MILA DISCOVERS "HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!"

Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store.                                        -Dr. Seuss

OLD GLOBE PLAZA

The Grinch endures for children and the “young at heart” in San Diego. This is the twenty-first consecutive year that Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has been featured at the Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park. In the production, the Grinch's heart grows three times bigger, and I like to believe that everyone who attends this play departs with a bigger heart as well. 

I had been looking forward to sharing this San Diego holiday tradition with my granddaughter, Mila, for some time now, and finally decided that this was the year—she's four and one-half. When I told her about it, she was excited and it lead to many conversations about how and why this Grinch would steal Christmas. I was glad we were finally on our way to find out what really happened.

MILA

We chose an 11 a.m. performance on a Saturday in November. Mila and I meandered along El Prado to the Old Globe, enjoying the sunshine and other visitors who were starting to gather for another pleasant Saturday in the park. Mila had meticulously chosen her favorite dress and brown boots for the occasion. 

Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no one alive who is you-er than you!      
                                          -Dr. Seuss

The first thing we noticed when arriving at the theater was the white Christmas tree that towers over the plaza entrance during the holidays. It's decorated with banners that say “Merry” and pink candelabras that light up after dark. The tree is always a popular backdrop for photos, however, Mila did not care to have her photo taken today. The next thing she noticed was the snack bar; we sat down at one of the nearby tables and enjoyed a cookie and the many other snacks that her mother had sent along. 

OLD GLOBE THEATER SAN DIEGO

Plays at the Old Globe are always extremely well done with top quality performers, and this was no exception. Mila loved it and so did I. She might have been a bit frightened of the Grinch at times, but wouldn't admit it. I knew she was having a good time when she started singing along with the audience during one of the songs.

We sat up in the front which made it all the more exciting. The front row seats, off to the side, are priced in the least expensive ticket category, which is another reason I like to go to the Old Globe. It was a 90-minute performance with no intermission. 

San Diego has a special connection to Dr. Theodore Seuss Geisel (pen named: Dr. Seuss)–he was a long-time resident of LaJolla, a section of San Diego, where he lived from 1948 until his death in 1991. Audrey Geisel, his second wife, continues to carry on with his love of the arts, education, and literacy through numerous foundations and projects. 

Performances of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! will continue through December 29, 2018. Tickets can be ordered by phone (619-234-5623) or online (TheOldGlobe.org.)

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it

becomes a memory.    -Dr. Seuss 

FOUNTAIN AT BALBOA PARK SAN DIEGO

UŽUPIS-A TINY REPUBLIC IN VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

 UZUPIS

 Užupis is one of the tiniest republics in the world. It's located in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, a city we visited in September. My first thought, when I recently read an article read about it, is that we might have missed this small “nation” of free spirits. Then I remembered the quirky little Bohemian neighborhood (1 sq. km.) with a population of 7,000 where we strolled along the cobblestone streets and returned to enjoy the quaint outdoor cafes. One out of seven of the residents are artists, which explains the abundance of sculptures,  colorful wall murals, and art galleries. 

When Vilnius (pop.575,000) finally received independence from Russia in the 1990s, a group of locals got together to form a republic—kind of tongue in cheek, but not really. Užupis is not formally recognized by any other government, however, it has become a source of pride in Vilnius and throughout Lithuania. From 1941, when the Soviet Union invaded Lithuania, there was heavy censorship and many writers and artists were imprisoned. After 1990 came Lithuanian independence and restoration--art and literature once again flourished, free of forced ideology. Since 2002, The Angel of Uzupis (sculptor, Romas Vilčiauskas), has stood in the main square blowing a trumpet, and sending a message to the world that artistic independence is back in Eastern Europe after many years of oppression.

THE ANGEL OF UZUPIS

The Užupis Constitution, written in several languages, is posted on

mirrored plaques along a wall for everyone to see. It was written in a few hours by Tomas Čepaitis and Romas Lileikis in 1998 at the Republic's Parliament Bar, where the government meetings still convene most Friday evenings. The day they wrote it, Tomas couldn't get hot water at his home which explains why one of the 41 clauses is: Everyone has the right to hot water....” Others include: “Everyone has a right to celebrate their birthday or not celebrate their birthday.-----Everyone has a right to die, but this is not an obligation.------Everyone has the right to understand.----- Everyone has the right to understand nothing.-----People have the right to live by the River Vilhele, while the River Vilhele has the right to flow past people.”

BRIDGE TO UZUPIS

If I return to Vilnius again, it will be on April Fool's Day, or Užupis Independence Day, as locals call it. In addition to concerts and parades, this is the one day that travelers get their passports stamped as they cross the bridge into the Republic. They will also use the local (unofficial) currency and treat themselves to beer that flows from the water spout at the main square.

DOOR IN UZUPIS LITHUANIA