Entertainment while you wait

Here's a little teaser for you to enjoy while I'm still trying to get the film from the camera onto my computer. Some of our pictures also didn't turn out so well, because of lighting, so I'm waiting for some others from our friends who have more advanced cameras. This video shows some of our practice with the 4th and 5th grade class as we were preparing for the April Fool's Night. We were experimenting to see if we wanted to make a short circus, but in the end we chose to make a zoo. Here you see one of our circus acts.

I feel like I should dedicate this video to Anna Evans, who convinced me to watch High School Musical for the first time. With out her persistent urging to watch it, I might never have experienced the wonderfully cheesy yet entertaining movie. After years of Oklahoma kids and talent shows, the movie just makes me laugh every time. And the song fit perfectly for this video.

April Fool's Night

 
 
 
 What an exciting night! In these pictures you see the preparations for our big talent show, the April Fool's Night. The band played, the choir sang, and all of the English classes participated. We all had a good time and laughed a lot. I'm still editing the video and other pictures so you'll see them sometime next week. I'm so sorry that I've been pretty bad at posting in the last month. I was sick for two weeks and then preparing for this show, but I think it has more to do with my personal feelings that with how busy I've been. I usually post when I have something on my heart or when I have a huge cultural experience and I need to share it. Lately I have begun to feel like I'm completely adjusted to the culture and my job. I know what I'm doing, who I'm working with, and I know how to get what I want. My Czech sounds pretty good. Amidst all my mistakes of gender and cases, I can say pretty much anything. In the kitchen, I can finally make good soup and several Czech meals, enough to make me feel like a good Czech woman. I can make fruit dumplings, potato pancakes, řizek(Czech schnitzel), fried vegetables, American potatoes(fried potatoes), and a variety of cream sauces. You would think that this makes me want to change my mind and stay here, but it's actually quite the opposite. I'm so submerged in the culture that sometimes I feel like I don't see the tides that I want to work against, and they just roll right by. I've lost that cultural innocence that opens up room for discussion, and in it's place I'm afraid that I sometimes resolve that some things will never change. I finally think I've come to the point where I will feel like I've gained as much as I can from living here, and it's time to move on. I'm also thankful that God has provided two wonderful people to carry on for me. Jamie and Jeremy will come in with new ideas and a new energy that I think will give another boost to the program.
Sure we have many more activities before the summer camp in July, but the April Fool's night was kind of the last big event. I think I enjoyed the event mostly because I put in so many of the things I enjoy: music, theater, and silliness. I have so many great memories from this night and I can't wait to get the movie up and share it with you. Give me a week or so and I'll have a fuller post. Until then you can enjoy the happy faces from our kids. These are the faces of the kids and adults that I can always count on to show up for a fun event. Have a great weekend!