300 lakes rally

From 7th till 9th of August in Nothen-Easten region of Lithuania was big event - rally "300 lakes". This rally is very populas among lockals. The route is always the same. It starts from Visaginas, goes throught Zarasai and ends in Salakas. Different cars participated In the rally professionals and non-professionals. The participans was from different countries Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. Mostly the drivers on their cars were from one country but at the same time were also mix. For example I checked one car the drivers were from Russia and Poland.

First day the drivers represented their cars. And they started one by one each 5 minutes a new car. I also looked on the cars it stayed on the main square before start. I even found one car from my region in Russia! When I did I couldn't belive in it ))) But it was funny! It would be like a memory about this event )))

I saw just part of the rally in Zarasai cause it was for free. Normally the price for one ticket was 35 lt - not so expencive and not so cheap.

The part I saw was enough to imagine how it was at all. So I could say it was amazing, incredible and exciting ))) Could you imagine a car goes very fast at the same time has to move in difficult turn! Some drivers were crazy and their cars overturned just on the road. Yes, from time to time there was a little bit dangerous.

To tell the truth this rally is one of the favourite events of people. Not only me came to watch rally. I could say there was the most big fans of it!!!

It was my first time I saw this kind of event. And I liked it very much! Especially for emotions I get during and after )))

Marathon for disabled

On 7th of August I participated in marathon for disabled.
It was a special project from 6th till 13th of August organized all together by 3 countries Lithuania, Latvia and Belarus. It called "Green routes without obstacles". There were about 30 disabled from this countries. They had to drive about 350 km on wheelchairs during about one week. One day they were staying in one place.
The organizators in Lithuania was Grazhute regional park. The road of the marathon was going through Zarasai and I desided to join to volunteers from Grazhute and help them.
Our main task was help to disabled to moving in hard parts of the way. Also we organized accomodation for them  - were preparing a camp with tents to sleep, making food and organizing eating place.
It was totally new experience for me. I couldn't say it was easy to do but I happy I get it and could help to guys.

 Marathon. Day in Zarasai.

Music festival "Galapagai 2014"

Last weekend (at 1th and 2th of August) in Zarasai was organizing big music festival "Galapagai 2014".
This year like everytime there was many-many people. All people was from different countries but of course mostly from Lithuania and Zarasai. Galapagai toke place in one big island which situated in Zarasai and surounded by the lake. People could come and stay in their tents. It's very comfortable cause you can every time enjoy the fest and music.
On the fest was a few stages with different kind of music. Main stage was with rock - pop music. The most interesting band for me have played there were The Baseballs (rock-n-roll) from Germany, also SKAMP (rock-r'n'b), Lemon Joy (pop-rock) and Leon Somov & Jazzu (soul) from Lithuania. Another stage was mostly with different kind of electronical music. I really enjoyed Mr.Woodnote and Lyl Rhys (hip-hop/jazz) from UK and Jurgis Didžiulis (electronica) from  Lithuania.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Mary and me
 

I was on the fest together with some other past and present volunteers who also interested in it. So there also were Alba (girl from Spain). She is working in National park in Ignalina. And Mary (girl from Armenia) who works in Anykščiai regional park. Also there were two italian girls Barbara and Cinzia. They worked in the library last year. They came to Zarasai to visit library and their lithuanian friends.
We spent amazing weekend all together. I could say it was one of the most interesting and unusual time I had during EVS. The company and atmosphere on the fest was really friendly and cozy. If I ll be able to do it again in the future I would be happy to visit Galapagai once (but may be not once) again. And I definitely recomend you doing the same and you ll try to feel the same emotions I had.

                                 International team on Lithuanian festival. Cinzia, Barbara, Alba and me

Weekend in Dzukija National Park

At the end of June from 21th till 24th I was in Dzukija National Park in Marcinkonys exactly. This Park is situated on the South of Lithuania.
I was there with some other volunteers. Generally there were 11 EVS volunteers from different regions of Lithuania. We spent very interesting weekend all together.
We slept in a tents and cooked on a open fire.
First day we made a cycling trip around Park. We saw beautiful Park's nature. There are so many lakes! That place very popular among lockals and tourists. They come to the Park fo rest, fishing, gether berries and moshrooms on a wild nature.
At the evening we cooked potatoes with different vegetables. That meal was very delicios cause everybody was very tired after interesting and eventful day.
Next day we stayed in our tent's camp. We swam in the lake and got sunbathing. At the evening that day we played one interesting game. We devided in 3 groups and explaned and guessed different words. It was funny.
At the third and last day in Dzukija we made a canoeing on Ula river. It was great and it's true. We spent about 6 hours on a open water! Our way wasn't so easy cause there were many old trees and branches. And it was like a barriers on our way. But we were able to do it. We went through all barriers till an end point. We did good and hard job!
So that weekend was wery interesting. I could say for that guys let's do it again. To tell the truth everything was amazing and fantastic. Everyone left in Dzukija a part of themselves. I believe I'll back one day to the Park again!!!

Before canoeing on Ula river. Our team

Evening of short movies. Beer fest

The begining of June was not so active. But we had some activities.

On the 11th of June we had an Evening of short movies. People could see different movies of russian and lithuanian directors. All movies were showing in different time on Russian Movie Festival "Message to human". The programme of Evening was very interesting:

1. Kat and kasha (animation) 2010, Russia, director Vyacheslav Kaminsky, duration 5 min

    Animation story about a cat. Cat is eating kasha and kasha is eating a kat.

2. Hunger (fiction) 2008, Lithuania, director Julia Zubavičienė, duration 10 min

    The movie is about love and humanity.

3. 1937 (fiction) 2011, Russia, director  Svetozar Golovlev, duration 18 min

     It happened in 1937. A young couple takes a train to the outskirs of Moscow in order to     secretly baptize their child.

4. Fly under Lithuania or 510 seconds of silent (documental) 2000, Lithuania, directors Arūnas Matelis and Audrius Stotis, duration 10 min

    The movie is showing Lithuania from the plane. It was present on the international exhibition "EXPO 2000", where it received a lot of good reviews and awards

5. Away (fiction) 2012, Russia, director Anna Sarukhanova, duration 17 min

    The story is about a boy. He is invited to go abroad, and must resolve to abondon his ordinary life, friends, family and his girlfriend for a vague future.

6. Tomato story (animation) 2010, Russia, directors Olga and Tatiana Poliektovy, duration 4 min

    Animation humoristic story about two ladies who decided to grow tomatoes.

As you could see on that Evening was shown six different short movies. 

I hope people had interesting, unusual and  not boring evening )))

We created that Evening as a part of our new every week summer activity - Summer Cinema Club. That Evening was a begining of the Club. The main idea of this Club is showing for lockals  the best movies from library‘s video collection. So, this Club will be every Wednesday during all summer season. For example, on 18th of June everybody could see exellent movie "Slumdog millionaire", on 26th of June - "Impossible".

Also it will be a part of our summer programme - Summer Reading for Kids. During this summer programme kids could come to the library on each Thursday and have different activities with librarians like crafts and reading books by different ways.

 Summer reading programme for kids

On the 14th of June we were on the Beer Festival in Vasaknos. 
Vasaknos is very small and beautiful vilage near small town Dusetos in Zarasai's region. We were there together with my sister. She came from Moscow to visit me. Also our mentor Virginija and two other volunteers Martin and Max were there too. Martin (from Spain) is working with me in the library and Max (from France) is working in Grazhute Regional Park were there.

So, we were on a fest together.

We tried a lot of sorts of lockal beer, listerned music from few lockal bands.

Generally I can say we spent nice time together. The fest was very funny, interesting and memorable.

Vasaknos. Place of Beer festival

Poetry Spring. Open touristic season

The end of May was very active.

At 22th of May the library had a big event - Poetry Spring. This year the event is celebrating an anniversary - 50 years!
Difference poets and singers was coming to the library that evening. All of them read their poems and novels. At the end of the evening all guests could eat tasty cake! 

At 23th and 24th of May Zarasai had another big event - open touristic season!
First day, on 23th of May our library organized a "Library Outside". We organized some tents on the ground in front of the library. There were 7 places with different activities. 1 tent was with drawing for kids. 2 was also for kids where they could guess crossword about music and tryed to make some basic misician instruments. 3 was a cinema for a kids where they could watch 4 different cartoons. 4 was for us - volunteers. We created also one craft activity for kids. We made a baloons with rise. Our activity was very popular among kids and their parents. Some kids asked us to make a baloons for them and some parents also asked make the same but for them as an adult! So, I could say our activity was very funny and interesting! In 5 tent you could drink a cold tea and eat a tasty sweets. 6 was for an adults where each person could seat and read a book. And in the last 7 place you could make a funny pic like you're Shrek from famous cartoon! To add to this 7 tents we organized bowling and soap football. That games also were very popular among kids, especially football. It was funny!

Next day at 24th of May was a big music festival all day. The day began with open of new high-board on a city beach. The kids liked it very much. They started to jump immediately. Then after lunch the festival started. There were presenting folk lockal songs and dances,Latvian, Italian and Malta's tradition dances and songs, electronic and rock music. So, fest was international. I think all people who came really enjoed it! That day finished with big firework.
I enjoyed this event very much. I'll wait next fest cause it'll be regular during all summer season!

Library outside. Craft activity with volunteers

Anniversary of museum

On 16th of May Zarasai's history museum celebrated an anniversary. The museum organized an excursion to Stelmužė. It's small vilage near Zarasai and very close to borders of Latvia and Belarus. One old wooden chirch and very old oak (Stelmužės ąžuolas) are situated there.

That place is very famous among lockals and tourists.

The chirch was built without any nail. It's very beautiful. The atmosphere inside is really calm and quiet. It's a good place for meditation.

Oak is also very old. It is about 1500 years. This oak one of the oldest trees around Europe. In 1960 Stelmužė oak was declared a natural monument and included in the number of protected sites in Lithuania. Oak height is 23 meters! It's empty inside.The oak has one legend. One soldier run away from Napoleon's army.  He hid inside of the oak during one frozen night. He dead. His body was found only after years.

Also administration of the museum organized a concert for their guests. It was a concert of classical music. The musicians played a different melodies from Bach and Chaikovsky to Piazzolla. To tell the truth I don't like classical music so much but I really liked that small concert cause it wasn't be so boring. The programm was very difference and interesting. I enjoed it very much! I'm planning to go Stelmuže again!

Oak in Stelmužė