Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
An American's Biased Complaints and Appreciations
Complaints
1. All Juices are from Concentrate
Maybe this is weird... but none of the juice here is refrigerated and it's all from concentrate! I miss my fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning. I'm over the carton of drank :(
2. Hang Drying Laundry
So now I know why we have dryers in America, because hang drying clothes is a BITCH. I can only wash 10% of my shit at a time because I can't lay out all of my things to dry. And all my clothes feel stiff like cardboard after.
3. Smoking
The whole city of Prague is like an episode of Mad Men: SMOKE EVERYWHERE (and alcohol, but that's okay). You can smoke in bars and restaurants, and even schools (even though it's "frowned" upon). SUFFOCATING.
4. America's Influence distorted
I thought it would be nice to have some American comfort food like Burger King and KFC, but these places are completely warped here! The chicken strips at KFC are half the size and you have to pay 25 cents for each packet of ketchup... WHAT. It's so not American... oh... okay that makes sense.
5. Paying to Use the Bathroom
When you gotta go, you gotta fucking go! It takes some effort to stop and pay someone to use the toilet, which is already awkward. It's 5 Kc (25 cents) but unnecessary. It's not everywhere but definitely in places where it's inconvenient.
6. Dog Shit
I'm not kidding about this one. If you don't watch your step, you'll be in deep shit.
7. Weather
This is somewhat unfair given the time of year, but it's colder than Sarah Palin's vagina. Let's "Spring" forward!
8. OTC Meds
So you know Tylenol and Tums? Forget about it here. You need to go to a pharmacy to get OTC meds. GTFO.
10. "Escalators are too fast." (Jana)
Appreciations
1. Public transportation
America could learn a thing or two from the Czech Republic. You literally can get anywhere you want for little to nothing with the tram, metro, train and bus system. Stores here don't even have parking spaces! Everyone uses public transportation. Not only is it cheaper, but it's good for the environment!
Weird fact: You technically never need to pay to use these services, it's based on a "trust" system. Trust system? In America? LOLZ.
2. Lifestyle
Everything here is of a much slower pace. Everyone is in his or her own world and is non-intrusive and doesn't stare. I seriously think my blood pressure has lowered. My stomach doesn't hurt and I feel less anxious.
3. Dogs
Yes, they shit everywhere, but that's because you can bring them everywhere! To stores, school, and restaurants! It's bittersweet, but more sweet :)
4. Food
Although not for everyone, as a Polish boy, I grew up on meat and potatoes, so Czech dining is a sexual experience for me. I don't want to go into too much detail (or do I!), google images please: potato dumplings, Svičková, Guláš, and ALL soup. No, I won't bring any of this stuff home. Get over it.
5. Prices
20 Kc is approximately $1... below are some examples of how much things cost:
Beer: 25 Kc ($1.25)
Good bottle of wine: 100 Kc and up ($5 and up)
A More Than Decent Dinner: 100-150 Kc ($5-7)
An Intense Cup of Coffee: 10 Kc ($0.50)
An Amazing Time in Prague: priceless
6. Nightlife
New York may be the city that never sleeps in America, but Prague is the equivalent in Europe. It is nice to have found a place with clubs that have people jamming until the waking hours (cough 6 AM cough cough). And thanks to an amazing public transit, there are 24 hour trams.
7. The City
So this city really is beautiful. I hate using that word, it makes me cringe. I feel like it's so overused that it has lost all value, but there's no other way to describe Prague. With its narrow, cobble streets and a sky that is almost touchable, it's like a painting. There's also something fantastical about this place at night, with its clock towers and desolate churches. It transforms.
8. Beer and Wine
Some people live off bread and water, and Czechs live off beer and wine. It's not uncommon to have beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why? 1) It's cheap 2) It's delicious 3) Why not? Czech aren't alcoholics, but they tolerate their strong beer and wine pretty darn well. For foreigners, by the end of your third beer, it's easy to temporarily forget where you are.
9. The Arts
There is so, so, so much to do here that it's hard to find time to practice my Britney dances (you think I'm joking?) There are film festivals, art exhibits, museums, concerts, and shows happening all the time at extremely reasonable prices. I will clone myself so I can fully experience the many activities.
10. Drinkable Tap Water
This is my favorite thing: you can drink the toilet water here! No you can't, but I'm sure it's really, really clean. All faucet water is totally drinkable and it tastes good. They even say that tap water is sometimes better than bottled water. Suck it ZephryhillsDasaniAquafina!
Maybe this is weird... but none of the juice here is refrigerated and it's all from concentrate! I miss my fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning. I'm over the carton of drank :(
2. Hang Drying Laundry
So now I know why we have dryers in America, because hang drying clothes is a BITCH. I can only wash 10% of my shit at a time because I can't lay out all of my things to dry. And all my clothes feel stiff like cardboard after.
3. Smoking
The whole city of Prague is like an episode of Mad Men: SMOKE EVERYWHERE (and alcohol, but that's okay). You can smoke in bars and restaurants, and even schools (even though it's "frowned" upon). SUFFOCATING.
4. America's Influence distorted
I thought it would be nice to have some American comfort food like Burger King and KFC, but these places are completely warped here! The chicken strips at KFC are half the size and you have to pay 25 cents for each packet of ketchup... WHAT. It's so not American... oh... okay that makes sense.
5. Paying to Use the Bathroom
When you gotta go, you gotta fucking go! It takes some effort to stop and pay someone to use the toilet, which is already awkward. It's 5 Kc (25 cents) but unnecessary. It's not everywhere but definitely in places where it's inconvenient.
6. Dog Shit
I'm not kidding about this one. If you don't watch your step, you'll be in deep shit.
7. Weather
This is somewhat unfair given the time of year, but it's colder than Sarah Palin's vagina. Let's "Spring" forward!
8. OTC Meds
So you know Tylenol and Tums? Forget about it here. You need to go to a pharmacy to get OTC meds. GTFO.
9. Cash Based Society
Quite frustrating as a foreigner who needs to pay $5 for every withdrawal. Managing cash is a lot more difficult than a credit card. I spend money like an American!
10. "Escalators are too fast." (Jana)
Appreciations
1. Public transportation
America could learn a thing or two from the Czech Republic. You literally can get anywhere you want for little to nothing with the tram, metro, train and bus system. Stores here don't even have parking spaces! Everyone uses public transportation. Not only is it cheaper, but it's good for the environment!
Weird fact: You technically never need to pay to use these services, it's based on a "trust" system. Trust system? In America? LOLZ.
2. Lifestyle
Everything here is of a much slower pace. Everyone is in his or her own world and is non-intrusive and doesn't stare. I seriously think my blood pressure has lowered. My stomach doesn't hurt and I feel less anxious.
3. Dogs
Yes, they shit everywhere, but that's because you can bring them everywhere! To stores, school, and restaurants! It's bittersweet, but more sweet :)
4. Food
Although not for everyone, as a Polish boy, I grew up on meat and potatoes, so Czech dining is a sexual experience for me. I don't want to go into too much detail (or do I!), google images please: potato dumplings, Svičková, Guláš, and ALL soup. No, I won't bring any of this stuff home. Get over it.
5. Prices
20 Kc is approximately $1... below are some examples of how much things cost:
Beer: 25 Kc ($1.25)
Good bottle of wine: 100 Kc and up ($5 and up)
A More Than Decent Dinner: 100-150 Kc ($5-7)
An Intense Cup of Coffee: 10 Kc ($0.50)
An Amazing Time in Prague: priceless
6. Nightlife
New York may be the city that never sleeps in America, but Prague is the equivalent in Europe. It is nice to have found a place with clubs that have people jamming until the waking hours (cough 6 AM cough cough). And thanks to an amazing public transit, there are 24 hour trams.
7. The City
So this city really is beautiful. I hate using that word, it makes me cringe. I feel like it's so overused that it has lost all value, but there's no other way to describe Prague. With its narrow, cobble streets and a sky that is almost touchable, it's like a painting. There's also something fantastical about this place at night, with its clock towers and desolate churches. It transforms.
8. Beer and Wine
Some people live off bread and water, and Czechs live off beer and wine. It's not uncommon to have beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why? 1) It's cheap 2) It's delicious 3) Why not? Czech aren't alcoholics, but they tolerate their strong beer and wine pretty darn well. For foreigners, by the end of your third beer, it's easy to temporarily forget where you are.
9. The Arts
There is so, so, so much to do here that it's hard to find time to practice my Britney dances (you think I'm joking?) There are film festivals, art exhibits, museums, concerts, and shows happening all the time at extremely reasonable prices. I will clone myself so I can fully experience the many activities.
10. Drinkable Tap Water
This is my favorite thing: you can drink the toilet water here! No you can't, but I'm sure it's really, really clean. All faucet water is totally drinkable and it tastes good. They even say that tap water is sometimes better than bottled water. Suck it ZephryhillsDasaniAquafina!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Day 20: Dancing On My Own
In my own world at club Chapeau Rouge. 3 floors, 3 different vibes. Thanks for spy recording Ashley and Jana!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Day 15: Nice Camera, Lula
Lula and I decided to stroll around Prague to play with her amazing Canon EOS 5D. We took some beauty shots and then ended up in a thrift store! Check some of them out:
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Day 11: I Feel Blue(s)
So this night I went to this pretty awesome place called U Maleho Glena. It's a bar & restaurant and jazz & blues club. And if any of you know me at all, I LOVE jazz, I like I can't get enough of it, I have posters all over my room of you know, typical artists, and I own a harmonica. Lies.
So I've never really had any interest in blues, but ahoj (hello) to new experiences! What makes this place cool is when you go down these stairs to the basement, there's this cute little bar and then through this archway is pretty much this "personal" concert venue. This room is smaller than my kitchen! It holds around 20 people and you can literally smell the sweat on the band because you're so fucking close!
The original plan was to see this hot shot Stan the Man, but for some reason, he couldn't make it so this hybrid blues group stepped in. When they first started playing, they were good. After 2 (3? 4?) bottles of wine, they were AMAZING. 200 Kc ($10) for entry was a semi high price tag, but it was a great way to experience music and totally worth it!
Lula, stop clawing my shoulder. Do my lips look purple? I know...
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Day 9: Czech These Student Short Films, Sweden!
I'm an official film festival whore (after just 2...) and was pretty stoked about the the Czech Film Center iShorts because 1) It was only 60 Kc (3 fucking dollars) 2) It came with a free DVD of 12 shorts! 3) Alcohol. This was a film screening for film students at Czech film schools. A committee selected the best 6 films submitted to screen on this night. Let me just say...
HOLY. SHIT. WOW. GTFO.
Okay, so part of my intense reaction is do to a few glasses (4) of wine and a beer (2)... BUT look out Sweden! These 20 somethings know there stuff. I just couldn't believe how professional they all were. The stories were damn solid and all very pretty to watch. Bravo Czech students! Bravo! Here's a little summary of my favorites:
Dessert
So this one was pretty fucking weird, but it was such a cool animated piece I got over it. So this waiter watches this couple eat pasta together and suddenly this bitch eats her date... she swallows him! So the waiter kind of freaks out and runs to the kitchen and has this really bizarre fantasy: this naked guy pours whip cream over this naked woman and eats her piece by piece... they show blood which made me cringe but it was a pretty unique little film.
5 CZK
This little documentary called 5 CZK gets 5 gold stars! It follows the lives of a few women who run the restroom facilities in Czech. Typically, you need to pay 5 CZK (20 cents) to use the bathroom. Some of the personal stories of these ladies were insane. This student (filmmaker?) got some nice footage.
TUMORrow Never Knows
This other animated piece was pretty cute. An old lady discovers a tumor on her neck. But wait... it talks and they become besties! Nuff' said.
Non-Swimmers
Definitely my favorite. No question. It was just so well-made and was finally a student short with some decent acting. It's difficult to explain, but basically this girl stays with a relative for the summer and meets this group of kids she tries to befriend, but they don't really like her. She has sex with one of the guys and is later humiliated. The ending is pretty ambiguous, but not in a good way. My only complaint.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Day 5: Sweden Likes Drunk Babies
I attended the 7th Annual Prague Short Film Festival. Sunday featured the Swedish shorts and BOY was I surprised with what I saw... Generally, they were all well-shot and framed cinematically, but the stories were either completely ridiculous or I was left quite unsatisfied by the end.
Here's a brief summary of each:
Girl
A very "Day In The Life" kind of film. This 30 year old woman decides to go home with a stranger she meets at a drug store to party with a bunch of 20 year olds. They do cocaine and one of the guy puts his dick in her drink when she goes to the bathroom. Not much happens...
13 Related Sewing Machines
This one is about a group of women sewing. Did the title give it away? There is no talking, but there was something really interesting and intriguing about it. By the end, I started to appreciate sewing as an art form, a way of life for people. I loved the way it was shot. Simple but powerful.
Music For One Xmas and Six Drummers
This one was absolutely hilarious. I can't say much about it, just watch.
Here's a brief summary of each:
Girl
A very "Day In The Life" kind of film. This 30 year old woman decides to go home with a stranger she meets at a drug store to party with a bunch of 20 year olds. They do cocaine and one of the guy puts his dick in her drink when she goes to the bathroom. Not much happens...
In
A man is called by an acquaintance who needs help. They must find a lost toy inside a train tunnel. In the middle of the night. Meant to be a horror film, it had me at the edge of my seat until the end, but left me SO unsatisfied. Nothing scary actually happens, and the ending was pretty confusing.
13 Related Sewing Machines
This one is about a group of women sewing. Did the title give it away? There is no talking, but there was something really interesting and intriguing about it. By the end, I started to appreciate sewing as an art form, a way of life for people. I loved the way it was shot. Simple but powerful.
Twin
Gustav is a hard working architect and a passionate free-diver. He practices holding his breath in his car, at work and even while sleeping, which results in a hissing noise that keeps his girlfriend awake. He goes to see a doctor, who discovers something strange in Gustav’s throat. The outcome is both unpleasant and comical. It turns out there is a miniature Gustav (who he calls Oscar) in his throat! So he ends up taking care of him and he grows to become his twin. They end up being quite different people, and Gustav discovers that he is quite a boring person himself. At the end, Gustav pushes Oscar into the ocean and holds him at the bottom.This was my favorite of the films because it had the best story. It was engaging and had a great way of shifting from a comical tone to a morbid one. I like how it's up to the viewer to determine if they both live or die.
Music For One Xmas and Six Drummers
This one was absolutely hilarious. I can't say much about it, just watch.
Palmas
Oh goodness.. what to say about this one. Yes, it was funny, but also there was something eery about it. Please watch.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Day 2: So Like, Where Are You From?
** Ignore my bandage... ear infection :(
De javu kicked as I once again participated in awkward and generic introductions with my 12 fellow program members. It seems like a nice US spread: people from New York, Ohio, California and even Hawaii. Everyone seems nice and quite ambitious. The experience level seems to vary. Some students aren't even film majors, but everyone seems motivated and creative.
Oh wait, let me tell you what the hell I'm doing here in Prague...
So I'm in the CIEE Prague: Film Studies program. My first two weeks I take an intensive Czech language course, then production classes for about 8 weeks and the last 8 weeks of the semester I'll produce a 16mm short film with a small group. We take classes at FAMU (Film and TV School Academy of Performance). It's some pretty competitive shiz: #1 film school in Europe, 7th best in the world!
Each apartment has both CIEE roommates and a Czech buddy who attends FAMU and helps us adjust to living in the Czech Republic. Let me just say: I. LOVE. THEM. They are all hilarious and the nicest people I have yet to meet in Prague. It's been great learning from them and they seem genuinely interested in American culture as well.
My apartment is pretty much amazing. We all really lucked out with the housing situation. Me particularly since I have my own room... TFG! I'll post an apartment tour shortly! :)
Orientation was pretty intense. It was just a lot of information in such a short period of time. However, CIEE has proven to be a VERY well organized study abroad program. I was a bit skeptical if it would be worth the money, since this program is significantly more expensive than most, but I can really see why. We have numerous trips planned, nice housing in a great location, and transportation passes for buses, trams and subways. So far. So good.
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