Vilnius: Everyone Likes an Underdog

My last night in Vilnius my Lithuanian friends took me to Panama - a restaurant on the new side of town. One of the things I like best about hanging out with these friends in particular is that I get to resume my alter ego Jurgita Marsonaite. The last time I was in Lithuania they found out I was part Lithuanian and christened me with this Lithuanian version of my name using a can of beer from McDonalds, as you do. Here is me pretending to be a Lithuanian with them:

During dinner we talked mostly about what their friends are doing to make a living - some of which are kind of crazy, such as living in an 18-wheeler to save on housing costs. However, despite the economic hardships I have a feeling the Lithuanians will come to prosper. They've overcome much more than this throughout their history. A list of things Lithuania has successfully overcome includes:

- Catholicism (for most of its history)

- Prussia

- Imperial Russia

- Nazi Germany

- The Soviet Union

- Overt friendliness

Ok that last one was a joke - mostly. But just to give you an example when the Soviet Union was forcibly controlling Lithuania - along with its Baltic neighbors - the Lithuanian population organized an international human chain of protest, stood their ground as Soviet tanks ran them down in the middle of Vilnius, and waged multi-decade guerrilla warfare in the forest (click any of these for more information). They are the ultimate underdog who against all odds overcame a constant onslaught of invaders. Some may call it stubbornnesss but I call it fortitude, determination, and patriotism. And that's why I love Lithuania.