Culinary Culture Tour with Michael Laiskonis

Clay Moore here, the current American intern with the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Vilnius.

Last week I got to experience not one different culture, but two!  Lithuanian-American pastry Chef +Michael Laiskonis was here on a media tour and it was my responsibility to escort him around the nation and take lots and lots of pictures.  As a man ashamed to admit that I can’t cook very well, I was thoroughly impressed by the skill and talent that Michael showcased for his relatives (he still has family in Lithuania) and other residents of his ancestral land.

Michael Laiskonis (left), His Uncle (right)

Michael was joined by his uncle who lives in Kaunas, an eccentric but delightful older gentleman.  The only language that Michael had in common with his uncle was French, as his uncle did not speak any English.  Even further, the only language I had  in common with the uncle was Russian!  I am so happy to use my Russian here, even more so if its use is related to work.  As I enjoyed kibinai and beer on the shore of Lake Trakai, I listened to Michael’s uncle tell me about the history of the partisans who hid in the hills around the lake and fought foreign invaders.  (They are referred to as “Forest Brothers”, look forward to a post on their history soon).

Michael visited Kaunas Kollegia (College) where he gave a presentation about his own path to success to up-and-coming culinary students.  They reacted with interest, asking many questions and more or less hanging onto Michael's every word.  After his presentation to over 300 people, he met students and sampled their creations in a meeting with faculty and staff.

Michael inspects the spread

Following Kaunas, we went to a Sodziaus Meistrai, a small school in the village, Rudiskes.  The students watched with excitement while Michael was crafting culinary delights and teaching them techniques that many had not heard of in their lives yet.

It was a long day full of traveling around beautiful Lithuania.  The weather was a snowy, wet mix, however the countryside looked great!  I am so happy that I have work-related opportunities like this to travel and see not only Vilnius, but the entire country!

Reflections of a Fulbright Artist

Today's guest blogger is Patrick Suzeau, associate professor of Dance at the University of Kansas, who spent a semester in Vilnius as a Fulbright scholar in 2007. He was introduced to the Fulbright program by another Fulbright senior scholar, Linda Maxey, who suggested that Patrick and his wife Muriel, also a professor of dance at the University of Kansas, go to Lithuania to offer a different and fresh artistic perspective.

We first came to Vilnius for about three weeks in 2004, around Thanksgiving and we had a superb experience. We enjoyed watching and giving classes at the Lithuanian Academy and the National Ballet School. Muriel taught contemporary dance classes that were very well received; contemporary dance technique was a relatively new arrival to Eastern Europe.  Meanwhile I was asked to teach ballet classes. I thought that it was odd that they would be interested in ballet classes considering that they have a strong tradition in Russian ballet. It became clear to me why when I asked them to execute a certain step, which they did superbly. However, they did it as it is done in Russia.  American ballet has evolved in different directions. That is when I realized why these senior teachers were watching my classes. As a New York City-trained dancer, my background is eclectic, something typical of American artists who have been exposed to diverse techniques and approaches. In addition, as a contemporary choreographer I favor unconventional spatial and rhythmic patterns, something that seemed to have been new and of interest to Lithuanian ballet teachers.

Jousting, Castles, and Still Waters. Only in Trakai!

Over the weekend I went to the Trakai Medieval Festival with my roommates, Kaitlin and Jonathan, and one of our Marines here, Sergeant Mario Stokes. We heard about this festival weeks before and it was something we were looking forward to for a while. We arrived at the bus station and ordered our tickets. Twenty minutes later we were in Trakai. We had to laugh as we paid 1LT to use the bathroom, something we have never seen in America. We stopped to look at a map to find out where to go next, but instead made the right decision to just follow the huge crowds of people walking up one particular street. We were making our way to the castle!

If I’m lucky, I’ll go back to Lithuania someday. Until then, iki!

Even after nearly a month home from Lithuania, I still think about it every day. My experience interning at the US Embassy was incomparable and I really value the opportunity I had to learn about diplomacy as well as the culture, government and history of the region.

My 12-week experience in Lithuania really flew by. I stayed busy and had the opportunity to do a myriad  things, from representing the Embassy at cultural programs and outreach visits around the country, to leading discussions at movie nights, and even dancing around Vilnius for Violence against Women awareness.  I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to several towns and cities, including Kaunas, Kėdainiai, Tytuvėnai, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Rokiškis, Trakai, and Marijampolė. 

I saw inconceivably beautiful cathedrals, frozen lakes and rivers, astonishing forests, and fascinating museums and cultural sights. I learned about an array of things, including the path to the restoration of independence in 1990, the Jewish history, the thriving art scene that exists in Lithuania, and so much more. This internship marked my third trip to Lithuania, but I continue to learn about and love Lithuania more and more with each stay.

My favorite part of my experience in Lithuania by far was the people. There is truly something special about those who I had the opportunity to meet in Lithuania, whether it was local staff and local interns at the Embassy, the attendees of the movie nights and other events, or the numerous students and teachers that I met during outreach visits. There was a human spirit and feeling of hospitality that is unlike anywhere else. Some of my best memories are times spent with local staff at the Embassy, like spinning eggs on the floor around Easter time and even just drinking coffee and hearing their stories. 

I was provided insight about the history, language and culture that would be impossible to learn from a class or museum, and my colleagues at the Embassy really became some of my best friends by the end of it. These relationships are invaluable and they made my internship experience and time in Lithuania all the more enriching.

This was a great opportunity to expand and grow, personally, academically and professionally. What I gained while I was there was more than I could have ever imagined or wished for and I hope that all future Embassy interns and visitors to Lithuania will have a similar great experience!

If I’m lucky, I’ll go back to Lithuania someday. Until then, iki! J

// Sara

Trakai

For our first full weekend in Lithuania, J.T., Domenico, and I (aka the new American interns) went to Trakai with some of the diplomats from the Embassy.  Trakai is a city steeped in medieval history and dotted with lakes—and since it’s only about a half-hour car ride from Vilnius, it’s a popular lake resort too.  There’s evidence to suggest that Trakai has been settled since the first millennium AD, and during the reign of Vytautas the Great Trakai was the center of activity in the Lithuanian empire.  Once Vilnius began to grow, Trakai slowly lost its significance and was destroyed by the Cossacks during the 1655 invasion.  Still, even the ruins of Trakai served as a symbol of the national revival of the nineteenth century, and the city was never forgotten.  Ironically enough, it was under Soviet rule in the 1950’s when it was announced that the city would be rebuilt and restored—and it is because of these improvements that Trakai is the cultural attraction we see today.

Our first stop in Trakai was the Trakai Island Castle, built during the rule of Vytautas the Great (known as a national hero) and restored in 1987.  A long wooden footbridge connects the island on which the castle rests to the shore, and boats of all kinds are available to rent for use on Lake Galvė in between.  There’s a path that covers the circumference of the island, and a path to take into the castle—complete with a moat and bridge.  The castle is huge and houses a history museum that displays everything from clothes to medieval armor, most of which is older than America! (No big deal, right?)   You can climb all the way up to the Ducal Palace’s keep, which is 100 feet high and gives a great view of the rest of the castle as well as the lake surrounding it.  In one section of the castle there was even a contemporary art exhibit, an example that I think symbolizes Lithuania perfectly: the place boasts modern ingenuity even within its famed rustic historical exterior.

Next, we returned to the shore and walked along the main streets of the city.  Here, the multicultural nature of the town is seen in the types of restaurants we saw—with foods inspired by communities of Lithuanians, Polish, Russians, Tartars, and Karaims.  All of it looked good, and we were all hungry!  Cultural influences can be seen by looking at the construction of things as well; for example, in many areas that were settled by Karaim, the buildings have three windows that face the street, a popular tradition for the community.

Our last stop was the Medieval Festival held at the old Trakai Peninsula Castle right nearby.  We had to rush to the fair after eating because the guys wanted to catch the last of the battle reenactments.  It’s funny to think about though, because here these duels are like our Civil War reenactments at home—they’re not scripted to look like something out of a movie, but instead are actually a part of the history and culture of the country.  At this fair, the “soldiers” were actually beating each other with axes and shields (something JT and Domenico found really amusing) which made it more like a history lesson and less like Disneyland.  In the meantime, we also got to look at all of the traditional handcrafted goods for sale and more, you guessed it, food.  In the center of the fair we found a couple guys pushing an archaic-looking wooden horse in a circle for kids to ride—but Domenico and JT wanted to ride too.  The guys working the ride laughed when JT and Domenico paid, and I can’t say what was more amusing: watching them ride a horse made for kids under the age of ten or watching everyone else at the fair’s reaction.

All in all, it was a really nice visit, and I think that the pictures alone would make the trip worthwhile!