Postcards From Prague

If you are reading this page you are probably wondering, “Why is there a page dedicated to something called ‘Postcards from Prague’?”

Well, that’s a great question. My name is Miss Shoshana and you may have seen me around MS 131. I work as an America Reads tutor and have been at MS 131 since my Freshmen year of college. I really enjoy working at MS 131 so when I was faced with the opportunity to go abroad, I had to decide if I wanted to miss a semester in New York with you all, or miss out exploring and being immersed in a different country challenging my comfort here on the east coast. Instead I ignored that ultimatum and with the help of Ms. Obernauer and Ms. Arrigo created this page where I’ll be connected with MS 131 through the wonderful invention of the internet all the way from Prague. Each week, I’ll write a short blogpost on the history, culture, or people I encounter in the Czech Republic. Plus, I’ll include some photos of the cool things I see (think castles, cobblestone, and canals.)

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out! I’d love to answer them. My email is sre267@nyu.edu

-Miss Shoshana

Blog Post #9 The Escapism of Taking Photos

The weather has finally improved after a month of cold and rain. It’s been very nice outside which has allowed me to bask in the sun in my backyard, something I’ve waited to do since I’ve returned back home. I finally decided to complete my photo project and develop my photos.

If the light is too bright, the colors will be washed out in white. If there is too much darkness, the camera cannot obtain enough information to capture a detailed photo. The film stock inside the camera captures light and color from the iris opening up and allowing light to enter. The film exposure ingrains the color and light into the emulsion layers that are the physical properties of the film. It’s really complicated but if you’re into science and especially chemistry and physics, it’s worth looking into. By mixing chemicals into a canister with the film I used in my camera, and making sure the chemicals were at a specific temperature (39 degrees celsius) for a specific duration of time, the film is then developed into negatives. Negatives can be turned into positives with a scanner that specializes in this. It literally takes the negative and reverses the colors it captures. 

Here is a negative I developed. Besides this photo is the positive of that exposure.

I have been taking pictures of stuffed bears people have been placing in the windows of homes, or on their front lawns, or on their docks by the lake. I’ve accumulated a small gallery of these photos and am going to take more photos as I spot more bears. Which one is your favorite?

This was my first time developing my photos and even though there’s room for improvement, I was proud of my work. I usually develop them at a photo store near MS 131 called Eliz Digital. I like to go there because the employees are very kind and very efficient with getting your photos back to you. Are there any projects you’re working on? Have you been enjoying the nice weather?

P.s. Here is a screenshot of my class. We are now wearing glasses, aprons, hats, scarves and gloves to class.

Blog Post #8 What Day of the Week is it?

Hi MS 131 Students,

How are you holding up? Are you continuing to adjust to online classes? Or have you already adjusted? It takes me twice as much effort to focus in class because there are so many distractions and wifi issues but I try. These past few weeks seem to blend into each other. If it weren’t for technology, I would not know what day of the week it is. Luckily, the days are going by faster since I work at the farm. I also try not to take for granted that I’m able to venture outside. I go for walks and runs but as the weather gets nice, more people are outside and I have to dodge them like bullets. 

Every Monday, my peers and I continue to build up on our costumes we wear for a specific class. First we all wore hats; then we all wore hats and scarfs; then we all wore hats scarves and aprons. This week we wore hats, scarfs, aprons, and gloves. The teacher always says something small (something like “oh you’re all matching today”) before she starts class but I’m not sure if the effort is paying off or not. We always hope for a big reaction. But I guess dressing a little quirking won’t unsettle someone as easily as it might’ve before this pandemic. If anything, these costumes we coordinate together bring us a little bit of joy. And anything that brings a little joy is worth it during these times.

There’s not much new discovery or wisdom I have to relay to anyone who reads this. I’ve started paying closer attention to the things I do every day. I’ve started noticing themes and patterns as I walk around the lake or work at the farm. I see bikers pass me whom I recognize if I run at a certain time on a certain day. I know which sidewalks to pay closer attention to; kids draw chalk mazes on the sidewalk and if it rains, draw a variation of the same maze. At the farm where I shop and bag groceries for customers, I’ve started recognizing family names on the orders. I also noticed the most popular items people request: hand sanitizer, bananas, eggs, milk and bread. None of these items surprise me as much as the amount of requests we get in for bananas. I guess they’re an easy and healthy snack and that’s the reason people order a lot of them. While I’m still waiting to develop my film from my 35mm camera, my sister has developed a new skill: making nut butter! If you have a food processor it’s simple and resourceful since you can use any type of nut. Here is a helpful video.

Have you tried any new recipes? A lot of my friends are baking sourdough and banana bread. I’d love to hear what you guys are doing at home to entertain yourselves.

Blog post #7 Thinking of Things to do

It’s been a long week.

I spent most of this past week inside because of the rain and cold weather. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty difficult being inside all day. The weather matched my mood: dreary and a little sad. I’m hoping for both the weather and my mood to lift this week and so far it has. It’s warmer outside and sunny. How has your week been? Who won the viral video challenge?

I’m slowly getting the packages I ordered for my photo material and chemicals I need to develop my film. It’s a really scientific process that involves a lot of chemistry and if not for video tutorials, I would have no idea where to start with this process. I’m not really into vlogger culture but I found a photographer who is really good at explaining how to work a film camera. His name is Willem Verbeeck and he posts videos on how to edit photos, and other hacks and tips for shooting photography. 

Besides for learning a new skill, I’m trying to listen to new music. I will always love Simon & Garfunkel but I feel like I should familiarize myself with new music so I have an idea of what’s going on with younger generations. Music often reflects the style and culture of the time. Who are your favorite musicians? Do you think they reflect your generation or do you think the musicians change the generation?

Though this time of self-isolation, I’ve slowly found ways that help me cope with not seeing my friends. A few things I have learned about myself are the following:

I do better when I have something to accomplish- goals to finish a book or run a certain distance.

I don’t feel good when I check the news all the time. I try not to check updates every few minutes but I do allow news alerts on my phone in case of emergency and to follow the ever-changing regulations of my town

My dog makes me feel better so I try to take him out on walks and play fetch with him

I like FaceTiming my friends but not all the time. I also like checking in with professors and supervisors from past internships and jobs. Believe it or not, your teachers care about you. I’ve found I have felt better catching up with a favorite teacher of mine from high school or past bosses at internships I’ve had. I’m sure your old teachers would love to hear how you’re doing and tell you how they’ve been.

My twin sister and I started working at our local farm. We work 5 or 6 hour shifts organizing online grocery orders. There are no customers allowed in the store because of the virus. We bring the pre-ordered bags to the customer’s car. I know this sounds like it could be boring but I’ve been enjoying the seemingly menial tasks. Time flies by because by the time I have a chance to breathe, hours have gone by. And at least I get some fresh air. Plus people need food and supplies, so it’s nice ensuring people get what they need in a safe and healthy way. The other time I get fresh air is walking to my town’s lake which isn’t too far from me. I try to go early in the morning so I avoid invading someone’s physical space since they could be more vulnerable during this time. Fewer people are out walking in the morning.

One of my classmates had a very fun idea. She planned that the seven of us film students wear hats to our virtual weekly class of “Central European Film”. When our professor logged on she noticed one person wearing a hat. Then she noticed someone else wearing a hat. “Wait a minute… you’re all wearing hats!” She exclaimed. And it was true. We were all wearing hats. After that she said nothing else about the fact. Still, it brought a little more joy to make virtual class a little more interesting. Next week we’re going to all put on hats AND scarfs. Slowly we’re going to build our outfits, week by week, so that we’re wearing a full winter outfit in June. I’m looking forward to it. That’s just one thing I’m looking forward to in the future.

Happy Easter and Passover to those who celebrate!

Blog post #6 Home at Last too Fast

Hi MS 131.

We are all the same now, learning virtually from the places we call home. 

I had to leave Prague when President Trump initiated a 30-day travel ban from all European countries. NYU has suspended all global sites; students from all over the world studying abroad had to leave their sites some with only 24 hours notice (like me.) My dorm put on an open mic on the penultimate (second to last) night of my experience in Prague. It was a beautiful experience and since my dorm was the dorm housing music and film students, I heard some really talented musicians perform. I didn’t want to end my time in Prague but if I had to, it would be this way. I had a full roll of film (36 “exposures”-pictures in this roll of film) and so I used it all to photograph this night and my last day in Prague. I included some photos I took in this post.

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I’m trying to focus on the bright side of things. I take joy in seeing the faces of my classmates on my computer screen I used to see every day in person. I think of how we would not be able to have class online if this pandemic happened at a different time in history. Look at all the access of technology we have now, thanks to the Department of Education and modern technology! We have the internet to provide us with a plethora of entertainment involving tv, computer games, and social media. We have the internet for educational purposes, learning new recipes, learning new skills and vital news our families need access to.

What have you guys been up to at home? Do you have to take care of your siblings? How are you managing your school life with you family life?

Here are some tips that I have used to help make focusing on school a little easier and life a little more pleasant:

• Find a routine for yourself and stick to it. The days should feel separate from themselves and act as individual entities so that the days don’t blend into one long period of time. Wake up at the same time every day and try to go to sleep the same time each night.
• Maintain physical exercise. I go for a run every day and when it rains, I look for good exercise videos. I found that Fitness Blender (https://www.fitnessblender.com/) is a good free website for finding an exercise specialized to the difficulty and length you want.
• Maintain mental exercise. Read a book for fun! Reading shouldn’t be just for fun. When I read, I keep my phone in a separate room so I don’t get too distracted. You can check out ebooks, music, and tv online with you NYPL (New York Public Library) card at this website https://www.nypl.org/books-music-movies/ebookcentral/simplye
• Call a friend. It can feel lonely when you’re at home but with access to the internet, you can check in on how your friends are doing. I’m sure your friends will be happy to hear from you!
• Pick up old hobbies. I started taking pictures with my film camera and am in the middle of starting a dark room in my basement to develop the negatives of my film roll. This is hard work but with a lot of the free time I know have, I can use the time to figure this dark-room photography thing out 🙂
• Try to do submit to the viral video contest! I think Mr. Geballes viral video idea is genius! Have fun with it and also I hear there are prizes…

I’m still going to write weekly posts and would love hearing from you about what you would like to hear more about. Feel free to write to me at sre267@nyu.edu

Good luck with everything and happy social distancing!

Blog post #5

London, Dublin, & Galway

Hello from Dublin, Ireland!

First, I hope everyone is safe in New York. I’m thinking of you guys as the scare of the virus spreads across Europe and other parts of the world.Second, let me tell you about my experience in the UK.Have any of you ever been to England? I went to London for three days because I had spring break. I was supposed to go to Northern Italy (Milan, Bologna, and Venice) and even bought tickets but then the coronavirus outbreak occurred and I thought it best to not travel there.

London reminded me a bit of New York City; There were cool museum exhibits, beautiful parks to walk through, and everything was extremely expensive. 

I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and saw a cool exhibit on the history of cars. I learned how cars were vital to the industrial revolution. There were a lot of people who helped improve automobiles but not all of them were good people.Henry Ford was a significant figure in this revolution and invented cars for the mass public. He utilized the assembly line to make production efficient. But, he didn’t treat his workers fairly. I learned he bought a huge property in the Amazon Forest in order to make his own rubber since there was a monopoly on rubber and he wanted to buy the material for cheap. This island was called “Fordlandia” and Ford tried forcing American culture on his Brazilian workers in addition to mistreating them. The conditions were awful and the employees were overworked. Another car manufacture, Porsche, was complicit in helping Hitler and the Nazis develop faster cars for the Third Reich. On top of these different companies that care more about money than morality, many car companies think little about the environmental components of their products. Companies ignore the fact that cars use oil and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which contributes to warming the earth. I was impressed that the exhibit also exposed the dark side of the car industry.

England was pretty historic but I was ready to leave after three days since I was spending so much money on the tube! The tube is fast; Transportation is so accessible and practical in England, but a single one way ticket on the tube (their subway) is around £4.90 which equates to $6.32. Also, cars drive on the left side of the street in the UK which is a little wacky to me.  

The republic of Ireland was the highlight of my spring break. I am an Irish Studies minor which means while I am getting a degree in film, I’m also focusing a little bit of my studies to the history of Ireland. It’s really exciting studying a subject in theory and then fully immersing yourself in that culture and place.

Visually, I noticed many differences in Ireland compared to England. Ireland is green like England but also very blue with the waters that surround the country on all sides. I started my journey in Dublin going on tours and getting lost in the city. Dublin is a lot cheaper than England and also a lot smaller so it’s easier to walk around the city. I continued my journey in Galway to the Cliffs of Moher which was a stunning sight!I’m finished up my trip by going to the National Library of Ireland to see an exhibit on an Irish poet I studied, Seamus Heaney. That’s all for now, thinking of you guys always!

Blog post #4

Masopust, a Carnival of Tradition

There was a puppet-man eating a never-ending link of sausages. A polar bear, as large as five fat men, floated effortlessly in the sky. A woman dressed as a witch, or perhaps she wasn’t wearing a costume, offered me and my friends a snack: dried up mealworms, something I remember feeding the class gecko in fifth grade. If this sounds like a dream, I’m still convinced it was. This past weekend, I participated in a Czech event called “Masopust”. 

Masopust (Slavic Carnival) is compared to Mardi Gras. It’s a parade held between Christmas and Lent in preparation of giving up gluttonous things like beer and pork. To compensate for the future withdrawal of beer and meat, people drink extra beer and eat extra meat on this day. This doesn’t explain all the costumes people were wearing or the march to the hill where a man dressed as a bear wrestled a volunteer and won. 

After speaking to local Czech people, I learned that Masopust used to serve as a holiday to get rid of peasants’ resentment towards the nobleman and upper class people. The royalty allowed peasants one day a year to dress as rich people and make fun of them by dressing over-dramatic and putting on skits and songs satirizing the upper class. By allowing this, the peasants gained joy in a period that was difficult for them. It was a holiday serving as an escapist mechanism. Still, Masopust is a people’s holiday.

Certainly, it was entertaining. There seemed to be various storylines being played out as we marched. A queen riding on a horse (puppeted by a man), claimed this was the last day she would be queen and that she would lead the parade. There were a few choirs that sang songs in the Czech language as we marched. I was in one group with hundreds of people walking one path and there was another group compiled of hundreds of others walking a different path. We would meet up in the middle on the hill for the games and skits people prepared. In addition to spectators, participants, there were so many dogs running around in the fields and up the hills!

I spent a long time outdoors marching (from 11am-7pm) but with hundreds of strangers, I never felt cold or alone. And for an event with lots of beer and food, there were lots of children and families. It wouldn’t seem like a family event but it was; Masopaust was “wholesome” in a different manner than Americans are used to.

Most of the pictures from this post were taken by my good friend Natalia.

I was astounded by the creativity of people’s homemade costumes. Unicorns, 18th century soldiers, young children on 5 foot stilts marched in the parade beside me. If people weren’t dressed up, they were holding giant hand-made ornaments like butterflies, moths, and horses. Besides for the costumes, there were a few other quirky things happening like a man leading a goat around on a leash or when everyone took each other’s hands and ran into a circle as the sun was setting. When the sun fully set and I thought we were done, a man started throwing fire around in circles. At this point, I wasn’t surprised, just startled. This day was truly the strangest one I have had so far in Prague but definitely one of the most valuable. There is something special in partaking in an event authentic to Czech and Slavik culture and being accepted as someone who belongs in this carnival. One could dance or sing with others as they pleased. In the end, everyone who participated in the parade could dance in a huge heated tent where a live orchestra was playing a mixture of American oldies and Slavik music. 

Oh, and my friends and I were all dressed as chickens.

Blog post #3

Some Things I have Noticed in Prague

2.12.2020

-Dogs are friendlier here

-Dogs are often not on leashes

-People do not jaywalk here

-Trams (they’re like slower overground subway cars that travel within the city) have the right of way over cars and people

-In NYC schools shut down for snow days, here, schools shut down for windy days

-Cars have right of way over people

-Pedestrians have very little power here

-The light on a traffic light turns yellow before it turns green to warn the cars to get ready to go

-The light turns yellow before it turns red to warn the cars to slow down

-The walking light turns green to red and red to green giving no warning about the change to the pedestrian

-Pedestrians have no power here 

-People may not smile as much in the Czek Republic but the people here are actually quite friendly and helpful

-The cost of living here is way cheaper ($2 for a cup of coffee versus $4 in New York)

-The sunsets here are almost as beautiful as the sunsets in NYC

-I miss MS 131

Blog post #2

I’m not a Thief but…

02.04.2020

Ok I have to come clean. It’s not easy for me to admit this and I hope the police don’t greet me at my home when I return to New York but… I somehow accidentally, by no means intentionally took an MS 131 book. What’s the jail sentence for taking a piece of New York City public school property? I need to know so I can tell my family. 

The book is  I hadn’t Meant to Tell You This By Jacqueline Woodson.

Ms. Obernauer let me borrow the book since I read it during 6th grade IR (independent reading) and I couldn’t put it down so she said “why don’t you take it home and then you could do a book talk on it?”  Was this a set-up?

The problem is that the book is so thin that I didn’t feel it in my bag when I packed. Now Jacqueline’s eloquent story is all the way in the Czech Republic which is not New York which is where your school is located. 

The downside is that I stole New York City property. The upside is that I can do a book-talk all the way from Prague.

Initially I picked up Jacqueline Woodson’s book because I saw a Q & A moderated by the author with the film director of “If Beale street could talk” (Barry Jenkins). And I’m probably the only person in the world to say this but while I loved the movie and thought it was visually stunning, I was a little bored by it. Instead, the Q & A was a lot more interesting mostly because of the moderator, Jacqueline Woodson. When the theatre introduced the interviewer, they mentioned that she was the acclaimed author of “Brown Girl Dreaming”, a book my mother recommended to me after teaching it to her middle school students. This is exactly why, while you all were reading “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, “Crush” and “Amulet”, I chose the book that caught my eye, the one with the purple cover and the big letters that spelled J A C Q U E L I N E W O O D S O N. What’s the book about? Good question. The author writes in beautiful prose about the inequity between black and white people but also about a multi-faceted truth that two people from different races can experience tragedy, trauma, and loneliness at the same time that this inequity exists. Woodson writes from the perspective of Marie, a black middle schooler at the time that a poor white classmate, Lena, starts to attend the predominately black middle school in a town called Chauncey, Ohio. I’m only in the middle of the book but I can’t wait to finish the book so I can record a book talk in Prague.

While I can’t magically return the book, I thought I could ask for your forgiveness by bringing the book in various historic areas in Prague and showing you what a good time this book has had because of this fortunate mistake.

Blog post #1

Thoughts on an Airplane

Written on an airplane 1/27/2020

Sitting on an airplane, toggling between reading the tragic book The Painted Bird and trying to finish the crazy long Irishmen, I’m reminded of the first time I flew. 

At the time, I was self conscious that I had never flown before so late in my life. All my friends had been flying for so many years that for me to only experience a flight in 8th grade was, I thought, a little embarrassing. Looking on the bright side, I realized that unlike many of my peers, I could relish my first experience of flying. 

What a miracle it felt like! From the revving of the engine, to the steady then rapid takeoff from ground to air, to rising above the clouds and seeing where you once stood just a few hours earlier, it was an unbelievable moment. Flying for the first time later in my adolescence turned out to be a pretty amazing memory. It was like eating ice cream for the first time at age 13; You see how you may have missed out on the creamy delicious food your whole life but you also wish everyone could experience ice cream at that age because you’re old enough to remember how the cold creamy food tasted, or how hot it may’ve been outside but how perfectly chilled the ice cream was, or how the ice cream dripped onto your chin but you let it drop to the ground because you were too busy enjoying the next bite which included part of the cone. I kind of wish I had ice cream for the first time at age 13; I make it sound amazing.

My first flight, a thing I thought every 13 year old had done long ago, was juxtaposed with my first half marathon, something my mom thought most people would not accomplish way past 13 years of age. While you may be experiencing something new to you that everyone else has already experienced, I’m sure you’ve also accomplished other things that your peers have not. 

At 21 (now you know how old I am- not 47 which some of you guessed…) I’m going to Central Europe for the first time. Many students at MS 131 fly to China, Mexico or the Dominican Republic to see family, where they once lived, where their parents grew up, or to find out more about their roots. For me, going to Prague is kind of like that last thing. My great grandparents resided in Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia at that point) in what was known as the Austria-Hungary empire. Now I have the opportunity to explore where my ancestors lived before World War II forced them to flee from persecution. I wonder if any MS 131 students remember their first time flying. Do any students remember what it felt like to visit a country that your family is from? Did you feel a connection to the country or did it just feel like you were a guest in someone else’s home?