Lithuanian Soundtrack

I have woken up every morning to the same song for the past month.  Or, I should say, I have woken up to the same rhythmic pounding that eases me out of sleep as gently as a sledgehammer.  It works better than an alarm clock:  The house is shaking.  Z is getting ready for school.  Therefore, it’s 7. It doesn’t bother me too much.  It reminds me of home.  (Hi Chad!) Over time, I have learned to distinguish which brother is around by the type of music that is... Read More

Duh

V’s parents’ house is located on a dirt road, meters away from a major street in Kaunas. The intersection between this road and the main street is also home to a crosswalk, which is highlighted by a traffic sign precariously placed in the middle of the street.  Obviously, this sign is knocked down by a car every other day.  The sound of screeching brakes and crumpled road signs is one constant in my current life. Anyway… Today, the sign was once... Read More

Fall: Part II

The Backyard Along with the rich colors and the crisp air, this new season has inevitably bestowed upon me a sinus infection.  This sinus infection is exacerbated by the fact that we have to keep our window open at all times to aerate our room.  This constant aeration helps diffuse a mysterious “stink” that first made its presence known a couple of weeks ago.  The smell is coming from a small crawl space in the attic, but the actual source of the smell is more elusive... Read More

Lyrical Confound

V’s family, for the most part, speaks English very well.  They talk to me in a Lithuanian-English hybrid, and I answer in English.  It’s a great compromise, because while my understanding of Lithuanian is pretty good, my verbalization of the language sucks (to put it nicely).  I’m also shy with other languages.  I think it has to do with my perfectionism.  I’ll speak the language when I know I am correct, which isn’t very often.  I need to get... Read More