It ended with a Warsaw Pact invasion on August 21st that same year to crush the changes. Dubèek’s ‘Action Program’, launched in April, called for some freedom in the press, multi-party government, more consumer goods and even a division of Czechoslovakia into two nations.

 The programme was followed by the formation of a Social Democrat political party and increasing anti-Soviet agitation.

 Afraid that Dubèek’s actions would undermine the communist Eastern Bloc of Soviet dominated nations, Soviet leader Brezhnev first conducted negotiations but then invaded on the night of August 20-21, a large Warsaw Pact army replacing Dubèek with Gustáv Husák, who oversaw a reversal of policy. Thousands died.

 Warsaw Pact troops would remain in Czechoslovakia until 1987. The term ‘Prague Spring’ was originated by western media, referring to a thaw after the cold ‘winter’ war.

 Despite the tensions and fear of nuclear war, the Cold War division between East and West proved surprisingly stable after 1961, despite France anti-Americanism and Russia crushing the Prague Spring.

Source: http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/glossary/g/glpraguespring.htm

According to VOA, in the first 10 months of 2006, a total of 20,577 babies were born here to mainland women – more than 39 percent of all births during that period.

The Hong Kong government has imposed new rules to cut the number of mainland Chinese women entering the city to give birth from January 2007. The government says it is necessary because the number of mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong has risen rapidly in recent years. Hong Kong women complain that they have to compete with mainlanders for hospital beds and nursing care.

“It’s not good. They didn’t pay taxes how can they enjoy the benefit,” said Queena, a female university student majoring in music.

However, there are some other Hong Kong People who think differently.

“It’s definitely a good thing. We offer excellent service to the pregnant mainland women while we can get more money.” According to a women working in the elevator in Hong Kong Baptist Hospital.

Wong Ching Man, the assistant branch manager in Kowloon Branch, Cordlife Company said, “It’s good because it improves the economy of Hong Kong.” A construction worker working in Kowloon Tong  said, “Money talks. Besides it stimulates economy of Hong Kong.”

“Sure they can come to Hong Kong to give birth as long as they can afford it,” said an anonymous woman on the street that didn’t give the name, “Many people in Hong Kong can’t afford to give birth because they have merely 30 or 40 thousand per family. Other than housing, schooling for children, how much more do they have? How can they afford to give birth?”

 Bohemia Crystalex Trading is a company producing 90 percent of Czech glass closed two of its plants, according to the company’s spokesman Karel Samec.

 ”It’s important to say that the state is not the owner in BCT and Porcela Plus,” said Radek Ležatka from the MF communications department. “And it would be irresponsible for taxpayers and other firms that cannot get public support, either. In the market economy, it is quite common that some branches of the economy are declining, some others are growing.”

 In this situation some crystal shops dealt with financial crisis for the sake of Christmas and by giving discount.

 ”There isn’t any support from government. But there should be,” said an employee who refused to give her name working in a crystal souvenir shop near Charles Bridge. “Customers are 50% less than pre-financial-crisis period. We have to give over 50% discounts for small souvenirs.”

“It’s Christmas time. It’s time people buy presents,” said a part-time employee who also preferred to be unnamed and working in a jewelry shop in Karlova Street.

 Caesar Crystal, called as the biggest crystal company by one of its employees working in Karlova Street, “I didn’t see any shrinkage of customers. It’s the holidays so people are still buying. I think our company will survive while some collapsed.”

However, not all shops are active players.

 ”It’s global financial crisis. There are a lot of collapse and bankruptcies. People don’t give away money so tourism has been affected. Maybe I’ll lose the job. If the current situation goes on, there would be a war.”

Hong Kong embracing more mainland visitors to survive financial crisis

By Yating Zhou

Hong Kong-February 2, 2009-IJS Global

With financial crisis last year plaguing many industries around the world such as hotels and restaurant, Hong Kong, as one of the international financial centers, had already been prepared to stand up to the recession during spring festival.

“Foreigners are less than last year.” According to an employee, who preferred to be called James, working in Pacific Place, near Admiralty subway station. “Everything else is almost the same as last year. The shopping mall has been decorated to attract more customers. I didn’t see any change in decoration due to a reduction in cost compared to last year.”

The financial crisis last year had much worse impact on western countries than on China so Hong Kong Disneyland Resort launched a lot of new programs aimed at visitors from mainland China, according to Mr. Derek Wong, Director of Marketing of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. From October till now, the number of visitors from mainland China increased with double digit growth even during global financial crisis, said Wong.

“Disney Park is the top theme park with the most complete facilities in the world”, said Ms. Hong Juan, a business woman from Xi’an running a woman’s wear shop. “We went there for its popularity and high level.”

“My family spent around 20,000 RMB for the trip. It’s within what we can afford”, said Hong.

“I don’t think the global financial crisis has had a great impact on people’s life. On the contrary, we benefit from the crisis to some degree. For example, the oil price and housing price are cheaper. So is the cost of our trip”, said Hong.

 According to Immigration Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, from the lunar New Year eve (Jan. 24) to the third day of New Year (Jan. 28), the number of mainland visitors is slightly fewer (6.6%) than last year. AC Nielson also shows that in China, 60% of those interviewed preferred to travel to Hong Kong to spend spring festival. Xia Yu, a postgraduate from University of Electronic Science and Technology (中國電子科技大學) expressed her willingness to go to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort next year, “It’s famous. Everyone wants to experience it. A few thousand is OK for me.” Therefore, mainland visitors are still the primary source of visitors to Hong Kong. Aiming at spring festival and mainland visitors, Disney Park presented the new year-celebrating activity “福到滿城賀金牛” with Micky Mouth wearing the traditional Chinese costumes singing and dancing.

Hong Kong Disneyland

The number of mainland visitors to Disneyland resort last year takes up 30% of the whole and the number is two times of that in 2006. Like Disneyland, Retail industry including those luxury goods including Louis Vuitton also greeted more and more mainland visitors because of consistent discount in financial turmoil.

The Impact of Financial Crisis on Crystal Industry in Prague

We interviewed four employees in four crystal shops.

1. The first interviewee is from Bulgaria. She told us that there were 50% less customers per day than pre-financial-crisis period. One of the strategies is to give discount for small souvenirs. However government didn’t give any aid to them although the employee thought it should do.

Although financial crisis impact their business but there wasn’t any change in salary or worker layoff but that might happen. Some fabrics disappeared.

2. The second interviewee works there part time so she didn’t offer much information. She said it’s Christmas time and people buy things from their shop.

3. The third interviewee said that financial crisis affect their business because of less tourists. He thought those who are printing money are the biggest maker of the financial crisis because they print money and then hide the money. There will be war after the crisis. If the monetary system exists, the problem will be there. As for his job he thought he might lose it.

4. The fourth interviewee didn’t think the crisis affect much. She told us that Caesar Crystal is the biggest crystal manufacturer in Czech so it’s going on very well. People buy things in Christmas but it’ll end in February.

“We have no idea of the policy of environmental protection in the shop”, said two Hong Kong Baptist university students in Staff and Alumni Lounge, one of the branches in Hong Kong Baptist University Friday.

“Pacific Ocean seeks to save natural resources by recycling and reducing waste in production”, said Tom Neir, the first boss of Pacific Ocean in Seattle.

“Our store emphasizes on supports for environment”, according to the official website offered by Nigel, one employee in this branch, “We’ll give the customers 1 HK dollar discount if the customers bring their own drinking utensils.”

However, according to two Baptist University students, they didn’t know any of these policies. “Even if we know that we wouldn’t bring our drinking utensils either.”

 “It’s the market department that should promote the idea. In our shop we don’t sell the idea.” Said Yan, another employee in the shop.