Labas!
Labas from Vilnius, Lithuania! "Labas" is the Lithuanian word for "hello", pronounced LAH-bus. Now that I have been in Vilnius long enough to explore a little, I thought I would take the time to recount my first couple of days here.
Food
One of my favorite methods of exploring a country and its culture is through food. Luckily, Beth, the other William & Mary Law student who is working here with me, had booked a food tour for our second day. We have quickly learned that staples of Lithuanian cuisine are meat, lard, dairy (especially sour cream and kefir), and potatoes.
Pictured below: cepelinai, a potato dumpling stuffed with meat, cheese curd, or mushrooms, drizzled with sour cream and sprinkled with something similar to bacon. This one was stuffed with meat.
We also tried Lithuania's take on borscht, a Pepto Bismol pink colored chilled beet soup, made with beet, kefir, dill, and eggs, served with a side of potatoes. Tasting the chilled soup took me back to my time teaching English in Hungary, where chilled sour cherry soup is a refreshing summer staple.
Lithuanian cuisine, overall, is very filling and heavy. We learned a lot about food history from our guide, Ieva (pronounced Yava, which is the Lithuanian version of the name Eve). Before industrialization, when many people were farmers and had to endure the harsh Lithuanian winters, eating fatty foods was common in order to store energy. However, as someone who generally eats very little meat, I find myself craving more fresh vegetables and fruit. I imagine it would be very difficult to be a vegetarian or vegan living here long term.
Basketball
A few days after I arrived, Beth and I had lunch with our internship director, Algimantas (Algis for short). Months ago, when Beth and I Skyped Algis to discuss the parameters of our internship, he had emphasized how important basketball is to Lithuanians. An oft told joke is that basketball is the second religion of Lithuania. Interestingly, there is a political history component to the popularity of basketball in Lithuania as well, as it was a major way the country could show its dominance and success after it gained independence from the Soviet Union. The day we had lunch happened to be the third-place game of the EuroLeague Final Four between a Lithuanian team, Zalgiris Kaunas, and a Russian team, CSKA Moscow. Algis urged us to go to a bar to watch the game later on in the evening. Following our boss's orders, Beth and I found a bar that night. The place was completely packed, and we stood for two hours as the TV screens incited rousing applause every time the Lithuanian team scored. Zalgiris Kaunas ended up winning the game by two points. Watching the game that night was quite fun, and Beth and I walked home exhausted, but happy.
Lithuanian Humility
Every time a Lithuanian asks me what I think about Vilnius and I respond with a positive answer, the reaction is often one of confusion and surprise. Perhaps it is part of cultural etiquette to downplay one's own country, or maybe it is genuine surprise that an American would be impressed by this relatively small capital city. But I truly love it here and cannot wait to explore more of the quaint little streets like the one pictured above.