My classes here rock. I know that sounds simplistic, but it's the honest truth.
They rock because they are truely interdisciplinary and they make use of experiential learning. ie We get out of the classroom and into the city regularly. And I love it.
For example, consider the week that started October 3rd:
Monday started on campus with German class but then sent me jogging to Josefov, the Jewish town, for my Literature and Place class. Our tour-guide was excellent. I had wanted to visit some of the old synagogues but was hesitant because I don't know the proper ways to respect the space. With our guide, she explained etiquette as well as history and holiday rituals. She translated Hebrew script, explained the numerology considered in the architectural details, and pointed out which tombs to leave wishing stones on. The tickets we were using got us into the famous Old-New Synagogue as well as the Pinkas Synagogue (with its simple yet overwhelming holocaust memorial), the Jewish cemetery (with no flowers because Judaism insists that signs of life should not linger in places dedicated to death), the Spanish Synagogue, and a few others besides. We didn't get through all of them in our allocated class-time, but I didn't have a class immediately after so I finished the tour anyway. There was a tiny gallery tucked into the back of one of the buildings that was hosting an exhibit on the exile of Jews to Belarus. The exhibit discussed the invention of the mobile gas chamber build into a truck, and it had interviews with both survivors and ex-Nazis to discuss both these matters. It was a very well designed exhibit. Then I hurried off to Prague castle for my History of Czech Architecture class. We toured the presidential palace, with it's Spanish hall and Rudolf Gallery, which was designed to have the ideal natural lighting for art viewing. And then my professor, who wanted us to see the renaissance architecture of the Belvedere summer palace, talked his way through the guards who had the garden closed for the filming of the Mission Impossible movie. In we went, and I am continually in awe of these people.
Tuesday I went to the Troja Chateau to begin research for my History of Architecture midterm. Then I had IR class on campus.
Wednesday I went to the Chateau again and got tacked on to a tour group of German speaking students. The tour ran over so I missed my German class, but I got back to campus in time for our Central Eastern European food experience in Lit and Place. Medovnic honey cake. 'Nuff said. Yet not enough said because after that was a Mala Strana walking tour with History of Architecture, and then I jogged to pick up Grace at Malostranska so we could go to the concert at the Polish embassy. My Lit and Place professor got us tickets to go hear Wojciech Waleczek play...for free. It was really nice having Grace there because she's much more knowledgeable about the music world than I am and so was able to teach me a bit about music appreciation. Then we met up with friends and got beer because the next day...
Thursday was the start of my IR trip to Bratislava. Which I'll right about later because I'm too tired to do it justice at the moment. Can you handle the suspense?
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Already October?
Hurrah for free trips. Welcome to Olomouc and Litomysl!
After another wonderful week of classes and adventures, I found myself at Namesti Miru looking for the bus to yet another overnight trip. To be honest, I only signed up for this one because Sam did. I don't recall how exactly the school described this trip, but I can confidently say that they didn't do it justice. They should have advertised better; not only were both towns beautiful architecturally, but I've also noticed Olomouc being referenced increasingly and am glad that I had the chance to see it.
We drove almost to Olomouc but then stopped to admire Svatý Kopeček on the hill outside the city. It's actually a beautiful baroque church dedicated to the Holy Mother, and we walked around the grounds for a bit after admiring the inside. We munched on sandwiches as we walked back to the bus, and I noticed two things. First, there were markers for the Eurotrail along the path, and they were similar (obviously, I guess) to the ones we had seen in Slovakia the week before. Second, there was a small stone obelisk at the bottom of the hill that had text in both Czech and Russian carved beneath a red Soviet star. Translated, the inscription dedicated the monument to the Soviet army as a gift of gratitude from the residents of Olomouc who had been liberated after Nazi occupation. Fitting at one point in time, perhaps, but considering the history that followed I really think someone should have taken this particular monument down by now. Really.
From there, we continued by bus into Olomouc itself. One of our RAs has a friend who is from the city and offered to meet us and show us around. She had planned a walking tour, researched the history of the different architectural highlights, and arranged our visits to the town hall and art museum.
In the main square, the renaissance town hall (with its gothic chapel) sits next to a baroque trinity column while incorporating a Soviet astronomical clock and a replica of a David Cerny sculpture in it's facade. The astronomical clock originally had been similar to the one in Prague (though less ornate), but the Nazis tried to burn it then the Austrians stamped it with their empire's crest and finally the Soviets added mosaic scenes of their laborer, peasant, and intellectuals (though no soldiers, which is strange because Soviet art usually depicts the quartet).
We ended our tour at the Olomouc Museum of Art where we saw an exhibit called "Dům milovníka umění" or "An Art Lover's House." This curious exhibit was based in the idea that there were many artistic styles at the cusp of the 19th and 20th centuries, and it showcased pieces from all these styles arranged as they might be in an art lover's house.
That evening, we went out after dinner for burčák (the last of the season...it's getting to strong to be 'young wine' much longer), beers in a rock bar, and a bit of exploring in a wine cellar. Then we crashed for the night.
The next morning, we had a delicious breakfast (the complimentary breakfast at a hostel is always a gamble...this one was excellent) before setting off to Litomysl. Our first stop upon arriving was the house that composer Bedřich Smetana was born in. He didn't live there for much of his life, but the house has been turned into a museum to showcase some of the family's possessions. These include a violin, piano, and some of Smetana's manuscripts.
After that tour we split up to get lunch and explore the historic town before regrouping at the gorgeous renaissance castle (a UNESCO site, as it were). I'm so glad to be taking that History of Czech Architecture class. I can follow the jargon on castle tours much better than before.
We were supposed to return to Prague immediately after that tour, but we found ourselves with enough time to tour the Josef Vachal museum. Similar to the Smetana museum, it was just the house that Vachal had lived in turned into a museum. It was different because the artist had painted every exposed surface in most rooms, so there was a lot to take in. And if you're not familiar with his work you should really follow that link and check it out so that you understand: there was A LOT to take in.
So that was October 1st and 2nd. The 3rd (a Sunday) Sam and I went to the Prague Zoo. I learned that small owls are quite cute, that the German word for porcupine is das Stachelschwein, and that not putting up a glass wall on the bat exhibit is an invitation for the lovely fruit bats to fly out around the heads of zoo-goers. I guess that last one is obvious, but it was one of the coolest experiences I've had at a zoo and it was an experience that I don't think would happen in the US. Someone in the zoo bureaucracy would nix the idea for fear of a lawsuit. Just saying.
For all of this, I sketched scenes and details that I would otherwise have sketched because my camera disappeared on the train home from Slovakia. Thus, I have many poorly done and rather funny scribbles of owls and bats. The marks of a good trip.
I could write more...but I think this is a good place to break for now. Tchus!
PS I'm still blogging for my Art of Travel class if you wanna check it out...
After another wonderful week of classes and adventures, I found myself at Namesti Miru looking for the bus to yet another overnight trip. To be honest, I only signed up for this one because Sam did. I don't recall how exactly the school described this trip, but I can confidently say that they didn't do it justice. They should have advertised better; not only were both towns beautiful architecturally, but I've also noticed Olomouc being referenced increasingly and am glad that I had the chance to see it.
We drove almost to Olomouc but then stopped to admire Svatý Kopeček on the hill outside the city. It's actually a beautiful baroque church dedicated to the Holy Mother, and we walked around the grounds for a bit after admiring the inside. We munched on sandwiches as we walked back to the bus, and I noticed two things. First, there were markers for the Eurotrail along the path, and they were similar (obviously, I guess) to the ones we had seen in Slovakia the week before. Second, there was a small stone obelisk at the bottom of the hill that had text in both Czech and Russian carved beneath a red Soviet star. Translated, the inscription dedicated the monument to the Soviet army as a gift of gratitude from the residents of Olomouc who had been liberated after Nazi occupation. Fitting at one point in time, perhaps, but considering the history that followed I really think someone should have taken this particular monument down by now. Really.
From there, we continued by bus into Olomouc itself. One of our RAs has a friend who is from the city and offered to meet us and show us around. She had planned a walking tour, researched the history of the different architectural highlights, and arranged our visits to the town hall and art museum.
In the main square, the renaissance town hall (with its gothic chapel) sits next to a baroque trinity column while incorporating a Soviet astronomical clock and a replica of a David Cerny sculpture in it's facade. The astronomical clock originally had been similar to the one in Prague (though less ornate), but the Nazis tried to burn it then the Austrians stamped it with their empire's crest and finally the Soviets added mosaic scenes of their laborer, peasant, and intellectuals (though no soldiers, which is strange because Soviet art usually depicts the quartet).
We ended our tour at the Olomouc Museum of Art where we saw an exhibit called "Dům milovníka umění" or "An Art Lover's House." This curious exhibit was based in the idea that there were many artistic styles at the cusp of the 19th and 20th centuries, and it showcased pieces from all these styles arranged as they might be in an art lover's house.
That evening, we went out after dinner for burčák (the last of the season...it's getting to strong to be 'young wine' much longer), beers in a rock bar, and a bit of exploring in a wine cellar. Then we crashed for the night.
The next morning, we had a delicious breakfast (the complimentary breakfast at a hostel is always a gamble...this one was excellent) before setting off to Litomysl. Our first stop upon arriving was the house that composer Bedřich Smetana was born in. He didn't live there for much of his life, but the house has been turned into a museum to showcase some of the family's possessions. These include a violin, piano, and some of Smetana's manuscripts.
After that tour we split up to get lunch and explore the historic town before regrouping at the gorgeous renaissance castle (a UNESCO site, as it were). I'm so glad to be taking that History of Czech Architecture class. I can follow the jargon on castle tours much better than before.
We were supposed to return to Prague immediately after that tour, but we found ourselves with enough time to tour the Josef Vachal museum. Similar to the Smetana museum, it was just the house that Vachal had lived in turned into a museum. It was different because the artist had painted every exposed surface in most rooms, so there was a lot to take in. And if you're not familiar with his work you should really follow that link and check it out so that you understand: there was A LOT to take in.
So that was October 1st and 2nd. The 3rd (a Sunday) Sam and I went to the Prague Zoo. I learned that small owls are quite cute, that the German word for porcupine is das Stachelschwein, and that not putting up a glass wall on the bat exhibit is an invitation for the lovely fruit bats to fly out around the heads of zoo-goers. I guess that last one is obvious, but it was one of the coolest experiences I've had at a zoo and it was an experience that I don't think would happen in the US. Someone in the zoo bureaucracy would nix the idea for fear of a lawsuit. Just saying.
For all of this, I sketched scenes and details that I would otherwise have sketched because my camera disappeared on the train home from Slovakia. Thus, I have many poorly done and rather funny scribbles of owls and bats. The marks of a good trip.
I could write more...but I think this is a good place to break for now. Tchus!
PS I'm still blogging for my Art of Travel class if you wanna check it out...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thank you Saint Wenceslas
We had a long weekend on behalf of Saint Wenceslas, and I took full advantage of it. At the moment, I'm worrying about a broken computer, lost camera, and unplanned fall break, but the memories of this past weekend are keeping me smiling. It was wonderful.
Crazy as this sounds, the weekend sort-of started on Wednesday. My literature and place professor got us tickets to a jazz concert at the Polish embassy. Piotr Wylezol was playing with his trio. Since I have friends in both that class and the Polish class that also went, I ended up enjoying the concert with wonderful friends, buying the CD after, and (thanks to Byron) getting the musicians to autograph it.
We actually went out for pizza after the show and then had classes the next day, but the weekend-esque feeling continued because I went with some of the same friends to Wylezol's show that night at the Jazz dock. I was much more relaxed for this concert (because I hadn't just sprinted from another class or discovered that I was underdressed) and again really enjoyed the music. While we were there, however, one of my RAs was leading a club tour that some of my friends were on. Sooooo when the jazz was finished we went to meet up with the club tour group for the last stretch of their night. I always worry about going to such things; I just don't find drunk people to be much fun. I shouldn't have worried though. We found the small group in a Hawaiian bar dancing to 80s and 90s pop songs. The RA who was leading everything is such a fun person, and by that point in the night the people who were left were all people I'm friends with who were there to go dance with him. Even though the music wasn't quite as good as that from the beginning of the night, we still had a good time.
In case I haven't explained before, NYU organizes weekend trips for students at their abroad sites. Initially we are only allowed to sign up for two each, but there are waitlists for most trips and so far I've had a pretty easy time getting onto the ones I want. Including the Cesky Krumlov trip this past Friday and Saturday. Early the morning after the concert and club tour, we got on a bus and slept the whole way to the town. We woke up refreshed in beautiful Cesky Krumlov, ready for food and adventure. The school had organized a castle tour with a guide who took us into the old theater space, the hall of masks (check out the pictures), and the royal gardens. She was a very interesting guide because she shared her personal research and philosophies with us as well as explaining the history of each place.
NYU paid for dinner, which was nice, and then let us go explore for the night. We found our way into a gypsy bar (to be more politically correct, it was a bar with bands playing Roma folk music) where we enjoyed the music and local Eggenberg beer for a while. We strolled around for a bit after that, but I ended the night watching a friend skip stones across a stream before returning to the cute bright yellow room that Becca and I shared at our hostel.
Saturday we had a morning tour of the Eggenberg brewery and then took a few hours to explore. From the castle the day before, I had seen a building on a hill that looked intriguing. It turns out that it's this (the Chapel on the Mountain of the Cross). The chapel wasn't open, but the building, the view from the hill, and the joy of taking a walk with a friend outside of a city space all left me completely elated. The walk wasn't as long as it had originally looked, either, so we had time to return to town and spend time there too. We watched children folk dance and sing folk songs to celebrate the holiday. We ate sausage and drank Burcak, since it's still in season. We even met up with another friend and walked through the torture museum. That sort of thing isn't usually my cup of tea, but this one was so touristy enough to almost be humorous. And of course, all things are improved by the presence of good friends.
After that we got on the bus back to Prague, where we stayed just long enough to cook some pasta and do a load of laundry before heading back out. Brianna, Becca, Byron, Sam and I met at the train station and boarded a night train to Slovakia. Yup. As the rest of our program headed off for one and two day trips to Oktoberfest in Munich, we set out for the Lower Tatras at the suggestion of an RA friend who has family there. Her cousin's husband owns Penzion Baltazar in Liptovska Luzna and she suggested we stay there. The trip involved a restless sleep on a night train, some down time in Ruzomberok, and then a bus to the hostel itself. The weather was pretty bad so we didn't do too much our first night there. We had a home-cooked dinner with local ingredients, walked around the town, explored the church and cemetery, listened to the sheep's bells, and warmed up from the cold rainy day in a sauna. I have to confess, I fell asleep around 8 or 9 pm, exhausted but happy.
We got up pretty early the next day, had a breakfast that included home-made jam!!!!, and set out to hike the trail that our incredibly helpful host suggested. We climbed through fields, evergreen forests, and up the rocky trail to the top of a mountain. Even with the fog and rain, the views were stunning. Hopefully I'll be able to put pictures up soon. We returned to the Penzion for another warm dinner and an early night. The following day was the journey home and a celebration vegetarian dinner together, and suddenly I'm back on campus taking a German quiz and wondering where my architecture class is meeting today. What an adventure!
Crazy as this sounds, the weekend sort-of started on Wednesday. My literature and place professor got us tickets to a jazz concert at the Polish embassy. Piotr Wylezol was playing with his trio. Since I have friends in both that class and the Polish class that also went, I ended up enjoying the concert with wonderful friends, buying the CD after, and (thanks to Byron) getting the musicians to autograph it.
We actually went out for pizza after the show and then had classes the next day, but the weekend-esque feeling continued because I went with some of the same friends to Wylezol's show that night at the Jazz dock. I was much more relaxed for this concert (because I hadn't just sprinted from another class or discovered that I was underdressed) and again really enjoyed the music. While we were there, however, one of my RAs was leading a club tour that some of my friends were on. Sooooo when the jazz was finished we went to meet up with the club tour group for the last stretch of their night. I always worry about going to such things; I just don't find drunk people to be much fun. I shouldn't have worried though. We found the small group in a Hawaiian bar dancing to 80s and 90s pop songs. The RA who was leading everything is such a fun person, and by that point in the night the people who were left were all people I'm friends with who were there to go dance with him. Even though the music wasn't quite as good as that from the beginning of the night, we still had a good time.
In case I haven't explained before, NYU organizes weekend trips for students at their abroad sites. Initially we are only allowed to sign up for two each, but there are waitlists for most trips and so far I've had a pretty easy time getting onto the ones I want. Including the Cesky Krumlov trip this past Friday and Saturday. Early the morning after the concert and club tour, we got on a bus and slept the whole way to the town. We woke up refreshed in beautiful Cesky Krumlov, ready for food and adventure. The school had organized a castle tour with a guide who took us into the old theater space, the hall of masks (check out the pictures), and the royal gardens. She was a very interesting guide because she shared her personal research and philosophies with us as well as explaining the history of each place.
NYU paid for dinner, which was nice, and then let us go explore for the night. We found our way into a gypsy bar (to be more politically correct, it was a bar with bands playing Roma folk music) where we enjoyed the music and local Eggenberg beer for a while. We strolled around for a bit after that, but I ended the night watching a friend skip stones across a stream before returning to the cute bright yellow room that Becca and I shared at our hostel.
Saturday we had a morning tour of the Eggenberg brewery and then took a few hours to explore. From the castle the day before, I had seen a building on a hill that looked intriguing. It turns out that it's this (the Chapel on the Mountain of the Cross). The chapel wasn't open, but the building, the view from the hill, and the joy of taking a walk with a friend outside of a city space all left me completely elated. The walk wasn't as long as it had originally looked, either, so we had time to return to town and spend time there too. We watched children folk dance and sing folk songs to celebrate the holiday. We ate sausage and drank Burcak, since it's still in season. We even met up with another friend and walked through the torture museum. That sort of thing isn't usually my cup of tea, but this one was so touristy enough to almost be humorous. And of course, all things are improved by the presence of good friends.
After that we got on the bus back to Prague, where we stayed just long enough to cook some pasta and do a load of laundry before heading back out. Brianna, Becca, Byron, Sam and I met at the train station and boarded a night train to Slovakia. Yup. As the rest of our program headed off for one and two day trips to Oktoberfest in Munich, we set out for the Lower Tatras at the suggestion of an RA friend who has family there. Her cousin's husband owns Penzion Baltazar in Liptovska Luzna and she suggested we stay there. The trip involved a restless sleep on a night train, some down time in Ruzomberok, and then a bus to the hostel itself. The weather was pretty bad so we didn't do too much our first night there. We had a home-cooked dinner with local ingredients, walked around the town, explored the church and cemetery, listened to the sheep's bells, and warmed up from the cold rainy day in a sauna. I have to confess, I fell asleep around 8 or 9 pm, exhausted but happy.
We got up pretty early the next day, had a breakfast that included home-made jam!!!!, and set out to hike the trail that our incredibly helpful host suggested. We climbed through fields, evergreen forests, and up the rocky trail to the top of a mountain. Even with the fog and rain, the views were stunning. Hopefully I'll be able to put pictures up soon. We returned to the Penzion for another warm dinner and an early night. The following day was the journey home and a celebration vegetarian dinner together, and suddenly I'm back on campus taking a German quiz and wondering where my architecture class is meeting today. What an adventure!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Mittwoch
This morning smelled of weed, construction dust, and a sickly sweet floral perfume...
The first is an inevitable consequence of filling out the room-mate preference form based on what I can tolerate living with rather than what I would ideally live with. Next semester, I'm putting that I have zero tolerance for smokers and for dirty kitchens. Learn from my mistakes...this is an important lesson if you're allowing your school to assign you room-mates.
The second smell has been a constant (and probably will continue to be) since we moved in here because the sidewalk outside our dorm building is in the process of being torn up. They're going about it very slowly...I hope they intend to put down a new one at some point.
The third smell overpowered my morning. In all of the "Czech survival phrase" lists I've read, I've never come across the phrase for "call an ambulance," nor have I come across the number that one would call in the case of an emergency. The phrase one would need is "Zavolejte ambulanci" and the emergency numbers are 112 for a general emergency or 155 for a medical emergency. Now you know.
This came up as I was talking to a friend and waiting for the morning tram to campus. As we were standing there, a girl fell to the ground between us. At first we thought she had just tripped, but then she started convulsing. We both knelt down, but she was having a seizure... I tried to keep her head off the concrete, and my friend yelled "Pomoc!" ('help'). We remembered that the number to call is 112, but we were worried that we wouldn't be able to do anything once we called because we don't speak Czech. Luckily, some other commuters waiting for the tram came up and were able to call. The ambulance came and we got on our tram, but the feeling of utter helplessness and the smell of that girl's perfume stuck to my ribs for hours after.
The day did get better. For my Literature and Place class we went to the Havel library to see an exhibit about his life and writings. The exhibit was small but comprehensive and well organized, run by the Havel Library. One funny typo was a tag on the robe Havel wore when receiving his honorary degree from NYU: it said that the robe and degree had both come from Long Island University. Not quite what you want to tell a bunch of NYU kids...
A rather amusing incident occurred at Tesco after class: the British kids in line behind us tried to take more plastic bags than the cashier allocated them. She gave them a death-glare and started rebuking them in Czech. Maybe I'd have felt bad if they hadn't been so obnoxious...but it's funny to remember figuring out the cultural nuances of grocery shopping (including the bring-your-own-bags thing) just a few weeks ago.
Back at the dorm, Becca decided we should have a Jewish-inspired dinner of latkes and applesauce. Yummm. Then Sam and I went to the basement to play with the television. Czech children's programs? Yes please!
The first is an inevitable consequence of filling out the room-mate preference form based on what I can tolerate living with rather than what I would ideally live with. Next semester, I'm putting that I have zero tolerance for smokers and for dirty kitchens. Learn from my mistakes...this is an important lesson if you're allowing your school to assign you room-mates.
The second smell has been a constant (and probably will continue to be) since we moved in here because the sidewalk outside our dorm building is in the process of being torn up. They're going about it very slowly...I hope they intend to put down a new one at some point.
The third smell overpowered my morning. In all of the "Czech survival phrase" lists I've read, I've never come across the phrase for "call an ambulance," nor have I come across the number that one would call in the case of an emergency. The phrase one would need is "Zavolejte ambulanci" and the emergency numbers are 112 for a general emergency or 155 for a medical emergency. Now you know.
This came up as I was talking to a friend and waiting for the morning tram to campus. As we were standing there, a girl fell to the ground between us. At first we thought she had just tripped, but then she started convulsing. We both knelt down, but she was having a seizure... I tried to keep her head off the concrete, and my friend yelled "Pomoc!" ('help'). We remembered that the number to call is 112, but we were worried that we wouldn't be able to do anything once we called because we don't speak Czech. Luckily, some other commuters waiting for the tram came up and were able to call. The ambulance came and we got on our tram, but the feeling of utter helplessness and the smell of that girl's perfume stuck to my ribs for hours after.
The day did get better. For my Literature and Place class we went to the Havel library to see an exhibit about his life and writings. The exhibit was small but comprehensive and well organized, run by the Havel Library. One funny typo was a tag on the robe Havel wore when receiving his honorary degree from NYU: it said that the robe and degree had both come from Long Island University. Not quite what you want to tell a bunch of NYU kids...
A rather amusing incident occurred at Tesco after class: the British kids in line behind us tried to take more plastic bags than the cashier allocated them. She gave them a death-glare and started rebuking them in Czech. Maybe I'd have felt bad if they hadn't been so obnoxious...but it's funny to remember figuring out the cultural nuances of grocery shopping (including the bring-your-own-bags thing) just a few weeks ago.
Back at the dorm, Becca decided we should have a Jewish-inspired dinner of latkes and applesauce. Yummm. Then Sam and I went to the basement to play with the television. Czech children's programs? Yes please!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
On Being a Freshman
As if my college experience isn’t unusual enough, I’m also going to have two years of being a freshman. Sort of. Last year, I had to adapt to life in New York City. This semester, I’m starting over in a new place with new people and a completely different language. Next semester, I’ll be switching again. If being a freshman means being in a new situation and adapting to a new culture, I’ll be a freshman for two whole years before returning to NYC as a junior. At least that’s how I see it.
Here’s the thing: I’m learning that I can’t really tell people that thought. As soon as I say that I was a freshman last year, I get cut off. The other person usually makes some comment about my being a young’un or a baby or something of the sort. From then on, in all conversations following, any point that I make can be discredited with the simple phrase “You’ll see. You ARE just a freshman.” Are? Theoretically, yes, but theoretically so is everyone else here. Technically, no. I’m no longer a freshman academically.
In some ways, I hate freshmen. I lived in the largest freshmen dorm in the US for the entirety of last year, and it was terrible. Generally speaking (and very generally, of course) freshmen are crazy. They’re loud because they’re insecure. They drink too much, smoke too much, party too much…they’re crazy and irresponsible because they don’t know who or what they are. They’re adjusting to not having a curfew but having to do their own laundry, and they just don’t know what to do with themselves. Self-control and self-respect seem to disappear without parents and teachers around to impose standards externally; who could imagine setting standards for one’s self? Freshmen pull fire alarms at 3am because they realize they can. They date other people who live on their dorm floor and they throw up in the stairways. And they think they are entitled to be as rude as they want because they’re in college with the big kids at last.
Harsh, yes? Probably too harsh. That dorm last year just was not a good time…and those are some of my more general observations.
The thing is, in other ways I feel as if I want to perpetually be a freshman. I want to experience new places, struggle to figure out the unspoken social norms of new cultures, embarrass myself attempting to communicate in languages that I haven’t yet mastered. When you’re a freshman—in high school, college, grad school, the business world, anywhere—you feel the newness of miniscule details that others easily take for granted. Freshmen are the ones who are grateful for access to a real academic library, free lectures through the school, no bed-time, stories of bad ID photos. They mark the first time someone asks them for directions on the street, and they rejoice the first time they can give accurate directions confidently in response. Freshmen notice that having the WC and shower in separate rooms is a great idea when 5 people share a living space, that dogs run around without leashes, that 7am jackhammers outside your window are not cool, and that good friends are invaluable. The freshman that I am right now is delighted because an old man turned to me today because he saw the face I made when some obscenely drunk teenagers roared past us on the way to the metro. He started speaking to me in Czech; he reached out, having mistaken me for a reserved Czech like himself, so that we could be disapproving together. I wish so much that I spoke his language, but I’m so glad he gave me that moment and affirmed that I am slowly learning his culture.
Freshmen have nothing, so they reach out toward everything. It’s a child-like way to live. I read once (in “The Tao of Pooh” I think) that the goal of growing up is to become the wise child. To develop mature reasoning and sense of self without losing the ability to find joy in the nooks and crannies of the world. Tired of being discounted and patronized, I throw off the standard definition of the freshman (and really if we’re sticking to traditional terms I don’t fit that definition anyway). Shall I be a sophomore now? A “wise fool”? No. I’ll still be a freshman, but I’m doing it my way. And I’m totally at peace with that decision.
Here’s the thing: I’m learning that I can’t really tell people that thought. As soon as I say that I was a freshman last year, I get cut off. The other person usually makes some comment about my being a young’un or a baby or something of the sort. From then on, in all conversations following, any point that I make can be discredited with the simple phrase “You’ll see. You ARE just a freshman.” Are? Theoretically, yes, but theoretically so is everyone else here. Technically, no. I’m no longer a freshman academically.
In some ways, I hate freshmen. I lived in the largest freshmen dorm in the US for the entirety of last year, and it was terrible. Generally speaking (and very generally, of course) freshmen are crazy. They’re loud because they’re insecure. They drink too much, smoke too much, party too much…they’re crazy and irresponsible because they don’t know who or what they are. They’re adjusting to not having a curfew but having to do their own laundry, and they just don’t know what to do with themselves. Self-control and self-respect seem to disappear without parents and teachers around to impose standards externally; who could imagine setting standards for one’s self? Freshmen pull fire alarms at 3am because they realize they can. They date other people who live on their dorm floor and they throw up in the stairways. And they think they are entitled to be as rude as they want because they’re in college with the big kids at last.
Harsh, yes? Probably too harsh. That dorm last year just was not a good time…and those are some of my more general observations.
The thing is, in other ways I feel as if I want to perpetually be a freshman. I want to experience new places, struggle to figure out the unspoken social norms of new cultures, embarrass myself attempting to communicate in languages that I haven’t yet mastered. When you’re a freshman—in high school, college, grad school, the business world, anywhere—you feel the newness of miniscule details that others easily take for granted. Freshmen are the ones who are grateful for access to a real academic library, free lectures through the school, no bed-time, stories of bad ID photos. They mark the first time someone asks them for directions on the street, and they rejoice the first time they can give accurate directions confidently in response. Freshmen notice that having the WC and shower in separate rooms is a great idea when 5 people share a living space, that dogs run around without leashes, that 7am jackhammers outside your window are not cool, and that good friends are invaluable. The freshman that I am right now is delighted because an old man turned to me today because he saw the face I made when some obscenely drunk teenagers roared past us on the way to the metro. He started speaking to me in Czech; he reached out, having mistaken me for a reserved Czech like himself, so that we could be disapproving together. I wish so much that I spoke his language, but I’m so glad he gave me that moment and affirmed that I am slowly learning his culture.
Freshmen have nothing, so they reach out toward everything. It’s a child-like way to live. I read once (in “The Tao of Pooh” I think) that the goal of growing up is to become the wise child. To develop mature reasoning and sense of self without losing the ability to find joy in the nooks and crannies of the world. Tired of being discounted and patronized, I throw off the standard definition of the freshman (and really if we’re sticking to traditional terms I don’t fit that definition anyway). Shall I be a sophomore now? A “wise fool”? No. I’ll still be a freshman, but I’m doing it my way. And I’m totally at peace with that decision.
On Gratitude
“I hate these seats. They f—in’ suck. Now everyone is going to be staring at us the whole time.”
“Mom, did you really think I wouldn’t go shopping? Did you really think I wouldn’t travel? I’m spending MY money and budgeting. Why do you have to be so difficult?”
These are quotes from the only two times I’ve been disgusted since coming to Prague. I’ve been disturbed many times reading history texts and watching films…but I’ve been disgusted by the lack of gratitude boasted by some of my peers. And boasted loudly.
The first quote is from the student who sat behind me at the philharmonic. The school got us tickets to see the closing concert of the season (which was wonderful and which I’ll write about elsewhere) so we got to go for free. Our seats were behind the orchestra, so the view wasn’t the best if you wanted to see the musicians’ faces, but it was wonderful if you wanted to see the conductor’s face (which I did because I have never been in an orchestra and so never been in such a position before). Also, the music was wonderful no matter where you were sitting, and I feel like that is the reason one goes to an orchestra performance, after all. To be blunt, I couldn’t believe this individual was complaining about free tickets to a good performance…If she wanted better seats she should have bought her own ticket. On a side note, how arrogant do you have to be to think that everyone in the concert hall is going to be staring at you just because you’re behind the musicians? Ridiculous.
The second quote comes from a screaming match that a fellow student had with her mom over the phone. She was in another room, but we could hear her loud and clear. She’d gone on a shopping spree—using her mom’s credit card—and then booked her fall break trip—on her mom’s credit card—and now couldn’t understand why her mother was upset and calling her. She spent the summer traveling around Europe instead of working, is now studying in Prague, was entrusted with her mom’s credit card to use for necessary purchases… and couldn’t have called to say ‘Hey, thanks for sending me to Prague and letting me travel all summer. I’m planning a trip that will cost xxx dollars and was thinking of putting it on the card. Would that be ok?” How hard would that have been? Really? I know what it’s like to disagree with a parent, but no one deserves that much disrespect. It should be less ok to scream at someone who’s a family member, not more ok just because they’re stuck with you. If you’re going to be financially irresponsibly, then do it with your own money. And really your own money, not just the money you think is yours.
How could anyone in this program be anything but grateful? Grateful to have the opportunity to be here, grateful to their peers for their (English-speaking) company, grateful to their teachers for their time, grateful to their parents (or other family members) for supporting their choice to come…I’m grateful for my family, friends, and education. Sure there are times when life doesn’t go quite as planned, but what good does whining ever do? And honestly, I hope this is the only post in which I’ll have something to whine about.
First week of classes
Here's the rundown of my classes:
-Introduction to German Language
-Literature and Place of Central Europe
-History of Czech Architecture
-European Union and Central Europe in Transition
-The Art of Travel
The last one is my blogging class, so it doesn't have a meeting day. Which is really nice. My German language class is going to be interesting, and I really hope that it helps me prepare for Berlin. The Literature and Place class is absolutely amazing. My professor is amazing and I've been really enjoying the readings so far. My History of Architecture professor tends to jog around the city while lecturing so I have to run and listen very closely to keep up. But he knows everything. And my European Union and Central Europe class is an international relations class...I know nothing about anything related to it, but that's all the more reason to take it. Again, my professor is as knowledgeable as he is friendly. It's intense, and I'm grateful.
Of course, since we're still new to the city we're exploring. The school organized a Jam Session on Wednesday since all the music students are in the same dorm and there are many of them. I met up with friends there and got to hear Vladimir sing. An eerie thought: we were a room of Czech and American students singing Beatles music in a painted basement. 20 years ago, we could have all been arrested.
After the Jam Session we went to a music bar called Cross Club to admire their industrial-style decorations. Light fixtures made out of strawberry pots? I approve. Then Friday we found a place that made and served blueberry beer. We wandered all around Minor Town exploring and decided to come back the next day.
So we did. Saturday we visited the monastic library in Charles Castle. I paid the extra $2 for photo permission and the pictures are here. We also explored some gardens, found wild lavender, ate yummy Asian food... Then we wandered back to Old Town. Sam had been away on a trip so we met up with him at Aloha for dancing and catching up. Meeting in one place was actually somewhat difficult because there was a huge race going on and many of the streets had been closed to pedestrian traffic as a result. We did finally get together though.
After the bar, we went home but weren't sleepy yet so Sam and I decided to watch a movie. We watched "The Firemen's Ball."To be honest, we watched it twice through. It's a great example of how dark Czech satire can be. That isn't to say that it wasn't funny. It was really funny. It was just very dark.
And of course I got up early the next morning. Byron had suggested going to Sunday mass at St.Vitus...so we did. The service was half in Latin and half in Czech. I didn't understand a word. I'm so glad we went though. Knowing that the cathedral is still in use and hearing the organ music echo made me smile. Beautiful buildings are beautiful, of course, but it's always better to be in them when they come alive.
After mass, we went back to the monastery that had the library. They were having a bonsai exhibit that we had been interested in the day before but hadn't gone to because we were in a big group and people had wanted to do other things. I actually learned a lot. Thanks to Waterloo, I could identify most of the smaller plants and some of the trees, but I really don't know much about bonsai. Byron explained some of the techniques that bonsai artists use. The whole experience made me miss having plants around. Maybe I'll start a bonsai when I get home. Dave had suggested a ficus or rosemary to start...
From there we met up with Brianna for vegetarian food at Gopal, a Hare Krishna restaurant where they have an all-you-can-eat option. And then I went back to the dorm to do some homework. Even my homework is interesting at this point. As I hoped it would be.
-Introduction to German Language
-Literature and Place of Central Europe
-History of Czech Architecture
-European Union and Central Europe in Transition
-The Art of Travel
The last one is my blogging class, so it doesn't have a meeting day. Which is really nice. My German language class is going to be interesting, and I really hope that it helps me prepare for Berlin. The Literature and Place class is absolutely amazing. My professor is amazing and I've been really enjoying the readings so far. My History of Architecture professor tends to jog around the city while lecturing so I have to run and listen very closely to keep up. But he knows everything. And my European Union and Central Europe class is an international relations class...I know nothing about anything related to it, but that's all the more reason to take it. Again, my professor is as knowledgeable as he is friendly. It's intense, and I'm grateful.
Of course, since we're still new to the city we're exploring. The school organized a Jam Session on Wednesday since all the music students are in the same dorm and there are many of them. I met up with friends there and got to hear Vladimir sing. An eerie thought: we were a room of Czech and American students singing Beatles music in a painted basement. 20 years ago, we could have all been arrested.
After the Jam Session we went to a music bar called Cross Club to admire their industrial-style decorations. Light fixtures made out of strawberry pots? I approve. Then Friday we found a place that made and served blueberry beer. We wandered all around Minor Town exploring and decided to come back the next day.
So we did. Saturday we visited the monastic library in Charles Castle. I paid the extra $2 for photo permission and the pictures are here. We also explored some gardens, found wild lavender, ate yummy Asian food... Then we wandered back to Old Town. Sam had been away on a trip so we met up with him at Aloha for dancing and catching up. Meeting in one place was actually somewhat difficult because there was a huge race going on and many of the streets had been closed to pedestrian traffic as a result. We did finally get together though.
After the bar, we went home but weren't sleepy yet so Sam and I decided to watch a movie. We watched "The Firemen's Ball."To be honest, we watched it twice through. It's a great example of how dark Czech satire can be. That isn't to say that it wasn't funny. It was really funny. It was just very dark.
And of course I got up early the next morning. Byron had suggested going to Sunday mass at St.Vitus...so we did. The service was half in Latin and half in Czech. I didn't understand a word. I'm so glad we went though. Knowing that the cathedral is still in use and hearing the organ music echo made me smile. Beautiful buildings are beautiful, of course, but it's always better to be in them when they come alive.
After mass, we went back to the monastery that had the library. They were having a bonsai exhibit that we had been interested in the day before but hadn't gone to because we were in a big group and people had wanted to do other things. I actually learned a lot. Thanks to Waterloo, I could identify most of the smaller plants and some of the trees, but I really don't know much about bonsai. Byron explained some of the techniques that bonsai artists use. The whole experience made me miss having plants around. Maybe I'll start a bonsai when I get home. Dave had suggested a ficus or rosemary to start...
From there we met up with Brianna for vegetarian food at Gopal, a Hare Krishna restaurant where they have an all-you-can-eat option. And then I went back to the dorm to do some homework. Even my homework is interesting at this point. As I hoped it would be.
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