From exiles to expats
The world is a changing! Since 1989 a number of former exiles have returned to the Czech Republic. Another interesting element of this is the fact that the children of exiles, like myself, are also coming back to Prague for long or short term stints. One of these people is Marketa Rogers, a Californian who's parents left the then Czechoslovakia in the mid 60's. Marketa, along with her husband Scott Rogers are owners of a famous Prague cafe and bookstore, the Globe. I spoke with Marketa at the cafe and asked her first why she came back to Prague.
The world is a changing! Since 1989 a number of former exiles have returned to the Czech Republic. Another interesting element of this is the fact that the children of exiles, like myself, are also coming back to Prague for long or short term stints. One of these people is Marketa Rogers, a Californian who's parents left the then Czechoslovakia in the mid 60's. Marketa, along with her husband Scott Rogers are owners of a famous Prague cafe and bookstore, the Globe. I spoke with Marketa at the cafe and asked her first why she came back to Prague.
"Since I was born in the States, I never had problems returning to Prague which I did throughout much of the 70's and 80's to be with my relatives in the summer. So I had pretty much formed a tie to the city during that time and when communism fell I just knew that I would be over to really experience Prague and Czechoslovakia, at that time, for a longer period then just like a two week summer vacation. I just really loved it from the very beginning and I had all my cousins here so it was like a real personal base so I kinda knew what I was coming to."
What gave you the idea to open a bookstore and cafe?
"Well, certainly I didn't have the idea at all when I came over, it was only after arriving and discovering the huge expatriate community and just the young people, the young travelers who came to Prague. Soon there after, about eight months, I joined up with a group of four other people, all Americans. One of them, Scott Rogers, who would later become my husband, and we decided to really look into opening a very low scale English language bookstore and coffee house of the type that is very common in San Francisco from where I'm from for example. Just a good cup of coffee and very relaxed atmosphere with a certain type of music playing. At that point there was really nothing there, here in Prague."
Marketa mentioned the expatriate community. Since the fall communism in 1989 there has been a large number of people coming to the Prague and the Czech Republic in general and calling it home. The expatriate phenomenon has created something like a sub-culture in Prague and a major part of this culture is the Globe cafe and bookstore. Marketa explains the connection between the expatriate community and the Globe.
"Well I mean certainly we are forever grateful for our customers from the expatriate community, I mean without them we would never ever become what we are today. Certainly we absolutely relied on this customer base, the expatriate community because were an English language bookstore-coffee house. And also we have a bulletin board, from the very beginning and the day we opened, has become an absolute magnet of information traded between people selling and buying, people traveling, people selling items for sale when they are moving back home, flats for rent. So that was a tie for the expatriate community, they really relied on that and keep relying on it. Actually because our bulletin board remains full, we have to weed through it everyday just to make sure there is enough room for the next little message pined up. Also to be just a place where people come to meet, for either readings or for music and for conversation. I mean that was the goal from the very beginning, so its been definitely a wonderful relationship the Globe and the expatriate community."
After 10 years as being a meeting place for both expatriates and local Czechs, Marketa and Scott Rogers have decided to sell the Globe cafe and bookstore. Marketa explained that the Globe needs energetic owners who could put their undivided attention to the business. After having three children the couple has decided to move on with other plans and eventually move back to the United States.
