I have noticed that there are some recurring themes in conversations with Lithuanians. One big one is about the rapid pace of change going on here, and how some people are left out, and others are getting rich. Starting in January, the country is switching the currency to Euros, but everyone I talked to is fine with that, and they are not too worried about prices increasing.
Russia is a big topic. It is right next door. People I have spoken with are not fearful of a Russian invasion, but still they seem to want to stay as far away from Russia as possible. To me, as an outsider, it would make sense to have some type of open door policy with Russia, or at least Belarus. Many people still speak perfect Russian here, and it almost seems a waste to not take advantage of all the common cultural and language skills. This country could take advantage of its location between Europe and Russia. Yet, some people here have never been to Belarus, even though it is just about 20 km from Vilnius and Minsk is the nearest capital city. Now there are strict visa requirements between the two countries. A lot of Belorussians come here to shop at the big malls, but they need expensive visas. The reality is that after years and years of occupation, and now complete integration into the European Union, there is no big need to work with Russians and people have no trust in what the Russian government says.
Lithuanians talk about languages a lot. Everyone I have met is multilingual, and young people all speak English, along with other languages such as Russian, Polish, German or French. There is a very strong pride in the Lithuanian language.
People are curious about the USA, and a lot of people have traveled there. But it does seem a very strange country from here. Especially the hugely expensive elections and the domination of the news. But there seems to be a trust in America, that they are doing the right thing by policing the world. Swedes and Lithuanians differ a lot in this regard.
It has been a warm fall so far, with little rain. I am missing the delicious vegetables and fall fruits of California. Those of you in San Francisco, must recognize that you live in food paradise. I have been to 5 vegetarian restaurants in Vilnius, plus 2 Chinese. It is great that there are 5 vegetarian restaurants, 2 of which are raw, but there is just no comparison to the food in San Francisco. Sue’s Indian Raja is an exception with excellent Indian food. Restaurants are still relatively cheap though.
It is a pleasure to be here, working with wonderful generous people. Soon I travel to Brazil.