Last month we discovered that the Jicin International Shithead League, in which we enjoyed playing a couple of sessions at last year, had now expanded from the provincial college town to the country’s capital.  Students from the large and prestigious Charles University –mostly from the law school if  there is anything to be read into that– gather in a the back room of a city pub to play cards.

There is a well structured game plan with monthly tournaments that culminate in naming a Grand Champion at the end of the school year.  Each player pays a few crowns towards the expenses and low value but highly sought prizes.  The competition is intense yet friendly.

For us it always fun to associate with the young people as they try to guess our ages by asking questions about our past.  Of course, when we eventually tell them they exclaim appropriate remarks about not looking (or is it not acting) that old.  Our answer is that it is events like this that help keep us young in spirit.

Since this blog is meant as a personalized travel guide I will re-emphasize the point.  The best experiences come from immersing yourself in the local life of whatever tourist destination you are visiting.  Use your internet connection not to chat with your friends back home but to search out little known events in your vicinity whether it be a pig festival or oboe recital.

More about the card game of Shithead and its international popularity in my Oeuvre page