Club: Culture: August 2009

Alright, this is my first time posting on here AND my first time hosting. Two things that rhyme AND scare me. I am not the wonderful Bethany Madison, so please don't expect party of the year :). I am excited to have you all over for Culture Club this month though. Here is what we need.

1. FIRST, sign up for a country (if you haven't already). These are your options:

Solvenia
Montenegro
Moldova
Lithuania
Republic of Macedonia
Serbia
Latvia
Balarus
Croatia
Albania
Eastonia
Ukraine

2. SECOND, prepare a 5-7 minute presentation. Get that gals? Short and sweet. We want to know what YOU find interesting. History, travel sights, experiences, whatevs. Short is best.

3. THIRD, prepare a snack, food, or little something from your country. For example, I am doing Romania. I will make a food that people eat in Romania. Difficult? Maybe, but you can do it.

4. FOURTH (don't you love that I'm writing the number twice?) come ready to party in our Eastern European way. If you don't know where I live, I'm the house next to Bethany (on the corner).

5. FIFTH see you here at 2:00 pm. If that doesn't work for you we can do it earlier, but not later because of a ward gathering I feel I must attend.

Who's HYPED? I know I am. And just to get you started here is a little bit about a country dear to my heart, Romania:

Romania was ruled from 1974-1989 by one of the most evil men in history, Nicolae Ceausescu. He and his wife made up the creepiest couple ever and ruled the country by fear. Do you know that while his country was starving and couldn't even buy toilet paper, he and his wife refused to wear the same thing twice? They would buy a new outfit (including accessories) for each day and then would burn them afterwards so that no one else could wear them. They make me sick. Anyway, what Ceausescu is most known for are his crazy laws. In 1966 he banned abortion (now although this might not seem like a crazy law, just you wait) and created a 20% tax on men and women who had no children after they were 25. Most of us would be doomed huh? Infertility, being single, none of those excuses worked. He then later decreed that women should produce at least 5 children. If you had 10 you were declared a heroine of Romania, but few women ever sought that title. So 5 children? What's the big deal right? I grew up with 5 siblings...big families here in this state. But, can you imagine trying to have 5 children when you can't even feed yourself? Many mothers were forced to give up their children, hoping that the state would give them a better life than they could...

This intro sets me up for what I am going to talk about, the children of Romania. My favorite subject. Can't wait to see you there!