Bahman from Northern Cyprus can’t get enough boletus soup

Bahman Peyravi is a man of the world. He was born in Iran, has lived in Northern Cyprus since he was nine and got his education in Turkey. The Iranian and North Cyprus passport-holder has chosen to pursue his masters and doctoral degrees in Lithuania.

Bahman works at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University in the Department of International Economics and the Management of Faculty of Business Management. When he’s not working on his doctoral thesis on Innovation Management, giving class lectures, or providing consulting services to Lithuanian companies looking to expand to foreign markets, Bahman is planning a future with his Lithuanian wife in his new home country.

How did you come to Lithuania?

In 2004, when I was studying at the faculty of engineering at Yildiz Technical University in Istanbul, a friend of mine went to Lithuania as an Erasmus exchange program student. She came back and told me that Lithuania was a very nice country to live and study in and that prices were relatively cheap.

After that, I always kept Lithuania in mind as a good place to get a Master’s degree. After graduation, I thought of going somewhere abroad. If I wanted to continue my studies, I had to support myself. I remembered that life in Lithuania was inexpensive and decided to move there! It was my first major life decision as an adult!

One good and one not so good observation about Lithuania. 

In general, I have no complaints about Lithuania. I like the local people and I am satisfied with the environment. It is a perfect country!

People in Lithuania are very nice, I like them, I communicate with them nicely, and never have much trouble. I have just one complaint, which is more governmental in the nature. The government does not respect foreigners in Lithuania.

Dealing with the government is killing me and I hate it. Every year I have to provide the same documents to the Migration office. They put all foreigners at the same level and treat them without any respect. I am a well-educated person! I have to provide information about my address every year. Why they are asking me the same questions? I really don’t know. All my friends who are third country foreigners have the same problem. I know that EU citizens do not have this problem.

What are the main differences between Lithuanians and your compatriots?

When I compare Lithuanian traditions and attitudes with those of North Cyprus, I think of one bad point — alcohol! People are always looking for an opportunity to drink in Lithuania. All my Lithuanian friends associate good celebrations with drinking and parties. To me, it is a bad side of Lithuanian culture.

On other hand, Lithuanians are very patient. They are patient during traffic jams, they keep calm while standing in the line. In Cyprus, people can not stand waiting!

What have you learned from Lithuanians?

Patience.

What in your favourite place in Lithuania?

I love the Vilnius city center. I love the Old Town! I like to spend my time on Vilniaus Street. There are many coffee shops there where I can just sit and relax. Also, I like to go outside Vilnius, to Trakai, for example.

What is the funniest (strangest) thing that has happened to you in Lithuania?

The first thing that surprised me in Lithuania was the mushroom soups served in the bread bowls. But the soup is very delicious and very nice!

The other thing I found interesting – I’ve noticed many deaf people on the streets in Lithuania. I’ve even discussed this with my Lithuanian friends. They explained that it is normal. Deaf people are a normal part of society here – they go out, they sit outside, they laugh. In Turkey, being deaf has a stigma.

What does the kitchen mean to you?

The Kitchen is a nice place to present yourself to other people. I like to cook and I think I’m good at it. I always invite friends to my place and cook for them. This is the way to forming warm friendships! Good food makes people happy and supports open communication.