Sauna time

we're still hot from the sauna
Originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

Saturday morning at 11, four girls stepped out from karklu penki into a snowy blizzard to trek to the Baltic Sea and experience the traditional Lithuanian Sauna.
We arrived @ the ferry dock to be delayed for 1 1/2 hours due to the snow storm. We hit up the best cafe I've been to yet here and then walked around old town and found the coolest little Lithuanian Art store. It was full of local Lithuanian art-paintings, pictures, sculptures, etc. I have been back already twice since then, the owner lady and I are good friends already, haha.
Finally @ 1 pm, we took the ferry across the spit (only a little longer than the Ft. Langley ferry, yeah pathetic) then we hiked through a national park for 20 min. and finally arrived @ the beach and found the sauna.
It was a tiny little building, hidden to the public...it's not advertised at all, but local people go there every weekend. It was an incredible time. We sat in the 100 degree C sauna for about 10 min. and then when we thought we were going to die from heat we ran straight out the door and 100 ft. into da Baltic (0 degrees C) So we went from boiling point to freezing point and back again...crazy, but really good for the body. The Lithuanian people do it very often, especially during the winter. We're going to try to do it @ least once a month.
We finally got back to the dorm @ 4:00pm and made a killer dinner--we were starving. That night Peggy, Andrea and I took the bus to Maxima (a huge shopping mall). When we were getting off the bus, I tripped and fell in the middle aisle in front of everyone. I totally hit my shin and my chest--a lot of pain. Everyone on the entire bus, including the driver stopped and stared at me...then the bus started again and I was trying to get Peggy to tell the bus driver to stop cuz we needed to get off, I was yelling, "ne, ne, ne! Sustoti!" The bus driver stopped and i hobbled off. Everyone was still watching me the entire time. it was hilarious but by far the most embarrassing experience of my life, and due to the other culture I couldn't even try to laugh at myself and make some smooth joke to smooth over the experience. Haha, oh well...I guess it keeps life interesting. What a day!

karlu penki (5)

In my room
Originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

The dorm experience here is definitely something different. There is only one huge dorm, built in Soviet Style (piling tons of people in a single buidling with the only the bare essentials, everything was made as simple as possible). There are 13 different nationalities represented in this dorm, so it is a very multi-cultural experience. I live in a single room with three other girls-Renalda, Agata, (both Latvian) and Dovile (Lithuanian). We have two bunk beds, our own desk and shelves, and then we share a bathroom, sink, fridge and kitchen table. We also do all of our own cooking. As a Study Abroad student, I am given a monthly stipend of 550 litas, about $200 US, which is more than enough to pay for groceries-I'm able to go out, which we do almost every night, either to dinner or to a jazz club or bar.
My roommates are amazing ladies. I am already close friends with Renalda and Agata. I think tonight even, we are going to go out to Global, the local dance club (it is half price on Thursdays, so everyone, and i mean EVERY one from LCC, my school, goes). They absolutely love dancing here, which works well for me, cuz I like it a lot too, haha. The only part I do not enjoy besides obviously experiencing drunk people, is the smoke. People are allowed to smoke inside everywhere here, except for in LCC and our dorm (which is so nice). I definitely took for granted having fresh air back home. Smoke in the eyes is definitely the worse, but I guess this is all part of experiencing a different culture...which has been a challenge, but an exciting one.

Renalda's Name Day

The ladies strike a pose
Originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

In Latvia, there is a famous tradition, where all names are put on a calendar and then when it is your name day you celebrate your name.
So my roommate, Renalda has a rare Latvian name, but this year was the first that she was on the calendar so we went out to her favorite spot, the 12th floor restaurant of the Klaipeda Hotel to celebrate. It was me and 5 Latvians which was a bit frustrating cuz I'd have to tell them to speak in English once in awhile, but it's interesting how well I can tell just from listening and watching their body language what they're saying. The lighting of the table made for really cool portraits, so we wound having a photo shoot (well it wasn't, but i called it that! haha)
It was such a fun evening, minus the trick the boys played on me. They made me think there was something excellent to see on the 9th floor, so when we got there I was anticipating a beautiful view of the city. Well, it was actually a strip club! I went from a gasp to turning around and almost curling up on the ground. The boys just laughed. I was very mad with Ivars (who took me there), well I tried to be, but they were all laughing at me so much in the restaurant, that i had to laugh. It was bad, pretty funny, but still bad. But the evening was the best I've had since being here.

The city of Churches

Vilnius, the city of Churches
Originally uploaded by The Enforcer.

I just got back today from the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius. It really is a beautiful city, everywhere you look there is a cathedral and all at least 500 years old!
It was so interesting to see all the different buildings of the city. Renalda and I agreed that our favorite part of touring was to see nicely painted, restored buidlings with ruins or a shack right next door. It gives the city more personality and depth. Nalda said, "who would want to see all perfect buildings?! That is simply fake, but this is truth."
My favorite experience was definitely visiting the main cathedral in the big square. I loved standing on the wishing stone outside, making a wish while spinning around 3 times (yes, i got a little dizzy)....oh and the inside was absolutely breath-taking. Everything was elaborate. Beautiful paintings of the disciples and Jesus all over the walls. The Lithuanian people actually disguised spending money on the church during Soviet Rule by saying the church was being used as a gallery (Those Clever Lithuanians!). But the best part about the Cathedral was how peaceful it was just being in there. I bough a candle to place for prayer @ Mary's altar and one morning I went in alone just to pray. It was incredible to sit in such a place and worship God. I didn't feel like He was any closer there than when I am in my room, but there was a definite respectful fear present as people recognized his holiness.