Sovietiniu Skulpturu Muziejus

Las banderolas molaban, la verdad. 


Also known as Gruto Parkas. It's the park we went to visit last Sunday. It's a really nice place in the countryside, where someone decided, instead of destroying all soviet scultures and symbols, make money with them. A really capitalist way of thinking. So, in this park you can see most of the statues that decorated Lithuania not so many many years ago. And... well... nothing else interesting... it seems that the only interesting places in Lithuania are these hot spots, like Gruto Parkas or Crosses Hill, Vilnius, and maybe the coast, but i still haven't been there. But used to a country as Spain, so focused of tourism, this sometimes is strange for me.


Clavaditos, oiga. 


What i found more curious in all this about Gruto Parkas is that, although communism was supposed, is supposed, to be a political and economic model where everybody is equal... again, and again, and again, the scultures of Lenin and Stalin repetead, as if they were some kind of goddess. I haven't seen this cult to a political leader anywhere... maybe in Cuba and China? I don't know, but never in a capitalist country. So i find strange how they contradict theirselfes. What would think Lenin of all these? Who knows?


"Peaso" grupo erasmus, de izquierda a derecha: Toni, Marinne, Julia, Hey Won, Leanne, Marta, Ana, David, Vanja y Stefan. Arriba: Martin, Lenin y yo. 

Stefan... The German

Como diría Alejandro: "Somos serios, somos alemanes." 


Yes, Stefan is german. But truly german, not like the fake german Julia. Stefan has everything that you would expect in a german guy, if we forget about punctuality.I think he is one of the smartest eramus students here, but, maybe because of that, when you stare at him, you have the sensation as if he goes always in first gear... extremely slooooow. Brian woul describe him as an abstract person, most of the time living is his world, probably thinking about tonights hands in front of his laptop. Yes, Stefan is ill... but he knows his illness, and enjoys it... so, what can we do? He is a poker addict, but he is quite good, i think, and when he is not, he has some stadistic programs that help him to play good. So his illness is not so bad that he gets millionaire debts with mafia, and such things that only happen in movies. Stefan most of the times wins... and sometime loses... a lot... yes... Well, but he is a good guy, likes to explain things, something people who not understand him always, as me, i'm sorry guy, but your german accent is terrible... where i was? Ah, yes, he doesn't mind in explaining thing 'till we understand completely what he is saying. So he most of the times has the look of a master, and we look like stupid pupils... well... when he speaks about stadistics i can barely understand him, but i can't answer for the others, (thank you "memeces"). He is as shy as clever. And he loves beer... since i am here, i have only once seen him drinking one thing that was not beer... truly german. Ah, other thing that is strange in a german, his football is as terrible as his accent... He broke the mith about german football, that they win always and all that...


Stefan(de rojo) enseñandonos a beber cerveza con chupito... las florecillas no se a que venian... ¿Demasiado chupito en la cerveza? 


And that's all, to finish wih something good, althaoug he is always late... he is always, that's something good, some people here sometimes don't appear late, they just don't appear:S

Diez días.

Diez días sin escribir nada son muchos días, asi que intentaré resumir brevemente lo que ha pasado estos diez días... y ala... Bueno, en primer lugar me he dado cuenta de que apenas me queda poco más de un mes aquí, y aún he de hacer bastantes deberes, así que en parte por eso creo que he escrito menos, o sea nada, aqui. Porque ahora el tiempo de aburrimiento lo tengo que pasar leyendo aburridos apuntes en ingles, eso si, mi ingles espero, esta cogiendo nivelon. Bueno...

BC Zalgiris-FC Barcelona.


 

Pues allí estuvimos la semana pasada, y oiga, como gritan los lituanos estos, es cierto que el basket lo viven a tope. El estadio del Zalgiris es de risa, o sea... seíamos... dos mil personas? poco más.. Pero como gritan. Cada vez que el Barcelona atacaba no habia manera de hablar con el de al lado. Para mas inri nos toco detras un crio que parecia la niña del exorcista, que garganta... En fin, a pesar de toda esa presión, el Barcelona gano, los lituanos se fueron super contentos porque su equipo habia jugado bien, y el partido, porque no decirlo fue realmente bueno, pero mejor aun fue la actuacion de Navarro, y claro, por eso gano el Barça. Al partido nos fuimos diez erasmus, toma ya... Un valenciano que iba a animar al Barça pero una vez alli decia que no le salia, asi que animo al Zalgiris. Un madrileño que decia que si se esforzaba podria animar al Barcelona, pero que tenia el dia vago. Un albaceteño que decia que el Barça no era español, y que el ha vivido mas en Lituania que en Cataluña, asi que a animar al Zalgiris. Luego estaban tambien las gemelas belgas, esas van en contra del equipo al que anime yo. Orreanne... seguro que su nombre lo escribo mal, que no se con quien iba, pero estaba entra un lituano y el madrileño, asi que con el Barça seguro que no. Y luego nos quedamos con el riojano, que si que animaba al Barça, pero como estaba lejos, como si nada. Julia, la alemana, que parecia estar en un estado de coma consciente, y simplemente aplaudia de vez en cuando de forma indistinta a uno y otro equipo. Y luego Leanne y yo, que eramos muy graciosos. Cada vez que el Barça conseguia canasta habia unos segungos de silencio por la decepcion del estadio... y ahi se nos oia a Leanne y a mi aplaudiendo, "plas, plas, plas...". Yo al Barça, ella a Gianluca Basile. Si es que no se que tienen los italianos...


Sielos 2006


Esta banda molaba. 


Sielos significa "alma" en lituano. Y el Sabado pasado fui alli. Para explicarlo en su version corta, Sielos es un festival de eurovision cristiano. Aqui en lituana no veais como les mola eurovision y todo lo que tenga que ver con ello. Bueno, la cosa es que alli nos fuimos los jovenes de la iglesia, con el jeep de la iglesia, y con la furgoneta de la iglesia(si, todo eso de la iglesia), y con el coche de un lituano... muy lituano... en fin... de todo tiene que haber en la viña del Señor. Pero bueno, palla nos fuimos. El festival este es lomas grande que tienen los protestantes en lituania, pero lo comparten con los catolicos. Asi que por alli andaba el Obispo, todo de negro con un peaso crucifijo doracon al cuello, que mas que un cura parecia un rapero de estos americanos, mas chulo que un ocho, a tope con la chabaleria, y todo eso. Por lo demas, el festival duraba desde las 4 de la tarde hasta las 12, de forma ininterrumpida. Y bueno... la cosa comienza con 5 horas de... gente que pasa encima del escenario toca dos cositas, y ala, pa casa machotes. Y luego a eso de las 9 comienzan a pasar bandas un poco mejores... Lo cual es un poco triste porque todas las bandas malas o buenas, tocan 3 canciones como mucho. En fin... me gusto una banda que van a sacar disco, Mustard Seed... pero se van a cambiar el nombre, no me pregunteis por cual. Tambien me gusto una banda de catolicos supergraciosos. Todos asi vestidos muy molones, plan Korn, menos el cantante. Este llevaba una boina del reves, con las tiras esas en la cara. Y unos pantalones negros, de vinilo... asi bien ceñiditos, marcando trasero. Y ala, de esa guisa a pegar gritos mientras que daba saltos... al menos ra gracioso.
Y al final la entrega de premios, los que me molaron a mi, y los del catolico loco(por cierto, profesor de musica de mi universidad), no ganaron nada. Todos los premios se los dieron a bandas asi jovencitas. En teorisa votabamos nosotros... asi que yo creo que hubo mucho colegueo... pero bueno, bien. Al la cosa esta fue en Marijampole, al sur.


Je, je... que majo que era el tipo este. 


Entrega de premios, al ganador, la edicion de una tirada de 5000 CDs, el año que viene participo!!! 


Ya es viernes.

Y a lo tonto ya es viernes. Y tengo que estudiar algo, porque esta tarde comparto en el grupo de jovenes, y luego voy a una especie de encuentro de Agape, que van a proyectar cortos, y lo que es mas importante... nos van a dar comida. Y mañana el plan es ir a patinar sobre hielo, todos los erasmus, y luego el grupito de magnificos nos vamos a hacer una super tour, por todas las opticas de la calle peatonal pa probarnos gafas y sacarnos fotos. Es que aqui las gafas son mas baratas, asi que es algo planteable. Y el Domingo excursion. A Grutos Parkas, que es lo que aqui se le llama el Disneyland Comunista. Y es que los lituanos cuando se cargaron el comunismo, cogieron todo lo que habia, y lo metieron en un parque, pa los turistas. Y de ahi a Europos Parkas, el parque del centro de Europa. Y es que el centro geografico europeo esta al lado de Vilnius, y han montado una especie de museo de arte contemporaneo al aire libre... ya veremos.

Más majo que las pesetas.

"So this is a cross? How nice the crosses." 


Usando su propia frase podríamos describir a Alejandro, uno de los 5 españoles que quedan en el dormitorio, y al segundo al que conocí cuando llegué a Kaunas. Voy con el a clases de lituano, y soy casi tan responsable como el... bueno, no. Alejandro es con diferencia el español mas responsable, y seguramente uno de los estudiantes mas responsables del grupo erasmus que conozco. Se pasa el dia haciendo trabajitos y cositas... aqui la carrera de periodismo es otro cantar. Y bueno... Alejandro es el tipico tio que no te puede caer mal... y con el cual te tienes que esforzar para caerle mal. De hecho a todo el mundo le va diciendo que son mas majos que las pesetas. Menos a las polacas, pero es natural despues de la miradita que le echaron cuando les pregunto si bailarian tango con el, le comprendo(por cierto... que paso con el tango? tengo que hablar con Egle:S).

Vamos, que es un buen tio, de esos que yo, y las tres mosqueteras describiriamos como "too nice"... demasiado bueno... un buenazo... Alejandro, que te queremos, leches!!! Je... bueno, el tio ademas tiene un blog, no tan majo como este, pero hace lo que puede, si le echais un vistazo dejadle un comentario, que estaba algo agobiadillo con el blog, y un comentario siempre anima a no dejarlo.
¿Momentos inolvidables con Alejandro? Todos los que requieran ingles. Y es que el tio tiene un ingles de Castilla la Vieja que lo flipas... asi que... lo siento Alejandro, pero es divertidisimo estar en una conversacion en ingles en la cual el este por medio. Eso si, hace mas esfuerzos que la mayoria de españoles por mejorar... sobre todo muchos mas que Borja, lo cual es facil... pero vamos, que el tio no se amilana ni deja de hablar ingles a pesar de lo malo que soy con el... asi me gusta campeon!!!


Making Marie happy... you're too nice!!! 


Y eso... que a pesar de que escribo sobre el, no penseis, como todo el mundo ha ido haciendo en los post sobre personas anteriores, que tengo un rollo raro con el, solo somos amigos:P

Whatever people say I am, that's what I am.

Today i was being curious, searching through friends of friends blogs... Just trying to find something interesting to read, or something interesting about my friends, or about my friend's friends. You know, when you are bored, although you have to clean your room, tidy up your wardrove, think what you are going to cook fo today's lunch, or thinking that you might need juice, and you should better go and buy it... you don't want to do none of this things, and instead you start reading the blogs of people you don't know. Days in Lithuania are becoming longer... well... shorter, because the sun gets down at about 4:30, so time seems to be stopped. And so i was, reading things in the net, when i found a comment of a friend speaking about me!!! Now i realise that maybe it wasn't good that i read that comment... just because when that person wrote it, probably he never though i was going to read it, so is like if i have introduce myself into some kind of private space... Well... it's done, so now it doesn't matter, i have read it.

It was a good comment about me. Just saying how wonderful i am... well... no with that words... But moreless, to make it short, that's what the comment said. And... well, i usually never give much importance to good words for me from others... But i felt good, knowing that this person cosiders me a friend. But not because of what it wrote, but because he wrote it without any obligation, he spoke of me on my back, with freedom to say what he really thinks of me... and still wrote good things. I felt appreciated, much more than when people say to my face that they love me, for example. I started thinking about it, and is not the first time that i have had that sensation. I remember talking with someone and telling to me, that her sister respected me, and considered me one of her best friends... that's great, her sister was telling good things about me to people, on my back, when people usually are really sincere. I don't know if you have had this kind of experience, surprising someone speaking about you privately, and finding that what he was saying about you was really good.

I think that maybe that's why i appreciate so few good words to my face, and that's why saying nice words to people in their presence is something so difficult for me to do. And that's why i always try to be nice on people's back, 'cause for me, that has much more worth. Maybe they will never know what i am saying about them, and maybe they will never know how much i love them, (and that, for sure, is a pity). But i hope that if they, someday, hear what i say, they valorate it as much as i do.

Šiauliai.


We are family!!! (And no, Alejandro isn't daltonic, he just hasen't got taste) 


Obligatory stop in the lithuanians toilettes. 


We are the champions my friend!!! 


By the way. El otro dia nos fuimos a Šiauliai. Eso esta al norte de Lituania, y de Kaunas. Nueve estudiantes nos alquilamos una "flagoneta", y ala, a la aventura. Ibamos cinco españoles, como siempre los unicos tios enrollaos somos los españoles... bueno, menos yo, que segun me interesa me hago el español o el vasco, pero que tambien soy enrollado. Bueno, eso, Nos cogimos una "flagoneta" de nueve plazas, y aquello parecia un minibus de la ONU. Bueno, de la ONU femenina, porque los españoles tenemos la costumbre de hablar en castellano entre nosotros, y luego, normalmente yo, solemos tener que traducir un poquillo de que iba la conversacion a las chicas. Las chicas cada una de un sitio, Ana eslovena, Ella italiana, Marta polaca y Julia alemana. Asi que ala, palla nos fuimos, con Ella como conductora que decia que en Sicilia conducen tan bien como en Lituania, y que por lo tanto mejor conducia ella. Yo creo que es una chica tan responsable y nos tenia tanto miedo que preferia no dejarle a nadie la resposabilidad de conducir. Aunque a la vuelta nos trajo David y no hubo ningun problema, aunque si, los lituanos conducen como cafres.


Entrance to the Hill. 


Pedro and Ella in the middle of Crosses Hill. 


Pero bueno, nos fuimos a Šiauliai porque allí tienen lo que por aquí llaman la Colina de las Cruces. He escrito algo sobre el tema en la web de 24-7, aunque la historia exacta no es esa, por lo visto el tio que puso la primera cruz, lo hizo porque Dios le curó a él, y no a su mujer. Aunque es un poco raro, porque los lituanos no saben muy bien a quien curo o dejo de curar Dios, solo que las cruces son acciones de gracias a Dios. Pero bueno, comenzando por el principio. La colina esa esta formada por unas cien mil cruces que a lo largo del pasado siglo, y lo poco del presente, los lituanos, y todo aquel que quiere han ido depositando como agradecimiento a Dios por algo. La costumbre esta por lo visto de puso de moda en la epoca de ocupacion sovietica, porque con la gracia que les hacia a los comunistas todo el tema este del cristianismo, nada mejor que tocarles las narices llenando la colina esta de crucecitas. Y bueno... ahora los lituanos lo estan explotando como lugar turistico, y creo que tambien como lugar de peregrinacion.


One of the sides. 


Crosses everywhere. 


Y es normal, porque de la colina esta fuimos al pueblo en si... es poco mas o menos como Kaunas, una ciudad sin nada de nada, salvo una calle tocha peatonal mas o menos maja. Y ya esta, en Šiauliai no habia mas. De alli nos fuimos a Panevezys, con rayita encima de la z, pero no la puedo poner con este teclado. Y en esas ciudad habia aun menos cosas, de hecho, creo que lo unico que hay es mafia. Estuvimos dando vueltas con la furgo preguntando a la gente que a ver donde estaba en centro y todo el mundo nos decia que ellos no tienen ni centro ni parte vieja ni nada... vamos, genial. Al final paramos delante de una iglesia, y de ahi, dando un par de vueltas encontramos la calle peatonal omnipresente en todas las ciudades lituanas. En esa calle nos tomamos el chocolate caliente mas puro y espeso que halla probado en mi vida... y ala, de vuelta pa Kaunas, que habia prisa porque Borja celebraba la fiesta de inauguracion de su piso.


Borja, me, Julia, Marta, David, lil' Ana, Ella and Alejandro. 


Fiesta!!!

De la fiesta poco puedo decir, estaba llena de erasmus y de "fifas", no se como se escribe, pero es como llaman aqui a las lituanas rubias con faldas cinturon... ya me entendeis. Asi que nada, me busque un sillon en una de las habitaciones que estaban mas tranquilas que la cocina atestada de gente, y ahi, todo acomodao estuve hablando con la gente con la que normalmente hablo, me decian que parecia el padrino, solo me faltaba el gato:D. Ah, bueno, tambien conoci a Joao, un portugues muy simpatico que mueve su meñique de una forma muy extraña. Y eso... luego me pude escabullir pronto porque Julia estaba hecha polvo y Leanne tambien se queria ir, y necesitaban a un caballero de reluciente armadura que las acompañara... que sacrificio:P

Julia, the not german.

First of all i have to congratulate Julia for her birthday. So... HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIA!!! Now, Julia's ID says that she is german, but after a exhaustive investigation i've founded that Julia is something between french, lithuanian and norden irish. It's clear, Julia's roomate is Leanne, and she went for a weekend away, so Julia had to be Leanne for sometime... and now... something of Leanne is left in Julia... something norden irish. It's a little bit lithuanian, you should see her telling people in lithuanian that she doesn't speak Lithuanian, with a perfect Lithuanian accent. Who do you want to fool? You're lithuanian, only a truly lithuanian girl can say with such politeness and good accent: "As nesuprantu lietuviskei". So, she is lithuanian. And... i really don't know why she is french... but... she is. So, Julia is a nor german, who wants to be german.


Julia mostrando su lado más norirlandés. 


But sincerely, is okay not to be german. Each time i say that word i feel like calling someone a germ... So Julia, is better not to know what you are, than being a germ, ok? Ok. So, she is not german, but she is nice(i would never say that so directly if she hasen't asked me to say it because is her birthday, happy birthday!!! this is my present, calling you "nice":D). Something else to describe her? She is tall, she is smart, and not as responsible as Marta, but much more serious than Leanne, that's good, Julia is Leanne's concious half... they make the perfect couple:) And with Marta they are what i call my three musketeers... Or maybe "Esteban's Angels"... hey, i like that one. So Julia is one of my angels. Her name isn't pronounced as in Spanish, althoug is a latin name, she pronounces "Yulia". Borja started calling her "Dortmun", can you think why?? Because she comes from Dortmun?? No... i think she didn't, i hope i am not wrong but i think the only thing she does in Dortmun is study... and... i really don't know wich is her hometown:S

Mmm... she is nice, and most of the times she is happy... or that it seems, cause she is always singing, but not opera, you know, only italians and germans sing opera, and she is neither italian or german. But she sang for us the german anthem. And it sounded like a song for kids. I think when she is mother she will sing the german anthem to her kids when she wants them to go to sleep. So... and this is mine, i think Julia is a tender person. I think that's why i think she can't be german, they don't have fame of tenderness... and i think she is extremely tender, you should see her singin her anthem with such tenderness... as if it's going to break. And we are always asking her to call thing by their german name, and she never says "no", that's cute:)


Al lado mio parece aún más maja. 


Ah, and she gave me a tape fo my injured finger, (don't worry mum, is just a little cut, while i was changing a bulb), so she saved my life!!!(It's not true mum, but it's her birthday i have to say nice things to her, don't worry about my health, i'll show you my finger on the cam). So, thank you very much for the tape, my finger
is safe now:)

Mmm... and that's all.

Surfing with the Alien.

Borja has moved to his new flat, and now i am alone... great! But that's not the point, the point is that on Wednesday he, and his flatmates, the sick italian, and the rich french, celebrated the inauguration party. I'll try to describe it, a quite big flat, with a lot of erasmus students, and a lot of blonde lithuanian girls. Altogether trying to get drunk as fast as possible. The people without that description was the first in leaving the party... between 1 and 2 am. So there i was a little bit lost 'till i found a good sit. For now on in every Borja's parties i hope that will be my reservede sit. In one of the bedrooms, the most quiet place of the party. So there i was surrounded by "my" girls, Julia, Marta, Le, and even Borja or David can be considered girls in some moments:P Ok, there i was, and at some moment i started a serious conversation with Marta about drinking, and getting drunk. She told me if i didn't felt a little bit like an alien with everybody around me drinking... and with me staying sober. And well... my answer of course was... of course i feel like an alien, and??? What's the problem??? Well... i really didn't saw it... but thinking about it, i realised that some years ago probably i would have drink as everybody else, not because i like it,(first of all i don't drink because o don't like it), but because everybody is doing it. Maybe i even would have get drunk, and that's something that i can't aprobe. People gets drunk because they feel better, they emotions sensations increase, and they feel better... for some moments. With all my respect, from my point of view that's stupid. It's the same as if you take drugs, the only difference is that alcohol is legal.


 

So, some years ago that's what it would happened. But i think, that no so far ago i decided not to move because of the people. This sometimes is problematic, it's hard to find a balance, and i think that's why much people think of me that i am not very sensitive. Maybe. I think this happens when i want to be so independent from people that i pass. But on the other hand i have chosen to try to be faithful with what i believe is correct, even if that beliefs make me an alien. I really don't mind what people thinks of me when i am being faithful to myself and to my beliefs.

Someone said that we should love the people next to us... i think that's the next part i must improbe:P