In and around Vilnius

We've been staying close to home lately, but still taking in the sights. Actually, a few weeks ago, I felt like I became a sight myself - everyone wanted to take a picture of the beer bike as it sped by at about 2 miles per hour. That's right, this contraption seats about 17 people (12 on the bikes, and then up to 5 freeloaders in the back), along with a driver and bartender. A fun time was had by all! If you are seeing this and thinking, "Wow - I could make a killing off this sort of business!" let me give you a few tips. First, adjustable seats would make it possible for the vertically challenged among your customers to pull their fair share. You all know that's not a challenge for me, but two of our would-be-bikers couldn't reach the pedals!  Second, I really think there must be some sort of adjustable gears out there. We would nearly lose our toes going downhill as the pedals swung round and round at an ever-increasing pace. On the other hand, those 5 freeloaders earned their keep going up the one hill on our route, when they had to get off and push to help us keep moving. This contraption would not work in the state of Colorado or even Tennessee.

Don't fall off, honey!

Don't worry, we certainly were a spectacle!

Hard at work

And, to top it off, our dear colleague that coordinated this event insisted that we all wear matching mustaches. J's matched his own quite well, I think, but mine is a tad too dark... ;)

No wonder EVERYONE is staring at us...

I blinked...

and it appears summer is over here in Vilnius. Everyone told me that June was unusually cold and rainy this year, and then we had one hot week (highs around 85) in early July, and one more hot week last week. But today it was too cold to sit outside for lunch, even with our jackets on. We went back home and changed into sweaters and heavier coats! I know, Missouri hasn't seen anything so low as 85 for a high for over a month, so I shouldn't complain. But, I am. We've been to the Baltic sea twice this summer, once in May (admittedly too early to really go for a swim) and then again in July, when the air temperature was better, but the water was still bone cold. I'm nearly winter-pale at this point...

So... to all of you out there in warmer climates just wishing for relief, maybe you'll want to come here next year... ;) Or now, for that matter!

It's been busy for me at work, but nothing exciting to report. J and I are working on (re)learning Russian, and I think we're making some progress. I am slowly sprinkling more Russian in my interviews, but it hasn't been much more than "Do you speak English?" in Russian. Sometimes I surprise myself, but only if I don't think too hard about it. Someday I hope to be able to hold more than one additional language in my head at the same time!

Mini travel blog: Riga

A stretch of the main "highway" from Vilnius to Riga (under construction...)

This weekend, J and I made the drive up to Riga, Latvia. Riga attracts more tourists than Vilnius - it has a larger airport and it's also a cruise destination/departure point. It's a neat city with lots to see, and we enjoyed the trip.  The Old Town seemed smaller in area than Vilnius, but the skyline was taller - most buildings were about five stories high, rather than two or three in Vilnius. It also felt more commercialized - the whole area is just restaurants, hotels, bars, shopping and souvenir shops, and it's hopping all night long, from what I could tell.  In the summer there is plenty of outdoor seating, often with live music and entertainment. All in all, we spent a fair amount of time in Old Town, but we had fun getting to see other parts of the city as well.

We started out our weekend with a day at the beach - fitting for our first 90 degree day all summer!  We rented bikes from Baltic Bike and took a bike path about 5 miles out to the beach. Of course, the Baltic Sea is a tad bit cold for the likes of me, and I only made it in as far as my knees before I had to turn around. I did make it further than J, though!

Food - we lucked out with the restaurants we found, and also we got some good advice from our B&B owner.

Istaba restaurant is a delightful little restaurant situated in the loft of a small art gallery/work space. There is no menu, just a choice of meats and then the rest of the meal is served family style. If you aren't picky and just like good food - this place is amazing! And two full meals with several glasses of wine still came in at under $60.

Start Lounge at Albert Hotel - the bar is on the 11th floor of this hotel, overlooking Old Town without having to look too far down. Of course, you're paying for the view in the price of your food and drinks, but they're still cheap by DC standards. Service was noticeably quick and friendly, and the food we had was quite tasty. They have a limited food menu and the bar doesn't open until 3 p.m. (same as at the Radisson's skyline bar), but it's a nice view.

For a taste of Latvian food, we liked what we ordered at Alus Ordenis. Even though it was about 85 degrees and we were hot from walking around, we really enjoyed our spiced lamb soup and lamb stew, along with the Latvian version of fried bread.

Attractions

St. Peter's Church tower - the first time we tried to go up the tower, the cashier stuck a sign under our noses that the tower was closed due to technical reasons. Perhaps unwisely, we returned an hour later and all the "technical" problems were resolved, so we paid our 4 Lats (about $8) a piece and headed straight up in the elevator. I think it was the tallest tower within Old Town, but still not so high that you can't do a little people watching.

Of course we did plenty of flat-out touristy things, such as a boat ride around the canal and out on the river. (Which, by the way, was perfect on a hot day, even if we did get a couple of raindrops along the route!) I even stopped in McD's to use the facilities - no matter where you are in the world, you can always count on McDonald's for that.

The last major sight on my list was to walk around an area of town known for its Art Nouveau. It's only a few blocks north of Old Town and well worth it! I'm really glad we made the effort to find some good examples- it's just not the sort of thing you see every day. Much of the work is from the early 20th century. Some of the art has been well maintained while others were crumbling. If, sometime in my life, I end up with more money than I know what to do with, I'll build a house and add some Art Nouveau touches. :)

It's a party!

Last week, we threw a 1950's theme party - it was a blast! We went all out, got dressed up, found a recipe for "authentic" 1950's vodka punch, and I even made deviled eggs (Grandma: you make it look so easy!). But the fun didn't stop there. One of my colleagues has some mad DJ'ing skills and he volunteered to put together a playlist and bring over all his fancy mixing equipment for the night. I'm terrible when it come to knowing music, but it turns out I recognized almost everything he played. And to top it all off, another colleague brought over his fog machine. What 1950's party is complete without fog??

Trakai's medieval festival

Last weekend we ventured out of the capital to one of the most well known tourist destinations in Lithuania: Trakai Castle. This castle sits on an island in the middle of a lake, and if you see more than a couple pictures from Lithuania, this castle is bound to be one of them. The castle shown here was actually built during the Soviet period, but the original castle is thought to have been built in the 13th century. This area has been home to a variety of nationalities. In addition to Lithuanians, Poles and Russians, the area was conquered and settled by Tartars and Karaims at various times.  For a while, Trakai was the home of Lithuanian rulers, such as the Grand Duke Vytautas in the late 1300's.

After we checked out the castle, we headed over to the medieval festival being held at the site of the old castle ruins. For the festival, lots of handmade items, such as musical instruments, knives and pelts were on sale. We didn't buy any, but we were happy to take up some target practice. J and I both shot some arrows, but J also used this contraption below - and you can see that he managed to hit his target!





Finally, we watched some play fighting...

Sidenote: here are a couple of "Welcome to Lithuania" videos - in English - to give you a sense of the main attractions. Feel free to come visit!
- An official welcome
- A silly song: "Welcome to Lithuania" (with pretty pictures of the country)
- Same silly song, but with strange cartoons

For individual sale

After a while of living in a new place, little differences start to present themselves. We make enough trips to the grocery store that those oddities stand out the most for me. For instance, there are several types of items that you buy individually, such as soda, beer and ice cream bars. In one sense, this is pretty handy, since most people seem to walk to the grocery store, and only buy as much as they can carry. We usually walk to the store ourselves. On the other hand, it seems silly to buy individual cans of Coke or Nestea when you really want to stock up. On the whole, though, J and I agree that this situation gives us plenty of opportunities to try new things. For me, that means I get to taste all different types of ice cream on a stick - with chocolate, or caramel, or almonds, or hazelnuts, or "biscuit" (Queen's English for cookies)... and there is a wide variety of brands to chose from as well. Let's just say, I consistently fulfill my daily dairy dietary requirements. ;)

Vegetables are a bit more illusive. We have all the cabbage, onions, cucumbers and potatoes you could dream of, but we seem to just eat a lot of salads in order to get greens on our plates. At times, we'll hear that something is in the store on a given day (i.e. green beans), but it's gone by the next day when we get there. Don't get me wrong, there certainly is a vegetable section in the store, so maybe we just need to adjust our preferences or develop more cucumber recipes...

All in all, we are able to find plenty of good food to eat. At times it's hard to find exact ingredients to make certain things. I think I'm about ready to try to make J's family rice crispy treats, although I'm going to have to experiment with a substitute for corn syrup (right now, I'm thinking either sugar water or watered-down honey...).

Come on out!

In other news, I do believe our guest room is ready for company - so make plans and come on out!

Outreach

What a busy week! On top of my regular work, I was asked to go on an outreach trip yesterday. J came with me, and we went about two hours away from the capital to a small town of around 2,000 people called Lukšiai. A group called the Young Americans were there to lead about 500 youth and children in a music/dance workshop. We were there for the opening ceremony - it was a blast! I'm still no fan of public speaking, but my remarks were a small part of the event. It really is amazing to watch this group of talented young people with unbelievably high energy working with and teaching so many children. In just 10 hours of rehearsal, all these children will learn an intense hour-long performance of everything from choral music to hip hop, jazz, and modern dance. But for us, even in just the two hours we spent with them, the music and dance lessons almost seemed secondary. I think we were more inspired by the cooperation and rapport the teachers developed so quickly with their students. The Young Americans are so encouraging - their energy is contagious. In just a few hours you could see a difference in the participants; their enthusiasm and confidence were growing. The workshop is spread over three days, so that in addition to rehearsal, there is time for team-building and other creative outlets. The Young Americans have tours in the US and different parts of the world - I think they are a really impressive non-profit organization. You should check them out!

Cross country road trip

This weekend, we finally ventured out of Vilnius and all the way across Lithuania to its southwestern-most point: Nida.  We crossed the country, drove onto a ferry, and then drove 45 km down one giant sand dune to within sight of Russia (Kaliningrad, that is). The whole drive took about 4.5 hours, with a couple of pit stops. Along the way, we learned to interpret all the road signs we passed, including this one to the right. I believe it means "picnic area", but should be more aptly subtitled: "Danger: falling trees!" or "Picnickers beware!" or, maybe "Timber!!"

Nida is the southernmost city on the Curonian spit, which is the Lithuanian end of a peninsula that juts out from Kaliningrad (the Russian exclave in the middle of Eastern Europe - on the far left of the picture above). It has the Baltic Sea to the west, and a body of water that they call a lagoon (not the same as a lagoon in the US) to the east. The whole Lithuanian section is about 20 miles long, and less than two miles wide at its widest. Its population is only about 2500 residents, although that number swells in the summer because it's one of the most popular beach locations in Lithuania.

Preferred mode of travel for the weekend

This land mass is actually a sandbar, and as such, it's constantly changing. Entire towns have been buried by the sand. In the Middle Ages, the trees that had been growing in the area were cut down for timber, destabilizing the dunes. It took an international conference in 1768 and a coordinated effort to reforest the area, thus keeping the dunes in place.  Driving down most of the spit, it looks like a normal forest of evergreen trees, except the forest floor looks like it was laid down over sand, with ripples and mounds rather than rolling hills or flat lands. There are a few exposed, "moving" dunes that remain, but according to our travel book, these could disappear in a few hundred years.

We stayed in a cute little B&B guesthouse with the traditional fisherman's cottage exterior. I didn't get a picture of where we stayed, but here's a similarly-decorated house in a different village. The owner was very friendly, and quite patient with me as I tried my best to communicate in Lithuanian. All in all, I think I got along quite well!

One of the main things to do in the area is go to the beach. We visited a little before the summer season started, so it was a little on the cold side (highs around 65 degrees F). I've had several natives tell me that they enjoy swimming in the Baltic Sea, but I couldn't make it any farther than this!  Maybe later in the summer we can try again.

 In addition to riding around the town and along both coastlines, we climbed up one part of the sand dunes to this sundial. I've never been good at reading sundials. The shadow fell between the numbers 8 and 9, but it was almost noon - go figure. All in all it was a good weekend and a nice first excursion around the country.

Update

View from Gediminas's Tower above part of Old Town Vilnius

I've thought of a hundred things to blog in the last month, but I haven't sat down to tell the stories. We're about to hit the two month mark, and it's really starting to feel like home for us. We're also staying busy and having a great time getting to know other folks in the community. Forgive me for the random thoughts and notes, but I just wanted to post a few pictures to catch up, so that then I can get back to a regular weekly (hey - what's wrong with some optimism?) blog.

J participated in a soccer tournament back in April. Sadly, our team didn't place, but they played hard and had fun. Don't their uniforms look great? Check out Jason catching a goal he blocked  (sorry for the fuzzy picture!)!

We've just done a little exploring around Old Town so far, but there are some amazing sights to see. Also, we've found a lot of great little restaurants that are relatively inexpensive. We took this photo from the site of the old fortress/castle from the 1500's, that originally protected Vilnius and the Grand Duchy. The tower that stands there now is a replica built during the last century, but it seems to be built to historical measurements, including the low stone ceiling that yours truly bumped into on the way up the small, winding steps to the top. We walked up the hill this time, but I believe the funicular is the way to ride up the hill in style!

I love seeing the hot air balloons that take off from somewhere in Old Town every clear evening - they are beautiful!!  I'm still getting used to the long days here. Twice this week I've gone to bed before it's dark outside (aka, before 10 p.m.), and let me tell you - that feels weird. I hear that when the weather is nice, people spend the evenings on the sidewalks and balconies of outdoor cafes, and the Old Town is full of people and energy. We've had one pretty warm week already, and I can attest that it is much more comfortable outside than in the apartment. It can get a little stuffy without air conditioning. This week it's been much cooler, and rather rainy (in Lithuanian, the phrase "The rain rains in Lithuania" has quite a ring to it).

We've had our share of little hiccups lately as well. Two weeks ago, we decided it was perfect weather for a bike ride. We put our bikes back together from the move, drug them down the stairs and we were ready to roll, right? Wrong. J's tire turned out to be irreparably flat, no matter how much air we tried to put in it. I managed to find a rental/repair shop who's manager spoke English, so we decided to take it to her to put in a new inner tube. Three hours and two stops later, I declared our mission a success. But sadly, just moments later, all the air had seeped out again. After 4 hours of effort, we gave up that weekend and went for a run instead.

But I'm happy to say that today we took the tire back today and had a second inner tube installed. Even with my poor Lithuanian (and the mechanic's limited English), we got it right this time! And so we were able to take our first bike ride around Vengris Park this evening - this giant park holds a large amphitheater in the center, and all trails through the woods to lead there. The amphitheater opens up into a large, flat grassy area that will hold thousands for major concerts. Today the field was full of people playing, reading, and soaking up the sun, with rollerbladers and bikeriders like us riding along the paved perimeter.

Happy Easter!

J. picked these out at the market this week.  Thanks, J!

Senamiestyje (In Old Town)

The Cathedral in Vilnius

Notice how this street suddenly becomes narrow...

Last week we started exploring Old Town, which is one of the largest medieval Old Towns in Europe (for more, see Wikipedia here). It is absolutely beautiful, even in early spring. On Sunday (aka April Fool’s Day), we set out to find the “independent republic” of Užupis, which is on the other side of the Old Town from us. Since I don’t like to walk around with a map in my face, we got lost a few times, but that gave us a chance to see more of the city. Many cobblestone streets narrow down to one lane, and some even turn into pedestrian areas unexpectedly (we’ve already decided there is absolutely no reason for us to drive this area – it looks like a nightmare to navigate!). At times there are wide sidewalks, others only a couple of feet or less. There are several large Catholic churches, and one Cathedral in old town.  Last weekend we walked by crowds of people out for Palm Sunday, many of them with evergreen branches (the equivalent of palm branches) – we got some handmade ones of our own. 

The flag of Užupis, at one of the bridges over the Vilna River.

Back to Užupis: once a year, this little area of town (re)declares its independence and stamps passports with their own immigration stamp. They also hold a ceremony every time their constitution is translated into a new language, often with Ambassadors from other countries in attendance. The constitution includes such articles as: "People have the right to live by the River Vilnelė, while the River Vilnelė has the right to flow past people."  Good stuff, constitutionally speaking! The diplomatic community is welcomed there. In fact, I found out later that I could have been appointed an Honorary Consul, stamping passports myself if I had alerted the authorities to my diplomatic status. If only…

There are lots of good beers here, although J has already insisted that we strike one of my favorites from our fridge. Evidently, the union that works for a subsidiary of a Carlsberg brewery voted to strike, but a Lithuanian court ruled that beer production is of “vital importance,” like medical supplies and drinking water, and therefore it is illegal for workers to walk off the line. You can read a bit more here. J. is standing in solidarity with the employees. I suppose there is a lot of German influence in beers here. The beers are usually listed in either light or dark varieties, and last night we found a third option of “farmhouse ales” – also quite tasty!

One of many churches in Old Town

We have yet to go to a traditional Lithuanian restaurant here, but surely that is on our list to try soon.  In the grocery store, we’ve found several interesting items that we’ve yet to try, such as forest mushroom flavored potato chips. Others, though, we’ve tried and liked, such as the spinach and cheese pastries and various types of sausage (the selection of meat is disproportionally large compared to the rest of the store!). Also, almost every restaurant serves fried bread, shaped like french fries, which usually comes with cheese sauce or garlic. It’s without a doubt unhealthy, but pretty tasty.

We’re going to see our first movie here soon – The Hunger Games, subtitled in Lithuanian. I’ve been looking forward to seeing it since I read the books last summer!

We have arrived!

We have spent all of five nights in Vilnius at this point, but I think I can give you a few first impressions now while they are fresh. Basically – it’s pretty awesome here!  Our housing is nice and spacious; the Old Town is literally around the corner; and I think my job will be really interesting and enjoyable. Of course, we’ve already made several missteps (“Oh, so what I’ve been using for laundry detergent actually is actually fabric softener?” or “What? No I don’t have children. Oh, this check-out line is for parents with young children only? Sorry, didn’t see the sign”).  But in general, we’re adjusting, and looking forward to living here!

About our apartment – you know us, and most of my (limited) readership has been in our last apartment in Missouri. We had enough space, but not much more.  Here, that is definitely NOT the case. We have three bedrooms, but since we don’t need them, one has been turned into an office/den, which means J and I have plenty of room to spread out.  The kitchen is also much fancier than anything we would ever have on our own. For example, the dishwasher and fridge are actually hidden behind the same paneling as the cabinets, so they just blend in. I had to ask ahead of time if we got a dishwasher, because I couldn’t see it in the pictures! The bathroom floors are heated (I haven’t tried this perk yet, since until today we weren’t sure what it was, but I’ll will tomorrow!). 

On the flip side, considering that we are in a post-Soviet country, there are still some remnants of the old system. One of them is that the decision to turn on the heat in the fall or off in the spring is made by the government. At least city-wide, if not country-wide, one blessed day in October (hopefully!), the radiators kick on. Before that, even if it is really, really cold in your apartment, the best you can do is to go buy an electric heater, because your heat won’t work. And you better buy it early, because there will be a run on heaters that first cold night. Also, I understand that residents often have little control over how much heat their apartment receives, even though they are responsible for the heating bill in the apartment. Unfortunately, it takes time and money to update these systems, and many buildings just haven’t been updated yet.

The Old Town looks beautiful!! We haven’t had a chance to really explore it yet.  I promise to post some pictures next time. I’ve heard that it is one of the largest preserved “old towns” in Europe, and I believe that a large swath of it is part of a heritage site or something like that. It’s worth checking out. The skyline is filled with beautiful burnt orange rooftops, church steeples, and white walls against a backdrop of evergreens in the distance.  It’s really hard to describe, but hopefully I’ll do a better job as I get more accustomed to it. It reminds me of a thought I used to have frequently in Oxford as I walked down ancient cobble-stoned streets: These buildings have been here for ages – they are older than my own nation. I like history and being in historical places. I’ll read up on my history of this area and have some good stories to go with pictures next time.

Overall, after one year of training (literally!), we are thrilled to be here, and I think we can say that it was worth the wait. When I’m over the jet lag, I’ll try to keep a mental note of the amazing and quirky things I see or hear, and also get some good pictures. Suffice it to say now, things are going well and I’ll have more to say when I am back to my normal sleep schedule. 

P.S. I counted 3 yarn stores when we walked around a small portion of Old Town yesterday. I’m still waiting for my knitting needles to arrive, but I can’t wait to go pick up some new yarns and get started on a new project. I’m not usually a spring knitter, but perhaps since it has snowed the past two mornings, I just don’t feel like it’s spring yet here. That is in stark contrast to DC, which was 80 degrees or more when we left.

Aš išlaikiau savo egzaminą!!

For the second time in as many years, I have spent 7+ months studying for a two hour test. For the second time in a row, I can say that I studied successfully! I even passed this time with a little room to spare. Passing my test this week also allowed me to check one more requirement for tenure off my list: I am now off of language probation. After nearly 12 months of training and preparing to go overseas, it’s finally going to happen! J and I  have been making preparations to leave over the last several months (let’s be honest, J has shouldered the majority of this work). This included stocking up on essentials, packing out, getting legal documents in order, and lining up all the technology logistics (why yes, you can use Tivo with the American Forces Network, and you can often buy the equipment for such things from previous tenants… which, of course, we have already done).

When we weren’t madly planning, I was studying or in class. Sometimes, I felt like I was going in reverse, losing what little ability I had to speak the language. But other days, my classmates and I found that we could, in fact, argue the merits of voting or discuss Rawls’s veil of justice in Lithuanian. Whether either of these topics will help me do my job remains to be seen, but they do sometimes spice up the classroom conversation. I imagine teaching a foreign language can be both tiresome and frustrating. I think our instructors spend the better part of 5 hours a day correcting grammar errors in every single sentence we utter. It takes a lot of patience to help us improve, and I can’t say enough about their efforts to get us all up to the required level without pulling all their hair out!

After seven months of spending every work day with a small group of classmates and two instructors, I was the first to leave this week. Even though I passed, I feel like I’m still going to have a hard time communicating in Lithuanian. I bet next time I post, it will be to tell you that I told the cable guy our salt needs replacing, or some other such nonsense.

T minus one month (T for test)

Just one short month before I spend two lovely hours with a couple of straight-faced examiners, who will decide my fate and either confirm that I have learned this language to a limited proficiency level, or reek havoc on all the plans we've just put into place. Of course, plans are made to be changed, and in the end, we will reach our first destination! Speaking of plans, we've been extra busy taking care of all sorts of details: flights booked, consultations and pack-out scheduled, luggage purchased, passports acquired (----->). Sounds like we should be ready to ship off, right?  Wrong!! I feel like I've hardly scratched the surface of this to-do list. Now... all my classmates who have already reached their posts and have been working for the last month (or eight), can all attest that there is light at the end of the tunnel and one really can make this move to the other side of the world. Of course, when I take a deep breath and quit fussing over details, I know that I really only have to pass this test and get on a plane. Both of which I am completely capable.

J has been busy figuring out VOIP (phone) preparations and technical gadgetry, in addition to all the regular planning that goes into a move. With all the energy these preparations take, I feel like we haven't done anything else. But of course, that's not true. We survived a trip to Ikea together this weekend, and we went bowling for the first time ever together! Final score: J - 100, D - 101. (ha!) I suppose we're a little rusty from over a decade out of practice... A couple of weeks ago we went to visit Mt. Vernon, Washington's home (see photos). J's last game of the winter soccer season is tomorrow - and rain is once again in the forecast. I hope to get a few more blog posts in before we head out, but studying should probably take priority... Once we're in Vilnius, though, I hope this blog gets a little more interesting!

Photo class - some preliminary results

As promised, a couple of amateur photos that I showed in class yesterday. We're off to take some pictures in class this evening, but I have low expectations for my night shots. I learned a couple of new techniques last night that I haven't gotten a chance to try out yet. Maybe the next time we go sightseeing, I'll be able to use my new skills! ;)

This shot is of the paper flowers that my good friend Rebekah helped me make last spring. We get a lot of afternoon light in the apartment and I wanted to play with the shadows.

I took my camera on a run last week and took a few shots of the bridges over the Potomac. I was trying to use the lighting to get a good diagonal in my picture. I also tried capturing the Washington Monument in a few photos, but I just didn't have a good angle to make it look interesting.

Va. ;)

More classes

This is proof that persistence pays off. J has been trying to get me to enroll in an auto maintenance class ever since my car’s battery died the day we got back from our wedding. Well… 3 years later, I allowed him to enroll me in a course, and I just finished it last week. While I think I’m probably more knowledgeable than the average woman in minor car maintenance issues – I have replaced tail lights, I check tire pressure and oil regularly, etc – it was useful to practice jacking up the car and replacing air filters. I must say, one woman in my class didn't know how to pop the hood, and another put air in her tire for the first time (oh, to have never needed to air up my tires!). And, J even learned a few things from me, such as how to easily access the headlight in the car he’s owned for 7 years!

In addition to the auto class, J also insisted that I take a point-and-shoot photography class. Again, I’m not convinced that I couldn’t take better pictures if I gave it more thought and effort, it’s just that I typically think that the reason for having such a camera is to be able to simply 1) point and 2) shoot. Indeed, that’s often what I used to do, without really looking at the settings before I handed the camera off to someone else to snap a picture. J got so frustrated with my lack of attention to the matter that he felt compelled to tape the camera setting to “automatic,” which I had to admit to in class when I pulled out my camera and the tape was still there! Absent-mindedness is not the same as a lack of understanding, but I think a little more explanation and advice on technique will do me good. Now that I am required to take and share five new photos with my classmates in two weeks, you may get the benefit of seeing a few more shots from around the District from yours truly.

These classes are, of course, in addition to the 25 hours of Lithuanian class and corresponding homework that will soon give me a “limited working proficiency” of the language.

Wow - what a year!

One year ago today (1/13/11), I took a 15 minute phone test that proved I had learned enough Russian to get into the Foreign Service. Since then, we’ve moved to DC, met tons of wonderful people, started learning Lithuanian, and found out we’re also going to Moscow as our second post. I’ve also managed to forget 95% of the Russian I learned, although I continue to believe that it’s somewhere in my brain, just tucked behind Lithuanian for the time being.

January 13^th is also an important but sad day in Lithuania’s history (in 1991, to be exact). That day was the beginning of the end of Soviet occupation in the country. Lithuanians declared independence about 10 months earlier, but the Soviets largely ignored it and few countries recognized their independence. In fact, it took the US another 9 months after January 13^th to formally recognize them.  So, back to January 13^th: Lithuanian leaders took full advantage of Glasnost in 1990, declaring independence and electing their own leaders. By the end of 1990, Gorbachev had had enough of this “anti-Soviet agenda,” and ordered tanks and military to go into Vilnius.  On the night of January 12^th, 1991, the Soviet military tried to cut off Lithuanian ties to the outside world (and to audiences at home) by taking down the Vilnius TV tower.  Soldiers also fired shots into crowds of thousands gathered in public squares and near the parliament building. Fourteen non-violent protesters were killed and over 1,000 were injured, but the Soviet aggression backfired and only served to garner international support for Lithuania, the Baltics, and the rest of the former Soviet republics. If you want to see footage (with English subtitles) of the night, you can watch this YouTube video.

While you may be thinking that I’m just late in reflecting on 2011, it seems to me that January 13^th of last year was a much bigger turning point for us, and really the start of this adventure that we embarked on just a year ago. Only two short months before we take on the world! I really do intend to be better about posting this year, and I think I’ll have more interesting things to write about. Stay tuned!