The metronome in Lètna Park overlooks Prague from the distance. It was built in the early 90's to replace an old statue of Stalin. Since its inauguration it has been intermittently cycling in an attempt to keep an allegro, it often lies still, mocking its creator.
December in Prague is not a particularly cheerful time of the year, it is not terribly cold but the temperature manages to stay constantly around zero degrees, which in combination with the scattered snow and the gloom of rain clouds makes the overall feeling of the city, well, gloomy. To overcompensate, I think, big Christmas Markets are set up, not only on the main square, but all around the city; full of cheap figurines, hipster crafts, spiced wine and sausages, these markets were meant to provide people refuge from the gloom, but ended up turning into yet another tourist attraction.
Prague is home to the second largest community of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam, right next to San José California, they learn the language, they adjust to the country just fine but end up making very tight communities. It is now, not uncommon to see second or third generation Vietnamese speaking, what sounds to me, perfect Czech. All of them seem to converge once in a while in Sapa or 'Little Hanoi' a wet market that feels taken straight out of Hanoi (except for the cold), Sapa was founded by Vietnamese immigrants and it now stands proudly at the outskirts of the city; a place of refuge for those who know where to find it. People gather here to do their shopping, pray at the Budhhist Temple or eat some Phò, which ironically feels more fitted to be eaten in cold weather than in the tropical heat where it was brought to existence.
His name was Dùc, Vietnamese father and Czech mother, his parents died when he was a kid, and the community refused to take him in (unsure if it was because of his Czech mother or his dick father), thus grew up in foster care and in the streets, he never really learnt Vietnamese, he grew up resenting his own people and the only real connection to them he has kept is Phò.
