SILENT NO MORE Coming out for LGBT Opening Doors for Refugees Celebrating a Dead Dictator Exposing the Armenian Genocide
Fall '15
Lennon Wall
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The Student Magazine of Anglo-American University In this issue Students of Prague 04 True tales of intrigue, romance and exotic lands News 06 Paris: From romance to terror(ism) 08 A Syrian for a next-door neighbor? 09 A homeless person’s guide to Prague Opinion 10 Toward a new level of eco-shopping Student Life 11 LGBT: The rainbows of equality 12 Behind the scenes of part-time jobs 13 Bali trip offers a life-changing experience Arts 14 Arevik Zadoyan’s message to the world 16 Partying in the ruins of Communism 17 Blind musician offers great artistic insight 18 (Under)World of foreign filmmaking in Prague Health & Lifestyle 20 Fashionistas: A quick look at student style 22 The newest American export – ADHD drugs 23 Humor overcomes fear at cancer workshops
Editor’s letter Welcome to Lennon Wall, the first edition of a revitalized and expanded version of Anglo-American University’s student magazine. Covering topical events in the Czech Republic and stories of general interest at the university, LW serves as an independent platform for the practice and development of aspiring young journalists. Our name, shortened from the original At the Lennon Wall, derives from the school’s longtime location near the famous Lennon Wall. For nearly 30 years, a portrait of John Lennon and the graffiti that grew up around it have served as a symbol of free speech and democracy. The university’s location has changed, but our values have not. A new team of writers, editors and photographers is committed to producing outstanding journalism, upholding the finest traditions of a free press, in a fresh package. Part of that package is our online publication of the same name, which offers a complementary set of stories focused primarily on the university. Expanded versions of some stories in our magazine are also posted there. More changes lie ahead. We invite you to join us for what is sure to be an amazing experience. — Kristina Zakurdaeva, Editor-in-Chief Lennon Wall Online
STAFF
Travel 24 Men on the road: 60 days across the US 25 Nine tips for safe couch surfing 26 Student homelands offer exotic holidays
Managing Editors Lizaveta Malinouskaya Karina Verigina
PHOTO CREDITS
Production Director Martin Ranninger
Cover: Martin Ranninger; Page 4: van der Meijden and Kunath – Wim Sprengers, Tsintsabadze – courtesy of the subject; Page 5: Bekeyev and Fateeva – courtesy of the subjects, Calvo-Sotelo – Oleksandra Kovalevska; Pages 6 & 7: all photos by Zina Esepciuc; Page 8: demonstration – Petr Vrabel, Syrian refugee – Irina Sterpu; Page 9: all photos by Nino Tatishvili; Page 10: all photos by Martin Ranninger; Page 11: kissing girls – courtesy of Mezipatra QFF, standing men – courtesy of protest organizers, parade – Margarita Orlova; Page 12: all photos – courtesy of the subjects; Page 13: group photo – courtesy of Minkyum Kim, embassy – Ondřej Trhoň; Pages 14 & 15: Arevik – Anastasia Kovtunenko, book – courtesy of AAU library, all others Wikimedia Commons, Kharberd – Flickr user Dmitry; Page 16: monument – Wikimedia Commons, other photos – courtesy of the club; Page 17: singer – Bjorn Steins, musician – Mario Bihari; Pages 18 & 19: Chastain and Výstaviště – Wikimedia Commons, UW 4 filming – Flickr users Guilhem Vellut and CCFoodTravel.com, posters – Wikimedia Commons, faun shots – courtesy of Curtis Matthew; Pages 20 & 21: all photos by Margarita Orlova; Page 22: Bruce – Margarita Olova, pills – Miriam Abitbol; Page 23: indoor group – Ondřej Trhoň, workshop – Margarita Orlova, outdoor group – courtesy of Loono; Page 24: all photos – courtesy of Pavel Mareš; Page 25: all photos – courtesy of the subjects; Page 26: waterfall – Adi Hadzic, mountain – Tekla Natsarishvili.
Marketing Manager Elizaveta Khodarinova
Contributors Miriam Abitbol Anna-Rosa Eerikäinen Oleksandra Kovalevska Margarita Orlova Georgiy Pak Wim Sprengers Irina Sterpu Valeriya Vakutina
Photo Coordinator Anastasia Kovtunenko
Faculty Adviser Frank Kuznik
Read us online: lennonwall.aauni.edu Like us: facebook.com/lennon.wall Follow us: @lennonwallmagazine & @lennonwallaau
TRUE TALES OF INTRIGUE, ROMANCE AND EXOTIC LANDS By Oleksandra Kovalevska, Georgiy Pak and Wim Sprengers A true treasure of the city is its inhabitants. The Lennon Wall invites you to meet six different students of Prague who have unique stories to share. Passion, empathy and excitement – these are the ingredients of their adventures.
Nathan van der Meijden Netherlands / Charles University
I grew up in Limburg, a southern province of the Netherlands, with two brothers and one sister. My mother opened our home to foster children. At one point, we even took two in at the same time. One of them stayed for over 16 years. I guess this busy family taught me how to share, and not keep everything for yourself. Even now I live in a house with eight roommates. A couple of them invented an initiative called #Vluchtkonvooi (English: flight convoy), to do something about the current refugee crisis. Before we knew it we found ourselves in a van bound for Eastern Europe. At the SlovenianCroatian and Hungarian-Austrian borders we gave people food packages and clothing that we collected in the Netherlands. It was hectic, every two hours a train would arrive, and there were soldiers that told us what we could and couldn’t do. That cost us a lot of sleep. Later we took two families in our vans to help them across the borders. One of the fathers was especially cheerful, singing and making music with just his hands. Legally, that might be considered smuggling, but we just wanted to help. –WS
Nata Tsintsabadze Georgia / AAU
I spent my junior year of high school in America, where I had one of the happiest moments of my life with my volleyball team. I played volleyball for six years, and was on the national volleyball team in Georgia. In the United States, I was one of the six main players on the varsity volleyball team. They usually don’t let foreign exchange students play on the varsity team, so I was really fortunate. My school hadn’t won the state championship in 15 years, so I was even luckier when our team won the South Dakota State Championship. It was such a big deal! –OK
Stefan Kunath Germany / AAU
When I was at Gymnasium [German high school] we made several school trips to Israel. I met a lot of Jewish and Arab Israelis back then. Topics like the Holocaust and anti-Semitism played a great role in my politicization, because I’m from the Eastern part of Germany, which had to deal with the growth of NeoNazism in the transition period after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Seeing this made me anti-fascist, and I felt a strong solidarity with Israel. I decided to join a German peace organization that sends people to countries that suffered under Nazi Germany. I volunteered at the kindergarten of a women’s shelter. It was my job to play a positive male role model for kids that had only known violent dads back home. Israel may be a small country, but it’s full of heavy contrasts. One day I went partying, the next I witnessed controlled bomb disposals in a bus in broad daylight. You could consider me lucky for never experiencing a real attack, although I’ve gone through false rocket alerts. Anti-fascism has always kept my interest. Last year I met Beate Klarsfeld, my personal idol. She dedicated her whole life to hunting Nazis that went into hiding after the war. She even slapped a German chancellor publicly for his Nazi past, which only goes to show what a remarkable woman she is. We tried having some small talk, but I was way too nervous for a normal conversation. –WS
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Timur Bekeyev
A director, screenwriter, editor and camera operator, Kazakhstan / AAU Bekeyev was working on a Winter Olympics commercial in Almaty in February 2015 when he and his crew members had a close brush with death. “It was the second day of shooting. I was extremely tired from the first day, when we filmed the shots in the air balloon. We were heading to a three-level mountain resort called Shymbulak. In the beginning it was completely fine, despite the fact that we felt frozen until the sun finally came out. But when we went up to the highest level, the directors wanted to shoot in dangerous ski territory, and we had to split up. I and some other people from the crew stayed at the funicular station. Suddenly, we received a message that the resort was closing. We tried to explain that we were still working, but got no response. The last workers of the station went down, and the funicular stopped. We were totally frozen. The sun went down, and people became scared of losing extremities or limbs. We tried to call the owners of the resort, then the mayor of the city, with no luck. Everyone began to feel doomed and forgotten. After about an hour, the machine started moving again and we saw workers at the station. They brought us down. Everyone went to a restaurant to warm themselves and breathe a sigh of relief after our near-death experience. –GP
Teresa Calvo-Sotelo Spain / AAU
My father is a diplomat, and I lived in Cairo for three years. What I loved most about it is that it’s so different from Europe. It’s like New York, but much dirtier with tall buildings, people literally everywhere, and cats the size of tigers. But the people are so nice! On my first day of school, I was so scared, because I knew nothing about the culture or language. People immediately came up to me and asked how I was and where I was from. One day my dad, mom and I went to the desert to spend the whole day and night there. I actually saw how Bedouins live in dunes. They don’t need a house, electricity or Internet. They are never in a hurry. At night, they start cooking and it was the best food I ever had. These were the happiest moments, and I wasn’t actually missing any technology. We were singing and playing tam-tam together. You never see such a bright sky in the city as in the dunes, and you cannot believe you’re just one hour away from the city. –OK
Valeriya Fateeva Russia / AAU
I was on vacation with my friend in Turkey. On the first morning we went to the beach, left our towels and ran to the sea. When we returned, I found a beautiful rose on my towel. At first, I thought it was a mistake or somebody just forgot it, but my friend thought it could be from a secret admirer. We laughed about this weird situation and I decided to just forget about it. However, on the next day it happened again, this time with a cold can of Coca-Cola next to the rose. I realized that it could not be coincidence, I must really have some mysterious admirer at this resort. Day after day, I found new gifts: flowers, deserts and candies, even a teddy bear. On my last day at the resort, instead of a gift I found a letter that read, I will await you at this place at midnight. I want to reveal myself. My first impulse was to come and dispel the mystery, but then I was afraid that he could be a maniac or even a killer. I struggled for the right decision, but finally fear defeated curiosity and I stayed in my room that night. The next morning, when I arrived at the airport, there was a tall, handsome guy with a bouquet of red roses at the entrance. His name was Aleksander and he was my secret admirer. He told me everything, from the first time he saw me to this crazy decision to catch me at the airport. It was one of the happiest days of my life. –GP
Students of PraguE
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PARIS: FROM ROMANCE TO TERROR(ism) By Irina Sterpu The terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 shocked the world, especially coming only 10 months after the Charlie Hebdo tragedy. For students studying in Paris, the attacks not only made them fear for their personal safety, but raised troubling questions: Should they continue to live, study and work there? Would it make more sense to leave the country, or to stay and stand united with Parisians against terrorism? Two students agreed to talk about the tragedy and their feelings, and what their plans are for the future. Zina Esepciuc is a 26-year-old Moldovan woman who has studied in Paris at École supérieure d’études cinématographiques. Currently, she is doing freelance photography and hoping to develop a long-term career as a photographer.
SMS messages, calls that came from relatives and friends, and the ambulances’ sirens.”
On the evening of Nov. 13 Esepciuc was at home. She lives near the neighborhood of Saint-Denis, one of the sites of the massacre. Esepciuc found out what was happening from the Internet, when a few of her friends started distributing the news: “Gun shots in the heart of Paris.”
“On Monday, however, people managed to get themselves together and go out – some to their workplaces, some to their universities. In certain educational institutions, and other places, a minute’s silence was held at noon. Paris seemed to be going back to its normal state.”
She first took the events as something normal. Almost every day in Paris, she explains, there are all sorts of clashes and alerts about “suspicious packages” on public transport. Still, she stayed at home that Friday night, even though she had been invited to a restaurant.
Messages on social media condemned the Paris attacks, though some started with jokes, or corrected mistaken impressions: “There’s nothing happening, people;” “The Eiffel Tower didn’t go dark at the hour a few videos show, it was a video from January in memory of the victims of Hebdo.” Even a tweet from American Presidential candidate Donald Trump circulated, though it turned out to be from January, not in response to the current attacks. He wrote: “Isn’t it interesting that the tragedy in Paris took place in one of the toughest gun control countries in the world?”
“I am glad I followed my instincts and remained at home,” Esepciuc says. “The entire night I was sitting in front of the computer reading the news and answering messages from my relatives in Moldova, who were worried about me.” As she walked the streets the next few days, Esepciuc found a different Paris. “It seemed deserted over the weekend,” she says. “The inhabitants preferred staying indoors, afraid of new potential terrorist acts. The fear was heightened because of messages posted on social networks,
Muslims also responded immediately, posting messages such as “Not in my name,” “Muslims are not terrorists,” and “Silence is our biggest weakness,” according to the BBC. Although rather frightened, Zina visited la Place de la République on Monday, where there were two of the targeted restaurants. There, she found a lot of people coming to commemorate the victims of the attacks. “It was very hard for me not to cry, especially seeing the holes left by the criminals’ weapons in the tables where people used to simply sit and relax after a hard week’s work,” she says. “They did not shoot randomly – they shot people.” Traian Batog, 19, a Moldavian student studying both medicine and IT at the Sorbonne, lives in the neighborhood of the Refugee Campus which was set on fire the evening of Nov. 13. He saw the fires through his window, which made him feel that no one is safe in Paris anymore. “That night was terrifying,” he says. “I didn’t believe it at the beginning, but then it continued and I knew it was not a joke.”
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I will stay because France needs us now more than ever, even if we are foreigners. When he found out about the six massacres which took place in Districts X and XI, he grew worried for his acquaintances, praying for them to be safe. He also could not stop thinking about the possibility of more attacks against other targets. “Today it was these districts, but tomorrow it could be my university, or other places I go,” he says. Batog feels the French security forces could have done a better job with safety measures, especially after the Charlie Hebdo tragedy, when more attacks were predictable and could have been avoided. “Such types of attacks are not supposed to be a premiere for France,” he says. On Nov. 18, the French authorities launched a full-scale anti-terrorist operation in Saint-Denis. The goal was to capture Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 28, a Belgian man suspected of planning the latest series of attacks. Batog was planning on attending classes that day, and was surprised to find that all the transportation lines were closed, and France had extended the state of emergency for another three months. He was lucky. If he had gone to his university building, which is right next to Saint-Denis, he would have been at risk of finding himself in the epicenter of violent events when a female suicide bomber blew herself up. All this has changed the atmosphere of the city and the universities, according to Batog. “Clearly in the French universities there is a sense of fear for both native and foreign students,” he says.
But Batog plans to continue studying there. “I am motivated by the good quality of studies and a strong European diploma, even if the army and the police can be seen at every corner and everybody is taken as a suspect,” he says. “Life goes on and we need to be strong.” Staying in Paris is important for more than just studies, Batog believes. “I will not leave just because terrorists want to implant fear in us,” he says. “I will stay because France needs us now more than ever, even if we are foreigners.” Esepciuc also plans to remains in Paris. “This has been my home for three years,” she says. “I have friends here, and I have managed to build a life that I am proud of. Even if it’s dangerous, following the example of all Parisians, we need to be unified and cautious more than ever.”
“Though nothing has changed regarding studies, I believe there will be fewer students eager to study in Paris.”
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A SYRIAN FOR A NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR? By Irina Sterpu At Hlavní nádraží, the main train station in Prague, you can hardly notice refugees. But in early October, when thousands of refugees were fleeing to Europe from the Mideast, two of them could be found there. One was a 56-year old Syrian, and the other a 48-year old doctor from Afghanistan. Discreetly, they were planning to take the train to Germany, the only country where they would feel safe. To protect them from possible deportation or other legal action, their names are being kept confidential in this story. The Syrian took only his documents and his pug on the long, unknown migration. With just one piece of luggage, he left his family one night because they refused to come with him. “My safety is nobody’s interest, only the territory of my country is their objective,” he whispered with tears in his eyes while caressing the only friend who came with him, his dog. The neurologist from Afghanistan gave up any hope of remaining in his country long ago, but only now found the courage to leave it. He worked in one of the hospitals in Kabul, and could no longer resist the fear that one day he could be called for service as a military doctor. He was heading for Germany, he said, because “the Czech Republic is not an option. They do not like us, I do not know why.” Not everyone in the Czech Republic is hostile to refugees – the country is sharply divided between supporters of providing a home for them, and opponents of it. But the official position of the country has been largely against accepting them. This raises the humanitarian question: If tomorrow a Syrian moved into a Czech house, would he be accepted as a next-door neighbor?
no more than 400 refugees from outside the EU by the end of 2017. Sobotka emphasized that potentially, up to 15,000 refugees could be accepted. But he said that the EU should focus on solving the migration problem, not on the distribution of those in need. The feelings among ordinary people are quite different. Mikail Florian, a 31-year old IT engineer from Brno, was asked how he would react if a Syrian moved in next door to him. “The actual crisis does not affect me or my fellows;” he said. “It is ridiculous to perceive the migrants as our enemies, or consider them as terrorists.” Florian explained that he would agree to having a Syrian neighbor if the person came to this country by legal means, and had “a decent background.” He added that it is crucial to remember Czechs themselves were asylum-seekers not very many years ago. Another professional, Ivana Macharová, a 25-year old economist from Prague, said that her parents migrated from Slovakia to the Czech Republic, where she was born. She understands that a war context not only provokes fear, but also a strong revulsion toward the governments of countries contributing to the destabilization of the situation. However, that does not effect her personal feelings about refugees. “I would happily accept a Syrian refugee not only as a neighbor but even as a friend living at my place,” she said. “We should be united, not separated, by others’ interests and purposes. We must fight for peace. It has become a ‘civil war’ between people and global leaders.” But politically, the hopes for refugees have not improved. The immigration crisis has suspended, at least temporarily, the functioning of the Schengen Zone. In September, Germany announced that it would reintroduce border controls with Austria. Shortly after, a similar declaration came from the Czech Republic. If tomorrow a Syrian comes to a Czech house, there are certain doubts whether she or he will be welcome. Even if the neighbors have openminded attitudes like Florian and Macharová , the Czech government seemed determined not to help or encourage refugees in need of a new home.
As a member of the European Union, the Czech Republic is obligated by an immigration agreement known as the Dublin Regulation to accept a certain number of refugees. According to this rule, refugees must apply for asylum in the first Schengen country they land in. But in the Czech Republic, asylum-seekers must wait for a long period of time in tough conditions in refugee centers. During a night cabinet meeting on Sept. 7, Czech Minister of Internal Affairs, Milan Chovane, showed the government’s position when he announced his support for the declaration of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, who said that the Czech Republic is responsible for protecting the Schengen Zone and should not accept more than 1,100 refugees from Greece and Italy, and
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“Sort waste, not people”
Karim’s Prague is not for tourists By Oleksandra Kovalevska Karim tells his audience that he is a lucky man. After finding himself on the street at the age of 39, he spent about seven years working as a male prostitute and being a drug addict. But then he was able to get a job as a tour guide with Pragulic, an agency that offers tours of the city through the eyes of homeless people. It enabled him to walk away from his frightful lifestyle, which less than 10 percent of homeless people are able to do.
belongings in cardboard boxes (which can also serve as sleeping spaces), shopping carts or big plastic bags, usually from Ikea.
The streets vaccinated Karim against gentleness. His speech is informative and doesn’t reveal his emotions. He talks about his HIV positive diagnosis and prostitution in a straightforward manner. His openness makes him one of Pragulic’s most popular guides.
which protects them from other homeless. Beggars also pay “informers” who warn them when police are approaching. Organized prostitution is also a common way to earn money. Many prostitutes cooperate with clubs and brothels, which require regular medical exams and pay them regularly.
Karim differs from people with a dark past in another way – instead of moaning and complaining about his life, he is simply a narrator of his story. With pitch-black eyeliner around his eyes, numerous rings and necklaces and painted black nails, he stands out from the crowd. Just like any other tour guide in Prague, Karim offers a walk around the city. Most of his colleagues show the Prague that tourists dream of: narrow streets with colorful Baroque buildings, Charles Bridge with swans near the riverside, and authentic bars with tasty Czech beer. Karim’s Prague has nothing do with any of that; he offers a look at the city through the lens of its hidden, destitute inhabitants.
There are two main ways street people earn money for their needs, which are mainly alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. The legal way includes street cleaning and performing, typically as a “living statue” or busker. The illegal way includes pick-pocketing and begging. According to Karim, beggars share half of their earnings with the Prague mafia,
The money earned usually disappears fast, because the homeless constantly need a “treatment” for the situation they’re in. Hard alcohol and “krokodil,” a Czech substitute for crystal meth, are preferred by homeless the most. Passing the Muzeum Metro station, Karim warns that the biggest amount of robbers usually choose this spot for working. Walking down Wenceslas Square, he points out the bottom part of it as the place where you are most likely to find honest policemen. Those who work in the upper part, he says, are paid less because of their lower level of education, and are easily corrupted by the mafia and the homeless.
You are learning how to be on your own all the time.
The tour usually starts in front of Hlavní nádraží, which Karim describes as a center of male prostitution. As Prague is a world destination for gay pornography shootings and male prostitution, he says there are many more men than women working in the sex business. He walks the group around the Wenceslas Square, showing the spots where female prostitutes can be found at night. Walking past a typical Soviet luxury hotel, Karim talks about prostitution in communist Czechoslovakia, where underage prostitutes were in high demand among wealthy politicians. Fortunately, this kind of “business” doesn’t exist anymore.
Pragulic estimates the number of homeless people in the city at around 7,000. Only a few organizations, such as NADĚJE and the St. Theresa Shelter, offer any help. They provide food, a place to stay and help to avoid diseases. But most homeless people prefer to live on the streets, and Karim offers insight into their lifestyle. He points out the places where they sleep – park benches, Metro stations, under bridges. They keep all their
Walking near one of the Mustek Metro entrances, he tells little stories about life on the streets. He shows a small square which is a meeting point for homeless who need to search for or use drugs. People on the street, he says, have a sense of community based either on the type of work they do, or the type of drugs or alcohol they are trying to find. At the final destination, next to the Národní třída metro station, Karim is asked what is the toughest part of being homeless. He remains silent for a while. Then he finally replies, “Loneliness. You are learning how to be on your own all the time.” After becoming homeless, hundreds of people will never win their past lives back. Luckily, Pragulic (www.pragulic.cz) and other organizations help such people as Karim; engagement in their experiences changes a common perspective on homelessness.
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Toward a new level of eco-shopping By Martin Ranninger Forget about buying food in plastic packaging that is used once and ends up in a dumpsite. This results in needless pollution of our environment – the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land that provides for us – to which we are fundamentally tied. With ever-increasing numbers of environmentally conscious consumers, package-free shopping is a steadily growing trend across the globe. A clean shopping revolution is upon us, and the current standard of disposable packaging might hopefully be a punch line in the near future. Czechs often look up to Germany (maybe less so with the recent Volkswagen scandal), thinking that the country offers a better quality of life. Its attempts to handle the refugee crisis, supportive labor conditions, ambitious plans for using energy from renewable sources and conscious approach to the environment are only a few of the things Czechs can envy. Whether you look to the Berlin-based Original Unverpackt, Texan In.gredients, Italian Effecorta, English Unpackaged and, for more than two years now, Prague’s Bezobalu, all these shops have something in common: When you go grocery shopping there, you need to bring your own bags and boxes. Purchasing from local suppliers and offering mostly organic products is part of these stores’ credo. This is another way to be more environmentally friendly, as it reduces transportation costs and pollution. Also, by buying only the needed amount, the amount of waste in the shops and households drops significantly. Extended opening hours contributed to the increasing popularity of Prague’s Bezobalu. Jakub Drnek, an Anglo-American University humanities student, chooses to shop there for many reasons, but mainly because the retailer tries to reduce unnecessary waste. “I also like that they are attempting to subvert the waste culture in general, teaching people that pretty packaging does not need to accompany an excellent product,” says Drnek. When we read or think about issues related to sustainability, international organizations with big names and governments are often thought of as the leaders in trying to reduce mankind’s impact on the environment. But can individuals like you or me do something on a daily basis to reduce
that impact? Ghandi’s quote, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world,” may fit the philosophy of projects such as Bezobalu. Ask yourself what you can do for the environment today. I am not talking about the acres of burned rain forests or polluted oceans. Look around you – the answer will present itself. Even buying your favorite chocolate bar or soda creates waste. And let’s be honest, no one likes streets, alleys or parks flooded with litter. In 2013, each European household generated more than 300 kilograms of waste, out of which 65 kilograms (21 percent) was recycled waste, according to the European Union statistical office Eurostat. This represents a positive trend – in 2008, only 8.8 percent of waste was recycled – suggesting that more people are aware of the environmental impacts of everyday waste. Bezobalu was created as a nonprofit organization and research center. Currently, Bezobalu is researching optimal ways for sustainable distribution of food it sells that will comply with EU and Czech legislation. Ecologos, an NGO in Italy, undertook a similar study. The results show that along with preventing waste in shops and households, package-free shopping can lower prices for the customers ranging from 30 to 50 percent. The Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic sees packagefree shopping as a great opportunity. “The most considerate approach is to produce no waste which would have to be recovered or disposed,” says Ministry spokesperson Petra Roubickova. However, the trend and the offerings are still limited. “A very small percentage of the environmentally oriented population is accepted as a complementary alternative in the distribution of organic products,” says Jitka Gotzova, the director of the Division of Food Safety at the Ministry of Agriculture. The limited range of goods is one of the reasons why the Ministry of the Environment does not intend to support projects like these for now, explains Roubickova. But Bezobalu is continuing to expand its offerings and attract more customers with legumes, nuts, seeds, flours and the two newest additions, organic coffee and cannabis tea. There is also something unique in its atmosphere. “It makes me want to return there again and again,” says AAU student Chiagoziem Obiakor.
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LGBT: The rainbows of equality By Elizaveta Khodarinova After many years of fighting for equal rights, the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community is finally gaining worldwide acceptance. In central Europe, the Czech Republic is one of the countries which supports LGBT with film festivals, pride parades and even LGBT clubs at the universities, including Anglo-American. Chiagoziem Obiakor, known to most students as “Gogo,” is a Political Science and Society major and the founder of AAU’s LGBT club. “I looked at the universities in the UK, where I grew up,” says Obiakor. “They had LGBT clubs to accommodate this community which I didn't see here, so I decided to create one.” The first informal meeting of the club was held on Nov. 20. Members discussed the problems of coming out, the difficulties they face in society and ways to tackle them. The discussions are tentatively planned to be held once a month and take place mostly on campus, with food and drinks provided. The meetings will be followed by a trip to a gay club, to explore all the diversity of Prague’s night life.
a Prague-based Iranian theater director and actress, who was one of the student jurors. Like many other interviewees at the festival, Mohammedi noted that while more could be done, Czechs are very supportive compared to neighboring Poland, a conservative Catholic country. “Since the end of the communist regime, religion doesn't play a big role in this country,” Mohammedi says. LGBT events let people express themselves freely, without being judged. “The inexpressible excitement fills you up seeing so many LGBT people all around you at events like Prague Pride and Mezipatra,” says Beathe Linde, a Prague-based Norwegian actress and the member of the community. Prague Pride 2015 created a furor in August with the most diverse program in the five-year history of the festival. The Pride Parade was held on Aug. 15, a colorful event with participants enriching Prague with thousands of bright rainbows. Another event that energized the local LGBT community was a “Kiss in” protest in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague on Sept. 8, 2013, which attracted more than 100 people for a kissing marathon. Among the four organizers were actors Jay DeYounker and Lindsay Taylor from the Prague Shakespeare Company. The goal was to send Russian president Vladimir Putin a message that “the community won’t stay quiet while inequality and violence towards the LGBT population still continues in Russia,” according to the online magazine Lui.
“I come from an African background,” says Obiakor. “I know what it is like to be gay and black in an African country.” This was one of his main reasons for creating an LGBT club. Also, Obiakor is convinced that there may still be misunderstandings among homophobic students at school. Outside of school, the strong support the LGBT community enjoys in the Czech Republic was evident most recently at the 16th Mezipatra Queer film festival, which ran Nov. 5 – 11 in Prague, and Nov. 12 – 18 in Brno.
Everyone was born different. If you were born gay, that’s good, bisexual, fantastic. You are unique in your own way.
After viewing 66 films, a jury awarded prizes for the best feature and short films at the closing ceremony of the festival in Prague, held at Kino Lucerná.
At AAU, the LGBT club will help anyone who is afraid to speak up. There are no rules for becoming a member; it is open to both gay and straight, professors and students.
The best feature was “Sworn Virgin” (2015), a debut work directed by Laura Bispuri. It tells the story of an Albanian woman named Hana, who gave up physical love forever as the price for becoming a man in an isolated Albanian mountain community governed by strict, ancient laws. The best short, “09:55 - 11:05, Ingrid Ekman, bytem Bergsgatan 4B” (2014), by Swedish directors Cristine Berglund and Sophie Vukovic, is about a former dancer, Ingrid, who is just finishing a treatment. When a former student, Frida, comes to help her, she awakens Ingrid’s almost forgotten intimate desires. All the films will be available for purchase online in the near future.
Obiakor offers a message for all possible members: “This is a club where you can be yourself, be free, not think about what society thinks, be who you are,” he says. “Everyone was born different. If you born to be gay, that’s good, bisexual, fantastic. You are unique in your own way.”
“The Czech Republic is one of the most liberal places for LGBT, but it still needs more festivals like Mezipatra,” says Azadeh Mohammedi,
student life 11
Behind the scenes of part-time jobs By Lizaveta Malinouskaya Many students today want to earn extra money. They browse websites, ask their friends, and send applications in search of a part-time position. But they often have no idea what they are trying to find, and what jobs are really like behind the scenes. To find out, we asked three students to share some of their work secrets. Along with inside details of their jobs, they offer recommendations for what it takes to be successful in their positions.
Barbora Geršlová, 20 / Real Estate Agent Salary: It depends on how many apartments I rent. I get 30 percent of the agency’s commission. It varies monthly and depends on how many days per week you work. For my colleagues and me, it’s an average €1000 per month for five full days per week. Time commitment: Two days a week for six hours per day, plus out-of-office viewings with potential clients. Standard working hours are from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with an one-hour lunch break. Responsibilities: Contact clients interested in apartments via phone and email, arrange viewings and prepare the lease agreements. In addition, I have to solve all the problems between the landlord and tenant. Pros: Flexible hours, working outside the office, working with real people, the feeling of knowing you’re useful and helpful. Cons: The salary isn’t flexible, and the work is time-consuming and mentally demanding. Who should apply: A sociable person with excellent communication skills who is ready to work a lot. You have to be nice, patient, and know how to find compromises to solve all the problems.
Nelly Zhakhyan, 19 / Segway tour guide, Svet Tour Agency Salary: Varies weekly, but basically the hourly rate (90 CZK) plus some extra money for an excursion. Time commitment: Two or three times a week, normally Wednesday and Friday, with an occasional extra day or two. A working day starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m., though it can vary. The tour schedule usually consists of several two or three-hour excursions with small breaks during the day. Pros: Meeting new and interesting people, telling them different legends and unusual stories about Prague, working outside the office, the opportunity to just have fun and enjoy life. Cons: Physical and mental fatigue, pain in your legs and back, the necessity to hide your emotions. At the end of the day, you just want to shut up and be alone. Who should apply: A friendly, talkative, self-confident, easygoing and active person well-acquainted with the history of Prague.
Katrina Avramenko, 20 / Barista Salary: 10.000 CZK/month Time commitment: Six-hour shifts three times a week. Baristas have to prepare working places before and clean them after, therefore, they usually spend an additional two hours a day in the cafe. Responsibilities: Take orders, communicate with clients, make coffee, serve customers their orders, manage the cash box, clean the coffee machine and workplace. Pros: Baristas can drink coffee for free, colleagues often become friends, and the knowledge gained in preparing different kinds of coffee. Cons: You are exhausted after the workday, and you should always be in a good mood – that’s annoying. Who should apply: A cheerful, hard-working, passionate, enthusiastic and definitely outgoing individual.
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AAU offers a life-changing experience By Anna-Rosa Eerikäinen It was January of 2014 when Minkyun Kim, an International Exchange student from South Korea studying at the Anglo-American University, traveled to Rio de Janeiro with several other AAU students to participate in the International Experience Program. This unique winter course offers students an amazing study abroad experience at an exotic location where they work with a local NGO to help the locals build a better life. “We were living on an island where people were so loving and always smiling,” Kim recalls. “The kids we taught English at favela were always happy and smiling.” Kim’s group was the second in the history of the program, which began in 2013 when Carlos Gutierrez, a former dean of the School of Business Administration, took a group of students to Rio de Janeiro. A planned trip to Zanzibar in January of 2015 did not work out due to a lack of student interest. But 2016 will begin with a group of students going to Bali, Indonesia. To help acclimate the group of nine students going to Bali, they visited the Indonesian Embassy in Prague for an introduction to the country from the Indonesian Ambassador himself, Dr. Aulia Rachman. During his opening speech for the presentation, Rachman proudly stated how pleased he is to see students going to Bali to help the local community during their three-week stay on the island.
destination? According to Warren, students get to volunteer through a local NGO in a number of ways. Along with teaching English to the local children, they work in health care or environmental education. The list goes on, with Warren pointing out that there is an academic component to the course.
AAU Students in Brazil, 2014
“During the trip, each student will be producing academic work based on what they are experiencing,” he says.
You feel the vibe, and can experience the food, the people and Mother Nature.
To help students adapt to their new environment, workshops will be held for them in December at AAU. There they will learn how to teach children, receive a deeper understanding of humanitarian work, get tips on how to blend into the local community and, of course, be taught about the history, religion and culture of Bali. According to Warren, students will benefit from the course in a number of ways. They will get to experience something they have never experienced before, challenging themselves by traveling to a destination where everyday life is very different from their own. They will have to employ their learning skills to help the locals live better lives. And they will learn to be socially responsible, contributing to a society while developing a cultural understanding of a foreign environment.
“I am very happy that you, a group of students, have decided that Bali is important to you,” he said. “We Indonesians welcome you to teach us about English. I encourage you to continue this program, because it is very important.”
The program is administered by AAU Professor Robert Warren. To apply, students had to submit a CV and a short AAU Students visiting Indonesian Embassy in Prague, 2015 essay explaining their interest in the project, what skills they would bring to it, and what they hoped to achieve. Warren interviewed Looking back on her trip to Rio de Janeiro in 2014, Minkyun Kim the applicants, looking for a specific set of characteristics needed to deal describes the experience as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “You feel the vibe, and can experience the food, the people and Mother with the challenges they will face in their new environment. “We are looking for people who are not afraid to take risks,” he says. Nature,” she says. “I would definitely recommend it to other students.” “People who are not only motivated by personal growth, but also by other people´s situations. People who have some experience traveling, teaching and working in some kind of humanitarian capacity.” The trip to Indonesia will be Warren’s second time leading an IEP student group. He also traveled with the students to Rio de Janeiro in January 2014.
To follow the story of Bali Mission 2016 visit the team’s website at www.ballimission.aauni.edu
What does a student have a chance to do once he or she reaches the student life 13
message to the world: a nationa By Karina Verigina An 18-year-old Anglo-American University student has published a book based on her great-grandmothers’ experiences in the Armenian Genocide. Arevik Zadoyan wrote “In Fatal Exile” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the tragedy and raise awareness in the non-Armenian community. Despite the family connection, she tried to approach the controversial issue in an unbiased way, presenting events objectively. “As a devotee of literature, I decided to produce something that would be honorable for my country,” says Zadoyan, an International Relations student. She dreamed of having her novel released on April 24, the centenary of the genocide. But faced with the pressure of her studies, she had to put it off until late July. With the desire of having a hard copy of “In Fatal Exile” as soon as possible, the 18-year-old self-published it and became a happy owner of 150 copies. The design of the 86-page book was created and composed by Zadoyan herself. She painted the cover, depicting a young Armenian girl whose face is half-covered by a flame-red scarf in the protective manner used by refugees. A pattern for a frontispiece image was copied from the large 811-year-old Armenian manuscript “Homilies of Mush (Msho Charntir)” kept at the Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts. The book describes the years of World War I and the fate of thousands of Armenian inhabitants of the city of Kharberd. The protagonist, a young Armenian girl named Anna, goes through fire and water, suffering and witnessing the atrocities committed Castle of Amberd (Kharberd), t9th century by the Turks against her family and neighbors. Finally, taken away by Soviet soldiers from the center of violence, she survives to pass on the story to her descendants, inspiring her great-granddaughter’s book. The mass murders of the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian population from 1915 to 1918 are now recognized as genocide by 26 countries, including Russia, Germany and, since April 12, the Vatican. “In the book I didn’t want to name it genocide,” says Zadoyan. “It doesn’t matter how it’s called, if you accept it happened.” She hopes the book will provide important evidence of the atrocities, and will spread understanding that the events are “not something Armenians came up with.”
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According to the Armenian National Institute, an independent nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., the Western world should have a greater appreciation of the consequences of the Armenian Genocide. This experience needs to be related to other populations, especially in the Middle East, where discriminatory policies towards religious, ethnic and demographic minorities are common, says Rouben Adalian, Armenian National Institute representative, via e-mail. “There needs to be more awareness of the danger of the recurrence of genocide and the necessity of warning about it in order to prevent it.” Zadoyan wrote the book in English for just this reason.
I didn’t want to name it genocide. It doesn’t matter how it’s called, if you accept it happened. “My grandfather always wanted to immortalize his mother’s story,” Zadoyan says, explaining that her family holds audio tapes recorded by her great-grandmother. In them, a grown-up Anna tells an incredible survivor’s tale: the execution of her father, a long, exhausting trek to the Turkish pasha’s house, where a young girl was taken to become his fifth wife and her miraculous salvation in a battle where the blood of thousands was shed. Inspired, Zadoyan kept listening to the tapes and in January, when Armenia was preparing for the centennial of the genocide, started writing the book. She was especially touched by Anna’s feeling of numbness from her mother’s suicide; she drowned herself with her youngest child to avoid captivity by the pasha and give her daughter a chance to escape. “I felt the same numbness when my grandfather passed away, and I know that your brain collapses from the idea of losing someone so dear to you,” Zadoyan says. With a full-time study schedule, she had to write on the way to school and during breaks. Occasionally, she had to put the novel aside for about a week. But the breaks gave her time to come up with more details and secondary scenes essential for building an authentic story. Zadoyan tried to stay unbiased and refrain from presenting Armenians as saints and portraying all the Turks in a strongly negative way. She gave positive names to members of the pasha’s household; both his daughter
nal tribute from arevik zadoyan
Ahu (“beautiful eyes” in Turkish) and second wife Sülen, (“bright stars”) are very kind to Anna. The pasha is a controversial character – he kills people by order of the Ottoman government, but he is not a natural killer and prefers to philosophize. Zadoyan stepped into the book as an objective third person, only observing and presenting the tragedy of one girl as a metaphor for the whole nation.
I know that your brain collapses from the idea of losing someone so dear to you.
One of the first few presented with a copy of “In Fatal Exile” was Anthony Marais, Zadoyan’s composition teacher and an experienced writer himself with three books published. He was greatly impressed with her way of approaching such a grave topic. “She is writing about issues that the world should constantly be reminded about and that need to be made public,” says Marais, comparing the book with the recent “Wake Up The Souls Tour” of the Armenian-American rock band System of a Down. Zadoyan plans to give most of the copies of her book to charitable organizations rather than sell them, although there is a copy available at Shakespeare & Sons bookstore. The AAU Library also stocks “In Fatal Exile.” Library director Zuzana Volmuthová says, “We are trying to help Arevik promote the book. She is just 18, after all.”
But Zadoyan was also fascinated by the omnipotence she felt while writing. “It made me feel like a god or a demigod, because you are deciding whether to kill or bring the characters to life,” she says. Control over the fates of the characters, even if restricted by biographical facts, was very appealing to the young author. During the writing process Zadoyan found a trace of Anna’s long-lost brother, who escaped to Chicago after the events described in the book, during which the siblings were separated. The day their descendants found each other was a big one for both families. Zadoyan found a useful first critic in Lusine Zadoyan, her aunt. Upon completing a passage, the novice novelist would read it out loud, letting her aunt judge if it was good or had to be revised. “I knew everything long before it was published,” the elder Zadoyan says proudly. To her, the subject chronicled is also of a great importance.
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PARTYING IN THE RUINS OF COMMUNISM By Wim Sprengers As all students in Prague know, the Czech capital has a very vibrant nightlife. Adding to this long list is an indie club called Stalin. Named for the dictator whose likeness once towered over Letná Hill overlooking the Vltava River and Old Town, the controversially named venue drew hordes in warmer months – often until dawn. David Skára, one of the proprietors of Stalin, explains. “Actually, we didn’t think of the name ourselves,” he says. “Even after the demolition of the statue people kept calling the place Stalin, and for them the name doesn’t have anything to do with the dictator anymore.” Skára notes that it’s been 60 years since the Czechoslovak regime unveiled a statue 15.5 meters in length to honor the Soviet dictator. Behind him workers, farmers and a soldier were depicted. Under his pedestal Stalin had an enormous underground infrastructure, along with a pathway for visitors and admirers. An old urban legend maintains that this space was used as a bomb shelter running deep into the hill – a logical idea, considering that the statue was erected during the height of the Cold War. Rudla Cainer, author of the book “Žulový Stalin” (Granite Stalin), investigated the monument and wrote at length about its many myths. He says the construction was made to house a museum to the former Soviet leader. It was only the foundations that ran deep into the hills, he adds, to keep the structure from sliding down into the Vltava. Despite his strong roots, Stalin didn’t gaze over the nation’s capital very long. After Nikita Khrushchev’s rise to power, things changed. The new Soviet leader denounced Stalin and his cult of personality. The great comrade was brought down from his pedestal, and in Prague that happened quite literally. On Nov. 22, 1962, only seven years after the massive granite statue was unveiled, several hundred kilos of explosives did their job. It was reduced to a pile of rubble, with pieces flying all over Letná Park. The site had no particular use under communism. Since the Velvet Revolution, it has been used by a pirate radio broadcaster, and as an advertisement for a series of Michael Jackson shows. Today it is the site of the modern art Metronome and dozens of teenage skateboarders. It is exactly here that Skára and ten others run their indie club. The founder says that acquiring this special spot proved difficult. It took Skára and his colleagues three years of meetings, discussions and planning before Prague city officials would approve their ideas. Skára and company have run their club without government funding, financing it with just the income from drinks and ticket sales. At the north entrance of the pedestal Skára built a bar, and most parties happened outside. Sometimes the pedestal itself would be opened for parties, although this is very rare. Now, they cooperate closely with the district of Prague 7 in promoting their activities. “Back when we started Stalin, it was our goal to bring some culture to the Letná Park area,” Skára says. “We showed people an empty place, but made them see how alive it could be.” With that ethic, they have tried to host activities every week since the space opened about seven years ago. Stalin has offered live music, cinema, DJs and also activities for inhabitants of the area.
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One of the entrances to the underground structure was made into the simplest bar imaginable, offering passing joggers and dog walkers a drink at Stalin. On the weekend of Sept. 25 all these goals came to fruition during Monumental Lights, a weekend of cultural activities. The underground structure had been closed for over eight years, but it reopened for the weekend and people were welcome to dance to techno music. The monument was filled with dust and debris – according to Stalin employees, the remains of the 1962 demolition. A huge pile of rubble indeed remains within the interior of the plinth. The dust is so thick that party-goers were handed respirators to cope. On another night, more culture-minded people turned out to see documentaries inside the monument. Only one was subtitled in English and the guest speakers only spoke in Czech. But the film “Gottland,” focusing on pop culture history ranging from a Czech actress’ affair with Joseph Goebbels to the Stalin monument story itself, was accessible to all. The Stalin proprietors plan to keep the site alive and popular among Czechs as well as expats from other countries. What the next chapter of the Stalin tale holds will likely be known only in spring.
BLIND MUSICIAN OFFERS GREAT ARTISTIC INSIGHT By Valeriya Vakutina Mario Bihari is a successful singer, musician and composer in the Czech Republic. He has one significant difference from most artists: Since the age of eight, he has been blind. Born in 1977 in a Roma family in Slovakia, Bihari always dreamed of being a performer. “I woke up in the morning with thoughts of the stage,” he says. “However, I had no guarantees.’’ With the encouragement of his parents, he started his music career playing the piano at the age of seven. When he was 10, he picked up the accordion.
Apsa. The name translates as “Tears of Joy,” reflecting the diversity of moods and emotion that Roma music awakens in listeners. The band plays in the traditional Roma style, with songs constructed on Bihari’s strong, beautiful voice and his virtuoso piano and accordion playing, accompanied by guitar, bass and drums. Bihari has also done a number of recordings – to date, a total of nine CDs with KOA and Bachtale Apsa. Along with music, Bihari was always interested in a different kind of art – photography.
After Bihari completely lost his vision, he was sent to a boarding school for blind people in Levoka, very far from his home, parents and four sisters. “It is very tough for a child at that age to move somewhere that far, completely alone,” he says. “But at that time, it was the only option I had.” In Levoka, Bihari kept taking piano and accordion lessons and began to enjoy participating in sports. In 1992 he became the European champion in the category of blind people under 16 years old, running the 60-meter race in a record time of 7,9 seconds. Now Bihari plays Czech goalball. (Goalball is a type of indoor football designed for blind athletes, played with a ball with bells inside, so players can hear where the ball is.)
After meeting the professional photographer Bjorn Steinz in 1998, he decided to take a part in a project. The idea was to compare two pictures of the same thing, one taken by a sighted person and the other by a blind person. “It was more like an experiment,” Bihari says. “Even though I could somehow imagine the shot, I could’t be 100 percent sure about the outcome.”
Fear is important, it keeps you motivated and concentrated.
After finishing high school Bihari moved to Prague to continue his musical education at the Jan Deyl Conservatory, which has a department for visually impaired people. There he continued playing guitar and accordion, and also studied composition and singing. While at the conservatory, Bihari met the famous Czech singer Zuzana Navarová, who invited him to join her band. As soon as he finished his studies, Bihari became a musician in her band KOA. “It was a quick jump from student life to a professional,” he says. “I was afraid I would not justify the expectations of more qualified colleagues. But fear is important, it keeps you motivated and concentrated.” The first concert took place in Homutov, where Bihari couldn’t believe his dreams were coming true. After Navarová’s tragic death in 2004, he took over her duties, becoming the main composer for KOA. When the band broke up a few years later, Bihari started playing solo with his new band, Bachtale
During a walk, Bjorn described the the surroundings and Bihari chose what to shoot. He touched an object, trying to imagine how it would look in a photo, and finally made a picture. In 2004, with the help of Steinz, Bihari created a more ambitious photo project. “I perceive the world in colors,” he says. “For me, each musical instrument has a specific color. For example, classical guitar is yellow while flute is light blue. So I decided to take a portraits of musicians while they’re playing, with the influence of color.” Looking at Bihari’s photos, it is hard to believe that they were made by a blind person. They have great composition, surprising perspective and profound ideas that fascinate the viewer.
With the support of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his works have been exhibited in many cities such as Oslo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Los Angeles. Now playing solo with Bachtale Apsa and with other bands as a guest musician, Bihari continues to grow as an artist. “I haven’t shown anything yet,” he says. “I am still improving myself and growing professionally. I am very lucky with the people around me, they are helping me a lot.” With the support of his wife and daughter, Bihari is preparing to release a new solo album next year and continue making photography.
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{UNDER}WORLD OF FOREIGN FILMAKING IN PRAGUE By Karina Verigina A World War II-period zoo has suddenly appeared in Výstaviště, and Barrandov Studios has become a vampires’ battlefield, which can only mean one thing: Two big-budget American films are currently being shot in Prague. In collaboration with Czech film professionals, U.S production companies are working on the wartime drama “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” starring Hollywood actress Jessica Chastain, and the fifth installment of the action-fantasy series “Underworld: Next Generation.” Such productions are hardly unusual in this country. “The Czech Republic has world-class locations, great production facilities and international-caliber crews, as well as a straightforward, efficient production rebate,” Richard Wright, Lakeshore Entertainment’s Executive Vice President and Head of Production for the Underworld series, told the Czech Film Commission. “It’s a great place for us to be.” Underworld started filming on Oct. 5. The director is a German-born American cinematographer, Anna J. Foerster, previously known for directing a number of episodes of the “Criminal Minds” TV series. Kate Beckinsale is in the lead role again, playing the part of Selene. Divergence star Theo James joins her for the second time as David, Selene’s vampire ally. The latest chapter in the Hollywood vampire saga continues the epic story of the resistance by vampires and Lycans – a more advanced breed of werewolves – to humans’ atrocious reign over the world. Peacemaking is complicated by the creation of a new species of hybrids. In the best tradition of the series, the current production is promising to be filled with action. “I had to kill vampires with machine guns and run through fire, all covered in fake snow. It was completely crazy,” says an enthusiastic Marielle Tepper, a Prague-based American actress who plays one of the Lycans. Weapons training and intense preparation with a movement teacher preceded the first day of shooting. “We were trained to embody a wolf, to have his instincts and feel like him,” Tepper says.
Atypically for an action film, Underworld 5 contains a strong message of gender equality. “Anna Foerster is very interested in empowering women, giving them more clever roles,” says French actress Eva Larvoire, who plays a Lycan involved in a romantic relationship with the main antagonist. Her role was originally meant for a man. “My character designs things in an engineering way and is quite intelligent,” she says. However, Larvoire’s character is quite feminine, being no stranger to jealousy. To act the emotion out in one scene, she got sudden help from her set partner, Tobias Menzies (Rome, Outlander). During the preparation for the scene he abruptly asked, “Do you mind if I...” – telling the story, Larvoire does an impression of him hesitating – “…kiss you a little bit?” This episode set up the high-stakes mood for the scene, making it very emotional and intense, she says. Generally, the atmosphere during filming has been very friendly and professional. “Many of the crew members are from Los Angeles, where I’m from,” Tepper says. “There are lots of jokes on set.”
“Underworld: Awakening” filming in Canada
Filming for Underworld is being done in Prague and surrounding areas for total of 10 weeks, according to the Czech line producer Stillking Films. The other big film project that Prague is hosting this autumn is “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” directed by Niki Caro. Two of her previous films’ lead actresses, Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand, were nominated for Oscars, and this one features another Academy Award nominee, Jessica Chastain. One of the most famous contemporary German actors, Daniel Brühl, plays opposite her in the main male role. Based on the nonfiction book of the same name, the film depicts the story of Antonina Żabińska and her husband Jan Żabińska, the director of the Warsaw Zoo. After the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, they secretly sheltered Jewish people and courageously helped them escape from the Warsaw Ghetto. Czech set designers Výstaviště in Prague 7 recreated a World War II-era zoo inside of Výstaviště in Prague 7, where hundreds of animals – lions, tigers, leopards, zebras, camels and bisons – are co-starring alongside Chastain and Brühl. According to the Czech Film Commission, three elephants were transported from Germany exclusively for the shoot.
“Underworld: Awakening” action shot
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While in Prague, both Caro and Chastain have been active on social media, providing unique behind-the-scenes photos and keeping fans updated on the filming process. “Antonina Żabińska performed radical
HOLLYWOOD EAST acts of compassion. Here I am on set with her daughter, Theresa,” Chastain wrote under the picture on Instagram. “Involvement in such big international productions provides work and a sense of pride for local talents,” says Maya Volava, casting director at Myrnyx Tyrnyx. Her agency cast more than 50 local actors for “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” and another 20 for “Underworld: Next Generation.” One of the agency’s actors, Curtis Matthew, who played a Faun in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” (2008) says about the filming process, “It wasn’t just making a movie to make money, it was making history.” For his Narnia character, he had to spend two hours in a chair every day, getting his make-up done and extra hair glued to his face and body. The Prince Caspian set was a comfortable one even for supporting actors like Matthew, who had their own trailers where they could relax in between scenes. Another reason Matthew enjoyed the month he spent on the set was catering. “Usually on a film set, you get a choice of either spaghetti with tomato sauce or a burger,” he says. “This one was like being in a four-star restaurant. They had fish, steaks, lamb, all kinds of Curtis Matthew on the set of “The Chronicals of Narnia: Prince Caspian” vegetables, ice cream and a coffee machine.” In one of the Narnia battle scenes Matthew almost got run over by a charging centaur – an actor on unstable jumping stilts hauling the back of a horse behind him – because he was just one meter away from the place where he should have been standing. There were also memorable night shoots, he says, with hundreds of creatures marching into battle through thick smoke created with special effects. “At those moments you felt like you were part of the real event in Narnia,” he says. “You were one of the kingdom’s creatures, going to tell the bad guys that you will fight.” After a lull in productions, the Czech Republic has become a popular destination for foreign filmmakers again since an incentive scheme was introduced in 2010 that offers a 20 percent rebate. “The first eight months of 2015 has confirmed what last year already showed,” says Ludmila Claussová, head of the Czech Film Commission.”The rebate scheme is drawing more and more foreign productions to the Czech Republic.”
Since the fall of communism, the Czech Republic has been a popular destination for filmmakers from Hollywood and around the world. Here are some of the most recent and notable productions. A Knight’s Tale Release: 2001 Director: Brian Helgeland Cast: Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamonsome Box office (worldwide): $117,487,473 Locations in CZ: Prague (Old Town, Barrandov Studios)
Hellboy Release: 2004 Director: Guillermo del Toro Cast: Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Selma Blair Box office (worldwide): $99,318,987 Locations in CZ: Prague (Barrandov Studios, Ministry of Transport, Vítkov Memorial, CKD Studios, Holešovice, Smíchov, Libeň)
The Brothers Grimm Release: 2005 Director: Terry Gilliam Cast: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger Box office (worldwide): $105,316,267 Locations in CZ: Prague, Křivoklát Castle, Kačina Castle, Kutná Hora, Ledeč nad Sázavou
The Illusionist Release: 2006 Director: Neil Burger Cast: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel Box office (worldwide): $87,892,388 Locations in CZ: Prague (Vinohrady Theatre, Hradčany Square, Prague Castle, Hlavní nádraží, Náměstí Míru), Český Krumlov
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Release: 2011 Director: Brad Bird Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Josh Holloway Box office (worldwide): $694,713,380 Locations in CZ: Prague (Hradčany, Vyšehrad, Kozí and Haštalská streets, Old Sewage Treatment Plant in Bubeneč), Mladá Boleslav
Movie posters: Columbia Pictures Ind. (A Knight’s Tale, Hellboy), Dimension Films (The Brothers Grimm), Yari Film Group Releasing (The Illusionist), Paramount Pictures (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol). Sidebar sources: Czech Film Commission, Box Office Mojo.
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FASHIONISTAS: A QUICK LOOK By Margarita Orlova
To wear or not to wear: That is the morning question of many students of Anglo-American University, where every day offers a dazzling variety of fashion styles. Here all common stereotypes, such as guys spending less time dressing up than girls, or girls caring more about how they look, sink into oblivion. Almost every student has a unique style and preferences based on various factors such as mood, lifestyles and color tastes. So how and what do AAU students wear to university? Let’s have a look.
Veronika Sinkulova
Georgiy Pak
Julia Valencia
Daniel Bornstein
Czech Republic / MA - Business, Law and International Marketing
Kazakhstan / BA - Journalism and Communications
USA / BA - Journalism and Public Relations
USA / BA - International Business
Style: Casual-elegant
Style: Authentic
Style: Sports casual
Style: Lumberjack
Time spent dressing for school: 10 minutes
Time spent dressing for school: 2 hours
Time spent dressing for school: 15 minutes
Time spent dressing for school: 2-5 minutes
Fashion passion: Shoes
Fashion passion: Bright accessories
Fashion passion: Shoes and jeans
Outside of university: Same as in university
Outside of university: Same as in university
Fashion passion: Leggings, trainers, jaunty rings and earrings
Favorite stores: Zara, various online shops
Favorite stores: Reserved, New Yorker, Moschino
Personal philosophy: I do not follow any fashion trends. My own trend is black and edgy colors.
Personal philosophy: I like to stand out and have my own style. In the country where I’m from, all pupils have to wear a uniform to school. So here, I really like that I can wear what I want, and just one small detail can make my day unforgettable.
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Outside of school: For going out with friends, more snappy clothes with more accessories and/or makeup Favorite stores: Lulu Lemon, Nordstorm, Topshop, North Face Personal philosophy: I care about my look, but my choice of clothes for university mostly depends on comfort.
Outside of school: More formal outfits for work, otherwise no distinction between school and going out with friends Favorite stores: Urban Outfitters, PacSun, Burton Snowboards, thrift shops Personal philosophy: I’m from New England, where we like to wear warm, comfortable things. In terms of choosing clothes, apart from my personal preferences, I get inspiration from different music and artists.
AT AAU STUDENT STYLE
In classes your mind is way more important than your dress.
Abdala Chabayta Lebanon / BA Administration
-
Business
Oxana Sergeeva
Marco Pascucci
Julia Nowak
Russia / BA - International Relations
Italy / MA - International Relations
Poland / BA - Journalism and Communications
Style: Minimalistic
Style: Exotic
Style: Casual-elegant
Style: Boho-Chic/Elegant
Time spent dressing for school: 15 minutes
Time spent dressing for school: 40 minutes
Time spent dressing for school: 20 minutes
Time spent dressing for school: 1 hour
Fashion passion: Turtleneck sweaters
Fashion passion: Bags
Fashion passion: Ties
Outside of university: More spunky outfits
Outside of university: No distinction in the choice of clothes when going out with friends, unlike in Italy, where students dress more formally for school.
Fashion passion: Small bags and jazzy pendants
Outside of university: Same as in university Favorite stores: Vintage and secondhand stores Personal philosophy: I love turtlenecks, I literally have them in all colors.
Favorite stores: Fashion markets and vintage stores Personal philosophy: I love bright, vivid colors. At least one or two details of my outfit must have saturated colors.
Favorite stores: Unknown, high-quality Italian stores. Personal philosophy: In classes your mind is way more important than your dress.
Outside of university: Less formal, more casual Favorite stores: Zara, Mango, River Island (in Poland), online Personal philosophy: Recently I’ve noticed that I go through phases during the year, when for a few months I have a strong desire to dress elegantly, then for the next few months I get tired of it and switch to a more casual style. And so I keep switching back and forth all the time.
health & lifestyle 21
22 health & lifestyle
workshop: CHECK YOUR BOOBS & balls By Margarita Orlova People are raised with the notion that touching themselves in public is wrong. Kateřina Vacková, a 23-year-old medical student, asks people to forget about this rule in her workshops about cancer prevention, teaching them how to feel and work with their bodies. She is a great ice-breaker and the reaction is immediate. People open up. Vacková is not only a medical student, but the founder of the NGO Loono, which started in 2013 as an organization devoted to educating people about the prevention of cancer. Recently, Vacková has launched a campaign called #prsakoule (boobs and balls), a series of workshops where people learn how to do preventive self-checks for breast and testicle cancer. On Nov. 12, Vacková held one of these workshops at Anglo-American University. Students learned about different types of cancer, techniques for self-checking and methods of prevention. They were also given useful information about where to go for help in case of problems. Establishing personal relations with each participant at her workshop, Vacková created a relaxed atmosphere where people felt comfortable to talk about intimate health issues. Moreover, students got a chance to use what they learned on realistic-looking models brought by Vacková. “The workshop was very informative and it actually made me conscious about my body,” says second-year AAU student Chiagoziem Obiakor. Vacková knows more about cancer than a typical medical student. In 2013, doctors found cancer cells in her body. Fortunately, she was diagnosed at an early stage, and following a long treatment she completely recovered. “People might say that I was lucky or that I have good karma,” jokes Vacková. “But personally, I think that it all happened because I listened to my body. I was wise enough to go to a doctor immediately after I felt that something was wrong.” Later, doctors told her that if she had waited another two or three months, she would have died. However, not every person would do the same, and these are the people Vacková is trying to reach. According to the Czech Oncology Center, every year 6000-7000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 450 men with testicular cancer in the Czech Republic. In
two
years,
around
4000
people
have
taken Vackova’s
AAU workshop
workshops, and 18 of them have already contacted her, telling her that thanks to her efforts, they found signs of cancer and now are receiving professional help. “I am crying every time someone calls me with such news,” says Vacková. “Sometimes the feelings are so strong that I want to quit. But then I think about those 18 lives, 18 families, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, and about others who are okay because of us. Then everything I do becomes meaningful.” Loono may be very young as an organization, but it is expanding at a rapid pace, run by a group of young and active volunteers. They are all medical students, trained to explain confusing medical terms and concepts in an easy-to-digest way. They use every imaginable, cuttingedge form of presentation. And they do it with a sense of humor, joking about boobs and balls in order to distract people from depressing thoughts. One of the volunteers, Monica Bohacova, a third-year medical student at Charles University, found out about Vacková’s work through a friend and immediately became interested in helping out with the workshops. “I like working with Kateřina,” she says. “Her enthusiasm and energy inspire me, and it feels so good when I see the results of our work.” Along with sponsoring workshops, the organization is active on a number of social media platforms, and occasionally throws parties. Volunteers also participate in festivals where they gladly answer all questions and provide information about the organization’s activities.
For more information about Kateřina Vacková and upcoming Loono events, visit www.loono.cz. Loono team members
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MEN ON THE ROAD: 60 DAYS ACROSS THE US By Elizaveta Khodarinova A former Anglo-AmericanUniversity student has disproved the common notion that successful travel across the United States is possible only with lots of money in your pocket. Pavel Mareš, who graduated with a BA in International Relations in 2015, got the idea for the trip after graduation. “I wanted to do something big and new that I’d never done before,” he says. “Graduation is kind of the end of a part of your life. So I decided to go on a road trip around the US.” Last summer Mareš and a friend from Mexico visited 14 states in approximately 60 days, driving a rental car for 40 of them. They captured the sights and sounds with a GoPro camera, and have begun turning the footage into a YouTube series. The sojourn began with renting a 2012 Dodge Charger – the cheapest option available – and starting their drive from Los Angeles. Mareš’ first idea was to spend only $100 for the entire trip. But after a few days in the US, he realized this would never cover the goal of visiting 14 different states. But Mareš and his friend did stay remarkably efficient. Each of them spent on average $30 per day on food and gas, their only expenses. Instead of hotels, they crashed at friends’ houses. Most were former AAU exchange students. They also used Couch Surfing, an international website where people provide housing for free. It’s also a fine method to meet new friends. (See story on facing page.) Mareš was dying to go to Nebraska. “There is nothing, only fields, so I thought it would be totally awesome or totally terrible,” he recalls. According to Jamie Jensen’s book Road Trip USA, the whole state is an open landscape. “Towns are few and far between, and come and go in the blink of an eye.” In a state with a population of just over 1.5 million, Mareš managed to find a host who had Czech roots. It was a surprise for both, although the man explained there is a sizable community of Czechs in Nebraska – slightly more than 5 percent of the inhabitants. He showed Mareš a village called Prague with 300 residents, and took him down Moravia Street, where Czech flags were flying all over. The American was so excited to host Czech guests that he took Mareš and his friend to a wine tasting and a family dinner, where everyone asked about Czech traditions. “It was such a unique experience,” says Mareš. “I could never have expected that.” Wyoming is the least populous of the 50 states, with slightly more than 500,000 residents. As they reached the state it meant heading for Yellowstone National Park. There Mareš met a man who later gave them a telescope to see light pollution, the Milky Way and, most amazingly,
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the rings of Saturn. California was a dream state for Mareš before the trip, he says, because “I was brainwashed by all the Hollywood movies and celebrities, and I loved the semester that I spent there.” The duo pulled into Santa Cruz, where they stayed with a former AAU exchange student. One day they were pedal-boarding a mile out from the shore when they saw something that looked like a shark and freaked out. A lifeguard they consulted afterward nodded and said, “Yes, you probably saw a shark. I just didn’t want you to go crazy.” In New Mexico, Mareš and his friend were pulled over and asked to show their passports. Pavel had an electronic visa completely in Czech, which confused the officer for 20 minutes. Finally, he was satisfied, but warned them that he had already arrested a few people with similar papers. Finally back home, Mareš is turning the trip into a 20-episode YouTube series with five parts online so far. He works on each video for more than a week with a friend, Alexander Vashkeba (aka WhizzerDee). Alexander is a music producer – he is creating upbeat soundtracks for the series. Mareš’ plan is to post one or two videos a month. They catch the eye with colorful footage of sites and daily fails. The videos prominently feature a clothing brand, DGAFASAP (Don’t Give A Fuck As Soon As Possible), which was created by Mareš and a couple of friends from the US when he was studying there in high school. The company helped sponsor the trip and is using the videos for promotion. In every episode, Mareš asks an American what he or she dislikes about the place they live, and what is their best DGAFASAP moment – that is, an absolutely spontaneous and perhaps careless moment in someone’s life. Some answers surprise: A 60-year old man who looked thoroughly badass at a classic car show in San Diego said his DGAFASAP was marrying his wife 40 days ago. Some just say they quit their job and moved to a different state. During the trip, the travelers’ perspective shifted. They first fell in love with California, but then their feelings changed. “Mainly because of the friendliness and warm welcomes by people from states like Nebraska and Texas,” says Mareš. The lesson he took from the road trip was that real exploring happens best by getting in touch with locals and visiting unpopular states. “You can travel the world, but you have to remember where you are coming from,” says Mareš.
DGAFASAP
SAFE COUCH SURFING By Lizaveta Malinouskaya More and more people nowadays are choosing couch surfing as a new way of traveling. You pack your bags, send requests to some hosts, and head off to new adventures and friends. It sounds really good, but you need to think about your safety. You’re going alone to an unknown place to live with a person you barely know. In those terms, it’s a bit scary. So with the help of four experienced couch surfers – Allison Malfoy, Martin Roux, Amy Pavlova and Daniel Bruno – we’ve compiled a list of tips that will help you stay safe. 1. Read all the reviews It’s a strict rule of couch surfers to leave truthful comments under the profiles of their hosts on the official website of the project (couchsurfing. com). These will help you form an accurate impression of the person you’re planning to stay with. “If you’re a loopy fiddle, then pick a host as active and crazy as you are and do cool things together,” suggests Bruno. “And if you’re a cozy book reader, then find someone balanced and calm to make you feel comfortable.”
5. Inform your host about your plans in advance It’s a simple formality that will help you avoid inconvenient situations. 6. Study some facts about the place you’re visiting Malfoy suggests reading about the national food, traditions and unique or unusual customs of the country you’re going to. This will help avoid situations like suggesting to your religious Indian host that you go out to a restaurant to eat beef. 7. Make sure your host is a true couch surfer Before you agree to sleep on a sofa in someone’s apartment, clarify the conditions of your stay. It should be free of charge. 8. For girls, it’s better to stay in girls’ apartments “Believe me, you’ll feel much more comfortable!” says Malfoy. It’s a simple question of gender: Girls feel safer when they live with girls. 9. Don’t be afraid to say no
2. Tell your friends and relatives where you’re staying Give them an address and phone number of your host. In case they have difficulty reaching you, they will be able to call your host, who can clearly explain that your phone just died when you were partying together.
If you don’t like the situation or feel uncomfortable in someone’s presence, just leave. Don’t be afraid of being rude! It’s your safety, and your trip. Don’t let anyone ruin your vacation.
3. Meet with your host in a public place “Greet each other, grab a cup of coffee, take the keys and be happy that you’ve met another cool couch surfer,” says Roux. And if you decide you don’t like the person, you can leave anytime. 4. Get your host’s phone number ahead of time in case you get lost People using couch surfing typically travel alone to an unknown destination. To avoid a situation where you get lost after turning a corner, be sure you have your host’s phone number.
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STUDENT HOMELANDS OFFER EXOTIC HOLIDAYS By Anastasia Kovtunenko England, France and Italy are among the usual destinations that come to mind when planning a vacation. However, there are many alternatives for a stimulating holiday. Below, Anglo-American students talk about their homelands, and why they are fascinating places for foreigners to visit.
Georgia Resting at the crossroads of Russia, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the little country of Georgia offers a unique blend of different cultures. Customs and traditions are very important for the Georgian people, who have been preserving and sharing their culture for centuries.
taking a walk during the hot, sunny summer days or snowy winter makes you feel the spirit of Tashkent, with the smiles of people and the beautiful city around you,” says Malyuga. One of the oldest marketplaces in Tashkent, Alay Bazaar, offers an astounding diversity of products. Locals shop at Oriental food markets, and tourists will find a venue rich with precious metals and silk from China and India. “Unfortunately, Tashkent is not known so much among people in Europe,” sighs Malyuga. “But it is definitely worth visiting.”
“Georgia is very traditional and exotic,” says Tekla Natsarishvili of her country. “People who go there know exactly why they are going.” Georgia offers visitors a range of activities to enjoy in nature – skiing in the winter, hiking and rafting in the summer. Natsarishvili is also enthusiastic about the cuisine. “The food is amazing, and I’m not talking about wine,” she says. “It’s one of a kind.” Georgian cuisine is influenced by both Europe and the Middle East. Some of the national dishes worth trying include khinkali, Georgian dumplings stuffed with meat, and khachapuri, bread filled with cheese, eggs or other ingredients. Georgia is reputed to be the birthplace of wine, with more than a 6000-year history of viticulture. “The people are very open and hospitable, [hosting guests] is their favorite thing to do,” says Natsarishvili. “They are totally in love with their country and history.”
Bosnia and Herzegovina Medieval castles, high mountains and river canyons, along with various styles of architecture influenced by different empires and time periods, are just a part of a long list of attractions Bosnia and Herzegovina can offer. The country sits on the Balkan peninsula between Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro. “Even though our country does a very poor job of promoting Bosnia as a desirable location, I believe that there are so many beautiful sites,” says Adi Hadzic, president of AAU’s Student Council. “Show me another place in Europe where you can go skiing 20 minutes from the capital city,” he says. “If you want to go to swim in the sea, the Croatian coast is only two and a half hours drive by car.” “Bosnia is a fun place to visit,” he adds. “It may not be on the main radar of tourist attractions in Europe, but people there are very friendly, educated and welcoming. Visitors always leave Bosnia full of positive experiences and feedback.”
Uzbekistan Known for mosques and mausoleums, Uzbekistan represents a blend of religions, traditions and cuisine. It was historically located on the carrefour of world civilizations and today rests between five countries: Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Surrounded by mountains and deserts, it absorbs the best. Its divergence is tangible everywhere, from the number of languages Uzbek people speak (Uzbek, Karakalpak, Farsi, Kazakh, Russian) to the variety of cuisines (Uzbek, Uighur, Russian and Korean). “Our cuisine is very rich and tasty,” says Business and Marketing student Veronika Malyuga. Tashkent is the capital and heart of Uzbek history and culture. “Just
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