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:29:56 -0500

Google just released a Czech/English - English/Czech http://www.google.cz/dictionary that is the best online tool I've seen for learners. It offers examples in context, English definitions, and for some common words like bread even pictures (although not pictures of the culturally appropriate pictures - the bread is not what typically Czech bread looks like). For transltion work, I'd still go to http://www.slovnik.cz which offers many more alternatives but not context and explanations (so you basically have to know what the word means already to make it possible to choose the right equivalent).

Google struggling to translate 'friends' into Czech

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:25:08 -0500

According to Zive.cz, Google.cz is asking the Czech internet community how they would like to translate the now ubiquitous word 'friend' into Czech. This is a real problem. There are two basic words for friend in Czech 'přítel/přítelkyně' or 'kamarád/kamarádka' (with different forms for male/female). 'Kamarád' is a general friend (more of a buddy) and in some contexts considered less formal while 'přítel/přítelkyně' would be used in more formal language and would mean 'boy/girl friend' when used of somebody of the opposite sex. But both these words actually mean something closer to what English would refer to as 'close personal friend' - the kind of friend depicted in the sitcom 'Friends' but not the kind of friend you acquire on Facebook in the hundreds. For those friends, Czech reserves the word 'známý/známá'. But that would be very impersonal for most contexts so classifying your real friends as that on a social network would be tantamount to an insult.

There are two possible solutions. 1. Forget about the fake 'friend' and just use the generic 'kontakt'. 2. The whole social web world could take a lesson from Czech and divide friends into two kinds 'personal friends' and 'internet friends'. Facebook already does that with the 'Friend/Fan' distinction but I think many people would appreciate it to be able to have friends with whom they share more info than with others.

V minulém týdnu se v diskusním fóru českého

Google User Group pro uživatele řešil překlad termínu tab (diskutovalo se o možnostech karta, záložka a panel), nyní se Jana Vořechovská, která pracuje v Google

jako jazyková specialistka v Google, všech uživatelů ptá, jak v aplikacích a službách překládat slovo friend. Někde totiž překlad přítel není to pravé, lepší

je třeba známý, ale někdy se může hodit například kamarád.

Google Czech live long, Google Prague, get rich

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:42:03 -0500

Resuming Czblogging after a hiatus with the amazing news that simply Googling Czech can have beneficial consequences. A new Google mashup StateStats shows correlations between US states' socioeconomic characteristics and the frequency of particular search terms originating from those terms.

And wouldn't you know it? Searching for the word 'Czech' strongly correlates with life expectancy and negatively with child mortality and illiteracy. Not surprisingly the most Czech-eager states are Nebraska, Iowa, District of Columbia, New York, Illinois, Texas, Minnesota.

Searching for Prague, correlates positively with income and negatively with obesity and suicide. For some reason, Minnesotans lead the Prague-searching league.

(On a personal note, searching for my first name correlates with density. Is that a hint?)

Czech crooners (dead and alive) on YouTube

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:37:28 -0400

Karel Hála, a star of Czech big band pop music since the 1950s just died as reported by Lidové Noviny. Here's a cliop of him and another stallwart of Czech pop Karel Gott.

Czech president sulky over same sex unions

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:19:27 -0400

For an atheist and reasonably liberal country, same-sex unions are having a tough time in the Czech Republic. Finally, a new laws gives some rights to same-sex couples but it sent the president Václav Klaus into a tizzy. The president, as always happy to bolster his typical opportunistic populism with inherent homophobia, decided to signal his opposition by not signing the bill. Which under Czech constitution means simply that it becomes law. So now the questions is did he show principled opposition or just demonstrate that Czech presidents don't really matter?

Klaus refuses to sign amendment to same sex law - Czechnews - Aktuálně.cz "The president believes that while the state has many reasons to grant privileges and exemptions to a married couple, there are no reasons to do the same with same sex couples," he added.

The amendment links law on registered partnership approved in 2006 with other laws that are related to it, such as law on ID cards, aid in material need and on birth registers.
...

Gay and Lesbian League representative Martin Strachoň reacted to the president's message:

"President Klaus has let us know again that a gay or lesbian partnership is an eyesore for him. Nevertheless, this law is only about adjusting some practical aspects, so there is no reason to declare disapproval in such a sulking way. However, Klaus probably understands that it would be narrow-minded to veto the law again and therefore he leaves it unsigned," Strachoň told Aktuálně.cz.

Czech animation reviving rich history

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:12:05 -0400

Czechs have always been on the cutting edge of animation (even helping with some of the Tom and Jerry cartoons in the 1950s and 1960s) and now it seems, things are looking up again, as this short article in Variety suggests. The name from the past to take note of is Jan Švankmajer who's cited as an influence on Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam.

Czech animation undergoing revival - Entertainment News, Central Europe/Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Fest, Media - Variety Whether weird, provocative or simply a national calling card, animation Czech-style is undergoing a renaissance, with at least 10 features slated to bow throughout the next year.

Spread Bohemica.com with new widget!

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:37:01 -0400

You can now help spread Bohemica.com by sharing this widget on your site or on Facebook. Share on Facebook

Czech Worldmusic via Čankišou on YouTube

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:02:08 -0400

Czech folklore music often counts as World Music but this is Czech musicians having fun with what they perceive to be the music of the world. I found out about this video via an American friend who saw it on a World Music channel.

First Czech gay pride parade to take place in Brno

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:18:54 -0400

Another step towards greater prominence of gay rights in the Czech Republic that also highlights the latent homophobia still present in some Czech circles.

First Czech Gay Pride has Brno up in arms - Czechnews - Aktuálně.cz Brno - Southern Moravian capital will see the first gay and lesbian march ever held in the country.

The so-called "Rainbow Parade" event, planned for Saturday 28 June, has already caused controversies among far-right and Christian groups.

Škoda again heads list of top Czech companies

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:53:04 -0400

With almost 10 billion Czech crowns (roughly 649 million USD), the Škoda car manufacturer heads the Czech Top 100 (worth 42 billion EUR) in size and value followed by the energy giant ČEZ and computer manufacturer Foxconn CZ. The only other tech company and the top one dealing in bits only was the former Czech Telecom. No internet companies made the top 10.

Top 100 Czech companies still dominated by Škoda - Czechnews - Aktuálně.cz Škoda Auto is the largest Czech exporter and added-value producer. However, ČEZ leads in profit growth, since last year it gained one third more than in 2006.

Masaryk's name not for sale

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:45:12 -0400

Here's an interesting example of how history can be important to the present.

To have a glass of Masaryk? In ČR not possible - Czechnews - Aktuálně.cz Czechs are so proud of their first democratic president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk that they will not let anyone use his surname as a trade mark.

The name is considered a historical symbol linked to the Czech statehood and as such, private companies are not allowed to appropriate it.

Irglová: Czech singer and actress reaps fame rewards after Oscar win

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 05:55:19 -0400

"Co Čech to muzikant" (Scratch a Czech, find a musician) goes an old Czech saying (going back to 1800s at least) that used to be known around the musical world. And now it is again! A little bit and on YouTube where there are dozens of clips of her singing including on David Letterman or Later with Jools Holland.

AFP: Fairytale rise to fame for Czech singer turned actress PRAGUE (AFP) — With low-budget musical movie "Once" winning awards from Hollywood to Moscow, and its soundtrack ballad "Falling Slowly" climbing the charts worldwide, Czech youngster Marketa Irglova has experienced a fairytale rise to stardom.

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly (Later)

PĚT "P" (Pohromadě)

Aczua — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:52:17 -0400

People speaking Czech on YouTube 1: 10 Survival Phrases

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:01:29 -0400

Sometime ago I started a theme of Czech music on YouTube but never followed up on it. Here's an extension of it: People speaking Czech on YouTube. There are lots of people speaking Czech on YouYube, sometimes the clips are funny, sometimes interesting and informative, and sometimes obscene. The first example is a run down of top 10 phrases from travellinguist.

Note that strictly speaking How are you? is not a particularly useful phrase for a tourist in the Czech Republic since Czechs only use it with people they know and never with someone they just met!!!

Strčprstskrzkrk.com launches

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:42:08 -0400

I've owned the StrčPrstSkrzKrk.com domain for a year but only now did I find a few minutes to make it live. All it contains is a video of me pronouncing the phrase. But with any luck, I will be adding more Czech tongue-twisters there, as time goes on.

Australians win award for Czech beer

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:07:51 -0400

At least if the judges of the Beer World Cup are to be believed. Czechs aren't always best at making Czech style beer. But it's not just the beer. It's the Czech pub atmosphere that makes the beverage so much fun. Living in the UK, I don't touch a drop of beer (or any other alcohol) pretty much all year round but whenever I go back home for a visit I end up drinking literally liters of the stuff. Hard to put a price on that hoppy bitter sweet taste of home.

The Prague Post Online: Business: Czechs no longer brew top pilsner If you want to taste the world’s best Bohemian-style pilsner beer, you’re going to have to go a long way from Bohemia.

At this year’s World Beer Cup in San Diego, California, the largest competition of its kind, the gold medal for “Bohemian-style lager” did not go to a Czech brewery for the first time since 2000, when the competition was smaller by nearly half and dominated by North American brewers.
Rather, the world’s best pilsner beers can be found in two unlikely places: Portland and Sydney.

How and where Czechs travel on holiday?

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:47:10 -0400

How Czechs travel seems to be impacting on where. The most popular destination for vacationing Czechs has been and still is Croatia. However, a recent Croat ban on importing certain kinds of foods has caused almost 10% of the 900 thosand Czechs planning a trip to cancel their holiday there (in favor of Italy or some other place). Why? Czechs like to save money when going on vacation by bringing their own food, typically in cans and other types of pre-packaged goods. Trying out foreign cuisines is simply not the main reason why Czechs travel, particularly when their destination is the seaside where the food is expensive and foreign.

Češi zanevřeli na Jadran - www.lidovky.cz Až donedávna představoval prodej zájezdů do Chorvatska pro většinu českých cestovních kanceláří vidinu tučných zisků. Právě v tomto období zaznamenávaly finanční žně.

Letos však orientace na Chorvatsko způsobuje zejména menším cestovním kancelářím vrásky. Některé z nich dokonce hlásí, že dlouhodobé zaměření na Chorvatsko je může zavést do existenčních problémů. Důvodem obav Čechů je stále platné nařízení chorvatské strany nedovážet do země některé potraviny, zejména masné a mléčné výrobky.

Mašín brothers, history, present

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:08:00 -0400

The International Herald Tribune offers a very good write up of a rather small event in the history of early communist rule in Czechoslovakia that has caused much controversy in more recent times.

Look back at a Cold War escape divides Czechs - International Herald Tribune In October of that year [1953], the five Czechs forced their way across Czechoslovakia's border with East Germany, headed for the American sector of divided Berlin. What they thought would take five days took four weeks. They braved starvation, frostbite, bullet wounds and a hunt by 24,000 Soviet soldiers and East German police.

Along the way, the self-proclaimed anti-communist fighters - the brothers Josef and Ctirad Masin and their childhood friends Milan Paumer, Zbynek Janata and Vaclav Sveda - hijacked cars, stole submachine guns, drugged adversaries with chloroform, broke into police stations and killed six people, slitting the throat of a policeman with a Boy Scout knife.

Amnesty finds little improvement in Roma discrimination

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 30 May 2008 21:43:13 -0400

Unfortunately, a new report from Amnesty International found the situation of the Roma minority as dire as in the past from unequal treatment by the police, through limited access to social services, to negative attitudes by non-Roma Czechs.

Amnesty Int'l: Roma Discrimination in ČR persists - Czechnews - Aktuálně.cz New York - Czech Romani population continues to be subjected to discrimination and intolerance. This is clear from the annual report of the US-based non-governmental organization Amnesty International (AI).
...
AI finds that Czech Roma are harassed, threatened with violence and forced to confess to minor offences during police interrogations.
...
AI also mentions public opinion polls that showed that 9 out of 10 Czechs would not want to have a Roma person as a neighbor.