Time was running during the last weeks...

The last entry now is already 3 weeks ago. We are doing presentations and we organize an intercultural evening at Didzdvario Gimnazija. When I compare work in Lithuania to tasks I had to manage at home, I fell like doing almost nothing in here but still everything is much more difficult in a new schhol because of a new system we try to get used to and a difficult language. So time is running without being board.
One of the tasks waiting for the volunteers in the last weeks were some presentations about evs and their homecountry. Linda and me we went through classes to tell students about Germany. When I'm honest I thought more about Germany these days than in my whole life before and we found out some things that even surprised me, like a German invented the television or the fact that adidas and puma are both German soprtbrands. But I also noticed that some stereo types like Germans dirk a lot of beer or Germans are always on time etc are exactly the things you find about this country and their people in the internet. We also asked the students about their opinion and their knowledge about Germany or maybe some German things they even use in their daily life. During this I got to the point that Germany is quite present in Lithuania. There are many German products or brands you can find in the supermarket or other shops. Students know a lot of Germans especially from sports and of course they know about German beer. All in all it was a little bit annoying to tell the same things so often but although I got a little bit proud of my homecountry which is normal I think. It's the place I am born and right now abroad I feel even more the relation to this place.
After holiday the volunteers started a new project, an interculturel evening. If you count teachers, assistent teachers, volunteers and language courses etc there are 10 nations (or even more) involved in Didzdvario Gimnazija right now. We wanted to integrate all of them in one evening and we want to show the school's miscellaneousness in this way. Aditionally the three Turkish volunteers leave in the end of November, so it should be their last project for integrating in school. In the beginning it was not that easy because they do not have any experiences with things like that. But after a while all volunteers worked together on the event and it developed quite well although it was difficult to please everyone. The most difficult thing for me was not the oranizing itself because in my own school I was often involved in organizing events like that. But in my school I knew all the important people, places and possibilities. I did not have to find out who I can ask before doing it. In here it's different because we are totally new in this school and we firstly have to find out about possibilities and people with responsbility we can ask for help.
As a concluition I hope everything will work and our first own project in this school will be succesful. It would be very important for us to finally see the sense in our efforts.
Unfortunately the event just is delayed since yesterday because of epidemic flu in school. We hope it will take place next week.
The last thing I want to write about is our last weekend's visit in Kaunas. We wanted to see the city and visit some other EVS volunteers. It was a really nice trip. Kaunas is a beautiful city with its oldtown and the coalesceing rivers. We enjoyed discovering the town and in the evening we went to a party with volunteers from Kaunas. They have a really hunge and strong EVS community there, around 30 volunteers. We had a very nice place to stay at night and we had to bring nothing besides personal things which is a very confortable and practical thing about EVS network. I feel a little sad that we are not so many volunteers in Siauliai. Of course we can visit the ones in Kaunas or Vilnius anytime but it would be really nice to have an own hunge community in here.
As you can read there is a lot to do in Lithuania and we are not bored at all. But finally I hope we can start working in the radio which is opened since holiday because this is the work we originally wanted to do here.

Hill of crosses

During the last week we had a visitor from Germany. We showed him around Siauliai and tried to figure out all the important things to see for a foreinger.
One important trip was the one to the Hill of crosses near Siauliai. The Hill of crosses is a famous place for pilgrims and it is one of the national Lithuanian cultural monuments.
in the 19th century while the insurgence against russian foreign rule many people were executed on the hill. For their honesty people put crosses on the hill. This was the start of a tradition.
In Sowiet Union times the authority tried to destroy this tradition several times by taking away the crosses. But every time someone put new ones on the hill again.
So the crosses are not just a christian symbol now. They also represend the independence of the country.
For me the hill was very impressive. There are so many crosses on it and so many different ones. Some with names or wishes, big ones, small ones etc. When you pass the hill you can not stop discovering new crosses. It is not just a relogious thing now it is for everybody who wants to be connected with this place. The atmosphere is full of memories and the visitors can divine them. Aditionally the hill will not stop growing and it is always in a process of changing.
It is an interesting and also a bit mystic place and maybe we will also at a cross full of memories before leaving Siauliai next summer.

First experiences as a teacher

Last week the two German volunteers were confronted with a new task. One of the German teachers was on an exchange trip and Linda and me were supposed to do her lessons.
In the beginning it sounded really heard, 16 lessons in our forst week but while preparing we noticed that it is also a lot of fun and an interesting job. Another thing I never expected like this is that there is actually a lot of work for the teacher behind one lesson... Not a long time ago I was in the opposit position, a stundent. I remember many times, my classmades and me, we were complaning about teachers and their "slow" work refering to tests etc.
Now it is really interesting for me to figure out about the other side.
The first time standing in front of class alone was something between nervousness and curiosity. A native German speaker is not natually a good German teacher. It was really aduous to speak slowly and articulate but otherwise the students wouldn't understand at all. Sometimes there were some problems with understanding because we were told to speak just German and no English. But we tried our best and it was interesting for the stundents to be tought by native speakers. I also liked the contact to stundents from the school because we are interested in Lithuanian daily life and people from this country.
All in all the German teacher was happy about our help and I hope she can reconstruct our work. It is not possible to tach every claas on the same level and we experienced individual work with classes and students.
As a conclusion I really liked the lessons but it was also exhausting to look for everybody all the time and not to fall a sleep or to get lost in thoughts in front of class. But the best thing is the feeling when I saw that students understood our teaching and got something of my native language.

Trip to Vilnius

Last week there was a special event for us volunteers. Visiting the capital for the first time.
Together with Polish exchange students we arrived in Vilnius on Wednesday. The groups of students should take the time there for doing some polls about the relationship between Lithuanian an Polish people and they got the chance to meet students from another country.
Wednesday, our first day, we went on a short sight seeing tour with the whole group. We visited St. Anne's Church, one of the most beautiful and famous buildings in Vilnius. The church is surrounded by many legends. The most popular story is that Napoleon upon seeing St. Anne's Church, said that he would like to place it in the palm of his hand and move it to Paris.
Then we saw the Town Hall Square. It's the traditional center of trade and events in the city.
An also interesting story was told about the President's Palace. All visitors and foreigners piss in front of the building. Nobody really knows why....
The last station of the tour and maybe the most popular was the Cathedral square. There are 3 important buildings at this square. The Cathedral itself, the bell tower and the rebuild palest. It was rebuild as a symbol for the existence and independence of Lithuania.
Another point of the exchange program was cleaning graffiti in the town. We went to kalnu parkas and students could help cleaning.
On Thursday all volunteers took the change to discover Vilnius on our own. We saw the Gate of Dawn, a part of the old city wall, and looked around shopping centers for example. In the afternoon we were invited to an EVS presentation.
On Friday the students already left Vilnius again. We stayed for the weekend at other volunteers flat. The weekend was really fun. We met the whole volunteer community from Vilnius. It is very huge. We also had a great time with friends from Siauliai who came for the weekend.
Another cultural aspect was the visit of KGB museum on Saturday. It was very interesting for me to learn about Lithuanian history and the pressure of the national security agency of the USSR. In Germany we do not learn that much about Sowietunion and History of Baltic states. We were really lucky to have Evaldas a history teacher from school with us because he could tell us everything about it.
All in all I really like Vilnius especially thy old town is beautiful. For me it has a Mediterranean flair what I did not expect. I also enjoyed that Vilnius has some shops and places, Siauliai does not have. "Double coffee" and "Guesto" for example. A cafe with the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted and a restaurant full of wonderful pan cakes ;)
In addition I can say that Vilnius is a international city and I like that very much. We met many foreigners in cafes or bars and when you move through the streets you can hear a lot of English speaking people.
As a conclusion I liked the trip and I think we will visit the capital more often in the next months.

A bit about my feelings right now

at the moment I am really pleased about all the new contacts and I enjoy my life in Siauliai. But it's also very exhausting... The new language, so many impressions etc. many times when we go home in the afternoon I'm too tired to call somebody or for doing anything. So it will take a little more time until we met all those kind people who gave us their numbers for example.
But the most important thing is that I feel satisfied with the situation and I really do. I start feeling Siauliai as my new home.
Tomorrow we will start our on arrival training and I'm looking forwards to meet all the volunteers from all over Lithuania. I'm sure we'll have a good time;)

Festival Siauliu dienos

This weekend our city Siauliai changed from a quiet and peaceful town to a crowed, lively Lodestone. There were Siauliu dienos 2009, a festival taking place in Siauliai once a year.

Early in the Friday morning the whole pedestrian street was already full of booths and crowded. You could buy traditional food and hand made things there, starting with leather bags, over wool socks to jewel.Linda and me we went shopping there on Saturday and I really enjoyed it. So many things and such low prices in Germany you can't Buy such nice but cheap jewel anywhere.

In the early afternoon an opening of "Modestas Navickas Exhibition" took place in the museum of photography. The photos dealt with fashion photography. All the pictures in the gallery looked very professional and showed people in connection with clothes. While visitors could enjoy some wine and snacks, models presented self made dresses and some people gave speeches.

Another event of the afternoon was a parade through the city. Many people from schools, clubs or other communities took part in it and all of them wore traditional clothes or costumes. They walked through the streets shouting, singing and celebrating the city spirit.

The Didzdvario Gimnazija also joined the parade. Students carried the Flag of the school and they wore traditional dresses. In the evening a concert of many different groups themed “let’s bring greetings to each other” was presented next to the church. There were bands like “happyendless” or “Šiauliai Chamber Orchestra“playing. The concert was great and many people listened to it in front of the stage. The atmosphere was brilliant and the booth all over the place earned lots of money from hungry and thirsty visitors.I really enjoyed the atmosphere together with the other volunteers. We tried Lithuanian bear, kepta duana and had a lot of fun.
On Saturday the shops in the pedestrian street took most of my time when I'm honest. But we also saw an exhibition again. This time city painters showed their works inthe Siauliu Art Gallery. There were many interesting paintings and sculptures. I had Arts in my a-levels so I am interested in it and I really liked what I saw in the Gallery.
In the evenig we were invited to a party in youth center. It wasn't that good because there were not so many people there as it was expected. But the Lithuanien students who were there really enjoyed the music DJs from Latvia played and that fact fascinates me. I also think as a volunteer in a new country between new people I have to try everything and just look at everything in an optimistically perspective. So all in all I liked it. The Lithuanian students invited us what showes their hospitably that's enough for me right now.
As a conclusion I can say that I can just report with a foreigner’s eyes but I think the festival is a great thing for everybody. Tourists can learn many things about culture and customs while people from Siauliai can show traditions or sell handmade work. And the most important thing is that everybody can enjoy the music, the shops and the shows. As a conclusion I would say Siauliu dienos is multifaceted and a great opportunity for meeting people and having fun.

Meeting school traditions

On Thursday and Friday we went to a camp with students from the 9th grade. The Gymnasium starts with 9th grade in Lithuania. In Germany student first go to primary school and they already change after 4th grade.
Such a camp is a major possibility for students getting to know each other better and to strong the class spirit. First it was a little bit strange for us because none really told us what to do but we already noticed that in Lithuania everything is slower and not that organized as it is in Germany.
The camp was full of games for students and tasks to improve their solidarity. In the evening there was a beginning ceremony. Inside the main room teachers and headmaster hold a speech and the leaders showed a play.They tried to introduce the younger students to their time at Didzdvario. In the end two people dressed as priest and nun entered and welcomed the students to the schools community.
All in all I really like those rituals. I do not know something like this from my school.Teachers are really near to the students and the spirit is created much more than in Germany. I can imagine that the atmosphere in school is more friendly than I know it from my hometown.
Another great thing about the camp was meeting leader students there. They are 12 graders and they are on our age. It‘s great to get some new contacts.

My first days in Lithuania

I decided to leave home in Germany to work at a radio station of the Didzdvario Ginmazija in Siauliai ( Lithuania) for 9 month.
The EVS ( a project of the European Union) gave me and another German girl, Linda, the chance to spend some time aboard. There are 6 volunteer in Siauliai at the moment. 3 girls form Turkey and one Portuguese guy who will work as teachers assistants.It‘s very instructive to have many different cultures at one place.

The day of traveling was pretty exiting. I left home early on August 31st but when I arrived at the airport there was lots of time left. I waited with my parents for more than 2 hours just for saying goodbye.When I histerical left them and got in the plain it was getting better but seeing my home disappearing through the plains window was not that easy I expected it to be. I arrived in Siauliai at 9 pm. I got to a Germans techacher‘s house Linda and I will live. I feel well about sharing a room with her, I think we will get along all the time.
The next day, September 1st, was schools beginning. We went to a celebration and I was surprised that it is that big. Students wore glamorous dresses and suits.In Germany when school starts there are lessons the same day but Lithuanian students just celebrate and after it they can go home.
On Wednesday we went sight seeing around the town. When I compare Siauliai to Cologne, the city I live in Germany, than I can say that Siauliai is much smaller than Cologne. In Siauliai there are around 150 thousand citizen and in Cologne there are 1 million. But I like Siauliai. There is everything in here you need and you can get almost everywhere by foot easily which is not even imaginable in Cologne. Most of the schools are in the Center so pupils can go for Coffee their free time. When I wanted to go anywhere in free lessons at home I always had to take a train.
On Friday we were invited to a party.We took the chance to get to know about young peoples free time in Lithuania. We wanted to go there by taxi but it wasn't that easy. The taxi driver did not understand any English word so we had to call a kind Lithuanian girl for translation.
On Sunday our tutor invited us for lunch. On the bus stop we met the friendly Portuguese guy. We got into the bus together. It was really small and so many people were in there. Some stood in the corridor. I think it is quite dangerous, in Germany buses are much bigger. The lunch was great we met some new people and the conversation was very interesting. We talked a lot about traveling, different countries and customs.
Today is Monday again. My adventure lasts exactly one week now and today we start working.

In the end I want to tell you my opinion about Lithuania for now. I noticed that almost everyone is kind and helpful. Additional I remarked that the standard is not that far away from Germans than most Germans think. When I am honest I also thought Lithuania is on a lower standard than it really is. Maybe the reason is that nobody in Germany knows a lot about it and there is just an old picture in peoples heads. I started changing my mind now.
You can only see differences on the streets for example. When I got by bus to Siauliai we were on a fast street and suddenly the asphalt changed into gravel. In Germany such a street would already be closed.
The whole beginning is hard for me mostly because of the language. In the Supermarket its hard to find the right things because most of the packages are not in English.
But the hardest point for me is my family and my friends at home.

All in all I can say that my first days were great and very exiting. I notices some differences to Germany but I think I can get along with them. Siauliai is great but there are some things from home no other country can replace. I already learned a lot for now but I'm looking forwards to every new experience in the next month.

Saying Hello for the first time!

Dear readers,
my name is Marie Schmidt. This is my new blog where I want to tell you everything I do in Lithuania while EVS. EVS is a programm of the European Union which gives young students the chanse to spend some time aboard. I took this chanse and now I live in Siauliai for 9 month. I hope you'll like my blog =)