Impressions of Prague

I just made my first visit to Prague in almost 20 years, a convenient weekend hop from London to visit a friend living and working there. I last saw the city as an over excited twenty year old, on a trip which began in Prague and took me on meandering train journeys through the newly formed Czech and Slovak republics. Back then, the country (and indeed most of the Eastern bloc) had only recently been liberated from the grip of Communism, and had emerged blinking and somewhat dazed into a brand new shiny Capitalist world. Though picturesque, it was drab and grey, as of course were most of the countries which had been behind the Iron Curtain having the life sucked out of them for so long. Back then the people walked with heads down, speaking quietly to one another, avoiding eye contact. There were few advertising hoardings, no international brands to speak of, and not many tourists, though the famous Charles Bridge was full enough, the majority of pedestrians could have been local.

This trip was of course quite different. I had expected a significant change - after all 20 years is a long time for a country to reinvent itself, or at least to shed its inhibitions and present a more confident face to the world. The signs were all there – brands everywhere (even the American upmarket beauty store Sephora which is absent from the UK), and all the rest of the high street imports – Starbucks, Marks and Spencers etc. Tourism is clearly booming – there were hordes of people on the Charles Bridge, stalls and shops selling tourist tat everywhere and “authentic” (and overpriced) Czech eateries lining the streets. But, like Mumbai, all this was accompanied by the subtle signs of a past which hasn’t quite been shaken off (though of course these signs are far less subtle in Mumbai’s case). The airport was a little bit dingy, and during the journey from the airport you’re not quite sure whether you’re in an up and coming, modern city or whether you’re in a “second tier” town which looks fairly soulless. It definitely felt like an “emerging market” – a country which hasn’t quite “got there” as compared to its Western European counterparts and still dealing with a few of its historical demons. Yet at the same time, you can order (amazing) sushi online, service in restaurants (at least the better ones) is outstanding, local taxis are fast and efficient and cars stop at pedestrian crossings (these are all things which amaze me as a long term resident of India).

The locals apparently are obsessed with brands and bling, a phenomenon which has also gripped India post liberalization. Its not exactly hard to work it out – any country which has been deprived of “luxuries”, whether by Communist rule or post colonial introspection is bound to want to embrace them. And both India and the Czech Republic no doubt both contain their fair share of poverty – in the absence of state welfare systems or affordable insurance systems, people need to show others that they’ve arrived, and to differentiate themselves from the needy with the badges of wealth, symbols which most bragging averse Brits would deride. Alongside its cutesy gothic castles and sweet higgledy piggledy multicoloured buildings, Prague is indeed a city of bling, and of labels, of flashy nightclubs and restaurants and expensive cars and furs. Its also a city of drinkers, and maybe this is an inheritance from its Soviet past – there seemed to be people drunk everywhere in public, even in the mornings, which was shocking to me, accustomed as I am to India where people rarely exhibit public displays of drunkenness, except on certain festivals and holidays when even then its curbed.

The local drinkers were accompanied or perhaps encouraged by groups of young British men on stag parties. There were two groups of stags on the Easyjet flight from London Gatwick to Prague, already clearly the worse for wear, and we saw another group in the gorgeous Stare Mesto (central square), all wearing shocking pink miniskirts and leopardskin crop tops. Apparently Prague is now the desintation of choice for the young groom-to-be and his best mates, and its not hard to figure out why – the beer is cheap, the pound is still fairly strong vs the Czech crown, and there’s a lively prostitute and red light industry. The city is only a 90 minute hop from London, so you can pop over for a quick weekend of thowing your inhibitions to the wind and embarrassing your nation by rolling around semi clad in the town square, and be back in the office suited and booted on Monday morning.

Overall, I loved Prague as much as I did twenty years ago. Back then I did a couple of fairly adventurous trips through Eastern Europe, hitchhiking and taking trains through the Czech and Slovak republics, Hungary, Slovenia and Serbia. I loved the fact that these countries weren’t polished or perfect, that though filled with attractive sights they also had a grittier undertone. That undercurrent still exists in Prague, and I find that appealing, given my aversion for bland countries (Singapore, Dubai and most of the US spring to mind). I do wish the British stag parties would give the Czechs a break though.

England the Brave (or the Terrified)

I’m coming to the end of a 2 month “holiday” in England – the longest I’ve spent in the Motherland since fleeing for warmer climes and a bit of adventure back in 2000. I’ve been back countless times since leaving of course - for weddings, 40th birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases and more recently to bring my one year old son to visit his grandparents who are unable to travel long distance thanks to recent illness. My current sojourn in England explains my recent lapse in blogging, along with the stack of books which remain unread by my bedside – here I have to be a full time mother without the army of household help which is part of my life back home in Mumbai and there has been little time for self indulgences. Small pleasures like reading endless trashy novels have of course been replaced by the far more meaningful acts of taking care of a tiny one, though that’s a subject for another blog.

I usually follow a pretty regular pattern for my trips back to the UK - I land at Heathrow, feed my addiction to salt and vinegar crisps and trashy magazines on the journey from the airport, marvel at how clean and quiet everything is, eat my own weight in pub food, drink copious pints of cider and bottles of wine, meet as many friends as I can, do my Tesco shop to stock up on band aids (plasters), safety pins, gravy granules, cheese and bacon to take back home to India (some of the above are available in Mumbai but quality is always questionable), reflect on how crazy India is in general, feel glad that I live there, and head back to the airport – all in the space of a few whirlwind days. This time I’m here for a more leisurely stay, making the most of an elective “sabbatical” and enjoying reuniting with old friends, many of whom I haven’t seen for years. This seven-week stay has enabled me to reconnect not only with old pals but also with the British mindset, and I’ve noticed a huge difference in the English psyche now that I have the time to dig beneath the surface.

England and of course most of Europe have been badly knocked by the global recession, and the papers this week are full of tales of emergency summit meetings on the fate of the Euro and on the countries which are defaulting on debts and threatening to drag others under with them. Though Britain remains smugly on the Euro sideline, its politicians are being pulled deep into the controversy, though it seems they are refraining from joining the Italians in actually throwing any physical punches at the Euro summit. It is clear though that this recession which is now in its third year, has had a massive effect on Britain – I’ve spent enough time here to this time around to hear the stories, feel the depth of the suffering and witness the evidence of a nation in flux, and the change is dramatic.

Britain as a nation is known for its self-confidence. Historically prone to long periods of controlling despotism, Britain and the British are typically self assured and assertive, believing themselves to be natural leaders on the world stage, and superior even to their European neighbours. Growing up in England, I was affected by that confidence. I felt secure and positive about my future, as did the majority of my friends and colleagues. Granted, my formative years took place during the Eighties boom, but I still witnessed a couple of minor downturns, in particular the dotcom bust, but these didn’t really affect me or the general sentiment of the nation. Britain was Great, after all, and we were all destined for great things, at least those of us fortunate enough to have secured university places (I was the last to receive a free university education before student loans were introduced). Now I see a very different country. People are driven not by confidence, but by fear. Everyone, it seems, is afraid of something. Many are anxious about declining house prices which are wiping thousands off the value of their properties and thrusting them into a state of negative equity – they cannot afford to sell their properties and even if they could, there would be few buyers currently. Others are fearful for their jobs, clinging on to them for dear life, despite being overstretched thanks to redundancies and cost cutting, and reductions in overtime and bonuses. Even those who have nothing to worry about … are anxious. It feels as though the nation has entered a collective state of paranoia and fear, and that’s really not making for a very happy place, despite the traditional British stiff upper lip and determination to keep going through all obstacles.

One interesting result of this downturn is an obvious attempt to bolster the nation’s confidence via a strange and insidious revival of “Britishness”. There are examples of this everywhere. Jamie Oliver has returned from the US, tail somewhat between his legs, with a new-found obsession for his homeland – though a cynic might suspect that his PR advisors have told him to jump on the “lets make people feel better about being British” bandwagon. He is embarking on a self confessed ““new crusade to discover Britishness” which coincides neatly with the publication of his new book on Great British food and its accompanying TV show. Meanwhile, British Airways have dug deep into their past to reclaim their aeons old slogan “To Fly, To Serve”. Something very neatly and nauseatingly patriotic about that, along with their beautifully shot if a little patronizing ads which are encouraging people to revisit their own nationalism and fly with the airline that has served them through thick and thin (unlike their cheapy competitive upstarts). Even Kate Moss has launched a new “iconic and truly British” makeup collection for Rimmel, complete with Union Jacks emblazoning lipsticks and eyeshadows in a variety of garish hues. Everywhere you look there are tea towels and mugs and oven gloves and birthday cards with faux World War 2 slogans emblazoned on them, encouraging people to keep calm and sip a cup of tea in order to cope with the current “issues” facing the nation. Olympics 2012 is of course around the corner, and this is helping reinstate the flagging British spirit but somehow it all feels a bit “so what”, like a tasteless cake that’s been beautifully iced and decorated.

Unfortunately, as we used to say when I was in advertising, the strategy behind all this is showing. These attempts to bolster British confidence are misplaced and downright irritating. The British are simply not feeling good about being British any more, and even the snobbishness which has historically characterized the nation is receding. It is now not only acceptable but necessary to take advantage of freebies and special offers and shop at the cheap (and often nasty) outlets – and unlike the early days of the “noughties” when shopping at the likes of Primark and Aldi was a positive and funky, trendsetting choice, now it’s a necessity and people resent it, along with the call centres in India which many believe are taking their jobs and their livelihoods.

In short then, Britain is a strange place to be at the moment. It feels uncertain, unconfident and vastly different to the country I left eleven years ago. The British no longer feel that they occupy a central position on the world stage – how can they when the nations they have formerly subdued are now bouncing along, enjoying unprecedented growth rates and booming job markets thanks largely to the BPO (call centre) phenomenon. Some might say that the tides have finally turned, and that Karma or whatever you choose to call it is having the final last laugh. I’m just sad to see the change in my own country, and I hope that Britain can get its mojo back before too long - from the heart rather than from the superficial ad campaigns which are pretending its all OK really.