Lithuanian style and what you will see on the streets

Hey everyone and congratulations on the first snow for everyone currently staying in Vilnius :)!!! 

Today's post is about Lithuanian fashion. I believe that we are a fashionable culture, surprising everyone with our unique taste and shape of clothing. We differ from the West by incorporating more colors, expression in our clothing, and by the fact that our designers make a lot of unique hand made peaces. 

Few of the most known Lithuanian designers:

Agne Kuzminskaite -  one of the most prominent Lithuanian fashion designers of a young generation, exceptional for her functional conceptuality. One of the most popularly used elements in clothing is a butterfly logo. You can see her work here ->  http://www.agnekuzmickaite.com/collections/

Juozas Statkevicius - the most prominent Lithuanian fashion designer, well-known far beyond the borders of the Baltic States. He is the first designer from the Baltics to present his haute couture collections in Paris (in 2001 and 2002) and the first Lithuanian who has made appearance on glossy pages of L'officiel, Elle and Vogue fashion magazines. His designs are worn by such stars as Bjork, Kyra Sadgwick and Naomi Watts wear them. He is also one of the initiators of the most famous fashion show in Lithuania - Fashion infection ( "Mados ifekcija"). His upcoming fashion show will be on December 2nd in Siemens Arena, tickets are available via Tiketa.lt. You can see his previous work here                         -> www.statkevicius.com/

Other Lithuanian designs worth seeing and popular among the youth - Nunu (https://goo.gl/hAKPuw), Tiulio Fėja (http://shop.tiuliofeja.lt/), Julia Janus (http://juliajanus.com/en/)

Street fashion 

Lithuanian street fashion is highly seasonal.

Summer clothing: currently among young students you can see a lot of summer dresses, or short shorts with a tank top. On chillier nights girls pull out some leather pants and a nice shirt. Summer 2015 had a lot of navy prints mixed with red accessories. 

Spring clothing: jackets, coats, thin scarfs and floral prints.

Autumn clothing is warmer. Commonly you will wear leather or any kind of rainproof shoes, a nice semi-warm coat and,on colder days, a scarf and gloves are quite a secure choice for not getting a cold. Dominant colors: yellow, green, dark red 

During winter Lithuanians throw in many layers of clothes to combat the frost: furs, scarfs, gloves, caps, socks, tights under pants... Most of these warmest clothes are removed while in heated interiors (at some institutions this is even mandatory). 

Vincas Alesius facebook page has become popular among the Lithuanian youth for viewing street fashion photographs. His usual scene is the center of Vilnius, Gedimino pr. - and you never know, one day you can appear in his album, secretly photographed for your unique look. - http://www.alesius.lt/ . His photos are also shared on a facebook group Humans of Vilnius where you can follow Lithuanian street fashion. 

Here you can see how Lithuanian make-up and hairstyle trends changed over the pats 100 years :) :

Going to celebrations in Lithuania

Hi everyone! 

In this post I will share my knowledge with you about what to expect when you go to Lithuanian celebrations, and hopefully help you find something that you can't find somewhere else on the web. 

If you are interested in Lithuanian public holidays 

you can read about their meanings and traditions on various

websites about Lithuania (f.e. http://goo.gl/peuB7G ). 

Yes!!! Christmas season is approaching and all the Erasmus students, and travelling foreigners might be interested in what to expect from this FREEZING winter celebration. Of course not every Christmas we get the pleasure of seeing some snow, but believe me, those kids in the movies that wake up in the morning and run to the window to see if it's white outside are so much alike every Lithuanian, no matter how old you are. And there's no need to say that Christmas is a family celebration, as it is quite clear I believe for everyone, but there are at least three days to celebrate here and you can spend it with your friends as well. 

Sadly, Christmas in Lithuania has become quite westernized, and much more importance is put on gift-giving, but I believe that there are still some families left that do decorate Christmas trees (at least fake ones if not real) and prepare  12 dishes, from which very importantly you must have "Kūčiukai" and "Kisielius". (Recipe link: http://goo.gl/zUQgnb and http://goo.gl/AdptmZ).    

               

If you are unable to visit your families at home and you are staying here for Christmas, don't worry, you are not alone. Firstly, there will be a lot of nice Christmas fairs and markets where you can go lift your spirit, and try to find some fellow students staying here for the holidays as well, you can have your own little Christmas, or someone from a Lithuanian family can actually invite you to their house, as Lithuanians are quite welcoming and warm especially around the holidays. 

If someone does invite you to visit them during one of these three days of Christmas, don't forget to bring something with you (depends on who you will be visiting). Some suggestions?

• A nice dish (but don't experiment, better to make something that you have made and liked before); 
• If you are from a culture that usually has eggnog during the celebrations, make some of that, Lithuanians will be surprised as it is not traditional for our culture; 
• Bake ginger cookies or gingerbread, smells and tastes delicious; 
• Some people bring Christmas tree decorations, especially cute if it's hand made!; 
• Winter socks or gloves! even if it seems weird, in the end the receivers will wear them when the cold winter days come and they will be saying how thankful they are for those; 
• And lastly if you really have no creativity or cooking skills, just buy a bottle of whisky or vine, a box of chocolates will also be just fine. 

Exciting! The Lithuanian superstition says "The way you'll meet the new year is the way you will spend it". Some take it more seriously than others, but believe me, especially among the youth it is (at least subconsciously) very important to look your best, drink the best drinks, eat the best food, have the best fireworks, and be at the best party. Of course not everyone has the opportunity to do so, especially after the usually expensive, costly Christmas celebration.  

As I mentioned, you can find a link where to read 

about traditional New years in Lithuania, but I will put it in a more

 simplistic and more current way of celebrating for students.

If you go to a New years party in Lithuania, which is not a club event or some New Years Mascaraed ball (usually happens annually in one of the cities in Lithuania), you will have to dress appropriately, formal shirts, dresses, chic outfits, party tops and so on. Do not forget to bring your alcohol, some even ask you to participate on chipping in for the commonly bought food for everyone, as this is purely treated as a get together and just drinking the night away with fun and dancing. 

And remember DON'T fall asleep before midnight so be a responsible drinker! Not only will you miss amazing fireworks and the most fun part of the night, but also, it is said that it is bad luck to do so, because you will be tired and lazy all year. It is also believed that you have to return all borrowed money and things before the new year, and start the year fresh, with no debt or hard feelings. 

B-days are celebrated here the Western way - with parties and presents. However some, primarily people past their 30's, avoid this, as getting older brings them negative feelings, so try not to make jokes about the age older people approach. 

If you are invited to a birthday party in Lithuania, usually the details are given quite clearly about the dress code, place, drinks, gifts and food. If not, make sure you are aware of the surrounding that you are going to. Some parties are really low-key and chill, where you can wear casual clothes, bring a simple symbolic gift and eat some food and have some drinks. But most parties are actually quite the opposite, that is why I tell you to be aware. Some people go to the extreme and rent out a club and invite up to 50 people to their birthdays. Make sure you don't do much damage if you get super drunk, you might be asked to pay the next morning for the damage you've caused. And remember mind the neighbors, you don't want the police to arrive. Also, think about a sleepover, will there be one?, should you bring something to sleep in to be more comfortable? is an extra blow-up mattress needed, for you not to end up sleeping in a bathtub? 

An advice for a birthday gift from me would be: if you don't know the person very well, try to chip in on a gift that the closer friends are buying. :) 

Not much to say here... Like New Year parties, bring your own booze, chip in on food, or bring snacks, and prepare to have fun and dance. NOT ALL HOUSE PARTIES END UP AT HOME. You might be asked to join going to a club after midnight. Usual student parties don;t have much normal cooked food, unless it's a pizza, and don't bother bringing any, eat something at home and just bring snacks. There will be no time to eat with all that dancing and drinking going on. Also, ask the fellow Lithuanians to teach you some fun drinking games!  

How to be a good neighbor in Lithuania

There's a saying in Lithuania: "Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away" („Kaimynas arti geriau, negu brolis toli." (Patarlių 27:10, Brb)). Lithuanians are quite warm people with open doors for everyone. Of course a  fellow native would probably be greeted with more affection just because of no language barriers and common knowledge of the traditions, but most of the people would accept a foreign neighbor just as well, especially if you follow some guidelines from the "neighbor bible" :).                            

The first thing that should be quite obvious to everyone is that you always greet your neighbors, and in Lithuania, most commonly any person that you see in your building (just because you are never sure if he is or isn't  an actual neighbor of yours, you just forgot).

Something that happens here in Lithuania is a game I call - all year long secret Santa. This is when you and your neighbors leave random objects or candy to give away on the window shelves or tables in your building staircase. For example, in my building staircase there was  a branchy plant that always had some chocolates hanging on them, Easter eggs, Christmas Santa chocolates, valentines day hearts, random Rafaello's. More bizarre stuff that you might find: makeup, board-games, robot toys, magazines, sculptures. And no, you do not need to leave a thank you note when you take something :) But have in mind that you are now involved in this reciprocity game and should surprise them with something.

Another thing from having a good relationship with your neighbor here is that you feel no shame in knocking on their door on that rainy day just to ask for an egg or some carrots, because it is raining outside or you are just so darn lazy. My family and my neighbors were always so close, we had monthly parties just with the neighbors, regardless the age, borrowing cocoa at night, arranging a cleaning schedule for the staircase, respecting one another and even taking out each others garbage. Your neighbor can become your closest friends, so convenient, right? :)


And for the end, just some basic neighborly rules:

If you find a letter in your mailbox that was meant for your neighbor, put it in his mailbox, don't throw it away...

If you listen to music or have a party, inform your closest neighbors or try to keep it down, imagine that sound coming from your neighbors when you have an exam the next day or an early workday.

Treat them as if you would like to be treated.

Speak your mind, if something is bothering you, do not expect them to realize themselves, and be calm, don't yell.

:) here is your starter kit in being a good neighbor here in Lithuania

Lithuanian Public Transport

Just to help those,who are planing to visit Lithuania, I will describe the main etiquette, rules, and fun facts about the Lithuanian public transport system, as it is very accurate for use, when you want to go and visit a few places in one day.                                                                                           

Sometimes the public transport "trolleybus" and bus can be confusing even for the locals. Some people think that you can only come in through the first door (next to the driver) and leave from the rest. But no one actually follows this rule anymore, especially in Vilnius. This would be maybe more accurate to Kaunas buses. 

When you get in, you have to immediately buy a one time ticket (the price depends on your age and weather you're a student, scholar or a regular worker. Seniors and students get the biggest discounts.|| http://www.vilniustransport.lt/lt/pages/view/?id=53 || http://www.kvt.lt/bilietu_kainos ||) or mark your travel card "Vilniečio kortelė" (in Kaunas "Kauno e-bilietas"). It is not necessary to mark the travel card every time!  If the travel card is paid for one month, the you have to mark it one time per month and ride calmly.  The schemes where each trolleybus and bus goes can usually be found on each bus stop, as well as online -->> http://www.vilniausviesasistransportas.lt/images/2015-04-01_marsrutu_schema.pdf

Now for some etiquette rules: 

1st - decency requires that you give your seat to women  with small children, pregnant women, seniors or a person with a disability.

2nd - The person, who was given a seat by other  must thank for that, but it should not be the basis for establishing the beneficent conversation, not everyone needs/wants to hear about your day and may have some business of their own to sort over in their heads. 

3d - you should respect people sitting around you: 

- if you have a crying child, try to calm him down instead of ignoring him/her. 

- make sure that  your headphones are not on too loud so that even others around you can hear your beats. AND DO NOT PLAY MUSIC ON YOUR PHONE SPEAKER - no one wants to hear what you concider to be good music :)))

- do not eat smelly foods, and avoid drinking when the transport is shaky not to spill anything on anyone. Alcohol is not sloud on public transport but of  course, most people going to/ from parties forget it or just don't care and it usually ends in unpleasant vomit and smelly situations. 

4th - if you are the one to get in the bus, first, let everyone who needs to get out before coming in. 

These are just some of the basics, apart from those which might be obvious. 

And now for some fun facts... Very popular and quite true portray of where you belong in the society through the place you chose in the Lithuanian public transport. 

1,2,3 - The place where homeless people are sitting. 

4,5 and 6,7 - aggressive guys and girls, usually with training clothes and "sėmačkos" (suflower seeds) and horribly exhausted girls coming home from "klubasai" (clubs) with the first morning bus.

8,9 and 10,11 - well, here sits the gray mass. No one will notice you. 

12 and 13 - all the "chicas" sit here so if you want to check out some nice girl stand next to these seats, but anyway, if you sit in one of  these there is a  possibility that the elderly will make you leave. 

14, 15, 16,17,18 - individualists, artists and so on, dreamily looking out the window, so if you are not one of them, this place has overtaken.

19,20 and 21,22 - don't even think about them. It does not matter whether you are an accountant or a young lady, this place can be left blank, because it will always be stolen by the elderly from you or you will be facing some angry stares if you don't stand up for them. It is called THE RED ZONE (or otherwise knows as the grumpy old people zone).

23, 24 - will sit on the youth of what the **** orchestral lessons and going home with a backpack, or pink zone (almost old men)

25,26 - Best location if today you feel self-satisfied and confident, you're happy and just feel like "the man". 

27,28 - reverse 25/26 place. If you are feeling a little down and just having a horrible hair day, just sit here. You can watch advertisements or you can calmly see the wall and you will not see nobody. 

So which one are you??? :) 

Short Intro to Culture

Hey fellow students! 

My name is Ruta and I'll be your guide through this crazy Lithuanian culture that is "weirdly" unknown by most of you. If you are reading this blog, you are probably planning to visit us. Mostly because you think it is a dangerous, unexplored place that you heard mind-blowing tales about. And believe me, they are  probably true! But my task here is to share with you all of the sides - good, fun, weird, crazy cultural facts. Also, you might say that some of my posts will be as a "survival guide", which should help you understand the Lithuanian gestures, facial expressions, what is appropriate and not appropriate to say, I will write about behavior in public places, public transport, what is expected when you arrive as a guest, or when you go to a part, and many other topics.  

You can expect my first article to be published this Saturday ! :) 

And remember, I am always interested to hear what you, readers, are interested in reading about, what are you most nervous to encounter here, and hopefully I could give you some info and advice on the situations.