Compact archive August 13, 2008

Festival Machac 2008 – DJ Tiesto in Czech Republic

Wednesday 13 August 2008 17:38

After his super-successful performance he made in Prague T-Mobile arena last year, the most-wanted star of dance scene and the world DJ superstar, Holland DJ and producer DJ Tiesto. He has become one of the world’s most famous people in the trance and electronic dance music scenes.

Tiesto Undoubtedly is the Headliner, but there is almost 30 other artists on 4 stages, that in combination with one of the best dams for swimming in the Czech Republic makes the combination that attracts enough people for Machac Festival continue year after year.

FR 22th August 2008, 18:00, Machovo Jezero, Doksy, Plaz Klucek. Tickets: 1.109,- czk at Ticketpro

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Kaplicky Introduces New Environmental Building

Wednesday 13 August 2008 15:43

Ceske Budejovice witnessed the architect Jan Kaplicky to reveal his new design. As usually, the concept returns to the nature and learns from its shapes; As Kaplicky says, “we are not made of boxes either”. The new concert hall is very organic in shape, the image of sea devil comes in mind, especially from the side view, with an entrance where an eye usually is. The construction should be black from the outside, the inside is designed in large scale of colours.

Why black? The orchestra is dressed in black as well, and the audience is also expected to come dressed up, so they will directly match, also it is the colour of dignity, which increases interactivity. Its surface is designed to be from glass, which lasts hundreds of years without change.

The building could add much prestige to Ceske Budejovice, located between Prague and Vienna. Now there are only two remaining factors – the EU Funds are needed to give an amount of about 42 millions €, and also the president Vaclav Klaus is needed to stay silent this time, not to boycott it as the Blob. Pictures of the Sea Devil are here.

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Bothering Prague Street Advertisements

Wednesday 13 August 2008 13:48

Almost everyone who walked the centre of Prague have met someone who offered him/her some ad leaflets for all kinds of stuff. In the recent past, the main points for leaflet distributors were Wenceslas square (at the place was typical the ‘erotic club’ kind of leaflets) for and Old Town Square (leaflets mostly for opera). Since 2005, when free street advertising was banned, the number of dealers dropped, but they definitely haven’t disappeared.

What most of tourists in Prague remember is the white limousine ‘Darling Cabaret’ which, with its red sign, informs about the luxurious night club. The city litigates with the owner, however it hasn’t been going very well for the past few years, so the limo is probably going to stay. Even when the owner can get a few thousands czk fine eventually, it is too little an amount for him.

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Baby Cheetahs in Prague Zoo

Wednesday 13 August 2008 11:50

Like the last year, the year 2008 means joy for Prague Zoo cheetah department. This time there is four cubs – 1male and 3 females. Last year, there was 5 of them, which meant first success after long ten years of waiting. This year’s cubs are the proof, that the cheetah couple is well matched, and so the concept work of Fejk’s team harvest the fruits of their endeavour.

Little cheetahs were born on 29th July. The mother Wazima, born in Holland Wassenaar in 2003 takes exemplary care of them, the father is Eddie, born in 2004 in JAR. The cubs are now hidden in their lair, waiting to grow up a little before they show up. Prague zoo is the 7th best zoo in the world, the animals feel very comfortable.

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Spend the Haler Coins, While You Can

Wednesday 13 August 2008 09:45

The smallest coin used in the Czech Republic is 50 haler. Until the end of August 2008. If you take a look into your wallet and find any of these, you can, and should spend them until September, as they are valid mean of payment for the last 18 days.

The Czech National Bank expects only 15-20% of the 50 halers coins to return. Most of the change people simply lost, some, they keep as a relic. Anyway, after 31st August, those coins are going to become about 410 tons of aluminium. That will officialy mean the end of haler in Czech currency. Logically, some 50 haler coins return later, they can be returned into any bank in the CR.

The paper 20 czk banknote also ends, but that is no news – there is so little number of them nowadays – I had the last one about three years ago.