Kaunas

13 Sections of ESN Lithuania came together on the 30th-31st of March during National Platform 39 that was organised by ESN VMU, and volunteers from ESN Lithuania had an informative and interesting event together with guests from Latvia, Poland, Serbia and Ukraine.

Multiple elections are taking place in Lithuania this year, and ESN Lithuania is no exception. New members of the National Board, Coordinators and Chairs were elected, and they will be working together to ensure a successful future of this organisation. Elected National Board of ESN Lithuania: National Representative - Lukas Blusevičius, Communication Manager - Ugnė Zieniūtė, Events Manager - Agnė Petrauskaitė, Projects Manager - Monika Lisauskaitė. Also, ESN Lithuania elected Health and Well-being Coordinator - Šarūnas Selvestravičius and HR committee chair - Ieva Pociūtė. Votings were definitely a key part of this National Platform because the importance of  in the upcoming European Parliament election was also discussed. Erasmus Student Network is trying to raise awareness regarding active citizenship, and ESN Lithuania is doing its part to inform people about the importance of expressing your opinion in the EU elections.

The 30 years anniversary of ESN was also a major topic during the second day of the Platform. Celebrations will be happening all around Europe this year due to this beautiful anniversary, and ESN Lithuania is already thinking about ways that we could mark this occasion in our country.

Moreover, it was a great National Platform because Timetravels, who are one of our biggest partners, attended the event and provided valuable information that will keep our volunteers motivated and excited about the upcoming trips that they can share with their international students.

Participants also had an opportunity to hear more about Erasmus in Schools (EiS). Members from our organisation will be traveling to multiple schools in Lithuania together with international students and teaching kids about multiculturality, Erasmus+ and their countries. EiS visitations will be happening for two semesters, and we are certain that this will be beneficial for volunteers and the kids.

Finally, sections have voted and decided that the next National Platform will be organised by ESN KUK in Klaipėda.

It was a successful National Platform and people are already waiting for the next one because they will be able to make new connections again and learn more about what is happening in our network.

In case your emergency first aid knowledge consists only from what you have seen during an episode from The Office and you can’t stop humming the tune of “Stayin’ Alive”, then ESN Lithuania has a perfect solution together with ESN LSMU - Go Xtreme!

Thanks to Viruthan Yoga-Nathan, who was the main organizer of the event, and his team, people from multiple Lithuanian universities were able to learn valuable information.

This is the third time ESN LSMU has provided the network with this intense one-day event. This time it took place on the 8th of December and covered everything from the recovery position, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to the best ways how to call an ambulance and properly respond to emergency first aid related issues.

The participants were taught by Laurynas Ivanauskas, who is a member of the department of disaster medicine and has also been working for the emergency disaster response team in Kaunas. As someone who has worked for 18 years in the firefighter department and been involved in the activities of a team responsible for dealing with earthquakes, collapses, and other disasters, he was able to perfectly teach the participants.

However, the trainer started by explaining that “medicine students study for 6 years, and today we will try to learn everything in 6 hours”.

Members of various sections of ESN Lithuania tried everything in practice with the help of CPR training manikins, automated external defibrillators, bandages and many more tools that the general public could use when needed. The melody of the famous song by Bee Gees was still in the air during the training of resuscitation, but the participants actually spent time learning the best ways and tricks to help people.

According to the trainer, if a member of the public calls the ambulance and then does nothing, then it might be too late. Multiple participants admitted that they do not think that they have enough knowledge about emergency first aid events, therefore, Go Xtreme was a perfect opportunity for them.

Moreover, Laurynas Ivanauskas found a perfect way to always lighten the mood. The emergence number here is 112, but almost everyone knows the famous 911 from the United States of America. Ever wondered what happens when someone calls 991 in Lithuania? The trainer quickly showed that it is automatically connected to the Lithuanian number and has sent greetings to a friendly dispatcher after explaining that a training is happening and there is no emergency situation during the call.

He ended the training by explaining that a lot of people get in panic mode and freeze during real situations. Therefore, if you act and help, then you truly are a hero. Want to learn how to be one? Participate in Go Xtreme and find out!

Written by Ugnė Zieniūtė

Khaoula El Maaloumi from Morocco, Erasmus+ studies in Lithuania (for 5 months)

My Erasmus experience started quite unexpectedly. I heard about Vilnius University at my institution, and suddenly started looking for the courses taught and once I found it, I made my decision to come here. I honestly knew almost nothing about Lithuania before, but even after unforgettably cold weather and strange environment which kind of shocked me on the first day, the impressions about this country change to the better every single day, especially after meeting other international and local students and going to the trips together.

I came to Lithuania in February. When I stepped off the plane, I felt kind of paralysed because of cold, and I couldn’t make myself move for while. It was -11 degrees and it was snowing. It is really nice to watch the snow falling from the house window, but when you are outside… However, I will probably never forget the first winter trip to Trakai and the walking on the frozen lake, when I thought: “how it possible is that it does not break, what is under it? – Water. – I am not a good swimmer!” Some guys were even jumping on the ice just to make it even scarier for me.  Now, after some time I could say that the forests and the green nature in general is probably what impress me the most about Lithuania. Lithuanians should be proud of their nature! Even the cities are really green here. My favourite place in Kaunas so far is probably – Pažaislis Monastery. The nature around is spectacular. I am looking forward to come there again someday.

One of the weirdest things for me in Lithuania is the traditional pink soup. When I first saw it, I could not understand what this pink colour is coming from. I even had an impression that it must be the pink painting. For me it is also very unusual that Lithuanians eat so much potatoes. There is a potato in every meal here. However, I am a kind of person who is able to adapt to the new environment. I actually think that I am going to cry, when I will have to leave. I wish that Erasmus exchange would take longer, I mean a year or maybe even a few years. I think that while being Erasmus student I changed as a person in a good way. I became more independent and made many social connections. I discovered unknown cultures and made good friends. People from different cultures whom I met here have become like a family to me.

I think that Erasmus is a must. If you’re still wondering, you should definitely go on Erasmus exchange. It is an experience of a lifetime. It is all worth it. You meet lots of new people and the best part is that you have so much fun. And Lithuania is a really good destination!

Written by Irmina Budriūtė

Trifon Stanchev from Bulgaria, Erasmus+ studies in Lithuania at Vilnius University faculty of Kaunas (for 5 months):

Erasmus in Lithuania – new friends, good beer and… potatoes!

The idea to go to study in Lithuania came suddenly. My marketing class lecturer told about her impressions during the trip to Lithuania, and advised all of us to go and see it. At that time I was feeling like I needed a new environment and new experience. So right after the lecture I started thinking about going to Lithuania and soon applied for Erasmus exchange at my university. I did not know much about this country before going here but that was what it made me even more curious.

I remember the first day here was actually nice and my mentor picked me up from the bus station and showed me around. My first impressions about Lithuania were positive, indeed. Lithuania has so many cultural monuments: churches, museums and beautiful nature: many rivers and forests. I am not disappointed about university choice either. The lectures here are so practical and well-organised. I am also attending Spanish classes here which I find very useful since I know that I will go to study in Spain next year.

What I find unusual in Lithuania is the national folk dances. It was something I haven’t seen before but it was quite funny, though. I had so much fun while trying to learn some folk dance steps. Lithuanian cuisine is also something very different from what I was used to before. There are so many potatoes here that it seems like every dish is made out of them! The cold pink soup seemed very weird at first too, but once I tried it, it turned out that I really like it!

Probably what I miss the most about my country is the warm weather. The weather here is quite disappointing – there is too much rain and coldness and local people’s mood sometimes seems to be affected by such weather. But I’m impressed about the fact that Lithuanians speak and communicate in English so well and Lithuanian girls, they are so beautiful! So if I was asked to stay for 5 months more in this country, I could not resist. Kaunas is the city where I now spend most of the time and I cannot wait until the weather will get warm and all the trees in Laisvės avenue will come into leaf. I think I will go out and spend all day making pictures all around Kaunas.

Erasmus to me means that I actually became a traveler in a wider sense. Firstly, I came to another country and completely different environment and secondly, I met the people from so many different cultural backgrounds that become good friends of mine. And my tip for future Erasmus students in Lithuania is – pack a luggage full of warm clothes because definitely, you will need those no matter which season you’re planning to stay here. The weather is always unpredictable!

Written by Irmina Budriūtė