Week 8 - 21st May -> 27th May

In all my mad rush to complete my blog last week (conscious of posting it late for those that now have a Sunday routine ;) ), I forgot to mention the Erasmus 25th birthday party! The Erasmus folk and ESNers of Klaipeda gathered in a new, local club called Sputnik to enjoy an evening together, with people sharing laughs and Erasmus stories. It was a great, well-organised evening and even involved the cutting, and more importantly, EATING, of the huge Erasmus birthday cake! As I almost feel like something of an Erasmus veteran myself, I helped myself to a huge chunk of cake that I could barely finish, but it was just delightful.

A more impromptu, small-scale event was organised this week by our lovely co-ordinators in the international office. We took advantage of the beaming, warm sunshine and gathered together for a picnic. I really love the sense of community that the whole Erasmus programme brings with it - it makes it possible to meet new people and instantly have a connection, and have stories to share about our Erasmus experiences.

The only down-side to Erasmus is when you have to leave, or saying goodbye to others when they are leaving. This week some of the girls organised a beach party for Luisiana, who will return to Italy soon. I had such a wonderful time feeling like a kid again on the beach, playing volleyball, duck duck goose, and crocodile! They are really a lot of fun to be around, and Klaipeda just won't be the same without them. I have been in this situation far too many times, but still have the same approach: to never say goodbye, only 'see ya!' Because, you never know, you may meet again.

I'm living proof of this notion this week, as I took a trip to Kaunas to meet with Marius, a Lithuanian guy I met on my first Erasmus in Finland. We joked that if someone had've told us 2 years ago that we would be sitting over drinks in sunny Kaunas reminiscing about old times, we would have laughed in their face saying, 'no way!'. But there we were. In fact, I even found myself in an Irish pub in the old town of Kaunas watching the Eurovision. So many shameful things about that sentence, I will not even begin to explain..!

View over Kaunas.

Anyway, Marius kindly showed me around some of the city, explaining why buildings in the old section are no higher than 3 storeys, because the surrounding ten fortresses of the city needed to be able to see each other. Beyond this old part of the city, you can see how time has changed with what he called a 'concrete jungle'. Kaunas has so much history to it, but Marius believed that the best way for me to see this and enjoy the place was to take me on a pub crawl, and that's exactly what we did! We even managed to catch some unexpected street performances, such as a marching orchestra and a flash mob!

The most curious things about Kaunas, for me, were Synthesizer, the minibus, and storks. Allow me to explain. 

Synthesizer is the name of the dog that came as part of the package deal when Marius moved in with his girlfriend. In Lithuania, it seems very popular to have a tiny breed of a dog (it is arguable for some, whether it is a dog or a rat), but it was unknown to me that I would be staying with one until I came face-to-face with Synthesizer. Turns out, he is a rather cute kind of the tiny dog species, and incredibly energetic, though he did eventually settle down and cuddle up to sleep beside me. I was grateful that Marius & his girlfriend kindly offered me a place to stay in their lovely, humble apartment, and only for them, I would never have been brave enough to try a Lithuanian minibus.

These minibuses also exist in Klaipeda, but I haven't quite plucked up the courage to use one, mainly because I thought they looked like deathtraps, and rightly so. They are basically yellow minibuses (like Ford Transit vans) that act as an alternative form of public transport, a little bit more expensive than regular buses (2,60Lt, approx. 0,75€ per ride) but it is much faster and they run later in the evening. When I say faster, I really mean super-speed. Marius took me on one through Kaunas, as the quickest way to get from his apartment to the old town, and I literally clung on for dear life. 

These buses can be flagged down anywhere, and they will come to an abrupt stop for just enough time for you to jump in and them to speed off before another vehicle rams into the back of them. The drivers somehow multi-task between stopping, speeding off, accepting your money, giving change and possibly eating a snack. Our minibus driver took his task seriously, weaving through the traffic like he (and the rest of us on board) were invincible, while serenading us by consistently, and seemingly unnecessarily, beeping the horn. When Marius signalled for him to stop to let us out, I felt rather relieved to be alive after frantically jumping from the vehicle before it sped off into the distance.

I survived the minibus experience (though am in no rush to try it again!), and was lucky enough to meet some of Marius's friends later in the evening. We ventured to a bar/club on the 5th floor of a glass-front building in the city centre, only to find what they named the native 'storks'. These can be defined as intriguing creatures consumed with probably a decent amount of alcohol, exploring the dancefloor with bizarre movements that some may consider 'dancing'. A running joke followed through the evening, as we observed the storks through the glass, sitting on the terrace to what may be called the inter-city zoo. The refreshing thing wasn't the drink I nursed (which was a variation of a mojito), but the humble, self-irony that these Lithuanians displayed. Like us from Northern Ireland, they could make fun of each other all in jest, and everybody would come away laughing and smiling.

Curonian Spit - this is the life in Klaipeda :)

This was a great way to end this beautiful week of summer (I hope that's not the end of the summer in Lithuania, but only the beginning!). I'm looking forward to more good times, laughs and days on the beach, before all this madness comes to an end. 

P.S. I can safely say that I have a new appreciation for hot water. After one week without it, I savour the opportunity to have a hot shower, even in this summer weather!

Week 7 - 14th May -> 20th May

After a long winter in Finland, and months of wearing layers and my winter coat, it‘s safe to say that I have a revived appreciation for the all-blooming spring. Only after such harsh winters do I really notice when nature comes back to life, with leaves and blossoms on the trees, and flowers sprouting from the grass. I say flowers, but what I really mean is dandelions. At home we consider this to be a pest of a weed, but as some Lithuanians seem to consider it a lovely, yellow, radiant flower, I will humour them. The argument of the dandelion continues – weed or flower?

Lithuanian Flag

Now I can finally see the reasoning behind the colours of the flag of Lithuania. I have learned before that the colours represent the sun (yellow), the land (green) and the blood of the people (red). For weeks, I have heard people refer to Lithuania as a green country, and until now, I had seen no evidence of this. Maybe I was more sceptical than the average person, since I am from the emerald isle of Ireland; my homeland is known as green, not Lithuania. But now, I have to say, I am beginning to see the similarities. Except that the green fields are missing animals; I’m used to seeing fields full of sheep, cows, or even horses, but in Lithuania there are empty. Strange, it seemed to me, but not the strangest thing I’ve come across here.

Last week, when I was in Siauliai, I noticed a sign that was put up in the student dorm, informing residents that there would be no hot water for one week (giving the specific dates this would happen). Little did I know, the same shock would come to Klaipeda, but with no warning, and no informative sign. Only the freezing cold water pumping through the taps, not turning any warmer, made me realise something wasn‘t quite right. It turns out half the city is without hot water, and apparently this is an annual occurrence (strange). It seems that they feel the need to carry out post-winter maintenance and cleaning every year, but I had hoped that Klaipeda would be spared, at least until I leave. No such luck. Instead, I have been developing innovative ways to motivate myself to have a cold shower, with exercise being the most prominent one. 

Sometimes they can be loud in a good way...

One has to get used to change when coming to a new country. However, I’m not sure if it’s because I have been spoilt by the quiet Finnish people, or if I am just getting old, but Lithuanian people (in general) are LOUD. Usually I can drown out background noise, especially if it involves people speaking in a language I don’t understand, but it sometimes proves difficult here in Lithuania. Maybe they don’t know it, but at least to me, they are noticeably louder than what I have been used to. Between answering a mobile phone on a bus, chatting in the street, or banging doors, I am still sensitive to the sounds, despite thinking that I would have adapted somewhat by now. However, it turns out I’m not the only one who thinks so. In Vilnius, we met an interesting man from the US, who was commenting on the guy working in McDonald’s banging and smashing as he worked, disturbing those who were eating. Perhaps it is just another part of Lithuanian culture to get used to.

The culture continued in an amazing weekend in Vilnius. There were five of us girls going together, one Northern Irish (me :) ), two Spanish, one Italian and one Turkish. We travelled by bus from Klaipeda for four hours before arriving in Vilnius on Friday afternoon. While on the bus, we were sitting opposite a rather elderly lady, but it was obvious that she was curious about us, and after making some remarks in English, it seemed she was searching for a moment to interact with us. After three hours of the bus journey, she finally plucked up the courage to ask where we were from and from there sparked a great conversation that lasted the remaining hour. Turned out she is from Hamburg, Germany, but she has travelled all over the world and lived in Africa, Romania, and is now living her 8^th year in Lithuania. After discovering that she doesn’t know the Lithuanian language despite living here for quite some time, I don’t feel so guilty not knowing that much myself!

The modern view of Vilnius

I had pretty high expectations about Vilnius, after hearing so many good reports. But I have to say, the city lives up to expectations and beyond. I was really impressed with how clean and tidy it is, and loved the style and architecture of the buildings, as well as the cosmopolitan atmosphere. It’s so different from Klaipeda. From the top of the tower of the old castle in the centre of Vilnius, you can see a panoramic view of the city, but it’s like looking at 3 different cities – the old, the new and the different! Each part of the city has its own unique style, and the contrast between the old and new is so intriguing. We enjoyed the atmosphere of the old town, dining in Vapiano in the modern side of the city, and the character of the Uzupis district.

Classical music next to a wall of graffiti = Vilnius :)

I chose this weekend in particular to go to Vilnius because there was a huge music day event happening on Saturday 19^th May, when all kinds of musicians play in the street for all to enjoy. This made the old town especially have an amazing feel to it, and I really enjoyed walking through the cobbled streets, enjoying all kinds of music and performances. It ended up the perfect timing for experiencing Vilnius, with all the exciting events, and even Sarah (my US friend studying in Siauliai) happened to be there at the same time, so we met up with her and our group expanded even more, to two Americans, a Slovakian, a Hungarian and a Lithuanian. They joined our tour of the city and we explored Uzupio together.

The Uzupis Constitution

The Uzupis district is probably one of the most interesting things to see in Vilnius. It’s a small section of the city that has its own constitution created after the fall of the Soviet regime, on display on the walls there (a good read!), its own anthem and flag. Here you can see the past Soviet times, with artistic flair and character engraved along the narrow, winding streets. It also offers beautiful views over the rest of Vilnius, and if you have time you can stop and enjoy the view on a bar terrace (although, I really mean if you have time, because we waited more than 40 minutes just for drinks, so don’t order while you’re thirsty, otherwise you will be dehydrated!) 

Happy faces after finally receiving our drinks!

On Sunday morning, we took a trip to a fascinating place located just outside of Vilnius, called Trakai. It sports wonderful scenery, with the main attraction being a restored castle situated in the middle of a tranquil lake. I’m so glad we took the time to go there on our final day – the surroundings were just stunning and you could easily spend hours there just walking and soaking up the nature. We were also lucky because the weather could not have been any better – all weekend we enjoyed warm, sunny days (although this proved difficult to handle on the return journey to Klaipeda in a sweltering hot bus with minimal ventilation and no working air conditioning, so in the end I was ready for a cold shower, for once!)

The beautiful Trakai

But as the hot water returns to my dorm in Klaipeda, and the sunny days shine even more, I will keep my lovely stories and memories of Vilnius, and catch up with my work. I fully intend to return there again, especially considering that it’s definitely the cheapest capital city I’ve ever been to! Let’s see how the rest of Lithuania shapes up…

Week 6 - 7th May -> 13th May

I forgot to mention something spectacular last week: the supermoon! Yes, it could be seen in Klaipeda too! Actually, I had no clue that such a thing existed, nevermind happening right then. But I just happened to look out my window at the right time, and the moon almost smacked me in the face with its magnitude! I thought, 'wow, the moon looks amazing tonight, so big and bright!' Of course, I tried to take a picture but it didn't turn out well so I abandoned that plan and simply admired it for a while. Little did I know, this crazy phenomenon was happening all over the world, as I saw the next day from the news and (where else?) Facebook. 

Connecting via Skype.

I also had a futuramic experience, being present at a party at home in Northern Ireland, but via Skype. It was great to see so many familiar faces again, especially at their bemused expressions at me on a laptop screen, with the laptop secured to a moveable chair, complete with make-shift arms and legs! Just goes to show, you don't have to be together to be together...(my motto these days).

The end of this week marks the half-way point of my internship here in Klaipeda State College. As a result, I have been reflecting on my teaching, and language teaching in general. It's a surreal experience to hear so many different people speak with the same language as my mother tongue. Sometimes, I have the feeling that as I teach English to others, my own English worsens. Maybe it's because I find myself picking up non-native habits, especially as I rarely speak with other native speakers anymore. However, I'm at least conscious of this and trying to prevent passing on bad habits. Rather, I will try to remain as something of a role model for those who wish to learn. Though, I have a slight struggle still with finding the balance between allowing people to freely practise speaking fluently, and when, or if, they should be corrected. I find that I tend to overlook minor mistakes, and correct those that reoccur. Or, I repeat what was said, but in the correct form.

Me, Carolin (from Germany) and Sarah (from USA) in Nida.

Moreover, when I meet someone from an anglophone country, I often forget that I'm speaking with a fellow native speaker, and it takes a while before I realise that I can talk faster and in my more natural state and they will still understand me. This occurred as I met again with a lovely friend from the US, whom I initially met on the study weekend a few weeks ago. She had planned a little birthday surprise for her close friend and roommate from Germany. The birthday girl had no idea it was happening, nor that I would join them. The surprise took place in Nida, where they were enjoying a day trip, so I ventured there from Klaipeda, and then hitched a ride back with them to their study city of Šiauliai.

I had been to both Nida and Šiauliai before, but this time was as if it was the first time. Nida looked like a completely different place, based totally on the change in weather. As opposed to the wet, windy and rough weather experienced on the previous trip there, this week it was beautifully calm, sunny and warm! I was enchanted by the stillness and tranquility of the water. It was the first time here in Lithuania (and in many, many months) that I have been outside with only a summer top on, without even a coat or anything! I couldn't believe how warm and humid it was. At this rate, I will have turned into one giant freckle by the time I'm leaving Lithuania! (My skin is sensitive to sunlight and when exposed, it seems millions of freckles appear from nowhere!)

The storytellers reunited in Siauliai.

As for Šiauliai, I have only ever passed through it to reach Riga or the Hill of Crosses. So this time, I stopped to appreciate it in itself, and enjoyed a lovely tour from my Šiauliai friends. They did a fantastic job hosting me, making me feel spoiled! We explored some of the surroundings and sights of Šiauliai, and I finally saw the famous fox! I had to see it at some point, following the story we successfully told at the study weekend, involving the mouse in Klaipeda and the fox in Šiauliai. It was nothing like what I expected - much bigger, and with a strange stance - to match the fox, a thousand mice would be required! 

Cat Museum

The strange setting of Šiauliai continued as we wandered across the city into what appeared to be the garden of someone's home. It was, in fact, the entry to the most unusual 'museum' I've ever visited - a cat museum! It had a wide selection of all kinds of cat-related items, as well as two live cats (who seemed to be the complete opposite of each other - one at something like 14 years old, who clearly spent its days curled up in a ball, sleeping; and the other, young, sneaky, 2 year old, who disappeared and reappeared all of a sudden, often, seemingly, to scare you!) Can you tell that I'm more of a dog person than a cat person?

But the most bizarre thing about this cat museum, was that it also contained a mini zoo! We were guided by two kids, who were maybe around 12 or 13 years old, around numourous cages and enclosures containing many different creatures from snakes, to owls, to rabbits, to lizards! They even had a cute monkey and a skunk! The kids did an amazing job explaining about the creatures, their eating habits and lifestyles, and all in English. I was mega impressed. But I wasn't brave enough to cuddle a snake or cockroach. Maybe next time.

The 3D movie experience.

It was first-time experience galore in Šiauliai, as we also went to the cinema, something I had not yet done in Lithuania. We went to see The Avengers, which also happened to be in 3D, though I don't know why; in my opinion, it didn't make much difference. But anyway, the movie was in English with Lithuanian subtitles, but of course a language problem emerged when some of the movie contained dialogue in another language, e.g. Russian. The first time this happened to me was while watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes in Finland, and the apes were speaking in some ape language and the subtitles were in Finnish, neither of which I understood. As the rest of the audience laughed, I wondered, should I join them with a fake, awkward laugh, or simply remain baffled until the scene finished... I went with a bit of both. As for the Avengers, we could only guess what was happening in these parts, but they were few and it didn't effect the overall sense of the movie. I enjoyed it, despite not having seen anything with Captain America, Iron Man, or the Hulk before (I'm uneducated in this respect). The Iron Man was my favourite in the end.

Overall, I had a great time catching up in Šiauliai, but my favourite sight had to be an abandoned, ancient, Soviet amusement park, that you would only discover by accident if you didn't know it was there. It is secluded in the middle of some old woods, next to a kind of stadium where history seems to come alive. It was like being inside of a history book, and seeing it for real. I love working and exciting amusement parks anyway, so to see such an old one, now out-of-use, was really interesting and I was so glad to be taken to this secret of Šiauliai.

Our lovely Ladies' Night in Viva la Vita.

The week ended with a gorgeous girly night to celebrate another birthday, this time of a fellow Erasmus student in Klaipeda; a Latvian girl. She reminded me of the bus journey we took from Nida, for the hour until the ferry there was an amazing sing-off between Turkish guys and Latvian girls! It was so spontaneous and such a joy to listen to, the singing was so impressively good! I can't say there was a sure winner; it's impossible to compare such different styles and languages they were singing in, but I thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment anyway! In the end, we celebrated the Latvian girl's birthday with a delicious meal in Viva la Vita, and some drinks and dancing in Memelis (a multi-storey, brewery pub/club/karaoke bar). 

In the realisation that I have spent almost half of my time here in Lithuania already, I felt the need to plan some of the rest of my time here, to ensure that I actually experience more of this beautiful country! So, in the coming weeks, I hope to bring some more tales of the lovely Lithuania from other places such as Vilnius and Kaunas; so stay tuned! :)  

Week 5 - 30th April -> 6th May

It feels like it's been a while since the last blog update, just because the previous one was that little bit earlier to allow for my time back in Finland. I had just the best time spending four days back "home" in Turku. I left my laptop in Lithuania, and enjoyed cutting myself off from the internet and instead purely appreciating the time I had there with my amazing friends. 

Having said that, now that I'm back in Lithuania, I am so grateful for Facebook and Skype to keep me connected to the people I love and care about. Although, there has been rather a lot of recent discussion surrounding the negative aspects of Facebook in particular. This mainly came from the few that don't have a profile on FB, but I decided to broach the topic with my student discussion group this week too. They made some very good points, supporting both sides of the argument, but the conclusion emerged that it's not FB that's the problem, it's how we use it that makes a difference. Personally, I think there is worse in the world to worry about.

Meridianas resting on the river.

Anyway, after returning from Finland, I've noticed more than before how much influence from Turku there is here in Klaipeda. For example, the infamous Hesburger can be easily located here and seems quite popular, and there are many ships currently on display in Klaipeda that were built in Turku. One particular ship, the Meridianas, serves as something of a tourist attraction here, despite being originally built by Finns. Recently, I have seen several tourist groups huddling around a guide next to this ship and I'm thinking that next time I will try to tag along and find out more of what the story is behind it. Nowadays, it is said to be an international restaurant, but I have never seen it functioning (as of yet). 

What the Meridianas must look like open.

Another somewhat of a reminder of the Finnish culture, is the strong influence of alcohol in Lithuania. Dare I say it, but it may even be more so than in Finland (this may come as a shock to those who reside in the land of the Finns - they like a drink - or many). But in Lithuania it is immediately more noticeable. In fact, it was one of the first things I noticed when I arrived here. My local supermarket is rather small and contains just the essential items, but half of it, I mean literally half of the whole store, consists of shelves upon shelves stocked with alcohol. In Finland, the supermarkets just stock "soft" alcohol, like beer or cider, and for the "hard" stuff you have to go to a proper alcohol store (Alko). However, this is not the case in Lithuania. This local supermarket of mine has everything you could want in alocoholic form - beer, cider, vodka, gin, rum, whiskey...and the list goes on. Nevertheless, the Lithuanians seem rather proud of their national beers. For me, this isn't very impressive coming from the island of Ireland, where beer was practically born (even though I'm not much of a fan - a disgrace, I know). But it seems to be a must-try in Lithuania. 


On the subject of intoxication, I have to share my perspective on smoking as well. Before coming to Lithuania, I actually feared that the smoking ban may not have come into effect here, based on my experience a couple of years ago in Latvia. To my pleasant surprise, the smoking ban does exist here, and as a non-smoker, I really do appreciate this. However, a conflicting surprise arose as almost every Lithuanian I have met so far, mostly around my age, smoke. In a way, Lithuania is kind of like a smoker's paradise because the cigarettes are still pretty cheap if you compare with other European countries (and even cheaper if they are coming from neighbouring Russian territory). Needless-to-say, I won't be converted.

Lithuania does seem to be converting me on other strange things though - like amber and sculptures. These are two culturally significant roots in Lithuania that I am being more and more exposed to. Since becoming more confident with my sense of direction in Klaipeda, I changed my usual walking route and explored some of the tiny, unknown streets, and discovered something that caught my attention. You should know that sculptures exist everywhere in this city, and they even have a sculpture park that is dotted with random and varying sculptures that don't seem to follow any one particular theme. But, this one, planted on the corner of street I had never ventured down before, was the most interesting one I've seen so far (see picture). My next task is to find out the story behind it. 

Moving on, even as the freckle and sunburn season makes a slow return, the empty streets of Klaipeda can be explained by one phenomenon: Akropolis. 
Akropolis is an entertainment/shopping centre - it is full of shops, and even has a cinema, ice rink and, wait for it, a Hesburger! (Though this is rivalled by a 24hr McDonald's drive-thru.) For me, Akropolis is where the city ends; I have not yet ventured any further, and have no clue what lies beyond it apart from the other exchange students of Klaipeda, where their dorm is situated. 
Anyway, as my most local, decent-sized supermarket rejected me all of sudden with workmen instead of customers, I realised it is under construction (everything is under construction here - university buildings, roads, the dolphinarium...! A sign of a booming economy..?). So, yesterday I ventured to Akropolis to stock up in Maxima (equivalent to Tesco Extra & Prisma), and there I saw half the city, as well as an interesting happening. There were dressed-up girls on stage singing, while on the ground there seemed to be some kind of fire brigade demonstration day. It was worth stopping for a moment.

But the real highlight of the day occurred on the way back to my dorm. I just happened to step off the bus and be standing in the right place at the right time, when a fantastic array of motorbikes of all kinds came streaming down the road, topped and tailed by two police cars. The stream of bikes seemed never-ending and I couldn't help but stand and watch with a beaming smile on my face - this was a reminder of home, and also of times ahead. I'm just gutted that I didn't have my camera with me to take a video - it was really something to see! Instead, I just captured a couple of photos on my phone, but they don't do it justice. 


That's the shame when you know you are watching something amazing and can't capture it for others to see, but I think it was better to be there anyway, and it's saved in my memory - that's enough for me.

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!