I don't wanna be tough. Man šalta.

(Vija writing...)

This morning, we actually had to wake up when the 7 o'clock church bells rang - we had to get ready for our field trip! :) Like we mentioned before, our host dad Bronius took us with his 8th graders to Plateliu Lake and an abandoned soviet military base nearby.

We ate our meager breakfast of bread with butter (we're not very confident cooks...even though Emilija supposedly watches the food network, and promises some sauteed veggies for dinner sometime...) and then quickly left for the school with Ruta, our host sister. The four of us, not having looked at today's forecast and only depending on how the weather looked at the moment, wore capris and t-shirts. Turned out that we were the ONLY people not prepared for the cold, rainy, and windy weather. I swear it was sunny and warm this morning!!

As we crossed the street to the mini bus, we saw about 15 pairs of eyes staring at us...examining us foreigners. I guess we're still not used to being "new." :) We first drove to the Zemaitija National Park where we were lead through some museums, and then we saw the old military base, which apparently, when it was still armed (with four atomic bombs), could blow up almost any major city in Europe. (Oh, and our guides ALL spoke in the local dialect, which, again, we have a lot of trouble understanding.)

The entire time, we were freezing. We had come completely unprepared - without long pants, umbrellas, or shoes that repel water (Emilija even decided not to wear socks because she thought they'd look tacky....I guess socks with capris just don't go. The best part is that she had socks AND and umbrella in her purse the whole time.) Every time we thought we were done being outside in the bitter weather, it turned out that we were going on another "mini" hike to see another "amazing" lake. We'll admit that the views were amazing, but seriously, we had perpetual goosebumps, our teeth were chattering the whole time, and I'm amazed none of us lost a toe to frostbite. The bus driver (who was actually really nice) mentioned that he had gone the day before, and the weather had been gorgeous. Thanks a lot. At one point, some of the 8th grade girls kept pushing their teacher to take them on MORE hikes to see MORE things...and basically just torture us more. At that point, Andryte mentioned that she thought that they were trying to look tough, to which Emilija responded (through chattering, but gritted teeth), "I don't wanna be tough. Man šalta. (I'm cold.)" What she said basically sums up the entire field trip. Oh, and before actually ending up at home, we made three more stops (when we had been told we were going straight back).

The school is right next to the children's center, so we quickly ran inside after we had been dropped off, to let the kids know that we were going home to eat lunch and change into some warm, dry clothes. We were told that Ruta's aunt was preparing lunch for us at home, but it turned out that the soup was only going to be ready in the next couple of hours...sooo...we drank some tea, and took some bread to go.

As soon as we walked into the kids' main room upstairs, all of their faces lit up and they ran to greet us. Did we mention that we're absolutely in love with them? Lucky for us, we ended up eating a small, warm lunch with the kids. Straight after eating, someone suggested we play a game of soccer, er, I mean futball, at the school's field. With half of us never really having played futball before (me and Andryte included), the game was really interesting, to say the least. Although, to their credit, a couple of the smaller girls, Aušra and Marija, really got into the game and played the entire time. :) The game lasted over an hour (no breaks)...and the kids still wanted to keep playing! I couldn't believe it, because we really had played an intense game.

I then suggested that we play STOK (SPUD, but in Lithuanian). The kids loved it, and we played that game for a good hour, too, until the sky really looked like it was going to rain. When we came back to the center, the kids were still really riled up, so we promised them a new game if they promised us to relax for 5 minutes. (I guess it's pretty obvious who really needed a break at that point...those kids never run out of energy.) After they all sat down and calmly listened as Aurimas played around on his guitar, we brought out a homemade game that some Lithuanian 7th and 8th grade girls had made especially for them in Chicago. Because there are no such things as "jelly beans" in Europe, the girls had decided to make the game one in which the point was to guess the flavors of the candies. The kids had a BLAST. I've never seen kids have so much fun with a board game!

After everyone decided that they didn't want to finish the game today so that they'd have enough jelly beans to play another round another day, Twister was brought out (again). By this time, the kids somehow had gotten really rowdy, and the room we were in really echoed...and I was teaching Aurimas how to play piano. It was pure chaos. Jonas hit his brother Remigijus, who hit him back, and then decided to tease poor little Aušra. The Twister spinner fell apart and needed to be fixed (again). Vygantas was running around with one of our cameras and the flash was blinding everyone. It was getting pretty close to time to go home, but all of the kids were still in "play mode."

I swear, these kids have the most energy in the world. After spending the whole afternoon with us, they still wanted us to come play a game of basketball with them - so we promised them an extra half-hour with us...which easily turned into an hour and a half, but we didn't mind. Like I said, we're in love with these kids.

The local kids walked us home, as usual, and we reluctantly said goodbye - it was kind of a sad goodbye, because we're only going to see them on Monday! (Two whole days are going to feel like an eternity! Hopefully, we'll see some of the kids at church this Sunday.) Speaking of church, we really don't have any other plans this weekend besides going to mass. We're kind of in the middle of nowhere... :) (We don't mind, though.)

Oh, and some people were wondering how we get internet access in such a rural area. Actually, Zemaiciu Kalvarija is pretty developed - especially the school. But to tell you the truth, I found some wireless internet that didn't require a password here at home (sweet!!) ...but it looks like something happened to it around 12 am, so I wrote this blog on a word document, and I'm using our host family's computer to post this right now. (It doesn't look like that free internet is going to come back...)

Aurimas all twisted up!

(I think we called these colors out on purpose) ;)

Skanaus tiems kurie valgo, neskanaus tiems kurie nevalgo...

(Emilija writing)

Happy 18th Birthday to me!!

I woke up this morning to find about 20 birthday cards lying all around my bed. There were little notes written from some of my Lithuanian friends wishing me a happy birthday! I even cried a little..

We woke up late so we didn't really have to eat a big breakfast. After eating lunch at the school, we headed to the center to start setting up for our day with the kids. Since there was no school for the kids because of senior exams, not a lot of kids showed up at the center. The first thing they did when they got to the room was make me birthday cards! We then taught them how to make friendship bracelets, and they were amused for the next two hours! They also fell in love with our digital cameras. We have the most random pictures right now (Vygantas took pictures of the tiles on the floor). Since there was not a lot of kids, we really got to know the ones that were there.

Vygantas - The most lovable but crazy first grader we have ever met. He's the same one that only speaks to us in the local dialect. We're starting to understand him a little more today :) He loves being with us, taking a lot of pictures, and is a very quick learner (his friendship bracelet was one of the best today).

Marija - She's Vyganto sister, but they are very different. She's much quieter but still very lovable. She's very artistic and acts like a mother to her wild little brother. She's become pretty attached to us and has started coming out of her shell. She's one of the girls that the supervisor is the most proud of!

Remigijus - He should be a child model! He has the sweetest, most genuine smile, but it shows how big of a trouble maker he is. Today after he finished eating his snack, he said to everybody, "Skanaus tiems kurie valgo, neskanaus tiems kurie nevalgo!" In English, it translates to, "Good eating to those who are eating, bad eating to those who are not eating!" It was really funny, but you probably had to be there..

Jonas - The brother of Remigijus. He has a tough exterior (haircut included), but is really a sensitive kid on the inside. It seems like he really wants to participate in the activities, but is trying to keep a tough guy appearance. He's one of the younger, but more mature kids at the center.

Agota - She is the most attached girl at the center, which may be due to her social and learning disabilities. Even though she's in 8th grade, she acts almost like a 5th grader. She's very lovable and eager to please us. She even bought me a bracelet and made me a little wallet for my birthday!

Ona - She's one of the older girls who really tries to help out with the younger kids. We think she might also have a learning disability, but that doesn't keep her from participating in all the planned activities. She even wrote me a nice and heartfelt birthday card.

Silvija - We were warned beforehand that she is the quietest girl in the entire center. She sometimes refuses to talk, but still fully participates in whatever we are doing. She's starting to get used to our presence and is even nodding or shaking her head in response to our questions. When were playing Twister (the kids' favorite game), she was laughing and having a really good time with the other kids!

Aurimas - He is the best mannered, most helpful, and spends a lot of time at the center. Because he's older, he is always offering to help us and the other kids. Everyone at the center really looks up to him and tries to follow his good examples. The first day, he even helped Andryte deal with some of the unruly younger boys. We are so grateful for his presence!! 

Ausra - She has the cutest curly hair in the world, the most gorgeous doe eyes, and a very beautiful singing voice. Also, she's only about 9 years old.. We've never heard anybody giggle SO much during the game of Twister! She's grown attached to Vija, but finds a way to talk to everyone at the center. We were really disappointed that she wasn't at the center today, but we still had to talk about her.

Julius - He's the gamer of the group even though he's only 8 years old. He made me one of the most creative and artistic birthday cards (it was shaped as a heart). Even though he doesn't socialize with us that much, he's a genuinely sweet kid. 

Zilvinas - He's a fellow volunteer (17 year old) who travels about 11 km. to get to the center everyday. He really helps out by helping the kids with the computer, preparing the snacks, and helping the kids clean up after themselves. He even went out and bought ice cream for my birthday to share with all the kids. Even though he doesn't talk, we can tell that he has a good heart.

We hung out with some of the local kids from the center, and they took us to see their beautiful church. We even got to go the balcony where the choir sings. We also met the priest who showed us around. They showed us their soccer field and little playground.

We went to the grocery and bought our daily carbs (bread and butter). As a birthday special, we even bought some noodles!! The noodles, butter, and two loaves of bread only cost about $4. It was a GREAT deal!

Overall, today was a good day and we had a blast with the kids. We can't wait until tomorrow because we're going on a field trip with our host dad and his geography class. We'll let you know how it goes tomorrow...

PS - It's after 10 right now, and the sun hasn't fully set yet!

Meeting the kids...

Andryte writing...

Hello again from Zemaiciu Kalvarija!  Today was eventful because we finally had the chance to meet the kids.  This morning we woke up to the sounds of church bells ringing (and me snoring :/).  At ten a.m. we headed to the school and met the head of the center who is also the school's psychologist.  The school was small but homey.  We were surprised to hear that students from first through twelfth grade attended the school.  She offered us tea (of course) and then we discussed our responsibilities at the center.  We then headed to the lunch room, where we ate traditional Lithuanian food (they offered us soup, a large meal, and something to drink - our first warm meal here!).  We ate by ourselves because everyone seemed scared of us outsiders.  They would walk in, see us, and quickly run away.  

After we ate we went to the center where we were asked to organize a huge bookshelf/cabinet of random crafts, paper, many candles, and even a microscope.  As we turned the room upside down, two boys (who claimed to be 18 and 19 years old but, as we later found out, were 16) walked in and introduced themselves as Mantas and Tadas.  We talked about sports, music,and a variety of other topics.  They asked us to compare real high school life to what they have seen in movies.  They left us to our work as soon as kids started arriving. 

Approximately twenty kids trickled in over the next few hours.  We introduced ourselves and socialized with some of the kids while waiting for others to arrive.  While we were waiting, I played a boy in checkers...I was losing but the game was fun until several boys talking to me disrespecfully and swearing at me.  They were testing my limits, so I cut the game short, we cleaned up, and let the supervisor know what had happened.  

We gathered in another room where a teacher came in to lead the kids in a craft.  We cut out images from napkins and glued them onto cups and plates (decoupages).  We then decorated them with gold and silver paint.  The results looked pretty cool :)  We then sang a prayer and ate (some of the kids had helped a volunteer make casserole).  

It was our turn to formally introduce ourselves (although many of the kids had left on the bus).  We played an ice-breaker memory game in which everyone said their name and something that they like, starting with the first letter of their name.  (For example, I said "My name is Andryte and I like arklius (horses)").  I had a little bit of trouble remembering some of the relatively difficult names.  

We then split up into two groups and played Trouble and Twister, two games which we had brought.  The kids absolutely LOVED these games (especially Twister).  They finally came out of their shells and laughed a lot, so we really had a chance to bond.  Some of the little girls have already attached themselves to us :)

We can communicate with most of the kids because they speak in normal Lithuanian, but one kid named Vygantas doesn't understand that we don't understand ANYTHING he says.  That's how different the two dialects are. He tells us intense stories and asks us millions of questions, so we ask him to repeat himself and have other kids translate.  Sometimes we find ourselves just smiling and nodding.  Our goal for the end of the trip is to understand what Vygantas is trying to tell us. 

We love ALL of these kids so much already...some even walked us home to make sure we didn't get lost on the one main road in Zemaiciu Kalvarija.  They are so incredibly sweet but we know that their lives are more complicated than they show.   We're looking forward to befriending them and hopefully leaving a positive impact.  

We just came back from a three-hour tour with our two new friends - Agne and Silvija.  They showed us the best views in Zemaiciu Kalvarija and told us all about their local customs, classmates, and social lives.  We showed them Vija's pictures of Dainava (our Lithuanian summer camp), but they were more interested in her pictures of prom and school events.  

Today was an eventful day, but now we're ready to go to sleep.  Labanaktis!

Off to Žemaitija!

(Vija writing...)

Labas from Žemaičių Kalvarija!

This morning, Emilija and I woke up especially early (7:30), compared to our normal, relaxing 8:30 or 9 wake-up, to get ready to leave the capital, Vilnius, to the small, small town of Žemaičių Kalvarija (approx. 800 people). We made the three-hour trip accompanied by Andryte and her two sisters, Lija (15) and Liuce(10), Liuce's friend, Nida(11), and Andryte's mom and grandmother (no ages needed) (We think that the adults had a blast bonding with our van driver, who apparently is from the same region of Lithuania as Andryte's grandmother...they really hit it off.)

When we reached the first cafe, we all piled out of the van, and got the biggest table at the restaurant. We really looked like a huge family :) Having eaten a delicious, traditional Lithuanian lunch, we only had to drive 20 minutes to reach our home for the next three weeks.

We got the grand tour of the children's day center, at which we'll be working, right when we arrived. The kids were a bit apprehensive to talk to us, but we're sure that will change as soon as we start work tomorrow. Of course, we couldn't have left without having been served some tea and fruit (they even washed our bananas!). (Emilija and I have stopped counting the number of cups of tea we have been served after it reached 50)

Later, we were introduced to our host family - Milda, Bronius, and their college-aged daughter Rūta. I was especially happy to meet the animals of the house - a German shepherd named Nika, and a cat named Eura!

Because we're responsible for most of our food here, Rūta took us grocery shopping at some local grocery stores. We bought Lithuanian bread, butter, jam (my choice), tea (fruit for Andryte and Emilija...black for me), juice, and some peaches. It was fun to be able to take a short walk from our house to the center of town. Everything is so localized here - we love it already!

Here in this north-western part of Lithuania, they speak in almost an entirely different language, which most native Lithuanians claim to have trouble understanding...we've heard a bit of it spoken here, but people can speak to us mostly in traditional Lithuanian.

We spent a good two hours getting to know our host family - we sat in their spacious livingroom, discussing school systems and general schooling issues (both parents are local teachers), the Lithuanian community abroad and how we uphold Lithuanian traditions, the differences between our countries, and our plans for the upcoming weeks -- and even plans for our futures. After we got on the topic of music, they learned of our various musical talents and asked us to perform at an upcoming school event :) ...we're in trouble... ;)

We really like our host family, and the town is quaint but gorgeous (it was even voted the prettiest village in Lithuania!) We can't wait for tomorrow, when we'll get to meet the kids!

(We'll put pictures up as soon as possible!)