Prague Stories

Today I learned the potential frustration that exists when trying to create media. We were filming for our second project and trying to capture a leaf (or leaves) falling, which sounds rather simple. Logistically speaking, however, it is very difficult to capture the fall of a single leaf on film since predicting which leaf (out of the thousands on the tree) will fall is nearly impossible. Additionally, what I saw in front of me and what I was able to capture and convey on film became two very different things. At one point, with the wind blowing through the trees, the scene before me was very beautiful. Yet I did not feel I was able to accurately capture that moment on film. But why? Is it because I experience things with all of my senses while film uses only two? Or is it that the emotions I am feeling at the time that help to make the scene meaningful are not present when I view the scene later? I also wonder if some of the things I am experiencing are made more beautiful in my mind because they occur with Prague as a backdrop. Because there are times when the city is not necessarily in my periphery, yet I know it is there. And perhaps that evokes certain emotions that then add to what I see around me. I cannot be sure, and I don’t feel I have drawn any conclusions from my musings. Perhaps I should simply remind myself that my goal is not simply to make meaningful films, but to make films that are just as meaningful as my real life experiences.

My trip to the Laundromat led me to think about the difference in conveniences available here in Prague. As one may do from time to time, I determined that I needed some clean clothes, and thus my trek to the Laundromat began. I use the word “trek” simply because I have never had to take public transportation somewhere in order to get my clothes cleaned. If I were at home in the states, washing my clothes would be as simple as walking a few feet to the laundry room. Instead I am here in Prague, where some of the things I normally take for granted are actually quite complicated.

As I rode the tram three stops away to where the Laundromat was located, I began to realize that there are some people for whom this frequent trek is a way of life, as many people are not able to enjoy the convenience of having a washer and dryer in their homes. Perhaps there are those who must travel even further, or with heavier loads. And while there exists this apparent inefficiency in the way one must obtain clean clothes here in Prague, it is juxtaposed with the highly efficient public transportation system that made my trek possible. And perhaps that is what it means to live in Prague. Certainly one has numerous things widely accessible, but that accessibility is always in contrast with the reality of living in a city that must house 1.2 million people.

Prague is an interesting city. It is both beautifully old and functionally new. I have been in Prague for just a few short days, but I already feel at home here. I think it is possible to find some of the familiar anywhere you go. It is certainly a place familiar to many, as is evidenced by the throngs of tourists I encounter daily. Unfortunately, I have yet to use the bit of Czech I had learned since most waiters and shopkeepers switch to English with me automatically. At times it seems I am not even in a foreign country since there are places in Prague that see many more tourists than locals. While I think it is wonderful that Prague is loved by people from all over the world, there is a part of me that wishes I could just have the city to myself, if only for a few hours. Places like the Charles Bridge never seem to sleep. Even in the early hours of the morning it is bustling. I am told that 4 a.m. is the time to go in order to beat the crowds, yet I assume there is never a time when it is completely void of people. The thing that is great about Prague, however, is that even in the places that cater to tourists, you can find people who are truly genuine. There are waiters and shopkeepers who are decidedly unaffected by the crowds and who treat you as they would their close friends. They are what I love about Prague.