Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Jonines
Sigita arranged for a Jonines celebration at the Durham homestead yesterday. It was more manageable that some we had years years ago, when the kids were in school.
I was honest when people asked, "How are you?" They are no doubt wondering why I can't "move on" after 18 months.
It would sound childish to say, "I don't want to go, and you can't make me." But it would be the truth.
Had many nice conversations, and I will have less trepidation when Sigita asks about doing this next year. The greatest compliment was, "It feels just like Lithuania here," from several people, usually recent emigres.
Also, per usual, a ton of leftover food.
I did not get any photos, but others did. I will post them as I receive them.
I was honest when people asked, "How are you?" They are no doubt wondering why I can't "move on" after 18 months.
It would sound childish to say, "I don't want to go, and you can't make me." But it would be the truth.
Had many nice conversations, and I will have less trepidation when Sigita asks about doing this next year. The greatest compliment was, "It feels just like Lithuania here," from several people, usually recent emigres.
Also, per usual, a ton of leftover food.
I did not get any photos, but others did. I will post them as I receive them.
Monday, June 14, 2010
a.p.p.l.e. participants visited Vaiva's grave
Last summer many of the participants in a.p.p.l.e.'s summer program visited Vaiva's grave in Vilnius, decorating it with flowers and candles. I just recently learned about the event. Algirdas Mulionis provided me with the photos below.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Gruto Parkas 2010
Coincidentally, Teddy, Aras, Adrija and I visited Gruto Parkas last weekend, which Tete posted about. We know how important it is to never forget this terrible time in history. Here are a few photos from the trip.
Three proud Lithuanians voluntarily aboard a train that tragically deported our countrymen to Siberia, as Tete described in the earlier post.
Adrija smiles in front of a menacing Lenin.
Engels, Marx, Lenin, Kapsukas, Stalin.
"Four Communists."
Glorification of a young woman who died for supporting the Communist cause.
An example of the descriptions accompanying many statues of Soviet "heroes."
We visited the art museum on-site. There were many jolly paintings and drawings of Lenin interacting with his countrymen. No artists' renditions of Lenin overseeing wholesale slaughter.
But the truth was on display in the history museum on-site. We saw photographs and messages from the time period, nauseating and real: "Love the party, my young child, as you love your mother!" "We will learn how to die, if our country will require a sacrifice" (above).
Here is the menu for the Soviet restaurant "Nostalgia." You can see the prices have been doubled, in black permanent marker. We resisted the temptation to eat Chop Goodbye Youth, and instead opted for traditional beer, kepta duona, potato pancakes, koldunai, and fish.
Three proud Lithuanians voluntarily aboard a train that tragically deported our countrymen to Siberia, as Tete described in the earlier post.
Adrija smiles in front of a menacing Lenin.
Engels, Marx, Lenin, Kapsukas, Stalin.
"Four Communists."
Glorification of a young woman who died for supporting the Communist cause.
An example of the descriptions accompanying many statues of Soviet "heroes."
We visited the art museum on-site. There were many jolly paintings and drawings of Lenin interacting with his countrymen. No artists' renditions of Lenin overseeing wholesale slaughter.
But the truth was on display in the history museum on-site. We saw photographs and messages from the time period, nauseating and real: "Love the party, my young child, as you love your mother!" "We will learn how to die, if our country will require a sacrifice" (above).
Here is the menu for the Soviet restaurant "Nostalgia." You can see the prices have been doubled, in black permanent marker. We resisted the temptation to eat Chop Goodbye Youth, and instead opted for traditional beer, kepta duona, potato pancakes, koldunai, and fish.
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