Eastern Europe [56k, beware]

[Black-hawk]

• Average annual salary before taxes: $6000 (no I did not miss an additional 0, taken straight from the department of statistics)

• Fuel: $5.68 per gallon (US)

• Decent, one bedroom apartment: ±$100000

• Food prices: equal to European prices

• Rent is relatively cheap, but that's an unheard concept if you're not a student.

 

 

Lithuania is an extremely interesting country. It's a place with no middle ground. You either drive a sh*tbox or a top of the line luxobarge. You either live in a crappy one-room apartment with shared bathrooms or you own a villa with a bunch of new German cars parked in front. This place is where the sole definition of contrast is experienced first hand, and sadly enough, it's more Yin than Yang.

 

The basic necessities quite often times cost more than their European equivalents, examples of this include clothing, medicine, food and housing. Public transport is a joke, the buses are never on time, they are so ridiculously crowded during peak times that the doors have trouble closing due to the dangerously high number of people within the vehicle. Imagine a can of sardines, there's no breathing space, and in order to get from one side of the bus to the other, you have to shove quite a lot of asses to be able to move a couple of inches. Oh and, no air con during heat waves. This is no hyperbole, but a fact, and a scary one at that. It boggles the mind how the local people are forced to experience and live in these conditions.

 

Especially now, when the recession has shown its ugly head, the government is raising taxes, lowering pensions and doing everything the opposite way a sane person would. Lithuania is a post Soviet state, it has been free from Soviet reign for about eighteen years now, yet the people within the government haven't changed. They are the same ones who were at power during the Soviet era. The citizens have totally lost hope. It's like the state is being ruled by a mentally retarded six year old.

 

Yet, the locals still manage to find the energy to enjoy and somehow live fulfilling, albeit full of hardships, lives. Basically, Lithuania has no middle class. It is starting to emerge, but it's a long shot from the real meaning of the word.

 

Everything written above has been experienced and witnessed first-hand by me, so I'm not making this up nor wishing to sh*t on Lithuania. Just stating the facts.

 

And now, for the pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2009 by Black-hawk

[Black-hawk]

Continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Face McDougal]

Interesting, and pretty good pictures. That sucks man. Where are you now?

[Black-hawk]

I'm there right now, I guess my family's pretty well off, plus my Mom has been living in London for longer than I can remember, and Dad works for a German company. I'm probably hauling ass back to the UK next year, since for some strange reason I decided to come back to Lithuania three years ago.

 

You see the thing is, when it comes to income, you either win or you don't. It's not that corruption makes this gap, it's just how things seem to work out in the private sector. Really a paradox of sorts. It just pisses me off that instead of subsidizing the basic necessities like food, shelter and medicine, the government buys more Maybach's and calls it a day. The people are incredibly competent and nice actually, it's just the ones at the wheel need a swift kick in the ass.

 

Oh and bribing cops used to be and sometimes still is considered to be the norm, which is just absurd and totally mental. It's not all doom and gloom, there is potential, but what has been built usually gets destroyed by those in command of the country. Imagine a scientist being controlled by the aforementioned six-year old retard going like: "WHAT?! YOU'VE BUILT A TIME MACHINE AND A PARTICLE ACCELERATOR BUT IT CAN'T CREATE CANDY? DESTROY IT WAHHH"

Edited July 6, 2009 by Black-hawk

[Arvis]

Awesome shots.

Been there, seen that, actually a very nice place.

[The Guru]

You got some nice ones there. take some more and post 'em here. I want to see more of what it's like there.

[Pico]

I really like the pics man. Being a large percentage Lithuanian, the place has always interested me. My grandma grew up there.

They give a nice sense of the town

[agent17]

It should also be worth noting that Lithuania has the highest suicide rate out of any country in the world. 44 in 100,000 people in Lithuania commit suicide. This rate is far higher than most countries.

 

On average, four or five people kill themselves in Lithuania each day, which accounts for more deaths than traffic accidents.

[3niX]

Well...

 

The suicide rate is pretty similar here as well. Its kind of sad considering how few people are left in this country (around 1.3 million). Plus deaths due to abuse of alcohol, drugs, speeding etc.

 

Though I think that the government acts the way it does is for the simple reason that it IS young. 18 years isnt much of an experience compared to some countries that have been on the map for hundreds and thousands of years (and many of the problems exist in many of the older countries as well). Its also the reason why there is no real appreciation of heritage among the youth nowadays.

 

I guess you sort of have to make do with what youve got.

 

 

 

Oh, lol at Olja.

Edited July 19, 2009 by 3niX