Dear Praguers,
Were it the case that I based my judgement on newspaper headlines and television news, I would come to the conclusion that Prague is under a bitter siege similar to the dire situation in Stalingrad during World War II. This may be a bit of a far-fetched comparison but still, the media has conjured up the catastrophe of the century out of what is in fact an average winter and Prague has experienced it many, many times before.
Of course, life slows down in winter. People know they can’t make it to the local shop in a few minutes because they have to spend some time getting suitably dressed; they know that the streets are slippery. Since time immemorial winter was a time when people were preparing for spring and making the interiors of their homes cosy instead of working outdoors. This is something that we nowadays sometimes forget.
Winter is not over in Prague yet. There has been more snow and many days with temperatures well beneath zero, but still, it’s nothing that unusual. Thousands of Praguers have volunteered; they have grabbed brooms and shovels to help relieve the city of the massive quantity of snow. Thousands of you haven't complained of ill fortune and the harshness of nature but instead have stoically put your shoulders to the wheel. You should be thanked for that!
I would also like to address those in charge of public networks, transport and municipal utilities who have put in some very much appreciated work. Maybe sometimes garbage collectors have arrived a half day late, but this just happens when there are snow drifts and frozen roads to contend with. There has been a similar situation in Poland, German, Italy and even in some further flung places. I don’t mean to talk about the Haiti disaster in this context. This is a separate chapter and a very real catastrophe. I am glad to know that Prague wasn’t indifferent to the pain of a far-away country even when it was covered with snowdrifts.
I’ll be honest: I look forward to spring.