So. This post is going to go against chronological order and describe the Slovak tradition of Stuškova, which is like a combination of the American Prom and Commencement (Graduation). The next post will be about the Rotary Weekend that took place just prior to it in Senec, Bratislava, and Vienna. (and by just prior, I mean just prior; I had to leave the weekend early to go to Stuškova, and I was still late!)
At any rate, for me, stuškova started with me rushing into the hotel ballroom area where we held stuškova something like an hour late. Fortunately, I had only missed the official ceremony part of the stuškova, which I wasn't allowed to participate in at any rate, due to the fact that I am not taking maturika exams (these are like the French Baccalauréat, or NEWTs in Harry Potter, for Americans who don't really have a valid comparison), and the soup course of dinner. I did miss getting to sing "Gaudeamus Igitur", which is apparently traditional for stuškova. The lyrics are as follows:
Gaudeamus igitur
Iuvenes dum sumus
Gaudeamus igitur
Iuvenes dum sumus
Post iucundam iuventutem
Post molestam senectutem
Nos habebit humus
Nos habebit humus
Vivat academia
Vivant profesores
Vivat academia
Vivant profesores
Vivat membrum quodlibet
Vivant membra quaelibet
Semper sint in flore
Semper sint in flore
Iuvenes dum sumus
Gaudeamus igitur
Iuvenes dum sumus
Post iucundam iuventutem
Post molestam senectutem
Nos habebit humus
Nos habebit humus
Vivat academia
Vivant profesores
Vivat academia
Vivant profesores
Vivat membrum quodlibet
Vivant membra quaelibet
Semper sint in flore
Semper sint in flore
How do I know these lyrics? I've been singing them for entirely too long, that's how. That song has been stuck in my head since we started practicing it two weeks ago. I was looking forward to some closure last night, but that apparently isn't going to happen. Oh well. At least it makes me remember my Latin classes, and it isn't sung in Church Latin. That makes me significantly happier.
But back to stuškova. After my tardy arrival, I was called up to be presented with my želená stuha, my green ribbon, which announces that I am a maturika student. Then, we ate dinner, and took photos, including, but not limited to these!
At any rate, after dinner, we had our program, a series of dances and skits that the class had prepared. I had marginal participation in these. I was supposed to be a full fledged participant in one, but some fairly major changes were made in the dance while I was absent for the Rotary weekend, so alas, I was unable to join in. It was a shame, though.
The bad part came next. Everyone went to go sit and talk with their parents, or bring them up to dance with said family. My host parents had not been invited to the stuškova, and so, I got to sit on the sidelines for a good long while by my lonesome. It was awful. I felt all sad and depressed, because everyone else going to talk with their families made me think about my family, which made me miss them, which started a nasty vicious cycle that only stopped because one of my male classmates, Marshec, sat back down at the class table, and asked me about why I was late, and if I liked Stuškova.
Soon after, we all got up (I followed blindly) and got into a circle while a large ceramic pot, which my classmate Adka explained to me had champagne in it, and from which everyone in the class would take a sip. I took one, very small sip, and passed it on. It was a good thing I did, too. Martej, my classmate who took the pot after me got a lovely face full of champagne when he tipped it too far, and managed to drench his dress shirt. I was more than happy to have avoided doing the same to my dress, which my parents had so kindly shipped to me from the US. At any rate, once we all had some of the champagne, Pani Katunská took the pot, raised it above her head, and smashed it. We each took a piece. Later, it was explained to me that, supposedly, the person who gets the handle will fail the maturika exams. Makes me wish that I had gotten the handle, thus saving my classmates some problems...
We then proceeded to cut the class cake, and eat dessert. Once we were finished, parental units and family members trickled out, taking things with them. Another thing that separates stuškova from prom is that everyone changes out of their formal dresses before the dance portion at stuškova. Or, rather, all the girls do. The guys tend to have a fifty-fifty chance of doing so. No one mentioned this to me. Very annoying to be in a formal gown all night when your friends have changed. So very, very annoying. Oh well. So, as I was saying, the parents and families left slowly, and eventually it was left at my class, Pani Katunská, our Slovenčina teacher, and the significant others of some of my classmates for the dance portion of stuškova. The dance went on. And on. And on. As in, it finished at four in the morning on and on and on.
Not the point. It should be noted that, of course, alcohol flowed like the river Jordan at stuškova. The vast majority of my male classmates were opitý, drunk, as well as some of the girls. I received my first profession of love from my classmate Martin, who was totally smashed. I'm still debating whether I should find it mildly pathetic, flattering, or just plain weird. I am impressed that he managed to remember that I don't speak much Slovak in his alcohol induced state, and informed me that he loved me in English.
Once the dance was over, we figured out what we were going to do with the remaining cakes and other various sugary delights that remained, and I was given a ride home by Pani Katunská. I got back to the house at around five in the morning. Miša was waiting for me, and headed up to bed pretty much as soon as I came in. I think that she had been there earlier, but had set an alarm or something for about the time Pani Katunská had told her that I would be back. Either way, I went upstairs, and crashed immediately after changing. I needed some serious sleep. Is anyone surprised that I managed to sleep until one in the afternoon today? You shouldn't be!
And that's all there is. There isn't anymore.
But back to stuškova. After my tardy arrival, I was called up to be presented with my želená stuha, my green ribbon, which announces that I am a maturika student. Then, we ate dinner, and took photos, including, but not limited to these!
From front to back: Majeka, Melánia, and me
Saša, Adka, and me
At any rate, after dinner, we had our program, a series of dances and skits that the class had prepared. I had marginal participation in these. I was supposed to be a full fledged participant in one, but some fairly major changes were made in the dance while I was absent for the Rotary weekend, so alas, I was unable to join in. It was a shame, though.
The bad part came next. Everyone went to go sit and talk with their parents, or bring them up to dance with said family. My host parents had not been invited to the stuškova, and so, I got to sit on the sidelines for a good long while by my lonesome. It was awful. I felt all sad and depressed, because everyone else going to talk with their families made me think about my family, which made me miss them, which started a nasty vicious cycle that only stopped because one of my male classmates, Marshec, sat back down at the class table, and asked me about why I was late, and if I liked Stuškova.
Soon after, we all got up (I followed blindly) and got into a circle while a large ceramic pot, which my classmate Adka explained to me had champagne in it, and from which everyone in the class would take a sip. I took one, very small sip, and passed it on. It was a good thing I did, too. Martej, my classmate who took the pot after me got a lovely face full of champagne when he tipped it too far, and managed to drench his dress shirt. I was more than happy to have avoided doing the same to my dress, which my parents had so kindly shipped to me from the US. At any rate, once we all had some of the champagne, Pani Katunská took the pot, raised it above her head, and smashed it. We each took a piece. Later, it was explained to me that, supposedly, the person who gets the handle will fail the maturika exams. Makes me wish that I had gotten the handle, thus saving my classmates some problems...
We then proceeded to cut the class cake, and eat dessert. Once we were finished, parental units and family members trickled out, taking things with them. Another thing that separates stuškova from prom is that everyone changes out of their formal dresses before the dance portion at stuškova. Or, rather, all the girls do. The guys tend to have a fifty-fifty chance of doing so. No one mentioned this to me. Very annoying to be in a formal gown all night when your friends have changed. So very, very annoying. Oh well. So, as I was saying, the parents and families left slowly, and eventually it was left at my class, Pani Katunská, our Slovenčina teacher, and the significant others of some of my classmates for the dance portion of stuškova. The dance went on. And on. And on. As in, it finished at four in the morning on and on and on.
Not the point. It should be noted that, of course, alcohol flowed like the river Jordan at stuškova. The vast majority of my male classmates were opitý, drunk, as well as some of the girls. I received my first profession of love from my classmate Martin, who was totally smashed. I'm still debating whether I should find it mildly pathetic, flattering, or just plain weird. I am impressed that he managed to remember that I don't speak much Slovak in his alcohol induced state, and informed me that he loved me in English.
Once the dance was over, we figured out what we were going to do with the remaining cakes and other various sugary delights that remained, and I was given a ride home by Pani Katunská. I got back to the house at around five in the morning. Miša was waiting for me, and headed up to bed pretty much as soon as I came in. I think that she had been there earlier, but had set an alarm or something for about the time Pani Katunská had told her that I would be back. Either way, I went upstairs, and crashed immediately after changing. I needed some serious sleep. Is anyone surprised that I managed to sleep until one in the afternoon today? You shouldn't be!
And that's all there is. There isn't anymore.
I am sorry that you missed singing Gaudeamus Igitur! What an increidble experience! I wish you were still here though.
ReplyDeleteMs. Lewis