czechmatediary.com

So I learned something new! As we walked around town to see the 4th of July celebrations we stopped by a big stage where a large orchestra was playing the classic circus song of all times (click here to listen to it). Our friend, knowing that I am Czech, mentioned that the song had a Czech origin. “Really???” I couldn’t believe the fact that I didn’t know that! Such a famous song! Even some obscure tribe in the forests of Africa would recognize that tune. (more…)

5 brave guys from Brno (Czech Republic) will be soon immortalized in the Guinness book of world records. They all scuba-dive for living and one day they decided to take it up a notch and stay underwater for 1 hour with just ONE oxygen bomb. What does’ that mean? That means that each one of them could take only one breath from the oxygen tank per minute. Can you imagine to take only 60 breaths in one hour? (more…)

The Museum of Curiosities in Pelhrimov is quite the happening place these days. The 29-year old fakir, Petr Fiedor is planning on overcoming his past record of laying on hundreds of glass shards for 72 hours (His record from the year of 2000). This time he is hoping to lay unharmed on his “comfy” bed for 10 days. For 8 out of those torturous days (literally) is Peter going to be kept alive and well only via the means of IV - no food or drinks allowed. And why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone (or 2 flies with 1 swap, as the Czechs say) and make it a scientific experiment as well? (more…)

The notorious party celebrity,Paris Hilton, is arriving to Prague on Sunday. No, the purpose of her visit is not to check on the Prague-based Hilton hotel and see if all of the toilet paper is well stocked in the bathrooms. She is actually coming as a groupie! She is escorting her current boyfriend, Benjim Madden, whose band the Good Charlotte is going to be performing in Prague on Monday. That is not all, however. According to the very “trusted” source, the German gossip magazine Bild, Paris wants to conceive her first child with this guy AND on this tour. AND(!!) he (or she) is supposed to be named after the city the child was born in. (more…)

The Czechs will never have to take a shower again! You can blame the Czech scientists for that. This time they are working on a self-cleaning textile material, which means that the clothing made out of this stuff will clean itself “on the go” - while being worn. This is going to be accomplished by the help of a special lining which is activated by th sun’s rays. Sun simply melts those impurities away. This kind of special textile has been already been used to make table-cloths where the inevitable food stains don’t penetrate the cloth as deep, hence the washing process becomes much easier and faster. (more…)

I LOVE THIS! Do you remember Ivan Mladek’s song called “Jozin z Bazin” (the Swampland Jozin) (see the words to the song by clicking here) ? Well, if you don’t, it is a 30-year old, folk song that became a huge hit at the time. The song is about this monster Jozin who lives in the swamps somewhere in Moravia and eats only people from Prague - the city snobs. Although he doesn’t eat the locals they are tired of him. That is why the town mayor makes an offer to give away his daughter and a half or the “JZD” (the communist word for the town farm) to anyone who destroys this monster. The Czechs still play it on the radio from time-to-time. Every time I hear this song it brings me back to my childhood: I am 7 years old, hanging out with my friends at my parent’s cottage during the summer and lazily munching on Nanuk (an awesome communist ice cream bar). Anyway - it’s crazy - but this song ( and the video) has just now become a HUGE hit in Poland! It’s been the number one song on most of the Polish Top Song list (in Polish it is Jozek z bagien). The teenagers have the disco version uploaded in their MP3’s and are dancing away, trying to copy the dancing style of Ivo Pesak. (more…)