J is for Jews and Japanese

This week takes us back to history and the incredible story of Chiune Sugihara, Lithuania’s Oskar Schindler. He was born in Japan, studied English Literature against his father’s wishes and later joined the Foreign Ministry. Whilst serving in China he became an expert on Russian affairs and converted to Orthodox Christianity.

Until the outbreak of World War 2, Lithuania had one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe. Vilnius itself was known as the “Jerusalem of the North” and was a Jewish cultural and religious centre.

In March 1939 when Klaipėda was invaded by the Germans, the 39 year-old Japanese diplomat arrived to the then Lithuanian capital of Kaunas* tasked with reporting on German and Soviet troops movements and running a one-man embassy. Six months later the World was at war. In July 1940 the Nazi war machine advanced upon the rest of Lithuania. The Soviet authorities ordered all diplomats to leave but Sugihara remained with his Dutch counterpart. Aware of what would happen to Kaunas’ tens-of-thousands of Jews when the Nazis took the city they launched an enterprise to help Jews flee the country. The Jews would be able to leave if they had visas for another country. The pair realised it would be possible for them to travel to Dutch colonies in the Caribbean but via Japan, requiring Japanese transit visas.
Sugihara sought permission three times from his seniors in Tokyo but was denied and ordered to leave Lithuania for Berlin. Irrespective of his orders, he remained in Kaunas for four weeks and wrote out visas by hand, processing around 300 a day. His wife is reported to have fed him his meals so that he could keep on writing visas. When he left in September he handed his consular stamp to a refugee to continue to issue visas.

It is estimated that 6000 Jews were saved as a result of Sugihara’s efforts. After the war he was removed from his job for having disobeyed orders.

In June 1941 the Nazi’s broke the Molotov-Ribbentropp Pact and invaded the Lithuanian Soviet. During the Nazi occupation (1941-1944) the mass murder of over 200’000 Jews took place, 94% of the Jewish population. Lithuania was the first European country where mass extermination of the Jews was carried out, mostly by walking them out of the cities and shooting them in mass graves.

Sugihara lived out the rest of his life in relative obscurity until in 1985 he was awarded Israel’s “Righteous Among the Nations” honour. He died in 1986.

*Vilnius being under Polish occupation at the time.

I is for Ice cream

It’s above freezing nearly every day now; spring is nearly here so it will soon be time to cool off with a big bowl of ice cream.

I’ve recently thought that ice cream is a great way to measure the economic and cultural “level” of a country. You could look simply at GDP, or at GDP per capita. Other ways include counting how many cars are in the country per household or counting how many fridges there are per capita. You could investigate the political freedom enjoyed by citizens. However, I think you could also investigate the ability to purchase, the consumption and the quality of ice cream!

After all, to produce, transport and sell ice cream requires a significant infrastructure. You need established dairy farms, or at the very least some cows, goats or Soya to produce the milky goodness, a working energy source (or very cold weather) to power your freezer, you need freezer trucks to transport your tasty treats to the shop and then you need yet more freezer power to keep it in perfect condition for your consumers to enjoy it properly. The more you think about, the more technology that is required in the ice cream business. I wonder how our desire for frozen pleasures is actually warming the World?
Ice cream also allows a lot of variety and creativity. From flavours to texture to what is included in the tub – from chocolate to cookies and cream. My basic assumption is that in somewhere like the USA or Western Europe, you can find the largest choice of exotic, tasty colourful ice cream – to buy over the counter or to take home in a nice plastic tub and watch in front of Friends, etc. Luxury!

Once the reserve of rich people with enough space to build an ice-house in their grounds, ice cream is now a luxury item enjoyed by millions across the world. I use the word luxury to mean something that serves no real function in sustaining life but is an otherwise enjoyable novelty. I know ice cream is technically a food, but it’s not something you need, has very few nutritional properties and yet I think still has a special place in people’s hearts! Hearing the ice cream van playing its monophonic tune still brings a smile to most people and what apple pie or dessert isn’t made that extra bit special by a big scoop of vanilla-flavoured frozen milk products?

In the final days of milk being given to British children in schools, a friend of mine in Lithuania – Stepas (who used to play on the concrete slide, see E is for Entertainment) – would hide empty beer or lemonade bottles that he found in walls and under windows. When his mum asked him to pick something up from the shops, he would take one of his bottles from its hiding place and upon giving it to the shop-keeper would receive 20 Kopeks. This princely sum is also how much a portion of ice cream would cost.

From my observations of Lithuanians, particularly young people, ice cream is still a popular treat. You can’t buy it for 20 Kopeks anymore but even in winter you can see people walking around licking from a cone. Whether it’s from McD’s or somewhere more expensive ice cream is readily available – though the choice isn’t very varied, tending to be vanilla or chocolate. As with many things, Lithuania isn't far behind, but it doesn't yet have the quality of, for example, cornish cream, or the selection of your average Tesco.

However, one little gem in Vilnius is Soprano which is the Avant Garde of Lithuanian ice cream offering a wide selection in the Italian style (but it's website only in Lithuanian).
Another recommendation would be Gusto, a pancake cafe and a reasonably priced for desserts.
For other cafes, most of which serve ice cream, take a look at http://www.vilnius-life.com/
I’m sure others of you know good places to buy ice cream – write me a comment and let me and the world know.

I might even try a top 5 list of ice cream in Lithuania, or at least Vilnius...