BABEL IN VILNIUS - Bright tomorrow's irony

World Environment Day: join and kick

Indre — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:30:00 +02:00

World Environment Day is celebrated each year on 5 June. This year it has a slogan Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy.

Climate change is one of the most important problems of this century, that is why United Nations urges to focus on greenhouse gas emissions and how to reduce them.

You can hear often speaking about the need to reduce CO2, but sometimes there's a lack of information how ordinary human can take part in it. Here is a free recipe! Ingredients are very simple:

De-carbon your life. You can buy products that adhere to internationally certified standards. Travel on bicycle or use public transport.

Get energy efficient. it doesn't mean you have to stop using energy, but increase it's productivity and do more with less. Turn off light bulbs, engines, computers, heating when there's no need to use them - it will save energy and money. Give used equipment to recycle and pay attention to energy saving when you buy new ones. Use video conferences instead of meetings.

Team up. Involve friends to your activities. Talk, discuss about it. If you look at your life through a carbon neutral lens, it will help to increase the efficiency of used resources avoiding waste.

Here's all main accents of the recipe. Let's not imprison ourselves in such environment which we would only like to escape. Sadly pollutants and polluted air will reach you and will follow you like Bugaboo wherever you'll go. So better join up with saving environment ranks today!

Asta Grigalavičiūtė
Translated by Indrė Kumpikevičiūtė

Responsibly Rejoice at World’s Biodiversity Day

Indre — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:05:00 +02:00

Today – on 22nd of May is a World Biodiversity Day. Biological diversity consists of the whole complex of all organism species, living on land and surface waters and in other ecosystems.

Biological diversity of Lithuania consists of more then 20 thousand species of fauna, 6 thousand species of mushrooms and 1 thousand 800 species of flora. It is a very complex biological network and we are depended on it.

Nowadays biological diversity is becoming extinct very fast, that is why European Union is striving to fight with these consequences. EU is determined to decrease decreasing levels of biodiversity till 2010.

Every one of us can help to keep biological diversity. Do you ask how can we? It is very easy: always turn off the tap well and don’t let water drip in vain, plant at least one tree – trees produce oxygen which we are inhaling everyday. Save energy. When exams or terms approaching and you have to make a lot of copies, try to use both sides of the paper. Use multiple bags while going shopping. Plastic bag takes 15-1000 year to fall to pieces. And they pollute nature very fast. Don’t leave your garbage after picnic. Look for waste bins. And recycle your waste. If I’m recycling, you are recycling, we are recycling – we will have neat and beautiful environment, where it will be a pleasure to spend time for you and for me.

So that is how easy you have a power to not letting Lithuanian squirrel or wolf to disappear. So why just don’t use this power?!

Asta Grigalavičiūtė

Translated by Indrė Kumpikevičiūtė

May event guide for Vilnius

Indre — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:15:00 +02:00

May welcomes us with long holidays, which are devoted to Workers' day. Of course, we can' forget Mother's Day, then - Europe's day. On these days tickets to opera or ballet, concert or theater can create festive mood - it's a great opportunity before the cultural season is over.

And just don't forget Street music Day on 3rd!

OPERA

Opera and Ballet Theater, Vienuolio str. 1, Vilnius

02 18.30 Orfeo ed Euridice Christoph Willibald Gluck
Opera in Italian, conductor Martynas Staškus
15 – 120 LT

07 18.30 Salome Richard Strauss
Opera in German, conductor Jacek Kaspszyk (Poland)
11 – 90 LT

10 18.30 Un Ballo in Mascera, Giuseppe Verdi
Opera in Italian, conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius
15 – 120 Lt

14 18.30 Rigoletto, Giuseppe Verdi
Opera in Italian, conductor Martynas Staškus
11 – 90 Lt

DANCE

Opera and Ballet Theater, Vienuolio str. 1, Vilnius

03 18.30 Romeo and Juliet Sergei Prokofjev
Ballet, conductor Martynas Staškus
10 – 120 LT

08 18.30 Giselle, Adolph Adam, Piotr Tchaikovsky, G.Bizet, A. Šnitkė
Ballet, conductor Robertas Šervenikas
10 – 120 Lt

09 18.30 La Bayadere, Ludwig Aloisius Minkus
Ballet, conductor Martynas Staškus
10 – 120 Lt

13 18.30 Ana Karenina, Rodion Ščedrin
Ballet, conductor Valerij Ovsianikov (Russia)
10 – 120 Lt

15 18.30 L'oiseau de feu/ Diaghilev. Fantasies, I. Stravinskij/ O. Respighi, G. Rossini
One-act ballets, conductor Martynas Staškus
10 – 170 Lt

CONCERT

Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, Aušros vartų str. 5, Vilnius

03 19.00 Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, State choir of Kaunas and soloists Inesa Linaburgytė (soprano) ir Laima Jonutytė (mezzo-soprano)
Orchestra concert, conductor Justus Frantz (Germany)
30 - 150 Lt

08 19.00 Klaipėda chamber orchestra and soloist Liora Grodnikaitė (mezzo-soprano)
Orchestra concert, conductor Daniel Gazon (Belgium)
20 - 40 Lt

10 19.00 Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and soloist Antal Szalai (violin, Hungary)
Orchestra concert, conductor Juozas Domarkas
30 - 100 Lt

14 19.00 Attis Quartet (Austria) and soloist Daumantas Kirilauskas (grand))
Chamber music concert
30 - 100 Lt

17 19.00 Lithuanian chamber orchestra and soloist Susanna Yoko Henkel (violin, Germany)
Orcestra concert, conductor Rolf Beck (Germany)
20 - 70 Lt

21 19.00 soloist Frederic Belli (Germany) and trombones from Lithuania.
Holiday of trombones, soloist Jonas Bylund (Sweden)
20 Lt

Vilnius Congress Palace, Vilnius str. 6/14,

02 19.00 Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and soloists Dmitrij Karpov (tenor, Russia) and Sandra Janušaitė (soprano)
Symphonic concert “Uncoverable musical distances of Russia", conductor Andrej Anichanov (Russia)
20 – 70 Lt

23/24 19.00 Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and quartet “Terem” (Russia)
Symphonic concert “Us and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd”, conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius
20 – 100 Lt

PLAYS

National Youth Theater, Arklių str. 5, Vilnius

09 18.00 Noises off Michael Frayn
Comedy, director Paolo Emilio Landi
30 – 50 Lt

28/29 18.00 Strip Man Show P.E.Landi
Comedy, director Paolo Emilio Landi
30 – 50 Lt

The State Small Theater of Vilnius, Gedimino av. 4, Vilnius

13 18.30 The Tempest William Shakespeare
Director Etienne Glaser (Sweden)
20 – 65 Lt

CONFERENCES

International conferences of Vilnius University

Faculty of Philosophy, Universiteto str. 5, Vilnius
09-10 Interdisciplinary studies of criminology: experience and perspectives

Faculty of Physics, Saulėtekio al. 9, III palace, Vilnius
19-23 9-as CIS-Baltic-JAPAN ferroelectric symposium RCBJSF-9

Faculty of Medicine, M.K.Čiurlionio str. 21, Vilnius
Symposium "Novelty in medicaments allergies"

23 Practicing new methods in neuroradiology

Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vokiečių str. 10, Vilnius
16 Ukraine: Between East and West

EXHIBITIONS

Contemporary Art Center Vokiečių str. 2, Vilnius

Till 11 Now Art Now Future
The 2nd International Biennial of Graphic Art
3 – 6 Lt

Till 11 Gerhard Richter
Survey
3 – 6 Lt

Center for exhibitions Litexpo, Laisvės str. 5, Vilnius

05 20 – 23 Balttechnika 2008

16th international exhibition about technical and technologies, environmental protection, energy and electro technical, electronic, industrial appliances, engineer cooperation.
4 – 10 Lt

LMA Museum of Applicable art, Arsenalo str. 3A, Vilnius

05 Unknown art from North Korea
Most outstanding pieces of contemporary artists from Kaesang collection
3 – 6 Lt

CINEMA

Skalvija, A.Goštauto 2/15, Vilnius

01 – 02 19.00, 21.00 Polish cinema week
“Remember December", “Witchcraft", etc. In Polish
8 – 12 Lt

05 – 08 19.00 Italian cinema week
"After Midnight", Three days of anarchy, etc. In Italian.
8 –12 Lt

12 19.00 Helmet and butterfly
Biographical drama in French, France
8 – 12 Lt

PARTIES

Gravity, J. Jasinskio g. 16, Vilnius
02 22.00 Deep Frequency: Robert Babicz/ Rob Acid (Germany)
20 Lt

16 22.00 Ewan Pearson (UK)
30 Lt

WOO, Vilniaus str. 22, Vilnius

03 15.00 Think Different. Jeff Mental (UK)
10 – 20 Lt

05 24 22.00 Mondayjazz Live! Dimlite (Swiss)
20 – 30 Lt

Aistė Jurčytė

Road without madness day

Erika — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:52:00 +02:00

Today we will be safe on the road, even if we gear up our vehicles. It has to be so. The 27 of April is The European road safety day. This day officially came into being last year. There was never unofficial one before.

One day without stress on the roads in fight with driving habits cultivated few decades ago. Is it possible that for one day French people could stop reserve fascinating moments of life and respect the red traffic-light? Who, if not Italian, could blow off steam and take their time for driving easy on this and other Sundays. Maybe then they could forget the driving style, which is the cause of scratching neighbor’s ass time to time. Curious, what reportages will be prepared by Lithuanian news service for today? Lithuanians still can not get rid of the statistics, where they are leaders in deaths on the road number.

Maybe it could be regrettable to reject the national driving habits. It is a serious national identity expression. But there is on international driving weakness – to drive safely - could balance the negative rates, and mass media would slim down.

Simona Štrimaitytė

Translated by Erika Lastovskytė

International Monuments and Sites Day

Indre — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:03:00 +02:00

The 18th of April we can mark as the International Monuments and Sites Day . The world calendar started to signify it at 1982. The classical version of the monument, carved of marble or even gold-plated, associates with the respect, as it comes - Lenin or the peeing boy. In the tourist maps the monuments play a secondary role in line with architectural chef-d’oeuvres and toilets. However, it is negotiable what do Americans choose to visit - the Hill of The Tree Crosses, or the monument for Frank Zappa?

Maybe there are too many monuments built if the questions, are they all worth of attention, appear? Does the Lithuanian nation need the soviet occupation busts? It only remains to put one‘s nose into the park of Grutas, where the attributes of the soviet occupation period is stored: few versions of proud Lenin sculptures, few of Stalin, etc. Those are the monuments to remember the black history of Lithuania. So the dilemma where to put the comma appears in the sentence: „to preserve impossible to ruin“. Still, the monument destruction is like a women, who tries to hide her age.

If the old monuments leave you cold, for whom would you build the new one?

Simona Štrimaitytė
Translated by Erika Lastovskytė

A Day for the Vacationing World – Theatre

Indre — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:59:00 +01:00

Almost every occurrence and thing has its own day – water, food, freedom of speech – all we need to choose is what and when to celebrate. Perhaps we shouldn’t try too hard and go watch a play on World Theatre Day. Instead we could expand our vocabularies with a theatrical expression “break a leg”.
In our regular earthly speech this would stand for “good luck”. This mean expression is explained by the superstition that, when you wish luck on stage, there is a large probability of something going wrong. Thus, if you wish the opposite – a misfortune, something good might happen.

World Theatre Day was created in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute. This is more like the day of a closed community. For the viewers this day with theater automatically becomes a special occasion. Tickets to the theatre appear in our pockets for Christmas or during a second date, or when you finally find some courage to make time for it.

When preparing for a theatrical occasion we wear the best of our moods. After all the theater atmosphere is programmed for spiritual fulfillment, even though the phenomenon of theatre has arisen from our own planet: famous historical figures, eternal dilemmas, emptiness and absurdity. Thus the magic of theatre is separated from everyday life by a few rituals, which we have so scrupulously kept up during the centuries.

Simona Štrimaitytė

Translated by Vytautas Povilas Jurgaitis

A Day for Poetry

Indre — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 07:17:00 +01:00

For nine years in a row now UNESCO tickles poets’ heels with feathers so that they continue writing and for all their work that does not go straight into the rubbish bin to be heard. March 21st is the day when we ought to remember our favourite sonnet by Shakespeare, wear our bow tie or net stockings and write an e-mail that rhymes to our friends and colleagues.

The poets’ hands guided dreamy lyrics like kites through changing winds. For example, the soviet poets of yesterday had their own agendas. Aesopean language strolled through corridors of nationalism. Today the corridors and tunnels are gone. Now, with our noses upturned, we can only fold the clouds heavy with some sort of dizziness.

At the same time the future is a threat to all nations. It is interesting to watch how the nine headed high-tech globalisation is digitizing the wild, creative side of humanity. Already we have computer programs that create effective commercials. Poetry is the next step, which our collective feet are poised for. The mechanics for the creation of inspiring and heart-warming collections of words are simple: a few keywords and the recipients ears are filled with magical poetry filled with idealism, lechery or the purest of truths.

Soon the day will come when a sensitive little robot, with an award for digital poetry, will replace the fallen heads of the Greek goddess Iambe and John Lennon.

Today we would love to make a gift of some Vytautas’ Mačernis’ poetry

***

My soul, hungry as a beast,
I feed the best fruit of the earth:
Science and art; may it enjoy
The colours and inspired tones.

I let it be perverse and then remorseful,
By wearing sharp, rough cloth,
But I cannot sate it with anything
That panther, hungry, wild.

Simona Štrimaitytė

translated by Vytautas Povilas Jurgaitis

The Show must go on

Indre — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:56:00 +01:00

Last year the global calendar was extended with one more international day, 3rd March, which is dedicated to Freedom of Music. This is a relatively two-sided issue – on one hand music gives wings for self expression, on the other hand the wings of music itself are clipped so that it doesn’t fly too far away.

During soviet times in Lithuania music was the niche where the seeds of freedom began to grow. Culture and music shows on the national radio weren’t as strictly censored and among the youths more and more often you would hear nationalists humming patriotic songs, or just songs urging to overthrow the soviet regime.

Today music censorship in Lithuania is very lax, but after all why censor the songs if they are only a little too lecherous. On the other hand in China a decision was reached to curb perverted music, because it is harmful to people’s health. Incidentally, in countries where music is politicized, like Belarus, Zimbabwe, the United States, control is especially important. In any case, music against war sounds great, even in a golden birdcage, especially if it is emphasized by swearing and made more colorful by new social ideals. Has anyone heard the song about the new ideal male – “Just like Putin?”

In comparison with us, music is in its golden age and we are its slaves: before fully waking, we instinctively turn on the melody maker, we walk the streets rolled in a blanket of digital music, hunt for the latest free songs on the internet and hear Vagner in public buses.

I suggest we let music be still for today. A day without music – is it possible?

Simona Štrimaitytė
translation Vytautas Povilas Jurgaitis

I to You

Indre — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:07:00 +01:00

If you saw a heart and did not think that it was a red traffic light... Oh yes, the day, when red caviar looks even sexier and red busses drive everyone to mass love hysteria, has come...

St. Valentine’s Day has n + one more heart scenarios. On this day some love even more. Others drink more hot coffee. However, someone will be always missing love on this day. The biggest joy related to St. Valentine’s Day is that it is not about love at all. February 14th is a fest of various gifts and presents. As though it were the last day, as it was for the prisoner Valentine, who desperately wanted to leave a note for his loved ones. We give anonymous notes, which hide the flushing of our cheeks and infatuation, which we hide like little kids for 66 days now. The ones who have figured everything out a long time ago make a gift of 'two in one' underwear.

In other words it’s almost like Christmas. On the other hand, on St. Valentine’s we give ourselves. To the muses of our emotions.

Let’s give and receive

Simona Štrimaitytė

Translation: Vytautas Povilas Jurgaitis

Sick man, take care of yourself!

Indre — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:47:00 +01:00

Before the day of love hallucinations, let’s stop and remember that there are other diseases, for example, gastritis or trauma, which make us patients. On the World day of the sick let’s ask ourselves the question: have you managed to forget the last time when you met your doctor vis-à-vis, smelled the odour of a hospital...?

No stranger to medical sciences, active, perceptive, not susceptible to “black” days and viruses – this is what a successful patient in the soviet medical system should have been like. In the same system where even in the 1990-ies almost half of the soviet hospitals lacked hot water, showers and baths. Back then ideas that the medical system should be reformed did not float around freely. Simply the rights of the equal and more equal were used in the free care of the Hippocrates oath.

Today we still gasp in our thirst for the medical reform which still shines brightly somewhere far beyond the horizon. Even though there is nothing to complain about – we have top class medical equipment. However, this equipment is reserved for top class clients only. While our modern patient has to be: no stranger to medical sciences, active, perceptive, not susceptible to “black” days…

Be safe!

Simona Štrimaitytė

Translation: Vytautas Povilas Jurgaitis

Sad International Customs Day

Indre — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:41:00 +01:00

There is Schengen. There is no customs officer. In Lithuania the figure of customs officer can still be seen in air ports – till March, 2008 and near the borders with third countries (Russia, Belarus). Ceremonial moments of crossing borders were replaced by simplicity - foot pushes pedal no matter what you have in your trunk.

Maybe the International Customs Day became even greater holiday for those who can remember the taste of this profession: hard 24 hours‘ work, high degree of suspiciousness, mass of faces trying to slip through, bureaucratic fiction.

Simona Štrimaitytė

World Religion Day

Dionizas — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:42:00 +01:00

Protection of angels is a privilege of believers among free-minded. While faith traditions were protracted, more than one false angel has broken in the circulations. They spoke with the folk in various voices of monarchs, scandalous publications, imitations of new religion, or the wayward fight for the truth.

On the world religion day we send this caricature for the whole earthly going on performance. In this unfolded show, the real angels had to come down from the Eden utopia closer to reality.

The distance between god’s and devil’s margin poles is getting smaller in the speed of sin attraction.

If you know the author of this caricature, please inform vilnius(at)cafebabel.com

Simona Strimaityte

International Migrants Day

Dionizas — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:13:00 +01:00

The author pictured the masculine effort to provide the family with goods. Because the relocation was inconceivable, couple of years ago the sportive sweating with the home-backpack could seem even absurd.

In 2000 the International Migrants Day was proclaimed 18 of December to inform about the large and increasing number of migrants in the world. This caricature is drawn for all kind of travellers, regardless of what they are called. Most of them come back, or migrate all the time. It is necessary to stress, that if you think one must pick one country to be successful, you decline the possibility to choose.

Today, when one can freely migrate, is it easier to understand the picture, as the irony of the situation, when people are leaving families at home and are working abroad to provide them.

Saint Lucy - night long light day

Dionizas — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:01:00 +01:00

The author associates women's role in family with man‘s ingenuity. The truth is that perceptions of equality were confined to such caricatures not so long ago. The best illustration of the festive period was ‘kitchen amusements’ designed by men.

The 13 of December, the light or Saint Lucy's day brings more light to the longest nights of endless Christmas season. This caricature is intended for those, who think that sex equality was established after the inequality was measured and brought to the light. Plausible result of such wishful thinking is we have more female, than male students.

Now, both women and men are doing things they thrive on. However, the cliché women are able to carry out more than one task simultaneously is active today. Thus, in this picture one can envisage unique skills to enlighten and feed men.

If you know the author of this caricature, please inform vilnius(at)cafebabel.com

International Anti-Corruption Day

Dionizas — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 18:18:00 +01:00

In this old picture, the attitude towards living in the restricted area is satirized. The individual (the concept was denied by definition in Soviet regime) could only use limited assets (flat, or job) for living, which were given by the state in the planned economy. Therefore, the big part of the population was indifferent to the time passing by..

The 9 of December, the International Anti-corruption day is raising awareness of this general problem. Today our consciousness is not limited by the state. So, we have the possibility to dedicate this caricature for those, who are still trying to get their best by any means and think it is usual. In fact, the justification of such efforts with the ’corruption everywhere’ argument is ridiculous, because there is no more time left.

Today the time is extremely valuable, and the picture could better illustrate the destructive indifference to the problems of our own surroundings.

If you know the author of this caricature, please inform vilnius(at)cafebabel.com