Living abroad: UK, Turkey, Italy, Spain - Let´s do it!

HELLO EVERYONE!

MERHABA ARKADASLAR!

CIAO AMICI!

HOLA AMIGOS!
Let´s go abroad... :) 

UNITED KINGDOM...

Three years ago I had a chance to live in UK, it was really interesting and nice experience. First of all, I had deepen my knowledge of  English language and secondly, I got a chance to find out about totally different culture than my one. It was very interesting and useful opportunity, I think after staying in UK I found my self as a person who can deal with problems and find solutions in every kind of situations: I became stronger in making decisions, more open minded and easy going person and of course - wiser. Meanwhile I was staying in GB, I was traveling a lot (I am talking about inside the country). So I want to share my experience about it :)

My first big trip in UK was Cornwall:

Cornish people have a different English accent, so firstly it was really hard for me to understand them (I had only knew English from my English teacher at Lithuanian school, so trying to understand different English accent was really difficult for me, but I hope I made it :))

My second big trip in GB was Kent (when I say big trip it means place where I have been living at least two weeks or so). Kent was also amazing area, there are places like Sandwich, Birchington - on - sea, Dover, etc, which are really beautiful. Speaking about different English accent in Kent area - it was not so hard, actually it was like a general English language. So I did not have so many

misunderstanding problems or awkward moments like: when I am keep saying: “say it again please“, and having a strange look which actually means “I want to ruuuuuuuunnnnn away from here!“

After my wonderful staying in Kent I decided to move one and finally I am in Scotland!

Edinburgh was so amazing, I actually fell in love with that city. It feels like it is a place of dreams, where you can just stand and look at any corner of the building and you will see soul in it. It was so amazing! Beautiful nature, mountains and rivers, it is a place which I can easily call a heaven on earth :).

Speaking about accent... oh gosh, it was hard again, so I had a same problem (even worst) like in Cornwall :))

In general, I strongly believe, that English people are really friendly, helpful and they would always show you the way if you were lost, they would ask are you okay, you need a help or anything, they would always try to explain everything as simple as they can. I actually had a really good experience over there. I am glad I met good people, who I can easily call friends.

TURKEY....

One year ago I had a chance to study abroad, I went to Turkey, Istanbul (Thanks to my university KTU). First couple days I did not like it, it was too much different from other places I have been in Europe before. There were too many people who were trying to get easy money from me. For example, when I landed to the airport I was looking for a taxi to go to my university, and one man came to me, he said he is a taxi driver and he can offer cheaper price for me (120 Turkish lire), he said other taxi drivers going to take more money of me, but I told him I would rather go by normal taxi (yellow ones) because it is more secure and I do not mind to pay more. And you know what? Normal taxi driver took only 50 Turkish lire. So it was my first day and I already had a chance to realize that Turkey is a different country for sure. Later on, I found out that despite all the bad experiences Istanbul is the city where I would like to live all my life. Istanbul is the best experience of my life so far. I actually love this city. I love everything about it: chaos, traffic, crowds, the way how people behave: they are so close to each other, so helpful and so dramatic sometimes, but at the same time - they are "clean heart" people, who just trying to find the way how to survive. Meanwhile in Turkey I also went to different places too (they were so amazing, that after seeing this pics I think you would go there as well). Enjoy:

KAPADOKYA

 EFES: 

 PAMUKKALE: 

BODRUM: 

ANTALYA:

IZMIR: 

MARMARIS: 

Speaking about Turkish language... Actually it is not so hard to learn it. Of course, I think so because I liked it too much so that´s why it was not hard for me, every day I wanted to find out more and more. Unfortunately I am not able to speak as good as I would like to. But anyway, I would be able to understand some :) Also, Turkish language has some similarities to Lithuanian language, for example Lithuanian people would say: betonas (concrete), Turks would say: beton. Lithuanian people would say - reklama (advertisement), Turkish people would say: reklam. There are many similarities like this, so this also might be a reason why I like everything about Turkey so much (especially food, haha).

ITALY...

I have a good friend of mine, who lives in Italy, so that´s why this summer I got an offer to go to Italy, of course I took this offer immediately :)). Because I always  liked Italy as well. In my opinion it is a place of romantic love, beautiful language (for me one of the most beautiful in the world) and tasty food (I like food too much :D ). Italy has got many places, which are really historical, have a deep meaning. I think it is a country where culture began, it is like a Mother of Europe culture. So isn´t amazing? 

Talking about my self I am a person, who prefers nature: mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, seas, etc. I just love it! So Italy has got such a beautiful nature, that I was actually too sad about leaving this country. 

ROME: 

VATICAN CITY: 

MILAN: 

VENICE: 

PERUGIA: 

In my opinion - Italian language is not very hard as well, but it is definitely language of love. It is so romantic! Italians speak so enthusiastic, they use their body language too. I can just look at them all day long and never get bored. :) I like the sound of it, the way how people pronouncing and what gesture they use. It is like a drama in a theater, and I like theaters too much :)

SPAIN...

When I say Spain first thing I want to do is sing that song: Barceloooooonaaa, Barceloooooonaaa... :D When I used to think about Spain before, it always was about oranges, football, hot weather, flamenco and "Corrida de toros". And you know what? It is true, but there are so many other things: Barcelona (on my view) the fourth beautiful city in Europe after Istanbul, Edinburgh and Rome. This city is full of historical places too, lots of culture and museums, people are so alive, they are stylish, they do not really mind how you are dressing up  or anything, they are just a young people despite the fact how old they really are. 

The reason why I am here? I am doing my internship in a company called one global translators. I am working with friendly people, who are always here to help me, give me advices, etc. when I go to my working place, I do not feel like I am going to work, I feel like I am going to educate my self, see happy faces which make me happy too. :) I strongly believe that this is all about being in this amazing city. I think all of us (who are here for studies, internship, etc) can feel the soul of Barcelona: just wake up every morning and go out to adorn the world. This is the way how Spanish people behave (on my view), they are optimistic, they are just happy people. :) 

BARCELONA: 

VALENCIA: 

So this is my experience of living abroad. All I can say - there is nothing in this world more amazing than having a chance to see new places, find out about different cultures, traditions, religions, etc. After this kind of experience you gonna be richer person, not by having lots of pics, but by having a deeper mind, about being wiser and about meeting a wonderful people in life! 

El Norte

Yesterday I have been looking for other one movie which would put some ideas in my mind. And finally I found one - “El Norte” (The North) this movie has been created - 1983 and its basic topic is “American dream” which is really popular nowadays as well. For example, many Lithuanians emigrating to United Kingdom, Norway, etc., for example, Turkish people to Germany, etc. So it is really obvious that people always migrating and it might be because of better job opportunities, love, or dreams to see all the world, achieve something better, etc. also nowadays people are freer to travel, to see places, to live in different countries, to work or study abroad (for example even now I am doing my internship in Barcelona (not in my Motherland - Lithuania, but abroad, because it is more interesting, because I am trying to achieve goals for my future, because I am a person, who likes to take any chances world gives me). So migration is not a new thing in society: it has been popular always. For example, when Colombo found America many Europeans came there, same happen to Australia and so on. So this is different kind of migration, and what about this movie?

This movie shows different “American dream”, dream which actually not a dream: young boy lived in Guatemala (if you would have a look on internet about Guatemala it would give you this kind of answer: “Mountainous, heavily forested and dotted with Mayan ruins, lakes, volcanoes, orchids and exotic birds, Guatemala is one of the most beautiful countries in Central America”. But in reality it is only the nice words, which do not show real situation over there. People are suffering from poverty, unbelievable terrible work conditions and inhuman living conditions, fairness of government, etc. for example in movie people are taken away to be killed and soldier says: “take this shit away” so it shows exactly that poor person has got no rights, they are equal to nothing).

So anyway, boy and his sister lost their family and they decided to go to north, and also they did not have other choice because would be killed in their village. Of course, they were willing to have an American dream life style: money, cars, houses – luckiness, but it did not happen. Because life is not like everyone imagining, that “grass is greener in other side”, yes, of course there are many stories when people became happier, richer and so on, but also there are stories like in this movie: (end of the movie, girl died and boy was working hard psychical job, meanwhile “supervisor” was looking at all of them cheap labors (exactly same like in Guatemala).

Also this movie shows that sometimes because of money and dreams of better future, people can change so much. For example, sister and brother in this movie were really close, like a team, but when “money started to talk” boy forgot about his sister. He had an opportunity to get better job and even citizenship and he was almost taking it, but finally he chose his dyeing sister, to support her the last moments of her life.

Moreover, this movie “talks” about jealousy as well. Enrique was doing well in his job and made other people to be jealous about it, so one man rang immigration and told about illegals only because he wanted Enrique’s job place. So life can be so unfair, especially when you have got no rights, no word, you are just a working body (like Enrique).

Furthermore, Enrique and Rosita were from a little village, actually they have never seen technologies in their lives before, so they were really naive, they could not deal with the modern life system, because it was new for them (for example, they trusted one man, who said that he is going to be their guide to North and in reality he just wanted to get them money, or that episode when Rosita saw beautiful ladies and could not stop looking at them, also when Rosita was not able to use washing machine so she washed all the clothes by hands like she used to do in her village).

All in all, this movie still leaves the chance to decide what to choose: suffer in your own country or even be killed there, or try to survive in different country and keep hoping that finally you will achieve something. I would choose different country, all the world can be my home, just need to work hard and never give up! Of course, this movie shows really bad situation, which is really happening, but life is like this: only the strongest ones can survive, unfortunately.  

Boys don´t cry

Hello everyone, today I want to talk about movie called “Boys don´t cry“. First of all, I should tell you that I am sociologist, so that´s why I chose this kind of movie, where you can see the reality of society... 

This movie is about girl who was behaving as a man, in this movie people can see how society accept homosexuals, transvestites, etc., (or not accept). So on the one hand, according to the thoughts in this movie we can talk about gender sociology. And also how people “doing genders”.  On the other hand, we can talk about feelings like love, horror or hatred.

Doing gender has analytically distinct products: the formation of a gender identity, by which people view themselves as masculine or feminine. It is also includes learning and doing gendered rules that apply to most roles we will perform or encounter, as we talk, manage our appearance, and otherwise signal to others that we are feminine or masculine.

So people do genders all the time, while they are working, studying, in public places – everywhere, but also doing gender does not mean that person has to be a boy to behave as a boy, or does not have to be a girl to behave as a girl. In society there are other kind of people group, who are homosexuals, transvestites, etc., it means they  are also doing genders in other way, for example, girl behaving as a man (like in a mentioned movie).

When watching this movie I was trying to imagine how I would behave if one morning I would wake up as a boy. So it would be totally different: I would not spend such a long time in front of mirror to get ready, I would not need to walk elegancy and behave as a lady anymore and also I was thinking that on the one hand

(I am not talking about man better work opportunities or woman being oppressed by man) it would be really hard, because man has to fight all the time with others because of women’s’ attention or trying to show themselves as stronger, cooler or more powerful. And this exactly happened in the movie when Teena’s friend cut her hair, she dressed up as a boy and then she “woke up” in a different shoes, in a different gender, in a different life.

Teena not even changed her name to Brendan, she also changed all her life style. She became different person – she became man, who has to fight for himself or take care of girls, unfortunately Brendan was not able  to take care even of himself, he always get himself in to troubles  and this continues all movie. He is really unsuccessful person.  There is a question why? Why he is so unsuccessful? In my opinion it is because of the way how his mind works and how he build his life: steeling, always problems with police officers, alcohol, being really keen on night life and also – unsuccessful people around him. Also society does not like traitors and on the one hand, he was traitor to them people (he was lying about who he is), also people do not like different people and Brendan is definitely different. To make it more obvious I can use such a good example: ugly duckling story. No one accepted him, because he was different. It happen exactly the same to Brendan, unfortunately in the end he did not exchange as a beautiful “swan” he was killed by his friends. 

Therefore, love is really important thing in this movie as well. Despite the fact that Brendan was lying even to his lover about being different person after that when she found out that he is not, she still stayed with him, she did not turn her back to him or did not start to hate him, she accepted him the way he is. Despite the fact that everyone around him were trying to stop him, she did not, she was trying to do everything to help him and safe their relationship. So I think it is really important to mention how much feelings can change the world. Love can make people blind. Because of this feeling called love people can change everything in their lives.

I strongly believe, that the main idea of this movie is love, but not usual love, it is a complicated love. It is also about being different than others, about sexuality, and about society being intolerant. About society who has no clue what means to be open minded, and also about less incomes peoples’ lifestyles. This movie shows dirty world, dangerous world, all in all –  the real world.