Another little entry in my list of Czech witticisms, following on from Paul Kratochvil’s wonderful story about exchanging spectacles, as well as the Czech definition of a Hungarian. Can also be filed under International exchange.

In Prague in the 1990s, as China continued to open up, I knew a bright student of Chinese music who was dipping his toes in the burgeoning scene of international business. He told me they had a saying about doing business with the Chinese:

1) They always try and get you
2) They always get you.

This is in the same ball-park as Molvania—I guess I find such observations less dodgy as long as they don’t involve British prejudices…