How-to-do... CHEESE

Today I will tell you how we survive without the delicious german cheese! The solution is quite easy: make your own cheese! The lithuanian cheese is... well, it just does not exist, there are only import-products (the few exceptions are for the trash). So far so good, let's start!

You need:

• fresh milk
• a big pot to boil it
• a small box or something else
• any kind of filter (e.g. a piece of linnen)
• some spices

Before you can even start, you have to wait... for the fresh milk getting a "little bit bad". If you don't keep it in the fridge, it will be ready after the first two days! Now just heat the milk till steam appears... And keep on stiring around in the pot, as it really gives a bad smell if the milk burns on the ground of the pot. Don't boil the milk, keep the temperature steady and watch the steam... after a few minutes only you can watch the first clumps of cottage cheese bobbing up! Wait and stir till all the milk has turned "pale" as water and it's surface is covered with the cheesy clumps. These you've got to separate now with your filter-instrument. Leave the cottage cheese in the filter for at least half an hour - after this all the water should be gone. Now add all the stuff you want to your cheese lump and mix it well. For the last step you've got two possibilities:

Either you compress the cheese even more (takes about one night) and just put it like that in a box for the fridge or if you prefer "juicy" cheese, put it in a box as well but with adding brine, till the cheese is covered with it!

And there it is, your own, awfully tasty cheese!

summertime

One thing is for sure: I definitely took too less summer cloths with me. The sun is burning the air over Salakas - the only possibility for some easement is the lake nearby... But with the start of the "tourist-season" it is over with lonely hours (ok, not so lonely with the mosquitos), just starring at the everblue movements of the sky, mirrored in the calm surface of the water. Now: people everywhere, singing, drinking, bathing. Noise and trash! Ok, but we know more places close to the water. And anyhow, next week, there will be the On-Arrival-Training! Rocio and I, we are really looking forward to that one... me especially, as I can really FEEL how my English is falling off in quality!!! Some idle moments together with Rocio allowed me to start learning Spanish ;-)
However, the "homework": our timetable! The last week almost only water-workshops... great. But yesterday the Zalvyne-Festival took place (the one, we digged the toilets for!)! Aaaand: children again! Nobody even wanted to TRY to speak with us, I felt a little bit like a strange alien-creature... anyhow, just listening the singings and watching the dances was hypnotic enough to let this pass by quickly. Today: photos from our cleaning-work! => In the forest and on one of the lakes, cleaning the shores. But I won't bore you anymore, as I feel the desire to visit "mosquito-land" again! See (yome of) you soon!

Kunst&Knete

Our program for the "children-day" on wednesday was a complete success! At least every child had a strange, painted face and fun with our self-made modeling clay... dirt and color for everybody!!!

The new horizon

I don't really know how much time passed since we arrived in Gražutes Regional Park... maybe two, maybe three weeks? Time is not so important anymore.
Rocio and I are living in the Park's office - so we only have 20 steps down to our working place! We share the kitchen and the bathroom with a mysterious ornithologist, who lives in one of the three rooms. And even more luxury: we have got a washing mashine!!!
So far so good. How most of you already know, our mentor is called Vytas - he's a very kind and sympathetic person and I guarantee: you will never get bored with him as your "boss" and mentor. You've got nothing to do in your park? No problem, just visit us - we have plenty of work to do!
Varying from cutting wood in the forest, digging toilets and collecting trash to organising many summer-camps, environmental-education excursions and other activities with the local youth. Oh stop, not only local! At the moment we are doing an application for a big youth exchange in september - I hope it will work!

However, for getting a better impression of our work & life here, we recommend you to visit us here in Gražutes Regional Park - and we will even cook for you!

Introduction

Here we are: in Lithuania! As this Blog is not only for our friends at home, but as well for our fellows scattered in whole Lithuania, we want to start with a short introduction.

Rocio, my spanish companion, is from beautifull Andalusia. She's already 28, but we share the same expectations and we started to fit to one another quite well - she's a half-vegetarian now... ;-)
As I am not bold enough to render an excessive judgement about her, you'll have to wait 'till she finds the muse to introduce herself a little bit more in detail.

Me, Sabrina, I spent my childhood in the outback of Germany: southern Bavaria! Amongst cows and almost half-zombies I soon felt the desire to broaden my horizon and to get a feeling of what it means, being an "European". Actually it was the same motivation wich brought me to applicate for an EVS. Some of you might ask now: why the hell Lithuania?! As well I ask you: what di you know about Lithuania? Almost nothing? Dito! That's the reason - and furthermore the fact, that the mosquitoes here don't spread dangerous illnesses...
Well, I left it all behind: My friends, the never-empty-fridge and, of course, my family. I was still living with them, as I just finished High-School (with my 19 years). I know that these are only the basic informations, but either you already know me or we will get known to each other better very soon!
Looking forward to that one... all the best!