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Lithuania: Blacksmiths / NOT FARRIER:
Hi,
Shame you didn't write a few weeks ago as the blacksmiths were out in force at Kaziuko Fair. During the summer, there will often be one or two at crafts fairs around the country. So if you are visiting LIthuannia during one, it will be possible to find one easily.
The keyword for Google is kalviai (sing. kalvis) which will give you contact info. Be warned that blacksmiths will probably not be good Englissh speakers, so you will have to learn Lithuanian at the same time.
Good luck,
Lithuania: English speaking Toastmasters club in Vilnius:
Well, there is one club in Lithuania:
Europa Royale Hotel
Ausros vartu g. 6, Vilnius, LT-01129, Lithuania
370 634 29385
Meeting Time: 7:00 pm, 1st/3rd/5th Wednesday
Club Status: Membership eligibility criteria required - Contact club
You might want to contact them to see if they have an English night. If not, they would probably handle founding one faster than founding a whole new club.
Lithuania: Thanksgiving in Lithuania:
I am not aware of any Thanksgiving Day get togethers, although I am sure there are some.
Many restaurants do offer similar fare for the occasion. But remember you want brukniu (billberry) sauce, not spanguoliu (cranberry) sauce unless they specify American cranberries, which people are starting to grow here and so a possibility. The native billberries taste the most like American cranberries.
Lithuania: looking for the best place in Vilnius:
This forum is more for ex-pats coming to Lithuania. There is one other forum active, http://www.lithuania-forum.com/, which is more geared to those already here. The board is set up differently than on this site, so it is more user friendly for them. In mid-December, a new Lithuanian website, including a section for foreigners in Lithuania, will begin operating at http://vilnews.com/?cat=9. The man who runs the formeer will also be working with the latter.
Lithuania: Looking for friends:
Hi,
Welcome to Lithuania. Afraid I am rather busy at the moment (until the new year) but would love to meet you. We will be visiting India again next year (Rajasthan), so we have lots in common.
There are already quite a few (by Lithuanian standards) Indians here. I know about where one group lives. We have three Indian restaurants and you will no doubt be able to find them there.
If you are staying, you will really need to learn Lithuanian. Because it is pronounced the way it is written, it is easy to learn, but the vocabulary will probably be rather difficult for you as I doubt you find many words in common depite the strong ties with Sanskrit.
Hope you enjoy your stay,
Arturas
Lithuania: Vilnius only 10 places behind US in Mercer City rankings:
Mercer (http://www.mercer.com/summary.htm?siteLanguage=100&idContent=1128060) has released its 2010 quality of life city rankings. (See http://www.articles.totallyexpat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/QoL-2010-Rankings.pdf for the 221 city list.) The only cities of the former Soviet Union found in the top 100 are the capitals of the Baltic States with Vilnius (79) ahead of Riga (91) and Tallinn (89). Europe dominates the top 44, the first of the three US cities found there being Honolulu at 31. The US, including New York City, dominates between 45 and 69. Central Europe, aside from most of the listed cities from the former Yugoslavia, runs between 70 and 114 alongside non-Western European and non-US cities. After 114 comes the rest of the world including Eastern Europe.
While Atlanta GA is only ten cities above Vilnius, it scores 95.8 points out of 100 compared to the 88.6 points for Vilnius, so it is clear that even at 79, Vilnius has a high quality of life. To give a bit of perspective, Zagreb and Tel Aviv at 102 (out of 221) were given 80 points, Cairo at 126 was given 71.9 points, Sarajevo at 157 was given 60.4 points, and Tehran at 183 was given 50.4 points.
Lithuania: wages:
While there are websites to give specific wages in each field, Statistics Lithuania just posted:
Statistics Lithuania informs that average gross monthly earnings in the whole economy (less individual enterprises) in I quarter 2010 made LTL 2031.2 and, against IV quarter 2009, dropped by 4.1 per cent.
Lithuania: Considering move from Chicago to LT:
Hi,
Well, although Vilnius is expensive, it is probably cheaper than Chicago, but now is not the time to buy real estate. The government is seriously considering introducing a tax on flats and housing prices may fall, if for no other reason than to avoid paying tax. The problem with Lithuanian real estate is that it is about the only safe investment for excess money. So we have a big bubble that has deflated some, but not entirely. Housing prices before the crisis were similar to Sweden's only our wages are a lot lower and the flats in much worse condition for the same price.
My advice, esp. since culture shock can be severe when you don't speak the language, is to spend a year (or more) here in a rented flat and then decide. Then you can always go back easily and painlessly if you can't stand it. A couple months' vacation is not the same as living here.
Culturally, Vilnius is probably behind Chicago. We don't have the same money for the cultural events nor do we have the ethnic diversity.
Being an older person, you are going to have trouble adjusting to doing everything differently. You won't even have your comfort foods, whatever they may be, unless your wife has been cooking Lithuanian dishes for you and that is what you like. But there are no banana splits here or any marshmellow sauce, for example. Marshmellows are generally heavy sweet confections, not the light pillows found in the States. The only exceptions ars usually kids' flavoured sweets made in Western Europe. Finding unflavoured examples is difficult, although it used to be possible.
And not speaking the language, you are going to have to depend 100% on your wife to handle everything. There will be very few people in your age group that speak English. There is supposed to be a retirement community for Lithuanians who have come back to retire. If you are still serious about moving here, I can ask my cousin where it is. But how many people this might involve, I cannot say. Probably not many.
Another thing is that your wife may act differently in Lithuania. In the US, she has tried no doubt to act 'American', but here she will revert to old habits. She may also feel freer to express her true feelings, feelings she may have hid from herself in Chicago. This may put a strain on the relationship.
On the other hand, I live here quite comfortably, which is due in large part to my wife. I know and see lots of interesting people. There are lots of new things to do and taste here, if you like to explore. We just had a great time at the annual wine tasting, for example. The weather is great as it is generally not too hot in the summer, and a dry cold in the winter. P2P programmes allow you to enjoy US TV on the computer.
For a newsletter that is generally upbeat about Vilnius and Lithuania, you can contact Aage Myhre about Vilnews. Google to get his address. For example: http://groups.google.com/group/askas/browse_thread/thread/83e77ba3b9e8d4be?pli=1
Lithuania: I want to move Lithuania... plz help...:
Hi,
Do you have a university selected and been admitted there? This would be the first step as they will help you arrange to study here. Googling universitetas and the city should give you a selection. Some universities are known as akademija. For a non-university higher education, then look for a kolegija.
Lithuania: Looking for school teaching or administrator position:
Hi,
Administrating is out of the question if you have to ask. It means you unfamiliar with the local situation, perhaps the language.
As to teaching, your candidacy will be taken much more seriously if you apply in person.
For some reason I am not seeing a profile for so I have no idea what subject you wish to teach or at what level, but I presume English. That question has already been answered recently in other threads. Having proper qualifications to teach the subject is a definite plus, if not a definite requirement as there is a surplus of teachers at the moment.
As to other subjects, aside from post-secondary level, they are all taught in Lithuanian, so you need to be fluent in that language.
If you provide more details, then perhaps I can give a better answer.
Good luck,
Abakan
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