| Vokieciu
11-12
24 June 2004
In one swift look I can see 30 crosses from my
balcony.
It's taken hours of sitting, folding, looking, organizing, finding,
cleaning, debating, moving, considering, testing and evaluating
but I am finally almost moved in to my new apartment on Vokieciu
St., right in the heart of the Senamiestas (Old Town) on the edge
of what was once the Jewish Ghetto during WWII.
I'm on the 4th floor of a post-war apartment with a view all the
way to the Three Crosses and the University, a proficient violophone
player, the afore-mentioned balcony, 1.5 rooms, a new refrigerator
to accommodate all my unused film and rumor has it a very good-looking
neighbor about my age.
(If you're asking yourself what a violophone is, well, it's the
only name I could come up with for that thing you play with one
had like a piano while pumping air through it's bellows. If you
can tell me the real word for this very loud instrument I'll be
very happy!)
I was forced to move from my wonderful appartment in my dear Uzupis
because the owner was returning from America. While sad to leave
that amaxzing appartment, the response so far to the new one has
been very positive, with Egle saying, "PERFECT!!". I am
withen stumbling distance from our favorite bars, a stones throw
from the cafes on Piles St., a much quicker trip to work and $100
less per month. It's smaller, but well kept, and that means less
for me to clean. And the lower rent means I have more money to party
with. So all's well that ends well.
For my last dinner in Uzupis which I shared with my good friend
Egis who helped me move, I treated myself to a nice bottle of Bordeaux
and left one glass for my first dinner on Vokieciu St. I slowly
enjoyed it with my steak and salad ala Aunt Donna dinner. It was
almost like last summer sitting on the patio in New Jersey. I'll
miss living across from the park, but my balcony overlooks the courtyard
and I'll have 15 extra mintues to sleep in the mornings.
Since my last email, my girls, Camilla and Valerie, came to Lithuania
for a week, the weather has gotten warmer, I lost my motivation
for marathon training (which I'm actively trying to get back), I
had a Latvian party and a couple of late nights and made some new
friends, put up my new portfilio website at jenn.virskus.com (which
is pretty much the same with slightly different programming), I've
worked too much and played to little but we're almost at the end
of putting out 5 magazines this month and I'm looking forward to
July which won't be any less busy but hopefully more fun! I'm planning
to go to Slovakia to visit my new god son Magnus, with any luck
take a trip to Poland to go kayaking (it's REALLY cheap) and camp
for two days at a Blues Festival near Telsiai (check a really good
map).
Living in Lithuania hasn't lost it's sparkle and not that summer
might be finally here I'm happier every day. I understand almost
everything and am speaking more and more slowly but surely. In anycase,
I can't leave till I am fluent so mom, if you want be back stateside,
you better spring for a tutor (preferably a good looking one around
the age of 30)!
I guess that's all for now from the 54th parallel. Take care and
watch for cheap flights on SAS. I promise you won't regret a week
in Lithuania!
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