"Flat" Cauli IV Reports From Lithuania

by "Flat" Cauli IV

Flat Feline Foreign Correspondent

As Cauli Le Chat previously reported, last month I was mailed to Lukšiai, Lithuania to join Shay Laws' English class at Vincas Grybas Gymnasium. I have arrived amid considerable fanfare!

My gracious hosts made my first day a whirlwind of wonderful new experiences.  Let me share some of them with my eager readers.

"Flat" Cauli IV reading student letters from Miss Shay's English Class

Shortly after my arrival, Miss Shay introduced moi to her students.  They wrote letters of introduction revealing many important facts about Lithuania and themselves.  Here are some interesting facts from their letters, as kindly summarized by Miss Shay:

• Lithuanians speak Lithuanian. You can say "hello" in Lithuanian by saying "Labas!"

• The most popular sport in Lithuania is basketball.  People also like to dance here.  There are traditional Lithuanian dances, but many people really like to dance the Tango and the Samba.

• There are a number of traditional Lithuanian dishes, but the most popular (according to the students) are

• Kugelis (also bulvių plokštainis, the lexically correct non-foreign name, literally "flat potato dish" or banda - this usage predominates in the Dzūkija region) - potato pudding made with grated potatoes and eggs. It is usually served with sour cream and/or spirgai.

• Cepelinai (zeppelins) - potato dumplings stuffed with meat, mushrooms, or cheese, often garnished with spirgai, fried minced onion and/or sour cream.

• The major cities in Lithuania are Vilnius (the capital), Kaunas (the 2nd largest city and the one that is the closest to Luksiai), and Klapedia (on the Baltic Sea).

As you can see, Miss Shay's students write English quite well and with impeccable neatness.    I wish my pawwriting were that good!  Click each of the images to enlarge (or "biggify," as my pal Tober the Library Cat says)--that way you can read what the letters say.

As my first day drew to a close, I was anxiously awaiting an adventurous tour around the school with my new Lithuanian friends.  Look for exciting photos in tomorrow's blog posting.

Your Flat Feline Foreign Correspondent on the Go,

"Flat" Cauli IV

Reporting For Cauli Le Chat

P.S.  Since Miss Shay's class mentioned that Lithuanians enjoy dancing the samba and tango, I wondered if there were any videos available.  Here Sarge and Elizabeth, of DeSarge Danceworld of Naperville, Illinois, perform during a samba dancing exhibition at the Lithuanian World Center, in Lemont, Illinois.