Tomas Update: Week 11 in Žilina

Ahojte všetci! This week’s been pretty good, hopefully I can remember all that’s happened. I guess I’ll just get right into it:

So this week we tried to film out little “why we are here” videos for Facebook (basically so that the people we add don’t think we’re like bots or whatever) but after like an hour in the – 10c weather we found out the mic wasn’t working. We got a new battery after getting the wrong kind and it still wasn’t working. Turns out it’s the adapter – neither of us has an aux port so like we had to use a USB c to aux kinda deal but I guess even though a mic is just a reverse speaker most of those adapters are only built to work one way. Fun to find out. Anyways we don’t actually have the videos yet, working on it.

I did manage to fix my camera (so far??). Just painted over the hole in the fabric with some fabric paint and it didn’t seem to let any light in when I checked so hopefully this roll of film comes out better. Black and white this time which is exciting (and also like a third of the price of color). Hopefully I can get some good pictures out of it but I don’t really know how it’s gonna go. However I can feel okay taking more pictures because they’re way cheaper so I’ll get results faster. We will see.

Thursday there was some weird folklore kinda procession through town that like had a guy with a whip and everything, not sure what that was about but seemed kinda cool. Also we got elder Noftle’s film developed and back so I have some pictures off his Zenit E from ’80. They turned out good, no issues with his camera.

Friday we made halušky, a traditional Slovak dish that’s basically potato dumplings with some meat mixed in and bryndza (sheep cheese). Very cheap to make and super filling and tasty. I am getting used to the bryndza, didn’t have that at home but the taste is growing on me.

Saturday we had a nice valentines party for the branch and decorated cookies, then had game night. We have the German version of Skull King if anyone knows it, very fun game. 

Okay that gets us to today, we went out to Trenčín to be with the elders there. We went to the big ol mall, almost played laser tag, got some really good sushi (although I can’t judge quality, it was my first time) and saw the 179 a.d. Roman inscription that’s in a hotel there. We also got milkshakes at the McDonald’s drive through which was like kinda weird, haven’t done anything like that in like six months. A very fun day and I’m glad we could go out and see the city.

Okay well that’s about it, I guess I’ll also update you on my Cyrillic. I can like kinda sound out words now, and I have an 8 day streak on duolingo. Just kinda a fun thing to do. It looks a lot more complicated than it is. Also I’m using my guitar now, hoping to learn some fingerstyle hymns and stuff.

Photos link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qYoYaKPmkqFZHoVM7

Hope everyone is well at home, shout out to Daniela turning 15 and the Mt. Blue nordic team at KVACs. The cold here is leaving already which is nice but also kinda weird. Anyway, that’s about it for my rambling this week.

Love you all, 

Starší Cundick