SZALAVAGATATAVAGATO

Okay, folks, that was AWESOME.

Last night, the champagne was in Russian. So I asked one of the teachers what it said. (They all, grudgingly, learned Russian here years ago). He said it means "change." I'm like, okay, that's a weird thing to name the champagne. Then he pronounced it. Per-e-stroy-ka. And I was like, dude, that's awesome! I know perestroika! I know Michael Gorbachev! This is awesome! I love perestroika!

So we continued to toast the graduating seniors. They call them school-leavers here. Then I was told, by the woman who is akin to my mother here, that I should hurry and go to the bar with all the students. She gave me explicit directions that I must do this, so I said okay. This is after the power went out, and the teachers sat in the teachers' office drinking around candle light.

It's not like we didn't earn this privilege. the school-leaving ribbon ceremony was long, and rather heavy on the Hungarian. I understood only the dancing to "tutti frutti." All the kiddies dressed up and danced. Some waltzing, some rock and roll, some salsaing.

So I went to the bar with the students. I played foosball! I was destroyed each time, I think because I picked students to be my partner. And I played "Otherside" and "It's my life!" on the jukebox, it was awesome. I must repeat that. It was awesome!

And the sun is out now!! It's kind of attacking me right now, but it's so awesome!