Prague Journal

Tuesday, April 5, 2005.

I decided to go to the Czech class at VŠE, even though this is the last day I will be able to attend. Mrs. Antosova thinks that I know more than I do, probably because I make fewer case-related mistakes and have larger vocabulary than the other students. That having been said, I can only construct sentences with careful thought, not spontaneously. And I still have trouble understanding the language unless people speak slowly – or simply with appropriate body language and facial expression! Rick is a much better student than I am because he studies almost every day. I have not allowed myself to take the time, preferring to work on research, have lunch with friends, and go to museums!
One thing I have not done much of is attend other classes. So I went with Veena to Anne McBride’s “advocacy” class this morning. Anne was the president of Common Cause for 25 years, so she has a lot to say about NGO activism. Most of the students in her class are involved in NGOs (non-profit organizations), and are interested in learning how to promote their causes more effectively.
The class ended at 1:30, and I was able to get to the US Embassy by 2pm to talk with the tax advisor there. I am still not sure how to declare my Fulbright stipend – it looks like the whole amount is taxable and only part of it can be declared as Foreign Earned Income. The forms are incredibly confusing – even the tax advisor had to re-read several paragraphs in the instructions – and I am still not sure if I have put things in the proper categories. Fortunately, I can wait and file when I get back to the US, for which I now have proper forms.
In conjunction with the Febiofest – the largest film festival in Central Europe – the Office of Public Affairs of US Embassy sponsored a seminar with director/writer Hal Hartley, a leader of the 1990s American independent filmmaking movement, and a screening of his 2001 monster film, “No Such Thing.” The film is set in Iceland, and uses the rugged Iceland landscape and its folklore/mythology as context and setting. Hartley views this film as a different genre than his usual films, but the relationship between the mysterious, possibly violent stranger and the misunderstood innocent has been a theme in many of his films.
I was not able to see the whole film, since I had agreed to meet Anna at her office at the Sociological Institute at 6pm. She introduced me to Alan Krautstengl, who is the new President for Anglo American College. He is interested in creating a study-abroad partnership with DU and other accredited US universities. Both Anna and Alan have PhDs from the US, so with their American credentials, multi-cultural perspective and experiences, and fluency in both Czech and English, they are in good positions to lead the college.

posted by JWinn @ 9:53 PM