Home Free

So, I'm home.
Finally.

It was a wonderful month, and I'm so glad that I went, but cliched as it is, there really is no place like home.
Just for fun, I'll run through my day. We'll work in Czech time, since that's where my internal clock was stationed.

3:45 a.m.- I wake up and pack the rest of my belongings. My bag weighed a lot. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 kilos.

4:30- The cab picks us up and drops us off at the airport. The drive took half as long as expected because (surprise, surprise) traffic is slow that early in the morning.

6:45 a.m.- We board the plane to Paris, which is supposed to take off at 7:15.

9:15 a.m.- After trouble loading luggage, and then some minor repairs, we finally leave, only 2 hours behind schedule. We've been on the plane the whole time. Good thing we had a long layover...

11:00 a.m.- We have lunch (don't ask how much I paid for it, it was in Euros. Probably way too much.), get the the gate and fill out our Customs paperwork.

2:00 p.m.- We take-off out of Paris for Detroit. Since we were running a tad bit late, the Captain says we'll make up some time by faster. I was unaware that we could make the flight shorter by just stepping on the gas a little bit. I guess I learned something...

2:15 p.m.- I discover the 4 crying babies on the flight. Lucky me.
I am seated next to a very nice girl from Kentucky who was on her way home from Paris. I felt bad, as she had a 14 hour layover in Detroit to wait for another 2 flights to get home. I'm sure it would have been faster to drive.

3:00 p.m.- I start watching in-flight movies, I begin with "X-Men Origins- Wolverine" move on to "The Boat That Rocked" (which is very good, and isn't out in the States until November", then "The Soloist" and get through 2/3 of "Star Trek" before we land.

11:00 p.m.- (5:00 Michigan time)We get through customs pretty quickly, and we're probably out of the airport within a half-hour of landing. Mom and Dad came to get me and we start the 2+ hour drive home.

12:30 a.m.- We stop for fast food, which takes almost an hour. Turns out White Castle must keep cattle out back and make really, really fresh burgers.

3:00 a.m.- We arrive home, Brandon is waiting in the yard, watching deer. I unload some laundry and souvenirs, and talk (probably incessantly) about my trip.

8:00 a.m.- I finally go to bed. at this point, I have been awake (various stages of awake, but not really sleeping much anywhere) for roughly 30 hours. It was a very, very long day.

I'll be back in Kalamazoo sometime this week, just as soon as I figure out when I need to be back to work and sort out all of the things that need to come back with me. Hopefully I'll be able to schedule some time with all of the people I haven't seen in forever.

I kind of doubt I'll be posting anymore, since this was basically a blog for my trip and my trip is over, but if I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

Love always,
Emily

The Final Countdown

Hey everyone,

I can hardly believe that I'm almost done with my last week here. A month has gone by so fast! I'll be happy to be home, but it's really been a great experience and I'm going to miss some of the wonderful people I've spent the last month with.

All that's left is some exploring and a reading tonight, then class and a final party tomorrow, then I fly out EARLY Saturday morning (like, I leave my dorm around 4:30 a.m.). I should be back in Detroit around 4:30 p.m. It seems so surreal!

This week has been fun. I got my last workshop done and now I have some new ideas bouncing around, so I'll have to get to work sometime soon to get them all sorted out. Last night a bunch of us went to a beer garden (basically a park where you can sit and buy beer), but we brought our own picnic and some wine. We were there for quite some time, it has a beautiful view overlooking the city. I didn't drink much, but that wasn't true for some of my companions. In case it needs explanation, they have no issues with drinking in public in the Czech Republic. People walk around with cans of beer during any time of the day, as long as you're not causing problems, it's perfectly fine. This always seems weird to me, but it's nice to not have to try to sneak your inebriated friends home without catching any unwanted attention.
Anyway, we had fun, I came in fairly early, and went to bed. Yes, even in this country, I'm the lame, responsible one. Oh well.

Today sometime I think I'm going to have a go at some packing. I've done a little bit, but not nearly enough to call myself "ready to go." I'm not excited to figure out the customs thing, so if anyone has any advice on that, please let me know what to expect/what to do/etc... I didn't buy anything illegal or even expensive, so I don't think it will be too bad, I just don't know what I'm doing.

I'm looking forward to coming home to some real food and everyday tasks among English-speaking people. I've very much enjoyed my time abroad, but simple things like eating out and grocery shopping are so much easier when you and the rest of the world are speaking the same language.

I'm sure there will be a calling tree to let everyone know when I'm safely on the ground. I'll try to post tomorrow, and then I won't be back until I get home, so until then, I love you all, and thanks for reading.

Love,
Emily

No More Homework?

Hey everyone,

I'm now starting my last official week in Prague, and I can't believe how fast it has gone! I'll be back in Michigan on Saturday afternoon, and though I'm very excited to be home, I do think I'll miss some of the amazing people I've met here and the beautiful surroundings (not that Kalamazoo isn't great, but let's face it, it's no centuries-old European city).

I workshopped my final piece today, and I feel that it went very well. It's a very new project, and a little experimental as far as form and style go, so I was very happy that it went over as well as it did. I still have a lot of work to do, but it's nice to fine-tune the focus and see what really needs to be done.

For once in my life, I'm actually finished with my homework early. For the program, each student seeking credit must write 100 words on each lecture speaker and 1,000 words as a final essay to sum up the program and their take on the year's topic (The Nature of Mother Nature: Women, Power, and the Environment). I'm actually done with all of this, and it's not even due until tomorrow. Actually, I'll have to write two more 100-word synopses of tomorrow's lectures, but that won't be so bad. 200 words is about a paragraph...

Tonight for photography, we're going on a night-shoot, so I'm not in class for the afternoon like I usually am, and I'm really not sure what to do with myself, it's a little odd. I'm contemplating some packing, but it just doesn't sound all that exciting. We'll see what happens.

I love you all and I'll see you soon!
-Emily

What a Weekend!

Hey everybody,

I'm just getting back from a 2 day trip to Moravia, specifically the cities of Brno, Mikulov and Lednice. The countryside here is beautiful, it reminds me a lot of home. There are huge sunflower fields and rolling hills and just miles of farmland everywhere. It was nice to get out of the big city and see what else the Czech Republic has to offer.

Friday night we had a workshop with Jindrich Streit, the most famous and acclaimed Czech photographer, and we stayed in a nice hotel in the country. Apparently some of the other students stayed up until around 4 a.m. drinking wine and chatting with our photography teachers, but I guess I wasn't invited to that party.

Saturday we got up and explored a castle and the surrounding gardens and such. It was very beautiful and I'll post some pictures soon. America really lost out on not having a castle phase. We should try to get on that.

We also visited the smaller town of Mikulov, which is up in the hills and rather secluded, but very pleasant. We walked through an old Jewish cemetery that was last used in 1939 (not many Jews left in the country after that, now it's kind of a personal memorial, a piece of their history). Everywhere I look in this country, everything is beautiful, it's amazing.

There were 18 of us all together, with the driver, the two photographers, Jan and Miro, and Jan's son. Somewhere along the lines, several people picked up bottles of wine (maybe in the wine cellar next to the hotel we stayed at...), and it is apparently acceptable to drink alcohol in a vehicle if you're not driving. So different from the States... Anyway, it's about at 3 hour drive, and the wine didn't come out until the last hour or so, and somehow, about a dozen people polished off somewhere between 4 and 6 bottles.
It was a very interesting journey.
There were sing-a-longs, strange propositions, and a video being taken on someone's camera that I hope to see. I'm sure the photos that were taken are rather entertaining as well. I'm not one for wine, and my camera battery was dead, but I still had a great time just laughing and people watching. For our last full weekend in Prague, it was a great way to spend it.

One more week of class, and then I'll be headed back home.
It's gone so fast!

See you all soon,
Emily

Single Digits!

Yes indeed, ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the point in my trip that there are only 9 days before my triumphant return to the States.

Sorry its been a few days since I've written, they keep me pretty busy over here.

What have I been up to, you ask?

Well, since the last blog, I've been to the Municipal Cemetery in Prague, which holds twice the amount of people than are actually living in the city. It was beautiful and very old and I'll post some photos for you. There was a section for World War I soldiers, a section for Russians (which was actually on Russian soil, we literally left the country for a few minutes), and plenty of very old, very interesting Czech and German grave sites.
We loitered outside the New Jewish Cemetery (because it was closing and they wouldn't let us in). We could still see Kafka's Grave through the fence, so we did get that experience. I would love to make it to the Old Jewish Cemetery, which is hundreds of years old and some of the graves are as many as 10 or 12 deep, so the stones are set in a spiral. It's very complicated and crowded and beautiful and historical, but I'm very quickly running out of time!

In my workshop, things are going well. I had a very productive conference with our workshop leader/mentor, Robert Eversz. It's rather crazy to have the successful author of multiple books telling you that you're doing well. Very nice, but still seems a bit crazy.

My photography class this week was very enjoyable. We've been working with Miro Svolik, another Czech photographer, who has a very interesting and very fun style. We took one day to go over his works, then yesterday we spent the afternoon doing our own photos in his style. You can see one of them up above, we made drawings on the ground in flour, then took pictures of people lying on the ground, from up on a bridge. He's also used wet and dry pavement in parking lots to show light and dark backgrounds, and the shadows of buildings as structures in these kinds of compositions. It was a great afternoon and we all had a blast. Hopefully I can get some copies of everyone's work so I can show you how they all turned out.

This weekend, we're headed to Brno and Lednice to meet up with the most famous photographer in Prague, and to visit some galleries and things. We leave first thing tomorrow and will be back on Saturday evening. Pardon me if I don't call or Skype you during that time! I can hardly believe that it will be my last weekend in Prague. The whole trip has gone so fast!

Be sure to check out all the new photos I've posted, I'll write as soon as I can, and I'll see you all soon!

-Emily

Another Weekend

Hey everybody!

I guess I'll start with the good news, since some of what I'm writing about isn't exactly cheerful.
My week went well, I'm surprised to find myself at Saturday night once again, with only one more weekend left in Prague. Indeed, I'll be home on the 1st, so only 14 more days, my trip is half over already!
I know several people are rather excited that I'll be home before too awfully long, and I can't say that I'm disappointed either. I'm not sure I'll be able to get used to sleeping without hearing the tram for a while, but I'm sure I'll get over it.

My classes are going well, I'm taking a field trip next weekend to attend a workshop with one of the best-known photographers in the Czech Republic. Everyone tells me this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I'm pretty excited!

I have another piece due in workshop soon, but it's still in it's early stages, so I'll share it when it's closer to being finished. The photo is of my workshop group, they're really pretty great people and I'm so lucky to be working with them!

Okay. If you're only looking for happy and cheery, it's best to stop here.

Are you sure you want to keep going?

I warned you.

To ease into things, yesterday was supposed to be the day I got a new apartment, Brandon was moving my things for me, but there were some problems with the complex (as in, them trying to hustle me because I'm young and out of town), so I'm out for at least another week, but I'm calling on Monday to have a very charming conversation with the property manager. It should be fun. Not so much for her, though.

That wasn't so bad, but it gets worse. Really, stop here if you're sensitive.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Today we visited Terezin. Terezin was a fortress and city set up by the government many years ago as a military base and prison for political prisoners and such. It was intended to be used in case of an attack by the Prussians, but that never became an issue.
During World War II, the Nazis used Terezin and a Jewish Ghetto, a city where the Jews were sent to live in cramped, terrible conditions while they waited to be sent to work camps or extermination camps.

The city became the Ghetto, and the fortress became the Nazi prison. We saw tiny cells, smaller than my apartment that would have housed 60 people, locations where the mass graves of 601 people were found. We stood next to the train tracks that were the last bit of free ground so many people saw before being shipped off to their deaths.

It was surreal to walk the same streets that thousands of innocent people walked, innocent people who were later sent to be murdered in Auschwitz and other such places. I did not take and photos, I didn't think it was appropriate. I know people with photos, and I'm sure there are some online, if you care to look for yourselves, but I had no wish to take anything but memories with me.

87,000 people were shuffled through the Terezin Ghetto during the war. Only 3,600 survived. Dozens of transports were sent out from Terezin to work camps and execution camps, most of 1,000 people or more, out of those 1,000, there were often only 9 survivors or 2 survivors, or none at all. I can't explain how it feels to stand in a place like that, to look around and try to comprehend living and dying like that, there aren't words.

Now, Terezin is a ghost town. Those who live there are among the lower classes, the economy in the area is failing quickly. The fortress is open as a museum, as are some of the buildings within the city. There is a museum that used to be a school within the Ghetto, it holds drawings of children who lived in the city, their thoughts of the outside world, their lost homes, their visions of concentration camps. As I said, I don't know quite how to describe this experience. Worthwhile, certainly, but disturbing as well.

As for the future, the Czech government is hoping to make Terezin into a university, build a school nearby and have the city be an extended campus, embrace the large, empty buildings and make them into something new and something hopeful. This kind of goal will require a lot of borrowed money from the European Union, and they hope to accomplish it within the next 3 years. I don't know how practical that is, but I would love to see it happen.

I had an interesting day, to say the least. I consider myself an incredibly lucky person living a wonderful life, so much more so than I would have thought yesterday, when I was just as sure that my life was great. Things like this really alter your perspective, allow you to see the world more clearly and better understand what really matters.

I'll post again soon, hopefully with something a bit brighter.
In the meantime, I love you all and I'll be home soon.

Love,
Emily

Always with the Mondays...

Hey all,

Why are Mondays always the longest day of the week?
Not that today was bad, I'm just tired for it only being 6:00! My workshop went well, I'm up on Wednesday, so we'll see how that goes.

I got more pictures back today and several of them turned out pretty well, it's kind of hard to understand the assignments sometimes, since they're given in slightly broken English and they're a bit vague to being with. We did a bit of a walk today to take some outdoor pictures, which I hope turn out, since we had some really cool places to shoot.

One of the places we stopped used to be the site of a huge statue of Stalin, but it was taken down after the fall of Communism, and is now a huge granite platform that overlooks the city. The locals have taken it over as a makeshift skatepark and we got some (hopefully) really neat shots of skateboarders. There are stairs and platforms and ramps pieced together from broken bits of granite and marble and it's just a really cool place. I'll have to post some photos when I get them. Jan (pronounced Yahn), our instructor called the skaters "smart boys" and kept telling us to move in closer to get the really good pictures. Me, I like to keep my distance from flying skateboards, but I think I got some decent ones anyway.

Tomorrow is three hours of lecture (yay...) followed by some grocery shopping, and then a reading in the evening. They sure do keep us busy!

Love always,
Em