Good evening!

In order to provide a fuller image of our plans to engage in everyday life, I shall add a few complementary notes. As my dear wife has already written, today we walked through some of Krumlov and as part of our job tried to imagine what normal things (planned normalcy or even slightly “provocative” things) we might do here. We came to the conclusion that every space has its own specifics and offers different possibilities for what will feel natural and what won’t. There is no point in trying to do something that doesn’t fit the particular place. But sometimes you have to try, even if it ends up being controversial. In our case (living as we do on the second floor and outside the main tourist routes), we’re not going to hand the laundry or peel potatoes on a chair in front of the building. On the other hand, not only would it be okay for someone living on the ground floor with street-facing windows and doors – it’s almost a necessity to expand your living space beyond the boundaries of the home so that tourists won’t stare into your windows – which many of them do (surely only out of curiosity and not for any ulterior motives). And sitting in front of your house with tea and cake is a great idea and a nice way to add life to a street otherwise filled with visitors and the occasional car. But watch out for the birds, or your cake will be gone sooner than you think.

This afternoon, we decided to try reading the newspaper on the stone steps (the bench was taken), which our son ended up turning into drawing on the cobblestones with chalk.Reading isn’t such a bed thing, but it doesn’t feel the same when you’re sitting in front of “your” home. A longtime local would probably feel that it was “his street”, but for us it’s still hard to imagine. Maybe reading a book instead of the paper. In any case, drawing was more fun and more interesting :o) And not only for us, but for the passers-by as well. Some people photographed our creations. I realized that if I pretend that my drawings had been done by my son, then they are a bigger hit :o)) – many people liked how my son was drawing on the ground, so they photographed him. The most interested were passing children, who just has to join in. Over time, older locals and even some mothers joined us as well! The photos show a group from Taiwan that really liked it, although the youngest member of the group ended up being more colorful than his drawings. Strangely, nobody bought anything, not even us. I guess I’m not a hot-ticket item. But just about everybody very carefully made sure not to step on the drawings. The kids were visibly happy that there was even something for them in this strange country, so perhaps they will remember Krumlov much longer and with an added sense of happiness. After all, active engagement is always better than just passively staring, even when touring the sights of a foreign country. Perhaps we can come up with some other similarly normal activities that passers-by could join. If I enjoy it, why not invite others? And it’s free, which more than a few tourists might find surprising. But they’re not our enemy after all, even though they are clearly in the majority. And they are here every day as well, so in a way they are a part of everyday normality, right? It’s not explicitly for them – we’re doing it for ourselves – but shared joys are always greater and unexpected and happier. So let us make good use of the tourists and enjoy our days! Wishing you a good day :o)  and a good night!