As someone who has had the privilege of working closely with Ukrainians in the Netherlands for a considerable time, I recently had the opportunity to attend a captivating talk by Ukrainian food historian Dr. Olena Braichenko. The event, titled “Ukrainian Taste Decolonized: Flavors, Ingredients, Context,” offered a fascinating glimpse into the rich tapestry of Ukrainian culinary heritage and its significance in contemporary society. [read more…]

Embracing the Tapestry of Life: A Journey of Creativity, Community, and Celebrating Every Chapter with Word Up [read more…]

I grew up with no Christmas.
It was forbidden. Everything associated with religion, family and Christmas peace, according to the Soviets, was supposed to disappear, but it never did. They tried to convince that Christmas is a pagan holiday celebrated only by dark people and that educated communists do not engage in such nonsense. I grew up with Christmas that was a very different experience. [read more..]

Past few weeks have been a journey. Out of my comfort zone mostly, out of the usual crazy schedule to an even more timed existance. I received an invitation to speak at a Forum “Culture + Ecology” and I walked into my fear. [read more…]

Some moments from the Embassy of Lithuania in the Kingdom of the Netherlands organized for the Embassy Festival.

Marking yet another trip around the sun I really wanted to open up on the importance of balancing professional, personal and everything in between. I did spend some good time reflecting on the monumental moments and especially standing on a verge of a new era for me. [read more…]

For almost a year now I have been teaching in an academic setting and, honestly, I have had some moments and hesitations with it. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. But I love education period. I love being able to challenge and question and, hopefully, inspire people.
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With this spring that is a bit confusing and still raining fear, bombs and shelling in Ukraine, I have also learned so much about Ukrainian culture. I heard this phrase “Ukrainian people are boarn with the knowledge of gardening". The way that sentence was presented to me was “Ukrainian women are boarn with the knowledge of the earth” and it really made me thinking. It made me reflecting how much women I talk to every week are excited about seeds and planting. […]

Lately I have been thinking about distances. From now to tomorrow. From here to home when your flight has been cancelled. From my status quo to the new culture I am still not familiar with. How do things feel when you don’t have enought space on your skin. […]

Human nature is magnificent, inspiring, sometimes scary and most of the time very inspiring. For the past year I have been watching with aw and observing stories unfolding for and to people with brave hearts. […]

Passing of time. I want to look at it with a certain softness, with the understanding that we don’t always remember what really was and what really was doesn’t always need to be remembered. I want to think of time as a gift, as a certain way for each and one of us to grow better, wiser and more relaxed [..read more..]

I am so happy to finally feel that Lithuania has changed. The feeling we used to hold so close of the smaller and inferior country is feeling further and further away. We are proud of so many things - and we don't need to feel lesser for maybe some weirder aspects of that. Yes, its all ours and it's something that is important to remember - it's okay you find our pink soup a little strange or skyscrapers aren't tall enough. Finally we can be proud of the authenticity, of the unique quirkiness we hold. And it's okay. And it’s awesome!

Last week I have spent some time together with Nicholas evaluating the MyGen finals of the students at Amsterdam Fashion Institute. It was an experience both interesting, full of vulnerability and inspiration. It also gave me some ideas to speak more about the power of presenting and how you can really get a good glimpse into someone within 7 minutes of presentation and 8 minutes of asking them follow-up questions. So here are my takeaways from the experience that might help anyone with presenting or speaking in public…

Way back, what now feels like an eternity, maybe in March this year, a journalist asked me some questions. And one of those questions was “what do you think is the biggest obstacle when it comes to helping people fleeing the war in Ukraine?”. I remember not taking a pause to think. I remember it was so clear then and feels like premonition now. I said, “the biggest issue is perseverance”. I believed it so strongly then as see now how much fatigue people have when it comes to heavy imagery, unresolved issues, people suffering, survivors' guilt, guilt for having more than those unlucky ones or many other issues I hear from people as time goes by.

Maybe nine years ago, I have placed this post-it note on a window in my room as a reminder for myself to be warry. It said “if you are the smarterst person in the room, you are in a wrong room”. And I really carried those words with me. I kept it as a reminder for growth and for constantly challenging myself. Not just for looking for new rooms, chellenging the “norm”, creating opportunities that feed my hunger to learn and explore….

I heard this sentence “we always find words for the things we no longer need to say” and it really grabbed me. I always question so I was really questioning it. Do we? What are things we no longer need to say? What’s the point? How much weight and importance do we put on the words? Into them? Around them? How much silence needs to linger around the words to make them feel or seem different? More or less important. More or less heavy. Words like love or pain? War? Freedom?

Some random reseach shared during the moments of challenged motivation, inspiration and tying it all together for the world that I want to trust with my whole heart.

Let’s talk about reality, about things that touch our skin. That touch my skin. That land in the parts of the soul that haven’t been remembered for a long time.
How we dare to grow in pain, despite of pain, how we shiver through the light we call humanity. How we hold hands and expand through love…..

A few days ago we celebrated the restoration of the independence of Lithuania. I remember that day thirty-two years ago not super clearly. But I remember fear and uncertainty that was surrounding it for a good while. And the past few weeks I recognise this same uncertainty, anxiety and disbelief of what is going on…

Based on a theory by Hermann von Helmholtz, who was among the first scientists who calculated the rate of nerve conduction in humans. Helmholtz approximated that the speed of nerve conduction in humans was between 50-100 meters per second. I have been thinking a lot about that lately…