School has begun!

Hello all!

So, yesterday was my first day at school - and it began with the class "Intro to News and Video Production." It is taught by Stephani Shelton, originally from Boston (!), who has a production company and does freelance journalism for CNBC amongst others. Her husband, who is a video editor and will teach us how to do that later in the course, has family from Czech and so they bought an apartment here about 5 years ago - which is why she is now teaching in Prague for the summers. She seems quite pleasant.

Here is the class description ...

Anyone can be a video producer today using internet platforms like YouTube or MySpace. But with some basic broadcast news techniques—your video can become a genuinely compelling news or feature story—or even a documentary. In this course, students will learn how broadcast, print and online media are converging—and gain a basic understanding of broadcast news writing, reporting, interviewing and producing, including camera work, editing techniques and talent performance. Each student will write a script and turn it into a visual story using techniques which will help build a journalism career—or enhance the communication skills needed for public relations, management or personal projects.

My first homework assignment was pretty extensive, hence my rude awakening from my "vacation" over the past week. I have three things to read, create a 4-question news quiz, and outline a day-of-air story we discussed in class. Whew! She says the reading will taper off, this is just a big chunk needed at the beginning to get us going.

This class should be interesting for me, as I am historically not a consumer of news. I always found it so depressing. But lately, I've been wanting to be more informed - - and shit, actually finding myself caring about what is going on around me. Who knew?! So, the "news" part of the class will be good for me! 

So, after I left class yesterday I finally made it across the Charles Bridge ... check out some of my images:

Along the way to the bridge, I came across the Franz Kafka Museum, and this most interesting sculpture was in the courtyard.

This is crazy! It is a teeny tiny stairway between buildings by my school. So teeny in fact that it has a "traffic" light because two people cannot walk past one another! You can see the button to push for the 'walk' light on the right had side of the pic. Too neat!

This is the entrance (or exit as I am viewing it here) to the Charles Bridge from the western side of the Vtlava River, or the Prague Castle side if you will.

So, there are 30 statues adorning the Charles Bridge. I took pictures off all the ones I could get at, as some of them are being restored. I will not show them all here, but check out my Picasa page for the lot. I just LOVE this one ... that they included a jail, complete with several wailing prisoners, is so fun to me! And the dog too!! The bored look on the guards face is just too precious, and the religious figures standing on top of the jail and swinging some 'cuffs is priceless!

A close-up of the wailing prisoners ...

I like this one too ... the shape of it pleases me.

I don't know what this is, but it was dead center of the bridge. And it is neat!! The man lying under the image of the bridge is a lighter color because people that walk by rub him ... for luck I believe. Huh.

This is the eastern side of the Vltava, or the side that I am living on ...

What a cool shot ... the light from the sun, the Praha Castle, and Jesus on the crucifix ... wow.

I really like this one ... OK, mainly because it is full of women! But, they are neat looking too!!!

This is the ceiling of the bridge tower on the eastern end of the bridge, the Old Town side (my side). WOW ... look at the colors up there!!!

I just LOVE this shot ... the SUN is amazing here!! And the Prague Castle in the background, with a couple of the statues too boot ... very very cool.

And that was the end of yesterday ...

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Today I had my class "Prague Art and Architecture." It is taught by Chris Montoni, an American who came here over a decade ago to study his major of Medieval History - and was just never able to leave! He is very laid back, funny and most pleasant.

All of his lectures, notes, assignments, images and maps of where we will be going are on a website he created for the class - - cool! If you are interested, feel free to check it out ... Prague Art and Architecture

Here is the class description ...

This course examines the key developments in Czech arts and architecture from the early medieval to the contemporary period. Slide-based lectures are complimented with visits to monuments, art collections and galleries. This course will provide students with an overview of the history of art in Prague. In this respect, the course intends to have students acquire knowledge of main characteristics of art styles while observing and analyzing paintings, sculpture, and architecture first-hand.

What is cool about this class, aside from the neat art history and the visits to museums and monuments, is that part of my homework will be to actually go out and SEE the city and then journal about it! Hmmmm ... whatya think? Can Ami do that?!?!?

;-}

I saw a sweet sweet little bookstore along the way to school, and took some shots of it ...

Was thinking of you Mr. Day when I saw this!! Want me to see if it is for sale?    ;-}

A close-up through the front door ... hey, is that Shawn behind the counter?

And downstairs we go ...

Awwww ... isn't that sweet?!

Hey look ... it's ME!

And finally, I will end my School Begins blog with the John Lennon wall ... you will NOT be prepared for this I think, I know I sure wasn't!

It is this AMAZING wall of color, and love, and thoughts, and images, and lyrics, and art - - too too cool!

An excellent message world ...

This was the only actual image of John ...

More fabulousness

Imagine ... just imagine ...

Soooooo .... all is ABSOLUTELY still wonderful over here. I had an amazing day on Sunday (maybe the best yet, but a darn close second to the Karlstejn Castle day) - exploring the Oslany Cemetery. Very evocative, serene, picturesque, stunning, nature-filled ... I could go on and on, but I would run out of adjectives. When my Prague Art & Architecture teacher asked me what I had seen that had made the biggest impression on me so far - I could just FEEL my face and voice light up as I talked about the cemetery, and it was pretty damn cool to feel that! Also, that is one of the places that he will be requiring us to see! It is just THAT fab!

However, I did have quite a rude academic awakening yesterday & today. It was a little bit of a shock to realize (I don't even know if I can use the word remember, I really think it was realize) that I would be required to work while here! I KNEW I had to go to school, but I think I thought it would be this silly-little-nothing class that I would just have to show up for and that was it. What I was reminded of was that this is a regular semester course, crammed into 6 weeks! Plenty of work to do ... plenty. Thankfully, it should be fun - and hopefully not too difficult for me. 

And the News class should be interesting for me, as I am historically not a consumer of news. I always found it so depressing. But lately, I've been wanting to be more informed - - and shit, actually finding myself caring about what is going on around me. Who knew?! So, the "news" part of the class will be good for me! And the "video" part will be way fun too.

My good friend Colleen arrives tomorrow eve! I'm SO SO SO excited to be able to share this place with someone ... I do freely admit, it has been REALLY REALLY REALLY cool to be alone - just me and my HP ... absorbing this place, and doing what I want when I want - - but I've also found it a bit lonely. It is such an amazing place, I kinda wish I had someone here to ooh and ahh with me. 

Sigh.

Well, on that note folks - I am done. It is late and I've got homework to finish.


Here is a link to the day's photos on my Picasa page ... Ami's 1st Day of School

Thanks for joining me in Praha ... as some say "The Heart of Europe" ...

Take good care.