“Check” Flag Welcomes Czech Prime Minister to Pakistan

by Justin Glow on

What’s wrong with this picture?

Adil Najam, founding editor of the All Things Pakistan blog, was driving back from the airport in Islamabad when he noticed a banner welcoming Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek to the capital city. A kind notion, for sure, but there’s one problem: whoever created the banner used a “check” flag instead of a Czech flag.

“I rushed back to see if I would figure out who was responsible for this little gaffe and maybe alert them to the mistake before the Czech PM arrived,” writes Adil. “Unfortunately, it turned out that the Czech PM was already here.”

Adil’s theory — and I tend to agree with him — is the person responsible for designing the banner mistakenly Google’d “check flag” instead of “Czech flag”.

See what I mean? [via]

Not so PC: Guidebooks About Your Own City

by Iva Skoch on

Sometimes you got to wonder how guidebooks get away with it: in a world so PC you can barely make a generalization about anything at all, the essence of guidebooks these days is, in a nutshell, all about making bold statements based largely on generalization and cultural stereotyping. That is, after all, how they make them fun to read.

It’s actually quite funny to read a guidebook about your own city or country. In the TimeOut guide on Prague, I liked how the author summarized the Czech culture: “Czechs continue to drive like lunatics, drink beer for breakfast and insist that grey pate made from mutilated chicken organs really does taste good.”

Or this one: “Czechs are famous for inviting near strangers into their houses, their liquor cabinets and even their beds.”

There you have it. Although that is probably not how most Czechs would like to be described to the rest of the world, it is hard to disagree with the message. Plus, who cares about what the locals think, they are not the ones reading it. Although, arguably, they should.

Opera in Prague: Cheap and Fantastic

by Neil Woodburn on

Yes folks, I’m linking to Opera News Magazine today.

Now this is something I wouldn’t ordinarily read, but the cover caught my eye and when I opened it up I discovered that nearly the entire May issue was dedicated to Prague.

Prague, as you may or may not know, has an opera tradition just as fine as Vienna’s. In fact, Vienna’s favorite son, Mozart, lived here and composed such masterpieces as Don Giovanni.

Naturally, the city is also blessed with some outstanding opera houses bedecked in all the fine trappings you’d expect from such a culturally rich city. The National Theater and the art nouveau Municipal House are just two such examples.

Perhaps the best thing about opera in Prague is that one can see a world class performance in a world class theater for less than $20. Wow. And let me tell you, this is where I saw Carmen, my very first opera, and I was blown away. And I’m not even much of an opera fan.

If you, on the other hand are a big fan of the Fat Lady singing, or merely appreciative of the fine arts, take a moment to jump on over to the Opera News site where they’ve put together a nice selection of the following articles;

A profile of local star Magdalena Ko?ená
A historical perspective on the challenges of being a writer or artist during the communist regime
Why we in the West never heard about Prague’s finest opera singers during the Cold War
A photo gallery
Tips for dining and accommodations

The Birthplace of the Dollar

by Iva Skoch on

Not many people know this, but the “dollar” (and lager beer, but that’s another story) had it’s origins in the lands of what is now the Czech Republic. The word “dollar” is actually from the German word “taler.” The taler was the official currency in the Holy Roman Empire from the mid-16th century until the mid-19th century, and spread throughout the world, getting adopted as currency as far as Arab lands.

The word “taler” was a shortened form of the name of a Bohemian town, Joachimsthal, where great veins of silver were discovered in the 15th or 16th century. Joachimsthal (now Jachymov) was the main source of the silver coin, “thaler,” later “taler.” Of course, many years later, the name was adopted as the “dollar.” (Try it yourself: say it out loud.)

Much later, Jachymov was also found to have some naturally-occurring radium below ground, which, combined with hot springs in the area, helped make it a spa town, where people would “take the waters” to cure common ailments. The town is still a spa town, but there’s no focus on radioactive cures anymore…but the water is still hot!

Looking for Value: Three Options

by Jamie Rhein on

When I saw “Value Vacations” at Kiplinger.com, I thought that meant cheap. Nope. What that meant was vacations that were less expensive than others. Three of these not cheap vacations caught my attention as future possibilities for my own overseas destinations.

The price tag on the Prague trip for two was $5,100 for 6 nights. That included the airfare from Chicago, a overnights in an inn and concerts tickets. Prague is a value destination because you get more bang for your buck if you’re heading to Europe. This was an upscale trip for not upscale prices.

Another place is Buenos Aires. This trip cost $2,000 less than the Prague trip and tango lessons were part of the price tag. According to the article, American actor, Robert Duvall is in love with the place and has been there 60 times. Since the man makes terrific, thoughtful movies, I trust his judgment. I’d say with that many visits, he knows something.

San Juan, Puerto Rico, the last of five destinations, seems like the best fit for a family with a 5 year-old and a 14 year-old like mine. Historical sites, beaches, scenery and cultural activities make for enough variety to make everyone feel satisfied. The family mentioned in the article stayed in a $200 a night 3-star hotel. I checked with one on-line source and saw hotel rooms that range from $60-$120. Perhaps you can take this value vacation and actually make it cheap.