Translating Lithuania

During the 40 years of Soviet occupation, thousands upon thousands of people Lithuanians can to an abrupt and sticky end in the cellars of the KGB building in Vilnius. There were others; in Klaipeda, in Kaunas and other cities but in Vilnius it was sheer hell on earth and the process was as chilling as it was inhumane.

Imagine if you will, you're in an underground cell and held between two guards while the officer reads out your charges and your sentenced is pronounced. There is no trial. Your knees go weak, you soil yourself, the fear is so heavy you can no longer breathe yet at the same time is like molten lava in your stomach. You are dragged down, out the door, 5 steps down and turned right. You walk, stumble crawl another 10 meters down the underground corridor and one of the guards opens a door on your right. The door itself swings open from left to right and you're pushed through. You never see the man behind the door, you never see the arm come up, you only briefly feel the chill muzzle of the 9mm Makarov as it touches the base of your skull and then you feel nothing, …ever again.

I mentioned earlier that no one here smiles, that's because they have learned to only smile or express emotion to people they know and trust. That's because it was only a little over 20 years ago that showing emotion at the wrong time could earn you a very short and very terminal stay as a guest of the KGB.

In the 5 years I've lived here, there is not a single person I've met who hasn't lost at least one close family member either to Siberia or to the tender mercies of the KGB.

So how does and Aussie understand that? More to the point is can we understand it. The simple answer is that you can't. Unless you're born here you simply can't. But, that doesn't mean you can't let Lithuania get to know you, and that good people is a completely different story.

For me, Lithuania is now my home. I let this jewel of a country get to know me and she opened her heart. I still miss the smell of Eucalypts or the morning song of magpies, I always will, but now this is great lady of Europe is my home.