Life in Prague is pretty much like life anywhere. It's easy to romanticize life abroad but, while there are vast and beautiful differences, it still comes down to normal life.
For the first few months, I had the power of anonymity and plenty to explore. I don't want to lose that sense of wonder-- and I still think it's pretty cool that I live in Prague. But I have to remind myself as real life takes hold and trudges along-- this is going to take more than a good beginning. These are my thoughts as I approach five months abroad (my roommate keeps rounding up to six, but six is so much more than five).
As to my vow of getting back to performing, a new semester is starting at the dance studio, and my lineup of classes is going to go (hopefully) from varied and busy to grueling. I'm taking acting classes that drive me crazy one night and make a little bit of sense the next. But mainly they drive me crazy. Other outlets are opening up and I'm glad for some variety.
A French company was shooting an ad that required a whole lot of extras for your typical massive party in an abandoned warehouse, so I signed on. It was initially the creepiest set I've ever seen and I spent time calculating my escape while it slowly improved.
A lot of the extras came out of makeup and wardrobe with crazy fox-like hair and nearly space-age makeup. Probably as far from my normal style as you can get, so I was pretty excited about crossing the threshold from made up to disguised. However, when it was said and done, I came out looking fairly normal. Even wardrobe didn't peg me for an extremist. The girl in front of me was given a cheetah print dress while I got a hoodie and kicks. The shoes looked like they'd been made out of a comic book, but otherwise I was, apparently, the laid back party-goer.
Our job, after the hours of prep were over, was to scatter across the set and dance every time music came on. It was fun, but it was painful for two reasons: temperature and time. The set was FREEZING. With all the broken windows and missing portions of wall, "inside" was a fluid concept. We huddled near fires burning in barrels, warming our hands as much as we could, shivering under extra coats we then had to shed for shooting. Taken together, we started at 2pm and ended at 5 the next morning.
Everyone on the set was friendly, even when they found out I don't speak Czech. I never know what reaction to expect with this whole foreigner thing, but it seems that, given a context, Czechs are really open and friendly. Without context, I'm sometimes surprised. For example, a woman in the grocery store saw me puzzling over the meat section and said something which was probably really funny, because she started laughing. I'm fluent in mirth and smiled with her, but when she asked a question I was found out. All traces of humour fled from her face and she looked afraid as she, literally, backed away around the corner. I know I'm very intimidating, but wow.
Anyhow, it's been a couple days and I've been trying to get warm since, despite my cozy little apartment and the space heater now under my feet as I type. I've drunk tea by the gallon, but that inner chill refuses to budge. What I need is a week in the desert. Near a lake. A nice, blue lake...
For the first few months, I had the power of anonymity and plenty to explore. I don't want to lose that sense of wonder-- and I still think it's pretty cool that I live in Prague. But I have to remind myself as real life takes hold and trudges along-- this is going to take more than a good beginning. These are my thoughts as I approach five months abroad (my roommate keeps rounding up to six, but six is so much more than five).
As to my vow of getting back to performing, a new semester is starting at the dance studio, and my lineup of classes is going to go (hopefully) from varied and busy to grueling. I'm taking acting classes that drive me crazy one night and make a little bit of sense the next. But mainly they drive me crazy. Other outlets are opening up and I'm glad for some variety.
A French company was shooting an ad that required a whole lot of extras for your typical massive party in an abandoned warehouse, so I signed on. It was initially the creepiest set I've ever seen and I spent time calculating my escape while it slowly improved.
A lot of the extras came out of makeup and wardrobe with crazy fox-like hair and nearly space-age makeup. Probably as far from my normal style as you can get, so I was pretty excited about crossing the threshold from made up to disguised. However, when it was said and done, I came out looking fairly normal. Even wardrobe didn't peg me for an extremist. The girl in front of me was given a cheetah print dress while I got a hoodie and kicks. The shoes looked like they'd been made out of a comic book, but otherwise I was, apparently, the laid back party-goer.
Our job, after the hours of prep were over, was to scatter across the set and dance every time music came on. It was fun, but it was painful for two reasons: temperature and time. The set was FREEZING. With all the broken windows and missing portions of wall, "inside" was a fluid concept. We huddled near fires burning in barrels, warming our hands as much as we could, shivering under extra coats we then had to shed for shooting. Taken together, we started at 2pm and ended at 5 the next morning.
Everyone on the set was friendly, even when they found out I don't speak Czech. I never know what reaction to expect with this whole foreigner thing, but it seems that, given a context, Czechs are really open and friendly. Without context, I'm sometimes surprised. For example, a woman in the grocery store saw me puzzling over the meat section and said something which was probably really funny, because she started laughing. I'm fluent in mirth and smiled with her, but when she asked a question I was found out. All traces of humour fled from her face and she looked afraid as she, literally, backed away around the corner. I know I'm very intimidating, but wow.
Anyhow, it's been a couple days and I've been trying to get warm since, despite my cozy little apartment and the space heater now under my feet as I type. I've drunk tea by the gallon, but that inner chill refuses to budge. What I need is a week in the desert. Near a lake. A nice, blue lake...
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