Compact archive May 22, 2006

Today start in Prague world festival of Gypsy and Roma music, dance and culture Khamoro. The program ends on Saturday and you can every day hear and see a lot of world and Czech performers. Khamoro is traditionally not only closed in clubs but also you can met musicians and dancers in Prague streets and squares.

This year artists came from Slovakia, Hungary, Russsia, Romania, USA, France, Austria, Spain and the Netherlands. You can hear top jazz players – from the Netherlands Johny Rosenberg trio; Harri Stojka from Austria and Angelo Debarre from France.

This is eighth year of Khamoro in Prague and traditional clubs are Roxy, Lucerna and Reduta as it was in recent years.

More from the program you can see at pages of Khamoro 2006.

Hockey world tournament ended yesterday. And for most Czechs it was unhappy end. Czech hockey players lost final match against Sweden.

First third of the match show to Czechs that Sweden is like stone wall. Deadly stone wall. It was fifteenth minute and Sweden scored. 37 seconds left and Sweden has second point.
Second third wasn’t much better. 24th minute and 37th minute and score is 0:4. Czechs players was hopeless, although fans in stadium support them until last minute. Third period was for Czech players like water trying to destroy a mountain. Sweden players didn’t let no Czech to get to Sweden sanctuary…

Almost every Czech watched the match. Old Town Square was full of fans in front of large screen. Unfortunately, after 60 minutes of playing time no celebrations was heard. Fans left the square in quiet.

Although they appreciated very good work of players trough the whole tournament. There was a little faith in Czech team at the beginning of the tournament. Large rejuvenation of the team gives to many experts as well as fans big space for doubts. Best stars stayed in USA or Canada. Fifteen players was world tournament novices. And yet, they won silver medals.

Sweden team was very tough. Czech players appreciated their qualities after the match. Bronze medals won Finland, our opponent in semi-finals.

Every one could take a tramp from Prague to Prcice this Saturday.
This traditional tramp for tourists has 41 years. This Saturday 18.000 take a walk, but in communistic years it was even 35.000 in eighties, because this was one of few actions allowed by governments.

Tradition of walking from Prague to a village Sedlec-Prcice has a fun history. 41 years ago chief of Karel Kulle said to his employee “Jdi do Prcic!” This means in Czech “Blast you!” or “Go to hell”. It is a common explanation of disagreement with something. And Karel Kulle accepted this literally. He was heated hiker, so he took a walk to 70 kilometers distant Prcice. The journey in nature was beautiful as well as village Prcice, so he decided to make a trip Praha-Prcice for everyone who is interested.

Now Praha-Prcice has 14 lines, longest is original one from Prague, others are shorter and starts in some towns on the track Prague-Tabor. Shortest line is 23km long. This year there was 419 bikers on three lines from 76 to 62 kilometers.

Reward for everyone, who get to Prcice is traditional: A little plastic boot as a trophy to a neck and one tatranka biscuit.

It happened at meeting of Czech Desntist Chamber on Saturday. A doctor, politician, member and former vice chairman of Civic Democrats Party, a consultant of the Czech Republic president Miroslav Macek was a moderator at meeting. David Rath as a doctor and Minister of Health, unpopular among doctors and pharmaceutical, member of Czech Social Democrats Party, was at meeting as a defender of unpopular changes in Czech public health.

Miroslav Macek stayed in front of speaker’s desk at the beginning of speech.
“At first, let me solve my purely private affair,” said Macek.
Than he walked to Rath and hardly slap him from behind. Than Macek returned to the speech table. Rath and everyone in a hall were shocked. Rath picked all his stuff and he wanted to leave the hall. After few steps he returned an come to speech table.
Rath spoke to a microphone:”Why didn’t you face me like a man? You are a coward.”
Than Macek attacked him again. Rath defended himself and he stroke back. After few seconds they was separated by other people.
Macek explained to the audience: Rath insult him and his wife at newspapers and he warned Rath via media, that he would solve this cause by an educational slap. After that Macek left the hall with loud whistling of the audience.

Rath insinuated in a interview, that Macek married his wife because of money.

This incident has many reactions.
Chairman of Czech Dentist Chamber apologized to Rath in a name of all dentist. Chairman of Civic Democrat Party disavow Macek. Prime Minister and chairman of Czech social Democrats Party said, that is was a political attack.

Macek explanation that it was the private affair looks strangely, because I think that private affairs are not solved at a public in front of the eyes of hundreds of people and even large number of journalists and cameras.

You can see a record by Czech Television (no comment).