Czech Life | All stories

Stand-up comedy does not have a terribly deep tradition in the Czech Republic although that is changing. Now, a new festival called PRAHAha, to launch on Monday, November 3, is bringing more than 50 performers over 10 days to six venues in the capital. If you’re a fan of stand-up in Prague, or have even dreamed of trying your own material on an open mic, this is your chance.

It is exactly forty years since the first inhabitants started moving into the Czech Republic’s biggest housing estate, Jižní Město in the south of Prague. The local Chodovská tvrz gallery is marking this anniversary with an exhibition dedicated to the history of the district and to the everyday life of its inhabitants. Called Jižní město: From Utopia to Reality, it features large-scale models of the prefabricated houses, audio recordings, as well as art objects reflecting life at the so-called “Jižák”.

Why do Czech men want to date Vietnamese girls? What do Czechs hate about the Vietnamese? And what to expect at a Vietnamese wedding? This and many more questions are the subject of a blog called Asijatka, which offers sharp as well as light-hearted observations on the coexistence of the Czech and Vietnamese communities. Written by a young Vietnamese Do Thu Trang, the blog recently received an award for journalists under 33 years of age, as well as a nomination for the Magnesia Litera Award for Best blog.

In Czech Life this week our guest is Jakub Karas, the director of the Czech Unmanned Aerial Alliance and an expert on drones who has also published a book on their use. As both professional and hobby drones have caught on, Radio Prague took the opportunity to ask about the possibilities but also potential dangers they represent.

The news website iDnes has reported that a percentage of Czech students have chosen work in the sex trade to make more money, fast. That at least is the initial attraction, says NGO Rozkoš bez rizika (Bliss without Risk) which counsels sex workers. The underlying message for any young woman considering this line of work? It is anything but easy and there is always a cost.

It’s the peak of the holiday season and thousands of people are packing up to leave the city. For those used to spending summers hiking in the mountains, holidays are forever connected with the taste of instant soups and mashes, which were lightweight and ready to eat but didn’t really have much flavour. Petra Pospěchová, a food journalist and keen mountain hiker, proves that you can climb the summits and eat well at the same time. Her Outdoor Cookbook, which came out just recently, features dozens of easy and tasteful recipes as well as a number

The Czech Institute of Sociology has recently published results of a survey, which look at how Czechs spend their daily lives. It focuses on such topics as housing choices, inequalities, education, and the labour market. One of the authors of this long-term household survey is an Irish sociologist Pat Lyons, who has been based in the Czech Republic for more than a decade. I met him to discuss the first outcomes of the project, but I first asked him about a book he published along with his colleagues at the end of last year, called Forty-Seven Shades

This weekend saw the return of Robotic Day in Prague, organised for the 13th time by the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University. Teams, largely of students from either university or high school, who registered to compete, tested their designs in various competitions with colourful names like Bear Rescue and Ketchup House. Most importantly Sunday of the two-day event was open to the public, for anyone interested in seeing some of the robots for themselves.

What kind of challenges does migration present for cities around the world? How could cities benefit from the influx of migrants? And is Prague ready to accept new residents? These are just some of the topics at the core of this year's annual reSITE conference and festival which gets under way in Prague in just a few weeks’ time. I discussed some of the issues with Martin Barry, the founder of ReSITE, and I first asked him to explain the choice of the festival’s main theme, Cities in Migration.

Markéta “Peggy” Marvanová is a Czech mountain biker specialising in adventure racing. At the age of just 18, she won the annual 1000 Miles race across the Czech Republic and Slovakia for the first time. Since, she has taken part in gruelling contests including The Tour Divide, which stretches across America. Markéta is also well-known as the lone female rider in the ranks of courier company Messenger in Prague. In this edition of Czech Life, we discuss the thrill of mountain bike racing, the outback, and much more.