The Czech Files

Olympic Games in Prague?

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:54:52 +0000

Yesterday Prague’s city assembly supported the bid to host the 2016 Olympics and today all newspaper are full with this story. I experienced the Prague Museum Night last year, so I have my doubts. The Czechs also had to host the IIHF World Championship (Ice Hockey World Cup) in 2003, but due to unforseen complications with building the new Sazka Arena, they had to switch the tournaments with Helsinki (originally planned for 2004). I am not sure if this would work for the Olympic Games too…

Today at Prague’s Central Station: Several minutes prior to arrival the electronic message board displays that a certain train will be 10 minutes late. Ten minutes after the planned arrival, it displayed that the train will be 30 minutes later. Suddenly the train moved 20 minutes away from Prague. What a surprise! To me and to the whole railway company (Ceske drahy). They did not know where the train is and that it is moving in the opposite direction. Well, what can I say? If you are in Prague, expect unexpected.

Why Is Beer the Cheapest Drink?

admin — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 12:53:53 +0000

In most Czech restaurants, bars and pubs (at least in all that I have seen) beer is the cheapest drink. If you do not like beer, and want to order mineral water, Coke or juice, you will usually pay several times more. I am talking about the price per unit of volume, of course. If a thirsty person needs 0.5 liter of beer, then why should another thirsty person get only 0.33 liter of mineral water, or 0.25 liter of Coke. I do not think it is fair. Just think about children or drivers. Why should they pay more? If an alcoholic beverage is cheaper then any non-alcoholic drink offered, then drinking of alcoholic beverages is actually encouraged by the café/restaurant owner, and indirectly also by the goverment (that could regulate this). Or do you know any place in the Czech Republic where beer is not the cheapest drink?

PF 2007. What Is It?

admin — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 01:45:17 +0000

P.F. I guess you have already seen this abbreviation. What does it mean? In Czech it means Happy New Year. Actually it should be Š.N.R. as in Šťastný nový rok, but it would probably be too simple, and some people like it more complicated, to be able to pretend that they are well educated. They think that the French expression pour féliciter is the best for this occasion. To be precise, in the 17th and 18th century, “p.f.” was used on so-called visiting/calling cards meaning congratulations, not necessarily connected with the new year, in this case they would use “p.f.N.A.”. Anyway, you can find PF2007 only in Czech or Slovak texts, but never in French. They would rather say Bonne année 2007. And that is what we wish you too.

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admin — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

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