Transylvania project

We finished the Transylvania project yesterday. This Saturday night is the big opening (149 Waubesa Street from 4-7)! Most of the students made two or more mini films. I edited them with my computer guru husband last night (thank you, Frank) and they look excelllent. The Transylvanian folk music sets a crazy, creepy tone and jumps and jerks at all the right points. I have the feeling that we could have just kept making videos all year. The kids didn't want to quit. When I asked them what they learned about Transylvania they were still pretty stuck on the whole Dracula myth (and the fact that there was a real Count Dracula that impaled people who displeased him). Anyway, I know they absorbed more than just the gruesome details -- although gore sells itself pretty well. I asked each student to tell me what they will remember about Transylvania and I got some nice responses. One student told me she will remember that they like to eat cheese there and so do we. Another thoughtful remark was that one student was thinking about the poverty and unrest in the country (which Timea had talked with the kids about). Some students were curious to hear about gypsy culture. I know that the style of wearing babushka head scarfs interested some of the fashion savy students. And did I mention that there was a real Count Dracula that impaled people? Yup, it's true. If you want to see a beautiful book of photographs taken in Transylvania, I recommend a book by Korniss Peter entitled Leltar, Erdelyi kepek 1967-1998. The images will stick with me for quite some time.