Lithuania is not what you think it is! :)

[curiouslyrandom]

I often joke that my American name is actually a Lithuanian man's name. I was amazed the first time I visited a Lithuanian cemetery in Chicago to see my grandparents' graves. So many people with names like mine!!

And the food.... kugelis! Heart attack on a plate, but soooo good. My English mother taught me to make ausukis good enough to impress the Lithuanian aunties in my language class.

[Wax Frog]

Dare I say your name was chosen in a curiously random manner?

[curiouslyrandom]

Originally Posted by Wax Frog

Dare I say your name was chosen in a curiously random manner?

LOL! Not entirely, there was logic to it. I just don't think my dad thought about it much from a linguistic perspective.

[Agota]

What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?

[curiouslyrandom]

Originally Posted by Agota

What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?

I've PMed you.

[Wax Frog]

Originally Posted by Agota

On a more serious note, it's hard for me to comment on the national character of Lithuanian women, since they're very different, apart for one thing in common - beauty

You must secretly work for the Lithuanian tourism department!

Originally Posted by curiouslyrandom

LOL! Not entirely, there was logic to it. I just don't think my dad thought about it much from a linguistic perspective.

Where's the logic in naming his little angel as a boy? So curiouslyrandom is part-Kapustanian, veddy intedestink!

Ooh, I know, I know - you're Zydrunas Ilgauskas*! J/K J/K J/K

*I'm guessing some of those letters should have 'squiggles on them, but I'm too lazy to add - ask the other "Kapustanians"

[Agota]

Oh, wait, it's American name you're talking about.. No, I wouldn't say that's Lithuanian man's name, I get what you're talking about, but it took me a while

[Wax Frog]

Originally Posted by Agota

It's not a Lithuanian man's name, but it could be Lithuanian man's last name

..I was really confused why would your parents give you male name, but hey, it's a last name, so it's obvious

Ah, OK! I love how I learn stuff even when I'm being a goof! I think you Lettic Peoples® developed a secret code to keep nuts like me out of your club!

[Agota]

What's ausukis?

[curiouslyrandom]

The last name, yes. But the first name... maybe it's a man's name with a K and not a C? I've seen it spelled with a K, in Poland, at least.

[Agota]

Originally Posted by Wax Frog

Ah, OK! I love how I learn stuff even when I'm being a goof! I think you Lettic Peoples® developed a secret code to keep nuts like me out of your club!

Nop, it's actually name that we're talking about, it simply took me a while to get it because I wouldn't associate it with similar male name

[curiouslyrandom]

Originally Posted by Agota

What's ausukis?

"Pig's ears"! Cookies, actually. Some Lithuanians I've met haven't heard of them or have a different name for them, and I've met Norwegians who knew of them by a different name. Thin dough cut into diamonds, twisted, dipped in hot oil and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Delicious.

[Agota]

Originally Posted by curiouslyrandom

The last name, yes. But the first name... maybe it's a man's name with a K and not a C? I've seen it spelled with a K, in Poland, at least.

Yes, it's spelled with K, but you would need to add an ending to a name to make it Lithuanian and to make it either masculine or feminine, so you can actually choose which one you want

[Agota]

Is it skruzdelynas (ant-pile?ant-farm?)

Like all those cookies put on each other to a big pile?

That's interesting, never heard the name ausukis before.

You see, even Lithuanians learn something on this thread..

[Wax Frog]

Now I'm even more confused, but that just makes me feel even more warmly towards both of you

[KaleidoskopicVision]

I have a Lithuanian friend who described Lithuania as "one giant town with a really giant crime rate". Was he joking?

[Wax Frog]

Originally Posted by KaleidoskopicVision

I have a Lithuanian friend who described Lithuania as "one giant town with a really giant crime rate". Was he joking?

In the currently-improbable event I ever find myself availed of the chance to go there, dear Lordy, I hope so!

[Agota]

Originally Posted by KaleidoskopicVision

I have a Lithuanian friend who described Lithuania as "one giant town with a really giant crime rate". Was he joking?

I think he was, crime rate is not that high and Lithuania is more of a collection of few small towns (like Vilnius) and bunch of villages

[Flying Shadow]

What is the dollar to Lithuanian currency rate? I can very well google it. But I am asking you the worth of one Lithuanian currency.

[ZephyrusX]

Would I have to be able to drive to get around then? I don't drive. I always take public transit.

Originally Posted by Agota

I think he was, crime rate is not that high and Lithuania is more of a collection of few small towns (like Vilnius) and bunch of villages

[Kosmos]

The only thing I remember about Lithuania is the Baltic Way in the early 90s. I can also recognize the flag!

What do you drink over there? Wine or beer? Tea or coffee?

[Firefly55555]

Originally Posted by Agota

I was inspired by the "India is not what you think it is" thread

A lot people from other parts of the world have some weird misconceptions about Eastern Europe. I can't talk much about other countries, but I can answer questions about my own country. In case there was always something you wanted to know about Lithuania, but didn't dare to ask (like "Where is it?" ), this is your chance!

One thing about Lithuania is for sure, though: women are very beautiful here

It was one of the Soviet Union republics.
I always wanted to visit Baltic republics (then countries), but didnt happen. I can add that men there are good looking.

[lifetimelearner]

my maternal grandparents were from your country
they moved to Pennsylvania in the early 1900's

[James Fletcher]

Originally Posted by Agota

Lithuanian monthly minimum wage is 300$ after taxes.

I'm currently renting a two bedrooms apartment, the rent is 160$ and utility bills during winter time can be another 150$, but it's much less in the summer. That's below average apartment, but you could get a very nice apartment in the Old Town for 400$-500$ a month (excluding utility bills).

Food (without eating out) is about 100$/month for me, but I'm cutting costs.It would be more like 150$ for a girl who is eating more varied food than potatoes and pasta and something around 200$ for guy who eats more in general. I have no idea why food is so expensive when compared with average income level. Oh, and you know how they say "being vegetarian is cheaper than eating meat"? Forget it in Lithuania, it's much more expensive to be vegetarian and buy loads of fruits and vegs than to eat meat.

You can eat pizza and coke in popular cafe for 8$ and eat pasta and drink something in a nice restaurant for 12$-16$. Really posh restaurants are more expensive, but that's average prices for posh yet affordable restaurants.

Movie ticket is around 8$.

What really confuses me in Lithuania is how can minimum wage be 300$/month, yet you spend at least 100$/month on food (which is pasta and potatoes)? Compare that to UK, where minimum wage is around 800 GBP (1200$), yet you can easily live with 100GBP on food per month and that's without much frugality involved. Something doesn't add up, as well as many living costs in relation to average income. I think in Lithuania, there is no need for salaries to rise in order for costs to rise, costs can rise and rise and rise and there's no end in sight.

Average professional salary in Lithuania is 800$ (yet many professionals with higher education get the minimum wage). I believe you would be living a very good life with 2000$ per month and you'd be rich with 4000$ month.

Do you live in a "Soviet Block" style apartment? I really am fascinated by them at the moment, the way there are simply dozens of them in former communist cities.

I know there are similar "housing projects" in western countries. My fascination probably stems from growing up in Australia, where land in major cities was cheap and abundant, and after World War II all returning servicemen were ensured a house with a backyard, so for the rest of the 20th century the same precedent was followed. Therefore I've always been curious about apartment living.

[James Fletcher]

Karaganda Apartment

lol. Only sort of related to my question since this is a Kazakhstan apartment, but 4:20 is pretty funny nonetheless. I hope you didn't find anything like that in your apartment Agota.

[Agota]

Yeah, I live in that soviet style block building..

There are so many of them!

[Agota]

Yeah, I live in that soviet style block building..

It was so strange that in western countries you don't have many buildings like that

[machoman]

Originally Posted by Agota

There's only one native language in Lithuania, which, surprisingly, is Lithuanian. I can't really be sure, but I've heard that it is considered to be one of the most difficult languages in the world because of it's complicated grammar, which is puzzling even to native speakers. I have no idea how foreign people actually learn this language

I thought the language I speak is the difficult language in the world

[GeorgeMagister]

Originally Posted by machoman

I thought the language I speak is the difficult language in the world[.]

She didn't say that it was exclusively the most difficult. It was just her acknowledging that others thought her language was among the most difficult to learn. Why turn this into a native tongue "measuring contest"?