We think conversation is one of the most fun parts of language learning. On Thursdays, we switch languages and ask each other questions to learn more about Tuesday’s topic. Today, Rober interviews Jessica about Halloween-related events, which happens to include the race she wrote about earlier this week. You can read Jessica’s original post about the Skeleton Skedaddle here. 

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Rober: What do you think was the most unique feature of the Skeleton Skedaddle?
Jessica: Definitely the costumes. There was a costume I forgot about until I looked at my photos – someone in a squirrel costume, with a huge tail. I don’t know if it was stuffed or inflated, but it was about his size and sticking up behind him. That must have been a trick to run in! And there was a guy dressed as a scarecrow with corn husks sticking out of his sleeves and socks.

R: Are there other fun races in Missoula?
J: I had no idea how many races there were in Missoula until I started looking for races for this post. There are several short races throughout the year that help raise money for various things. When we first started talking about this post, I mentioned that if I couldn’t find a formal race, the Last Wednesday Beer Run could work. That is monthly event where people meet for a run before ending up at a brewery to drink beer. The only other race I’ve done in Missoula is the River Bank run, probably 15 years ago. I will have to keep an eye out, though, for causes I want to support because I enjoyed it more than I expected to.

R: You mentioned in your last post that there are several Halloween-related events the week before and after the holiday. Can you tell us about them?
J: The weekend before Halloween is always a big party weekend for adults, having costume parties and going out to bars. And usually kids will have parties at their schools. This year, Jacob and I went to the Rocky Horror Show which is a cult classic movie often shown around Halloween. If Halloween falls in the middle of the week, you’ll often have people out in costumes the weekend after as well. I went to a concert last weekend where one woman was dressed as Little Bo Peep and her friend was wearing a sheep costume. Wondering if they were dressed up for some other reason, I asked my brother if he thought they were just trying to hang on to Halloween. Joking, he said, “aren’t we all?”

R: Do you like Halloween? Why or why not?
J: I do like it! I went through a phase of not liking it as much, but being back in a place where it felt autumnal with crisp air and fall colors got me in the mood for Halloween. I think it’s easy to feel trick-or-treating is all about the candy, but as a kid, what I really loved about it was running around my neighborhood in a costume and going to neighbors’ houses. Trick-or-treating actually isn’t as common as it used to be. In Missoula, a lot of people go to specific neighborhoods that they think will have bigger candy bars, or go to trick or treating at the mall. I can see the reason for doing that – for one, it’s cold on Halloween and you don’t have to worry about that at the mall – but to me it’s a bit of a shame to not have that neighborhood aspect of Halloween.

R: Did you dress up for Halloween this year? What would you say are your best costumes from past Halloweens?
J: Not really. I put my costume on to take a picture for my sister, when she asked if I had dressed up, but I’m not sure I can count that. My most memorable costumes were the years where my mom braided my hair and then helped me make it stand straight out from my head with coat hangers. This technique worked for both Pippi Longstocking and Medusa costumes. For Pippi Longstocking, we spray dyed my hair red and for Medusa, we also wove some toy snakes in around the braids.