Week 4 - 23rd April -> 29th April

This week's blog post is earlier than usual, because I will be back in Finland over the weekend and therefore, won't be reporting on Lithuania ;)

Needless-to-say, I have almost spent a month here in Lithuania already, and have forgotten how true the phrase, 'time flies' really is! Especially while on Erasmus. I have forgotten how much of a whirlwind experience Erasmus is - moving to a new place; being baffled by a crazy, foreign language; meeting a countless number of people and having that same polite, introductory conversation about who you are, where you're from, what you study, etc. etc., so many times that you're considering just writing it on a Post-it note and sticking it to your head. While this is a necessary and interesting process, the fun really begins when you've made it through this initial settling in stage. 


Anyway, I have been enjoying the healthy mix of meeting new people and catching up with others. While I met some great folks on a couple of trips to the Dutchman's Hat and Nida, I also encountered those I've met before when losing my Kiwi virginity. 

Kiwi club can be seen on the bottom-left.

Perhaps this needs explained... One of the very first sights to be pointed out to me, before I was even shown my accommodation on my first day, was the club situated right next to my dorm. 'Do you like clubs?' my new tutor asked. I said, 'Sometimes, yeah.' In truth, now that I'm on my way to turning 24, I'm being drawn away from the club scene. More often, I prefer to settle in a pub with friends where I can hear what they're saying to me, or chill out on a friend's sofa with a nice, wee cup of tea. Having said that, I am partial to a good (maybe girly) night out, dancing the night away to decent music. To continue, the club that my tutor was refering to was 'Kiwi' and I can see it from my bedroom window, it's literally right next to where I live. So, it was inevitable that I would lose my Kiwi virginity at some point, and I did. My lovely neighbours invited me out with them, and while there, I spotted some other internationals whom I'd met on the study weekend a couple of weeks ago. It was great to see them again, and enjoy a wee boogie together.

Our lovely group at the Dutchman's Hat.

The trips mentioned, to the Dutchman's Hat and Nida, were organised by those kind Lithuanians who don't mind leading the eager and curious foreigners around their beautiful country. The Dutchman's Hat isn't far from Klaipeda and can be reached by simply using a local city bus. It is a beautiful, sandy beach (yes, another one! :)) set beneath a cliff of sand and soil, topped with a forest. It's said to be called so because of a ship that sink not far from there called, 'The Dutchman', and one day a hat of one of the sailors was found ashore, hence the name the Dutchman's Hat. This is one of several possible stories that may explain the name of this wonderful, scenic place. We had a fantastic day there, enjoying the sunshine with a stroll along the beach, a picnic, and casual games of frisbee and Uno. An afternoon well spent.
 
As for Nida, we were not so lucky with the weather, but it was enjoyable all the same. Nida is a popular holiday resort about 50km from Klaipeda, on the Curonian Spit. It is home to some of the highest sand dunes in Europe, which was a welcome pleasure for us, as it was the only thing able to protect us from the wind! From the top, we could see across to Russia (Kaliningrad) but didn't venture that far without the necessary visa requirements. Luckily, our Lithuanian friends had a back-up plan if the weather turned bad, and led us to an cosy Amber Museum. It cost us 2Lt (~60cents) and with it we received a free postcard, access to a fabulous exhibition and gallery, and a great explanation of how amber is formed. Prior to my time in Lithuania, I wasn't such a big fan of amber, particular amber jewellery, but they seem to be convincing me otherwise. Perhaps now I would happily accept a nice pair of amber ear-rings. 

My favourite set of sculptures from the Hill of Witches.

On the way back to catch the ferry to Klaipeda, we stopped at the so-called 'Hill of Witches'. This is a magical, fairytale place, steeped with folklore and legends in the form of wooden sculptures scattered over a rounded hill cursed by witches. After touring the hill, it's advised to rid yourself of the witches' curse by jumping on one foot and making the sound of a rooster (yes, we did this and yes, it was caught on video and could well appear on YouTube...). 


As mentioned before, despite the thrill of meeting new people, there is the warm sentiment of catching up with those you've met before. For me, this was back in Klaipeda, with two sweet Lithuanian girls, whom I met in Turku after moving to Finland in August 2011. I'm glad they took the time to meet with me, and ask me why on earth I am in Lithuania! As I answered with pleasure, they showed me around some local hide-outs that I would never have noticed had they not have shown me. Moreover, I finally tried the famous cheese fingers that many people have told me to try here! They are deep fried cheese fingers served with a tasty dip - so bad but soo good!

To review, I began this post bewildered with the realisation that one month of my time in Lithuania has already passed, and I have two months left. But it's true, those two months will probably fly by as well, and before I know it I'll be battling with the weight allowance of my luggage again, and boarding another plane. This got me thinking of all the things I would like to do here, and the places I would like to see, so I made a list and consulted my calendar. As a result, I have almost filled up every weekend of the next two months with plans to explore Lithuania more - including places like Kaunas, Vilnius and Palanga, and enjoying the annual jazz festival right here in Klaipeda. I'm looking forward to whatever the next two months will bring :)

Week 3 - 16th April -> 22nd April

Lots of breakthroughs and new experiences this week...

The Amberton Klaipeda Hotel

After attempting to get used to the housing rules here, and having moments of feeling like either a child or a prisoner, I made two significant breakthroughs this week. The first was breaking the curfew by arriving home on a Saturday night at 3am - shocker! Turns out, this is a perfectly acceptable violation, if already previously negotiated with the dorm staff. The reason for my terribly late return, that ended up in awakening the sleeping receptionist from her slumber, was an ESN gathering. It came to light that 50 Erasmus students from an ESN section in Vilnius had come to Klaipeda for one night only, so we decided to join them and hang out in their hotel room. I felt like such a rebel, roaming free in the city after midnight! And how I enjoyed every moment of it :)

Getting to know Klaipeda...

The second major breakthrough this week was the washing of my clothes. I have been rationing my garments since I arrived, with the fear of having an insurmountable pile to cope with. But, a lovely Lithuanian couple came to my rescue! They so kindly took my clothes from me and returned them the following day, washed, clean and dry. Oh, what a luxury it was to put on freshly washed clothes with a flowery scent of spring! I think it's fair to say that I'm appreciating the small things in life.

Continuing with my cultural observations, I am pleasantly surprised by the kind consideration of the bus drivers here. From what I've seen, they will wait for you if they see you running to catch the bus. Even if you rush after they have left the bus stop and are stopped at a red traffic light, they tend to open the door and make your day. I was so grateful for this when I was picking up an Easter package from the post office, and rushed to catch the bus in the lashing rain - to my relief, the driver let me in at the traffic lights.

To continue the theme of transportation, I had my first experience of the "control", who check to make sure you're not trying to ride the bus for free. They burst suddenly into the bus, swarming in like it was some kind of army raid, equipped with handheld devices to determine your guilt or innocence. If guilty, you risk a penalty of 60-100Lt (approx. 20-30 euro). Despite my innocence, I still had racing heart of a free-rider and held my breath as they checked my cards. After the safe gesture of returning my cards to me with an utterance, "ačiū" (thank you), I sighed with relief, and next time will feel prepared for the control raid.

Old Town Klaipeda with no traffic :)

In other traffic-related trivia, I was interested to discover that the old town in Klaipeda is closed to traffic and becomes a pedestrian presinct every weekend. The first time I saw this happen I thought it was simply because of Easter weekend, but now I've seen it happen each week, I have established and confirmed it as a regular occurance. I think it's a rather good idea, to preserve the old town and release it from the stress and noise of traffic, allowing it to wind down and have a peaceful weekend.

Traditionally locks are put on the bridge when you get married.

Tree-cutting.

This is not the only thing that has impressed me about Klaipeda, or Lithuania in general. I have been majorly impressed by how CLEAN the city is - glutter and litter free. Even still, this week has been a national clean-up week, saying goodbye to winter and welcoming the spring. The university students & staff came together to clean up the university grounds. At the weekend, the old town was the target, with locals teaming up to remove the remains of winter. The excitement for spring and summer is evident - workmen are on the streets, trees are being trimmed, outside terraces are being laid for restaurants, and the season for planting flowers is here. Even the ants are out in full force making the most of nature. Now I too am feeling the spring spirit!

Kulturos Peda Event

Finally, it seems I am becoming more integrated into the Lithuanian way of life, thanks to local Lithuanians adopting me. My neighbours have recently had the courage to invade my room, and now I have been appreciating their company around the dorm. I was also invited to an event organised in the university called Kulturos Peda. I only managed to pop in for a short while before my teaching in the afternoon, but I'm glad I caught a glimpse of some culture on display. It was all in Lithuanian but I gathered that some cultural awards were being presented, with fantastic performances in between.

In a final note this week, I have been reflecting in general on the use of English here. Surprisingly, a lot of people seem to know and understand English, but are too shy or lack the confidence to use it to speak. This is really a pity, because they are much better than they think they are.

Spring has arrived! :)

I'm happy that so many people who are non-native English speakers are reading my blog, and some have been telling me what they think about it. This is a welcome act from anyone - don't be afraid to let me know what you think of the blog or ask me any questions - I'm always grateful for some feedback :)

Until next week, enjoy the arrival of spring!

Week 2 - 9th April -> 15th April

This week began with a trip to the only one like it in the world - the Hill of Crosses. Thomas and I travelled together on probably the most appropriate day of the year, Easter Monday. We rose early to embark upon an almost 4 hour journey to a place that's nowhere near anywhere! The Hill of Crosses, contrary to popular belief, is NOT near Kaunas, and is, in fact, not really near anywhere at all. The closest city to it is Šiauliai, 12km from the Hill, and about 100km from Klaipeda (almost 200km by bus..). It was a bumpy ride, but we made it in the end.

And what an experience it was! So strange! Nobody really knows the true story of the Hill of Crosses, and despite the initial impression that this is a religious pilgrimage site, it's quite the opposite. In my opinion, it's a place of wonder and intrigue. People have come from all over the world to see this place and add to it, so nowadays there are over 100,000 crosses there - but it has to be seen to be believed! From a distance, it doesn't look like much, just something interesting, but once you are walking amongst so many thousands of crosses, it's easy to be overcome with awe. Needless-to-say, we got a beautiful day for it, but I would still recommend to anybody planning to go there to bring a pair of welly boots! 

The next day was my first day of teaching. To give some context, I have previously studied a 4 year Bachelor degree in primary school teacher training in Belfast. After graduating, I decided, because of the poor opportunities available in the job market, to continue my studies and enrol on a Masters degree in Finland. So now, this internship in Lithuania is a part of those studies. It's compulsory for us to do an internship worth 10 credits, and I decided to make mine a second Erasmus. 

our logo for Lithuania

So, this is my first experience of properly teaching adults rather than kids. My internship is 12 weeks long and my main task is to teach English to the university staff and students. This week was an Easter holiday for students, so I was teaching only the staff. Yes, I was teaching teachers! Role reversal at its best! And actually, my first lessons went very well indeed; I had a lot of fun getting to know them somewhat and I hope they enjoyed it too. I have really been appreciating teaching with autonomy, having the freedom to teach my way and create a relaxed learning environment without the fear and stress of inspection. This is a new experience for me.

Of course, everything here is a new experience! I promised to share something of Lithuanian culture this week, so I will. In my first days, I tried a traditional Lithuanian dish called zeppelins - cepelinai. It basically consists of potato meat dumplings with a bacon sauce. It had a pretty weird texture and was rather heavy on the stomach, but tasty all the same (and cheap!). 

The weather here has been fantastic so far (ignoring the wind!). The sun has been shining, and even on overcast days it has been +14 C...after months of minus temperatures, this is a pleasant change! I'm hopeful for the summer... :)

Some observations I have made so far include the crazy drivers, the distinct lack of eye contact, and the religion of basketball. The drivers here seem to always be in a hurry and are constantly overtaking, even in the city and when cars are approaching from the opposite direction! I'm so glad I'm not driving here, it would be bad for my nerves. Eye contact is largely avoided here, particularly when passing people in the street ... maybe they are scared of their Hannibal Lecter history, who knows. I have also learned that basketball is like a second religion here. I had no idea it was so popular, but now it makes sense because Lithuanian people are TALL! 

Moreover, I have been bombarded with the Lithuanian language (while still attempting to learn German!), and am baffled by it. There is no familiarity and nothing overly distinctive to compare it to. So far, I have learned only a few words to be polite and I'm not sure how much further I will progress. I also noticed that female Lithuanian surnames tend to have the same endings, so I asked about this. Turns out, if your name ends in -aitė it means you're not married, whereas if your name ends in -enė you are married and have taken your husband's name and added this ending.

The week was topped off with an awesome study weekend in Padvarių, a village not far from Klaipeda. It was a free event with amazing accommodation and meals, mainly for exchange students, so this was the perfect opportunity to meet more people, and I met some fantastic ones! We had a lot of fun talking about Lithuania, sharing stories and dancing together. I was even part of an awesome team that won a prize for story-telling! Can you imagine! For me this is such an achievement because I am renound for my rubbish stories - I never know when to stop, and they just end up coming to an abrupt end with the reaction, 'That's it?'. 

But it seems that I am improving :) So hopefully next week I can continue this blog with some more good stories...!

Week 1 - 2nd April-->8th April 2012

Well, this has been a pretty eventful week I have to say! 

It began with my first visit to the university on Monday afternoon (my first lovely surprise - no early morning start!). There, I discussed my work plan for the duration of my 12 week internship here and came to a nice work arrangement. This week has been a planning week and next week I will begin teaching English to the staff of the university (the students will have a holiday of one week). I will teach from Mondays to Thursdays, only in afternoons & evenings -- no working mornings -- I can't even describe how happy this made me!!! And even better, I have every Friday off. After next week, I will be teaching students and staff until June, when it will again just be for staff. How strange it is to meet lecturers whom I will be teaching, as opposed to them teaching me! Yes, a rather nice work arrangement, I think so indeed. 

Midweek came, and my lovely Swiss man arrived following a long journey via Riga. We spent his first day in Klaipeda at a university event in the city centre, including some nice activities and a flash mob! Thomas even got the opportunity to show off his awesome cycling skills...
After that we enjoyed a beautiful sunny walk around the Old Town of Klaipeda, and made a wish by a small mouse monument that you wouldn't know was there unless told by a local (which I was).
Later that evening, we followed the advice from my tutor about romantic places to go here for couples... we enjoyed a gorgeous meal in Viva La Vita, a restaurant on the 20th floor of the Klaipeda Amberton Hotel, overlooking the city and the Baltic Sea. Of course, we timed it perfectly to admire the stunning sunset...
 The meal for two plus drinks set us back 30€, a pretty reasonable deal we agreed!

The theatre, closed for reconstruction, & small market stalls.

Here it seems that if you are used to expensive countries such as Finland or Switzerland, this is a cheap place to be. Perhaps not as cheap as you would expect for some simple items such as eggs, but still, very cheap. For example, my tutor helped me register and get a Lithuanian student card in order to buy a student bus card. The bus card will cost me 19 litas(lt) per month - approx. 5,50€ per month (!), as opposed to 90lt a month without a student card (still less than 30€, therefore still cheaper than Finland). I was just awestruck by this for some time, simply not believing that it could be so cheap - I can use any bus all day, all week for a whole month for 5,50€. Nevertheless, I have learned that it is not the same for the local Lithuanian people. For them, Lithuania is expensive, and this is mainly because the low cost of living is matched by a very low salary, with the minimum earnings per month being around 800lt (~230€).

Eating out in Klaipeda

While I'm starting to feel more at home here, finding my way around, etc. I am also learning a lot about the Lithuania system. The education system, for example, is an interesting set-up. Basically, if you study hard and perform well, you do not need to pay. If you achieved good grades in your high school exams and work with consistent effort throughout university, your education will be free. If not, you can expect to pay - how much you have to pay, I am not sure. But still, a very different approach; at least not one that I have ever come across. We discussed during the week that they need this kind of system as an incentive to work hard, because the lack of employment opportunities and low salaries do not provide enough incentive to gain a good education.

To bring a bright end to the week, the next idea on the agenda was THE BEACH! Thomas had been dying to go there since he arrived; his excitement and enthusiasm for beaches is understandable considering that it is the only thing missing from Switzerland. Having grown up on the island of Ireland myself, I have a solid appreciation of beaches and very much enjoy being by the sea. So, we hopped on the ferry at Klaipeda to cross the lagoon and reach Smiltynes, where the glorious beaches of the Baltic Sea lie, a popular holiday destination in the summer. And it did not disappoint. 

The beach was beautiful and seemed to stretch on as far as the eye could see! It wasn't even as cold as we had anticipated and fueled our desire to sit and enjoy the view for some time. I love the relaxation that I'm overcome by when watching the waves crash on the perfectly, rippled sand. Later, we took a walk through the forest and visited the Lithuanian sea museum before catching the ferry back to the city. I'm not sure exactly what we expected from the sea museum, but it didn't quite live up to expectations. It is located amongst an intriguing fort, surrounded by water, with a dolphinarium next to it (closed for reconstruction since Oct 2010 - not sure the dolphins will ever return...). Once inside, the museum holds one small, hidden exhibition with model boats, etc. but the main attraction is a huge circular aquarium building, and performing sea lions. Forgive me, but I was actually interested to learn something more of the history of the Baltic Sea, but I will settle, of course, for the many species of fish, and especially, the friendly penguins.  


Next week: more on Lithuanian food & language, etc. For now, Happy Easter!

First days...

The first few days moving to a new country are always crazy – everything is new and exciting and terrifying at the same time! But let’s backtrack a little…

My last week in Turku was just fantastic, and made me realise how much I will miss the very good friends that I’ve made there. I had the opportunity to catch up with a few special ones before I left, and was even presented with a surprise cake! There must be nothing better in life than surprise cake ;) 

Meanwhile, it seemed that the weather back home in Northern Ireland was ridiculously warm, while I was overheating in the +6˚C “spring” sunshine in Finland. Anyway, it’s all preparation for my early summer by the Baltic Sea…

The ghetto I live in ;)

In preparation for my move, I decided to already become acquainted with Lithuanian money. So, I went to Turku city centre and changed some euros to litas, and emerged feeling rich! I’m very much appreciating the exchange rate and the cost of living in Lithuania. After that, I spent some time sorting out my purse and found myself immersed in like a million different currencies – euro, sterling, Lithuanian litas, Swiss francs…! Too much, I thought. Too much. Not that that means too much money, since most of the time I was counting pennies and cents (I’m still a scummy student, after all).

The view from my room...

Anyway, let me tell something about my arrival in Lithuania. I left my place in Turku at 5am to take my flight from Turku to Copenhagen. It turned out to be the most small-scale flight I have ever taken – the plane was tiny and there were only a handful of other flyers on board. But the journey was smooth and I slept most of the way. I then spent a few hours in Copenhagen airport, found an appropriately named “Quiet Area” with awesome (purple!) seats with footrests and a nice view of the planes. I relaxed there for some time, before my flight from Copenhagen to Palanga.

When leaving, I swear it must have been by the same plane. There was no difference except this time there were a few more people on board. But still, I was seated in row 14, which happened to be the very last row in the plane (so that gives an idea of how tiny it was – only 4 seats in a row, 2 on either side of the aisle!). 

It's not a cardboard box :)

As we flew into Palanga, I could admire the view of the Baltic Sea beaches through the dense cloud and light rain. It seemed rather too much like Ireland! I was greeted at the airport by a lovely, Lithuanian student mentor and a driver. They took me to my accommodation in Klaipeda, and helped me settle in. It was a relief to see that I wouldn’t be living in a cardboard box, although my first impression from the outside was like a ghetto. But my place far exceeds any expectations I had – it’s almost like hotel service. I was even provided with bed sheets and towels! 

Then the catch came. Of course there must be a catch if I’m paying less than 60€ a month! There is a strict curfew – you cannot come home any later than midnight. Every time you leave the building, you must leave your key in reception, so if you return after midnight you simply can’t get in. Rather harsh, one could argue. Also, there are no laundry facilities. After asking how I can wash my clothes, the answer, “by hand” was given. The students who stay here usually go home at the weekends and do their laundry then, so since my home is far away I will probably rely on my kind neighbour or my tutor to help me :) 

So now, I will continue my settling in phase and update you on the wonders of Klaipeda soon!