All your cookies are belong to me

Things that make me smile or wonder. The chocolate chips of our daily lives.

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Poland

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Yerevan

Mother Armenia

Cascades

Shooting range in a park. Default targets: Erdogan, Putin, Kardashian.

The men.

Armenian idol.

Tsitsernakaberd - monument of Armenian genocide.

Ararat -  iconic drink named after a sacred mountain.

Opera square.

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Tavush.

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Fun timez neighbouring with eternal peace

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Koníček

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Podzim

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Better to burn out than to fade away.

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V našem družstvu není žádnej hipstr

Bydlet na Pankráci je zvláštní zážitek. Po letech na dohled od Krymské, kde je na každým kroku je něco cool a alternativního, mám pocit, že jsem se nepřesunula jen v prostoru, ale i čase. Spořádané domky sešikované do tichých ulic, které nesou názvy jako Družstevní ochoz, Svépomoci nebo Na Lepším, působí starosvětsky.

Běžně potkávám lidi, kteří nosí tesilky, jezdí ve starých škodovkách a venčí jezevčíky. Jezevčíky! Vídám taky spoustu seniorů. Ne, neutekli sem před veganskou svíčkovou a opilcema, kteří povykují po večerce, i když jim to Kobza zakázal. Prostě tu žijou odjakživa. V domech, který nesou památku válečných hrdinů a povstalců. Náš dům má dvoreček se záhonem narcisů a nástěnku, na které visí kalendář z Týdeníku televize.

Ale ani družstevní idylka ale nezůstala nedotčena moderním světem. Tam, kde ještě nedávno byly pole, vyrostlo korporátní ghetto plné prosklených budov a jejich věrných souputníků, franšíz drahých hospod a amerických kaváren. Z pole už zbyly jen kousky a poslední válečník - dřevěný domek tělovýchovné jednoty, který na horizontu pseudomrakodrapů vypadá podivně důstojně.

Produkty mikropivovarů a makronky byste tu hledali marně. Gentrifikace se zarazila kousek od Náměstí bří Synků. Za to tu je pořád dostatek poctivejch čtyřek s levným pivem a zakouřenejma záclonama co otvírají v 11. Nejbližší kulturní stánek je Divadlo na Jezerce, z jehož poutačů shlíží děsivá Jiřina Bohdalová. Tím ale nechci kvalitu zdejších služeb snižovat. Máme tu i specialistu na rozbitý bajky. Jen používá slovo velociped a nemá účet na Twitteru.

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Georgian kids. Nice to the exotic travellers, cruel to local doggies.

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Oh my. Why the hell am I here? I must have done something terrible.

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Apparently, my notion of death is somewhat blurry.

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Frýdek-Místek. Used to be two cities, Frýdek and Místek, before Hitler merged them into one. Place of unlimited possibilities - you can work hard, boost your muscles or engage in a spiritual moment.

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Refugees

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about refugees. Their stories just find me.  In my Twitter feed or on a library shelf I’ve wandered around aimlessly.  And some of them are so powerful, that they urge me to share. 

Everything is yours, everyting is not yours by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil

When Clemantine was 6, her life turned upside down.  She and her 15 year old sister escaped Rwandan genocide with nothing but bare hands and spent 6 years in various refugee camps before finding a new home in the USA.  More than 20 years later, she wrote a brilliant essay about it. It’s a longread, but worth every minute.  The narrative is thorough and sometimes cruelly honest, allowing you to experience how rebuilding life as a refugee might feel like. Disclaimer: it can make you question things that you tend to take for granted.

Photo by Andrew White

The Expulsion of Gerta Schrinch by Kateřina Tučková 

Right after the Second World War, almost a million of Germans have been banished from their homes in Czechoslovakia and their property was confiscated.  The expulsion, based on collective guilt, involved outbursts of violence and denouncement.  Until present times, this stayed a dark, repressed part of Czech history that can spark very nasty reactions. Tučková approaches this fragile and heavy topic through the heartbreaking story of Gerta, a young woman who was forced to leave with her baby daughter.  I think that one of the key qualities of a good book is the ability to move you deeply and let you learn something new about yourself.  The Expulsion of Gerta Schrinch stirred up many conflicting emotions in me, I was surprised by my own reaction to both German and Czech role in the events.  And you can tell a good piece of historic fiction when it prompts you to dig into the archives and learn more about the era – that also worked for me with Gerta. Even though the writing is far from perfect, as it tries to squeeze too many fates into one novel and tends to picture a little stereotypical characters, I consider it a must read, especially for Czechs.

 The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon

Lazarus, a young  Russian Jew resettled to the US  to avoid pogroms, dreams of a better life.  Instead, he’s killed by a local policeman under weirdly banal circumstances. Vladimir wants to write a book about the unfortunate fate of Lazarus, but finds himself a little out of place. So he grabs his “writing grant” money and a worldy-wise friend and heads to Eastern Europe where Lazaurus’s roots intertwine with his own. Not a very original story(telling), I know. But still I was charmed from the page one. Hemon balances  empathy  with satirical wit so well! Furthermore, he offers a  sincere view of the pitfalls and joys of the life a of a Bosnian expat in the land of the free.  Spoiler alert:  no sugarcoating and eulogies , but a satiric, yet loving contemplation on home, identity and loss. I also enjoyed the reflection of his own writing process, how the sensations of his daily life merge into the pages of fiction and vice versa.

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Internet's own boy

Internet’s own boy is a documentary about Aaron Swartz, a young genius who helped to shape the web as we know it today. And you could legally watch it for free with subtitles in 14 languages!

Aaron Swartz was a remarkable person. He participated in coding RSS standards at the age of 14 and was instrumental in turning down the controversial SOPA bill. He was a man with a clear political vision that resulted in a deadly clash with the obsolete copyright system.

The openness of Aaron’s family and interviews with first-class net personalities such as Tim Berners-Lee merge into a balanced blend of a remarkable life story and a sharp commentary of (not just) U.S. society. Expect 105 minutes loaded with interesting information as well as lovely home video footage form Aaron’s childhood.

It’s quite a pity that Swartz opponents don’t get to speak. Many of them refused the offer to provide a commentary, but the author doesn’t bother much with investigating further. Internet’s own boy is a distinctive tribute, not a strictly historically correct piece and I’m fine with that. It gets overly melodramatic only at one point, when describing the circumstances of Aaron’s unfortunate death. I’d appreciate more information instead of emotional testimonies, which made me feel voyeuristic, watching a very personal moments of grief from too close.

Nonetheless, those are just minor objections, which shouldn’t discourage you from watching the film. It’s an exceptional story with an important message and a truly encouraging experience. Political activism can get tedious. A meaningful shift can take ages and second thoughts creep up (Why do I bother when 90% of people don’t give a fuck about what the government does?). But after seeing how much can a bright mind and strong spirit shake up the seemingly concrete status quo, giving up is not an option.

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Inside of a citylight. Looks much better without the commercial and lights up the street in an unexpected way. A little glitch can make a mundane walk so much better!

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3 Czech tracks I fell for in 2014

My little best of. 3 remarkable bands, none of them prominent. 3 beloved tracks, genuine gems i dare to say.

  Planety - Zvíře svět

Their debut, Peklo, peklo, ráj, was a small sensation to the drowsy Czech scene. An album full of tunes with the sweet spirit of French summer of 68 and a touch of surrealism. Unique, elaborate, emotional and catchy. Their mysterious reputation and Silesian origin (almost mythical  region at the northeastern edge of CZ) and nickname “band of love” created a phenomenon. Their second album, Nekonečná hudba města zapomeneš, proves they are no shooting star that fades quickly. Planety managed to maintain a unique dynamic and immense beauty and continue created an own little universe which might have contours of the one we know, but contains a space of a different quality. A world where solidarity matters and the landscape is surreal. The opening Zvíře svět will give you a good taste of that.

You can buy the whole album here (with a little help of Google Translate, or let me know if you run into serious trouble).

Previous album, Peklo, peklo ráj is available as a free download.

  Leto - Ptáci

 Every text you’ll read mentions the fact that they’re not only a band but also a married couple.  Aside from feeding our craving for personal details it also might indicate the intimate nature of their debut Zbytky ozářených ploch. It lets you peek into their inward world, like being invited to someone's home for the first time. Quite a simple combination of a guitar, synths and voice produces powerful songs that make you wanna listen twice. The keyboards sound strangely archaic most of the time, which reminds me of vagrant musicians of old times. As if the songs they sing, some dreamy, some painfully direct, uncovered not just their own feelings but a familiar experience. My favorite track, though, is an untypical one. Ptáci  feature Aran Epochal, a veteran of uncompromising alternative. While it seemingly deals with mundanely beautiful things, birds crossing the sky, I think it  touches some metaphysical questions.

  You can buy the whole album here (same case as Planety).

Houpací koně - Everest

Well, this one was released at the end of 2013, but I can rob you of it. Houpací koně exist for more than two decades, but they never fossilized in good ol´ times, but constantly evolve their sound. Their last album Everest tells epic stories from a fictional Desire City (not unlike LA in 2019). Strong, romantic, but hardly pathetic. State of the art indie, electronic undertones, gospel-like backing vocals. I think that a good deal of their charms builds on their frontman and songwriter, Jiří Imlauf, a middle aged teacher with a true rock’n’roll heart. Everest is a complex record, so it’s not easy to pick a single favourite track. But I’ll go for eponymous Everest, because it accurately represents the feel of the album.

You can buy the whole album here.

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Albums I've enjoyed in 2011

I've started writing for a non-existing hipster music webzine and they asked me to submit my "Best of 2011". I somehow lost track of the trends, so I don't feel like judging what was best, but still wanted to share the albums that caught my ear this year.

Grouper - Alien observer. Sunken melodies, reverb feasts, echoic beauty.

Holy other - With U. Brilliant mix of dubstep, witchhouse and hazy r'n'b vocals.

M83 - Hurry up, we're dreaming. Full-bodied 80s flavour, off-the-wall synthetisers, theatrical lyrics. They mix it so well i can't resist.

The Antlers - Burst apart. Few big riffs; intense, howling vocals; well built atmosphere.

The Field - Looping state of mind. Blissfull minimal techno.

Thurston Moore - Demolished thoughts. Sonic Youth's noise legend makes delightful folk songs.

Pains of being pure at heart - Belong. Nothing new - strong melodies, naive lyrics, glossy studio effects, but I still love it (also,this year it's a bit personal).

SBTRKT - SBTRKT. Pop dubstep in its best. 

+ 2 great songs

Ghostpoet - Survive it. I'm not that much into hip hop, but this was one of the hits of my summer. Great soundtrack for urban wandering.

James Blake - Limit to your love. I'm sorry, Leslie Feist, but your music doesn't touch me. But I heart what James Blake did to "limit to your love".

++ 2 special czech treats

Vložte Kočku - Toxoplazmo. Noisy creepiness turned into great songs (vice versa). Go see them live to get the gist of it.

Dné - Cardboard and bubble sheet. His new tunes surf on a chillwave. Different than his previous, folkotroic, crayon sampled work. Still great. Eat this special piece of Christmas candy he prepared for you. 

Merry Christmas, happy new year, lots of love and stuff.