Week 12 - 18th June -> 24th June

Atchy in his element.

 This week's posts deviates from the usual "life in Lithuania", as I'm currently writing from Gothenburg, Sweden. I decided to catch some cheap flights while I could to visit a friend from school, Atchy, while he's on Erasmus in Gothenburg. He's been there for the past year and I meant to visit him while I was living in Finland (obviously, it's just right next door!), but I never got round to it. However, now I managed to find a way, as his Erasmus comes to an end, and I decided to visit Sweden over midsummer.

But let's just back up a little to the beginning of the week. The end of my internship is also drawing near, and this week marked the end of my teaching, with just one resource project remaining. I wasn't expecting my final classes to be emotional, but my lovely students made it so with surprise gifts. (If you're not a fan of cheesy sentiments, look away now...or proceed to the next section of this blog post.) I was humbled by their kind words and fond farewells. One of them made a little speech about me and explained their gift - a baltic stone with a foot, marking the footprint I've left on their hearts. They also gave me a homework to translate the message on it that was in Lithuanian. It was as follows:

Gifts from one of my classes.

Tegul Jūsų pėdos gyvenimo kelyje visada būna ryškios, prasmingos ir ilgam...

Let your feet on the road of life be always vivid, meaningful and lasting ...
Such unexpected sentiments, and the very positive feedback I received has come as an emotional relief that my work has somehow paid off, and I will leave with a real enlightening experience to look back on.

After calculating and evaluating the collective feedback from the final presentations and sending individual evaluation e-mails, I prepared to leave for Sweden. The journey to Gothenburg was a long one. It started with the bus from Klaipeda to Riga, departing at 06:50 and lasting 4½ hours. Then, I was due to catch a Ryanair flight from Riga to Stockholm Skavsta, but it was delayed. It has been a while since I have taken a flight with Ryanair, and I had forgotten what a flight with minimal leg room, no allocated seats, the constant bombardment of ridiculous advertisements and human zoo chaos was like. Nonetheless, it only lasted 50 minutes and the view on the amazingly clear day made it rather enjoyable.

Unfortunately, the flight delay had a knock-on effect, and I was forced to rush to catch the next two journeys by bus and by train. I managed to get the first bus out of Skavsta airport to Stockholm city centre (it takes 80-90 minutes - Ryanair of course fly to somewhere they call "Stockholm" but really mean it's miles away). Luckily, I had factored this in when I booked all my tickets, but what I didn't count on was the length of delays, and the traffic jam we got stuck in. The roadworks combined with a minor car crash causing major tailbacks on the motorway = pandemonium! I was constantly checking the time, beginning to panic slightly when it was only 20 minutes until my train and we were still in the bus caught in traffic... I really couldn't afford to miss this train - it was the most expensive part of the journey! 

Public transport in Goteburg.

When the bus finally arrived in the city centre, I had to frantically find the train station - I had been in Stockholm a couple of times before but had never been to the train station and had only the memory of google maps to guide me. Usually, I'm quite shy about asking strangers in the street something, but I had no choice - so I took the plunge and asked a couple of people for the way. They helped immensely. Only for them, I ran for the train and made it just in the nick of time, with literally only 2 minutes to spare! Five hours later, I arrived in Gothenburg at 10pm. It turned out, running for transport would become a common theme throughout this trip!

Nelly Furtado performing on the MTV World Stage.

Coincidently, the evening I arrived in Gothenburg, the free MTV World Stage concert was playing, featuring Loreen, BoB and Nelly Furtado. I arrived just as BoB was performing, and we went straightaway to Götaplatsen. We watched Nelly Furtado's performance (I still can't believe this was for free) as she played some of the classics like Maneater, Fly like a bird and Promiscuous. The music was great and she even had the "International World Champion of the World Hula-hoop champion" on stage with her, who was very impressive! Poor Nelly though didn't have the best communication skills with the audience, with "world champion of the world" summing it up. 

The midsummer pole traditionally danced around.

My first impression of the city of Gothenburg was an unconventional one, because of all the activity happening for the MTV concert. The contrast in the city in the few days I've spent here has been rather drastic. My first experience portrayed it as being very crowded, full of young people and multicultural. But, as midsummer approached, the city emptied, as the tradition is for Swedish people to retreat to the countryside for the holiday. There were some dancing pole celebrations out on one of the archipelago islands, but unfortunately we made it there too late, and it was rather short anyway. It seems I have brought a batch of bad weather with me, so midsummer eve was a washout, and the rain has returned with no sign of easing.

Mummy and baby elk.

We did get one relatively good afternoon weather-wise and took advantage of it by going to the park, although the park is more like a kind of free zoo. We saw penguins, elks, geese, deer, cows and seals, to name a few. That night we headed out with a whole group of other Northern Irish, plus a Polish guy and French girl, to celebrate one Northern Irish guy's birthday. On the bus into the city, it felt like I was just in a bus in Belfast, not Sweden! It's been a while since I've been around so many of my fellow natives, and the banter was aplenty.

Bacon & maple syrup pancakes.

In a way it has been kind of refreshing to explore a city that's so deserted of people. Despite the dodgy weather, I have enjoyed walking around the city, taking lots of forms of public transport (trams, buses, ferries), exploring some of the archipelago, dandering around the parks & botanic gardens, and appreciating some local food. I have also been introduced to some other interesting food that Atchy & Nigel prepared: bacon and maple syrup with homemade pancakes. A strange salty-sweet combination that somehow works. It was actually surprisingly tasty!
 

My success in Frisbee Golf!

Another new first-time experience came in the form of frisbee golf (also known as Disc Golf). Yes, this is in fact a world-recognised sport, with competitive championships; the champion titles held mostly by Americans, with only one break when a Swede won, the prize-money pegged at 35,000 dollars in 2011. At first, I thought the whole idea was a joke, and it's nothing like golf. But then I played it and researched a bit about it, and they even have different frisbee types such as a driver and a putter. We played on an 18 "hole" course (the "holes" are actually metal baskets), but just had one frisbee between us, so it was more of a team effort (like in golf, they set the par for each hole, and you count how many throws it takes until you make it into the basket). It suited me, because my competitive edge brings out a bit of a nasty side in me, and I prefer to play just for fun. Even in mini golf, I don't like to know the score, I just need to know that I'm winning. ;)

I still have some time left in Sweden before I return to Lithuania for my final days there. The end is fast approaching and in my final blog entry next week, I'll update on the rest of my time in Gothenburg and reflect on my second Erasmus experience as a whole.

Week 11 - 11th June -> 17th June

View of Klaipeda from Viva la Vita, June 2012.

Although this week has been quiet in terms of travelling activity, I have had the time and opportunity to reflect on what I've been doing here, and some cultural curiosities of Lithuania. 

Klaipeda is starting to feel very empty. The other Erasmus students have been gradually leaving, one or two at a time, and this week the last of the farewell meetings were held. I'm sure I will see some of them again, but Klaipeda definitely isn't the same without them. Nevertheless, it won't be long until I will be saying my own farewells. 

Marta, Sara & me at Viva la Vita. Photo courtesy of Ruta.

We met for our final gatherings here in the two most frequented places on my Erasmus: Memelis and Viva la Vita. I'm pretty sure the people that work in these places know my order now! Viva la Vita has been a popular stop for those who have never been there before, but I just happen to join every time. :) It's worth it for the view, and the last visit there was just perfect to spend with my two lovely Spanish ladies! The view, the incredible meal and the company were incomparable. 

Night view from the roof terrace of the Amberton.

This week has also been the beginning of the end for my English classes. I taught the last class for one of the groups this week, and the final presentations are now well underway. I'm really glad to see some of the improvements that have been made as a result of my teaching - that's the reason why I love to teach - it's so rewarding when you see the difference you can make and feel that it's worthwhile. Inevitably, real improvements can only be noticed in those who showed a commitment to the class, and attended every week. 

For the group that finished this week, I asked for some feedback to help me learn from this experience. I gave them 3 Post-its each and asked them to complete the Stop/Start/Continue feedback. (on one Post-it note they write what I should stop doing, on another what I should start doing, and on the third what I should continue doing, then place them in the matching column on the board - it's a very fast and effective form of evaluation.) Overall, the feedback was very positive, with just one comment of what I should start doing - correct pronounciation. As I have mentioned before, this is one thing that I've struggled with, because it's difficult to do without always interrupting or making people feel too afraid to talk. I followed my philosopy of encouraging more and more speaking without worrying too much about mistakes, and only correcting those that are noticeably mispronounced or recurring. Perhaps this is something I will have to rethink. 

Anyway, as I evaluate my own teaching experience, I have also been reflecting upon some cultural curiosities that I have experienced in Lithuania. I will detail some examples of what I mean:

*serving hot potatoes with cold beetroot soup - I mean, what is the protocol for eating these simultaneously? 

*selling wine (and other alcohol) at the cinema. This is where the line is drawn in other countries where alcohol plays a major part in society (e.g. in Ireland & Finland), but not in Lithuania.

Wine on sale @ cinema.

*the confusion of how to get off a bus. There is an unwritten rule that there is no need to press the stop button to indicate your wish for the bus to stop at the next bus stop - you simply stand at the doors, hoping the bus driver gets the message. However, a new confusion has emerged even amongst the locals. In the new buses, the same rule applies, with one subtle addition. Once the bus stops the doors are not opened for you, THEN you must press the button yourself in order to be released. It is apparent that most people haven't realised this yet, and some I have seen just wandering aimlessly between the doors until someone shows them.

*the lack of logic in pedestrian traffic lights. One of two problems occur with these: 1) there are two sets of lights for one crossing, and one of them is green, while the other is red, allowing you to only cross half-way. 2) the green light appears for a ridiculously short period of time (less than 10 seconds), for a crossing spanning over 4 lanes. Only a super speed human sprint could make it across in time. I wonder how young children or elderly people cope, especially with the generally ruthless drivers here.

*the apparent lack of acceptable distance to stand from strangers. People stand in very close proximity to you in situations that there should be an unwritten agreement of acceptable distance, e.g. when using an ATM. My mum always referred to a '3-foot radius' that every person is entitled to, and an invasion of this radius is felt as a sense of threat.

*the cute sense of achievement seen on faces of lovely, helpful Lithuanians after overcoming a language barrier. While there are many times I've experienced people staring at me as if I'm some kind of freak because I'm speaking English, those other times when people don't have much self-confidence to speak in English but still manage to help, are much more memorable. 

These are just a few examples of what I mean, and such curiosities add to the charm of Lithuania. Of course, I can't (and wouldn't) judge, especially considering that I come from a country that drives on the left side of the road. 
I'm also aware that we have certain holidays at completely different times to the rest of Europe, e.g. today is Father's Day in Northern Ireland - Happy Father's Day Dad! :)

The travels continue next week, and if I can manage it I will be writing my next blog entry from Gothenburg, Sweden.

Week 10 - 4th June -> 10th June

All is not lost yet - beach weather is making a comeback!

Hooray for that, because this week was spent mostly entertaining my visitors from Finland and I needed the weather to be on my side! I insisted that come rain or shine, we would be heading to the beach no matter what.

Matti in Palanga.

But before that, I had other important things to show them. When Matti arrived late Wednesday afternoon, I ended up taking him to the last place on my agenda: Akropolis. But he had somehow discovered that the daughter company of the cinema company he works for in Turku operate in Lithuania, and he wanted to find out if it's possible to get free movie tickets with his work card. So the evening panned out like a typical evening in Turku: I'm ashamed to admit that Matti's first experience of Klaipeda was Forum cinemas and Hesburger. I was rather appalled by the standard of our Hesburger experience though - the drink that came with my meal was kiddie's size and the ketchup cost an extra 50 cents. Such a travesty would not occur in the hometown of Hesburger. (We did manage to get 2 free movie tickets to see Men in Black 3 in 3D - worth a watch - but tried our luck again a couple of nights later only to be refused with their insistence that they don't recall ever having that situation in the first place!)

The four of us at the end of the Klaipeda tour.

Later in the evening we met Jacky & Mihir at the bus station, following their time spent in Vilnius. Warm greetings were exchanged and a small late-night feast was had before we retired for the night. We met again early the next morning - I had conveniently been informed by one of my "students" (a programme co-ordinator in the university) that a guided tour of Klaipeda old town had been arranged for a group of teaching professionals coming from all over Europe (including Omagh, NI - a bit of homeland accent for me!) on a Comenius project. All four of us were permitted to join the tour for free - and later found out why. Although it was an opportunity for me to mingle with professionals from my field, I feel I could have given a better tour myself. Some interesting things were mentioned, but it was not a trained tour guide, rather it was led by a teacher from the university, so she didn't quite speak loud enough or keep the group together. Nevertheless, some of Klaipeda was explored, some even new for me, before we ventured further afield to Neringa.

I knew this would be the highlight of Klaipeda - getting the ferry out of Klaipeda to the beach on the Curonian Spit - and I think my friends would agree! After seeing the beach for themselves, they appreciated this gem of Lithuania. Mihir, who has visited beaches in the likes of India and Australia, even said this beach would rank in his Top 3. It was a relief for me that they liked it, as I found it surprisingly challenging to keep them entertained. In the evening we enjoyed great food in the Amberton, before meeting with the rest of the Erasmus group for the beginning of the end. The time has come for most of the Erasmus students here to say their goodbyes or "see ya laters" and head home.

Palanga Pier.

But before that, we managed to squeeze in a couple of extra excursions to Palanga and Nida. Though many of them had been to Palanga before, it was a first for me (besides the airport, which doesn't count). Contrastingly, while I had been to Nida twice already, the others hadn't been at all. 

The view from the amber museum.

We got a great day to go to Palanga, and I enjoyed the company, the food, the views, and the weather. The beach and pier in Palanga was even more impressive than I had imagined after having seen only pictures. It's a rather touristy place, especially in comparison to Klaipeda, but nice to walk through and enjoy a summer's day. It's convenient too, as it is only a cheap, 30 minute bus ride away. I had heard many times before that I should visit the amber museum in Palanga, so since we were there Matti and I took the opportunity to see it. The building (which is a palace) and surroundings of the museum are rather impressive, but the museum itself was a little disappointing for me. I have come to the conclusion that I much prefer museums with a guide to explain and tell stories, rather than being left to explore alone and just read the text. Although at least this time there was some information in English! 

The Parnidis Dune.

The weather remained kind for our trip to Nida, despite the growing infestation of mosquitoes. We went as a group of five, with Nida being new for Matti, the two Spanish girls and the Latvian girl. I think we all agreed that it was worth it, because Nida offers something different than the other coastal cities of Lithuania: that comes in the form of sand dunes. It is home to some of the highest dunes in Europe, including the 52m high Parnidis dune (Parndzio kopa). We braved the many, many wooden steps to reach the top of this sand dune, where we could admire the view of the Baltic Sea, the Curonian Lagoon and Kaliningrad. I was actually amazed by this view; last time I climbed to the top of that dune it was impossible to see the sea or the lagoon because of the large amount of dark, grey clouds and rain. So this time I really appreciated it!

The five of us at the top of the 52m sand dune.

As the time drew to an end for my visitors, and for many of the other Erasmus students, they prepared for their onward journeys. Unfortunately, there seems to be a curse of the Riga bus. Every single visitor to come to Klaipeda to see me has had a problem with getting the bus to Riga at the end of their stay. First, there was Thomas back in April, who had to catch a flight from Riga, but ended up running for it because his bus from Klaipeda was one hour late. 
Then, Jacky & Mihir attempted to buy a bus ticket to leave Klaipeda on Friday, but there were no seats left on the 14:30 bus, and it turned out that that was the last bus of the day. They searched for any other means of transport from any place in Lithuania to reach Riga that same day, but found nothing. So they were forced to book the next bus, leaving at 3:40am, without anywhere to sleep before then. Eventually, they made it to Riga on Saturday morning, probably exhausted. 
Finally, Matti discovered his problem on the bus to Nida - he had asked for a ticket for the 11:30 bus to Riga, but they had given him one for 14:30, which would be too late for him to catch his flight back to Turku. But we were spending the day in Nida, so no solution could be sought for until the next day. However, it's lucky we discovered this the day before his departure, so it wasn't too late. In the end, he went to the bus station at 6:30am the next morning to try to make sure he could get an earlier bus. It turned out easier than expected to exchange his ticket for an earlier time, and he indeed managed to get the 11:30 bus. We met for coffee before he left, and I now hope he returns to Turku safely and on time. 

I try not to become overwelmed by goodbyes, or even partake in them at all, but now I can't help but think that without my lovely friends from Finland, and the fun Erasmus folk in Klaipeda, my social life will come to an abrupt halt here in Lithuania. But I do have plans to go to Sweden for midsummer, and I have a lot of work to do, so the time will no doubt be filled and continue to fly by. 

Week 9 - 28th May -> 3rd June

This week marks the beginning of a new month and the end of summer in Lithuania. At least now the joke is that summer has been cancelled this year! I hope this is just a joke and we will see beach weather once again!

Pažaislis monastery, near Kaunas.

The bad weather began earlier this week as we embarked upon an epic journey through the undiscovered sights of Lithuania. It took the form of an exam, in fact, for tourism students. We went by bus, for 2 days, 13 hours on the road each day, as the tourism students acted as tour guides for the many churches, castles, museums and other places of interest along the Nemunas river to Kaunas. On the first day, we had 17 places to be guided through, stopping at several for a closer look. The second day consisted of 9 places to see, one of which was a working monastery close to Kaunas, where we managed to catch some sunshine. 
Our journey took us through places like Šilutė, Jurbarkas, Kaunas, and Kedainiai (which sounds like something Irish ;))

Our lovely translator :)

Not to mention the fact that this was the longest exam anybody must experience, it would have been much more engaging for me and Ivan (the only other Erasmus student left from our College) if it wasn't all in Lithuanian. We were grateful for the times that our international co-ordinator translated some interesting points for us. Despite not understanding a word that was said throughout the whole tour, we still experienced a journey off the motorways and into the depths of Lithuania, its nature and countryside. I even saw some cows in the fields - there is life here after all! 

A memorial for the Holocaust victims.

It came as a surprise that there were no scheduled stops for bathroom breaks or eating. One simply had to cope. At any available opportunity to find a toilet, I tried. However, in the depths of Lithuanian countryside, your only real option is a dark hut in the midst of nature, containing only a hole in the ground. At one point I even paid one lita for the privilege. Where was my hand sanitizer when I needed it..! Now I have a better appreciation of what the older generations had to deal with. But at least we spent one night in an amazing student dorm in Kaunas, so we weren't required to survive that standard for the whole journey!

What I noticed during the trip, and in several moments during my time here, is the surprising chivalry of young men towards women. They would stand in the rain and wait for the girls to board the bus first, and on local buses I've seen them give up their seat for elderly women. This is a rather refreshing sight to see, especially since women have to try much harder to be recognised here. Not to offend any feminists out there, but I think that such small acts of chivalry are a welcome change in today's society. 

The view from one of my classrooms.

This week I have been preparing my students (who are mostly teachers themselves!) for their final presentations that will take place in 2-3 weeks time. Many of them have been interested in my lessons on presentational skills, and how to present in English. This is a challenge for some and I am delighted to see their confidence grow, as I have scaffolded and guided their practice. It has been such an experience so far to challenge my students more and more each week, and encourage them to be creative in what & how they present. I'm very much looking forward to each unique presentation to come in my final weeks teaching here.

Cheese fingers (sūrio piršteliai)

Before kick-starting the weekend, a group of us headed to a cosy, hidden pub in the old town to enjoy their special cheese fingers (sūrio piršteliai). Trying to describe what these are (and where the pub they can be eaten in is) can prove difficult even for Lithuanians! So the best way is to take you there and try them for yourself! They taste much better than they look. They are kind of like ultimate mozzarella sticks except with better cheese and more filling. And they are super cheap!

Enjoying Akaga perform amazing live jazz!

The highlight of this week, however, has been the Klaipeda Jazz Festival! I believe this is the 18th year this festival has been held in Klaipeda and the best part is that all the concerts are for free! Always have been and always will be. The mayor of Klaipeda is an avid jazz musician himself and treated us to a performance of his own. He is passionate about music and invests a lot into the musical life of Klaipeda. His performances and the festival itself were impressive to say the least, and we enjoyed the music in good company. The act who stole the show for me was Akaga jazz band from Bulgaria. They were the ones to get the crowd going and got our group up amongst the crowd dancing! The festival spanned over the weekend, with live acts playing every evening of Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

Regardless of the downturn in weather, it is evident that a good time can still be had in Klaipeda - you just have to get out there and enjoy it! That's what I hope to prove next week, as I will humbly welcome my gorgeous visitors coming from Finland. So stay tuned. :)

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…