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National daze

Around Town

By Frank Kuznik
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
July 9th, 2008 issue

It was party time for North American expats last week, with both the Canadian and American embassies celebrating their national days. Though the two countries share a common border (nearly 9,000 kilometers), language (mostly) and friendly rivalry over who has the stronger dollar (Canada!), their soirees were like trips to two different planets.

The perennially nice guys from Canada were even nicer July 1, if that’s possible. The invitation to Ambassador Michael Calcott’s residence thoughtfully included lyrics for the Canadian national anthem in both English and French. Signs along the sidewalk pointed the way, with embassy staffers posted at tricky parts (like corners) to make sure no one got lost. There was even a coat check ready on a 28-degree afternoon.
Other than a few inconspicuous lapel pins and one maple leaf patterned tie, it was difficult to find overtly Candian touches. No one requested a Celine Dion cover from the acoustic quartet. Bartenders poured regional wines and Pilsner Urquell instead of Molson’s. And the InterContinental and Brasserie M served everything but lobster, salmon and Tim Horton’s doughnuts.
The dignitaries didn’t last long in the heat, but Calcott was a gamer, hanging in with a couple hundred perspiring guests. It was a calm, polite affair, reinforcing the impression that Canadians want nothing more out of life than peace, universal health care and the Stanley Cup — the first two for everyone, and the latter exclusively for themselves.
At U.S. Ambassador Richard Graber’s residence the following day, there was a line around the block waiting to get in, courtesy of four metal detectors lined up at the entrance. That turned the guests into a captive audience for a small group across the street holding a banner protesting the radar base.
Inside, an 11-piece military combo played standards while hundreds of guests queued in long, hot lines to fill their plates with hot lunches from the InterContinental, Hilton and Marriott. There were shorter lines for some of America’s fast-food finest: McDonald’s, KFC and Starbucks. As for alcohol, there were two separate stands pouring Herold beer, a long table offering generous platters of fresh fruit and Champagne, and a dream triple-header: three barstands in a row pouring Southern Comfort, Jack Daniel’s and Finlandia. There was even — Lord knows why — a tub filled with bottles of American Budweiser on ice.
Conspicuous by his absence this year: President Václav Klaus, presumably still in rehab from his hip replacement. Former President Václav Havel greeted well-wishers at a shady spot on the lawn, and current Senate President Přemysl Sobotka stood in the blazing sun listening to Graber remind the crowd that “the world remains a dangerous place,” in need of a missile-defense system.
“Europe will be safer,” Graber promised, “and other benefits will flow to Czech scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs.”
Sobotka seconded that emotion, calling to mind the unpleasantries of World Wars I and II and the Cold War, and insisting that, “In today’s world, we can’t wait for threats to materialize.”
But the speeches were relatively short and it was hard to feel threatened with the sun shining and the liquor flowing and American munificence spread across the lawn like amber waves of grain. There was even a bit of whimsy, provided by Karen Feldman’s Artěl shop, which had a small table where Feldman and two assistants were giving away bags of peanuts and Cracker Jacks.
“We wanted to do cotton candy, too,” Feldman confided. “But the embassy told us, ‘This is a class event.’ ”
That it was, no matter what one thinks of missile defense. Now, if only the U.S. dollar can recover from that embarrassing drubbing by the Canadians.
— Dave Faries contributed to this report.

Frank Kuznik can be reached at fkuznik@praguepost.com


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