The recent episode of the Simpsons reminded me of some other TV series that have referred to Lithuania/Lithuanians in one way or another. It's funny how 1 silly quote can actually create an image of a nation in one's mind, especially if that person has never heard of this country or spoken to anyone of that origin. This is how stereotypes get created or at least maintained. However, to me every unexpected Lithuanian-related reference is just amusing. It also reminds me that the Lithuanian community in the states is pretty strong. So, here it is, the collection of TV series references:
The 97-year-old Lithuanian cheese lover in Married... with Children.
The Greateful Dead Barcelona Olypics t-shirt on Friends (starts at 1:44).
The annoying Lithuanian grandmother sharing Lithuanian folklore on CSI.
'Russian' beers on How I Met Your Mother. Everything that comes from the east of Europe is Russian, got it?
How I Met Your Mother strikes again - an angry Lithuanian neighbour swearing at Lily.
And finally: a bloody puppitt show in a Lithuanian center on the Simpsons.
I think I can easily call myself a TV series junkie, and I'm really afraid to actually count my time that gets wasted for watching various shows. On top of that, I'm also always on a lookout for new shows to watch... So I guess I'm beyond recovery at this point. However, some TV series at least seem to be more enriching that others (or maybe that's just me trying to somehow find a justification for this nasty habit), and I believe that Departures is one of them. It at least inspires me to spend less time watching stuff and get out into the world.
It's a documentary show about 2 Canadian guys Scott and Justin (well, 3, if we count the camera man Andre) who leave their lives behind for a year and travel the world on, I must add, a seemingly big budget. They start with crossing Canada ocean to ocean as an homage to their home country and proceed to a more exotic corners of the world such as Jordan, Cambodia, Indonesia etc. I've already watched 6 episodes of the first season and I can definitely say that I'm enjoying it really much. First of all, this show is really appealing to the eye, meaning that they did a good job on editing. What is more, both Scott and Justin are entertaining, even though they're pretty different. Justin is, as Scott described him 'a what you see is what you get' type of a guy: laid back, fun-loving and not the sharpest tool in the shed ('Fauna and flora? You kinda lost me on that one'). The first thing he usually does when he gets off the plane is get booze. And he's super happy when it's allowed to drink in public. However, I read somewhere that he matures over the course of 3 seasons, so it's going to be interesting to see that. Scott, on the other hand, is the complete opposite from what I've noticed - he's the backbone of this whole trip, he is responsible for planning everything. Justin would probably get lost at the airport if Scott wasn't there. But these opposites form a dynamic duo, which is fun to observe. Finally, the biggest strength of this show is the fact that they try to avoid tourist traps and visit the hidden gems of the countries they're visiting. They achieve that with the help of a really big list of Scott's connections all over the world - I guess that's an upside of living in Canada, a desirable country where people try to go to for their studies, internships or work. This is how they immerse themselves into the local cultures and get to talk to the locals. If I've sparked your interest, here is a trailer of the show. Video speaks better than words in this case:
And if you decide to watch it, here's a link to a site where you can do it for free. The buffering speed is pretty good with movdivx files. Hope you enjoy!
