Hi,
Well, taxes have jumped considerably, unemployment is rising, companies are reducing staff, and the government seems to be temporarily without funds as I am awaiting payment from a budgetary institution. The Seimas is working long hours trying to eneact new legislation by 01 January. Utilities and bus tickets have also jumped steeply.

So as to the atmosphere, people are a bit worried about the new year and how they are going to make ends meet. But in the run up to the holidays, some shops have run 30-45 percent sales on books and toys, and 20-30 percent off on alcohol so this Xmas will be merry enough. We are also worried about what is going to happen with the electric supply in 2009 when the nuclear reactor shuts down and it appears we will have to rely totally on Russia for electrical power since our politicians have not made that much of an effort to connect us to the European electrical grid.

So in all, not a fantastic time to move to Lithuania. But we have weathered worse and the country will not disappear. I imagine it will be better in a year's time when even if the situation has not improved, people will have adjusted to it.

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00abuse

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Some people actually belive that the nuclear power plant will close, although NOTHING is being done progressing towards decommission.
Rather, people are beginning to understand that it will not be shut down for a few years, anyways.
The delay in energy links to Sweden, and the connection of the grid to Poland will force Ignalina to remain open until 2013.
You won't hear that on Gedimino pr., but it's heard in Turniskes...

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Of course, Mikas! Almost everything here that works - the medical system, healthcare, heating system, infrastructure, etc. is left over from the Soviet times. All the "progress" - the new malls, the big stores, are all almost 100% owned by other countries. Lithuania has never been able to successfully do much of anything for hundreds of years - it was occupied by the USSR and other countries for so long that it can't really do anything for itself - except argue constantly with itself and anyone else over any issue. Just like the US and Western Europe, it will argue itself into the ground while never making any real progress concerning energy needs. It's already too late. Can't provide your own energy? - Can't seem to be able to agree or get anything concrete done except sell everything you have to someone else and become a consumer society? Then look to a future where you whine to Russia and the Middle East for what they have - just like it is happening now - complete with wars and lots of other goodies.

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Lithuania is having a hard time economically, but so is most of Europe. Ireland a similar sized country is on the verge of going bankrupt. I would have to strongly disagree with the prior post. Lithuania has come a long way in the 17 years since indepdence. Many post have no knowledge of the great history, this country has. Considering how short the post soviet period has been, it is amazing how far and fast they have come. They are headed in the right direction. In fact they are ahead of many western european countries already. Sure the new conservative PM is making cuts etc., but that is what is needed. I would live there in a second if I could speak Lithuanian.

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>>I would live there in a second if I could speak Lithuanian.

Nickknock:

Does this mean your job is mobile? Could you easily "transport" your job to Lithuania?

Do you speak any other languages besides English? Any German? I spoke some German while I was there and more and more Lithuanians can understand English, especially if you're in Vilnius.

Best,
Jennifer

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Nickknock,
I have said many times and will say until my dying day that Lithuanian is very easy to learn. This is primarily because if you learn one Lithuanian word, you automatically understand another 20, or so it seems, because the language has been artificially expanded using consistent rules in order to meet the needs of the modern world. Also of importance is that the grammatical concepts do not differ too much from English, unlike French, for example, where 'the' is added in many places where it is not in English.

But I would wait to actually move here until the neuclear power plant issue has resolved itself. Just put the time to good use by learning Lithuanian in the interim regardless of your pronunciation.

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