Mailbox
This week in Mailbox: recipes for Czech potato dishes and the pronunciation of their names. We also launch a debate about what makes good radio and where international broadcasting should be heading. We quote an e-mail from Lynda-Marie Hauptman.
"I was just telling some friends of mine about the potato dishes that were discussed in the 16 April issue, and they thought those dishes sounded quite good. They asked me to get the recipes for the potato dishes, and I decided to e-mail you for more information. If not the recipes themselves, do you have any links to English language sites with the recipes? The dishes include bramborak, bramborové placky, skubanky, bramborove knedliky, bramborovy salat. If an English language site could also include proper pronunciation guides for the names of these dishes, that would also be greatly appreciated."
Finding the recipes on the internet should not be a problem. I was actually surprised at how many links I could find on the internet when I entered those words in Google or some other internet search engine. There must be many fans of Czech cuisine out there who translate the recipes and put them up on the internet. So, as I say, just enter the words in a search engine and you'll be given several recipes in English to choose from.
As far as pronunciation is concerned - the easiest way is to listen to our programme again on the internet. All the words are there, pronounced by a native speaker. If your computer has speakers, all you need to do is click on the ear icon right above the article on our website www.radio.cz/english
"I was recently listening to a programme on the BBC World Service, discussing listeners' letters. A programme manager was explaining why the World Service had decided to discontinue light entertainment. He took the example of the legendary comedy panel show "Just a Minute", saying words to the effect that: "someone talking about rice pudding for 60 seconds could hardly be considered serious radio." As a lifelong radio fan, I have to admit that I was rather surprised. Are we really inexorably moving towards a world where international broadcasting is synonymous with 24-hour news?
"I thought it would be interesting to launch a debate involving our own listeners - and to ask you what you think makes good radio, and where should international broadcasting - especially a small station like Radio Prague - be heading? We'd be delighted to read your contributions, to broadcast them and pin them up on our website. So please do get in touch on [email protected], or write to our usual postal address which Pavla will give later in the programme. I'll try to make sure that all contributors are sent something in return. So once again, please do send in some of your opinions on what you think is the recipe for good international broadcasting - and hopefully it will also give us some inspiration!"
That was the head of the English department, David Vaughan.
You can send us your opinions along with your answers to either of the listeners' competitions we are running right now. First of all, there is Radio Prague's annual competition. To enter this year, just send us a few lines on the following subject:
"What Czech beer means to me."
The winner will receive a week's stay for two in the Czech Republic, while runners-up will receive other attractive prizes.
The winning entry will be read on all six Radio Prague's different language broadcasts, in the original and in translations.
The winner and a partner will be accommodated in family style in the heart of Prague, at the Hotel Falkensteiner Maria Prag, while your flight will be courtesy of Czech Airlines - your travel partner to the Czech Republic.
Please send your entries to the following address before June 15th:
Radio Prague, Vinohradska 12, 12099, Prague 2, Czech Republic or you can use our e-mail address [email protected]
So once again, the topic is: "What Czech beer means to me."
And if you're more into music than beer, you have a chance to win a CD of Czech music in our monthly quiz. The question for April is:
"The Battle of Prague was once a very popular piece of battle music. It was composed in 1788 in London and published in the same year in Dublin. The descriptive piece quickly gained enormous popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. The author of the piece was born in 1730 in Prague and died in 1791 in London. What is the name of the composer?"
You still have one more week to send your answers to Radio Prague, 12099 Prague, Czech Republic or [email protected].
