Sunday hike

I realize more and more how much I don’t like parties. Mostly it’s because I don’t feel comfortable around drunks and don’t find it the way to find ‘friends’. Last time I run away from such activity it turned to be perfect Sunday for me. I went to hike in Aukštadvaris region, which is really beautiful during winter. Although it took more time than everybody expected as instead of 10.30 it started at 12 something because of frozen bus and ended around six, day was truly enjoyable. In the end I was even scared I got lost, because it was already dark and I was alone in the woods (my leg started hurting, so I was somewhere in the end), but it felt surprisingly warm, considering it was about 14 minus. So yep, there’s no bad weather, only bad clothes. And company is everything :)

"Politically correct"

Today I had discussion about racism wit one girl and realized how happy I am because I have no relations with that country and didn’t grow up in the box, seeing discrimination or negativity everywhere. I tried to understand her position knowing American point of view on ‘politically correct’ world, but just couldn’t force myself to call stereotypes and interpreting them ‘racism’. I met with many stereotypes myself during my life and travels. After telling where I’m from I always have to hear talk about beer drinking, sports, beautiful girls, crisis and yep, prostitution problem. Somehow seems that baltics are ‘popular’ for that, also stealing and killing, at least in Scandinavia and Britain. Still I don’t call it racism, just stereotypes or lack of knowledge. Like thinking that we are religious :D So, because I wasn’t trained to see negativity everywhere and do everything politically correct, I was called names multiple names because of my point of view or not seeing discrimination/racism/negativity where’s none. But is diversity bad?
Probably my refusal to change opinion without being provided arguments ends up to be called names in various websites. Yes, i have guilty pleasure - sometimes i write comments on websites like US magazine and Gossipcop. This resulted the idea that americans who comment in these websites are total idiots as everytime they don't know something (once i was called nazi when i stated that swastika is sign of sun in baltic countries for few thousands years already) or just don't agree with your opinion, instead of providing arguments they call you 'idiot', 'stupid' or just tells to shup up. And later whines about problem of cyber bullying. I think one should start with himself, otherwise such wining is just hypocritical.

Back home

After coming back home from my trip I always feel a little lost in translation. After Latvia is extremely easy as language is quite similar and it take time for me to orientate to Lithuanian. On Sunday I decided to participate in social flashmob ‘high five’. That was really nice experience and only photographers made it unpleasureable. It was refreshing to see serious faces bursting into smiles after simple ask to give ‘high five’. Even older people participated eagerly even at first some of them couldn’t get what is ‘duok penkis’. I really wish that on such events all cameras simply would stop working, that would make life much more pleasurable :)

Points of view

I'm using couchsurfing site to meet people, travel and get new experiences for a few years already and only recently i was repulsed by what it turning into. In Vilnius cs group there was threatening messages agains gay people and later about sex tourims. Administrators are not reacting. Their answer was that they choose not to react because such stuff is illegal there and they are concerned about their safety. Several people asked me if i'm agains sex/people having sex overall and why it's upsetting me. It don't. I just believe this page is not for that and cs shouldn't support illegal activities.
However I became also concerned how foreigners would see my city and country if such threads would be ignored. Would they think it's normal? One woman said "About what I say about Baltics, is that there is an important sex tourism market, prostitution, that mainly attracts people from Northern countries." and i'm worried that more people might start thinking so because such post were not deleted only in Lithunian groups.

Due to that recent stress i'm off to get some nice experience so i'm going to Riga for a few days to rest and have fun with latvian language :)

Searching for ?

Over past months I really grew up enjoying hiking and now spend most of my Sundays on foot. It’s easy in Vilnius as we have quite a lot nature parks around. My last trip was to Pučkorių atodanga (Puckoriai Outcrop) and walking paths around. It was really nice to enjoy creatures of nature and nice weather, so I definitely recommend Vilnia riverside to all nature lovers. The view from Puckoriai outcrop is really great and Belmont is also quite popular for touristic (comfort comfort comfort) kind of tourists. I was particularly interested because during this hike we visited few safety hill about two of them I knew nothing about. I’m always amazed how much beauty hides in the city and history behind it.

Just some thoughts...

Lately i‘ve been thinking about if it‘s true that living in a capital affects stress levels. I‘m fan of Estonia as people are very relaxed, friendly and helpful there but one girl i‘ve met during my week in Tartu told me that it‘s diferent in Tallinn, city i sincerely don‘t like because of it‘s unnaturality. She told me that there people are always running somewhere and are not so friendly. I didn‘t noticed that because i‘ve spent only few days there but it may be the reason i don‘t like capitals exept of Vilnius as it‘s my home town, although a little too big for me. Capitals always makes me nervus as are full of tourists, expensive and impossible to enjoy  because of mass of people (especially if you are not heavy drinker and want to do sightseeing, not party all the time). I know the ways and Times to enjoy Vilnius and to avoid mass of the people although nowadays Vilnius are mostly full of alcoholics from Spain, Poland, UK and Portugal mostly, sometimes from Italy too. I don‘t feel comfortable around alcoholics which got some people think that i ‚hate‘ specific nationalities. Few Times i was even told that non-drinking is ‚boring‘. Hmmm... although i have amazing experience with people from countries mentioned above, tourists from tiese countries are horrible mosto f the time (not always and i really don‘t hate anyone). I just secrectly hope that one day people learn to enjoy what is around them without heavy drinking, taking puotos all the time and finding some hidden treasures, not only touristic places. That can make capitals awesome too. 

New Year - back in Tartu

To celebrate New year’s eve I went to my beloved city of Tartu. This week has been really awesome – I spent my time walking through the city, visiting places I’ve missed or simply never been to. One of the best was astronomy museum in old observatory, which is totally estonianised – with possibility to watch all the exhibits in computer screens, play games and other cool stuff. Another place I really liked was Ahhaa science center where I spent three hours and even that didn’t feel enough because there was possibility to play with music instruments, see live exhibits, participate in workshops and so on. What I really hated in Estonia was that everytime I spoke English I got answer in Russian although I don’t speak Russian and I’m not Russian. After some time I just got tired from these insults and started speak Lithuanian. That helped. And coming home felt awesome as I really missed my language and not being insulted with Russian language. Because of bus change in Riga my wallet is not very happy as for bus ticked only I had to pay fifty lt. it’s so bloody expensive because it’s Lux express with coffee and internet but I wasn’t lucky because in front of me sitting was Russian mother and daughter trying to push  seats backwards all the time so I had no room for legs. That was annoying but stopped after a while.