- Restaurant waiters have apparently been told that English is better than Russian. When you ask, "Which should I speak to you in, Russian or English?" they say "English" without a second's hesitation. But hardly anyone knows English even at the level of "gib me pleez big tomato juice." So in the end the conversation happens in a hellish mix of Lithuanian and Russian. Speaking Lithuanian is very easy: you take any Russian word and add -as (singular) or -ai (plural). Sure enough, there are signs everywhere saying "shashlykai" and "cheburekai". This doesn't apply to expensive restaurants. There everyone knows Russian, because expensive restaurants are full of Russians. The Russians enjoy the fact that even the pricey restaurants are still cheaper than ordinary ones in Moscow. - They sell a lot of amber. There are billboards everywhere about how "Lithuania is reviving the Great Amber Road.... Amber craftsmanship,,,, Lithuanian amber since time immemorial...." We went into an amber gallery. - "Where is the amber from?" I ask. - "Don't worry, all our amber is very high quality. The very best. From Kaliningrad (a Russian exclave on the Baltic)."