Impressions of Juan: Lithuanian people are just as warm as SpanishImpressions of Juan: Lithuanian people are just as warm as Spanish

After two months and a half Juan from Spain (25)  finally found a moment to share his impressions and to explain how his EVS experience is going.

Living in Vilnius

\"juan\"I am very happy to live here. I knew that Vilnius was a nice city since the first day. I like to be surprised so I didn’t do a lot of research about traditions or what kind of people live here. I prefer to discover all “in situ”.

There are lot of differences between my country and Lithuania (language, food, weather, culture…). I love the fact that everything is new for me. The first weeks were difficult because of my English, which is not so well, as I wish it would be. Because of that I had communication problems, and it is really complicated to not be yourself because of this reason. I guess everybody who spent some time in another country felt this. And now after two months I am satisfied because I’ve already communicating with other people sucessfuly. I am starting to learn Lithuanian, but obviously it will take some time, because it is quite difficult!

In my opinion Lithuanians are really friendly. People, especially the ones from Institute, helped me a lot since I got here. In Spain we tend to think that Eastern Europeans are cold, but now I realize that you are as warm as Spanish people.

About the weather…I’m still waiting for the worst. I come from the south of Spain where winters are not very cruel but it is really too hot in summer time. I believe Lithuanian winter will be a good experience for me because I am quite fond of snow.

Skanus! The food in Lithuania is very tasty and there are lots of different meals. The most surprising dish for me was the pink cold soup called Šaltibarščiai. I noticed that potatoes are very popular here. In Spain the situation is quite similar because one of the most important meals is the potato omelet. Other thing that I liked is “kepta duona” (fried bread). Of course, always served with one of  Lithuanian beers.

Working in a Social Taxi

Social Taxi is the name of the project where I am participating. It is a taxi adapted for disabled people. Sometimes I help them to get out from their flats. Unfortunately, a lot of buildings in Vilnius are not adapted for disabled people. It´s impossible for them to go out without help. We´ve helped people to get out from their apartments in the third floor without using access ramps or elevators.

\"juan

People who use this service are very satisfied and appreciate the project. I really love when they take the taxi and I can feel their positive attitude. Although we don´t speak the same language I think that sometimes it´s not necessary. I feel impressed and proud of them and how they fight with obstacles every day. They are the best example and inspiration for me to improve myself.