Today is Sunday, and I leave for London on Wednesday. Its very wierd leaving here because I've gotten so accustomed to living here and when I leave on Wednesday I know I'll never be back.

But anyways, this week was the law conference.

On Monday we got home from Russia around 9, I came home, showered, made some breakfast, then did errands all day with Max, Tara, and Betty. We rearranged the conference room, made nametags, stuffed bags with conference material... etc

this lasted until about 515 when Betty told me to go home and get ready for the opening reception because my job is to check everyone in. So I do and go to the reception and my job was pretty cool because I got to meet everyone who came. Theres some heavy hitters coming to this thing including the ex-president of lithuania, an aid to the current president, an fbi agent, top lawyers, etc

so we stayed at the reception until about 9 then I came home and passed out

Tuesday was the first day of the conference and I had to be there by 830 to finish last minute things and check everyone in and hand out the conference material. The lithuanian delegation had way more people show up than they thought so we ran out of translation headphones, which was pretty frustrating for the people attending. But whatever. We had two coffee breaks and I made friends with the caterers, and we had an amazing 3 course lunch that was so good.

The conference ended at 5 and we stayed til about 530 cleaning up, then we went home, showered, changed, and we out to dinner to celebrate how well the first day went. We went back to that really good Indian Restaurant and Betty paid so that was nice.

Wednesday- wednesday went much the same except we had enough headphones. They passed a resolution at the end so that was good. I didnt have as much work to do today so I got to listen a lot more. Then we came home around 5 again and we went to Ibish to celebrate Dave's last night. He leaves in the morning. So we did that but we were all so tired that we came home and went to bed around 1130.

Thursday- didn't do too much, slept in, basically did nothing all day. We went to Connect at night for the hip hop night, it was a slightly awkward night but it was fun. Its wierd without dave.

Friday- much the same, didn't do too much. I went to the American center to update my resume and fill out some applications. Came home, went to dinner with Brandon for zeppalini, the traditional lithuanian meal. Tried it at a new place this time and it was really good. On the way back I saw my lithuanian friend which meant his friend is DJing at broadway tonight. Brandon, Nick, and I went to Solvegas' bar first because she was working and Brandon wanted to say bye, then they went to Chili Picas and I went to Broadway to meet my friend. That was fun but saying goodbye for good is weird. I dont really like that.

Saturday- we walked around the city a lot today to take more pictures and just enjoy it before we leave. Watched donnie darko and butterfly effect, then went to bed. Not too much happened today.

Russia

So I went to Russia.

On Tuesday night we took an overnight train to St. Petersburg, about 14 hours. Now that would seem pretty horrific but we had beds and I had a 101.4 fever so I passed out about 30 minutes into the ride and only woke up when the border guards came in to check out passports and visas at the border of Lithuania, Latvia, and then into Russia. That went well, no problems with the guards. The Russian one was kind of insane. They had two separate people come check our passports, two separate people come check our luggage, and they had german shepards and other things to intimidate us. But being delirious, I didn't really care

We got into St. Petersburg around 830 am and were completely lost. There are no signs in English in this train station and no one speaks it. We stood around trying to find maps and whatnot to get to our hotel. Finally some nice lady just started talking to us in Russian and we followed her to the subway and she showed us the right train to get on. The subway is down literally hundreds of feet. The escaltor went on FOREVER, no lie. We're not sure why... either a) to go underneath the canals and marshes or b) doubles as a bomb shelter. Both are highly probable. So we get to our hostel and have to get driven to a different hostel because we have a private room. Remember that this hostel for tonight was booked last minute because we got kicked out of our other hostel because of the G8 Summit. So a guy comes a drives us to the other branch of the hostel and interestingly enough the steering wheel was on the other side. I thought that was interesting and didn't realize Russia was like England. Then as we were driving I realized that our van was the only one on the road with the steering wheel on the wrong side... I was very confused.
So we got to ur hostel around 11 and couldn't get into our room til 12 so we left and walked to the Church of the Savior of Spilled Blood. Typical Russia Orthodox church... simply breathtaking. It had the onion shaped tops and beautifully brillant colors. The sides were all hand painted with individual portraits and was just amazing. Right next to the church was an open air market where the people finally spoke english... and took money in dollars... that was kind of wierd. I have absolutley no dollars on me so we kept having to ask them how much in rubles. Then we went back to the hostel and took a nap and I started to feel like crap again with the fever and it got reallllllly cold while we were sleeping. Like, really cold. As in I had one jeans, a t shirt, a sweater, and the huge comforter and I was shaking. When we got up we made dinner and decided to check out some of the bars from the guide book. Its so hard to find things because the guidebooks say the street names in English, or how you would pronounce it, while the street signs are in syrillic and Russian. So eventually we found some places to try and then were home by 11. I showered and we met some volleyball players from Canada who are here for the swatch international tournament. That was pretty cool. Then we passed out.

On Thursday we moved into our normal hostel. Its called Hotel California and is a hostel for musicians. Turns out the workers are all anarchists fighting the government... and then we finally figured out why the Russian government wouldn't let us stay there during the G8. So we got there by cab and finally found the place and decided, thanks to Nick, to check out the aquarium. So we went to the aquarium which was alright... and then we came back and bought food and then we took a boat ride through all the canals so we could see the entire city. After that we went back, cooked dinner, watched 28 days later with Dmitri the worker, and slowly but surely everyone in the hostel came into the tiny kitchen with us and we all just hung out. Theres Beth and Aaron from Britain who are touring the world for a year (start in russia, go through asia, work in australia for a few months, hit up phoenix in the summer, work way to nwe york then home) then theres 3 guys from the netherlands who made a website called 1milliondolarcamper.com or something and made enough money off of it to buy a camper and travel around. Theres 2 girls from France, one is writing her thesis on the American fraternity system... very cool. Theres 3 kindergarden teachers (1 canadien, 1 from vietnam, 1 german) among other people. theyre all pretty fun

Friday we went to the Hermitage- which was the winter palace of the czars and is now a history and art museum. it was so crowded that we didnt really get to see much (had picassos and da vinci etc) we just stumbled around and left after about 2 or 3 hours. Then we went back to the market and bought some stuff... came home, ate, and went out to a club with the other people from the hostel. The workers brought us to the club so it was a real russian underground club, not for tourists. it was interesting. they had alive band recording and then it switched to a dj later. Team USA didn't stay long because we didnt want to be out too late in Russia...

Saturday- got up and went to Peter and Paul's fortress. Had a nice chuch with like... Peter the greats grave, etc. Lots to do there but we just mostly walked around the grounds. We're not really museum people. Then we got back and started up foosball which became the obsession for the rest of the trip. Team USA pretty much sucked. Team Russia was good but they liked to playu spinners. Team France wouldn't play, Team England was mia, and Team Holland was the cinderella story. So that was fun. Then we just hung out and drank in the hostel again instead of going out.

Sunday- Sunday we went to a Food not Bombs ralley with the anarchist workers. They made a ton of food to give out to homeless people. We went because we thought it would be funny and interesting. Brandon played his guitar on the street to make them money and I blew bubbles? Nick peaced out because he thought it was too sketchy to be hanging out with anarchists on the street... and it was sketchy, but it was fun.
After we went back, grabbed our stuff, and headed to the train station. I wasnt delirious this time so it was slightly more difficult to sleep, but not a problem.

ill add pictures when i get home, but check out the webshots.

This work week was pretty uneventful. Monday I started working at Vilnius University reorganazing and catalouging their career resource center. I'm mostly dealing with all the info they have on studying in foreign schools. Tuesday was the same only I brought Nick with me. We got fined on the bus for not having a bus ticket as we were buying our bus tickets... not cool. Tuesday night I went out with the Germans to this concert by the cathedral. They had an indian band, cuban, two lithuanian, and one from kazakistan. then we went to broadway. Wednesday was the same... Thursday I didn't have to go into work because I had finished it all so I worked a lot on the embassy website. We went to Connect at night, which plays american hip hop on thursdays. Friday is always off, so I finished the embassy website and we went to pabo latina, a salsa club at night. there were a lot more older people there, and a lot of bachelor parties. Saturday I went to the independent republic of uzipio with dave and hung out and then at night went to galaxy, then to broadway.

So its been a pretty uneventful week... I finished projects at two different internships so I got to basically just relax for awhile. We leave to Russia on Tuesday night so that will be a lot of fun hopefully. We had some issues booking hostels because the G8 summit is going on in St Petersburg and we're seen as a security threat. Oh well.

Thursday- Thursday we got up at 4:00 am to take a taxi to the airport and head to Tallinn, Estonia. What an amazing experience. This is going to be a long post, so get ready. We go to the Vilnius airport and its around 5 am and people are in the bar/lounge getting wasted. And the stores in the terminal were almost all alcohol and it was unbelievable. So wierd. Then the airplane itself is really empty so we all try to sleep but the flight is only a little over an hour long so we cant really sleep. Then we get into Tallinn at about 830, and jump on a bus into the heart of the city. This is me, nick, and brandon fyi. We walk around the city trying to find our hostel and eventually get to the place where it should be. only problem is its not there. We can't find it at all. Then we realize we completely missed the sign for it and went upstairs. There was a guy sleeping in a bed where the checkin desk was... very strange. And we had to take our shoes off, and we all know how i feel about feet. Turns out because we have a private room were in a different hostel. So we carry all our crap and go back in the direction we came to where we're supposed to be... only the hostel isn't there. This time it takes us literally a half hour of wandering around. We asked people working at stores, random people on the street, we could not find this place. Then as were about to head back brandon sees this tiny sign, with tiny font (about the size of this font on the page) that says tallinn backbackers... so we found it... and we go upstairs and get our keys and change into bathingsuits and head out to meet annie, a girl we met in vilnius, who took a bus to meet us out here. There is a medieval fair going on by the town hall and we all get pizzas in a restaurant right by there. The festival is really cool. Everyone is dressed in traditional clothes and selling traditional goods (see webshots) Its really cool. So we finish eating and head to the beach, which is really crappy. It consists of dirty, grainy sand, a lot of old people in revealing bathingsuits, and seaweed filled water. But it was the Gulf of Finland so I swam in it anyways. It was actually really nice, much like home. There was a sandbar really far out so that was cool. Then afterwards we walked to a Soviet monument. What happened was the Germans buried a lot of soldiers (?) here. Then when Estonia was occupied by the Soviets the Soviets bulldozed the graves and put up this piece of crap. Soviet architecture is just not very pretty. Then we took a bus home and passed by this beer festival that brandon read about on the airplane. Ironically we picked the weekend of a medieval fair and a beer festival. really lucky. So we plan on going there tonight. On the way home we buy groceries and cook dinner at home. Then we realize how tired we are. The other three smoked some hooka. We ended up not going out and just go to bed.

Friday- today we wake up around 12 and meet Annie at 1 at the other part to our hostel. We were late in meeting her because we were talking to some cool norweigan guys and making lunch... oops. So we talk to the people at the hostel and find a much better beach to go to. Beforehand, we go to the harbor and buy our tickets to head to Finland tomorrow. Now, onto the beach. This time we found the real beach. I was wondering, with summer vacation, why there were no high school or college aged kids at the beach we tried yesterday, they were all at this beach. It was much better. So then around 530 or 630... i forget... we go home, cook some dinner, and head out to the beer festival. Its called Ollesummer. Now, when I say beer festival, I do mean there are lots of kinds of beer. But there are also tons of stages with live bands like warped tour, and stands selling crap like the Marshfield fair, and bungee jumping and things like that, and vodka and other drinks. There are old women, kids in strollers, college kids, and whole families wandering around with topless dancers on stage and drunks stumbling around. There are real french fries. That deserves its own sentence. The festival gave out free t shirts if you bought 6 beers, so that happened quite frequently. We went to this thing with a bunch of people from the hostel. Andrew... 19, vancouver canada. has been travelling for 6 months, goes home in 2 weeks. Chris, 21, australia, has skunk like hair and lots of tattoos, smokes a lot. Jules, unknown age, new zealand, black and dred locked, stands out. Alex...?... california, kind of a tool, talks too loudly about things that he knows nothing about, going home on saturday another australian... unknown age and name, works at the hostel to pay for his stay unknown name, 34, geology teacher in boise, idaho, keeps a patch for everywhere he's been, including bosnia and herezegovinia... juan, unknown age, father is spanish, but he lives in london... makes for a cool accent, leaves tomorrow, i think thats everyone... anyways, most of these guys were really cool, and got really drunk. it was fun to have other people to hang out with. so at 12 the 4 of us from vilnius went home so we wouldnt miss our ferry to finland in the morning.

Saturday- we get up at 9 to meet annie at 915 to go to our jet cat ride to finland. we go to rimi and buy foor so we wont have to spend a lot in finland... because its expensive and on the euro. ironically, andrew from last night is on our ferry and so we hang out with him. basically, this jet cat gets us there in a little over an hour, so its about 11 ish and we walk around helsinki. ironically again, we picked the weekend of a rock festival. there is live music everywhere. its really cool. and in their town square they have much the same types of shops and botths as tallinn. the guys all buy these shirts that say helsinki fuckin city. and brandon buys a sticker that says i like finland. now think about this one... because its really funny. the sticker doesnt say i love finland, like i love new york or i love london its like i like finland... its ok. i dont love it, but i dont hate it. yeah, i just like it. its alright. apparently they dont like commitment in finland. so finland was really cool and had really cool old buildings and whatnot... again, check out the webshots. then at 445 we got back on our ferry and went home. We get there, eat some food, and head over to the other hostel to watch soccer, then we just go to the hostel to go to bed... or at least we try to. there was this finnish couple in our hostel who kept saying how safe finland was and how estonia isnt safe at all... whatev. but they locked the door to the hostel that always stays open. see, we have a key to get in this big iron gate on the street. then we walk up to the 3rd floor and theres the door to the hostel thats always open and leads to the hallway and the front desk, then we have another key for our own rooms. they locked the always open door and were the only ones inside. so were banging on the door and then the worker comes up the stairs and sees that shes also locked oout.... so she walks back to the other hostel to get the keys. then we follow, and come back later and shes trying all the keys and were sitting on the stairs and no key works... so she goes back again and we stay and bang on the door and nothing happens... then the lady comes back with more keys and none work... and the owner comes and cant help so were banging on the door, ringing the doorbelll, and calling the front desk trying to wake these people up... finally they get up and say they thought we all had keys blah blah blah we just glare at her. then we pass out

Sunday- again we sleep til about noon, and go to a russian (soviet) flea market. they have old soviet war helmets, soviet passports, army uniforms, etc etc. its amazing. i buy a book of stamps for about 18 dollars that hopefully will sell for a lot more when i go home. then the guys head to the beach again and annie and i stay behind because i have a rash from the sun. so i get some medicine, go to the other hostel to hang out, then go home, shower, and read. the guys come home, we make dinner, they smoke hooka, and we go to the other hostel to watch a horrible world cup with zidane going crazy. then we go home and go to bed... we have to be up at 7 tomorrow to go home

im not putting pictures up for this one because theres too many just go to http://community.webshots.com/user/JAKBELLE

sorry its been awhile since i updated...

thursday- we did go to broadway... probably the last time i will be there. they play the same exact bad music every night so we're getting tired of it. highlights of the night: i made friends with this girl from switzerland named mia whose biking across europe with her friends. she was really cool. and also... there was this guy (boy) standing by the dj booth all night who was dressed like seth green in cant hardly wait. it was hilarious. he had white man capris and a red long sleeve shirt with a black puffy vest and he had a red visor strapped to his cargo pocket. it was really funny.

friday- friday was the last day of camp, which means they put on a show for their parents. my group sang john brown had a little indian which was adorable. one group tried to sing the eurovision song we are the winners but they only knew the refrain so they stood their awkwardly the rest of the time. but camp ended well and i'll miss my kids. then we went to language lessons and came home and watched soccer. while watching, i realized that there was a lump on the left side of my throat protruding outwards... not good. so at 9 pm on friday night betty took me to the clinic and i have scarlet fever (accute streptococtal tonsilitus) or as katie says strep throat on steroids. so i got medicine for that, was forbidden to go out, and went to bed at 12. i really was looking forward to going out because it was karolis' night to have his party at fashion club and we had free passes and whatnot, and the switzerland girl was supposed to meet me there... oh well

saturday- saturday i went to kaunas and bristonaus with betty and tara (her daughter) which was really cool to go through the country and see things outside the big city. there were cows and horses everywhere... just lounging on the side of the road, no fences or ropes to keep them in. people were plowing the old fashioned way and making haybales and everything. it was really cool. i got back at 8, watched soccer, and passed out around 11. i didnt mean to sleep, i was planning on going on, but i fell asleep in my clothes, contacts in, lying on top of my bed. i didnt wake up until 430 and realized i'd missed the night.

sunday- did nothing, as sundays should be. the guys all got really drunk around 6 and then passed out early after our drunken 15 minute walk to mcdonalds.

monday- had a meeting at the embassy at 11:30, then picked up tickets for the 4th of july event tomorrow, then did nothing again... i went out to dinner with 2 new people from uncg, a teacher and a student max, and betty and tara. we went to Sue's Indian Raja, which is one of the best indian restaurants in the world it was very good. we didn't get back til 11 pm though, so i just went to bed... again

tuesday- 4th of july! we were supposed to go to the field with all the steps at 12 to help set up, the program was being put on by the american chamber of commerce (amcham) where dave works. but the directions we had to get there were wrong and me, keenan, nick, and brandon walked aroudnd from 11 when we left the hotel til 1:20 trying to find the bus stop to take us there. then we jsut came home because we were about to have heat strokes, lounged around until 6 when we weer told we had to take a taxi to come in. the program started at 5. so we call a cab and try to go and the traffic is unbelievable. it costs us 50 litas to pay the cab driver... it was horrible. he was driving on the wrong side of the road and up curbs trying to get us there. then we got there and it was all lithuanians, no americans. but we ate the mcdonalds and the fries and bad food and they all took advantage of the free beer. we stole some wine for the ride home and made it back in time to watch the semi finals. i went to the beer garden to meet jan because all the germans were there and i thought it would be funny to be there with all germans... on the 4th of july. germany lost... but what was really interesting, and horrible, is the fact that every time they would yell at the tv or get mad all i could think of weer nazis... they just all sounded like nazis to me, yelling commands and whatnot. its horrible, but its true... i came back to my apartment around 145 to find brandon passed out i nthe bathtub, luckily with no water in it, in his boxers... he doesnt know what happened so i cant really explain that one. i thought he had drowned when i saw him.

wednesday- im here right now at the american center working on the embassy website. tomorrow we leave for finland and estonia

ill add some pictures when i get home

loveyoumissyou