bananas!

February 21, 2009
What a wonderful day!

I think I have had one my best days here yet. This morning started off with a bang, meaning we ate scrambled eggs for breakfast which was the first time since I have been here…usually breakfast is bread and cheese and yogurt, which is good, but not scrambled eggs. Anyway, today I went to Samobor with my family. Samobor is a town 30 mins away that has a carnival. (I posted some pictures on facebook of a man with a banana not oo long ago, he was promoting the carnival…) We spent the morning creating our costumes, I was a black cat, Dora a ghost, and Irena a hula girl. The dad came with us too and he bought he best costume at Samobor (look for pictures later) At the carnival we ate great food, danced to live music and drank mulled white whine. I hung out with my family all afternoon and met up with some friends in early evening at the part of the carnival that had carnival rides. After a bit of wondering around we hear approaching drums. A giant parade snaked through the cobblestone streets. There were “turks” and a lot of people dressed as bananas and a sign that said “the republic of bananas” and a group of pirates in a marching band… and many more. It was pretty much the most exciting thing ever. They all proceeded to the stage, the earlier that day had held talent shows and cover bands. On the stage all sorts of shenanigans took place, however we couldn’t understand thing that was happening, except for the rather sexual parts. I guess everyone is making fun of everything and then on the last night of the carnival, which is Tuesday they burn the prince of the carnival, which is a puppet. I need to do a bit more research. Anyway, everyone dresses up and makes fun of everything, and there is dancing, and this specialty cream cake you can only buy there, so basically it was everything great in one place.
Yesterday after class I went to a contemporary art museum that had a lot of good video art, as well as a few terrible pieces that seemed rather unethical. Afterwords we decided to have coffee and stumbled upon an amazing café, whose sign read “save the animals, pickle a squirrel” We knew immediately it was promising. When we walked in the bar tender made a joke and we didn’t know what he said so we had to speak English, at which point he revealed he lived in NYC for 10 years. We grabbed a rustric table and order some kava s mlijeko (coffee with milk). The coffee shop was decorated with this and that, including a stuffed animal proudly wearing scuba gear right about the “stage” area. The best part of all was when our bill came! (What an oxymoron) But the bill comes in a book, which is just cute. Anyway, it was cozy and nice and just a good find.
The rest of the weekend is very busy. I have a paper to write, family lunch, reading an an interview to do. Sigh! And next Thursday I am off to belegrade…
Well,
I hope all is going smoothly in the states!
Pusa!
Emily

PS, we found a drip coffee maker at our classroom and made drip coffee on Friday! ☺

I posted pictures on my facebook account, because it is easier... sowwy