Wednesday July 12
I arrived in Klaipeda last night. I got lucky, I had a 3.5 hour bus booked from Vilnius to Klaipeda to depart Vilnius at 2030 and arrive in Klaipeda at 00:20, as I didn't think I would have enough time to get of my 1725 arrival in Vilnius and on the bus by 1800. Well, my plane arrived a bit earlier (1715) and I was committed on getting that earlier bus. I managed to get my bag, pick up a sandwich and talk with the bus driver to let me on the earlier bus. It made my day to know I would not be arriving after midnight! I even enjoyed the bus trip home, watching the country side and eating my sandwich, such a win.
Tips for catching a long bus in Lithuania:
-Go for a wizz before you get on the bus (there are no toilets on the bus
-Do not drink any water on the bus (it is unlikely in a 4 hours trip that the bus will stop anywhere)
-If the bus does stop (usually as the driver might want a cigarette) use your 2 minutes wisely, run to the toilet, buy a drink and food, and ration out your water until your next approximated wee stop.
I arrive in Klaipeda, greeted by Daumantas, the son of my lovely teacher Daiva from 2015. For anyone who has not read my blog about Lithuania for 2015, I was last there for the winter intensive language course.
I feel so overwhelmed being here, totally nostalgic, and in a great way. I know all the places that I see, and I know so many people here. I was born in Australia, but these are my roots.
Since 2015, my beautiful Lithuanian grandmother passed away after battling cancer for close to a year. I miss her and I think of her so much here.
I was offered by Klaipeda University to have a shared dorm room in the University. but these days, I just don't think I am capable of sharing a room with someone else for a whole month. Instead I am set up to share a top floor apartment in the old town with my 70 year old landlady Vida (the same name as my grandmother).
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| Vida at her soda (garden) each day |
Vida even reminds me a lot of my grandmother, her passion, her energy and her home. Vida only speaks Lithuanian, which is really good for me. I'm set up with Lithuanian cheese and homemade jam, bread and tea from Vida's garden. I am full but I eat it, like a good Lithuanian.
I feel nervous about my course tomorrow, I really hope my Lithuanian has improved, but I decide to shift that nervousness in to excitement and confidence. Somewhat, we do have some control over our emotions.
Thursday July 14
I could not be in a better place here, I am truly in the heart of the old town. I run through the rain and enjoy my surroundings. I go to 'drop in' to see my teachers at Klaipeda and give them the biggest cuddles imaginable. They are busy preparing for the intensive language course opening tomorrow and beautifully fussing over everything, a reflection of their hard work and love for their work.
My teacher Daiva says that my Lithuanian has improved a lot! Just wait till I butcher that grammar tomorrow.
Today and yesterday, I was speaking with my old Klaipeda friends Thomas and Gvidas, about making plans to hang out. I bumped in to them both at different points in the street. I giggle outwardly with absolute glee and we share giant, warm cuddles.
I went in to the pharmacy to buy some medication. I didn't know the word for 'syringe' in Lithuanian, so me and the pharmacist played language charades for a little bit. 'Oh how far you have come from Australia, how interesting you are here, welcome'. This is a usual and very sweet and endearing response that you will get from locals, being an Australian in Lithuania.
It's not a warm summer this year. But you know what I have noticed, people here are smiling a lot more than they used to. Is the culture shifting? Are people happier? Is it because it is warmer now? Perhaps all 3 things? I hate to break it to you Switzerland and Germany, but Lithuanians (known for not smiling) are showing more grins to me today then I saw in my time in both your countries. Perhaps it is because I am grinning at everyone here.
I'm so happy to be here. Tomorrow I start my language course which will be 4 hours every day for a month, which me luck!
Klaipeda has a complex history, partially due to the combined regional importance of the usually ice-free Port of Klaipeda at the mouth of the Akmena-Dane River. It was controlled by successive German states until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. As a result of the 1923 Klaipeda Revolt it was added to Lithuania and has remained with Lithuania to this day, except for the period between 1939 and 1945 when it returned to Germany following the 1939 German Ultimatum to Lithuania.
The population has shrunk from 207,100 in 1992 to 157,350 in 2014.Popular seaside resorts found close to Klaipėda are Nida to the south on the Curonian Spit, and Palanga to the north.
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| A boat made out of flowers. How can you not fall in love with Klaipeda? |
Saturday July 15
We started our Lithuanian course yesterday, with class allocation, an exam, opening ceremony and Lithuanian tea and bread to finish the day.
There are about 50 students year from 20 different countries!
I've been placed in the highest language class (just below the academics who are fluent in the language and are studying the science of Lithuanian language and history). among people who have been studying in Lithuania for months or years. Wish me luck!
I can pick the only other native English speaker here, and I sit next to him, his name is Clinton and he is from Canada.
The opening ceremony was so beautiful. Our teachers at Klaipeda University are everything that is good about the world, truly. The dean gives a riddle in Lithuanian, translated to English, -Winter=Brother, Summer = Clay. One of the students says that the answer is 'heater' and wins a book. I look at Clinton; 'Am I missing something'? 'No idea' says Clinton. The second answer to the Riddle is 'Klaipeda University'. Yep, still not an clearer.
My teacher Daiva suggested to me a day earlier that I might want to say something to the other students, I thought she meant this in the way that we would all be saying something to the group.
Daiva made a special announcement for me, after talking about how some of us had flown more than 10 hours to be here. Daiva asked me to come out the front and asked me questions in Lithuanian; my roots, about my family and how long it took me to get to Lithuania. I talked about how my Lithuanian grandma is now with god and that it is much warmer now than it was in 2015. Daiva talked about how amazing it was to have an Australian Lithuanian travel all this way to come to this course. I apologised for my grammar, and someone in the crowd said that my grammar was good (not true, but thank you)! Everyone applauded. I feel so special and, like before, as a part of a family, and in many ways, like I am home.
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| I love this photo. Daiva asked us to put up our hands if we have traveled 10 hours or more by plane. Clinton (next to me) is my new Klaipeda BFF. I love how sheepishly Clinton is raising his hand. It feels like we are in kindergarten again 'will you be my friend?'. |
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| Daiva, such a special person. When she smiles, everything is okay. |
We sat our exam to test our knowledge and ability after we were allocated to our class groups. I did 'okay'. One section I didn't understand, so I asked in Lithuanian what do do, and my teacher explained, and I still didn't understand. So I wrote in Lithuanian 'Sorry I don't know what I am meant to do here'! The Italian guy next to me has moved to Lithuania as he says there is very little job opportunities for him in Italy. He uses google translate in the exam... not sure if you are meant to use google translate in a language exam...
I nap hard after our first day and quickly hurry to get some clothes on as I didn't set an alarm. This afternoon we headed out to a look out point and the folk festival. No time for sunscreen, I may fry, oh well... Vida fusses over me at the door, checking that I have enough clothes then talking about the different music at the folk festival, then telling me about her sore foot which prevented her from going out. 'I'm sorry Vida' I say. 'I have to run'! I text Clinton and ask him to stall the group for me while I run to the University in my thongs.
Clinton is studying his PHD about the Baltic states and we make a second friend, Jesper from Denmark. Jesper has traveled to and from Lithuanian for many years and has decided that it is time to properly learn the language.
What an amazing afternoon. I am so blessed to be here. Lithuanian pagan traditions are so well preserved and so special. I love Lithuania. We drank honey beer, pickled cabbage and Lithuanian sausages, enjoyed Lithuanian and Latvian folk performances and enjoyed all the little markets along the way of Lithuanian sweets, amber, basket making and a very talented little boy who looked about 10 years old making wooden clogs.
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| Jesper and Clinton. |
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| Epic loo with a view. |
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| Marking of a heritage house in Klaipeda. |
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| Open air music night for scary band? |
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| Tasty cake mushroom. |
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| Lithuanian food and beer is quite bad for you in many ways, nutrition wise, but it is great and you should always eat all of it. |
After our day at the folk festival, I sent a message to Clinton to thank him for hanging out. Clinton saiys that he is grateful to have met me, as he thought that his time in Klaipeda would be lonely. Clinton, you are stuck with me now! :P
Today I meet with my old friend Thomas and Clinton for lunch and then me and Clinton will go shopping.
Tomorrow, we have a day excursion to Nida and Palanga (The Coronian Spit).
Saturday July 16
I've just gotten back from a big day at the Curonian Spit. The Curonian Spit ( Lithuanian: Kuršių nerija, Russian: Ку́ршская коса́ (Kurshskaya kosa), german: Kurische Nehrung, Latvian: Kuršu kāpas) is a 98 km long, thin, curved sand--dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Seas coast. Its southern portion lies within Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia and its northern within southwestern Lithuania. It is a World Heritage site shared by the two countries.
A lot of the excursions on my summer course here are the same or similar to the Winter course that I completed in 2015, so I wondered if I should go again. Of course, I am so happy that I said yes, for 2 reasons. Firstly, these excursions are a great way to meet new people, and secondly, coming back to visit a beautiful place a second time, is not a bad thing. I am blessed that I have been able to see a place, so spectacular in nature, as the Curonian spit.
I was feeling a bit blue this morning, I was a bit under slept (my bed essentially has sofa cushions instead of a mattress and the sun shines through my curtains). I have from about 11pm until 5am without sunlight, so I need to wear an eye mask and continue to try and meditate each day I think. I was also feeling a bit stuck of where I should point my life next after Europe. I'd like to do Nursing in Europe, but even with an EU visa, the process for all countries to have your Nursing Registration recognised is long and awful. I am thinking of applying for Médecine Sans Frontières but I am also torn between looking for work in New Zealand or doing a second Masters Degree to be a Nurse Practitioner. They are all big commitments and very different. We shall see.
Either way, it was great to go on the excursion, as I got to be among nature and make two new friends; Gale from Belarus and Nadia from Ukraine. Clinton, who is studying Baltic history and politics, said to me, that everyone from Ukraine says that they love Lithuania but cannot explain why. Gale and Nadia both love Lithuania. Gale and Nadia study Lithuanian because she just loves the country. That is a beautiful thing no? Nadia talked with me at length about politics in Ukraine, and then when transitioned in to talking about the films we loved and why (normal transition hey). Ukrainians are very fond of Lithuania and Poland as the Governments of these countries have taken proper action to support Ukraine. I'm so happy that Nadia sat with me on the bus, my whole day turned around.
I love that I now have a friend from Ukraine and Belarus, as I get to learn more about their culture. I want to collect a friend from every country. I am happy to be the Australian dolly for everyone else to collect also.
I liked our experience buying lunch at a restaurant. Everyone's drinks had come out except mine, so I kindly said to the waitress in Lithuanian, 'I'm still waiting for my drink'. She replied in Lithuanian 'Yes, I know you are waiting, we all know you are waiting'. I laugh when I encounter this kind of 'FU' customer service, good on em.
Watching the thousands of Cormorants perched on trees and flying about, and listening to Lithuanian Pagan tales with cool and spooky wooden statues in the forest, is a good way to feel less anxious about the future I think. Also, lying on the pier by the see with friends in the sun is also good.
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| Let's ignore that giant finger. From left, Nadia from Ukriane, Rasa and Gale from Belarus. |
One of my Swiss friends saw photos of the wooden pagan statues in the forest and said that they looked a bit scary. I explained that they are meant to look a bit scary. I like what one of our Lithuanian mentors Mindaugas said about Lithuanian folk tales 'there are no happy endings-as'. If you cannot translate something from another language in to Lithuanian, the people will usually add 'as' on the end to make it sound Lithuanian. For example 'Melas Gibsonas'.
We got stuck in traffic waiting for our bus to get back on the Ferry, so it';s been a big day. Such a beautiful day but a huge day, I must try and rest as I have my first day of class tomorrow.
Monday July 17
Today we had our first class and it was great. I got my results back from the exam, I got 56%, but that's a pass right? Regardless the whole point of doing a test at the start is to see how you progress through the course. I glance over at some of the papers next to me,; 77% and 87%.. Yikes, best not to pay attention to what the other kids are doing. I've been placed in the group I am in by the teachers, so they can move me if they want. Otherwise, I must be placed there for a reason.
I'm totally putting myself out there, and it's good. My understanding with Lithuanian is good but my speaking ability is very patchy. So now, I always try and make my answers to questions longer to practice extending my vocabulary and also my grammar. I speak in a loud voice, as there is no benefit in being shy and unheard if I want to extend my abilities and gain confidence. I struggled a bit in the cafeteria with the lunch lady but I stuck with it. One of the local Klaipeda girls in line said 'I love your Lithuanian, you go girl'.
A nap is important after half a day of language classes, and I will try and nap each day if I can!
I think that Lithuania is doing better economically here, slowly, which is great. So although I might have a self righteous complaint that I need to pay one Euro extra for things than what I used to, of course I am so happy for Lithuania.
Our airbnb host from Romania said that Romania had the fastest wifi but I think actually Lithuania does! I love that my landlady Vida has no kettle or a microwave but incredible wifi.
I am loving being able to walk everywhere, even if it is 20 minutes each way, it's so bliss. I could catch a bus for about 20 cents, but I don't want to.
I've prepared a presentation about Australia for our multicultural day tomorrow. I will do the presentation in Lithuanian with an English powerpoint with photos. I've included a song called 'Sun arise' by Rolf Harris. It's actually a really beautiful song that has the digeridoo. I don't need to tell the audience that Rolf Harris is in gaol now do I?
I've finally found a kickboxing gym! I thought I found it the other night but there was a building locked up with posters and rubbish on the floor. As it turns out, the address is different than on the current website
I'd nearly given up on finding the kickboxing club tonight as it was in an obscure area, but I made it! Such a bargain too, $30 Euro for unlimited classes for a month with a competitive Russian fighter who speaks Lithuanian. It was brilliant to get back in to kickboxing again, I love it so much. I do think about the movie 'Rocky' a lot with my Russian kickboxing teacher.
I was paired eventually with 'Ramon' a Lithuanian boy who is or was a competitive fighter. He is studying in Denmark so he can speak English if it gets a bit complicated. Ramon is good to spar with as he is super tough, so he invited me to 'beat the crap out of him'. Okay!
After the lesson Ramon asked me about what brought me here, my family background, my job and my kickboxing background. My teacher said that he is afraid of flying and could not fathom flying as far as Australia. Ramon soon then asked me my age. 'You look younger', he said (not sure about that actually). Ramon has only turned 22. Ramon then asked me the questions you may be asked from a non western country 'Are you married?' 'No', I reply. 'What are your plans for marriage?' Ramon asks. 'I tell him that you can't actually plan when you will meet someone. 'So you are spontaneous?' He asked. 'Um, I guess so'. I reply. Ramon tells me while he does chin ups that he does not want a relationship as he wants to focus on his studies and then asks me for a hug. I'm trying not to laugh the whole way through. On the way home, some drunk guy talks to me, I think he is asking me for directions but actually he is trying to invite me to a bar. I tell him I have to go. What is happening to me?! LOLCATS!
I think I'll try and go kickboxing every day I can, as it's so great to continue with a new skill and I always feel so good afterwards. It's probably a good thing that I am keeping so active while eating all of this amazing heavy Lithuanian food. I asked Clinton when we were in the supermarket 'Iki' 'Is it bad that I am drinking a beer every day'? 'Absolutely not' says Clinton, 'I'm doing it too'.
Another brilliant day.
Wednesday July 19
It's been another couple of huge days. Yesterday, I thought my brain might explode. We had our half day of lessons and then I was asked to speak with the vice chancellor of the University, Rita. Rita asked me if I wanted to join their academic team and consider living and studying a PHD in Lithuania. Rota talked about how Lithuania wants to model their nursing practice to be less like the 'doctors assistant (very post soviet) and instead be more autonomous and skilled like how it is in Australia. I guess this really struck a cord with me, being asked what my future plans are, as I'm not too sure about what they will be.
Rita then arranged a meeting for me to speak with the Dean of the University about similar things. I had about an hour to scoff down some lunch, and do some final preparations for my presentation about Australia.
One of the Italian guys did some English translation for a Lithuanian pagan story that would be talked about tonight and my teacher asked me if I could double check the translations. The night before the presentation, I emailed Flavijano (from Italy) to see if he wanted me to check anything over but got no reply. I talked with Flavijano before our presentations if he wanted me to look over anything. Flavijano said that it was fine. I then got asked to read the English translations in front of nearly 100 people with no notice and the text was riddles with translation errors. Please no more surprises today!
Our presentation nigh was epic, truly, it was like Eurovision. We all brought food from our countries (I forgot, so my friends Jesper from Norway bought some Lithuanian sausages and bread to resemble and Australian BBQ). Everyone produces songs, dances and funny photos with true patriotism. Czech made a joke about Russia with a picture of Vladimir Putin and the Russian girls got annoyed. All a bit awkward and funny.
We have such a beautiful group of people here. We were set up in a hall with our countries names in front of us, perhaps a bit like United Nations, and then quickly turning to Eurovision. We drank and dances folk dancing until about 10 o clock at night. Clinton was a bit shy at first with the dancing, but once he pretended to be a parrot, as needed in a folk dance for the first song, I think he was able to relax and have fun. Folk dancing is awesome because it is about having fun, not looking cool. The cooler you try and look, the less fun you will have. The more you embrace the parrot, the better you are at folk dancing!
One of the polish girls was drunk and hitting on Clinton, Clinton has a boyfriend, so this was a bit funny.
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| My beautiful Ukrainian sisters, Irena and Nadia. They are so kind, funny and talented with languages. I'd be lost without them. I want a slavic brain! |
I felt so overwhelmed today, probably as my brain has not had a minute to relax, I've been studying, working traveling, experiencing romance and feelings I have been out of practice with and mostly speaking languages that are not my own. I want to write more nursing stories but I just don't have time right now. It's brilliant but it's all kind of crazy too. I have no normal and sometimes I feel like I am in a dream. I called my sister Anna and burst out crying. Anna told me all the things I needed to hear, that I am not a black sheep, that I am loved and missed, that this trip will give me new perspectives and that I don't have to know what I want to do yet. Anna said 'It can be hard to have an anchor when you are traveling'. 'I want an anchor' I said.
Today I headed to the Dolphinarium with Daiva and I spoke about my pet therapy project and study with dogs in Australia and learned about Dolphin Therapy in Lithuania. It is a beautiful and incredible project that includes sensory modulation rooms too.
The Dolphin Assisted Therapy Center In Klaipeda
organises individual or group sessions of interaction with dolphins are
designated for people having physical, mental or situational issues as
well as for people suffering from neurological diseases and/or having
experienced psycho-emotional trauma. It helps to improve their well
being and develops their cognitive and socialization skills. Sessions of
interaction with dolphins cannot replace traditional therapeutic
services.
It's very expensive for clients though (about 100 euros a session, a session being half an hour). We will stay in contact about how we can work together. I talked with Brigita about how hard I had to work to get pet therapy happening, to push through all the red tape and how my project is small, but required a lot of hard work from me. Brigita and I are both two people who are trying to make way with evidence based, holistic therapies. Brigita reminded me that great things start from small projects. Brigita from the Dolfinarium also wants me to do a PHD... I will also try and organise to conduct some presentations for the Nursing academics here about projects I have done at home, and give more of an idea about what Nursing in Australia looks like.
Sunday July 23
I've had some time to chill and let my brain catch up with me, so I am feeling more on top of things now! A nap each day (and a run in the morning and kickboxing at night) will keep the doctor away while I am studying here I think.
I've spent today chilling, which is really good. I went for a run this morning and then for a walk with my friend Annika who I met in the 2015 winter intensive language course here. Annika has since had a child and a second is on the way! Her daughter Ema is about 2 and speaks to me in a mix of Lithuania, English and German while I help her climb the play equipment.
I've had today to be able to nap and journal, which is so good.
We arrived back from an overnight excursion to 'Minor Lithuania' (previous Prussia).
I have included some information about Minor Lithuania for you here from 'True Lithuania.com' (in italics).
Lithuania Minor used to be the Lithuania's most distinct region. Save for a few brief periods it had been ruled by German states until the 20th century. Its peasantry, however, spoke Lithuanian and, in a sense, this region was the heartland of Lithuanian culture. First Lithuanian books were printed in Lithuania Minor (1547) and knygnešiai (book carriers) of the 19th century smuggled Lithuanian literature from there to the Russian-occupied Lithuania where Lithuanian language was banned. Even the flag and anthem of Lithuania Minor predate those of Lithuania.
Over the centuries the Lithuanians of Lithuania Minor adopted some German cultural practices, among them the Lutheran faith, and called themselves "lietuvininkai". Some campaigned for unification with Lithuania-proper and were partly successful after World War 1 when Klaipėda Region, the northernmost tip of Lithuania Minor, went to newly-independent Lithuania amidst German protests (to this day, Klaipėda Region is the only part of Lithuania Minor inside the Republic of Lithuania). Klaipėda region was ~55% Lithuanian at the time - as in the rest of Lithuania Minor its cities were primarily German.
Smaller towns of Lithuania Minor, such as Šilutė, are also of interest especially for their architectural difference from the similarly-sized towns in the rest of Lithuania.
Our excursion was amazing. We got to stay in farm houses by the river. Most of the 50 of us students crammed in to a bus and shared houses on the farm. The owners of the farm house had vegetables and freshly caught fish ready for us to eat with our hands after a lovely ferry ride where Clinton nearly vomited. I said to Clinton that we need to get him on a handful of rough boats and then his stomach will be like iron!
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| A sweet little display of diorama's outside in the town of Šilutė. |
The people running the homestead are sweet, they remember my name. It's nice to be a local celebrity, being an Australian of Lithuanian decent.
When we arrive it's cold and it's been raining. We had the choice to either have free time, to meet a 'white which' who would talk about natural remedies or go kayaking. I said yes to kayaking, and only Wilma (from Lithuania) and her husband Gafur, who is Kurdish wanted to go kayaking.Wilma and Gafur had never been kayaking before, so I felt inclined to go, and of course, it was beautiful kayaking down the river.
Wilma's little boy, 'Justas Artin' (First name is Lithuanian and second name is Kurdish) sat in the kayak with us, he is a very happy and sweet kid. Wilma and Gafur's kids now speak English, Lithuanian, Kurdish and Norwegian. He says to his Mum in Lithuanian' I'm scared'! And then 20 seconds later he says 'Mama, I'm not scared!'.
I love Wilma and Gafur, it is their first time doing this, and at first they are apprehensive, then almost instantly they decide we should kayak the entire river.
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| Word challenge. We are separated in to teams. Our team has to write down as many words starting with Z. The other team needs to write down as many words starting with P. I personally feel that the other team got it easier than us, but I don't want to be a bad sport. :P |
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| And the winner is..it's a draw! |
Lithuanians know how to party and live life, every minute of the day, you can do something! We return from kayaking and set up a fire outside, out out the drinks, eat a second barbecue dinner at midnight and continue dancing and drinking.
I think we are starting to get a bit cabin fever like here, as everyone is starting to have crushes on different people. One of the Turkish boys asked me on the bus asked me about my views of terrorist attacks and then told me that he was looking for a wife and that Turkish men will die for their women. I've been invited to go to Italy and am told I am intelligent, beautiful and kind. What can I say? The attention is great!
Truly though, we have such a beautiful group of us here. After 3 hours sleep, we eat an enormous breakfast of ham and sausages, eggs, vegetables, cheese, yogurt, bread and pickled cabbage. We are all learning so much from each others cultures. I have not laughed as much as I have in the last couple of months, from joy and from joking around with such great people! Life cannot get much better than this, the sun is shining, we are by the river eating together, we are talking politics, relationships, travel and everything in between.
Together we have students from:
Lithuania
Canada
Sweden
China
Japan
Australia
Russia
Belarus
Ukraine
Phillipines
Turkey
Austria
Germany
Czech
Poland
Vietnam
I am missing a few... but together we have decided that we are the better version of The United Nations and that we should find a way to get paid together to live this kind of life permanently.
Clinton and I somehow survive the next day of excursions. We have a beautiful walk to a lighthouse but decide to lie on the grass and skip the museums. Clinton takes the 'hair of the dog' approach and drinks more beer in the afternoon.
I'm finding it hard to really explain how happy I am right now, and to really be able to communicate the beautiful experiences I am having with people here, the country and the language. I feel overwhelmed with joy, and I'm still recovering from the hangover two days later perhaps.
I want life to feel like this forever.
Tomorrow, we continue on with the beautiful disaster that is Lithuanian grammar. I am the only native English speaker in my class. I'm proud of myself. In 2015 I shed a lot of tears in frustration and shame when I couldn't grasp a concept. On Friday, we went through reflexive verbs in all forms, which are the worst. I was the last one to grasp it, but I hung in there, I stayed focused, my peers were supportive and helpful and by the end of the lesson, I got it! I am still going to avoid using reflexive verbs at all costs where possible though. Clinton has been learning Russian. Clinton is learning Lithuanian from scratch. I told him to 'hang in there' once they start learning cases. Clinton said that he wasn't worries as he knew some Russian. Later on, Clinton told me that Lithuanian grammar is so much worse that Russian. And my half Polish half Russian friends told me that you need to leave Russian grammar behind when you are learning.
Here is just a small example of Lithuanian grammar.
We have a lot of fun in the classes among the challenging stuff too. We watched a Lithuanian game show 'Patriotic Lithuanians' where people compete about their knowledge about Lithuanian culture. On of the exercises on the show was having to dress up models in the correct folk dress according to the region of Lithuania. Then we had to fill in the blanks in the text. Very cute.
Thursday July 27
Time just powers on here, as it's been so busy. I can't believe 2 weeks have already gone by. As always, I feel like I could stay here longer.
Yesterday we had 'family day' where all of us 50 students were separated in to groups and invited to go to the houses of different teachers at the University. I was very pleased to be able to come back to Daiva's home. It's great to see her house in the summer, as we spent the afternoon having a 'tournament' of basketball and volleyball, We also had to hold clothes together and throw waterbombs in the air, with the aim being to catch the opponents waterbomb. We also had something like a 'six legged race' but on ski's on the grass. This is about the funniest thing I've taken part on in my life. I want to introduce this game and the waterbomb game in to therapy in my next job. We also had races drinking a Lithuanian fruit drink. how can anyone be sad doing this?
We made kugelis together, a Lithuanian dish made of potato, meat, sour cream and garlic mostly, but for the rest of us will probably give us a round belly but a smiley face. It's the kind of meal that would be appropriate to give someone who is starving. We drank wine and natural tea and took turns singing folk songs. Australia doesn't really have any folk songs, so I sang a drinking chant 'Here's to Francesco, he's true blue, he's a piss pot through and through...'
I'm getting that neck pain that feels like it's the entire pathway to your brain, strained from study! It's good though. Sometimes I wake up at 4am after a dream about grammar, and I am trying to conjugate verbs while I am half asleep.
This weekend is the 'sea festival' in Klaipeda, where about half a million people come to dance, east, sing and drink for 3 days straight. Our University will be walking in the opening parade tomorrow. We will celebrate Clint's birthday, and a previous Eurovision contestant from Latvia will perform tomorrow night at 11pm... I see a huge weekend ahead of us!
Lithuanian culture is interesting. I've talked a lot about the pagan traditions, and how warm the university staff are. There is still very much a traditional view of gender roles. This is not new news to me, but I seem to be more aware of it now than two years ago. In my kickboxing class, in the last ten minutes, the junior instructor wanted to run 10 minutes of cross fit. All the girls went home. He asked my sparring partner, Ramon if I spoke Russian, he said that I didn't. Then the instructor asked Ramon if I wanted to go home. I told the instructor directly in Lithuanian that I would be staying. I am stronger than half the guys in this class, I am not sure why girls would be expected not to want or be able to do cross fit. In class, some of the male students talk about how male chefs are always better than female chefs. We did a language exercise and the question was 'what do girls like to do'? The answers were 'smarten up (as in dress up' and 'go shopping'. I'm sorry but neither of those things are a priority for me and a lot of my girlfriends either). Nadia told me to take a deep breath. Clinton is studying LGBTI rights in the Baltics, and he says that although Lithuania has a long way to go, it is still way ahead of the other Baltic states. Interesting stuff. Clinton spoke to me about feeling like people staring at him, he thought it might be because they could tell he was gay. I said to Clinton that a lot of people stare at me too. It just doesn't seem like Western culture to look away once you are caught staring. Pushing in is also not a problem, and also not getting out of the way when you are in someones way when you say 'excuse me'. It's only when I am very tired that it annoys me. In class we got given a page of English phrases with Lithuanian translations. It was very honest. For example, the English speaker says 'excuse me, can I please order something when you have a moment?' The Lithuanian says 'I want this'. It's not rude, it's just direct.
Drinking (alcoholism) continues to be a big issue here. At my local 'Iki' supermarket, there is usually a woman sitting out the front with a black eye and a beer or a weathered man also with a beer. In fact, many people walking around have usually got a beer or two in hand, no matter the time of day, even waiting for the bus for work.A lot of people walk with limps or are clearly psychotic. A man in the supermarket today, kept up picking up items and putting them down for about 20 minutes. He looked really paranoid. He ended up buying 2 beers and some biscuits and then he placed some peanuts in my basket. I tried to sneek the peanuts out of my basket and he saw me do it. My heart broke a bit. I want to help him, I want to help everyone. But in some places it is heart to know how. It's seems to stick out a lot more here. Another funny thing happened at the supermarket when I was buying some salads from the lady at the deli. I said 'thank you' to her each time she pulled out a salad that I wanted. The guy next to me says to me in Lithuanian ' you don't have to say thank you so often'. I told him that I am from Australia and we say thank you all the time. 'How beautifully you speak Lithuanian!' He exclaims and then asks if I have Lithuanian routes, and my usual happy response is given, about my Lithuanian routes and family story.
I also learned in class, that Lithuania's economical situation is not better, unfortunately. 50 thousand people left Lithuania to find other opportunities in 2016. Locals love Lithuania, but if there is no work and little accommodation, what are you supposed to do?
Sunday July 30
We have had an awesome weekend at the sea festival this weekend. It's an amazing thing, that Klaipeda has a population of about 160 thousand people, and then for the seas festival, there are about half a million people attending.
On Friday night our university took part in the parade which was really fun. We wore these cute t shirts with blue scarves and were given blue balloons with the University title and logo on them. We chanted (in Lithuanian) 'academics happy and wonderful, we dance and sing together'.
The group behind us were these cute kids in costume with an impressive dance from Eurovision.
Here is a video of some amazing kids dancing in the parade to the song 'Hey Mamma' performed by Moldova in Eurovision this year. Hopefully the link works! https://drive.google.
I only had two drinks on Friday night, Clinton only had 3, we both woke up with killer hangovers. What happened? I still made it to kickboxing on Saturday morning for an intense session.
Back to the parade on Saturday! A day of boat races, drinking, food, markets, enjoying the sun and good company. It is a blessing to be able to wander around experiencing such beautiful things without needing to be a particular place at a particular time. My body is sore but I am happy to have free time to write, watching inspiring ted talks and maybe go to the beach later with my friends.
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| Boat races! |
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| Smoked fish! |
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| I enjoy taking sneeky photos of people chilling out. |
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| Spending some time, sitting quietly together on the top of the hill together, where the old Klaipeda Castle used to stand before it was knocked down in the war. |
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| We were lucky enough to be able to hop on different ships. This is on the Brazillian ship. Pretty cool hey? |
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| Hungry for pig ears anyone? |
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| I love this. It says, your friends are not worried if your house is clean and organised, they just care if you have wine. |
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| Duckman? Why not?! |
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| Ahhhhh. :) |
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I wonder if I could somehow take a sculpture this amazing home with me? |
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| Sailor hats=win. |
Friday August 8
T to the I to the R to the E to the D. I am hella tired and emotional. I'm not going to think about how much sleep I have been missing over the last 5 months, but especially the last month. It's not helpful to think about it!
I had a bit of a meltdown today and have been a bit teary today. My course finishes next Thursday and then I'm off on a plane to Poland, which will be great. I feel like a little Lithuanian here. I have actual family here but my teachers and friends here feel like my family too. It will be hard to leave them.
One of my teachers Kristina is sweet, she said to one of the other students who had to leave today 'of course you will be seeing Rasa again, as she will be coming back to Lithuania!'
I've had no time to write until now and my brain is fried. When I talk to people at home, my voice is monotone and I keep saying that 'I am good but I am tired'.All the students are looking a bit tired. I'm on the bus on the way to Vilnius to visit my relatives and there is wifi on the bus! I hope I don't spew from typing on my computer on the windy bus.
I'm going to try and sum up my little stories in to groups now, to assist my little brain.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing has been great, I've gone to every session I can (averaging about 4 times a week). Every once in a while I got lost with the instructions of what to do. Vadim (the main instructor) is very good, he takes me seriously and stays patient and supportive, he doesn't treat me differently from the boys. Some of the boys there are sweet and fun but I can tell that a couple of the others don't think that girls belong there, and that's fine. One of the guys sometimes fills in as a teacher and spends the last ten minutes of class doing yoga poses that he knows no one can do, or core work that mainly just hurts your back. When I was kicking the bag after class, he told me that I was moving the wrong hand back and said that someone could punch me in the face. I told him that this was what my instructor taught me at home. Vadim went up to him and said that my technique was fine, and that I could do it either way. Another girl came to class who used to be a professional fighter, so we had good sparring practice together. It was a bit funny as she told me not to hit her hard but then continued to beat the crap out of me! I've had good practice with using my knees and a giant bruise on my left knee to show for it. The gear I borrow is so gross, it's tattered and wet with sweat. I was using the bathroom on the same floor as us, until the beautician next door said that our bathroom was upstairs. I'm not even sure if I am using the guys toilet or if it is unisex, there is no toilet seat or toilet paper. I meditate. For 30 euros for a month of unlimited classes, I cannot complain. It's been a brilliant experience and I have learned a lot.
School dramas
No dramas involving me thankfully! One of the girls had to move from her shared room with her friend, when her friend starting sleeping with the Turkish guys she liked. This Turkish guy, has made his way around. He is not particularly interesting, nice, good looking or intelligent, so I'm not sure what the fuss is about. Me and my friends have decided that perhaps he is spectacular in bed (he has to be, otherwise, why)?
The head of the course sent an email out to everyone saying that there had been noise complaints from the dorm and many people missing class (true). Everyone was informed that they might be at risk of losing their scholarship. I don't know how they can actually make people pay it back. But I agree, it's a shame. Most people are getting their course paid by the Lithuanian government, and the teachers work so hard. I've been tempted at times to go out partying and not go to class, but I don't,as this is a great opportunity and I owe it to the University. Now who is the brown noser!
Catching up with friends from 2015
I had pizza with Annika, her husband and Paulius and daughter Ema. I don't get excited by many kids but Ema is super cute. Ema is about 2 years old and speaks a mixture of Lithuanian, German, English and 'Ema's language'. Ema like to bring me pencils, one by one saying 'this!' in Lithuanian. Last time Is aw Annika, we were hanging out at a restaurant and shortly after she became pregnant and has a second on the way! Amazing how things change so quickly. Paulis is Lithuanian and says that it is a shame that his workplace is losing all of their good construction worker to other countries.
I had dinner with Gvidas. I asked him if he wanted to invited his friends who I met last time. He replied 'no'. I giggle to myself, as it is a very Lithuanian response. I asked him 'why not'. It's a long story, he says. I tell him he can talk to me about it if he wants. Gvidas has told me that everything is much more expensive in Lithuania now, but the wages have not increased, and it's true. Gvidas informed me that once he was worked for another 20 years, he will be eligible to receive a pension of 140 euros a month, which is nothing. Lithuania's, like Gvidas love Lithuania, but it's not easy for everyone to live here due to the economic climate. Saying that, Nadia said that she wanted people not to forget that Lithuania's situation is still better than others. Nadia and Irena are hoping to find work in Lithuania, ad the opportunities are better here than in Ukraine. I would like to take everyone home to Australia instead.
Lithuanian language studies
I love Vida, my landlady, but sleeping in that room has been rough! My mattress is not really a mattress, more like a very old stiff sofa and even with an eye mask on, I am woken up as there is never really darkness with the long days and street lights on outside. Sorry to sounds ungrateful. That along with working through really difficult grammar every day, plus homework, plus excursions, I'm knackered. My friend Sonja and I talked about how tired we got in the winter course in 2015, and we really did. But like all things, later, I will forget the difficulties and only remember the good things. :)
We have been working on participles for the last two day, and I understand nothing. I don't even understand it in English. Yesterday we had more journalists come and interview us. I was interviewed twice with the same questions. I guess they will pick the interview with fewer mistakes! I guess I'm not a perfectionist but I have unrelenting standards of myself. So when my Lithuanian isn't perfect, I get very frustrated and upset. We have our final exam next week, and it is just to test our knowledge, but it's still making me panic. What if I get a worse score than I did on the first test? I even asked my teacher Kristina today if maybe I should move down to the second language group. She said no, she said it was better for me to feel challenged, which is true. She reminded me that we are working on some of the same things as the academic group, and that it's tough and that she's proud of my progress and of the class, and that I should be too.
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| That's the Rasa I know. A girl who overall, makes the most of every day and situation. That's the person I will continue to strive to be. I am so blessed to have everything that I have in my life. I'm going to continue to challenge myself and put myself in uncomfortable situations, as this is totally character building. You only live once. A little sleep would still be nice though. Sleep is like crack for nurses , and Kabaila's. |
Saturday August 5
Getting to Vilnius was an epic disaster but I made it here and everything worked out fine. I couldn't get the express bus as Vilnius airport is closed this month for constructions. So I got on a bus that took 5 hours instead, bumpy, not air conditioned and no toilet (Litho stylz). That part was fine. We stopped at Kaunas, and the bus driver said we were stopping for 15 minutes. Well At least that is how I interpreted in. I bought a drink, came back and the bus was gone. My computer was left on the bus seat and all my belongs inside the baggage compartment. I went to the information booth and was told that my belongings would be waiting for me in Vilnius and to hop on another bus to Vilnius. I wasn't told that I needed to 'buy' another ticket, so the next driver was refusing to let me on without explaining why and then went to leave without me after I bought a ticket. I had basically no phone battery and called the bus driver an arsehole under my breath as I hopped on the bus. Some nice Lithuanian girls empathised with me and let me use their wifi. I emailed Indre quickly explaining what had happened and mentally said goodbye to all my belongings. But do you know what? I found Indre waiting for me, smiling in Vilnius (even though she had to wait an extra 20 minutes for me) holding both my bag and laptop. Amazing. Lithuanians are actually very honest people. In fact, people overall are good people. It's just that leaving a computer really is a big invitation that says 'take me'! Thank god for family.
It's been fantastic spending time with Indre and her two boys, Augustas and Algirdas here in the country. I was here in 2015 but it was winter. Everything looks different without snow!
Indre was in a difficult place when I saw her last, she was in the middle of a separation and working very hard. It's so great to see her so happy now, she is single, the boys are happy and they are selling their house soon to move to the city. Indre and her family also have a puppy 'Ernis' a naughty white Labrador who is committed on retrieving my hippy pants for me every time I leave the bedroom door open. Indre was struggling to have any time for herself when I saw her in 2015, but she is now learning ballet from scratch. What an amazing woman.
I went for a run today and was told not to run in the forest as there are apparently wolves there. No one has seen one but Augustus once found a deer and squirrel that had big chunks missing out of them (dead) and heard them. So naturally I really wanted to find wolves. I ran a partway through the forest but realised very quickly that I would probably get lost. The forest or Australian bush is amazing. You say you will stay on one path but when you turn around, all three paths look like they could have been the one that you were on.This would be so uncool for Indre after last nights shenanigans, if I got chomped by a wolf or lost in the forest that I said I would not run in.
It's been really lovely to spend time with family again. I've had lovely meals made for me and we have had a lot of time just chatting about our lives and views about the world. Augustas is a sweet young man but has a bit of an old soul. He was telling me at length how all his friends are partying and trying to act cool, but he doesn't want to, and wanders where he will meet like minded people. Augustas is 18 now, and we had a great conversation about how high school can be a bit of a shark tank, and about hanging in there until the end of school to be able to see the world, and find your place in life. It was nice, because I got to think about the things that I really loved in my last job, mentoring teenager through the often shitty times of being a teenager. We've had a lot of time chatting about our pwns families and summing up all the ins and outs of the last 2 years.
Today we went to Kernavė, a place which was a was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archeological site. I feel so at peace here. We managed to bump in to all the students and teachers at Klaipeda on their excursion too, which was funny and wonderful. On the way back at the local market, one of the old Polish guys looks at the ring on my hand (from my grandmother) , talks to me in Lithuanian asks if I am married. He tells me that if I want a man, I get one easily at the nearby shop! I tell him I had better start looking at the shop. Indre is making us šaltibarščiai (Lithuanian cold beetroot soup) and I am here writing my blog, life is good. I continuously ask Indre if I can help in the kitchen, but I continuously get shooed out!
Sunday August 8
This weekend in Vilnius has been the greatest, truly. I'm on the bus on the way back from Klaipeda, a little hungover but very happy. Indre is the sweetest, she booked return buses from Klaipeda to Vilnius but refused to take any money from me. This bus on the way back turns out to be a luxury bus. It has new spacious seats, a toilet, free water, free wifi, airc onditioned, it only takes four hours and it's not bumpy. I am writing on my blog as we drive through endless green and yellow pastures and forest. Tears well in my eyes from happiness, I am just so happy.
On saturday, Indre, me , Augustas and Algirdas ate our delicious šaltibarščiai made by Indre and barbeque meat cooked by Augustas. Augustas and I had another great conversation. Augustus is worried that we we all have electric cars before he gets the chance to drive a cool old American car. Augustas does not feel that she should be forced to change our ways because of new technology and talked about his love and fascination of old cars, we talked about gun control in different areas of the world and cultures across different countries. I re assured Augustas that it is unlikely that Lithuania (or any country) will be selling only electric cars in the next year, and he will have his chance to drive his own car.
Indre has given me some chocolate and a DVD of Lithuania to 'remember her family by'. I have come empty handed, as travelers often do and have written a thank you letter, which is a bit meager in comparison. Indre and I have talked about the idea of working in Doctors without Borders together. I hope that Indre and her family will come to Australia some day so that I can look after them on their visit. :).
I made my way over to Louis' house. Louis is my second cousin. Louis is an artist, he was born in Australia but has living in Lithuania for about 18 months doing research about historical theater in Lithuania. When I turn up at his door, the first thing I say is 'Louis have we actually even met before?' Louis says that he does not think we have met, and neither do I. Immediately we connect and get on like house on fire. We have endless things to talk about. We agree that it feels like we have known each other for years. Louis really is my long lost cousin!
We talk about life in Lithuania, about our families, connections and history and our ambitions for the future. Louis is incredibly courageous and inspiring.
We head out to dinner at a Ukranian restaraunt with Clinton who is also in Vilnius.Clinton and Louis love history and know so much. I watch the two of them talking, and I feel like with the two of them together an analysis of the world's history of buildings, politics and art have been covered. I am so impressed.
Later we head out to a bar to meet our other cousin Adomas, who is just as sweet as he ever was. Adomas continues to work as a sound engineer for the theater to work soon in in America, Chile and other parts of Europe for a few months. I'm really happy for him. Both of our grandmothers have passed away in the last two years, and we exchange condolences and what has happened in our families over the last 2 years. We agree that it is not goodbye, just see you soon. Admonas and his girlfriend hope to come to Australia in 2 years. I've told Louis and Clinton that they need to be in Australia for this to do a big road trip together. :)
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| From left, Rasa, Louis, Admoas and Clintonas. |
Some of my student friends from the excursion meet us at the bar and I proudly show off my family. I'm so happy. This morning, Louis and I had breakfast together at this gorgeous cafe with delicious middle eastern... food? Louis and I are both complimented on our Lithuanian... yippee!
Happy days. :)
I really feel I could stay here in Lithuania, and I leave on Thursday. It will be emotional but I will be okay.
Thursday August 10
It's my last day in Lithuania, I can't believe it. We had the exam yesterday and it was tough, as I expected. However, I am going by the kind words of my cousin Dana; it was my goal to learn and I have learned so much, so nothing else matters.
After our exam we spent time by the sea (by the forest) and drank cider and ate chocolate. After the ocean, we saw a Lithuanian theater production of 'The Little Prince' a French story that we read in Lithuanian during the course. We were all nodding off from exhaustion, but it was really beautiful;. Theater in Lithuania is amazing.
Today we will have our closing ceremony and time at the botanical gardens. I'm trying to work out if I have a stomach ulcer or if my poos is a purple/red colour from all the beetroot I have been eating!
I made a little presentation about Australia yesterday, our teacher Kristina loved it. Here are my cue cards with a few lovely photos from Canberra included:
Slide 1
Rasa’s
presentation about Kangaroos
Rasos
presentacija apie kengūras
Slide 2
Kangaroos are strange but beautiful creatures
Kengūra yra keista, bet graži gyvūnija
Kengūra yra keistas, bet gražus gyvūnas
Slide 3
I often see kangaroos on the mountain
Ten kur gyvenu, kalnuose, dažnai matau daug kengūrų.
Slide 4
And by the lake
Ir prie ežero taip pat.
Slide 5
Sometimes kangaroos become confused and end up in our gardens
Kartais
kengūros susipainioja ir atsiranda mūsų sode
Slide 6
We cannot ride kangaroos.
Ant kengūrų negalima jodinėti.
Slide 7
But, sometimes kangaroos can be fed
Tačiau kartais kengūras galima šerti
Slide 8
Kangaroos are incredibly strong
Kengūros yra nepaprastai stiprios
Slide 9
Kangaroos need to be ‘culled’. As there are too many
kangaroos. It causes an in balance in Australia’s ecosystem.
Vieną kartą metuose kengūras galima
medžioti, nes jų yra perdaug ir tai
išbalansuoja Australijos ekosistemą
Slide 10
Kangaroos are often killed by cars as they jump on to the
road without warning. The car usually dies too.
Kengūros
dažnai žūsta iššokusios į kelią be įspėjimo ir susidūrusios
su automobiliais. Automobiliai dažniausiai būna sugadinti nepataisomai.
Slide 11
We also eat kangaroo
Įdomu tai, kad mes valgome kengūras!
Slide 12
But we really love kangaroos!
Bet mes tikrai labai mylime kengūras!
Slide 13
Questions?
Ar turite klausimų?
Slide 14
Thank you
Ačiū
Here is a little draft article for the Australian Lithuanian newspaper that encapsulates this last, amazing month in Lietuva:
10/08/2017
My name is Rasa
Kabaila. My grandparents are Lithuanian and moved to Australia as
refugees during the second world war, hence why I have a Lithuanian name but
live in Australia. When I grew up, me and my siblings were made accustomed to
both Australian and Lithuanian traditions. My grandparents moved to Australia
as refugees during the second world war, hence why we all live in Australia. I
am a 3rd generation Lithuanian from my father’s side. When I grew up, me and my
siblings were made accustomed to both Australian and Lithuanian traditions. My
mother is Australian but has learned Lithuanian also.
Both my Grandparents
and my father would always speak Lithuanian to me and my siblings as children.
We didn’t like being ‘different’ though so we always spoke back in English,
much to the understandable frustration of my father. As a result, my
understanding of Lithuanian is good but speaking and grammar is much more
difficult. Over the last few years, I decided to make more of an effort
speaking Lithuanian, it has never been easy but it is great fun.
In 2015 I attended a
two week intensive Lithuanian language course at Klaipeda University,
Lithuania. The course was exhausting but amazing; I learned so much. Our
lessons ran from 9am-3pm each day for 2 weeks and then I had some private lessons
over the next two weeks. It was in this course in 2015, that I realised that I
knew virtually nothing about the beautiful mess that is Lithuanian grammar. I
did not understand cases and conjugations or even how to correctly speak in
different tenses. I knew when things sounded right but could not tell you why
It is a very frustrating thing when you can understand complicated
conversations but reply in simple sentences, full of grammatical mistakes. My
teacher from 2015, Virtlajia, was amazing and could not really speak any
English. The problem is, if you can’t understand grammar understood in your
native language, it is even harder to have it explained in another language. To
an English speaker, cases are quite alien.
Since 2015, where
possible, I have been attending Lithuanian language lessons run in our Canberra
community. Our wonderful teacher, Diane Cibiras is an Australian married to a
Lithuanian. Diane taught herself Lithuanian from a language book and taught has
taught it to us, which is amazing really. Diane is fluent in German and has a
teaching background, so finally I started to pick up on some of the grammar!
Our language group in Canberra was made up of a variety of students, of
different ages and speaking abilities, including people learning Lithuanian
from scratch and native Lithuanian speakers who were born in Australia. Me and
all the students in the Canberra are so grateful for Diane for dedicating so
much time, energy and patience in teaching us Lithuanian.
Native Lithuanian
speakers cannot always appreciate how difficult the grammar in Lithuanian is,
and often cannot explain the grammar to you. This is no criticism, as this is
similar for most people with their native languages. I find it difficult to
explain English grammar, as I have not studied the science of the language, and
I do not teach it. Lithuanian has one of the most complicated declension
systems among modern Indo-European and modern European languages.
Traditionally, scholars count up to ten case forms in Lithuanian. However, at least
one case is reduced to adverbs, and another is extinct in the modern language. So the official variant
of Lithuanian has seven cases, and an eighth case is used in some dialects and
reduced to an adverb in others. I have learned Spanish for a shorter time than
Lithuanian, but Spanish grammar for me, is much easier.
After attending the
winter intensive language course in 2015 I had always wished to come back to
the summer language course in Klaipeda, and this year, I made it happen.
The summer language
course ran from 9am until 1230pm, Monday to Friday for 4 weeks. The
language course ran alongside the cultural program, which includes things such
as singing, dancing, learning about Pagan traditions as well as day and
overnight excursions. One of my favourite activities was the ‘family visit’ to
our teacher Daiva’s house where we made kugelis together and played games in
the yard. We had a go racing each other on something like a 6 legged ski race
on the grass. I have not laughed so hard in such a long time.
We had 4 groups in
this years language course ranging from beginners to the 4th group, who are
fluent in Lithuanian and are studying the science of the language. I was placed
in the 3rd group as I was told that my Lithuanian had improved a lot since
2015. Our course was busy, we had 50 students in total among the 4 groups from
20 different countries. We talked about us being a bit like Eurovision, or
perhaps the more fun version of United Nations. Sharing such an intense
experience with so many beautiful people from all over the world, is truly a
blessing. Every moment here has been so special.
The course was taught
completely in Lithuanian, all the time and it was much harder than the course
in 2015. In the second last week of the course, I did not understand the about
2 days of grammar (we started learning some of the same concepts as the
academic group). I approached our teacher Kristina, questioning whether I
should be in the second group. Kristina said that it was better for me to be in
a group that was challenging and that I needed to be in the third group.
I am very grateful to
my 2 wonderful Ukrainian friends in my class, Nadia and Irena, who are language
teachers at home, fluent in Lithuanian and really helped me in the tricky parts
of the course, and became my ‘study buddies’. No matter how challenging the
course is, all the students stay supportive of each other, and the teachers are
always using humour and supportive words to keep us going. Team morale is
important in study.
Towards the end of
the course, I was exhausted,and I knew I was not alone. I became increasingly
worried about the exam, as I felt that I was at capacity and did not know what
else my brain could retain. At the start of the course, we had an exam where I
got 56%. I peered over at the marks of my fellow students and could see 77% and
88%. Uh Oh, I thought. In my class, I was the only native English speaker. Many
of my peers were living in Lithuania or had done this language course yearly
for 5 years. Other than one Italian man in the course who was living in
Lithuania, the rest of my peers were Slavic. I would often say that I wanted to
trade my English brain for a Slavic brain, to help with the grammar. However I
have also been told that Lithuanian grammar is much harder than both Russian
and Ukranian grammar.
The truth is, living
in Australia, it is hard to practice other languages, as we speak English all
the time. You can do it, but you need to persevere!
I really doubted how
I would go in the final exam, as it would be harder than the exam at the start
of the course. I had some very supportive words from my cousin Dana at home,
who reminded me ‘your goal was to learn and you have learned a lot, so you have
achieved your goal, and it does not matter what happens in the exam’.
The exam took nearly
4 hours, a mixture of a listening component, a written exam and a speaking exam
where I conducted a presentation about kangaroos and my teacher asked me
questions. I couldn’t believe it, I received a grade of 74% overall
and I have gone up one level overall in my European language grade.
I have been able to
spend time with my relatives here, which has been incredibly heartwarming.
One of the students
from the second group, Carl, said that I was his inspiration, as I was living
proof that you can learn difficult things if you want to. My friend Nadia, who
is fluent in Lithuanian and the top student in our class said she also admired
how I spoke Lithuanian at every given moment, no matter what. My cousin Louis
said ‘it’s so great how much confidence you have with your Lithuanian’. The truth
is, I make loads of mistakes when I speak and Lithuanian, all the time in fact.
But I made a decision not to worry about it so much now. You need to speak to
be able to practice, and if you are understood, that is the most important
thing. Lithuanians here have really embraced that a cheerful Australian has
flown halfway across the world to work on Lithuanian with no purpose other than
just wanting to. I have been embraced here, as I was in 2015, with open arms
and unconditional love and support.
Today we had our last
day together, enjoying folk dances all afternoon in the garden, as well as each
other's company. A lot of people were crying today, as it’s crazy to think we
are all parting ways now. But as always, I say, it’s not goodbye, just see you
soon.
I have written a blog
about my time studying in Lithuania where you can track my language journey
from 2015 until now. If you would like to read my blog, please copy and
paste the following link: http://rakabaila.blogspot.com.au
Both my 2015
and 2017 language course were kindly funded by the Canberra Lithuanian
Community under a scholarship scheme. I would like to say a huge thank you to
the Canberra Lithuanian Community for this wonderful opportunity. I am
eternally grateful for the fantastic experiences that this scholarship
has provided me.
Of course, I also
thank all of my amazing teachers and fellow students in the language course
this year.
Again, I encourage
anyone who would like to learn Lithuanian from scratch, or further their
Lithuanian by attending the Klaipeda University winter and or summer intensive
language and cultural course. You will not regret it.
Su meile,
Rasa
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| Clinton and me getting ready to compete with our Lithuanian wooden spinning toys! These are amazing. You fling them in to the air like those 90's 'sky dancer' toys and then you see who's spinner stays spinning on the grass for the longest amount of time. |
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| Galina deciding to take a photo of us in class when I was in the middle of using her pencil sharpener. |
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| I love this photo of Clinton, waiting to see if his toy is the winner! |
It's not goodbye, just Iki pasymatimo. Aš meilu Lietuva. Ačiū to all my beautiful friends family and teachers in Lithuania.
Tomorrow I'll be up at 245am to get the 4am bus to the airport to head to Poland.
Su meile,
Rasa
