Cheese Blocks, Czech Humour, and the People Who Make Us Laugh

Aug 15, 2026

I met Monika Stodůlková on a train to Vienna, and by the time we said goodbye we had talked about cheese blocks, Sarah McLachlan, and of course, we laughed! This episode is proof that laughter shows up in every country, every language, and every hard moment, if you go looking for it. Grab your tea (or your pickled egg) and settle in.

In This Episode

• Meet Monika Stodůlková, a Czech traveller I met by chance on a European train
• Hear what makes Czech people laugh (spoiler: it involves fun making and siblings)
• Appreciate how self-deprecating jokes can land differently across cultures
• Think about why some people make us laugh more than others – what’s the secret ingredient?
• Hear the story of a man who kept laughing his way through a serious illness, and what that taught Monika about healing
• Try the Internal Giggle Generator live with Monika, and see why faking a laugh can turn into a real one
• Get six rapid answers in the Laughter Revolution Lightning Round, including Monika’s very Czech answer for “laughter is cheaper than…”

Episode Highlights With Timestamps

• [01:25] The mystery of the “cheese blocks” that Marla still can’t explain
• [03:31] Monika describes what can make Czech people laugh
• [04:43] And what makes her laugh
• [07:00] Moving to the US during COVID and learning humour in a new language
• [10:03] The Tinder joke that could have gone wrong, and didn’t
• [11:55] Changing moods can be THAT easy
• [15:15] Czechs and Canadians – not so different
• [16:20] Being exhausted by laughter – AI and pickled eggs
• [21:13] Epic Lilith Fair fail
• [23:17] The coffee shop friend who kept laughing through a serious illness
• [27:22] The Laughter Revolution Lightning Round begins
• [29:31] Monika’s live Internal Giggle Generator performance

Links and Resources Mentioned

• Sarah McLachlan and the Lilith Fair music festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxXhgxKEols
• Laughter Revolution Digest – marlasimlett.com

If this episode made you smile, hit subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen, so you never miss an episode. And if you want more laughter in your inbox, join the Laughter Revolution Digest at marlasimlett.com (Click home and you’ll find the subscribe button!).

It’s free, it’s short, it has pictures from my trip. And it might just make your Tuesdays better.