...

ok - now that the list is out of the way - let's talk about the fishnet thanksgiving retreat. each year fishnet takes students into the mountains to malonovice for the purpose of talking in english and teaching them about the american thanksgiving holiday. 

the weekend begins with hat making - indian vs pilgrim

 - if the pilgrims were smarter, they would've chosen to be indians -- bc we get to do rain dances and smoke peace pipes (granted - we were later shoved from our homes several times and were almost killed off.... but thanksgiving was a happy time for squanto and friends) any ways - make a hat - then all the silly get to know you games that are too funny for their own good. a decent meal. followed by a photo scavenger hunt - i was w/ very creative boys. up next is turkey bowling (or frozen chicken...) and american football. aaahh american football. for most american families - this is a huge holiday tradition. in my family growing up, i had to watch and keep score and the like while my brother, 8 cousins and several friends gathered in uncle dempsey and aunt jennifer's backyard for a football extravaganza. this time, not only was i playing... i was teaching. laura and i explained the game w/ a football that had a hole in it - so we had to keep airing it up - at 330pm - which is almost dark - as it started to sprinkle - so basically - perfect conditions for a rowdy, confusing game. we split into 2 teams and the czechs were super excited and desiring to get a tad too complicated w/ the plays - we helped them to simplify. they caught on pretty quickly - except for the two hand touch rule. they would two hand touch and stop and then keep running or pass the ball off to another team member (we explicitly told them they couldn't) or the defense would steal the ball, run for a touchdown, celebrate a touchdown until we had to gently yell that no one scored anything - 3rd down. 

needless to say, it was a delightful experience. i loved it. 

the other highlight of the weekend was by far the thanksgiving play where we give them scripts acting out the pilgrims leaving the netherworld, coming on the mayflower (drunk sailors on board included), landing in america (with pilgrims dying) and then celebrating w/ the indians and their peace pipe. it was amazing hearing them say things like "this

 whip cream is so light and fluffy! how did you get it like this?"   "oh, it's easy, i'll give you the recipe..."

all in all - it was a beautiful, fun-filled weekend on a mountain (the mountains always make me go "i LLIIIVE here. no way. i live in a magical land. bc it all looks like narnia")

pics to come soon on facebook - so check there. for now - here is one of the 2 amazing football teachers

no worries

my very sad day / annoying couple of weeks of weird emotions ... were followed by busy amazing times. for the sake of lists...

1. i have found caramel biscuits - you know - the delightful ones that they serve w/ coffee? yes - i can buy them in bulk. mmmmm. that face says "they really are that good"

2. all my

 lists about food make me sound like a fat kid. ha

3. i don't care

4. american football

5. two weekends in the mountains

6. IT SNOWED AND I SAW IT. it's been 10 years since i 

saw snow fall

7. i can wear my sweet slippers again

8. i have had 2 retreats and am soon departing on my next one - tomorrow actually

9. i'm trying to like tea more than i do... slowly but surely :)

10. i went running when it was like 44 degrees - which made me very much feel like i live here and little by little i will conquer my feelings of the cold. it was so monumental - i documented the evening w/ a pic... 

it happened

i miss home. something about poland spawned an evil missing of fashion. which spurred on into a complete desire for things american. gross. i wasn't supposed to miss anything for a year. bc i don't know. something about missing home makes it seem like i failed - -- i know that is irrational and dumb... but that is what feels real in this moment. and it's not failure. it's not like i've really missed anything yet... and it's not like i will continue to miss it forever. but this week i miss my family - both of them - and buying clothes and it being warm and eating food where i understand what they say to me and cloves and concerts with strongbow and life as it was. 

funny. emotions are funny. and annoying. more annoying than funny. so i miss you. all of you. and make it stop. a week of this is enough. can i go back to european bliss please?

poland = fall break

poland = girls with flawless fashion. 

cafes and pubs with good environments - the ambience, the products, the people, the photos.

town squares reeking of history and war havoc rebuilt. 

fall with leaves the brightest yellow you've ever seen. 

jewish quarters where it was hard to imagine them all being forced out, marching in lines, with clothes strewn on the street, babies being dragged behind them...

paulaner

chocolate for breakfast

cute hostels

walking and walking and walking

missing trains or trams bc they are on ghost tracks or you speak the wrong language

nightlife that you must hunt down. literally

maps that make sense

the best bookstore ever