Matt & Kim

Really are the best.

Viva la Goon Squad!

Strange to say that I have been back in the states for nearly a year now. Certainly less glamorous than frolicking around Europe but college life in St. Louis has treated me well. I've decided to get back to blogging here and while my pictures may likely be less worldly, I think the sense of adventure, silliness, and carpe diem will remain. Take today for example: the Goon Platoon and I competed for honor in the WUSTL Ultimate Frisbee semifinals! 2 hours of a joyous, raucous battle. The best type of fun with the most spirited team around... Pictures of this season's ass-kickery to come.

Now I am off to the Pagent, St. Louis' greatest venue for fun. The best nights there are ones that leave your feet hurting for days after dancing so much. This will be one of those nights: Matt + Kim are simply ridiculous, goofy fun. Great humor, great beats... I can't wait!

Here's a video I took the last time I saw Matt & Kim, right here at Wash U in St Louis for WUstock in 2011. (Here's another from that awesome day.)
Also: yes, that's me running through the crowds with KT's camera.

I'm lucky to say that those snippets fairly describe my college experience....All because of my family here. It was to those people this blog was dedicated to when I was abroad and now that I'm back, why not chronicle the ongoing adventures of our Senior year?

Viva la Goon Squad!

The Night Before the Final Exhibition!!!

430am and I am back from the darkroom after a LONG day. Been in there since 9am, minus a final photography dinner with my mentor and the other photo students and our program director. Delicious meal, well needed after the bananas, chocolate bars and tea I keep in the darkroom to keep me going. The trip back at 430 am was beautiful, Prague is lovely. Its was clear and quiet, but not spooky or scary (the way Los Angeles can be at night.) It was very at peace. There wasn't anyone around, except near the bus stops, where the occasional person shivered quietly. Its nice that the public transportation runs all night long, so even at 345 when I wanted to come home, I was able to. That said, the trip usually takes me 15 minutes, not 45 but still.... 3 cheers for public trans!

The exhibition is tomorrow and I am so excited! It should be very nice. I'm thrilled to finally see all my work from the last few months together in a collection. I know what I've done and spent so much time on each piece individually, that I am curious to see how the final body of work looks. The best thing about this is that my work is in no way done. This exhibition is just an end to my time in Prague with these particular people (So sad to leave Miroslav!), but I will keep working and perfecting this project and my work in general. I'm so happy with this project that I almost don't want it to be over... so hey! It isnt, until I say so! (heehee!)

That's all for now! Glad to share my excitement with you before I get some much needed sleep before a busy day setting up the exhibition space and in the evening.... SHOWTIME!

A Lovely Culture Shock

Sorry about the infrequent posting! As the semester comes to a close I am been crazy busy preparing for my final exhibition! That means: lots of time in the darkroom...So many hours!

I am also working on several other projects. One is a book of aerial photographs I have been working on for three years. Today, it was finally ready to go to the publisher. My mentor, Miroslav, introduced me to a former student of his and now prominent printer and photographer, Mr. S. He prints entirely on archival paper. None of this glossy paper, plastic coating crap. Just beautiful old fashioned paper. This is really important for this particular book because the photographs concentrate on texture and line. I wanted heavy paper, one where you could see the grain and fiber under the ink and around the borders. Mr. S helped me pick lovely 320gram paper (that's really heavy). It's perfect!

I arrived at the studio at 10:30am and we looked over the photographs and I described the paper I needed. We pulled out some papers to choose from, and a second round, and mixed and matched. He treated me like a VIP client, not a student. I suspect it was out of respect for his former teacher, Miroslav, who is truly loved around Prague. Every photographer in Prague worth his salt has worked with Miroslav and those students who are too young to have studied under him envy me for having the chance. I am so grateful for getting to work with him. Miroslav knows so much, it has been such a great experience.

But back to my day with Mr. S, the printer: after we picked the paper, he basically taught me how to create books and the basics of preparing photographs for printing until 3pm. He took 4 hours (!!!) out of his day to mentor me on information that would not only help me with our current project but also with endeavors in the future. I just couldn't help thinking that in the US, something like that (a professional donating that much time out of their day) would seldom happen. That lesson was a lovely surprise and gift.

Never Have I Ever....

View of the Prague Castle

Lately I've been thinking about living abroad. Not just studying abroad but living in Prague. (And no, not permanently either.) Let me explain. Recently I was thinking how quick and easy it was (after a while) to get used to living abroad. I have a routine and a life here and I only arrived two months ago! It's such a strange thing. To think, there will in fact be an adjustment going back home after this. Something clicked recently and I realized I haven't been "adjusting" to living abroad in a long while. I'm just living abroad now. Living in Prague is different from home, absolutely. But now when I try to pinpoint the things that make it so, it is more and more difficult because I am accustomed to living in Prague. It's also the reason why I miss home more now... it seems farther away!

I also thought it was a good idea to look back and write down all the little experiences I may not have thought to blog about as they happened.

At this point in my study abroad experience I have: 

1. mistaken the Czech words for men and women's restrooms.
2. done my grocery shopping entirely in Czech.
3. gone to Charles University's version of Fall W.I.L.D. (Walk In Lay Down, Washington University in St. Louis's fall music festival). See a preview here. 
4. discovered there are probably more different types of Czech alcohol than there are people in Prague. (beer of course, Moravian white wine, Becherovka, Slivovice, burcak, svarak or hot wine, grog, czech rum... made out of potatos like everything else in this country... the list goes on and on!)
5. been to an art gallery opening over an hour away by train.
6. been regularly spoiled with live music to accompany dinner. 
7. bargained in Czech. 
8. relied on church bells for the time, rather than a watch.
9. gone 2 months without ketchup and then thought fries and Heinz were sent from heaven. 
10. been mistaken for a local.

Me, our mentor Miroslav, and fellow Photography in Prague students (and my roommates)
Anna and Rachel at an art opening in Utsi. 

A shot of Becherovka at David Cerny's MeetFactory.     

Julie & Anna vs. Europe: Round 1

Anna's visit in Prague was fabulous. We started the trip off with dinner... Anna's first Czech food. Obviously: schnitzel and a Pilsner at Lokál. Then we took to the streets! I tried to take her to the Metronome (a giant metronome clicking away time where a giant Stalin statue used to stand) to see the classic view of all of Prague but winter fog had set in that night and we couldn't see the river in front of us. Instead, we took sat in front of a beautiful old building in the beer gardens, next to the gazebo, where they have weddings in the summer. After we had swapped enough stories we met my crazy friend Anthony at 5 Story Club... the largest club in Central Europe. Each story is a different club: different music, lights, theme, bar, everything. We spent most of our time at the hip hop or Oldies floors, dancing on the balconies or air guitar-ing like champs (wait, that last one may have just been me... Oops.) And ended the night walking across the Charles Bridge at 5am... dark but classically lit by dim street lamps, private and beautiful. We strode towards the Castle like that was our destination, and not my little flat on the 4th floor.

Anna showing off historical Old Town Prague... and her incredibly sexy legs! Ooh la la!

The best part was taking Anna to see all the public art in Prague... espescially all the David Cerny sculptures!!! Like this one and the 2 below. There is SO MUCH CRAZY ART in Prague. It's such a silly city!

The Astrological Clock.

When in Rome.... fly to Prague and try on the silly fur hats people wear there.

 The best experience I have had in Prague, hands down, has been painting the John Lennon wall with Anna. The wall was a symbol of hope and rock & roll during Communism in Prague. Every night rock lovers would paint it with messages of peace and good feeling (akin to those of John Lennon and the Beatles) and every morning it would be painted over by the government who wouldn't allow such messages. Today it is still frequently painted in this memory... however, many tourists also frequently use it to document "Praha 2011 b****es!" or "Kevin & Brit 4eva!" too. These tourists don't come as prepared as Anna and I... with paint (not Sharpie), messages of change, and typography jokes!

In the next few weeks I'll post pictures showing how our additions to the wall will become just another cohesive layer on top of the night after night of secret murals from the 1960s-89.

The finished mural!

Anna stayed for 5 days of adventures before heading back to France. It was such a nice vacation to have her around...I can't wait until I can go visit her in Toulouse at the end of November!

Snapshots of the Czech Republic

Sorry about the backlog of posting. This post is pictures of the last random travels in the Czech Republic. I have finally been back and able to breathe for a little over a week. (exhales loudly....) but now the crazy fun starts again... one of my closest friends is visiting from France. Anna goes to school with me in the states and but is studying abroad as well. For her fall break, she is with me in Prague for FIVE DAYS. We are having one adventure after another. It's been an incredible whirlwind. It's so nice to have family in town. I love playing tour guide and showing off all my favorite places. Prague is the best playground. So before I post pictures of the Incredible Adventures of Anna & Julie, here are pictures from the last week in the Czech Republic.

 The photography department took the students on a class retreat to Poněšic, a rural town in CZ where they have cabins. It's beautiful. Here each person (BA, masters, and profs) gave a presentation of their best work from the last year to the entire group. Some where in English, some in Czech. The rest of the time was spent hiking or having classes in the words, boating on the river, and drinking large amounts of Czech liquor at all times (it was basically on the itinerary.) During architecture photography class we traveled to villages built in the 1800s to see the strange houses. That class in itself was the height of my 3 day trip. 2nd was the fuzziest, warmest cat who fell in love with me and wouldn't let me put her down. 


The trip was a chance to know the other photo students better. I won't lie, the language barrier is not a problem in class but it is socially. They speak English when they have to, but its hard to get them to speak English instead of their native language. (I understand that, too. I'm just saying it was hard to be included in the group.) Also, as only three Americans in the group there is a strange separation. It really makes a difference that we aren't European. Another obvious division is smoking. A big part of their socializing is centered around cigarettes. As a non-smoker I'm fine sitting outside with them as they smoked but it was definitely considered odd for me to do so. As the weekend went on we all got more comfortable with each other and I found myself even in some lively debates about everything from  health care, immigration, heritage, to which country has the best alcohol. Success!

The view from the cabins. Lovely! 

The view from a baroque garden. You can see Dan, reading the history of the gardens, his shadow, and then mine as  well. 

Peacocks in the park. This is very genuine Prague. 

Eating delicious truffles at my favorite restaurant CukrKavaLimonada. Yum!