Saturday 19 December 2009

Christmas Parties Update

Here we are!  The last weekend before Christmas!

We have two charity projects going on during Christmas week: the Christmas party at the Sisters of Mother Teresa Shelter and some giving goodness at a Gerontology Rehabilitation Center on Kalvariju, in the Verkiu forest (Stations of the Cross).

For the party at the shelter, I would like to thank Judith for her generosity!  Thanks to her the children attending the party will each receive a snowman baggy with a candy cane, a Christmas tattoo, a felt ornament or a little Chrismtas critter -- plus some other homebaked goodies.  I also have a humongous teddy bear to give away to the lucky winner of a drawing.

Also, thanks to our members we gathered more than enough gifts for the female residents of the shelter; we still need a few for the male occupants.

On Monday we'll be preparing food crates for the families.  On Tuesday morning we'll be preparing goodies and decorations for the party at 2 pm.

Most of you probably don't know about the event at the gerontology center.  When Barbara and I decided that we wanted to target older folks for our gift-giving at the MMS, I had contacted a home near my house to find out how many residents they had: 140!  We ended up asking for a more manageable number of gifts for the Mother Teresa shelter.  But I had already got the gerontology center excited! 

So I've managed to put together 65 gifts so far, which will be used to embellish common areas (dining room, living rooms, etc.).  With a little groveling on my part, the Italian Embassy generously donated five of the beautiful blankets they were selling at the Christmas Bazaar, plus four pandoro (my favorite:  a kind of panettone without the dried fruit and with powdered sugar to sprinkle on top) and other yummy sweets.

In the midst of my scouring Vilnius for goodies, Barbara called up and asked if I wouldn't mind having some money for the party at the shelter -- a donation of some extra proceeds from the Christmas Bazaar!  We came to a decision to split the donation between the shelter and the gerontology center.  So now both recipients have money to buy extra Christmas trees, decorations and food for their holiday celebrations!

I hope to see some of you at the shelter on Monday or Tuesday!
Sydney
IWAV Charity Coordinator

Tuesday 15 December 2009

IWAV December Social - Christmas Cocktails and Desserts

Here are some photos and a video from the Christmas MMS party at the Radisson Hotel last night. I can not give you a complete account of the evening as I could only attend for a few minutes. But even in this short time I really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of the Radisson bar and the friendly and attentive service. As you can see from the video there was a good turn out and everyone was having a very nice time!
:-) Galina





Volunteer for Holiday Cheer!

Volunteers needed for Christmas.  We have a lot going on.  This is your chance to get involved. 

When:  December 21st at 9 am
Where:  the Sisters' soup kitchen on Sv. Stepono/Paneriu g.
What:  preparing food crates for families in need

When:  December 22nd at 9 am
Where:  the Sisters' soup kitchen
What:  preparing/decorating/conducting 2pm Christmas party for families in need

When:  sometime very soon :-)
Where:  VU EKMI gerontologijas centras (gerontology center) on Kalvariju g. 323
What:  buying and transporting a couple of Christmas trees, some ornaments and some sweets, plus delivering gifts (taken care of), and "warming some hearts"

For the first two, just show up.
For the gerontology center, please contact me directly at rea.ebnother@gmail.com

Sydney
IWAV Charity Coordinator

Thursday 10 December 2009

Mother Teresa Missionaries of Charity

Breda and I had a lovely meeting yesterday with Sister Francilene of the Sisters of Charity. The sisters, all English-speaking and from all four corners of the earth, run a soup kitchen and shelter for homeless and recovering alcoholics near the train and bus stations. They are currently housing 16 adults, serving about 150 homeless people in the soup kitchen, and providing takeaway crates of food to 100-150 families in the Vilnius area who do not receive any government assistance. These families are personally monitored by the sisters who have selected them for assistance on the basis of need and absence of anyone in the family who might trade the food for alcohol or drugs.

The sisters have many needs!

Immediate Needs:
* Towels
* Footwear



Food:
We saw the pantry. For a soup kitchen serving hundreds of people, there is not a huge stock of food in there. We will cover some of their needs thru the food drive in January.
But they will also take fresh food leftover from receptions. I have asked our member, Lis, to head up a project of collecting leftover food from embassy receptions. But, please, if you have leftovers from any of your holiday events, please take it down to the Sisters.

Drivers:
The Sisters visit needy families every day. They use public transportation and also visit homes in the suburbs, so these visits are very time-consuming and, probably, tiring for them. If anyone is interested in spending a morning driving one of the sisters around town, please let me know. Again, all of the sisters speak English.

Kitchen Helpers:
Anyone is welcome from 9 am on to help out in the kitchen, peeling, chopping, cleaning, filling up the takeaway food crates, and doing whatever might be helpful.

Christmas Parties:
The Sisters are organizing Christmas events for each of the different groups they serve. There will be a party for the homeless who use the soup kitchen, one for the residents of the shelter, one for the children (we chatted with a lovely sister -- whom I know has been struggling to get used to life in the shelter after working in Calcutta -- who was sewing up gorgeous little puppets for a puppet show.), and one party for the families who receive the crates of food. This party will take place on December 22nd and IWAV Members are invited to whip up some goodies and come help decorate the dining room for this special Christmas event for families in need. Baked goods, candies (I have some candy canes), fruit salad (I doubt these families get a lot of fresh fruit) are all good ideas. Buying stuff is also permitted. There will probably be sandwich fixings available for us to put together starting at 9 am on December 22nd. I think I'll get some of my spiced apple cider going on the stove. And thanks to one of our members, I now have plenty of little goodies to pass out to the children!


Christmas Gifts:
You are also requested to provide a small wrapped gift for the shelter residents (11 men and 5 women, 3 of whom are currently in hospital) at our December 14th Social at the Radisson.


Suggestions for Gifts:


* Combs/hairbrushes
* Shaving supplies
* Soaps/shampoos
* shawls or warm socks
* towels


I thought I'd get a rest after the Christmas Bazaar but I'm glad to stuff more giving into my holiday season!

Quotation of the Month:  
This is the first year that I have honestly, truly, thought more about giving to others and helping those in need than worrying about presents for my family and it feels GREAT.  Very little stress or worry, just good feelings! -- an active member
Shelter/Soup Kitchen Address:
Sv. Stepono g. 35 (corner of Paneriu g. across from Lukoil)
Either go down Mindaugo towards the train station area and turn right on Paneriu (the shelter is on the left, on the corner, diagonal to the Lukoil (there is a courtyard to pull into and park); or from the train station, cross the station square and take the hill down on the right side, turn right and it's the first courtyard on the left.

Monday 7 December 2009

Friday 4 December 2009

Coffee Morning: IWAV Coffee Klatch



Today was IWAV traditional coffee morning which took place at my favorite venue – the Radisson Hotel. As always the atmosphere was warm, relaxed, cozy and elegant… Everybody talked about this year’s Christmas Charity Bazaar. IWAV raised an impressing amount of money for its beneficiaries and it was time to celebrate!

For those who have not yet been to a coffee morning, it is a nice monthly event for newcomers and members to come together. If you are new to IWAV you get a chance to introduce yourself, learn more about the association, chat and find out about IWAV events, plans, and of course to drink coffee with delicious cookies.

This morning was as always very enjoyable!



Galina

Help the Animals?

Dear Ladies,

Several weeks my eldest came to me and said, "Find me a shelter where I can volunteer!"  So I did.

I Googled around and found a wonderful website created by a local shelter, SOS Gyvunai.   The site is beautifully translated into English by a volunteer.  There one can find information about animals available for adoption.  But the best part is the blog, again in English, where one can get news about the shelter and the things they need (food, litter, blankets, medicine, etc.).

We asked if Iris could help out but she needs to be 16 years old to do so.  So Iris and I went out and bought food and blankets for the animals since they were needing clean ones after an outbreak of infectious disease.

Finally, a few weeks ago, after many months of dog-or-cat and where-will-we-keep-him-or-her-while-we're-gone hand-wringing, I decided to adopt a cat for Iris from a local shelter.    We ended up at Lese on Filaretu g. in Uzupis.  We showed up without calling first, so there was no one there -- except the cats sitting on the window ledge.  My eyes fixed immediately on a calico with yellow eyes.  I went home, looked her up on the website and emailed to reserve her.  They responded immediately and a few days later we brought Nika home.  Nika has been re-christened Jellybean (despite my subtle hints that a Lithuanian name might  be more special).  Jellybean is a beautiful, sweet, wonderful little girl cat whom we all love sooo much.

Nika was offered to us neutered and vaccinated at no charge.   I made a 100 lita donation and plan to offer more, in kind, throughout the year.



This morning at our IWAV Coffee Morning, Shailja, one of our members, kindly referred me to a sort of charity clearinghouse website -- the first of its kind in Lithuania, in English.  Aukok has all the information anyone needs to give to these shelters (addresses and lists of items needed).  I'm very excited about this website as it shows exactly what each charity organization (not just animals) needs.

I have had contact with both SOS Gyvunai and Lese and each has one or two (or more) volunteers speaking English or Russian, as well as Lithuanian, of course.  All are young and very kind.  I even got the most kind-hearted email from a volunteer whose sister had cared for Jellybean in her home when she was found, injured, and there was no place for her in the shelter;  she was quite concerned for little Nika's well-being and adjustment in her new home.

Happy Giving Season!
Sydney
IWAV Charity Coordinator

Sunday 29 November 2009

Bazaar: My Impressions


Today is the day of the Bazaar! This is the first time I attended this event and it was amazing! I have never imagined on what a huge scale this is organized! Oh my God, it must be so much work to coordinate such an event. I am sure soon we will get a detailed account of the event from Erin, Barbara or Sydney but I decided to make this quick post to share my impressions.

There I was a bit after 11.00 at the Town Hall to check out the bazaar. There were a lot of people, which is amazing as it was just the beginning of the fair. I can imagine how many more people arrived and contributed to the charity bazaar throughout the whole event till 16.00. Unfortunately I couldn’t stay long so I took a quick tour around, looked quickly at all the stands by various countries and went downstairs to buy some cakes baked by IWAV ladies. It was very exciting to see all of the international embassies brought together in this charity function and the large crowd that attended. It made me proud to be a member of IWAV, the association that made it all happen.

The atmosphere was warm and festive with kids running around, music and singing going on downstairs and people taking photos in front of the fur tree in the hall. It was really really crowded .When I finally managed to make my way to those cakes I couldn’t believe my eyes how many delicious looking sweets there were on offer. How was I supposed to choose?? I think I got about five-six different cakes, two of each. Luckily I was having some guests for tea (or we would have eaten them all ourselves)! When I came home I realized that mostly I picked out the chocolate goodies. All of them were amazingly good. Eating my third piece of cake I thought to myself: "This is one of these rare cases when you can eat a lot of sweets guilt free as you are eating for a good cause" :-)

:-)
Galina

Monday 23 November 2009

Don't Miss Upcoming International Christmas Charity Bazaar



Of course everyone already knows (except me!) that this year's Christmas Bazaar will take place on 29 November at Town Hall, 11-16.00. Thanks to Sydney now I also know this! ;-) I guess this information somehow got missing in my email. So this post is to remind you about this VERY important upcoming event! Please see the program below.



See you at the Bazaar!
Galina

*******************
Hi ladies!

I would just like to add a bit to Galina's post.

The bazaar is our biggest, most important event of the year. Some of the most influential people in Lithuania will attend or have been invitied to this event.

This year's ICCB will host stands from 28 countries, 3 schools, and the Order of Malta. There will also be stands selling second-hand items (jewellry, art, antiques, toys, etc.), Books/DVD/CD, and art.

There will be lots of cozy food & drinks, including German waffles, hot wine, Irish coffee, soup from Irmantos Sriubos and sweets at the IWAV Bake Sale stand.

 We have at least 100 lottery prizes worth around 40,000 Litas.  The top prizes include airline tickets, ferry tickets to Sweden, weekends at local hotels, language courses, and so much more!  40,000 is a lot of litas and a lot of great prizes are up for grabs.  So please contact Erin or your local embassy to buy plenty of tickets.  Tickets cost 5 litas each and all of the money goes to our charities.

This year we have chosen five charities:

        Kaunas 1st special school
        Non stationary social help centre in Ukmerge
        Centre for women and children Nendre
        Missing person’s families support centre
        Save the children Lithuania 



Each of the charities is in serious need of financial help and we plan to give them every lita we can possibly raise.

The ICCB Organizing Committee, the representatives from each of the stands and whole bunch of other great people have put months of planning into this event, so please come and show your support!

Sydney
IWAV Charity Coordinator

Saturday 14 November 2009

Charity Visit to Musu Nameliai


Yesterday Regina and I went to visit Musu Nameliai in Naujoji Vilnia.  It is a home for disadvantaged children & youth which received funds from last year's bazaar to purchase the red sofa you see, a television screen and DVD player and a foosball table.  The library you see is very nice -- one of the only homes to have such a service.

The home is a safe haven for thirty children, from first graders to 18 years old.  The children here suffer neglect at home and, often, teasing at school.  The social workers are all volunteers -- and they seem to care deeply for the children.  The children are mainly members of minority groups -- Polish and Russian, for the most part.

Thanks to the funds from last year's bazaar, the children were scheduled to have their regular Friday-night American movie night with popcorn.

Yet, most of the children are suffering from depression and find it difficult to feel any enthusiasm about proposed outings, like going out to see a movie; most prefer to stay within the comforting walls of the center.

I was immediately struck with an idea I've read about here and there: get someone to volunteer at least an hour a week to teach these kids a martial art (my daughter's heroine, a fencing champion, started just such a program in France).  In fact, here is an excerpt of a Dutch study on this type of program:

Notwithstanding the lack of empirical support for its positive socio-psychological effects, numerous educators and welfare workers make use of martial arts in their work with socially vulnerable youth. Using qualitative methodology, the aims, approaches and personal experiences were analysed of teachers and co-ordinators involved in specific martial arts programmes (n = 12) for disadvantaged youth in Flanders (Belgium). Results revealed that although all respondents were very positive with regard to the effects of their programmes on the youngsters they work with, most would not regard these as different from the effects resulting from regular participation in sport or other social activities. Martial arts were selected because of their specific attraction to youth. Findings also showed that great importance was attached to the type of guidance used.
I plan to ask my daughter's Taekwondo coach, who is also the Lithuanian national team coach, to volunteer his time at the center.  But if any of you have contacts with martial arts coaches or even dance instructors willing to do this, please let me know.  The center has a large hall perfectly suited to such activities.  The social workers were all doubtful that anyone would do such a thing, so let's try to restore some of their faith in humanity.

Also, the main requests we got during our visit were for more clothing (I delivered several bagfuls, but please see my next post about clothing donations) and for a bag of sweets each for the Christmas holiday.  Again, if you know of a supermarket, shop or company willing to donate such items, please let me know.  I have already allocated Judith's donation of candy canes to the kids at this center.  Any kind of table game, like the one already donated, is also and much-used and loved.

Clothing Donation Guidelines

"Beggars can't be chosers," some may say.  I say every person is inherently worthy of a minimum level of dignity. 

When I deliver a donation of clothing, on behalf of our association, my intention is to convey a sense of inclusion, belonging and worth to the recipients.  If I deliver dirty clothing full of holes, am I not telling the recipients that they deserve only dirty clothing full of holes?  And if I deliver clean, quality clothing am I not telling the recipients that no matter who they are or what they have done they are nonethless worthy of fresh, clean clothing?

Yesterdayy Regina and I visited a daycare center for disadvantaged children and youth.  We delivered several bags of recently donated warm clothing, shoes, winter coats and accessories.  One of the things the social workers told us is that the parents of these children never wash the kids' clothes, that they find them balled up in the corners of rooms, taking on mold.  How could I bring clothing that is musty, very wrinkled, stained and unmended, thereby giving them the message that their parents must be right:  they are not worth the effort?

The bags of clothing I sorted through today were not given directly by our association.  Nonetheless I would like to take this opportunity to give our members a few guidelines on clothing donations.

Nearly half of what I received a few days ago is still on my living room floor.  Half of that is unusable and I will find a place for it.  The other half could be washed and ironed -- except that I have my own mountain of laundry to deal with.  I'll have to decide if I want to do that.

Guidelines:
1.  If you really can not see yourself or your children wearing an item, please do not donate it;
2.  Please do not donate panties, boxers or hosiery unless it has been barely worn and looks nearly new;
3.  Please take the time to mend or patch holes in otherwise gently used items;
4.  Please launder and iron all donations one last time before storing them (of course, wrinkles are to be expected when stored in bags);
5.  If you have washed a wool item and it has shrunk to a quarter of its size, please give it to your cat or dog -- or use it for your next felting project;
6.  Make sure shoes are still in good condition (scuffs are perfectly acceptable; paint scraped away till there's practically nothing left and heels with nails sticking out are not);
7.  Try not to store your donations too long; you can contact me anytime and I will come pick up;
8.  Use good sense and remember that there are human beings on the other side of your donations.

Thank you for your kindness!
Sydney
IWAV Charity Coordinator

Wednesday 11 November 2009

Lunch Bunch: Duck's Supposed to be Rosy!!!


Dear Ladies,

Lunch yesterday, Tuesday was at Csarda the hungarian restaurant on Mykolo. I have always liked the atmosphere at this restaurant. It seems to wrap itself around you when you go in. The waitress, whilst not having the most smiley face I have ever seen, is very efficient and the food is good. The restaurant was also well patronised which was nice to see.

Mike and I took one of his sisters there once and, as she always goes for the most expensive thing on the menu, she asked for the rosy duck. She also asked for it well done as the whole family is used to the 'burnt offerings' their Mother used to make for them. ( I hasten to add that Mike does not get burnt food from me ) Anyway, the waitress at the time looked down at Gill and said ' duck does not come well done and it is supposed to be ROSY. BLISS!!!! One of life's enjoyable moments.

There will now be no lunch bunch until Tuesday 1st December as the Christmas Bazaar is taking up our time, thoughts and energy.

I will send an email nearer the time telling you the venue.

If there are any ladies who are interested in joining Mike and me for a Christmas dinner one Saturday evening before Christmas then please contact me so that we can arrange it.

Have a great week and work hard for the bazaar. It will be a lot of fun and I think we will all be pleasantly surprised with how much money we raise for our beneficiaries.


Barbara - Chair

Photo source: csarda.lt

Monday 9 November 2009

Upcoming Members' Social: Interior Design and Some Finnish Goodies!

Finnish Glogg

Hi Ladies,
Riima, an expert interior designer, has invited us to her shop "Sortimenti" on Didzioji next Monday night. I think the quilters and crafters and sewers will definitely want to come. The program, from Riima herself:

I am sure,that we will have wonderful event. I can talk until somebody will listen...
TOPICS:
1) Interior trends 2009-2010

2) Small presentation about the Finnish Christmas traditions + Finnish GLOGG and Karjalanpiirakka
= hot wine = special pie
3) Opening of the small INTERIOR OUTLET store
***** EVERYTHING -50%********

4) +Secret place for creative persons, who love to make sewing by herself
( I have one room full of fabrics -rolls and pieces)

We are between Rimi and that beautiful church (just opposite of SAS Radisson Hotel Astoria). TOWN hall is front of our building -Dom-restaurant windows are facing our windows. WE ARE ON THE SECOND FLOOR-AND EXIT FROM THE BANK ( National credit union) door. You will see our SIGN -Sortimenti UZUOLAIDOS

I have actually never been there before and I think what I will do is figure out how to get in and then come back outside to direct people. As I learned with last month's MMS I am not so good at directing people over the phone. I hope that many of you can make it! Send me an email if you can come by November 14 so I can let Riina know how many of us she should expect.

I know these next few weeks before the bazaar are very busy ones but let's take some time out to relax together over some Finnish goodies!


Best,
Erin

Photo source: gourmetgirlmagazine.com

Lunch Bunch and Plans for the Future

Mano Liza Restaurant

Dear Ladies,


Lunch last Tuesday was at Mano liza. It is a cosy hotel restaurant and quite small but we had no trouble finding seats. The food was good but very filling - perhaps less on the plate would have been better. I know - we didn't have to eat it.

Tomorrow Tuesday 10th November 13.00 we will try Csarda which we have not been to for a long time. It is a hungarian restaurant on Mykolo 4 just off Pilies and round the corner from St Germain. They also have a place in Trakai.

Last Friday we had a coffee morning/members social. at the SAS Radisson which is such a lovely setting and those cakes are really wonderful. The little pig in me comes out when I see those cakes. I did take the leftovers to the homeless.

We had discussions on charity and activities and anything else that came to mind.

Erin has plans for our next monthly get together which sounds very interesting. She will be sending an email out to everyone very soon and I would recommend that you think about attending. She also has plans for a 'Cabaret" dinner dance in March which, last year, raised money for biopsy needles for breast cancer patients. This should be a LOT of FUN but it would be great to get more people on board to help with the planning and organising.

Sydney has plans for a food drive in conjunction with Prisma Supermarket which will be held in January. She is continually collecting clothes for various charities. Children's and adults clothes are needed. We also need more helpers so that Sydney can organise a charity committee. She also has plans ( and this was the first time she had mentioned this ) for a 'meals on wheels' charity.

Lots happening ladies and your organisation needs you - your body and your time.

Have a great week and see you tomorrow at lunch or at one of the meetings, or at one of the evening quizzes, or at the Marine Ball.


No wonder my head is spinning


Barbara - Chair

Wednesday 21 October 2009

Santa Suit Needed!!!

photo by kevindooley at flickr.com

Dear Ladies,

Nice to see we have gone back to the miserable weather!!!

This is a request for a Santa suit. This year we will have a morning Santa and an afternoon Santa at the bazaar so more children will be able to benefit.

We need a suit for the afternoon Santa. It will need to be on the large side ( even though he has lost a lot of weight - not enough mince pies obviously)

PLEASE if anyone has one that we can borrow for the day can you please contact me on barbara (at) mikelittle (dot) lt.


Thank you Ladies,


Barbara - Chair

Friday 16 October 2009

Charity Update

Hello,

Yesterday was, indeed, an emotional visit. Last night in bed, my elder daughter, who came along with me, told the story to her little sister: "...and we bought them an elevator! And now the teachers don't have to carry the kids up the stairs anymore!" Don't you love that "we?" Seeing me do this work, day in day out, she feels part of the whole process.

Each of the visits Regina and I have been on has been a very special event.

Today I had two women here from the home for disabled adults in Ukmerge to collect donated clothing. When we visited them, before summer, they welcomed us with a humongous and delicious homemade cake (which they promised to teach us to make on our next visit). They also had a banquet waiting for us for our lunch. These are the simplest of women -- and yet not only are they doing the hard work of this world, they are an example of true kindness and hospitality. Today they showed up with a bottle of sparkling wine and a package of coffee.

I spent the morning sorting through clothing. I have quite a bit left that will be suitable for the young teachers at the Aidas school. The women from Ukmerge took the rest -- as well as all the children's and babies' stuff that had been hanging around in my garage for months.

I can always use more clothing, especially winter coats and boots.

Please remember to bring along a tea mug if you are attending the Monthly Social on Monday evening. If not, you can always find a way to give one to me. I thought about using a scrapbooking or permanent pen to write on them the words "We care about you" in Lithuanian. I'm sure plenty of women need to hear that from someone. If someone would kindly translate that for me, I'd be obliged.

In other news, I am forming a committee to help out with the IWAV/Prisma Food Drive, which will take place at the new Prisma supermarket on January 17-18 2010, tentatively. I have two volunteers so far. We will have our first meeting soon after the Christmas Bazaar. We'll need to discuss transportation, publicity, recipients, possible sponsors besides Prisma, and whether or not we want to work with a larger Food Bank who can better coordinate transportation and distribution.

I believe that's all from your friendly, neighborhood IWAV Charity Coordinator.
Sydney

Sunday 11 October 2009

Upcoming Monday Member Social

Photo by lovefibre at flickr.com

Hi ladies!

At long last I have found a venue and an activity for this month's MMS (after scrapping initial plans for an Oktoberfest and a costume party--maybe next year!) thanks to Ruta Montvilene. Several of you have mentioned that painting on silk would be something interesting to learn, so now is your chance! In addition to the usual wine and snacks we will have the opportunity to create a piece of silk artwork together. We will brainstorm what we'd like to paint and with the help of Dovile (a very talented and kind artist) we can all try our hand at painting on silk. At first I was skeptical--what kind of silk scarf can we create with a dozen or more different women wielding brushes? However I saw examples of such collaborative works and apparently it is quite popular to do a group piece for a birthday party or some special celebration. So let's give it a shot together! Who knows, if it comes out really well we can include it as a lottery prize for the bazaar. If not, well...... But I am convinced with the talented ladies in IWAV, we can create something special and have a fun evening to boot. Please let me know if you think you can make it so I can plan the refreshments accordingly! We will meet at 6:30 PM at the workshop, located at Olimpieciu 4-1. There is parking on site. Directions from the Cathedral (via google):


Cathedral (Arkikatedra Bazilika)
Katedros aikšte
Senamiestis, Vilnius, 01013, Lithuania

1. Head north on Šventaragio gatvė towardGedimino prospektas 69 m
2. Continue on T. Vrublevskio gatvė 0.4 km
3. Turn right at Olimpiečių gatvė
Destination will be on the right 50 m


I also want to invite you and your family to a Fall Festival for children the International Church of Vilnius is having next Sunday, October 18th at 9:45 AM (during regular service time/coffee hour). Some of you may not know that in addition to IWAV I am also a Sunday School teacher (Lord help these children...) at the International Church, which just celebrated its 10th year this past summer. There are many nationalities and denominations represented in our congregation and everyone is always welcome. The flyer is attached if you or someone you know might be interested.


Thanks, and I hope to see you soon!


Erin Olson

Wednesday 7 October 2009

Lunch Bunch: Universiteto Wine Bar


Dear Ladies,


We had lunch yesterday at the Universiteto wine bar. The restaurant has been closed for quite a long time but has now re-opened. It is brighter inside than it used to be and I should imagine that at a weekend it is quite lively with students.

The food was OK but salads came with lots of ---- Iceberg LETTUCE.

The soups were very tasty but unfortunately they were just tepid. A pity!!

The waitress was very good and gave us lots of advice as to what she thought was good that day and what was not. She advised us against the business lunch. ( I hope her bosses do not find out ).

Next Tuesday, 13th September 13.00 we will be going to Restoranus Balzac on Saviciaus just off Didzioji. I am hearing good things about this restaurant so let's hope it lives up to expectations.

On a more serious note, Mike has told me that the Lithuanian police are recommending that everyone buys a GUN to protect themselves as the police feel that, because of economic cuts, they are not able to protect us from personal attacks. They say that with the economic crisis and people having no jobs and so no money, then attacks are on the increase. Whether this is a way of putting pressure on the government to increase police wages I do not know - but what I do suspect is that there would be an almighty out cry if an ex-pat injured or killed a Lithuanian with a gun. So - let's not go that far - but do be extra vigilant ladies.


Have a great weekend,


Barbara