Sometimes my fridge faces metamorphoses like this one. 
The photos are not staged and I would never dear to publish them if my mom had access to internet. I don't know if this is popular among Irish students, but during my study years those of us who were not from the capital used to fetch bags full of goods from parents' - mostly smoked meats and strawberry preserves. In the meantime capital kids (including myself) were savoring the pleasures of living in parent's gaff. Now worries about dinner or breakfast. More or less, depending on the welfare of the family.
Nowadays I am savoring selfish pleasures of living all by myself. No parents, no boyfriends, no roommates. Nobody to criticize me for eating raw cauliflower and drinking black tea with a wedge of lemon. Unfortunately, no mom to make sure the fridge is full, therefore sometimes I have to face the fridge as it appears in the photo.
A while ago a colleague of mine who is Polish and myself engaged in a conversation about the peculiarities of Irish food. Not to mention that my Polish colleague is quite unhappy about Ireland in general...
Anyhow. Despite the mainstream tendency for those who live in the Western world to get fatter, I keep loosing weight. Over the six months that I'd spend in the USA I lost about 10 kilos (about 1.5 st). Then again, I never had a burger and I didn't indulge in Philly pretzels too much. Since I was waitressing in quite a decent Italian restaurant (owned by a real bitch though) and the summer turned out to be extremely hot, my diet mainly consisted of mixed salad.
I try to make sure I eat plenty of veg in Ireland also - tomatos, broccoli, lettuce, courgette, carrots, etc. Ironically, perhaps to some extend tomatoes and broccoli are to blame for my anemia. After being diagnosed with one I started to eat more meat (apologies all vegetarians - I greatly admire the idea), but still I love vegetable stews, I cook stuffed chicken in an oven and whenever we go out to Yamamori or Wagamama I indulge in seafood of some kind.
Although there over 220 shops (!) in Ireland selling Lithuanian food, on average I visit them only once every two months and when I do I buy there either herring or diary products. I don't really miss Lithuanian food here and after my last visit home I came to realize that potato meals and me don't always go together (NB - potato is our national vegetable (isn't it the case in Ireland?), we make everything from pancakes to desserts with them). Sweets and cookies don't seem to tempt me as much as they did when I was younger. And despite the fact I adore red wine (on average there are about 85 calories in a 125 ml glass), I never seem to put on weight here.
My colleague notes that whenever she goes back to Poland she starts loosing weight. But when in Dublin, extra pounds become inevitable. Since her nitpickings about Ireland every so often can drive to depression (there are enough shortcomings anyway), I keep discharging the accusations. Yes, you can find tasty berries. Yes, organic and affordable chicken does exist (4 euro each in my local butchers). Yes, you can find good tomatoes.
It is true though that healthy eating costs more than gobbling down chicken Kievs or "Goodfella's" pizzas, although I have noticed if my financial situation drives me to go for these, my stomach doesn't tolerate them well. In those cases only a dram of "Highland Park 12yo" or "Ardberg 10yo" helps.
Nevertheless yourselves and myself are about to face winter, which means less fresh vegetables. I hope after the cold season I will not be able to boast about a few spare tires. Mens sana in corpore sano.
How blind and deaf one must be to stay numb when facing this:
It took a week of protests for the UN to send an envoy to Burma (not to mention the previous years of silence when the only form of protest the world was expressing were TV ads appealing for the freedom of Aung San Suu Kyi ). How sweet of them. I thought it would take another Thich Quang Duc.
I thought these are the days of infinite possibilities. Alas... Not for some.
Putting the kettle on is not enough anymore. Even "Highland Park 12yo" doesn't help. It is getting cold and I have to turn the radiator on. Just like Dublin Bus drivers, although they tend to overheat the busses. On top of that, I am anemic and that doesn't help, since a 10 minute journey to work turns into a bloody sauna.
Haven't seen the landlord for about a month and a half and I can't wait since:
a) we do need to turn the heating on
b) I need a new bed. Not because of too much exercise performed on it. It is old - like majority of the things my landlord stuffs into his houses (cupboards, tables, pots, arm-chairs, hoovers) and way too soft - I can nearly feel the springs cutting into my back. If he is not happy with buying a new one, I am chucking out the old one and will continue sleeping on my sister's mattress. That's what I have been doing for the past few weeks. My brother-in-law describes this as self-punishment (turning into Mother Theresa?). Actually it is not - it is great for the back. And I dream every night. What about? My bed in Lithuania. Although as a matter of fact it's Danish. :-)
............;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...............←This is a man standing::::::.. ..........::::::::..... .............::::::::..... ......
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::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::←This is a man standing next to another one...........................,,,,,,,,,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
This is me... and this is you... and this everyone we know.
I thought I might recollect or remind to myself. A mesmerizing movie.
The reason for mentioning Miranda July is her new book "No one belongs here more than you" and a fabulous website to accompany it. Hang around there for a while - a delightful feast of imagination.
Tomorrow is payday and finally I will be able to afford to purchase something.
Back from Lusitania. Things Lithuanians could learn from the Irish. Part II
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Apologies for delay in updating the blog. Few amazing things happened in the meantime:
- I am starting a Photography and Digital Imaging Course at the Centre for Continuing Education in Art and Design in the National College of Art and Design. They've got my money and the birth certificate (which came as a big surprise for me - the passport is not not good! I was even tempted not to translate the certificate (which is in Lithuanian and Russian). A look at the certificate has reminded me that I was born in Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. But if they need it...)
- "Guardian Abroad" has listed my blog in "Global diatribes and politics" category. It took about a month of waiting after applying, meanwhile I was trying to update my rantings regularly. I can take some time off now:) Joking. The pressure is high to remain in the category.
By the way, exactly 6 days ago my Lithuanian blog celebrated it's first birthday. A virtual friend of mine Aunty Sigita has compared blogger's mission to that of actor's described by Stanislavsky as public loneliness. As time goes by and more people discover my musings in cyberspace I have to admit I start to feel more public than lonely. Here's to my ego :) And here's to you who read and comment and keep the ego thriving!
Now back to to-do-list which was scribbled before I left for holidays in Lithuania or Lusitania as a young charming Irish fella working with me calls my home country. I can tick all segments and if I could choose two best they would be:
- Three days here:
and here
and here
- The Opening Concert of Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra's Season. Violinist Liana Isakadze performed D. Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No1. while piano virtuoso Konstantin Scherbakov (he's much hotter live than in his website) was my favorite of the night and played P. Tchaikovky’s Piano Concerto No1. Lots of fireworks (perhaps not as many as in Lang Lang's perfomance), as one should expect from Tchaikovky, but the dialogue between the pianist and the orchestra was magnificent. Whenever I hear a symphony orchestra playing, it always sends shivers down my spine. Although I would have preferred something different to Tchaikovky... My sister calls him a storm in a cup of tea. By the way, speaking of Lang Lang, he's coming to Dublin, yet alas for no particular reason I am unable to book tickets (5 months beforehand!) on National Concert Hall's website. Have emailed them about the problem. I know Lang Lang is quite "fireworky" and different to the likes of Andrius Zlabys whom by luck I managed to meet and hear while living in Philly (listen to the recordings he has on the website or watch him here if you want). No fireworks, I should say. Yet Andrius (who also comes from Lithuania) is not coming to Dublin, but Lang Lang is and after hearing him in the "Painted Veil" I loved the Chinese melodies he was performing.
Sorry for being carried away with the last passage...
Anyhow. I'm back from Lusitania and without two pennies to rub together (payday is in a week). After all Lithuania nowadays is not that different to Ireland - everybody talks about property and building sites are mushrooming everywhere. Although there are things my fellow citizens could learn from the Irish:
* Manners. When you shop in "Dunnes Stores" you say sorry if you bump into somebody. If you shop in Lithuanian supermarkets you say nothing, you bump again. And again. Until the person you're bumping into realizes he or she has to move. After he or she does you say nothing and carry on shopping. Similar manners in public transport (although it arrives on time unlike in Ireland and the timetables announce the time of the arrival to a particular stop rather than the time when the bus leaves the first stop).
* Customer service. I was surprised when after complaining that the wine I got served in a glass was corked the waitress replaced it. On the other hand, the owner was present in the cafe at that time. When my friend accidentally broke an empty pint glass the waitress asked her to pay for it. When an elderly woman walked into a boutique shoe shop after saving for a decent pair of shoes for a good while, the security guard asked her to leave pointing to her that she would not afford a pair of shoes there. Besides being bitchy shop assistants tend to be very pretentious. And waiters in most cases are way too slow. I'd love to see them working in Dublin restaurants the way they do in Lithuania. They wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace.
* Music in public places. Supermarkets are blasting Tina Turner... Come on! Although I have criticized Irish radio, at least there's no Tina in the supermarkets...
* Too many old cars on the roads. I know they are cheaper, but thinking of he future the government could do something in order to make the society more aware of sustainability and environment. I.e. in Sweden the government is offering a 1000 Euro refund when purchasing an environmental friendly car. Although some producers have increased the cost of such cars by exactly 1000 Euro. Bugger...
* Lunch breaks! Especially if you do a 12 hour shift. A receptionist of a fancy hairdresser has no lunch break (this is as witnessed to me in person). Outrageous!
*Go organic and go small! Although Lithuanian vegetables, berries, fruits and mushrooms smell of what they are and are not polished in order to look more presentable, I miss small organic produce shops. The country is devoured by supermarkets possessing imposing names: AKROPOLIS (after the Greek Acropolis), BIG, MEGA, etc. And although we are an agronomical country, because of these supermarkets we might face a similar future like Ireland when you won't be able to get local tomatoes or potatoes.
*More varieties of beer and wine, please! If you're a fan of Aussie Shiraz, you're screwed. Likewise if you admire Belgian beer. And although Ireland has the highest excise duty in the EU (2.10 Euro for each bottle of wine), I can't understand why wine in Lithuania costs the same as in Ireland. And it is boring in most cases!
*Engaging in reading while using public transport. Although busses in Lithuania (especially in the mornings) are more packed than in Dublin (because they take as many people as fit and by fitting I mean fitting - like cornichons in a jar), even those who manage to get a seat still rarely engage in reading morning paper or a book. Whereas in Dublin, even in a packed Luas or Dart majority of the passengers seem to read. Reading is good for brain exercise! And for learing new things.
* Security staff is for security purposes, not for scaring people off. They are scary in Lithuania, believe me. Like freaking Gestapo.
For those who changed their mind and don't want to visit Lithuania ever, please look up at the photos posted above :)
photo©Lina Zigelyte
See you after the 18th of September!
On Thursday evening I am taking off to Lithuania for 12 days. Really looking forward. I'm scribbling a list of to-do things. The list in no particular order looks as follows:
* Dentist
* Hairdresser
* Blood test (anaemia to blame)
* Grandma
* A night out with mom (and dad if he is willing)
* Meeting my friends with whom I took a photography course. That's us by the way:
* Exhibition "Among us" in the Contemporary Arts Centre. Give it up for my photography teacher Jurgita Remeikyte who is taking part.
* Classical music concert. This is one of those things I miss most in Ireland. Dublin is great for a pint, but good classical music concerts are scarce. I am not talking just about exploiting National Concert Hall. There are so many churches, why not use them as venues? I remember when I was working next to Curtis Institute of Music in Philadephia (PA) the students were giving free recitals every week. Bear in mind - this is one of the most prestigious conservatories in the world. If these students can do it why those enrolled in studies in Royal Irish Academy of Music can't? Unless they're secret. But if they are at least half decent they shouldn't be!
On the other hand, if there is a good concert coming up, especially with a foreign orchestra, the tickets are expensive beyond belief or they are quite often given away to participants of corporate support before I even manage to hear about the show. By the way, some time ago I was flipping through the pages of "Guardian" and what struck me was the ad of a concert in, I believe, Albert Hall or some other great stage in London where tickets started at 5 or 10 pound sterling. Moreover, a friend of mine went to a premiere in Vienna State Opera House in April for ... a mere 5 Euro. That's Vienna, ladies and gentlemen!
Although... there's an exceptionally good band from some Central European country playing on Grafton St now and again. That's how I try to satisfy my longing for classical music sometimes.
* Three days in the Curonian Spit - a long and narrow sand peninsula spreading between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian lagoon with unique sand waves in the rolling dunes, pine-tree groves and rare flora of the amber coast. As of 2000, the Curonian Spit is on the Unesco World Heritage List.
* Meeting friends in Vilnius' cafes, wine bars and pubs. I have a feeling there won't be that many of them left - distance does affect the intimacy of relationships, I noticed that when I was in Lithuania last time - over a year and a half ago. But then again I can simply enjoy Vilnius' Old Town, read books by new Lithuanian authors and sip masala in my favorite tea shop. Whenever I return to Vilnius I feel a bit like Duris in L'Auberge espagnole when he comes back home.
Last week I received an email from my previous boss in Lithuania saying perhaps I might be convinced to return. If I do I started scribbling the list of things-I'd-miss-if-I-leave-Dublin. To be continued in the next post... Although... in terms of returning - not yet, there are things I would like to do before coming back.
Whenever I encounter a foreigner who has visited Lithuania more or less recently I ask them how was it. Don't want to sound full of myself, but majority seem to like it there. Even my Polish friend's friends who had visited Wilno (that's how Polish call the capital Vilnius - it belonged to Poland for a while anyway) said that they liked it. When they have Krakow it is hard for us to compete... Anyhow.
A lovely elderly couple walked into the shop today and they mentioned that they had been in Vilnius in 2000. After saying that I will be going there shortly, they remarked that the place must be quite different now.
"There must be more prosperity now, possibly like in Ireland," they commented and chuckled.
"I hope not too much of prosperity," was my reply and they smiled.
That is my honest hope and prayer.
I've been living in Ireland for over two years now and I have seen so many people who were born into money (is that the way the saying goes?) that it nearly gets scary. My sister came back from Paris last spring and she said that just by judging the amount of new cars in the streets Paris looks like a shabby place compared to Dublin. Yet she came back from Lithuania a month ago and said that she was amazed by the quantity of luxury cars on the roads there...
Now I have nothing against new cars or new houses. I am just dumbfounded at the speed at which Ireland is turning to a classic consumerist society. Somehow I get even more conscious about it when I return from countries who have been rich for a long time, i.e. Denmark. As we were walking the streets of Copenhagen in July with a friend of mine, both of us remarked that it looks like in Dublin people live just for the sake of SHOPPING and DRINKING.
Of course, they do shop and drink in Copenhagen or Strasbourg, yet in Dublin quite often you get the feeling that people stay alive just by talking about prices, selling or buying. The amount of places selling coffee 2 go is booming - what about funky little cafes where you can sit and relax inside or outside and just have a good coffee without the need of purchasing a sandwich? Not those chain cafes - Insomnias or Starbucks... Alas - everybody is rushing to sell or buy, thus there's no time for un café...
When in the shop, now and again we chat with customers about the future of Ireland. Just like the newspapers we keep wondering how long this economic boom will last. Quite a few people (mostly those who are older and who have travelled a bit) mention that the growth of economy was so rapid you can hardly believe it would last for long. It's like a genetically modified chicken - so young yet so big, but somehow missing the real flavor.
I find Ireland getting more and more similar to the clichéd image of the USA - McDonald's, drive-ins, drive-throughs, to-goes, buy-2-get-1-frees. I spend therefore I live - the infectious slogan of new economies. That's what I mean by saying I hope Lithuania doesn't get too prosperous.
I know I am not making too much sense, therefore I suggest to read the last two issues of my favorite magazine "Monocle" - the previous one is about the cities that offer the best quality of life and the current issue is about building a country.
I hope somebody in charge of Lithuania's future reads them too...
Over two hours of chatting about everything and nothing - Ireland, Lithuania, girls, blokes, jobs, drinks, etc. - and he asked me if I would like to go to see a movie with him someday.
"Maybe", I said and he pointed out he doesn't like maybes.
Before that he asked me if I was engaged. I said I am married happily with two kids. And despite the fact I keep bugging my best friend in Ireland about her inability to lie, after a few seconds I admitted it was a joke - no kids and no marriage. No boyfriend either. Honesty is my merit and my shortcoming.
I took his phone number (he said he'd prefer me to have his). I deleted it after I got on the Dart.
It was Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures wrap-up party. It looks like participants of all parties aim for the same... or perhaps I am getting old... Next time I'll try to be more pretentious. I'm happily married with two kids. A boy and girl. My husband is named Brian. He's 30. And we're deeply in love. It all looks very easy when on the screen...
My two favorite posts in Jussi's blog Everything is Mossible are here and here. Outsider stories I call them.
Outsiders are apt to compare new homes to their previous ones. Comparison is inevitable. They look for drawbacks and assets. They scrutinize people, quality of life, prices, food, cultural scene, weather, etc.
When I started writing the blog I thought I would do more of it, yet I came to realize that constant comparison can start look like whining. I have to admit that complaining is possibly one of the side-effects of Post-Soviet Eastern European behavior. Yet I pledge I am trying my best to fight this bug (quite often without any success whatsoever). However this time I would like to mention something I would miss if I was to leave Dublin tomorrow.
As I have revealed before, this weekend I volunteered in the Festival of World Cultures in Dun Laoghaire. We were sitting in Kingston Hotel on Sunday night with Grace and I found out that she came from Galway to volunteer. Aside from giving up her time to whatever might be in need of doing during the festival she was staying in a hotel and paying 85 Euro for every night. Bless her! Grace explained she's doing a course in hospitality and she thought this experience might be useful.
I don't think I've heard about anybody else like Grace, but there were about 300 volunteers of all ages and nationalities in total. Naturally the organizers did save quite a bit of cash. It is easy to make a basic calculation. Let's say every volunteer is working for about 4 hours on average (altough some worked for 10, i.e. I worked for about 8). If they were paid (let's say the minimum wage), it would turn out to be
300 x 4 x 8.65 = 10 380 Euro
Although we did get T-shirts, goodie bags, drink tokens and very generous free lunch (of which actually quite a few volunteers were not aware), organizers obviously have saved quite a bit. But despite this fact I was stunned by the amount of people who offer their spare time for carrying chairs, disassembling tables, hoovering carpets, etc. People of my and my granny's age. Girls and guys too. We're having a wrap up party on Wednesday and more free treats. What could be better?!
Volunteering is still uncommon in my country and this is one of the things we could learn from Irish. I promise to mention more! The sky is the limit.
I know, you're probably thinking that Lina got wasted somewhere underneath a chestnut tree. Sorry for staying off line for a while - came back from V on Monday, was scrubbing the dirt of the tent on Tuesday and was working in between. Heading to Dun Laoghaire for the Festival of World Cultures over the weekend (both to volunteer and to watch), therefore I've been working more.
Anyway. It was BRILLIANT! Although BBC thinks that the festival doesn't have as much charm as Glastonbury... I've always been dreaming of going to a big music festival. It was one of those "Things to do before you die". Like skydiving, riding a horse, climbing a mountain, kissing in the rain, making love on a forest floor, etc. Other possible suggestions you can find here. Or come up with yours. I'm just not sure about the forest floor... Doesn't sound too comfortable. Although as Laura Esquivel put it in "Like Water for Chocolate", necessity is the mother of all invention and of every position...
Back to V. Coming from a country were TV shows fight for the audience showing this (the girls are a band called "Yva", revealing their cleavages more than any musical talent and the guy is one of the best theater actors in the country who unfortunately has to do some TV work for the living) I felt like Alice in Wonderland. The mud, the crowd (75 000 in Staffs alone), the amount of tents, the booze, the weed (it was everywhere, yet only 70 arrests!), the scale of the main stage, the quality of sound and video projections and everybody performing LIVE! Everybody could find their own wonders - for some it was pot, for me - maybe once in a lifetime chance to see such acts as "Foo Fighters" (I am no music connoisseur, therefore I saw them first and then found out who they were...), "Casabian", "The Killers" (my favorite), "The Editors" (the runners-up), "Snow Patrol" (slightly too blue) and the Hoosiers (the best discovery, just watch the website! I want their CD).
Of course the Wonderland didn't avoid the usual trouble - blokes were pissing in the drinking water point or right in the middle of the audience (barely 2 feet away from me), somebody tripped over our tent at around 1 am (the same tent for 40 euro - it's fabulous!) and blah blah blah. Well since the picture tells a thousand words - here are some shots taken by my friend Liuda who took off to this wonderful trip with me all equipped with wellies, a raincoat and plenty of socks. 
My 40 Euro tent - probably the best investment
All around is full of wellies as the song goes...
Sometimes focus is irrelevent
Sleepless in Birmingham International
PS came back loaded with condoms - anybody needs a spare one? :)
All photos © Liuda&Lina
Working in a wine shop sometimes turns out to become a rather intimate experience. Simply by observing the amount or the kind of booze Mr X or Mrs Y are purchasing I can tell if they are having rough time. Or if they wear sunglasses on a muggy afternoon. Or if they are in a terrible rush and tuck a naggin of "Smirnoff" in a pocket asap.
For instance.
Ann Marie is not doing great. As a matter of fact, she is perpetually grumpy, even on a sunny day. On Thursday she is going to a hospital to have an eye surgery. I keep trying to cheer her up, yet she is already superstitious and wary of doctors.
Naggin of "Powers" man is better now. On most days he is our first customer. "Keeps the old heart going", says he and gives a smile. Almost on a daily basis. The heart is old indeed - about 70.
There is also a woman living next door to a shop. Her boyfriend pays her regular visits (although I haven't seen him for a good while) and whenever around he pops in to our shop. Anyway, the woman always seemed to be smarter than the guy (I know I sound like a bitch). A few weeks ago she was cooking something in a sherry sauce. For him, I suppose. She came looking for a bottle of sherry - that's how I found it out. It was peculiar when he entered the shop asking if I could suggest a nice bottle for him. "You'll have something in a sherry sauce", I muttered and added "damn you Lina" inaudibly to myself since I realized it is not an appropriate thing to say.
Oh, and obviously there is a Hot guy. Whom I don't consider hot anymore... Although after he dropped by all sweaty after playing tennis I started thinking of changing my mind.
And then the curly "Super Bock" fella who had shifted to "Tyskie" for a while. He is one of those customers I really like. Needless to say, mainly because he likes the music I play. Unlike that ancient self-loving fossil who sarcastically exclaimed "Is this radio? Do you like THIS? Who's this?" to Joanna Newsom.
It's Joanna Newsom.
Where are you from?
Lithuania.
Is she also from Lithuania?!
She's American, you moron.
I obviously omitted the last words. Next time I will play U2, sorry. Hope this makes you happier. Customer friendly music, you know.
Observations from behind a counter are doomed to be continued since they are innumerable and they make the time go by quicker.
I feel like singing this to the tune "Ain't got no/I got life".
I got my tickets (as provided by "Bacardi" - look the previous post)
I got my wellies (20 Euro - "Dunnes Stores")
I got my raincoat (20 Euro - "Great Outdoors", I have a feeling I got kiddies' size, but that must be a really huge kid, because it fits me perfect)
I got my tent (39.99 Euro only - 12 month guarantee provided and it better be waterproof, because I AM returning it if it's not)
I got my socks ("Penny's", you know they're cheap, but their socks, pyjamas & bras are the best)
Baby wipes and sunscreen left and we're ready to rock at V!
Since it looks like Sean Moncrieff (I still find his voice very unradio) is on holidays, the air belongs to Adele King aka Twink aka a woman behind this. Well, you Irish should know this story well enough, I only learned about the "you fat, bald middle aged dickhead" phonecall yesterday.
Despite all the feelings we might have for the woman, on a Friday afternoon, as I was buying a baguette, a tomato and "Magnum" ice cream in the "Spar" next door, I happened to overhear that they are talking about Lithuanian beer in "MOVIES AND BOOZE SLOT". As a matter of fact, even two of them - "Švyturys" [pronounce a la Shveatoorease] and "Utenos" [pronounced rather like Ootenos than Youtenos].
I have no idea how they pick the booze to be reviewed. Needless to say, I was delighted... For those who are not familiar - the beers above are similar to a good German lager. Proper beer as I say :) Let's say Pilsner vs Miller or Heineken vs Coors. You get the idea...
As far as I know, "O'Briens" stocks some of these, otherwise you can find it in "Whealans' Off Licence" and obviously in Lithuanian or Polish shops in town. The only drawback in the latter shops - the sales people there don't seem to be very friendly... On the other hand, when you have so many nationalities coming to a shop like this it is puzzling to pick a greeting or a farewell in a right language...
PS
It is time for Twink to look up at the map of Europe - "Staropramen" is not a Czechoslovakian beer. This country does not exist as of 1st January 1993. "Staropramen" is Czech.
I promised myself to stay away from my laptop after 11pm. Or 12.
The bottom line is to try to spend less time in cyberspace, otherwise I sink into it without any awareness of time and I turn into chronic insomniac. True, sometimes it helps to keep my mind occupied while the neighbors next door huff and puff their way through another rainy "summer" evening. Some say bad weather invigorates baby making business. If we encounter a baby boom as of next March in Ireland, these speculations might turn out to be true after all.
Anyway. I failed tonight. Once again. But thanks to Primal Sneeze I have discovered Annie's blonk. A wonderful blog - dynamic, vibrant, funny and personal without getting boring. How come I don't meet those fascinating blogging people in real life? Are we stuck in cyberspace?
Wawaweeva! A sincere confession of deepest affection to my bosses and "Bacardi". Apparently my shop has won an incentive and myself with a good friend of mine Liuda are taking off to V Festival!
We are going to see this and this. And this. Oh and this! Did I mention this? I just hope after a two-day-long beer and music session nobody tries to send me to a rehab. :)
Off I go to hunt for wellies and a raincoat. Our Father which art in heaven, please, let it rain less than in Glastonbury...
Congolese
Japanese
Malaysian
Argentinean
Filipino
Ghanian
Indian
Peruvian
Lebanese
Venezuelan
Lithuanian
Take a guess what's common among these? And how come Lithuania made it to the list of such exotic countries? The answer - during Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures cooking workshops will take place in Cooks Academy. 15 Euro each.
Give it up for those who perform! Boo to those who should be promoting our culture but scratch their crotches instead.
A few trustworthy Lithuanian historians whom I admire keep emphasizing that our cuisine is a concoction of all cultures who happened to cross our soil (Slavic, German), hence none of the dishes could be called Lithuanian. Nonetheless some, like saltibarsciai, pictured bellow, strike tourists dumb (Americans only dare to photograph them). Something in between gazpacho and borsch. Very refreshing during summertime. Well, it wouldn't be popular in Ireland, would it? :)
Bon Appétit!
Usually we would read Decanter or Wine & Spirits. One can only guess how a glossy magazine with hot girls wearing nothing but tight-fitting hosiery, lace bras, an extensive amount of makeup and sporting hard nipples found its way to a wine shop. Ah well... Must be a customer...
I wouldn't be able to reveal you the origin of the magazine, yet it seems it has something to do with Playboy. A supplement perhaps.
However, as I was flipping through it, my sixth sense was whispering to me I should encounter a Lithuanian girl in these pages. And voilà. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce Giorgita. 
So what, you might say? Nada. For further details please look at my previous posts here and here.
Somehow I am always taken by surprise when I encounter Lithuanians in the Economist, Newsweek or The New York Times. Actually it doesn't happen often... Unlike in the publications mentioned above... On the other hand, they are the greatest PR campaign for our tourism industry.
It's a tranquil afternoon in Dun Laoghaire. The sea is about two hundred yards away and the tide never seems to be present here. Delightful. In front of me - a slightly too watery latte (made by a Polish guy who seems to be new in the cafe, ah well, I'll just give him time). It looks like something went terribly wrong with the air conditioning - judging by the reaction at the table next to me I am not the only one thinking the smell is somewhat reminiscent of pooh.
I have to admit Primal Sneeze is right. I am suffocating in frustration. Especially for the past couple of months. I guess the fact that I got a chance to travel this year more than ever (thus the balance in my credit card is zero) had influenced my feelings as well. I know, it is not Cambodia or Argentina (yet), just Krakow, Seville, Italy (Interrailing from Valle d'Aosta to Palermo and back up North) and Denmark (Odense & Copenhagen). Hope you have enjoyed the pictures.
In other words I have been busy exploring the continent and whenever I come back to Éire I have to face the bitter fact that Dublin is a part of an island. Not only just geographically. Despite the fact Dublin makes it to majority of various polls in Europe estimating the possibilities for job seekers and the quantity of happy people living here (and most of the time it's in the top 10 at least) there are still many things to be improved.
As I was reading the list of 20 most liveable cities in the world announced in the last issue of Monocle at work (during those lazy afternoon hours), many customers expectantly were asking if Dublin had made it to the list. I had to disappoint them. The criteria for selecting the cities(sustainability, medical care, public transport, local media, access to international media, environmental initiatives among others) were exactly the ones where Dublin needs a huge push forward.
Bellow are the cities in declining order that, according to Monocle, are the most liveable in the world:
Munich
Copenhagen
Zurich
Tokyo
Vienna
Helsinki
Sydney
Stockholm
Honolulu
Madrid
Melbourne
Montreal
Barcelona
Kyoto
Vancouver
Auckland
Singapore
Hamburg
Paris
Geneva
Despite the fact that almost all of them belong to countries that have high GDP per capita and wages far greater than the ones in Lithuania, it looks like economic factors were not the most essential ones for Monocle. And I take my hat off for that.
By the way, does anybody remember the 178-nation "Happy Planet Index" which reveals the the south Pacific island of Vanuatu with a population of 209 000 is the happiest nation on the planet, while the UK is ranked 108th? The index is based on consumption levels, life expectancy and happiness, rather than national economic wealth measurements such as GDP.
However let's come back to Dublin. I believe everybody could sketch a must-do list which could improve living here. On the other hand a temporary infatuation with a country were you've spent a mere week and living in it most of the time turn out to be two totally different stories. Conclusion - Dublin is great yet it has the potential to become greater and on a vast scale it all will depend on the generation to come. I hope this generation stops scratching the balls (a sight seen on the streets of Dublin more often than in any other city I have been to) and starts using the hands to build a better country. Their parents gave them the Celtic Tiger. What are they going to give to their own children apart passion for Guinness and GAA?
Now don't get me wrong. I deliberately posted this beforehand. Yet I have to assert that constant state of happiness for me is unfamiliar. Therefore (some might say driven by frustration) recently I did the following:
* A couple of weeks ago I applied for a Photography and Digital Imaging course in the National College of Art and Design. As always is the case in Dublin the 24-week-long course should cost what each year of full-time BA studies in photography costs in the Netherlands. One doesn't have to be Susan Sontag to distinguish the level of photography over there and here, in the Emerald Island. The course, after researching the works of the graduates of the college, seems to be one of the best in Dublin and without the promises to teach you to make pretty shots. Fingers crossed...
* Applied for volunteering in Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures. Last year I was over the moon as I watched buskers banging congos, a violinist Oleg Ponomarev in leather trousers, who brought the house down playing Russian//Gyspy music and Congolese guitar wizard Niwel Tsumbu. Many visitors of the festival said they did not expect such a cultural fiesta in an island. This year should be just as good, although what a shame, Lithuanians do not participate again on a larger scale and I don't know whom to blame anymore - our embassy or the lack of initiative in our Ministry of culture or artists themselves... As for me I am getting an M size T-shirt and a badge "Volunteer". Hopefully the boss will be happy enough to give me a weekend off...
There are a few more things but I will keep them undisclosed for a while.
So I guess frustration is THE driving force for me.
Blessed are those who are busy from 8 am till 5 pm and drunk afterwards, for they shall have no time to ask wrong questions.
Blessed are those who fall asleep without wondering what they might dream about for they shall fall asleep immediately.
Blessed are those who fall in love with those who are imperfect and don't attempt to change them for they shall have less grey hair to pluck.
Blessed are those who are not frustrated for they shall live in contentment.
PS
I promise - no more mentioning of frustration :)
