I recently read an article that named Lithuania the 3^rd most miserable country, after number 1- Syria, and number 2- Chad. Both Syria and Chad are war-torn, and there are plenty of other war-torn countries that are certainly more miserable than Lithuania. Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Somalia and South Sudan certainly come to mind. Anyway, based on my experience, Lithuania is certainly not a miserable country. There are definitely hardships, and the weather is pretty chilly and grey, but overall there is a hugely active cultural scene, with many artists. People are in restaurants and bars, and long-standing traditions are always visible. Everyone is so proud of the Lithuanian language and there is optimism about the new currency, the Euro. People are certainly concerned about the developments in Russia. But it is hard to find a person that really believes that Vilnius will be invaded any time soon. After all, Lithuania is part of NATO. Russia won’t invade.

But there are hardships. The pension is a maximum of 300 Euros/month. This is barely enough to pay the rent plus the heat. Older people have to grow their own food, or rely on their relatives in order to survive. The big supermarkets and shopping centers have everything that is available in Western Europe, but the average working people don’t have the money to buy these things. The infrastructure could be improved. After many years of quick renovations and developments, it looks like things have slowed down somewhat. Many of the roads and buildings need work. The bureaucracy is complex, and things move slowly.

Also, I notice that “customer service” is not an established tradition in Lithuania.  In the Soviet times, the stores didn’t have much, and people behind the counters sat idly.  I wonder if that has carried over into modern times.  As an example, I went to Nordea bank to deposit some money, and although no other customers were there, I had to wait 10 minutes before someone would help me.  The people working there were just looking at their computers.  Then I asked if I could change my 100 Euro bill to smaller bills, but I found that it was not possible in this bank and they couldn’t help me.

I tried to vote today, but I was not properly registered, so although I am a Lithuanian and eligible, because of the bureaucracy and complex internet forms, I did not help choose the next mayor of Vilnius. I did see the process. It seems easier to vote in Sweden, but more complex in the USA, especially California with all the propositions.

There are many concerts, performances and museum exhibitions. Today I saw an exhibition of the artist Jonas Rimša. He was born here, but lived many years in South America and Tahiti. Here are some of his works.

The spring has come early, and there is no more chance of snow or skiing. I am back into the routine of working at the Nature Research Centre, and seeing friends, with the Academic sauna every Friday.