crazy times... transition from 2006 to 2007...

time before Christmas was busy with all kind of wrapping-up 2006 and preparing for 2007, while the festive week between Christmas Eve and New Year is all about... doing nothing but eating and celebrating with family and friends.. at least that is the way it goes in Lithuania:)

this year we introduced new tradition to our celebrations - playing games - alias, twister, jenga and others which pop to your mind. illustration is on your right hand side:) i find it cool, that our celebrations have less and less alcohol but more and more fun (Kadri, i will soon be able to qualify for egtyf/activ;)

seems that this week we'll have parties everyday - since it is good to have many friends and many friendly youth organizations:)

HEY HEY HEY - best season greetings to everyone!!!

2007

howdy! Christmas period is the right time to reflect on what happened during the year and plan (hope) the upcoming year...

shall we start with what happened? :) well, this brought many changes, starting with personal life, professional orientation and so on... and to be honest, i am not in the mood to talk about what happened, since if we cannot change it, why to bother? :) to some extent, loss of laptop (documentation of 3past years) is symbolic closure of the big chapter and in 2007 we will start another one - bright, colourful and unforgettable.

all horoscopes scream that 2007 will be very good, especially for Leo. hmm, why not:) i do have plenty of plans, i hope that most of them will come true. if so, u'll also be informed about that:) but until then - a lot of work. just like last days before Christmas.. filling reports and applications..

funny? embarrassing? genious!

This "movie-film" is anything but just another piece of Hollywood/ Bollywood entertainment. Some will find it embarrassing and shocking, some will laugh almost to death. Others (including me) would use it for education purpose, first of all, to reflect for yourself:

- how educated we are?
- what do we know about ourselves? about our culture?
- what do we know about other cultures? and can we understand our culture without meeting "others"?
- do we need to prepare for meeting of different cultures?
- what is tolerance and were are the borders of tolerance?
- what (if) do we learn while being tolerant?;
- how much do we try to "understand" others?
- can one culture be better?
- how flexible should we be?


If you can reflect on these questions and movie is still not funny, take a closure look on what is going around you be it in US(OA), Kazakhstan or middle of Europe. we all have a little borat in ourselves but just some of us are willing to acknowledge that fact...

EUrope - simple plan how to safe Europe

just added daily random NASA picture to my Google personalized homepage... so now everyday i will be given a chance to admire our beautiful planet.

and.. it brings me back to the discussion which we had with mr. Asser, two swedes (Magnus & Magnus), film-maker Valeriu from Moldova and two American girls sitting on the next table. The discussion was all about Europe, EU federalism, need of Constitution and how better place Europe would be without France...

we identified two ways to strengthen Europe, one positive, one negative.

Positive:
- create symbols of Europe (like Big Ben in UK, Akropolis in Greece, Eiffel in France);
- have European heroes - role models. at the end of the day it could be President of EU.
- united European team in Olympics, Football WordCup, etc.
- stop calling Football "soccer"!!! we created the game, we mastered it and we play it with... foot (compared with other game which bares the same name but has very little to do both foot and ball)
- launch European Space program! We can do it!Especially if we cut on budget expenditures on agriculture....

Negative:
- cut the France out of Europe's map - instead of that we will have European sea! i think Germany, Netherlands and other neighbouring countries would not mind ;)
-send all Frenchmen to US along with potatoes from Poland - Americans would appreciate genuine French Fries with affordable price! (little comment from next table - we never thought that u hate us (US) that much:)
- send all Frenchmen to Space (see the previous "positive" suggestions). Planet Earth will be grateful and at the same time Europe will be expanded beyond its geographical boundaries!

Vivat Europa!

underworld in Prague...

Prague, me

London: findings

on the left - after school... thats how it could look in the Royal University of Greenwich... pretty amazing place to see and (i believe) to study in. Shall you visit Greenwich Maritime Museum and 0 Meriddian, spent some time going down the hill and visiting facilities of this University, whichc is overlooking river Themes and futuristic district Canary Wharf.



on the right u can see me heading towards St. Paul's Cathedral. The best outcome of last trip to London is that now i have merged lower city (tube) with ground city level and more or less can orientate myself if this brilliant and vibrant megapolis. For example tube stations of Southwark and St. Paul's seems quite far apart and are separated by the river, while in the reality Sheakspeare's Globe Theatre and St. Paul's Cathedral are directly linked by beautiful Millenium Bridge...

another interesting place worth mentioning - Camden Town - on the black tube line. The place were interesting/strange people gather together and since London has loads of them this lace is very busy:) here you can find arts/handcrafts/food from all other the world, if you are Goth/alternative/techno maniac - this place is a Paradise on Earth due to the number of shops ready to offer you everything and anything... check it out.

London has loads to offer to any taste and need. from historic sights to ultra modern buildings and museums, from silent sites to busy streets, from old black cabs to DLR lines without man control.

londonas "istate" ragus...