Evidence of warming friendship
This wave of “Lithuania fever” has been especially affecting for Ausra Andriuskaite, a Lithuanian who has lived in Taiwan for more than six years. Previously, when she said she was from Lithuania, a good nine out of ten Taiwanese would be baffled, asking “Where is that?” or “Is that in the Soviet Union?”
However, after Lithuania’s vaccine donation, Taiwanese became much friendlier with resident Lithuanians, even to the point that sometimes, when taking a taxi, when Andriuskaite mentioned she was Lithuanian, the driver would comment on what a good friend Lithuania was to Taiwan and waive her fare, saying it was an honor to drive her.
“Lithuania and Taiwan have a lot in common,” says Andriuskaite. “We are both small countries, and we both have a ‘big brother’ next door who insists they want to ‘take care’ of us even if we don’t want them to.”
Lithuania has a history of suffering under invasion and war. In the early days of World War II, the country was occupied by the Soviet Union, then invaded by the Nazis, and later annexed by the Soviets. To escape from these dictatorial regimes, many Lithuanians fled abroad, and to bring this diaspora together, various Lithuanian associations have been established in 54 countries.
Andriuskaite, a long-term resident of Taiwan, established the Lithuanian Community in Taiwan (LCT) in 2020, the 49th such organization worldwide. Although fewer than 100 Lithuanians live or study in Taiwan, the LCT still holds special celebrations on Christmas Day and Lithuanian Independence Day.
To help her daughter learn Lithuanian, Andriuskaite founded an online school for Lithuanian-speaking children, reaching out to more than 20 Lithuanian children in 12 countries including Japan, Korea, Australia, and Jordan, to learn their mother tongue together through songs, stories, and handicrafts. The school has since earned praise and support from the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, Science, and Sports.
The Lithuania Products Center has a wide range of Lithuanian products on show.