(no subject)
yesterday we went to kovne (kaunes?) and there had been a big storm so a bunch of trees were down. we left at 10, and didn't get back until like 8pm. it was... bleh. we had a walking tour, but it was a sunday so everything was closed and dead, and also just like, "there used to be an important jewish thing here, but it was destroyed in the war." or whatever.
the museum/fort thing and the synagog were a lot more interesting. the museum/fort/prison thing was an interesting intersection of lithuanian, nazi and soviet history, since it was used before the war by the lithuanians and after the war by the soviets. the guide kept things snappy though, and brief.
the synagog was really cute and had a little museum. a bunch of the local jewish men were there, and one had his son play some compositions on the piano for us.
then after we got back we were cooking dinner and i was sewing a patch onto my shorts (i brought two pair, the zipper broke on one in an unfixable manner. i'm not sure how. and the second is rapidly getting holes. so i cut up the broken pair to patch the ripped pair.) and jean, this swedish guy in my classes, came in and was talking to a bunch of us. he is HILARIOUS. i don't understand how anyone can be that consistently funny for so long. it was great. i facebook friended him.
then today at the coffee break i ended up ranting for like the whole time about urban planning. it was sortof funny. me and a canadian going back and forth (uh, but like, you know, agreeing with each other, for the most part), and a german and someone from switzerland sitting there and occasionally chiming in.
today i think some of us are going to the kgb museum, but... haven't left yet. i don't know. we'll see.
the museum/fort thing and the synagog were a lot more interesting. the museum/fort/prison thing was an interesting intersection of lithuanian, nazi and soviet history, since it was used before the war by the lithuanians and after the war by the soviets. the guide kept things snappy though, and brief.
the synagog was really cute and had a little museum. a bunch of the local jewish men were there, and one had his son play some compositions on the piano for us.
then after we got back we were cooking dinner and i was sewing a patch onto my shorts (i brought two pair, the zipper broke on one in an unfixable manner. i'm not sure how. and the second is rapidly getting holes. so i cut up the broken pair to patch the ripped pair.) and jean, this swedish guy in my classes, came in and was talking to a bunch of us. he is HILARIOUS. i don't understand how anyone can be that consistently funny for so long. it was great. i facebook friended him.
then today at the coffee break i ended up ranting for like the whole time about urban planning. it was sortof funny. me and a canadian going back and forth (uh, but like, you know, agreeing with each other, for the most part), and a german and someone from switzerland sitting there and occasionally chiming in.
today i think some of us are going to the kgb museum, but... haven't left yet. i don't know. we'll see.