Notable Quotables, Prague Spring 2019

As my study abroad stint in Prague draws to a close (I'll be in the air on the way home in less than 48hrs, wow), I am taking some time to reflect a bit on some of the things that I heard that stayed with me.

I got a developed roll of film back today so please enjoy some shots from that interspersed between the quotes.

Entrance/Exit to my apartment building
(peep the early morning shadows)

"Did you go into it expecting it to be meh?" -friend from Claremont

This is an important question, the answer to which has potentially shaped my whole experience here.
By nature, I absolutely detest letting myself down (this ties into being a perfectionist growing up and wanting to meet all of my own expectations). This is part of the reason why I say that I may be looking forward to something, but not necessarily excited for it. In doing this, I keep my expectations low-- or I don't have any at all-- for most new experiences and approach most situations with relative indifference. In straddling this happy medium I do believe that I limit myself in the interactions I pursue and boundaries I push, however. I did put forth some effort in making this experience an experience, and to an extent it was, but I always want more,  and I do believe it would have been attainable if I had set expectations and put myself to meet them.
I often say, albeit jokingly, say something along the lines of "nothing can beat a good/can-do attitude," and while there are definitely tangible limitations to keep us from a series of opportunities, I do subscribe to the notion that there is power in being positive and having self-belief.
What does this mean for my future and future experiences? I am unsure, I know I would have been floored if I had thought or even expected Prague to be the time of my life and it was everything but, but I think I have a better idea of what I want now. Don't worry, not all the points are going to be this long.

The mall I walked to countless times to buy groceries.

"It's like all of high school in one semester." -fellow program participant

How much this quote resonated with me shocked me at first, and it only became more true the more I thought about it. Another parallel that could have been made is camp, but the relatively long-term formation of relationships and immersive aspect of living in a city took it to the next level.
Mid-Jan to Mid-Feb, Freshman year: The program starts, you meet everyone, everyone is just trying to make good first impressions and put out what they want people to think of them as, and figuring out who they can be friends with/want to spend their time with AND figure out who they want to work on a film with.
Mid-Feb to Mid-April, Sophomore and Junior Year: Friend groups are more formally set, people are traveling and spending the entirety of spring break together, class work starts to feel more routine and monotonous, everyone just wants to shoot their films (senior year).
Mid-April to Mid-May, Senior Year: Shooting our films, a lot of free time since we are no longer in classes most of the day, much of the learning/pre-production work has been done in the past few months so there's a feeling of "no need to stress too much, it's too late now" especially after shooting and editing one's film, people are starting to talk more and more about life after Prague and wanting to go back to college (see what I did there?), various end-of-the-program ceremonies. They gave us our diplomas earlier tonight lol.

Flowers in Karlovo Náměstí    

"The days were long but the weeks went by fast."  - fellow program participant

Not too much to say about this one. Days are bound to feel long when you spend most of it in class or working on a film, but being so occupied made the days go by one after the other (recall what I said about routine) until boom, we're already in May.

Some digging work going on in the Vltava right by my apartment

"If your art does not speak to you, then it probably won't speak to anyone else"
     -not entirely sure who, could be anyone from one my professors to someone on Instagram

This speaks to what I mentioned on another post recently about feeling uninspired and detached from my photo work for a while this semester, especially when it came to travel photos. A big part of it was that whenever I looked at the viewfinder, it looked like something I had seen before, or, more directly, everything just looked the same. The whole do you make your art for yourself or for your consumers/the public debate is specific to each artist, and for me I think that I make separate art for both purposes, but the aforementioned quote is important to consider if I am working on art for the latter. If an image is not special to me, why would it be special to someone else? And even if it is, it's not really the art that I want to be putting out, because it is not of me. How did I get inspired again, you may ask? Just getting out and taking pictures again but not forcing it. It did help going out with a film camera, since the limited amount of exposures per roll of film and financial factor in having to buy and develop film makes people more selective with their shots, but this all works together to make the photographer see things in a different manner. Getting that special shot.
[[Not saying go out and buy a film camera right now, just speaking to my experience. The same thing can be done with one's phone camera, but asking oneself questions like "why am I taking this photo?" "what do I want to feel/think when I look back on it?" "could I do without this photo?" and a number of others, sometimes we just take photos just because we can]]

Maybe 10 seconds before it starting raining, in the Náměstí Republiky area

"Any job turns into a job... and you wouldn't trade it"
     -Sean Evans, "Billie Eilish Freaks Out While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones" on YouTube

A question I deal with a lot in my young adulthood in trying to figure out my passion and what route to go down in pursuing a career is "what do I stick without when it is no longer fun?" The answer is not much. This quote, mentioned by the host of a YouTube show when interviewing teen singer sensation Billie Eilish about her newfound fame and it's resulting responsibilities, captures where I want to be. Not to put my father's business out there but he's worked 12 hour nursing shifts 6 days a week regularly since before I was born. I cannot even fathom that. When I've asked him how he does this before he acknowledges the difficulty of it, but also how that does not even come close to the conjunction of his passion for what he does and it being how he supports his family. While that second part is something I want to put on the back burner for the time being, I want to have a passion that gives me a tenacity that voracious. Sure, if it is my career, it'll start to feel like a job eventually and may even become tedious, but I want to care so much about it that that won't matter.

Another Vltava shot

"How are you feeling?" -various people

A good question to ask ourselves. Sometimes we operate on emotional/mental autopilot and just keep going because our life structure (needing to get school work done, having to go for work) calls for productivity before anything else. I don't fault you for it, I am in the same boat, we need to get it done. But it is essential to sit down and process our emotions, check-in with ourselves, and be in our own moments. This is why when people ask me how I'm doing, if there really is something that I am going through, I'll speak on it with varying depth depending on my relationship with the person. Just getting it off my chest. Also lets the person know that I trust them on a certain level. Promotes openness. That's me indulging myself in my emotions and for me it's far better than ignoring them until they boil over into something unproductive and potentially destructive. So, whenever you can, check-in with yourself. Take deep breaths, tell yourself positive affirmations, then go back to getting that work you feel me???

Alright lemme chill with the Vltava

"You need to get a haircut" -various people

A commentary on being unabashedly myself. People throughout the semester have told me that I need to get a haircut. But I did not want to, therefore I did not need to. There are definitely discriminatory institutional and de facto structures that I am more likely to be susceptible to with my hair grown out, but those are risks I knowingly incur at the stakes of expressing myself. This extends out to various reaches of identity and personal style because at the end of the day, if you know what you need, no one can tell you otherwise. I like my hair lol.

A swan freshening up alongside the Vl- ... river

"I'll tell you something, follow your heart. Do you understand?" -professor in the program

The context in which the professor said this was probably something within the area of trusting your gut when making on-set creative decisions. It makes sense: you're in that position for a reason, you have that creative liberty, do what feels right to you. What this professor, notorious for punctuating his teachings with "do you understand?", said is applicable to life in general, though. It's corny and has been said a million times over, but that does not make it any less true. After a certain point it is not about what is right or wrong, just what makes you feel best. And a part of me needed to have this experience to be able to comprehend that.

Same rainy day in Náměstí Republiky, outside my favorite salad place

"I'll see you again." -various people, including myself

Though I am not close with everyone on the program, something deep within me always feels significance at the realization that I may never see someone again. Even though all of the students I met on the program attend American institutions and most reside in the States, it's unlikely that the effort will be made to see each other unless there is a situation where we are knowingly proximal enough. But that is life and I believe that's okay. Everything must come to an end. I am happy for the good times that were shared that can never be undone.
Maybe it is said to soften the blows of reality; when the truth is too discomforting. Maybe it is true.
I'll get to what this means someday, even if this blog doesn't.

The One Where Isaiah Drank Too Much

Yep, you read that right.

Why am I writing about this? Because it happened, it's now a part of my study abroad experience, and it is significant to me. I have broached personal topics on here before (with varying depth) and this is no different
.
A few nights ago, on Thursday, there was a gathering at my apartment and I made the decision to keep drinking way past my limit. I take 100% responsibility for my actions, and expect more from myself. I try my best to learn from my mistakes, because what do I gain from beating up and being upset at myself over something that is now an indelible part of my personal history? It happened. All right. Who did I affect? How do I make things better? How do I grow from this? What is a lesson I can take away from this? Because otherwise I am making an already terrible situation worse and more likely to repeat it.

Those who know me from back at school, grew up with me, even a number of the people on this program know that I am not much of a drinker. Truth be told I didn't have my first drink until this past December, rationalizing that I should get some exposure to it before I came to Prague. Prague is a place where beer is generally cheaper than water and drinking is a large part of the culture so I figured, to get more a complete cultural experience, I would partake in drinking-- the drinking age here is 18 so don't worry. I've drank here and there at social gatherings, and occasionally had a beer to accompany a meal, but had yet to reach inebriation anywhere near where I was at a few nights back.

That previous paragraph isn't meant to put out a "oh this was just a one-time thing, this is not who I am" narrative about me, but to provide context about where I'm coming from, contextualizing my experience and actions, and how mistakes like these aren't easily typified. What I am trying to say is I do not drink frequently or even regularly, and yet I blacked out drunk recently. It can be an anomaly, it can be a new trend (but I will ensure the latter is not the case). It has given me a new perspective and sympathy towards those that drink a lot, but does not mean I have everyone that binge drinks figured out now. This is hard to elaborate. Just know that I will be better off because of this. I promise. To you and to me.

Apologizing. It was one of the first things I made sure I did to the people I assumed-- and later on learned from conversation while trying to reconstruct a timeline of the night-- I had interacted with that night. This was done in conjunction with thanking them for putting up with me. But all I said felt so futile. It was only made worse that I had no recollection whatsoever of what I had actually said or done and had to find out from them. I gave those people an undue burden and put them in a very uncomfortable position in having to take care of me.

I want to take a moment to express the utmost gratitude and appreciation for one my roommates in particular who took on the brunt of making sure that I was okay and got to bed and fell asleep, only leaving me be when it was certain I would no longer be a danger/nuisance to myself and others. Sidebar: he is working on a really intriguing, inspirational project and could really use your contributions to help it get produced! Link is here and seriously, anything you can give is valued. And it shouldn't take him taking care of me after I caused my own alcohol poisoning for me to spread the word about this. I'm sorry. If you're reading this, Joe, I cannot thank you enough for the kindness you showed me, you're a good man.

I have made mistakes in the past, I will make mistakes in the future. Judge me if you want, I have not been feeling too keen on myself recently either. But like I said, this is an opportunity to learn and grow. Whoever is reading this, even future me, there is always that opportunity, you just need to get to a point where you're ready to accept it first.

Mining Town of Jáchymov and Spa City of Karlovy Vary (OH right this is a travel blog)

     About a month ago, there was an optional trip put on by CET to go to the small towns of Jáchymov and Karlovy Vary in the western part of the Czech Republic, right by the border of Germany. This trip was an interesting one given the proximity of the neighboring towns and the huge gap in their historical functionalities. Jáchymov has historically been a mining town, from mining silver centuries ago to mining uranium the 20th century. Whereas Karlovy Vary has been known as a spa town for while, with settlements near it as early as the 13th century (Wikipedia). Much of the popularity of the town due to its various thermal springs and their noted medicinal purposes if they are drank. Recently, with mining not being as lucrative (?? no lie I'm not 100% sure of the reason) anymore, Jáchymov has tried to market itself more like Karlovy Vary, a spa city. So, for example, one can take a bath with uranium water if they want, since there aren't the adverse radioactive effects if it does not go into your body, but ahhh I'll pass. This treatment, radon therapy, is used to treat patients with nervous and rheumatic disorders (Wikipedia).

Photos from inside one of the uranium mines at Jáchymov, this one is well-ventilated

and now used for educational, museum-like purposes.

The story of the people who worked the mines at Jáchymov during the era of Communism in the middle of the 20th century is heartbreaking. A majority (?) of the workers at the camps were political prisoners under the Communist regime, sentenced to years of hard labor in these mines. Many of the details of the conditions of the camp and what life was like there we received from someone who experienced them firsthand as a political prisoner at Jáchymov and accompanied us on our trip to the town from Prague. I really appreciated CET orchestrating that.

Outside of the mine, attempting to lift up one of the cars that would carry
rocks being carried out of the mine. Sometimes workers would have to lift the cart
after it fell off of the rail it traveled along.

The man, Mr. K, spoke about being a teenager coming of age in a time where Communism, which he depicted as an enemy influence, was infiltrating almost every aspect of his life. He told stories of direct, potential life-or-death situations with authorities, his hatred for communists, and his understanding that his actions were necessary for him to ensure the best for the future his country and loved ones. He also told us about his life at the communist camp. From the long hours, to metal-banded human caravans of hundreds to ensure that no one tried to escape, to escaped prisoners, to forming relationships, to a survivalist mentality, and so much more. His experiential storytelling made me ashamed for the afterthought notes in countless history textbooks (especially in the U.S. but globally) that say little beyond "And the Communist regime took over in Czechoslovakia."

Eating oplatky, a large wafer that can be sandwiched with fillings such
tiramisu, white chocolate, caramel, etc., with fellow CET Film students

What I find most baffling about the situation was how day laborers and political prisoners were working side by side. This is worth special note given how harshly the guards were treating the political prisoners-- but this varied by the guards, as some were imported from different countries under the Communist regime and cared way more about meeting uranium quotas than particularly punishing Czech political prisoners. This situation of placement with the prisoners also allowed for some smuggling of letters and contraband in and out of the camp, showing the bond and bravery these non-prisoners showed for their fellow countrymen (there were little to no women at these camps).

The remains of a building in one of the camps where the prisoners would
receive their uniforms, if I am not mistaken.

The person translating all of the man's answers works for a nonprofit working to bring awareness to political prisoner situations like this one in Jáchymov, reconstructing a lot of the camps, which were torn down once all the prisoners were freed in 1964 in an effort to erase this heinous institution from history. Their website is https://www.facebook.com/SpolekPolitictiVezni/ .

Scenic Jáchymov hillside

Someone said at the end of this trip that rubbed me the wrong way. Something along the lines of:

"After hearing all that this man went through, I feel like I can never complain about anything again."
To this person's credit, hearing about the experiences had at this camp does give perspective into the variety of issues faced by people across the world.

But that person will complain again. We all do. And that diminishes their already half-hearted comment to almost an insult, because this person still found a way to make it about them. Beyond that, they are not providing the due respect for him going through all that, and being willing to share his store and relive all of that mentally for the sake of the education of others. An added layer to how I perceived this comment was how visibly disrespectful this person was being-- shuffling in the snow-- while Mr. K was talking.

And, in another way, pain and discomfort is relative. There is no objective struggle, and when you try to set one as the benchmark you are invalidating so many others. I recall in recent years there was a campaign where people from the Global South were reading direct "#FirstWorldProblems" quotes, like "when your iphone charger is too short so you can't charge your phone in bed #FirstWorldProblems" or something and the point was to emphasize how these aren't real problems when you put it in the perspective of someone who actually has problems. The video is here. This is a great exercise in providing perspective, but it is readily categorized with the Sarah Mclachlan "In the arms of an angel" animal commercials and "for just 2 cents a day you can help a child in need...." commercials. They disrupt the comforts of our daily lives and are usually when people would change the channel in the days before DVR and streaming. How do we fix this issue and have it correlate to action? I do not know. I am just as much of the problem by complaining and doing nothing about it. But I digres..

That was a more extreme example, I acknowledge, but it is along the same vein. To me, it sounds like this was a comment made for that person to feel better about themselves, even though it was never their struggle to co-opt in the first place. Anyways.

Celebrity Guest Appearances!

One of the best parts about studying abroad for me...

has been meeting up with people I know from back home in these countries thousands of miles away.

My friend and fellow study abroader July on a pedal boat
on the Vltava River in Prague.

Usually, I find travel photos so corny. This has contributed to my lack of inspiration with my photography since I got arrived here-- it all ends up looking the same to me. And seeing people in front of a monument on instagram is visually appealing, sure, but played out and seemingly disingenuous. But when I have someone that I have pre-Prague (and know that I will have post-Prague) memories with I want to be sure that I get a photo together with them; taking quick little photos to commemorate these moments gives us something to look back upon.

With O-Money O-Problems and his friend Rollman in London (left) and Prague (right)

And as you can tell by the photos I am including in this post, we aren't posing in front of landmarks for all of social media to see how privileged we are, embarking on these travels. (And I'm not saying doing that is inherently better or worse than what I am doing, it's just not what I am doing). Instead, these rather ordinary snapshots serve as the gateway to memories that flood in. Memory is associative, so these photos do far more than show off where we are at and what we are doing. They help me remember the conversations, activities, and feeling of being there with a friend. These photos are for me (but I'm still sharing it with you because blog).

With someone I had not seen since high school, Genevieve, in Prague

The experience of meeting up with these friends was also heavily influenced by how long it had been since I had last seen them. In one case, I met up with someone that I had not really seen or spoken to since high school, and in a number of ways I found that I was reverting to my high school self. Being able to realize, acknowledge, and then free myself from that mentality is demonstrative of my growth since then, I believe.  In conversation with this person there was the added layer of trying to condense three years of transformative experience into a conversation-appropriate sized bite. Yes, there is a recency bias to what one chooses to share, but it did put into perspective how much that I, at the time, perceived as so dire and high-stakes about my college experience; these are all now distant afterthoughts now that I am after the fact. What one chooses to share also relates to the closeness they feel to their conversation partner, but big news is big news regardless.

Serving looks with June in Paris

Goofing around with Hope in London

Five years ago-- which, shockingly, was still my sophomore year of high school--, if you told me I would be meeting up in Central Europe with these people I was seeing everyday in high school back in the States, I might have believed you. I have always had faith in their abilities to do things on a global scale, but I would not have been able to possibly fathom how we, myself in particular, got there. Or how great it would feel to be surrounded by them once again. Thankful for you all.

Acting a fool with one of the fooliest of them all, Sara, in London.