"Refugees"

Biggest news stories nowadays are related with ‘refugees’ from Syria and few other countries. Naturally lots of people immediately felt sorry for them and started donating or judging some EU countries who limited migrant flow. I wrote ‘refugees’ as most of these people in my opinion are purely economic migrants who don’t really run from war, but look for better life and countries with biggest social support that’s the reason why instead of choosing countries good for working people like Croatia, Hungary, Czech republic they are desperate to reach Germany, Sweden or UK. Nothing different from economic migrants in Europe. This situation is one of the reasons why I didn’t get emotional about ‘sad, scared, poor people running from war’ propaganda. I ran myself looking for better life but since I was planning to work, not rely on social support, Czech Republic was just perfect choice. UK social support system is so poorly organized that looks soon one working person there will support two-three freeloaders.  I understand Hungary and Croatia protecting their boarders from people who just complains and trashes their territory and rarely even says ‘thank you’. Protecting oneself or family is not the reason to expect everything to be handled on silver plate.

I wonder what will be long term effect of this influx. Mix of nationalities and religions – for sure. But how it will affect social support and job markets? Are most of EU countries ready? I just think that forcing quotas are definitely not best way to deal with situation –some countries simply don’t have resources to provide enough support for such huge amounts of people.  Some, like Serbia just forces people into neighbors and then complains about their lack of enthusiasm. I read that lots of people were very judgmental about Hungary’s decision to build fence, but in my opinion that’s best way to protect country from being trashed. Country shouldn’t suffer purely for being on borderline of EU.

 

Evaluations

So, apparently some start of the year evaluations are going around, not only at work. I also evaluated my life there, in Czech republic. So far, it has been really good - i got what was not possible in Lithuania - job i enjoy,  privacy, nice people around me and overall very enjoyable existance and possibility to eat better and buy some stuff i always wanted but never had money for.
On ąčth of January there will be first round of presidental elections.

I hope Avatar will win as it will make this country even better. But prognosis says that 'jewish' has best options. I'm afraid to even try to imagine what candidates will participate in Lithuanian president elections.

update

Apparently czech and austrian are now in running. First one, Milos Zeman, with website 'Milos to the castle' always looks angry and after what i read about him, i don't think i like him. Second one, Karel Schwarzenberg (website there) almost always looks quite not sober, but i think i like him more, sounds like fun and relatively smart guy. Quite disappointingly (well, at least for me) Avatar is out of race.
I realized that i probably am surrounded by people with similar views as i don't know anybody who would like angry looking guy. While discussing movie "Buttoners" after movie event somehow we went into discussing presidential elections as most people supported Avatar and seems now drunk looking guy is more liked than angry looking guy.
This movie itself was really interesting and funny. I liked the idea how people's lives can be connected without them even knowing it, although some plots was not entirely logical (sperm to cosmos, spitting on train number and so on).

Being thankful

On satuday aside from becoming one year older i experienced my first american thanksgiving party there in Brno. I was invited by lovely american lady whom i met there in Brno over my third day there. Now i understand craziness about that celebration as traditional dinner was simply delicious - turkey, sweet potatos, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and other stuff i never tried before. Even after goodling i don't fully understand roots of that tradition, especially why in USA and Canada it has different dates.

I also started working. I love that in my job we are not allowed to gossip and to talk about company stuff, so people actually go to work at work, not to disturb others by gossiping. My team is really nice and helpful, so i expecially enjoy learning a lot. I just didn't ever thought that i will find my dream work enviroment there, in Czech republic. Guess people's character and mentality adds a lot to that. Maybe in Lithuania works is always a finght as most people are negative most of the time and just lashes out at collegues. I remember how stressful it was for me to work in female company (there was one guy, but he left for the same reason as me) while all of them was fighting and gossiping all the time, as well as drinking at work and not respecting anyone, even themselves. I think i escaped just in time before becoming negative angry woman myself.

Since i'm new at job, my first holiday will be in half a year. That means Christmas will be celebrated there. While i'm not religious person myself, i will definitely miss my grandmother, mom and my guinea pigs (they should have babies around december according to my mom). I think i will find something via Couchsurfing events as there will be many foreigners stuck there.

I'm not really disappointed by that as i learned more living on my own and had more positive experiences than while living at parent's place in Vilnius. Also now i have much better opinion about myself as well as do my relatives. Just my mom is still woried how i'm doing and constantly sending my money and asking if i eat properly. 

Stereotypes

So last thursday was spent in Kaunas due to some paperwork needed to do. Well, again experience was negative. All the time i go to Kaunas i manage to attract agressive people who usually gets angry because i'm from Vilnius. This time first i was shlouted at in kiosk because i tried to buy public transport tickets. Later when i tried to buy ticket in trolley, driver shouted at me because i had only 20 litas note. She gave me change in 1 litas coins. When later i asked in another kiosk what's going on with tickets, she explained that since july it's possible to get them only at drivers.

Later on saturday me and my cousin went to free university (LUNI) camp. That was interesting. While most interesting lectutres happened in friday, saturday was dedicated to lectures about bisexuals, anarchy, sex workers and so on. We also spent some time near the pound where i tried surfing and jumping. People in LUNI lectures are always expressive, strict and sometimes seems agressive that's why it's better to listen than to try interrupt.

What i liked the most was actually pound. Since day was very hot, over 30 degrees i think it was perfect. I came back with sunburn on my shoulders and back, but very satisfied with whole trip.

On sunday we went to Žeimena river to enjoy. While i'm fire zodiac sign, somehow i always prefer water and colder weather, so due to hot day i spent almost whole day in the river.
Near the place we went swimming there's the lake called Pravalas. While lake itself is very nice for swimming, name kinda makes itself. There so much trash around and people actully leaves behind themselves instead of throwing to garbage bins. What also annoyed me is that cars go near by water while there are sign prohibiting it and rule saying that it's illegal to park closer than 50 metres to water.

On monday lithuanian Rūta Meilutytė won gold for 100 metres breaststroke swimming. I'm so proud! Brits are jealous and germans also accused of using doping. Some people just can't live with other's vistories.

Midsummer

Last weekend and preweekend (06.21-06.24) was spent in alternative midsummer celebration.

Weather was plus minus good, aside some rain on Thursday night and Friday evening. Company was also okay, but i liked Thursday evening more because there were no drunk heads and loud music (festival started on Friday evening). Music was very loud and playing till six in the morning and also quite bad on Saturday night so almost no sleep made me very tired and grumpy. I fail to understand why some people consider shouting, drinking to the ground and not letting others to rest as 'fun'. 

There we so much to do and only after coming back home and reading program i realised how less i saw. There were one camp 'Forever christmas' with hot wine, soup and gifts for people who said some rhymes to Santa claus. There were camp of eco-crazed, joga obsessed people. Fest organizers declared 'leave no trace' politics but there were some much trace left it was disgusting. 

On saturday day we went to look for Šventoji river. Description said 'twenty minutes, two kilometers', but we got lost a bit, so it took around one hour one way. There were no (pseudo) beach so people who wanted to swim had to jump straight into river and go. I didn't have courage to do so as river is very fast and i'm not very good swimmer yet.

The sculptures were very nice and took quite long time to make them (i heard weeks) and lots of attention to details and burning them was quite sad at times but it was the point of fest. On first (Friday) night gates were burned down. It was made mostly by stew and planks. There were some cable holding them together and we put some fabric around them so nobody would get hurt, but one dog still did. That dog was a bit funny for me. It's seven months old German shepherd name Tiklis and for me he seemed plain stupid. He wanted to play but didn't give stick to throw. He hurt himself. He didn't know how to swim (really!) - when jumping in the water he started whining and instead of swimming to the shore he tried to get on small bridge so in the end three guys had to get him out.

Buning statue looked as great as before burning. There were some drummers, fakirs, dancers, singers and fires going on. Before that i persuaded other to make flower crowns as it is one of traditions of Midsummer to later throw them into water or burn. I slept in my car that night as i really wanted to get some rest and woke up with sun hitting my eyes, stiff knees and wanting to take almost all clothes, what i did. But at least i rested. Music was horrible on sunday night but most of people didn't care about it. So, all in all, weekend was very good.

Dumb people and plans

Yesterday i was at the farewell of two great guys who walked to Vilnius on foot and made mistake to write one finnish guy that nobody would mind him coming. Biiig mistake. He took it as inwite ans started sending sms and calling 'to meet'. I wrote him that i gave him adress already and he arrived with bag of cheap booze only bomžai are drinking and telling that he thought it was  houseparty. Later he followed us to actual houseparty and non stop talked mosty pure nonse. Then even started tread about Schengen. Dan, i really hate when people talk about legislation while only guessing what is written there. He told that he's planning buy bomžai booze and sell to finnish drunkheads and after i told that there are limits to things you can transport he started reapeating 'shengen shengen shengen' basically non stop. It was first time in long period when i felt as if explaining to person who believes that earth is flat that it's actually turning. And is so convinced that he's right that calls opinion 'shengen'. Ufff... I was glad when it was over and that person is gone. i siply hate criminals who thinks that they are doing nothing bad and are borderline alcoholics.
That day i managed to leave one of my favourite places without paying and thankfully i'm not in black list for forgetting it :) It seems that midsummer plans are also made - most probably going to Degantis Jonas fest. Wrote email to organisers to be sure - i plan to sleep for some time not to be annoyingly frustrated and don't want to survive another weeday when music was playing from 6 in the morning. Seems it would be great weekend :)

Also i was thinking about term "political correct". It's very important in country of close minded people who thinks it's center of the world and english is the only language they speak, but for me it was kinda funny sometimes. Once i got in the discussion about svastika and was called 'nazi' because it's simbol of the sun who was used and still being used in traditional handicrafts for ages, event before USA was founded. So respect to my background wasn't 'politically corect'. There in Lithuania most closed minded and agressive people are usually lithuanian-polish and lithuanian-russians. Polish is worst actually as they live in small communitys, don't really interact with locals, use their language, go to their churces, have their shools, marry amongst them and calls Vilnius 'nashe Wilno'. Some of them even don't speak lithuanian. I never saw reason why to live in another country if you just hide in yours own shell and don't even try to know country and integrate there, Lithuanin russians mostly are okay, just older people don;t even plan to learn language as it's assumed lithuanians should speak russian (most of foreigners are stupid enough to make that assumption till now, insulting locals that they speak with russian accent or so). I was suprisde when i learned that russian russians and polish polish are totally opposite - friendly and nice people. In coucnsurfing there's one lithianian polish who has no self respect and zero social skills so still lives with his mother. he hates locals, contantly insults them and identifies himself as polish, not even lithuanian polish. And is supported by CS staff. Even when he insulted homosexuals he was supported to go on. That's not politically correct and was called 'expressing himself'. So double standars in term of being politically correct.

Lies and not

This weeks have been hard for me as a lot of stuff happened but finally real spring has started. This weekend it was finally possible to join some acquaintances at picnic by the white bridge and later go to relaxing ‘Yoga rave’ event. Sunday was tiring as well as I spent afternoon in hiking trip ar regional Pavilniai park. While in Lithuania we might have zero mountains, some hills are still present, especially around Vilnius, as it’s surrounded by regional parks. While it was raining as we started, experience was none less pleasant. Violets are blooming, trees are green and also we found tent in the woods. Sign wasn’t very easy on the eyes as it was place where some homeless person is staying and there was quite a lot of trash around.

Nowadays I also wish that Vilnius would have some more nice places to hand around. I checked new bar Trip in Gedimino pr. but it’s quite boring and expensive. Some places just rise prices but not quality because as Vilnius is full of foreigners they still will pay, even for stuff not worth it. For example ‘Čili pica’ – so called ‘lithuanian cuisine’ (not at all), high prices, not tasty – almost always full. ‘Piano man bar’ – expensive, no Lithuanian beer, full of loud teens – popular. Things like that always amazes me as I like to pay only for things worth it. Well ‘Route 66’ was really nice exception – cosy, not overpriced, nice staff and games available.

Not so nice was that I was lied to. Radio station ‘Geras Fm’ wrote to me that I’ve won tickets to cinema and hour bowling but even after I wrote my number to them failed to contacts and later lied that they send me email and it’s impossible to know my number which was in email they answered to.

Young adult

Damn, how quickly time passes when weather is good and life has very few obligations. I just watched movie ‘Young adult” which reminded me myself a little. I tend to avoid responsibilities and just spend my time without really using it. This week went by preparing for weekend and upcoming court hearing. Weather outside is simply beautiful and warm, but the only thing I don’t like about is as like every spring dogs’ poo is everywhere. I’m going to city center this weekend just to walk around and enjoy few drinks with my friends. Because I don’t have jog right now, I feel isolated at times as I don’t have anything to talk about. I’m trying to get used to idea I will have to emigrate to Norway to get some money for my family, but I love it here and don’t plan to stay there for longer period of time. I like almost everything about my country except politics. And I’m scared to leave my country as I constantly get insulted by people telling me I speak English with Russian accent. And few times I read that stereotypes about Lithuania are that girls are easy, we are alcoholics and people tend to become criminals. I don’t want to live with something like stigma only because my nationality as I feel like I deserve better.

Connection

I’m still surprised why people carry two cell phones when it’s possible to get one for the same price. I got my MyPhone 8890 for just 390 lt and it has all the functions I need – sms, calling, wi-fi, and all stuff other, more expensive dual sim phones has. Totally recommend.

http://www.my-phone.lt/myphone_8890.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6akiFpSy040

for few years already I was using MyPhone, because it’s good, not expensive and staff at main office is very helpful (never uses ‘your phone is wet, now pay’ tactic).
I bought my phone at Viltanika shop and my experiences with staff was extremely positive, probably best service i ever experienced. Also gave good recommendations.

Sadly after arrival to Czech republic my phone died. So i get new one, MyPhone again. 8855 Diggy.

I'm really satisfied with it, just service sucks there (provider is called CPA). I was forced to contact lawyer as they refused to send me manual in english or at least word document in any language.

Hipsters gonna hip

Since it’s not quite popular not to  like mainstream places, it’s good that I can write so. So, I really really really don’t like Pianoman which is somehow (that totally surprises me) popular. It’s expensive, they don’t have local beer, public are mostly foreigners, always mass of drunk people Since first time I went there I hated that place but somehow it became so mainstream that I was there few more times. When i told that i don't like this places, almost everybody looked at me as if i grew second head. Maybe it's because i don't afraid of being classified as 'one who don't like almost everything' and express my opinion if i have one.

photo by Joshua Lurie

I never liked bars where they don't have local lithuanian beer ( Švyturys, Utenos, Kalnapilis is not calssified as 'local' in my opinion, i name them 'maistream'). And i don't like mainstream places as they are usually too loud, making quite hard to enjoy drink and chat, also full of tourists and have not so good prices. There few places in Vilnius old town where 'everybody goes', but it makes me cringe most of the time. It's Box - nice food, but in evenings - big NO. Crazy face control (trying to take way water - always BIG BIG minus for any place) and no good beer. Second is mentioned Pianoman. And also Summer terrace. Never understood popularity of that place - no good beer, quite overprices, no cards accepted. Have nice concerts thoug.

"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.

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 :)