Having grown up in the United States of America I am prone to boredom. It’s part of my cultural DNA. I see this now. I never noticed it before, but now that I have been in the Czech Republic for almost a year…I see it. We have so many things to occupy and soften our minds in the states that our attention spans are shrinking and we manage to get bored easy. It’s kind of ironic that we can get bored when we have so much “stuff” at our finger-tips.
I have not been bored once in Prague. I’ll say it again in case you had your ipod in and were checking your Blackberry while you were reading this: I have not been bored once in Prague. I know! It is pretty incredible! Now…take into account that I do not own a TV here, or a car and you will start to get an idea of what Prague has to offer. There is really never a lack of cool stuff to do in or around Prague.
This weekend is a pretty cool music Festival called - Trutnov Open Air Music Festival. It is the 20 year Anniversary of this “Prague Woodstalk.” The Festival is visited by 9,000 to 15,000 people each year. It looks pretty cool. It is the oldest, the biggest and possibly the most well-known open air festival in the Czech Republic. The festival was founded as “an alternative action against the communist regime and as an underground event during 1987. Its beginning should have taken place in 1987 in a private field owned by one of its original organizers.” However, the communist police force banned the event and its organizers were arrested. Seriously, how cool is that? Our festivals at home are sponsored by Gatorade and MTV! From the beginning this festival went off with almost no sponsors and its promotional campaign has always contained environmental aspects. Because of its history and specific atmosphere the festival is known as "Czech Woodstock" or "Festival with opinion". The environment and setting where the festival is located “… has a magical feel, which promotes peace and tolerance for one and all.” Nice.
Each year the festival is dedicated to someone or something that has done something positive with their life and made an impact on the world. In years past it has included Hare Krishna, victims of Wounded Knee, freedom of Tibet and the prisoners of conscience, patrons of human and animal rights, environmental initiatives, second underground culture, dead protest songwriter and poet Karel Kryl, Mother Earth and the Universe and even voluntary modesty. Ok, I don’t know what that last one means, but I am all for it.
This year’s anniversary festival is dedicated to the Czech ex-president, Chief Václav Havel. Apparently, Mr. Havel is a regular visitor to the festival. He says, "This is where I always realize that from its very beginning, rock music has been associated with the ideas of freedom, tolerance and solidarity." Right on Mr. Havel! Who says Americans have a handle on Rock and Roll!? I like the idea of a festival with no corporate sponsorship whose main aim is to promote an alternative lifestyle, radically different to popular culture's tunnel vision and brainwashing; to bring people together and to spread tolerance and openness. I mean, Burning an is almost corporate sponsored these days.
So yeah…things like this are part of the reason I am never bored here. Between the Beer Gardens, the night clubs, the music festivals and…well… my job…I have a lot to do. And a lot to be grateful for. Peace…until next month.