Almost New Year 2010… Question:
Does anyone really think they would have lived this long?
Okay, don’t count the chickens, right … I still have an overseas flight to make Atlanta.
Just in case …. um … Happy New Year!
BIBLIOGRIND
The Life of a Wordsmith — Read … Live … WriteArchive for November, 2009
Meeting “The Czech Frank Sinatra”
Karel Gott is an old crooner who cut his teeth singing to women in factories during commie years, then really made it big after the VR in ’89. He’s got a good voice, is wildly popular (at 70+), and is quite the humanitarian as well.
My student, Professor Kriz, knows Gott personally, and once before showed some of the singer’s artwork, a passion of his for some 20 years or so. The paintings are derivative and reminiscent of many famous 20th C painters (Latrec and Kalo come to mind), but they show spirit and attention to craft. Gott is really a Czech idol, and it showed tonight with all the fans and well-wishers who came to Kriz’s law offices for the exhibition. While Gott didn’t sing, he did stay around and spoke to all who came to him (I paid him bon mots, too) and signed lots of autographs.
So Prof. Kriz knows how to put on a shin-dig, that’s for sure: Bohemien sekt (champagne), top-tier wines, good beer (brewed since 1638) a traditional Czech buffet (legs of ham, gulash, salmon tartar, smoked bacon [otherwise known as heart-attack snacks], and hot peppers), and cigarette girls. Yes, this last is quite the sight. I haven’t seen cigarette girls (like, really, live girls holding trays of cigarettes protruding from their packages, she (dressed mildly as an angel, with lots of cleavage) ready with a fashionable butane lighter) since the Playboy ski club back in ’71. Frikkin mind blowing.
The treat for the night, however, was recognizing Arnost Lustig in the crowd. I attended a class taught by Arnost back in ’94 here in Prague, and here he was, sitting with a young thing (he couldn’t keep his hands off her, as a matter of fact), surrounded by birthday gifts. I had Prof Kriz introduce me because they are close friends, and I reminded Lustig of our meeting 15 years ago. He didn’t remember, of course. Back then he was 72 yrs old, and since has taught hundreds of knucklheads like myself.
It was a good evening, and I met a few of CR’s power brokers. The Professor introduces me as “my English teacher; the best I’ve ever had” … which is a nice sentiment.
My Leg X-Ray
Drum roll?
No major damage. Ligaments are okay. Seems I probably have a lesion on the meniscus. Next week I return to see an orthopedist.
Hospital na Momolce is pretty easy to get to, and the organization is good. They have a foreign resident receptionist, and most doctors speak English enough for me to understand what they need to explain. So the whole deal took 2 hrs, that includes the x-ray and two meetings with the “surgeon”.
The doctor worked my knee like he was deboning a turkey leg. Of course, I don’t have all that much pain in it anymore, but I wanted to show a sort of “pain face” that would get me into the x-ray room (he was going to basically send me away with an ortho appt to take place in 3 mos). I haven’t put this knee through so much since I hurt the thing July 17 (4 months!). So I’m happy that I didn’t feel any brutal snaps as he wrung it like a wet towel.
Anyway, the ortho will look at it and make a suggestion, I’m sure. I doubt if that includes surgery. I’m not sure I’d agree to surgery even if he suggests it, which I’m thinking he won’t given Czech aversion to operate when unnecessary.
Price: @1500 Kc … equivalent to $75 … all of which I’ll get back from my Czech insurance. American (asshole) legislators take note: this is how health insurance should work.
So, the prognosis: I’ll be skiing and tennissing again, someday. The knee feels good, just some pain where I imagine the meniscus is, and only when I come down HARD on it.
T-Giving Afterword
The turkey was excellent. My beans went over greatly. And we Americans demonstrated to our Czech friends what “thanksgiving” really means: pile your plate high and go back for seconds.
Read Lately:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (spartan language, straightforward prose that tell the story of life in a post-apocolyptic world; scarriest, most depressing book I’ve read in years. Highly recommended to those who think their life is a bit boring lately)
The Natural History of the Rich by Richard Conniff (answering the question Why are rich people assholes?)
TUNC by Lawrence Durrell (verbal play by a language master, telling the story of a deeply flawed love with a woman, corporate imprisonment, and lives none of us will recognize)
Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd (interwoven stories of murder in 18th & 20th C London; the language of 1721 is used brilliantly)
Strong Motion by Jonathan Franzen (a fabulously conceived, told, and written story of earthquakes and love)
A Prague Thanksgiving
On the way to Theresa’s for Thanksgiving celebration. Since this Thursday is NOT an American holiday, it didn’t matter when the celebration was, and tonight we’ll have American’s, Czechs, Brits, a fine Frenchman, and perhaps a scattering of other nat’l-ities.
I’ve made the traditional green beans & dried onions. It has turned out fab, if I do say so. Anne has made one the two turkeys, and a sweet potatoe (sic … think Dan Quayle) concoction. Wine, beer, liquor, food, friends.
A Night at the Movies
I saw with a friend last night THE BROTHERS BLOOM, a con-man caper romantic comedy. It was a hilarious movie with great writing, acting, and directing. The film had this sort of nostalgic-era theme going (even when a character drove her Lamborgini), with 1920s-1940s wardrobe, sailing on an old ship (Agatha Christie era-type thingamajig).
Oddly enough, about a third of the story line took place in Prague, where a lot of places I know first hand showed up.
Of course, a bit of Jack Daniels before the movie (theaters have cafe-bars in the vestibule) made it that much “atmospheric”.
Obama the One-Termer
So I hear (vaguely) that the Republican Party in America won two gubernatorial seats. How quickly the star fades within a bored (and boring) apathetic electorate. But Obama and the Congress-ruling Democrats can blame only themselves: to get something done against the nasty bastard Republicans, you need to ram it up their asses and down their throats at the same time, NOT sit around talking like your at a high school circle jerk.
In my vague hearing there is the white-hot flash of recognition, preciousness, sagacity: this little victory will amphetamize the hate of the conservative pundits and media for all things Obama/Liberal like a serial rapist with a new itch in his pants.
I feel sorry for the American experiment. It could have been better. I’m consoled by Benjamin Franklin’s words, after witnessing the Constitutional Convention: “Well, you’re going to get a Republic, if you can keep it. But every constitution of this sort has failed since the beginning of time due to the corruption of the people.”
Autumnal Tints and Coffee Hints
It’s colorful around Prague. Cold, but colorful. Walking in the parks is a nice way to beat the overcast skies that have pretty much decended upon Prague for the next 5 months.
And coffee: I bought a French press. And some good coffee. Now some kind of a warm buzz is doable for the weekends.
