Not a very convincing slogan, is it? It seems that the place is probably going out of business.

Jeff and I finally watched Román pro ženy yesterday, the 2005 Czech movie based on a book by Michal Viewegh and directed by Filip Renč. I was a bit disappointed with the film but I’m glad it made me “discover” the singer Iva Frühlingová whose several songs were used in it. I’ve known about her for a while but didn’t really know her music until I saw the movie. Iva sings mainly in French, which is explained by the fact that she lived in Paris for eight years. She became popular in France and Belgium before she received a Gold and Platinum Album in the Czech Republic for her first release Litvínov (2004).

You can listen to song samples at ivaf.cz.

The other day I had the best chicken sandwich in a long time. It came with aioli, lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions and spices on fresh, home made bread and it was delicious from the first bite to the last. You can enjoy your own at the Dinitz Restaurant on Bílkova 12 in the Jewish Quarter. It’s open Monday - Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It was my first time there (not including a takeout sandwich once, which was also very good), so I don’t feel comfortable giving the place a full plug at this point. I’ll need to go back once or twice. Rough life, I know. Anyway, do try it out if you get hungry on your wanders around Josefov.

The weather was nice yesterday, sunny and pretty warm, so Jeff and I went for a walk in the Old Town. The Easter market on Old Town Square was packed with people who were probably as happy as we were to be able to stroll leisurely without having to dodge umbrellas and shiver with cold.

When passing through Ovocný trh, the square behind the Estates Theatre and Myslbek shopping mall, we ran into something peculiar. A multitude of tall, skinny, odd looking sculpture people was filling the center of the square. They stood motionless, patiently allowing live human beings to wind their way among them, stare into their faces and strike funny poses next to their naked bodies to have their pictures taken.

We recognized the sculptures as the unmistakable work of Czech artist Olbram Zoubek. As it turns out, the exhibition has been put up at the occasion of his 80th birthday, which falls on April 21. A selection of 110 sculptures presents Zoubek’s work from 1958 to present. If you think you don’t know who Olbram Zoubek is, just think of the striking Memorial to the Victims of Communism at the foot of the Petřín Hill at Újezd.

You can enjoy the unique open-air exhibition until June 4, 2006. I recommend it. Oh, and it’s free of course. Just don’t touch the sculptures.

Photos © jeffshanberg.com

I’ve been asked a few times including here on the blog whether or not it is common in the Czech Republic to return merchandise to a store and get a refund. I’ve always answered no. I would still answer no, but I had a pleasant experience today that may mean that the times are a-changin’.

I bought a bracelet at the Promod store at Nový Smíchov on Sunday. When I tried it on at home, it quickly became clear that even though the piece looked beautiful, the design was not thought out that well because the bracelet kept twisting the wrong way on my wrist. It bothered me enough that I realized I wouldn’t wear it, so the sensible thing was to go back and see if I could return it. Mind you, this wasn’t faulty merchandise. The jewelry had a design issue that was unacceptable to me but may be acceptable to other women.

The store receipt said that merchandise could be exchanged within four weeks. Nothing about refunds or even store credit. I went back to the store expecting that I would probably have to buy something else right there and “exchange” it for the bracelet. It would have been a bit tricky because I pretty much bought everything I wanted to buy on Sunday and I’d have to struggle to find something else now, only five days later. But lo and behold, I was offered a refund. What’s more, it was given out in cash even though I had made the purchase with a credit card. The whole transaction was quick and easy, the girl at the counter didn’t make a face, didn’t give out a sigh and didn’t call a colleague to discuss the “non-standard situation” created by a “non-standard” customer. She filled out whatever she needed to fill out, thanked me and said good bye with a smile.

It may be that the times really are changing. Maybe if foreign-owned companies come in and bring customer friendly policies with them, Czech customers will gradually get used to a certain level of service and, with time, will begin expecting and demanding the same level of service from everyone. I hope it’s only a matter of time.