Honza the Builder
Everybody knows about the buckling of the Brno highway, but have you noticed during a hard rain how many drains and gutters are in the wrong place? Tomáš Březina of BEST tile maker told the Czech Construction Forum yesterday that if he were Petr Nečas, he'd tell builders that he won't put another crown into construction as long as the quality remains so low. It's not just highways, Březina said. Any homeowner who hires a tradesman has a tale about the pitiful quality. About the way some idiot installed a bathtub, he said. This is the main thing plaguing the construction sector, he argued, not whether the CR knows how to tap money from this or that EU fund. Pres. Václav Mytyáš of the SPS construction union took umbrage a few minutes later, saying that there really are some excellent Czech builders and craftsmen out there. "Send me their numbers," a few homeowners were heard mumbling in the audience.
Glossary of difficult words
Honza the Builder - "Bob the Builder" is "Bořek stavitel" in Czech, but we chose Honza to suggest that some Czech builders are not like "Bob the Builder";to buckle - to bend and give way under pressure or strain; to warp;
to plague - to cause continual trouble or distress to;
to tap (money) - to draw, draw on or exploit;
to take umbrage - to take exception or offense.