Drugs, blackmail, and a weekend in jail.

Due to the juicy title, I bet you’re intrigued. I bet you want to keep reading. I bet you are concerned for my well being and desperately hope that I am okay.

Well, the title is a joke. Nothing more than a tag to spark your interest. No need to worry. Although, you should still keep reading.

Sadly, this post will feature no pictures. The Internet here is absolutely terrible, and unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to fix it. My apartment building is in a part of Prague that only has one possible Internet provider, and it is a bad one. At the moment, I can’t even stay online long enough to upload pictures. (Yeah, it really sucks.) If we are ever talking on Skype or some online format and I cut out randomly, I may have become bored, but it’s more likely the Internet's fault. It is really, really, really annoying. If (and this is a big if) it gets fixed, or decides to be nice and start working properly, I’ll upload as much as I can. But currently that just seems like a pipe dream.

Two weeks ago, our entire program visited Český Krumlov for an overnight trip. As you can see from the pictures (oh, whoops, no you can't), it was a beautiful little town with winding cobblestone streets and hundreds of shops to browse. We were even able to visit and tour the castle of the town, which was closed off to others. Isn't it lovely? Imagine a lovely picture.

On our way to Český Krumlov, we were given a list of great restaurants to try. My group stumbled upon one of the recommendations - an informal Italian restaurant. It was so good that we ate there both days.

[Insert witty transition sentence.] Puppets are very popular in the Czech Republic; there are various puppet shows, as well as many puppet shops. Český Krumlov was no exception. We browsed through at least three marionette shops, and while they are very expensive to buy (due to their intricate design), they are free to look at and appreciate.

A cool picture of marionettes would have gone here :'-(

Český Krumlov also featured many “bonbon” shops, which are more commonly known as… handmade chocolate truffles. The first day I bought a box, and by the second day, it was gone. So obviously, I had to restock. The second day we went to a different "bonbon" shop, which was about three times the size of the first and about ten times as delicious. They were absolutely amazing. I wish I could have brought some home to you, but let’s be honest, I wouldn't have shared. The ones I got for myself didn’t even make it back to Prague.

The first night (and only, as it was only an overnight trip), the entire program had dinner in a large restaurant that featured dancing children, whose sole purpose was to entertain. Halfway between the first and second course, music started playing and everyone in the restaurant stood up. Our attention was drawn to the “stage” area, where kids wearing festive clothing performed multiple dance routines set to the music. It was very entertaining, and very foreign. I’m not sure you would ever see something like that back in the US.

This sentence should instead be a picture of the enormous restaurant and adorable children. Ah, Internet.

After dinner, the plan was to watch the Superbowl at a nearby bar. Since said bar wasn’t open yet (that’s right, they reopened just for us), we all went to another bar for a little pre-game. Never, ever, in my life have I heard of a special like this.

[Please imagine a picture of a sign reading, "6 shots of Captain Morgan for $10."]

We got back to Prague on Monday night, and on Tuesday we started our elective classes.

We have core classes set up through AU and FAMU, but we are allowed to choose and take more classes through FAMU International for additional credit. We don’t have to take any, and would still be full time students if we didn’t, but we are encouraged to do so anyway. I mean, when else will I have the opportunity to take an international film class in Prague? Probably never. That’s a very specific scenario.

Our core class schedule has frequent gaps, allowing the time for electives. My first choice was to take Acting on Tuesday morning, but I had a little trouble getting in. The professor didn’t realize that I was with CET, and just thought I was taking the course on my own. For a while, she kept trying to convince me that I was in the wrong class. It’s a long story that probably wouldn’t translate well in writing, but eventually she realized that I was in the right place and class could begin. Sorry, this paragraph is really boring. But at least now you are well informed.

On Tuesday night, our program had a sound seminar, which was only a one-time thing to get us a little more versed on sound design. The class was so interesting and I was so upset that it wouldn’t continue through the semester. To my surprise, however, I found that the same professor teaches a similar elective class that fit into my schedule. Needless to say, after loving the sound seminar, I knew that I wanted it very badly.

On Wednesday I have a lot of classes, so no room for electives. But I did book my flight to Italy to visit my friend Eli from high school (and Kahla if she gets back in time). I leave this coming Friday, and stay until Sunday evening. I am also going to Madrid in a month, to visit Sam, Eric, Emily, and Dani. I am so excitec (<-- definitely not a typo).

On Thursday, I had two elective options, preparing to decide between them for my final schedule. Most AU students take two electives while in Prague, and with my acting class that I wasn’t supposed to be in, I was to choose one more.

First was “the realm of montage,” which I expected to be an exciting and informative class, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. I’m not going to bash the class, because that could trace back to me and I would hate to get expelled for this and flip burgers for the rest of my life (sorry, worse case scenario). The class just wasn’t my cup of tea. So, I was prepared to add the sound class.

The professor of the sound class informed us all that CET students were not technically allowed to take his class, because it added too many people. This would mean I would have to take the montage class instead (gasp!). But, I really, really wanted the sound class. So I talked to the program director, and she just told me to keep going no matter what. She handles the credit aspect anyway, so that part didn't really matter. I did keep going, and now I am “enrolled” in that class. Awesome.

Isn’t it funny how I technically wasn’t supposed to be in either of my electives? FAMU gave us all these choices, but didn’t tell the professors. Very weird. You would think the program would correlate with its classes.

#complaining

On Friday, I woke up to an email from my brother, Jeffrey, letting me know that he is booked for his trip here. He arrives on May 14^th and we get to travel Europe together. Prague --> Vienna --> Budapest --> DC. Special shout out to my Sil' for letting him do this!

But even before that (in April), I get to spend almost two weeks with my parents who are coming to visit. I could not be more excited.

Later in the afternoon on Friday, we had a production meeting about our films. Our films are still in the pre pre pre production stage, and our idea changes practically every time we meet to talk about it. So rather than tell you about all the details every time, I will just show you the film when you ask to see it. Done and done.

I came back to my apartment to find a package from my (almost) 2-year-old nephew, with a drawing that is possibly one of the best I have ever seen. I hung it near my bed, which makes me miss him even more. Please understand, while I do miss everybody, four months is a lot to miss when a kid is that age. I miss him dearly, and am a little upset that I won’t be there for a lot of his firsts. Heck, when I get back, he’ll probably be the one picking me up from the airport.

Last weekend, we had an “around the world” party, where each apartment in the building themed themselves as a different country. (That was probably self-explanatory, but you’re welcome anyway.) We were able to party hop all night without ever going outside, which is nice when outside is about 20 degrees. I was unaware of the theme until about 5 minutes before the parties were set to begin, and I think my roommates are still unaware that it was themed. Maybe next time we will just have a party themed party; that would make for less planning.

That weekend was open and relaxing, as most weekends here are. They have become traditionally lazy (perfectly fine by me). The core classes and the electives that I have chosen don’t really ask for much homework (*tear*), so I am usually able to work on other things at my leisure. This includes, but is not limited to, sleeping, eating, reading, writing, exploring the city, watching movies, and of course, watching Dexter. It’s a good show; you should probably start watching it too if you haven’t already. Star Island by Carl Hiaasen is my new book of pleasure. I love it so far. It traded places with Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. That one is coming next.

Question section:

1) What's the take on Egypt? Are the Czechs happy enough with their government?

I would hardly even know about Egypt if I did not have friends studying there (who are now out and safe). No one in my program talks about it, and other than a brief comment now and then, no one really even appears to know anything about it. The Czechs, from what I can tell, are happy with their government. No protests in the streets. No uproars. No revolting. Seems to be a fair democracy.

I know I skipped over some time in this post. This past week was somewhat uneventful, but I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. I just mean I have little new news for you. By now, you're probably well versed in my schedule and life here (if you have been actually reading and paying attention to my blog). From here on, posts will probably become less informative and more anecdotal, which might make them less frequent as well.

But I promise to share what I can, when I can.

Weather is here; wish you were beautiful!

Dear reader,

Slight warning. I can’t guarantee that this post will be as funny as the last, because I have a lot of detailed updates. Little room for puns. But I’ll try my best. I promise to either be funny, brief, or deeply informative. Nothing like a long, boring paragraph, right? Sometimes I think to myself, what could be more annoying? I would hate to have to read something that just carries on with no point. Which is fairly reminiscent of-

If you hadn't realized I was rambling on as a joke, maybe you should do something else. For those of you smart enough to understand my wit, please continue.

I'm not sure why, but some of the pictures won't expand. I apologize. If you'd like to see any "large screen," please describe your choice through e-mail or other form of communication and I will send it along. I put this note at the beginning so you wouldn't freak out. They are not working for me, either. Do try to click on them anyway; I am working on getting them fixed and I think I understand the problem. Although, once I fix all of them, I'll probably just delete this paragraph.

Last Sunday, I had my language test. It was pretty easy, and only one page, double-spaced. I would give you details, but they would all be in Czech. And that wouldn’t help.

Afterwards, our professor took us to a café to celebrate the end of the “intensive week.” But she made us order in Czech. So the celebration was more of a continuation, I suppose.

Some of the English translations are really funny here, and I thought you might appreciate an example.

You love weekends? Really? Gah, I hate weekends.

Sunday night, everyone in my building met up to preview previous personal projects. It was basically a showcase of material to display strengths and interests.

Monday morning, I had a bit of a struggle: I wasn’t sure what to eat before class. So… breakfast ideas? Pop tarts don’t exist here. A lot of people just don’t eat breakfast altogether, and I’d hate to fall under that category. I know (I promise, I know) the first meal of the day is important. I’d love to make eggs or some kind of hot meal but I’m slowly coming to the realization that I don’t really know how to cook. Please help. My email is davidrossmullins@gmail.com.

After the breakfast snafu, I had my first film class at Studio FAMU (rhyme intended), one of the two FAMU buildings. I can walk to the Main FAMU building, and I have to take a tram to Studio FAMU. The tram stop is right outside my apartment and lets me off about a block away from the classroom. So I really have nothing to complain about.

The class was small, as the film students were split into two groups and mine is about 14 people. The two groups each have separate classes (meaning I only see my group and never the other). So whenever you hear me refer to “my group” or my “class with my group,” this is what I’m talking about. Just for fun, here's a candid photo of the entire film program (both groups):

I didn't get everyone, but that's because I don't have a panoramic camera. Pick your battles.

Though small, the first class was conducted in a lecture format, where the professor sat in the front of the room and talked to us for about an hour and a half (sorry, I thought I heard you say define lecture). About halfway through, after answering a student’s question, he said, “I hope you appreciate how I am trying to make this a discussion.” He then continued to lecture for the rest of the period. Not exactly what I’d call a discussion, but it was a lecture about film. So I was happy.

The class is called Camera and Camera Techniques, meaning we learn about different aspects of different cameras and what makes a shot look like it does. For instance, on that day, we discussed how different methods of loading film could change the appearance of the final picture itself. We also learned the differences between the different types of film, such as 16mm and 35mm. The class is very technical, and very cool.

Almost all of the group went out for Chinese food after, which wasn’t great, but was very entertaining. The waitress didn’t speak Czech or English, so when a dish came out from the kitchen she would just place it in the middle of the table. Then the 10 or so of us had to guess who ordered said dish. Since none of the dishes actually had English translations, it was hard to tell what was what. But, no matter what we ate, we were all hungry again in an hour. Ha. ha.

After lunch we had a short break, allowing us just enough time to slowly walk from the restaurant to the Main FAMU building, or take a nap and run. I slowly walked.

The second class was Scriptwriting and Directing Techniques, and immediately after the professor sat down, we started throwing around ideas for films (by the end of the semester, we are all to split into groups of 3 or 4 and produce a 10-minute film). We spent the 2.5 hours of class discussing different ideas and what would work well in a film and why. It didn’t feel like class. Talking about movie ideas is something I would do after class. But it was class, and it was over in what felt like two seconds. I definitely picked the right program. Also, here's the view from my classroom window:

Two girls had an idea sparked by a blog post written by a 21-year old in California, about a recent heartbreak he had gone through. (To those of you who only care about my time in Prague, I will admit this is somewhat of a tangent, so you are welcome to skip a few paragraphs. Continue when you see the asterisk.) The girls contacted the writer of the blog and got permission to make a movie based on his post, and the following will bring you up to speed with the story. I liked the idea enough to write about it. So maybe you’ll like it enough to keep reading. Please do let me know what you think.

The blog discusses two types of girls, one literate and one illiterate. The writer directly addresses the literate girl, saying that before he met her, he was content with his “illiterate” relationship. The illiterate girl never challenged him, would never leave him, and could never make him feel bad about himself. Then, he met the literate girl, took a risk by falling in love, was challenged and inspired (feeling happier than he ever had), and got badly hurt in the end when she finally left him. Had he never met this girl, he never would have felt the pain that she caused him. He would have continued living his ignorant life in a content manner, never knowing the "roller coaster" of emotions that true love can bring. He once never knew the amount of potential pain that he could experience, but he had never felt the amount of true happiness either. So, what’s the message? Is life without risk really life at all? Risk brings pain, but without pain there would be no true happiness, and vice versa. Right? I have no point to this last paragraph other than to share it with you, because I thought it was terrifying, and very, very real. I can name a few instances when I have felt like said blogger, and perhaps you, the reader (depending on exactly which reader you are), know what I am talking about. Ignorance can be bliss, but a curse at the same time. It is a scary thing. Does the ultimate happiness always run the risk of ultimate pain? Is it worth it?

Ok, this is getting too heavy. Back to Prague.

*If you skipped the previous discussion, you’re rude. But you’re also welcome to keep reading.

After class (still Monday), I stopped at the department store and got myself another pillow (thanks, Mom and Dad). I did this because the one provided by the program feels more like a sack of mushy potatoes than an actual pillow. I impressed myself with how much Czech I understood and could speak in the store, including some questions about which pillow is most comfortable and which has the best value, until the lady started talking about the benefits of a discount card and I just got completely lost. I asked if she spoke English and she said no, and then walked away. So much for pillow talk.

But, here I am writing to you, while leaning on said pillow, and I must say, it is quite incredible. Definitely better than potatoes.

That night I had dinner with my friend Eddie at his apartment. In his words, he brought “Chipotle to Prague.”

On Tuesday, my first class was editing at 1 p.m., so I was given an opportunity to sleep in a little. Editing was at Studio FAMU (the one for which I need to take the tram). Even after only one time, getting there was something I didn’t even need to think about. It is a very easy commute.

The editing class consisted of watching clips of different movies, talking about what worked and what didn’t, and analyzing the structure. That was my only class of the day. Not bad. This coming week I get to pick some electives in addition to my core classes, so most likely this day will fill up with other classes. I’ll fill you in more when I can.

I did laundry for the first time after editing, and surprisingly, my clothes came out clean. I’m sure you are all dying to hear more details about this, but sorry… I just don’t have any. Clothes = washed.

Wednesday was a very big day, so I took it easy on Tuesday night.

Wednesday began with the discover of a bakery that is really cheap and is right around the corner from my apartment (perfect). But I’d still like some breakfast ideas. Pastries every morning does not a breakfast make. For the Yoda talk sorry.

“Organization hour” was my first class, in which we just talked more about our ideas for our screenplays. Once we actually split into groups, this time will be for individually discussing projects with the professor and our production managers. But that’s a little down the road.

The second class was Czech language, which was similar to the intensive week but with a much, much slower pace. It was in the same room as my first class, so I didn’t have to move or worry about being late. I don’t think I have ever had two back-to-back classes in the same exact room. This is getting boring; you probably don’t care about that. I actually don’t either.

The third class was Scriptwriting, which was downstairs (bummer) and is probably my favorite class so far. We just discussed the essentials of a screenplay, and did some exercises with writing. And as you can probably tell by now, I really like writing. So it was good. Writing is good. I am good at it.

We had a break for lunch after Scriptwriting, and we all went to the pub downstairs. They have a special where you can get a three-course meal for 89 crowns. That’s about 4 bucks. Jealous? What if I told you I had cheesecake for dessert? Are you jealous now?

After lunch, we had a 4.5 hour movie screening, which we had again Thursday and Friday. FAMU is trying to culture us on Czech cinema. But two black and white subtitled movies in a row is a lot to sit through, and I came out ready to crash.

Since my brain was mush, I didn’t do much afterwards.

On Thursday, we had our last day of classes for the week, as we never have class on Friday. That should make traveling (and sleeping in) much easier.

My first Thursday class was Camera and Camera Techniques, the same class I started with on Monday. The second class was Acting, which was in the same room as well. We just discussed some acting tips and then did improvisation games for the rest of the period. It was fun (somewhat elementary, but fun)!

After Acting we had a break for lunch, and then the 4.5 hour screening session again. It was, again, rough to sit through, but I guess it is helping me "get cultured."

CET had a welcome dinner after the screening for all the “media” students. It was downstairs in the pub, and the food was great. I took a picture. It’s a little blurry. This is because… I didn’t want to flash anyone! Haha!! That was funnier in my head.

Food is consistently incredible here (except for the Chinese. I have yet to find good Chinese food. But don’t worry, I will). Meals are heavy, and I usually can’t do much after eating lunch or dinner besides take a nap. Main dishes traditionally consist of chicken or beef, with some kind of potato (usually potato dumplings, which look more like slices of dense bread), drowned in thick gravy. The Czechs are seriously trying to fatten me. But it doesn’t matter, because everything is delicious. And that makes it okay, right? I mean, at least I don't ALWAYS get the fried cheese with mayonnaise:

Yeah, I wasn't kidding. That actually exists.

The welcome dinner was buffet style, including a huge plate of chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Everyone was clearly encouraged to drown food in gravy. Most people did. I did, too.

Restaurants usually have dozens of options other than the traditional dishes, making it easy for anyone to find something to eat. In addition to delicious Italian food, they also have tons of vegetarian options and even some extremely popular vegetarian restaurants. And they love, love, love KFC. Sometimes a KFC just appears out of nowhere, because you wouldn't expect the establishment to blend with the architecture. So it just pops up. As shown here:

It can get confusing when you are finishing your meal, because you have to remember to ask for the “bill” instead of the “check” (imagine going to a restaurant in the US, and at the end of the meal looking at the waiter and shouting, “America please!”).

Did you laugh?

That took me a while to think of.

Gah, I hate ending sentences in prepositions. Re-write: “That took me a while to think of, table.”

After the welcome dinner, we went out for a few drinks to celebrate the end of the week. It has become much easier to meet people ever since classes started. This is because I am with a group of about 13 other kids every day for every class, and we are all getting to know each other very well. I even know everyone’s name!

On Friday, we had a production meeting with our film groups to discuss the details and technical aspects of making our movies. We went over the budget and were given some pointers on how to treat the staff, who to contact, where to buy things, etc. We start filming in about two months. I honestly cannot wait (I said honestly because I am no longer lying, which I was about everything before that statement).

Today (Saturday) was pretty open, because tomorrow we have a trip to Český Krumlov (small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic). We leave tomorrow morning and come back Monday night. I will, of course, fill you in about this on the next post.

And now, get ready for the...

Question Section! (That’s fun to say out loud; try it.) If you have emailed me a specific question for my blog, it will be included here. If you just vaguely told me to discuss something, you probably should have found it above. If not, it is most likely because I don’t like you.

Just kidding. I think I covered a lot of stuff. But below you will find a little more. (Special thanks to Kimberly A. Strozewski, Director of Prague Programs for some historical insight.)

1) How much will you be interacting with Americans in the program, versus Czechs?

Some American students are living with Czechs (in our building and elsewhere), so they have the opportunity to interact with them every day. They also have consistent help with the language barrier for tasks that would otherwise be easy, like grocery shopping. Unfortunately, my apartment is just five American guys (sounds like a TV show). The program itself, or at least my group with which I have all my classes, does not have any Czech students. But I am living in their country, so I do interact with them every so often.

2) Do they have full democracy? Completely free press?

The Czech Republic has been a democracy since 1989. There is completely free press.

3) Is there any Russian presence still, i.e. military, etc.?

There is a Russian presence, but not Soviet or military. The present Russians settled here to enjoy the freedom and prosperity of the Czech Republic. Most Russians here are shop owners or work in computer-based businesses. In terms of economics, the Czech Republic is somewhat more stable than other post-Soviet states (or even other European countries, like Greece or Portugal).

4) What are the Czechs like?

The Czechs are generally polite and urbane. I say generally because it is sometimes hard to bring out the best in someone with an annoying language barrier. It is obvious that it is a tourist heavy area; sometimes store or business owners seem to be tired of the “foreigner thing” and get irritated easily. Today, I’m pretty sure I was over charged for a hot dog but had no way of contesting it, as I would have in America. If no one speaks English, you’re out of luck, and I would rather walk away than attract attention to myself (in this case, "myself" would be the crazy foreigner). But, sometimes, if you try your best to speak their language, or find someone who speaks some English as well, they can be very friendly and you can have a great conversation about their culture and your experience in their country.

Side note: the hot dog was enormous.

Even though it's probably hard to take me seriously with the above picture, I must continue / finish.

This was a very long blog post. I hope you didn’t mind. The organization is also a little ragtag, so my apologies for that. If any of you have not guessed where I want to be with my life in about 10 years from now, I’ll tell you. I hope to be a writer. And I really mean that by any definition of the word, but hopefully relating to film in some fashion. I have heard that the best way to practice writing is to just write. So that’s what I’ll do. I will write what comes to mind. You decide if you want to read it.

PS I finally learned how to play Sudoku. Thanks, Julie.