Yep, spring is definitely here. Our office is situated on the 3rd floor of a cluster of apartment buildings, and my window faces the courtyard and these great, tall old buildings with orange roofs. I just heard, blasting from one of them, Lime Life's "'Cause You're Right on Time." A 1989 track heard in various incarnations (Black Box's version, extended remix, whatever) all over Prague. I can't find any videos for it, so here's Robyn's melancholy yet hopeful and very colorful "With Every Heartbeat" to herald spring. Am I ever late on the boat with this one!
I love her hot, androgynous style and Richie Hawtin haircut. I can't believe she's my age! I remember "Show Me Love" from the 90s and I thought she was already grown then. I also just found out that she did the remix of Snoop's song, which really is titled "Sexual Eruption," so I was wrong about that! Ooh-woah!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Dietrich and DiMaggio; Slivovic and Witches!
Now is the appropriate time to share one of my favorite youtube discoveries- Marlene Dietrich singing "Hot Voodoo" in Blonde Venus. I wouldn't have known about this movie if not for Roger, who said (in different words) that it was one of the most bizarre and wonderful things he'd ever seen. I do miss wine Fridays at work with Roger and Matos, who taught me a lot about films. "Why Hopsy, you ought to be kept in a cage!" They'd quote lines like that and howl with laughter, and I'd scramble to write down whatever it was they were referencing.
If you have 8 minutes, you won't regret watching the whole thing. The transformation is so blase and sexy, and the lyrics are priceless. Hot voodoo, make me brave/I want to misbehave...I going to blazes!
This is in honor of last Saturday night, which I spent with Prague's handsomest gays in a subterranean dance club in Vinohrady. My weekends have assumed a pattern: Old Lady Fridays, Party Monster Saturdays. After a great dinner with my flatmate, I met people at a bar, running into Frank Gehry's "Dancing House" for the first time on the way. It's a site to see unexpectedly at midnight!
I had grand plans of dragging people to a squat in another part of town for a dubstep party, but we had independently assessed the map and decided against it. The directions seemed to sort of trail off into a field... so instead I tagged along with Ross and Sarah and a bunch of drunk TEFL teachers to the aforementioned gay bar. Here I heard the best club music yet- Madonna, Underworld- and finally danced! "Tiesto! Tiesto! Tiesto!" screamed one excited man, jumping up and down. We talked about making T-shirts with that name on it, to see how many shout-outs we'd get walking the streets of Prague.
Ross had heard of an afterhours place nearby that was notoriously seedy, so we set out for it, asking almost everyone we saw for directions, with hilarious results. Poor Ross...not only did he get propositioned/teased by a promiscuous guy outside of Bordo, but when we finally got to our destination, he was the only person charged (for being a male, presumably) and swiped with the security wand. Sarah and I got in just fine, however, with our switchblades and eight-balls. Kidding! It was 3 a.m. or a little after and the bartender pointedly told us, "You're early." We were the first people to arrive at this place which looked exactly like the Dream Club I would've designed when I was 16 years old. You know...red velvet and zebra-upholstered furniture, shiny silver stars on the ceiling, sparkly net hung over random things, dark mood lighting, a big fake mushroom sprouting in the corner. haha. One detail I wouldn't have fantasized about were the mirrors jutting out at eye-level in the bathrooms! I've never done coke and probably never will, but the club soon filled up with people who do.
We were joined by a group of about 15 international medical students who had been to an 80s party and were dressed terribly. One guy had pink sunglasses, acid-washed jeans, and an airbrushed t-shirt featuring a prominent ass. He was very proud of having bought the jeans for something like 20 crowns (a buck) and shredding them himself earlier in the day. These people were hilarious and very polite and friendly. We took a shot of slivovic and absorbed the hubbub as the place came to life. (We're practicing for our trip to Berlin and Panoramabar, which doesn't begin until 4). I talked to more strangers, moving through the room, than I have since being here. It was really nice in that regard. I was going to crash in their hood but when we walked outside the sun was up, and the metro had started running again, so I took that instead. Surreal riding at 5:30 a.m. with assorted stragglers...
Slivovic is a plum brandy, the national drink of Serbia, and I find it delicious! Sarah said her friend takes a shot of it every morning to stay healthy in Prague. Becherovka is something else I've been enjoying. It's a Czech-made herbal bitters with anise and cinnamon...with tonic it's a "Beton," also meaning "concrete" in French. 'Cause if you drink enough, your head will feel like that in the morning. :) Actually, both of these would probably taste fantastic with champagne.
Well I missed seeing the Crown Jewels because I didn't want to get up so early on Sat. and on Sun. I was going to bed when I should've been standing in line. They locked them back up yesterday and I could've gone as a press photographer, but would need a badge and all these things...I let it go. Lucie said I can come back in 5 years when they elect the next President and bring them out again. I just might!
I'm trying to finish all the week's work today, because tonight and tomorrow are major special occasions. Tonight:
"One of the popular Czech traditions is The Burning of the Witches Night on the 30th April when people make bonfires and burn witches made from straw and old cloth to end the long winter that the witches keep around. There are many bonfires throughout the country, accompanied with roasting sausages and singing favourite songs."
I'm going on a witch walk that starts in the center of Prague and goes along the river, and then meeting people at Tramix, this once-a-month party on a tram that was just written up in the NYT. I'm curious to see what the crowd and music are like, and whether it's awesome or if we'll look annoying like Ride the Ducks going through Seattle, blasting their disco at you while you're just waiting for your damn bus. Tomorrow Pat and Christine are having a Worker's Day BBQ. Yum! I love reading about May Day mayhem every year, like this story from 2000, when London protestors smashed every window of McDonald's and put a green mohawk on a statue of Winston Churchill. Lucie said there aren't demonstrations here, but that Czechs look at it as a day to kiss your sweetie under the cherry blossoms for good luck. It's too bad that all of mine are hundreds of miles away!
I have Skype now and it rules. After not hearing my Mom's voice for a month, I was able to have two hour-long gossip sessions with her, for free, brilliant! If you're on there and want to chat, hit me up at r.shimp. It's the first time in many years I haven't chosen the handle hungryghost or randomsummer. hehe. Have a great week!
If you have 8 minutes, you won't regret watching the whole thing. The transformation is so blase and sexy, and the lyrics are priceless. Hot voodoo, make me brave/I want to misbehave...I going to blazes!
This is in honor of last Saturday night, which I spent with Prague's handsomest gays in a subterranean dance club in Vinohrady. My weekends have assumed a pattern: Old Lady Fridays, Party Monster Saturdays. After a great dinner with my flatmate, I met people at a bar, running into Frank Gehry's "Dancing House" for the first time on the way. It's a site to see unexpectedly at midnight!
I had grand plans of dragging people to a squat in another part of town for a dubstep party, but we had independently assessed the map and decided against it. The directions seemed to sort of trail off into a field... so instead I tagged along with Ross and Sarah and a bunch of drunk TEFL teachers to the aforementioned gay bar. Here I heard the best club music yet- Madonna, Underworld- and finally danced! "Tiesto! Tiesto! Tiesto!" screamed one excited man, jumping up and down. We talked about making T-shirts with that name on it, to see how many shout-outs we'd get walking the streets of Prague.
Ross had heard of an afterhours place nearby that was notoriously seedy, so we set out for it, asking almost everyone we saw for directions, with hilarious results. Poor Ross...not only did he get propositioned/teased by a promiscuous guy outside of Bordo, but when we finally got to our destination, he was the only person charged (for being a male, presumably) and swiped with the security wand. Sarah and I got in just fine, however, with our switchblades and eight-balls. Kidding! It was 3 a.m. or a little after and the bartender pointedly told us, "You're early." We were the first people to arrive at this place which looked exactly like the Dream Club I would've designed when I was 16 years old. You know...red velvet and zebra-upholstered furniture, shiny silver stars on the ceiling, sparkly net hung over random things, dark mood lighting, a big fake mushroom sprouting in the corner. haha. One detail I wouldn't have fantasized about were the mirrors jutting out at eye-level in the bathrooms! I've never done coke and probably never will, but the club soon filled up with people who do.
We were joined by a group of about 15 international medical students who had been to an 80s party and were dressed terribly. One guy had pink sunglasses, acid-washed jeans, and an airbrushed t-shirt featuring a prominent ass. He was very proud of having bought the jeans for something like 20 crowns (a buck) and shredding them himself earlier in the day. These people were hilarious and very polite and friendly. We took a shot of slivovic and absorbed the hubbub as the place came to life. (We're practicing for our trip to Berlin and Panoramabar, which doesn't begin until 4). I talked to more strangers, moving through the room, than I have since being here. It was really nice in that regard. I was going to crash in their hood but when we walked outside the sun was up, and the metro had started running again, so I took that instead. Surreal riding at 5:30 a.m. with assorted stragglers...
Slivovic is a plum brandy, the national drink of Serbia, and I find it delicious! Sarah said her friend takes a shot of it every morning to stay healthy in Prague. Becherovka is something else I've been enjoying. It's a Czech-made herbal bitters with anise and cinnamon...with tonic it's a "Beton," also meaning "concrete" in French. 'Cause if you drink enough, your head will feel like that in the morning. :) Actually, both of these would probably taste fantastic with champagne.
Well I missed seeing the Crown Jewels because I didn't want to get up so early on Sat. and on Sun. I was going to bed when I should've been standing in line. They locked them back up yesterday and I could've gone as a press photographer, but would need a badge and all these things...I let it go. Lucie said I can come back in 5 years when they elect the next President and bring them out again. I just might!
I'm trying to finish all the week's work today, because tonight and tomorrow are major special occasions. Tonight:
"One of the popular Czech traditions is The Burning of the Witches Night on the 30th April when people make bonfires and burn witches made from straw and old cloth to end the long winter that the witches keep around. There are many bonfires throughout the country, accompanied with roasting sausages and singing favourite songs."
I'm going on a witch walk that starts in the center of Prague and goes along the river, and then meeting people at Tramix, this once-a-month party on a tram that was just written up in the NYT. I'm curious to see what the crowd and music are like, and whether it's awesome or if we'll look annoying like Ride the Ducks going through Seattle, blasting their disco at you while you're just waiting for your damn bus. Tomorrow Pat and Christine are having a Worker's Day BBQ. Yum! I love reading about May Day mayhem every year, like this story from 2000, when London protestors smashed every window of McDonald's and put a green mohawk on a statue of Winston Churchill. Lucie said there aren't demonstrations here, but that Czechs look at it as a day to kiss your sweetie under the cherry blossoms for good luck. It's too bad that all of mine are hundreds of miles away!
I have Skype now and it rules. After not hearing my Mom's voice for a month, I was able to have two hour-long gossip sessions with her, for free, brilliant! If you're on there and want to chat, hit me up at r.shimp. It's the first time in many years I haven't chosen the handle hungryghost or randomsummer. hehe. Have a great week!
Friday, April 25, 2008
We Own the Sky
Holy moly, y'all, the new M83 album is...I'm going to refrain from saying 'incredible,' because repeated listens of their albums have burned me before, but so far...quite gorgeous. I love loud, lush music but the last album was too bombastic-fantastic even for me, although I loved the "Don't Save Us From the Flames" Superpitcher and "Run Into Flowers" Jackson remixes that sprung from it. But this one...I walked home in the chill air listening to "Too Late," looking at a sunset, and felt like I was falling in love.
TMT hates it, but oh well. Ever listen to MBV? I don't care if they're saying "soft as snow but warm inside" or "it's laundry day"... Pitchfork loves it. More and more these days I find myself agreeing with them. Anyway, thanks to my Austin buddy Mike for the file :)
The image above is M83 itself, a southern pinwheel galaxy, with a brand-new, really cool picture available here.
I feel like I worked around the clock this week, with screenings at odd hours and freelance work. I want to get up early tomorrow and stand in the line to try and see the Bohemian Crown Jewels. They've displayed them for one week only! So I'm staying in tonight with some books Lucie checked out for me at the library. A couple of Czech classics she recommended- Mala Strana Stories by Jan Neruda, and The Grandmother by Božena Němcová. She's on the 500kc note, an influential 19th century author. Lucie said everyone reads this book at some point growing up. Babička. a very nice sound to that.
Also keeping me company tonight is Erotikon, a silent film I discovered while compiling my listings. Apparently it scandalized Czechoslovakia in 1929, for showing a love scene via the woman's face throughout. So naturally I went straight to Bontonland and bought it- how cool that the Tower equivalent has something like that on hand. I'll report back on whether that scene has stood the test of time. :)
Monday, April 21, 2008
krásný sloh
beautiful style
A particular color palette has been appealing to me in the past few days. Everything my eye lingers on gives off a pastel smudge but also a really sharp relief. The colors of twilight, just before a skyline explodes with artificial light, like those fast-moving cities you see a lot in movies. Hot pink. I have a lot to say but it's starting to mentally pile up like things can do when they come in an exciting succession. I've kept journals in the same 3-subject notebooks for 15 years, but in recent years, when I enter a period of high activity, damn near nothing gets written down except to-do's, quotes, directions, data. 20 pages of Scrabble scores and grocery lists with one unsent love letter smashed somewhere in between. I'm not interfering with that cycle anymore; there's some other me that needs to process experience differently sometimes. So I'll be really quick about this weekend.
Saturday Lucie and I saw Gregory Crewdson's photos at the Galerie Rudolfinum. I'd never heard of him but he's got a staggering body of work. I didn't like all of it, but there were two staged dioramas- one with a dead fox lying in berry bushes, one of bright purple butterflies climbing up blonde braids- and one panoramic image of a small-town street with a dark sky that made me think of driving around the South. One similar to the cover of a Yo La Tengo album I love. And the above. Gregory Crewdson's Photo Alchemy on NPR.
That night the XLR8R posse met at a pub where we watched an entire family, from teenagers to grandparents, take turns putting vodka in their mouths and then lighting it on fire. We went to a party, then to a great hipster bar, then to the best karaoke box I've ever seen at 3 a.m. Every room had a theme, a touchscreen you could order sushi and beer from, and...tambourines!! I have no idea what I sang, except for Frank Sinatra's "Something Stupid" which is weird because it was my first burlesque song and I've heard it in restaurants here a lot. Much like the "Friends" theme song and anything from Dirty Dancing (which I don't mind at all!) "Have you heard The Neverending Story theme yet?" someone asked me. Can't wait. I finally caught up on U.S. news, in particular the election today. And I'd like to apologize for my crappy e-mailing habits...I hope to catch up with everyone this week. Now, colors!
praha at night
seattle coming from the south
two of my beautiful housemates there
where i'm fantasizing about going for a festival in june
who is probably there right now
A particular color palette has been appealing to me in the past few days. Everything my eye lingers on gives off a pastel smudge but also a really sharp relief. The colors of twilight, just before a skyline explodes with artificial light, like those fast-moving cities you see a lot in movies. Hot pink. I have a lot to say but it's starting to mentally pile up like things can do when they come in an exciting succession. I've kept journals in the same 3-subject notebooks for 15 years, but in recent years, when I enter a period of high activity, damn near nothing gets written down except to-do's, quotes, directions, data. 20 pages of Scrabble scores and grocery lists with one unsent love letter smashed somewhere in between. I'm not interfering with that cycle anymore; there's some other me that needs to process experience differently sometimes. So I'll be really quick about this weekend.
Saturday Lucie and I saw Gregory Crewdson's photos at the Galerie Rudolfinum. I'd never heard of him but he's got a staggering body of work. I didn't like all of it, but there were two staged dioramas- one with a dead fox lying in berry bushes, one of bright purple butterflies climbing up blonde braids- and one panoramic image of a small-town street with a dark sky that made me think of driving around the South. One similar to the cover of a Yo La Tengo album I love. And the above. Gregory Crewdson's Photo Alchemy on NPR.
That night the XLR8R posse met at a pub where we watched an entire family, from teenagers to grandparents, take turns putting vodka in their mouths and then lighting it on fire. We went to a party, then to a great hipster bar, then to the best karaoke box I've ever seen at 3 a.m. Every room had a theme, a touchscreen you could order sushi and beer from, and...tambourines!! I have no idea what I sang, except for Frank Sinatra's "Something Stupid" which is weird because it was my first burlesque song and I've heard it in restaurants here a lot. Much like the "Friends" theme song and anything from Dirty Dancing (which I don't mind at all!) "Have you heard The Neverending Story theme yet?" someone asked me. Can't wait. I finally caught up on U.S. news, in particular the election today. And I'd like to apologize for my crappy e-mailing habits...I hope to catch up with everyone this week. Now, colors!
praha at night
seattle coming from the south
two of my beautiful housemates there
where i'm fantasizing about going for a festival in june
who is probably there right now
Robert Johnson
When I say "I like techno" in Prague, people blanch. But Seattle knows what I mean and so does Germany...the first podcast on this page is what I'm talking about...it's so good I have to tear myself away to go work. I can resume there!
This is a club that Jess and I heard about from some random guy at Decibel festival. He kept shouting at us that it was the only place worth going in Germany- "Robert Johnson!!" After some research I found that it was owned by DJ Ata from Playhouse, who has impeccable taste. And that it's near a lake outside of Frankfurt making it even more enticing...
robert-johnson
This is a club that Jess and I heard about from some random guy at Decibel festival. He kept shouting at us that it was the only place worth going in Germany- "Robert Johnson!!" After some research I found that it was owned by DJ Ata from Playhouse, who has impeccable taste. And that it's near a lake outside of Frankfurt making it even more enticing...
robert-johnson
Friday, April 18, 2008
Hezký víkend!
Every day, someone in the office types up and distributes a run-down of some interesting items from the Czech papers. This one made me LOL.
"Czech PM Mirek Topolanek didnt find his way through bouncers in Cyprus. During his 3-day official visit of Cyprus, tired of all the official meetings, Mirek Topolánek decided to have some fun in of the best bars in the centre of Nicosia. Bouncers at the entrance couldnt believe their ears when this guy was claiming he is the Czech PM. (Supposedly they have heard this so many times :-)). "Right, You are the Czech prime mister," said one of the bouncers according to Cyprus Mail which informed about the incident. Eventually Topolánek could enjoy couple beers inside the club when somebody from his company got in touch with the club owner who talked to his bouncers. The spokesperson of Czech embassy in Cyprus refused to comment on this, saying that they know only about the official program. What PM does in his free time is his private thing. This club evidently attracts celebrities and Topolánek wasnt the first one who got in trouble. Six years ago soccer stars Zinedine Zidane and Thiery Henry didnt get inside smootly but were questioned at the entrance. Fortunately, one of the bourncer's colleagues recognized them eventually.
Topolánek spent 3 days in Cyprus, April 12-14. (www.tyden.cz)"
PM getting more nightlife action than me! Haha! This blog is being re-named Rachel Talking About All the Drum and Bass She's Missing in Prague. Tonight Andy C and MC GQ are playing and I have a wicked cold. It's also 350kc, about $20. Too much! Exxxcuses. I need a rendezvous. This is ancient news I'm sure, but I discovered that some renegades have posted up entire movies on Youtube in installments, so last night I watched half of Heathers. I searched for Pretty in Pink and what turned up was this, which I'm re-posting for Jessica:
"Czech PM Mirek Topolanek didnt find his way through bouncers in Cyprus. During his 3-day official visit of Cyprus, tired of all the official meetings, Mirek Topolánek decided to have some fun in of the best bars in the centre of Nicosia. Bouncers at the entrance couldnt believe their ears when this guy was claiming he is the Czech PM. (Supposedly they have heard this so many times :-)). "Right, You are the Czech prime mister," said one of the bouncers according to Cyprus Mail which informed about the incident. Eventually Topolánek could enjoy couple beers inside the club when somebody from his company got in touch with the club owner who talked to his bouncers. The spokesperson of Czech embassy in Cyprus refused to comment on this, saying that they know only about the official program. What PM does in his free time is his private thing. This club evidently attracts celebrities and Topolánek wasnt the first one who got in trouble. Six years ago soccer stars Zinedine Zidane and Thiery Henry didnt get inside smootly but were questioned at the entrance. Fortunately, one of the bourncer's colleagues recognized them eventually.
Topolánek spent 3 days in Cyprus, April 12-14. (www.tyden.cz)"
PM getting more nightlife action than me! Haha! This blog is being re-named Rachel Talking About All the Drum and Bass She's Missing in Prague. Tonight Andy C and MC GQ are playing and I have a wicked cold. It's also 350kc, about $20. Too much! Exxxcuses. I need a rendezvous. This is ancient news I'm sure, but I discovered that some renegades have posted up entire movies on Youtube in installments, so last night I watched half of Heathers. I searched for Pretty in Pink and what turned up was this, which I'm re-posting for Jessica:
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Counter Culture
Pun intended. The rest of the workday was long and busy, with a nice lunch break and window-shopping with Lucie. At 7:30 I met Lior- in town for a conference and on his way to Munich- underneath this sculpture in Lucerna Passage, near my work.
It mimics a much larger, rightside-up one in Wenceslas Square nearby, right before you come to the National Museum. David Černý has put wacky sculptures up all over Prague, including giant black babies crawling up the TV Tower in Zizkov. I have yet to see this weirdness up close!
I've been wanting to go to some of the grand cafes, and also this place I keep passing by on the tram, and the two made a great contrast for one night. I just realized yesterday that there's streets upon streets of interesting things that are parallel to the path I always take, so we took this new path from one cafe to the other. Peachie has found her places in Prague. First is Cafe Louvre, from 1902, frequented by Kafka and Einstein back in the day.
It was just the same time of day as in this picture when we arrived, and we sat in a room near this painting. Here's another of the gorgeous area by the windows and the waistcoated servers.
Then the Shadow Cafe on Ujezd (ooh-yesd, I love to say this) street for a couple of pilsners. This place has an associated bar in another neighborhood that plays drum and bass or reggae (or ragga, for that matter) almost every night. Dark, relaxed, pop/street art, and good music. I thought they were playing Tricky's Maxinquaye mixed with trance, but the bartender revealed it to be three Faithless albums on shuffle. Faithless again! I hadn't given them a thought since "God is a DJ" and "We Come 1"...classic P.L.U.R. The way people dance in the video for the latter, I remember that, dancing as if you're beating back authority itself. In places like the Soulhouse in Gainesville. It didn't matter who was playing. Maybe that's where I'll find any shred of it again, going through this weird period of nostalgia- by letting go of expectations completely.
Tangent over! Here are a few snaps from Shadow's website.
It mimics a much larger, rightside-up one in Wenceslas Square nearby, right before you come to the National Museum. David Černý has put wacky sculptures up all over Prague, including giant black babies crawling up the TV Tower in Zizkov. I have yet to see this weirdness up close!
I've been wanting to go to some of the grand cafes, and also this place I keep passing by on the tram, and the two made a great contrast for one night. I just realized yesterday that there's streets upon streets of interesting things that are parallel to the path I always take, so we took this new path from one cafe to the other. Peachie has found her places in Prague. First is Cafe Louvre, from 1902, frequented by Kafka and Einstein back in the day.
It was just the same time of day as in this picture when we arrived, and we sat in a room near this painting. Here's another of the gorgeous area by the windows and the waistcoated servers.
Then the Shadow Cafe on Ujezd (ooh-yesd, I love to say this) street for a couple of pilsners. This place has an associated bar in another neighborhood that plays drum and bass or reggae (or ragga, for that matter) almost every night. Dark, relaxed, pop/street art, and good music. I thought they were playing Tricky's Maxinquaye mixed with trance, but the bartender revealed it to be three Faithless albums on shuffle. Faithless again! I hadn't given them a thought since "God is a DJ" and "We Come 1"...classic P.L.U.R. The way people dance in the video for the latter, I remember that, dancing as if you're beating back authority itself. In places like the Soulhouse in Gainesville. It didn't matter who was playing. Maybe that's where I'll find any shred of it again, going through this weird period of nostalgia- by letting go of expectations completely.
Tangent over! Here are a few snaps from Shadow's website.
Lost in Translation
Yesterday was such an incredibly long day, it warranted a visit to two cafes in the evening (see next post). I had been in the theater by 8:30 a.m. (ugh) to watch Untraceable (ugh), and it was shitty DVD quality and "simultánním překladem." Steffen had warned me about these. This means that a man stands in the back and reads the script in Czech over a microphone, even "Mommy!" and "Hallo?" when Diane Lane says them in English. I strained to hear the dialogue and also to not fall asleep drooling in my comfortable stadium seat. A fellow critic that I see in the bathroom after every screening commented on how awful it was, and I enjoyed the brief camaraderie :)
Unfortunately In Bruges tomorrow is going to be the same way as Untraceable, although Shutter on Friday will be as usual I think- even if not, Japanese horror and its remakes are generally more about the ghostly staring children than the dialogue. I always want one of these kids, which a character will find sitting on top of his bed or lurking in the corner, to open their mouth and calmly ask for a bowl of cereal.
I've only made a misstep with the screenings once so far, with Paris Je'taime. I should've known of course that 2/3 would be in French with Czech subtitles...but I got the gist of the shorts, and only really cared for Tom Tkywer's True anyway. It's magic. Here's the 7-minute version that was used in the film: I hope you love it!!!
Unfortunately In Bruges tomorrow is going to be the same way as Untraceable, although Shutter on Friday will be as usual I think- even if not, Japanese horror and its remakes are generally more about the ghostly staring children than the dialogue. I always want one of these kids, which a character will find sitting on top of his bed or lurking in the corner, to open their mouth and calmly ask for a bowl of cereal.
I've only made a misstep with the screenings once so far, with Paris Je'taime. I should've known of course that 2/3 would be in French with Czech subtitles...but I got the gist of the shorts, and only really cared for Tom Tkywer's True anyway. It's magic. Here's the 7-minute version that was used in the film: I hope you love it!!!
Monday, April 14, 2008
I Hate Tesco
This spoiled-brat post was bound to happen. My flatmate warned me. The "Hypermarket" at the Andel station isn't so bad, but the department store version closer to work and my tram stop is like this:
groceries
produce
toilet paper
paper towels
batteries
everything on a different floor. And you can't move between them of course, without paying for your one item here, one item there. The grocery level is the one underground- far worse than the Broadway & Harvard QFC whose lighting I loathed so much. No sunlight shines on this broccoli. I was telling Lucie about that fake thunderstorm that happens to the produce in Safeway- when you hear the crackle and then see the miniature sprinklers showering everything. I mean, that is some brilliant trickery to grow up with. Not in this claustrophobic dungeon, where I pretend to be a Middle Ages peasant girl when fighting for my baguettes. Lines as long as the post office! (Although Steffen told me the P.O. is actually the "most civilized" one he's ever been in; I'll find out tomorrow). And if you need contact solution, you go to the optic shop. If you need aspirin for a headache and you haven't gotten to the lekarna (freestanding drugstore) before it closes, you'll have to put cucumbers on your eyes until morning. Cause it's not for sale in Tesco.
groceries
produce
toilet paper
paper towels
batteries
everything on a different floor. And you can't move between them of course, without paying for your one item here, one item there. The grocery level is the one underground- far worse than the Broadway & Harvard QFC whose lighting I loathed so much. No sunlight shines on this broccoli. I was telling Lucie about that fake thunderstorm that happens to the produce in Safeway- when you hear the crackle and then see the miniature sprinklers showering everything. I mean, that is some brilliant trickery to grow up with. Not in this claustrophobic dungeon, where I pretend to be a Middle Ages peasant girl when fighting for my baguettes. Lines as long as the post office! (Although Steffen told me the P.O. is actually the "most civilized" one he's ever been in; I'll find out tomorrow). And if you need contact solution, you go to the optic shop. If you need aspirin for a headache and you haven't gotten to the lekarna (freestanding drugstore) before it closes, you'll have to put cucumbers on your eyes until morning. Cause it's not for sale in Tesco.
Blondes, Brunettes and Redheads
I have to have it! Matt Hughes From London saw me writing in my Moleskine city notebook (thank you so much Jay, it's been indispensable), and asked if I'd ever heard of Smythson of Bond Street? He specified the BBR book, but there are other great ones such as:
'Make It Happen,' 'Brunches, Lunches, Suppers, Dinners,' 'Blue Sky Thinking,' and 'Princess Notes.' Then, there are ones that I definitely don't need, such as 'New York, The Hamptons' phone book, 'Cat Poems,' and 'Yachting Log.' LOL
The existence of which was the only valuable thing I learned on Friday evening. I ended up not going to the drum & bass party because it was too far out for my mood, so I went on the search for a club I'd walked past once near Tyn. I finally found it and stayed there way too long staring at the bartender, the most handsome man I've seen so far in Prague. He was like an angel.
I did try dancing at this place but the cavernous basement area was so smoky and sweaty, and the music was eh. The DJ killed the dancefloor with "Rhythm of the Night," which I didn't understand, because people loved every other Eurodance song he played, and that's a really good one! (And yesterday I heard Haddaway's "What is Love?" while buying milk. I wish Kate Silver were here. She once made me the most amazing '90s hi-NRG mix.)
Saturday I journeyed with my co-worker to a baseball game in the middle of nowhere. It was the opening day of the Czech Extraleague- apparently the highest you can go in baseball here. Very different than catching a Mariner's game @ Safeco...he and I are writing an 'Around Town' column about it so I'll post it here later. That night I tried nightlife again with another XLR8R writer, Ross, and his lady and friend. Prague isn't Berlin, that much is certain. I can't quite figure the dance scene out yet. The music was slightly Baltimore Club-ish, booty remixes and stuff like that; the crowd either supermodel types or 16-year-olds. Two gigantic ZOO YORK banners hung off the DJ tables. I walked home while eating smažený sýr (it was awful!) and listening to the Raveonettes' Lust Lust Lust on my headphones. It took over an hour and by the time I got to the castle steps I felt purged of my homesickness. The present fully took over-
And I woke up feeling awesome, despite the late night and bad snack food choices. I wore my red lipstick in the bright sunshine and old women smiled at me. I had a picnic in the orchard at the bottom of Petrin hill, with blossoms on the trees and the castle in full view. Birds chirping, people playing frisbee, a really great spring day. Then I climbed to the top, but not the observation tower (a mini Eiffel tower). I went looking for a cafe and couldn't find it but did find a souvenir shop underneath the bridge- "Get Rhythm" by Johnny Cash was playing while a row of chandelier crystals dazzled in the sun. ("When you get the blues.") People were outside on decks and watching soccer in little hidden pubs I kept running into while turning corners. I bought two lilies at a florist and decided it was too hot to drink coffee, so I had a beer, and met some very nice people from Jerusalem.
In that cafe, The Hanging Cup, you can buy an extra coffee for a stranger that may need it, which is signified on an abacus in the doorframe. And the cermaic ashtrays were '50 or so' years old, said the bartender, foot-wide blue icebergs with polar bears perched on top. They make it really hard to not smoke in this town. In my brain, an inanimate object that works so hard to be charming would be insulted if not put to use.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
I Want More
Future Shorts on Thursday included so many good ones. In particular, an animation of four losing-your-virginity stories, told from drastically different perspectives; and one of a scientist who synthesizes a chemical that lets humans become dogs overnight. They chase cars, terrorize cats, overturn garbage cans, and hump each other. They've never experienced such unbridled joy. The scientist's "K9" chemical becomes an illegal drug, and cops don't know how to apprehend users, because they look the same as regular dogs until dawn. Haha! I'm thinking of getting the DVD and I highly recommend seeing as many on their Youtube page as you like.
This one has stayed in my mind. It's a Faithless video using clips from a documentary called A State of Mind. The doc follows two North Korean families as their children prepare for the mass games, which I'd never heard of before and whose existence is blowing my mind. Look at these wild pictures! I realized I know nothing of Korea, North or South, and haven't even seen much Korean film except for the quiet gem 3-Iron. Some great thoughts on the film and info on the differences b/w N & S Korea here.
In Prague, asking people my age what they recall about communism is akin to asking me about the Gulf War. But they have insight from their parents...it's fascinating. And I learned just now that over 100 years ago, Prague had mass organized gymnastics as well, called the Sokol movement. I think it was quite less terrifying than the mass games. These guys look happy about it, eh?
This one has stayed in my mind. It's a Faithless video using clips from a documentary called A State of Mind. The doc follows two North Korean families as their children prepare for the mass games, which I'd never heard of before and whose existence is blowing my mind. Look at these wild pictures! I realized I know nothing of Korea, North or South, and haven't even seen much Korean film except for the quiet gem 3-Iron. Some great thoughts on the film and info on the differences b/w N & S Korea here.
In Prague, asking people my age what they recall about communism is akin to asking me about the Gulf War. But they have insight from their parents...it's fascinating. And I learned just now that over 100 years ago, Prague had mass organized gymnastics as well, called the Sokol movement. I think it was quite less terrifying than the mass games. These guys look happy about it, eh?
Friday, April 11, 2008
A Wink and a Smile
A Wink and a Smile has been accepted to this year's SIFF!!! Congratulations Deirdre!!
The bad news is that I won't be there for its premiere. For those that don't know, I'm in an upcoming documentary on Seattle's burlesque scene- in particular, Miss Indigo Blue's Academy of Burlesque, which I graduated from last October. :) The 10 of us women who enrolled in the fall session were filmed in class, at rehearsals, in private sessions, at home, out on the town, etc. It was a nerve-wracking, amazing experience and I'll save the big, explanatory essay for later. A new trailer will be ready on May 6 and I'll post it as soon as I can. I'm thrilled to join the ranks of other recent Northwest documentary subjects i.e. Blood on the Flat Track, about the Rat City Rollergirls, and Girls Rock!, about Portland's Rock & Roll Camp for Girls, where Carrie Brownstein and Beth Ditto are teachers! Of course in this scenario I'm a camper, and the stars are the teachers like Indigo and the rest of Seattle's glittering professional scene. I look forward to seeing those profiles and that footage.
I don't know what I was thinking going out of town when I'm about to be in a movie! I was looking forward to getting glammed up and partying with the girls at the premiere. What a moment to miss out on...it makes me sad...but life is about moving forward. Can't break my stride, can't hold me down, I guess!
Anyway, taking the class was my project, and the film is Deirdre's. I don't know how good of a subject I was, because I felt a journalistic kinship with her and approached everything with that detached/analytical eye. Meeting her through this was inspirational. Besides sharing an interest in burlesque, she was that woman with big, audacious ideas, and follow-through, that I strive to be.
There's a .pdf version of the latest OnScreen magazine, which has a great Q & A with Deirdre on the film (Mom, I meant to send you the hard copy ages ago, naturally). And there's an interview with her on KUOW here.
***
I'm going dancing tonight, damn it. Says a blog of Cross Club: "Rotating and twinkling statues; lights with shining, octopus-like tentacles; Bar chairs with tank shafts; numerous corridors with orientation maps; tables with four-stroke engines; the interiors look just like the inside of a huge sci-fi robotic whale. To grasp the genus loci of that place is quite impossible – maybe by this: It cannot be compared to anything from our world."
Sisson told me it was the perfect place to hear drum and bass. Sigma is playing tonight and they're on DJ Zinc's label Bingo Beats. Jenna G's "Woe" is on there, and D. Kay, whose "Desire" was the last hard-edged d & b track I could deal with in recent times. All you have to do to please this lady is drop an "oh yeah" in with your wobbly bass and too-much-snare-drum. So...most of ya'll know I was a raver in college, and d & b was the final frontier, the last genre I could still dance my heart out to, and I had a mini-renaissance in 2005. I discovered BBC 1xtra radio, and began a book idea that I'm still not done with. I met Kid Hops (expand your website Kyle!), and Tanya, who wasn't quite done with the genre either. I got Jess and Brian to go out with me. I kissed a hot Brazilian guy at the Marky show. You know. And I resisted the nonsense of being "too old" for the "boys club" as long as possible. You really want to say "give me a break" when it comes to gender, but the last few times I went out, I had to admit I felt completely alienated. I can still dig this music and talk about it with people but is the dancing aspect of my enjoyment really over? Well, I'll try again in Prague. Will everyone be 17, and male? Will I be ignored? Here goes.
I just had a killer idea.
The bad news is that I won't be there for its premiere. For those that don't know, I'm in an upcoming documentary on Seattle's burlesque scene- in particular, Miss Indigo Blue's Academy of Burlesque, which I graduated from last October. :) The 10 of us women who enrolled in the fall session were filmed in class, at rehearsals, in private sessions, at home, out on the town, etc. It was a nerve-wracking, amazing experience and I'll save the big, explanatory essay for later. A new trailer will be ready on May 6 and I'll post it as soon as I can. I'm thrilled to join the ranks of other recent Northwest documentary subjects i.e. Blood on the Flat Track, about the Rat City Rollergirls, and Girls Rock!, about Portland's Rock & Roll Camp for Girls, where Carrie Brownstein and Beth Ditto are teachers! Of course in this scenario I'm a camper, and the stars are the teachers like Indigo and the rest of Seattle's glittering professional scene. I look forward to seeing those profiles and that footage.
I don't know what I was thinking going out of town when I'm about to be in a movie! I was looking forward to getting glammed up and partying with the girls at the premiere. What a moment to miss out on...it makes me sad...but life is about moving forward. Can't break my stride, can't hold me down, I guess!
Anyway, taking the class was my project, and the film is Deirdre's. I don't know how good of a subject I was, because I felt a journalistic kinship with her and approached everything with that detached/analytical eye. Meeting her through this was inspirational. Besides sharing an interest in burlesque, she was that woman with big, audacious ideas, and follow-through, that I strive to be.
There's a .pdf version of the latest OnScreen magazine, which has a great Q & A with Deirdre on the film (Mom, I meant to send you the hard copy ages ago, naturally). And there's an interview with her on KUOW here.
***
I'm going dancing tonight, damn it. Says a blog of Cross Club: "Rotating and twinkling statues; lights with shining, octopus-like tentacles; Bar chairs with tank shafts; numerous corridors with orientation maps; tables with four-stroke engines; the interiors look just like the inside of a huge sci-fi robotic whale. To grasp the genus loci of that place is quite impossible – maybe by this: It cannot be compared to anything from our world."
Sisson told me it was the perfect place to hear drum and bass. Sigma is playing tonight and they're on DJ Zinc's label Bingo Beats. Jenna G's "Woe" is on there, and D. Kay, whose "Desire" was the last hard-edged d & b track I could deal with in recent times. All you have to do to please this lady is drop an "oh yeah" in with your wobbly bass and too-much-snare-drum. So...most of ya'll know I was a raver in college, and d & b was the final frontier, the last genre I could still dance my heart out to, and I had a mini-renaissance in 2005. I discovered BBC 1xtra radio, and began a book idea that I'm still not done with. I met Kid Hops (expand your website Kyle!), and Tanya, who wasn't quite done with the genre either. I got Jess and Brian to go out with me. I kissed a hot Brazilian guy at the Marky show. You know. And I resisted the nonsense of being "too old" for the "boys club" as long as possible. You really want to say "give me a break" when it comes to gender, but the last few times I went out, I had to admit I felt completely alienated. I can still dig this music and talk about it with people but is the dancing aspect of my enjoyment really over? Well, I'll try again in Prague. Will everyone be 17, and male? Will I be ignored? Here goes.
I just had a killer idea.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
More plakáty
OMG look at this one for John Huston's The Misfits! This is going on my wall, Bjork-style. I had a subway-sized poster of her Post cover art up in various habitats of mine for years. Even after I stopped taping all of life's flotsam and jetsam to my walls, as teenagers do, I kept that thing tacked up. It added a perfect, muticolored but not obnoxious brightness, like a prism. Like this!
Visual stimulation
Tonight I'm going to the launch party for the Czech branch of Future Shorts, a worldwide monthly festival of short films. Above is On S'Embrasse, a short from 2000 that was part of the February (love-themed) package. They're also playing it tonight- it's super sweet. Beirut's video for "Elephant Gun" was also shown in Feb. I'm more into this guy's aesthetic than his music- the video is like a cupcake for your eyes.
The show tonight is at Svetozor, an arthouse theater that's attached to a shop selling vintage and original Czech posters of beloved films. As if the originals weren't cool enough! As much as I want the Princesse Tam Tam bathing suit in this fancy boutique across the street as my European souvenir, my next stop is back to Seattle rather than the French Riviera. So I'll definitely be picking up a couple of these plakáty for my walls...if any of you want me to look for a particular one, let me know! Here's the Czech version for two of my favorite movies.
Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless:
Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris (though I like the new version with George Clooney better):
And I have to show you the one for Godard's Pierrot le Fou ("Crazy Pete"!), which I haven't seen yet:
Beautiful!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Maakies
Speaking of dumbwaiters...
I just thought of that issue of Sock Monkey that Annie gave me, where the model ship and its crew come up on the dumbwaiter to shoot cannonballs at Drinky Crow and Uncle Gabby (a plush crow and monkey come to life.) A and I used to slip into their Victorian slang when we had enough to drink. Dook dook dook, strumpet! In Seattle we're lucky to have a weekly Maakies strip in the paper, also by Sock Monkey creator Tony Millionaire. See Maakies for pure hilarity.
Paternoster
It's a dumbwaiter for people!
"It's not important," said the woman who took me to the Finance Office this morning, when I asked her to write down the name of this contraption for me. People keep telling me not to bother with Czech words because I'm here for such a short time, but I'm insatiably curious! I asked for six postcard stamps in Czech yesterday and it was wonderful. I made the woman laugh and then we had a nice conversation. I carry on with people in America too; it's the Shimp way. Here it gets old, only saying Dobrý den and Na shled. I need to be able to make unnecessary niceties with people.
Anyway this is the paternoster, and it turns out to not be a Czech word at all.
"First built in 1884 by Londoner J. E. Hall as the Cyclic Elevator, the name paternoster ("Our Father", the first two words of the Lord's Prayer in Latin) originally applied to the device because the elevator is in the form of a loop and is thus similar to rosary beads used as an aid in reciting the Lord's prayer."
Yes, pray you don't trip and crack your head open on your way out!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Týnská, Čachtická pani, words and names
My weekend was very quiet--I did indeed park it in a cafe. Friday night, Lucie invited me to Týnská literary cafe, on the tiny street that twists around the church of the same name. Another local secret, because the cave-like place is wonderfully cheap. And smoky, as it is everywhere. Saturday night I had gone looking for Bar & Books (pictured above), which ended up being directly opposite the cafe (doh). It was more like the Hideout, my favorite bar in the world. I.E. the low lighting not actually good for reading, and the atmosphere one I'd rather share with a friend on a splurge (a lychee champagne is $9!). So as I was admiring the contrast of the swank B & B with the cafe- two wooden doors with the name written in black script on the wall above it- across the way, I ran right into Sylvie, who I'd met last week. So back into the cafe we went! We talked about men and traded regional terms of endearment. She told me a great one that wasn't in my phrasebook: broučku- "little sweet beetle."
The phrasebook includes zlatíčko (my gold), and miláčku (darling). I've noticed that in translation of the American films, miláčku is used for almost every endearment- dear, sweetheart, darling. Also I think it might actually mean "little darling," because I've learned that you can make something like ulice (street) become ulička (little street) by changing the spelling, which changes the sound from "ts" to "ch." Kava (coffee) becomes kafíčko (nice, little cup of coffee). Cute!
Both nights I walked home around midnight across the Charles Bridge, which was filled with lovers taking pictures, gazing at things or each other, kissing. There are people kissing all over this city. There are also dachshunds everywhere, which I love. My childhood pet was a black dachshund named Libby (RIP). She was the best ever. Another thing about the bridge is that I haven't noticed many panhandlers in Prague, but there are usually some at night there, and they're prostrate. It's spooky. Their foreheads touch the ground with their hands or hat open near their heads, and they usually don't say a word. I also haven't noticed any depressed areas like Seattle's 3rd & Pike bus stop, that smell of piss and drugs, but then I haven't been everywhere in Prague yet.
Sat. I had also gone to Vinohrady for the first time, to meet a fellow XLR8R writer (there are 3 of us here!)at a great cafe, Meduza. The neighborhood reminded me of Brooklyn a little, with its Brownstone-sized apartment buildings, young people with strollers, and dogs. It was leafy and green too.
Sunday, Lucie had an extra ticket to see a ballet called "Čachtická pani," which is a legend based on the Slovak Countess Elizabeth Bathory, "known as the most infamous serial killer in Central European history and is remembered as the "Blood Countess" and as Bloody Lady of Čachtice, after the castle near Trenčín, in Royal Hungary, present-day Slovakia, where she spent most of her life." So that was some ballet- gore, rape, strobe-light-aided slow motion sequences, a pas de deux with a riding crop- we left at intermission and went back to Týnská for hot wine.
However...it was held at the Estates Theater, so I got to see the inside of this marvelous building, which I hope to go back to at least once more. Here's an interesting article on its history. It's famous for being the site where Mozart conducted his Don Giovanni opera for the first time in 1787! We sat in our own little booth on the first tier...it was truly spectacular. I felt like a princess. There were people of all ages there, in various states of dress, much like in Seattle. Some super casual, and others glam. I went half-and-half by wearing my simple black skirt and sweater, but putting my hair up and wearing a pair of Oma's earrings. Here's the theater:
Final bit of ephemera for now...Czech names- there's one for each day, and you can celebrate both your birthday and your 'name day.'
"During the Communist era, parents needed special permission form to give a child a name that does not have a name day on the Czech calendar. Since 1989, parents have had the right to name their children as they wish, provided it is used somewhere in the world and is not insulting or demeaning. However, the common practice is that the most birth-record offices look for the name in the book "Jak se bude vaše dítě jmenovat?" (How is your child going to be called?), ISBN 80-200-1349-0, the semi-official list of "allowed" names. If the name is not found there, offices are extremely unwilling to register the child's name.[1]"
And then you have Venezuela. The U.S. seems to be moderate...I knew a Porsche in high school, but also many Jennifers. :)
Friday, April 4, 2008
High & Low
Lucie has been amazing this week. She's revealed to me so many secrets, from where to get cheap delicious lunches today to how to navigate seznam.cz, CR's Yahoo. On it I can figure out what the closest transport stop to my destination is, then use that name in the city's journey planner to find a route. And the Czech-English dictionary is infinitely helpful. Today I misspelled some simple word and this came up instead:
a pak se dala do pláče - "and then she began to cry"
Kinda fitting for the last couple of days, although I sucked it up quick. My first week of work had a few seriously hectic moments, which was to be expected, and one unexpected humbling one. Yesterday in particular was a farce of brilliant things and shitty things happening in waves. First in the brilliant category, I spent the morning at a press conference for a Euro film festival, held at Czernin Palace, the current seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The palace is open to the likes of UN ambassador Angelina Jolie, and President Bush (who met with a bunch of dissidents there last year, strangely enough), but not the general public. So I got to hang my coat among some wonderful art, visit a spectacular bathroom, and hear French translated into Czech translated into English for two hours. This bathroom was one of the best I've ever been in. Light and airy, low marble sinks, a giant pot of lilies on the floor, and a view of exquisite garden out of the window. (I keep forgetting to mention that Czech bathrooms so far are super-private. Each stall is a little room you can lock yourself in, totally sealed off. And there's never anywhere to hang your coat.) The sitting area outside this bathroom had a massive crystal chandelier and chairs made of gold (a word I'll use often on this blog and hereafter meaning, "or something that looks like gold") and light green velvet. Beautiful! Here's the outside of the palace:
Next came my humbling moment at work. That's it. I give more space to the brilliant things, see. At 7:30, I ran to meet my boss at the Rudolfinum concert hall, the seat of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. They weren't playing; he had tickets to a series of modern classical performances and an extra one for last night. There were four pieces and I loved each one. They were tumultuous, emotional and stormy, what I always want from classical music but don't know how to look for. The final one featured an opera singer who was a vision in this floor-length red dress with billowing sleeves. People audibly sucked their air in when she came onstage, even before she sang. Here's something lovely outside the Rudolfinum:
Afterward we went across the street to the U Rudolfinum pub, the first one I've been to where you order the beer as traditionally, by showing a thumb for one and a thumb and forefinger for two. How many you have is kept track of on a slip of paper, and they keep pouring more for you when you're starting to get low. Smoke is everywhere. A scraggly artist is holding court at a large table, surrounded by hangers-on, and all his previous sketches are on the walls of this pub. The men at the cigarette machine say "Dobry vecher" (good evening) to me in solicitous tones.
My lovely night was then ruined by getting a fine on the tram for having an expired ticket. I've been so dilligent about that ever since I got here, but my "I didn't mean to" was futile to the ears of The Man, who took my weekend money on the spot, for me being 20 minutes past. !~^%@!^%#$ I had planned to go to this drum and bass party. I really enjoy some of this guy's productions:
But now I'll take my book and park it in some cafe. Have a great weekend :)
a pak se dala do pláče - "and then she began to cry"
Kinda fitting for the last couple of days, although I sucked it up quick. My first week of work had a few seriously hectic moments, which was to be expected, and one unexpected humbling one. Yesterday in particular was a farce of brilliant things and shitty things happening in waves. First in the brilliant category, I spent the morning at a press conference for a Euro film festival, held at Czernin Palace, the current seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The palace is open to the likes of UN ambassador Angelina Jolie, and President Bush (who met with a bunch of dissidents there last year, strangely enough), but not the general public. So I got to hang my coat among some wonderful art, visit a spectacular bathroom, and hear French translated into Czech translated into English for two hours. This bathroom was one of the best I've ever been in. Light and airy, low marble sinks, a giant pot of lilies on the floor, and a view of exquisite garden out of the window. (I keep forgetting to mention that Czech bathrooms so far are super-private. Each stall is a little room you can lock yourself in, totally sealed off. And there's never anywhere to hang your coat.) The sitting area outside this bathroom had a massive crystal chandelier and chairs made of gold (a word I'll use often on this blog and hereafter meaning, "or something that looks like gold") and light green velvet. Beautiful! Here's the outside of the palace:
Next came my humbling moment at work. That's it. I give more space to the brilliant things, see. At 7:30, I ran to meet my boss at the Rudolfinum concert hall, the seat of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. They weren't playing; he had tickets to a series of modern classical performances and an extra one for last night. There were four pieces and I loved each one. They were tumultuous, emotional and stormy, what I always want from classical music but don't know how to look for. The final one featured an opera singer who was a vision in this floor-length red dress with billowing sleeves. People audibly sucked their air in when she came onstage, even before she sang. Here's something lovely outside the Rudolfinum:
Afterward we went across the street to the U Rudolfinum pub, the first one I've been to where you order the beer as traditionally, by showing a thumb for one and a thumb and forefinger for two. How many you have is kept track of on a slip of paper, and they keep pouring more for you when you're starting to get low. Smoke is everywhere. A scraggly artist is holding court at a large table, surrounded by hangers-on, and all his previous sketches are on the walls of this pub. The men at the cigarette machine say "Dobry vecher" (good evening) to me in solicitous tones.
My lovely night was then ruined by getting a fine on the tram for having an expired ticket. I've been so dilligent about that ever since I got here, but my "I didn't mean to" was futile to the ears of The Man, who took my weekend money on the spot, for me being 20 minutes past. !~^%@!^%#$ I had planned to go to this drum and bass party. I really enjoy some of this guy's productions:
But now I'll take my book and park it in some cafe. Have a great weekend :)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Milan Kundera's Prague
Thanks to Tara for sending me the link to this story in the NYT on Sunday!!
I haven't read The Unbearable Lightness of Being since I was a teenager looking for erotic writing that also passed as (and was) literature. I had to hide my Anaïs Nin books but Being was one of the few that I think flew under my mom's radar. Sneaky me. Hehe. I brought Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting with me on this trip, and I'll start reading it as soon as I'm done with The Love of a Good Woman, by Alice Munro. I haven't been so into a writer's oeuvre since I finished with Mary Gaitskill. And now, my mom likes the same books as me. Munro that is. Gaitskill might make her faint.
I haven't read The Unbearable Lightness of Being since I was a teenager looking for erotic writing that also passed as (and was) literature. I had to hide my Anaïs Nin books but Being was one of the few that I think flew under my mom's radar. Sneaky me. Hehe. I brought Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting with me on this trip, and I'll start reading it as soon as I'm done with The Love of a Good Woman, by Alice Munro. I haven't been so into a writer's oeuvre since I finished with Mary Gaitskill. And now, my mom likes the same books as me. Munro that is. Gaitskill might make her faint.
Nosferatu & the Czech underground
All my life is watching movies. I screened Vantage Point yesterday and must see Sleuth today, so last night I wasn't sure I wanted to see another for fun. But I'm so glad I did. My co-worker Lucie put an announcement on my desk about a screening of Nosferatu, with a live score. I'd never seen it, and it made me think of Jon Todd's live score to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari so many years ago in Jacksonville. (Which led me to researching all of the current projects of Tim Massett, Jax's film programmer extraordinaire, who still seems to be doing amazing things. I can carry on about midnighters at San Marco Theatre, the Pit, and pirate radio KRAD some other time).
The screening was at the performance space La Fabrika, which I'd heard of from the Prague Burlesque website. Prague is divided into sections- I live in Prague 6, work in Prague 1, and Fabrika is in Prague 7. (The boonies would be areas like Prague 20.) So I took my longest tram ride yet there, but it was easy to find. There were at least two hundred people there, a packed house. The girl sitting next to me went up to get a glass of wine and suggested I come with her, and I made my first Czech friend (outside of work)! The intro to the show was neverending. When people would laugh, Sylvie would kindly explain what was funny. The narrator of the show was Pavel Zajíček, and the score was played by a bunch of talented violinists, cellists, programmers, bassist, and a percussionist, heavy on the gong. Here's a sample of his awesome voice, and the music:
I learned that Zajíček is a legend in underground Czech culture. From Praguetv.com:
"Fronted by poet Pavel Zajíček, DG 307 was one of the key bands in Prague's 1970s underground rock scene. Zajíček formed the group in 1973, with his friend Milan "Mejla" Hlavsa, who also founded and led The Plastic People of the Universe. DG 307 took its name from the code given to a diagnosis of clinical insanity - a diagnosis the Communist regime often applied to dissidents.
Following a government crackdown, Zajíček was imprisoned for a year in 1976, along with Hlavsa and other members of The Plastic People. Outrage at the government's actions led to the publication of a manifesto called Charta 77 (Charter 77), from which a dissident movement emerged, led by playwright Václav Havel, that would eventually topple the regime.
Following Zajíček's release from prison, DG 307 - now minus Hlavsa, who was concentrating on his main band -faced continued government resistance. The band managed to put on only two live shows before Zajíček was allowed to leave Czechoslovakia, in 1980. He lived in Sweden until 1986, before moving to New York City, then moved back home in 1992.
Back in Prague, Zajíček again worked with Hlavsa, producing the album Uměle ochuceno/Artificially Flavored at around the same time that DG 307's 1970s material was finally getting an official release. While Hlavsa's involvement with DG 307 ended there, the band has continued to record and play live regularly, showcasing Zajíček poetic lyrics and powerful vocals."
Wow! The '60s and '70s underground culture was also expressed in Samizdat, clandestine zine-making. A Post writer did a piece last week on a 75-year old artist Vladislav Zadrobílek, known for his samizdat. It's very interesting- read here if you like.
All in all an extremely educational/recreational evening. I did find a good cocktail too, by accident--I asked for a Gambrinus and the hot bartender thought I said 'caipirinha'! Really?! I know where to go in Seattle for one, but you never know who's going to know it; even when I was in L.A. I had bad luck. It was great. But, I should've just asked for pivo, rather than the type of beer. Sylvie and her friend talked with me about movies (she loves Miyazaki and Jarmusch), music and Seattle. Going there was their teenage dream, as it was mine. :) She gave me a tram ticket that I squeezed the life out of by taking a combination of 3 trams/2 metro lines home, because I was tipsy and my original transfer stop was utterly deserted and weird. That accomplishment plus this morning's--I navigated to work after construction/tour bus accident/broken down tram madness, w/o looking at any street names--have me feeling more confident about the city. Yes!!!
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