Day 7: Making Friends at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence

Our performance at the U.S. Ambassador of Prague's private residence was one of the biggest highlights on our trip thus far. However, since the group's call-time for the day was 5:00PM, the majority of our afternoon was rather relaxed. With a free morning, many Glee Clubbers took to exploring the city on their own. A few groups traveled to Brasileiro, a Brazilian steakhouse just outside of Old Town Square where Clubbers enjoyed delicious all you can eat "churrasco-rodízio." Other groups returned to Old Town Square and explored the rest of the city from there, while some members chose to sleep in and catch up on some well-needed rest. 

The main event of our day, of course, was our performance at the U.S. Ambassador of Prague's private residence for his celebration of the turn in the Embassy's administration. After traveling about a half hour by tram from our hostel, we arrived at the incredibly beautiful residence of the U.S. Ambassador, Andrew Schapiro. We were greeted at the gate by a security guard who checked our IDs and bags, as well as our guide. After receiving our individual private invitations to the event, we proceeded to the house's main entrance. The Club had about thirty minutes before the guests arrived, and we were given permission to explore the entire first floor and backyard; the space was so massive and grand that this wasn't even enough time to see it all! As the guests arrived, Glee Clubbers enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and drinks served by the residence's staff. 

The Glee Clubbers are greeted in the main foyer of the
Ambassador's residence and invited to explore the first floor!

The group starts to enter the backyard area, the primary
space for the event. 

 After allowing some time for all of the guests to arrive, Ambassador Schapiro stood up and addressed the crowd. He thanked all of the guests for their service and for coming to his celebration, followed by his introduction of the Glee Club. He joked that we were "the oldest 'continually running' Glee Club in the United States, though I'm not quite sure what kind of conditional lies in 'continually running.'" We sang a cappella arrangements of "Country Roads," "Shenandoah," "Go The Distance," and "Parting Glass," in addition to a brief performance by the Penn Pipers. We had an absolute blast singing for the U.S. Embassy, and our performance was very well-received! 

After our performance, the Glee Club poses with
Ambassador Schapiro for a photo!

Na zdraví from the U.S. Ambassador's residence! 

Ambassador Schapiro invited the Glee Clubbers to stay at his home for a bit after our performance, and we were fortunate enough to mingle individually with some members of the Embassy, including the Ambassador himself! Of course, as Penn students, some members were sure to grab business cards before leaving!