The Velvet Hammer Celebrates The Velvet Revolution

Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia during 1989. Communism fell and the two republics peacefully split in what is now referred to as the Velvet Revolution, so named because its leaders were inspired by the band the Velvet Underground and the peaceful way in which it split. Monday, the 17th of November, was the anniversary of this historic sea change. I was honored to be able to experience the celebration. As a child of the end of the cold war, I still think communism is an evil ethos. People tend to have short memories and the ideals of communism are creeping back into the world’s collective consciousness. We should be mindful of the pain, suffering, and death caused by communism in its various forms. Society is doomed when the collective good becomes more important than the individual. Feel free to tear apart that statement if you wish, it is intentionally vague and subject to interpretation.

Jon had to do some work so I went on my own walking tour of revolutionary sites. My knee was throbbing from the mysterious injury suffered on day one but I wasn’t about to let that keep me from relishing history. I walked along Prague’s main thoroughfare to visit the Memorial to the Victims of Communism as well as a couple of other sites where Vaclav Havel, inspired by among other things, the band the Velvet Underground, hosted public discussions on the dangers and evils of communism. Havel would be elected the first President of post communism Czech Republic. During my journey I happened upon a demonstration. The protestors were holding signs with the word, “radar”, enclosed in a circle with a line through it. I noticed that another, much smaller, group was holding American flags in the background. Just to confirm my suspicion, I asked one of the flag holders what was happening. He explained that the radar people were protesting against the proposed missile defense shield that President Bush has been advocating. The guys with the flags were all for it. I don’t know enough about it to make an intelligent comment. A guy with a guitar took the stage and started singing about Meestah Bush. That’s all I could make out, Meestah Bush. I don’t think the Europeans believe us. Their like, yeah right, sure you had elections, we know Premier Bush is king for life. Two Bulgarians told me that McCain would have been George Bush’s puppet much like Medvedev is to Putin in Russia. That’s what the media tells them. This may be shocking but I set them straight.

That night, we had drinks at a cellar bar called, U Sudu, one of the coolest bars I have ever patronized. We drank some Czech wine that was cheap and surprisingly good. I would put it up against many of the moderately priced California reds I have tasted. After solving the world’s problems, Jon and I went home. Thankfully, Jon had to get up and work the next day so we left relatively early. I could have stayed there all night. The place was that charming. Unfortunately, the Czech wine was good enough that Jon left his backpack containing his computer at the bar. We had to walk back to the bar because we just missed the tram and another wouldn’t be there for another thirty minutes. My knee wailed the entire trip. On the way back to his flat we caught a tram. This was bittersweet. You know how I always say that Americans get a bad rap abroad? Four American girls rode the tram with us and put on a clinic of how to be annoying and disrespectful in someone else’s country. The Czech people are pretty reserved. They aren’t noisy or flashy. These girls were the opposite.

Girl from New York:
“Like, you guys, like I don’t know if this is like the right tram!”

All four, including the girl who posed the question, trying to talk at once:
“Yeah, like, I don’t, like, yeah, no, like, wait, yeah, this is it, yeah, omg, yeah”

Girl from New Jersey, to me:
“Do you know where this tram like going?”

“No, I’m not really sure, Jon?”

Jon, annoyed, “No”

“Where are y’all from,” I asked.

“like Houston, like Long Island, like New Jersey, and Atlanta….like”

“How do you like Prague?”

“We like love it, we’re studying abroad, we party like EVERY night.”

“Have you learned any Czech?”

Girl from New Jersey:
“I can speak Dobry Den (good day in Czech).”