A long and tantilizing courtship

Bloggers of the globe-

I'm not sure I've expressed just how much I'm falling in love with this city. Not only the winding streets and the majestic spires, but the history and the culture of a country with such a complex past. I'm learning about these things as I explore more of Prague that isn't so caught up in the tourist catering, though I do recognize how good that has been for the Czechs in recent economic times- I read in the paper just the other day that while the "economic crisis" is present and clear, it has not yet hit the Czechs at home.
What I mean is, I'm traveling farther and farther from the city center, seeing the graveyards of communism- and how people coexist with those structures and their history in present times. It's absolutely fascinating. I've been shooting a lot in Black and White, and thanks to a new care package from my lovely Mom, I can continue that :)
Anyhow... I love learning more and more about Prague and the Czechs through my classes and my wanderings... that was the point I was striving for.

Ah, classes!
I'm in a Czech language course, and it's going very well! Nerozumím trouchu Czesky. (I understand a little Czech.) I'm also in a class regarding the hisotry of the Jewish people in central Europe, and I really love it.. My teacher is a native French woman, and she certianly makes it known! I'm normally not a fan of lecture-based classes (anyone remember my experience with sophomore year astronomy? nightmare!) but this one is very small, and the lectures spurn discussions, so it's very stimulating. I'm also in a literature course about Czech writers and the development of the "Czech Self" in literature. We'll be studying mainly Kafka and Kundera, and seeing how they help establish a Czech individual identity. Very cool! I'm also in a film class that is going to be very fascinating. Then there's "Trauma and Identity". I was very excited about this class, as it pertians to Jewish and central European trauma relating to the holocaust. (Or the Shoah, rather.) But it turns out to be sort of a joke... But I'll stick it out and hope to get something interesting from it.

This week I got to see Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake at the national theatre... Absolutely breath-taking. It was my first ballet, and I may have to go more often. Of course, that might be more difficult back home, as my theatrical excursions are all paid for here... haha. Went to the opera as well, though I must say it was a tiny bit disappointing. The lyrics didn't work for about 45 minutes, and it was a modern interpretation of a classic style opera.. I was so very confused! But then the lyrics began working and it got much better. Though an opera set in the 80's.. a bit odd.
I get to see Carmen in 2 weeks, and I am beyond excited.. I've been practicing my own version of the famous "Habanera" just because I've felt inspired to... It's going to be an amazing experience!

Let's see... what else?

I'm going on an almost weekend-long photo shoot with my kamaradka Rakel. We're going to shoot parts of the city today, and on Sunday we're going out to the country somewhere. We're not sure where, but we're looking for a little village somewhere that we can capture. I'll post some pictures when I get them, though most of them will probably be film. As I told my brother when he inquired as to my leanings toward more archaic photography practices, "What can I say, I'm a purist." :)

I think that's all for right this very moment.. But in the meantime, I hope is wonderful stateside!

Cheers,

Erin.