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The tick-borne diseases such as encephalitis and borreliosis (Lyme disease) have been recently on the rise in the Czech Republic. The lyme disease is caused by a bacteria called Borrelia and it causes a flu-like symptoms as well as the musculoskeletal, neurological and psychiatric manifestations in the latter stages. There used to be a Lyme vaccine called Lymerix, however, it was taken off the market in 2002 because of poor sales and a need for frequent boosters (I personally remember getting this vaccine when I was a child). A Czech company called Bioveta has been selling its Lyme disease vaccinations for pets and farm animals for some time now but it only just recently came up with a vaccine for humans. (more…)

Did you like the movie “I, Robot” or “A.I.” (Artificial intelligence)? These movies are a pure rip-off of one of Karel Capek’s novels called the R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots). In this masterpiece Capek introduces the now frequently used international word “robot” - the non-human intelligent being. The word itself was invented by Karel’s dear brother Josef and it is derived from a Czech verb “robotovat” which is an archaic word for “working”. Capek is one of the great - if not the greatest - writers of the inter-war Czechoslovakia. Beside being an author of numerous fabulous books what was he like? Don’t be misled by his meek look. He had quite an adventurous life: he was expelled from high school, later married an actress and becomes a good friend of the president (T.G. Masaryk). (more…)

Here is a guest post of a gentleman named Michael whose enthusiasm for learning the Czech language is quite inspirational. See for yourself…

CZ: Je na case predstavit meho mileho hosta Michala. Je zakem druheho rocniku ceskeho jazyka na mistni universite a jeho nadseni k uceni tohoto sloziteho jazyka je proste nakazlive. Posudte sami:

“IF I HAD TO CHOOSE MY FAVORITE CZECH WORD…”

If I had to choose my favorite Czech word, “pokoj” comes to mind immediately. With its double meaning of ‘room’ and ‘peace of mind’, it is, to me, the perfect example of why one should learn the language to know the culture. (more…)

The Czech Republic (and Slovakia) has an interesting tradition. If you are a high school student your mom will most likely force you to go to “do tanecnich” ( Dancing school). It is a very inexpensive way to not only learn how to dance almost any type of dance that currently exists (seriously, they teach you anything from Polka to Samba to Foxtrot) but it is also a socialization tool for all of the pimply kids out there. When you are 15 or 16 years old, it is hard to talk to the opposite sex (well, for most of us anyway). But this dancing school makes you to do exactly that. At the beginning of each weakly session you are forced into pairs (male -female) whether you like it or not. (more…)

Have you decided who would you like to be the future president of the Czech Republic? Svejnar or Klaus? Are you still undecided? When the lidovky.cz survey asked people who would they pick to be a new Czech president, these were the results:

• 921 voted for Klaus
• 524 voted for Svejnar (more…)
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A famous British chef and a former soccer champion, Gordon Ramsay, is known by the American audience mostly by his reality show called the Hell’s kitchen. In his homeland, however, Gordon is currently one of the three chefs whose restaurant is rated with 3 Michelin stars. He owns 11 restaurants in the UK as well as 11 restaurants worldwide. And now he is opening one in Prague. (more…)

Up until recently I have always thought that the Czech Republic allows you to have a dual citizenship. WRONG (with a few exeptions) !!. And here is why…..

Az do nedavna jsem si myslela, ze Ceska republika dovoluje dvoji obcanstvi. Chyba lavky (az na par vyjimek)…

WHAT IS A DEFINITION OF CZECH CITIZENSHIP?

According to the Jus sanguinis (”right of blood” in Latin) principles the Czech citizen at birth is a descendant of a Czech parent.

• it does not matter if that person is born in the Czech Republic or abroad
• if the parents are not married and only the father is Czech, a proof of paternity is required
• babies born in the Czech Republic to foreign parents do not get Czech citizenship unless the parents are stateless or have a permanent resident card (more…)
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What are the highlights of this upcoming month? The Czech Philharmonic orchestra is coming to America! So, in case you are in a mood for some Smetana or Dvorak, check out their touring schedule listed bellow….

• McLean, VA
  1. What: Sokol’s Sibrinky Masquerade Ball
  2. When: Feb. 9

• Arlington, VA
  1. What: Czechoslovak Happy Hour
  2. When: Feb.1

• Czech Philharmonic Orchestra US Tour
  1. When: Feb - March
  2. Where: all over USA; for a detailed schedule click here: Czech philharmonic Orchestra detailed schedule

• Cedar Rapids, Iowa (National Czechs & Slovak Museum & Library)
  1. What: “Coffee and Books” (Kava a Knihy); discussing Vaclav Havel’s book “To the Castle and back”
  2. When: Feb.11

• Astoria,NY (Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden)

1. What: Porkfest 2008: Czech traditional Pork dishes, music and raffles

When: Feb.1 - Feb.3

2.What: Czech Film Festival 2008: With Kisses from your Love (Libam te a miluji)

When: Febuary 9 (7pm) (more…)

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Not very far from Prague lies the mining town of Kutna Hora. It is definitely one of the shiniest gems of the Czech Republic and that is why it became the UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. Thanks to the abundance of silver mines, the town became economically even more important than Prague in the 13th century. What really makes the Kutna Hora, however, is the Gothic-style, five-naved St. Barbara Church (Chram sv. Barbory) - one of the most famous churches in Central Europe. Peter Parler, one of the most known Czech architects of all times, started the construction in 1388. The building went very fast at first but when the Hussite Wars started in 1420 everything was put on hold and the temple ended up half-finished. Since the “roof” of the building was nonexistent, the common rainfall combined with the winter snow storms began to destroy the structure. (more…)

What is currently the scariest part of Prague? Is it The Wenceslav Square? Or the outskirts of Prague? Or could it be the Old Town Square itself? Find out the answer right here!