...encounter of the first kind

So...last night I had my first experience with traditional Czech cuisine. I know some of you already heard something about it....but it was just so great, that I have to recap it again.

So...last night we had cabbage soup (...which was more like sauerkraut) with mashed potatoes and bacon in the middle of it. It actually wasn't too bad, besides leaving me with the impression that I would be farting for the rest of my life. It wouldn't have been too bad...except that we had to sit throught a theatre performance right afterwards...so definitely one of the most painful experiences of my life. And I now understand why I haven't eaten that much traditional Czech food at my house...because my sisters and brother don't like it either.

The play we saw last night was definitely one of the most random plays I've ever seen in my entire life. I wouldn't call it absurdist, but it definitely had no meaning...but it wasn't existential either. It was just a combination of the most random things I've ever seen. I guess it was more like performance art...because it wasn't really dance theatre either. No one spoke any text the entire time. There was some dancing, and some music, and the cast was only 3 people. The first part was an actor playing with a bunch of toys. The second part was full of music (piano/bass/accordian) and some dancing. Yea...really really random. But it was good. It wasn't weird...just random.

And this week I'll be headed to southern Bohemia with 4 other girls. We're doing a regional homestay in a village called Debolin. It's one of the villages that's still visibly recovering from Communism. We're working with an arts center that was established there recently. It's a ceramics studio, and we'll be helping with the Masopust festivals--basically, the closest comparison to the festival is mardi gras. It's a pre-Lent celebration. But we're making masks, and then we'll be in the parade as well. So I'm really excited to be a part of the festival (...which is only celebrated in village life, not in Prague), and to see how the arts center has created sustainable growth in this community. So yea...you can get excited about my week as well!!!! :D

Let me know how you all are doing! I'd love to hear from you!!! :D