Visit to Cēsis

During the Staro Rīga '12 festival I met a Latvian girl. After having told her that I didn't went to Cēsis (a place in Latvia), she said I should definitely go there, having lived there for most of her life. As things turned out, she would be my guide when I went to Cēsis last Saturday. Besides that I consider her to be one of my great friends I got to know during the weekly Couchsurfing Latvia meetings.

When I woke up early on that Saturday I was already happy, because my laptop screen showed below -16 Celsius for Riga. Simply not breaking my old cold record (-16 Celsius) when having moved from the Netherlands to Latvia would be quite disappointing. A small sense of accomplishment right there as this was one of my actual goals and reasons for having chosen Latvia.

As I was getting ready I found out that I would miss the trolleybus to still be on time at the 'autoosta' (not hard to find - close to the central market), from where we agreed to travel together by bus to Cēsis. Luckily I could take a mini-bus (also first time - so another new experience) from Reznas street and being faster than the (trolley)bus, making up for the lost time. After we got our tickets for the bus I learned that they were listed by passenger number. It is by the order of these numbers that you enter into the bus. I suppose it is a good system as it allows the bus driver to count how many people are in the bus straight from the beginning, not having to spend time on doing an headcount later on. Once in the bus it is about a 2 hour ride, the costs being under 3 Ls. This ride was quite a drag for my right knee, it having been diagnosed with Prepatellar bursitis (after effect of my incident). I should have listened to my companion who told me I could walk in the bus, yet I decided that I didn't want to look like a fool. In retrospect it would be the better alternative, if they would care at all.

Upon arrival she mentioned that there was not much to see in Cēsis during that winterday because it was cold (it being somewhere between -18 and -20 Celsius) and many tourist sites being closed. In addition, that Cēsis is particularly popular during the summer. As much as I would like to still be here in the summer, I told her that I am only here for the autumn semester. Furthermore, I believe Cēsis looks better than Rīga under similar weather conditions. One more thing I would like to mention here is that if you go to study abroad you should not stay in one city for the entire time. I have read student reports of people who have been abroad who did that, and I don't find this to be a particularly good decision. Even if it means that one city being totally awesome and offering all you looking for, it is unlikely to give you a full view of that country and/or all its merits. The same holds true for the Netherlands, as the surroundings and attitude of people of let's say Amsterdam is quite different from that of the countryside in the three northern provinces Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe. Drugs, whores, a multi-cultural society and smoking is what my country (or Holland, I should rather say) seems to be famous for. However, these elements are not so much present in my regular day-to-day life. Still, it is all these stereotypes that create the main image of one country. Therefore it seems wise to travel around a bit. It is not only expected to widen your perspective but also allows you to see to what extent stereotypes are really true. So when my friend said I should come to Cēsis, even offering to be my guide, I could and would not refuse.

We first went to see Cēsis Castle (Cēsu pils), entering via the Cēsis History & Art Museum.
There we had a small walk-around at the premises whilst holding a candle light lantern, offering us some more visibility. That in itself was already a nice touch. Moreover, from the castle's western tower there is a viewing point overlooking Castle Park. Whilst I didn't take a picture of that, I made another picture to allow you to see how the scenery was that day.

After having seen the castle we had a look inside in the Cēsis History & Art Museum. Here you can also go up and outside, providing some more lovely sights. Then, we continued to see the Cēsis Exhibition House. It is located on the same square and free of charge for castle visitors (or at least, for us). Here we had a short peek to see the temperory art exhibition. Subsequently we went to grab a bite in a local cafe/ restaurant to then head towards the sport hall, where I would witness my first (full) live basketball match ever. The contestants were women's basketball team SK Cēsis versus LU. I was in doubt whether I should cheer for students of my university or that of the home team, so I decided to just remain silent instead. Just watching the game as it was enough to take up all my attention. In the end, SK Cēsis won. Statistics on their website also show that they were unbeaten in 13 matches in a row and are ranked 1st in their league. Photo's of the match can be viewed here:
http://www.skcesis.lv/page_id=134&album=17&gallery=98.
In my opinion, not the most beautiful photo's, and surely not the most graceful.
But then again, it is not a beauty competition either. Hardball, hard on. For me the match was fun to see, the ballgame being on a higher level than I am used to.

Ultimately, I have seen some good things that Cēsis had to offer for the period of the year and enjoyed my time there. On the way back we were (thanks  to the network of my friend) able to travel back to Riga by mini-bus with the LU women's basketball team. All remains to say is that If I decide to return to Latvia during the summer, I will surely consider going to Cēsis again.

Santas Fun Run

On the 9th of December it was time to suit up, Santa Style! That is, I joined in for the Santas Fun Run, organised by Rotary Club of Riga International. The purpose of the run/walk is to dress up like Santa and then cheer, have fun and run through the city for a good cause. The suits were provided by the organisation. When pre-registering with a team of 4 students, the costs of entering were just 20 Ls. Them tossing in the suit for you to keep!

However, when we wanted to pick up our suits and pay we found out that two of our suits were already taken (same back numbers) by the Belgian consulate. Of course, me and my teammates were like 'wtf' and couldn't imagine how they could be more important than us - we laughed. We decided to inform the organisation and sought for a solution to this problem. After some hassle they told us that we could get two suits on the spot, the starting (and end) point being Dome Square. However, due to a series of unfortunate events I was the only one of my team running. 

Concerning the run itself, it was fun, but also warm! As it was around -7 Celsius I didn't think it was a good idea to leave home/ the dormitory without my winterjacket. During the run itself there was no place to leave your jacket so I had to keep it on, and together with the Santa Suit, dressing up as one fat Santa Claus. I changed my clothes at the toilet in McDonalds, where me and two other ERASMUS Santa Students were drawing quite some attention from the customers. After warming up with a cup of coffee/ cappuccino there we were ready to go. Then, when arriving to Dome Square we found ourselves accompanied by many ERASMUS. It is also that the goodbye party of ESN of that Saturday-Sunday was cancelled, granting the people that had registered for that the opportunity to still register for the Santas Fun Run.

Basically, the run was 1 short lap in Old Town. Since it was quite busy at the start it was more jogging really. Other then that, laughing and smiling at each other the whole time. Of course that one time I was actually screaming for fun I got taped by a fellow ERASMUS, me not knowing he was actually filming with his mobile phone. ^^ After the finish we were given a medal, as well as a RIMI bag with in it a bottle of water, tangerines, a coupon for a free German sausage (Bratwurst of course) and a choco nut (candy bar), the latter being almost completely frozen due to the low outside temperature. Together enough for the first energy boost. 

Then I headed back to McDonalds for another hot cappuccino, as the first one was not so bad. It was then when a female employee from McDonalds (busy spreading discount flyers) approached me to ask me if I was the only Santa and whether I had any presents for her.
After I said no, sorry, she told me I had to bring them for next time. ^^ I also told her that she could find many more Santa's when moving a bit further into Old Town. In fact, when she asked about this I had to almost laugh out loud, putting a big smile on my face. 

After this second stop at the Mc I went back to Dome Square to get my German sausage as by that time the que had cleared a bit. Afterwards, Kiwi bar (future Erasmus students; note that you get discount on drinks at this venue when showing your ESN card), where all Santas had discount on drinks. It was fun to see so many Santa's in one bar! After having my lunch there and a chat I returned to home, me reflecting back on a succesful Sunday. 

Student's Radio "Runā Skaļāk" - Bordercross Interview

Once you get into ERASMUS you will most probably find that there is a Facebook group for your study abroad destination. In my case, 'Erasmus Riga 12-13', often flooded with people asking for a place to stay (and stating the alternative to be to sleep under the bridge) but sometimes also with other interesting messages. One of them was an invitation for an interview at Student's Radio ''Runā Skaļāk'' (Talk Louder) as part of the radio show ''Bordercross''. It is open to foreign students from any university or country.  

The main idea of the show is to speak about the border between Latvian and foreigners but also about yourself and your personal experiences. To me visiting this show seemed very interesting because it is an opportunity to talk to a local instead of the numerous other international ERASMUS students. Of course, meeting up with other ERASMUS students is fun. However, I am quite sure that most of them told their director from their home university that they want to learn about the culture of Latvia. Frankly, this involves more than just drinking Riga Black Balsam or enjoying good Latvian beers. You have to talk to locals in an attempt to at least try to find out what it's all about. Don't worry, young Latvians their English level is more than sufficient. All of this being said, I was excited to go to Rīgas Stradiņa Universitāte (Riga Stradiņš University, RSU in short) where the interview would take place.

By the host I was asked to select a few of my favourite Dutch songs and if possible, to tell something about them. Whilst I listen to a lot of music from Dutch DJ's, I wouldn't really call this 'real Dutch songs', as the lyrics (if any) are in English. I know some 'real Dutch songs' (Dutch artist(s) and Dutch lyrics), but I hardly listen to them. Hence, it took me quite some effort to make a selection. It is also just that picking random songs would be too easy. Moreover, I felt it had to be songs which I like. Lastly, they shouldn't be cheesy, as there is some pride (you are asked for something that represents your country) involved here. In the end, my list (artist(s); title) was as follows:
1. Rob de Nijs - Banger Hart
2. Dio - Tijdmachine ft. Sef
3. Fluitsma & Van Tijn - 15 Miljoen Mensen
4. Veldhuis & Kemper - Ik Wou Dat Ik Jou Was
5. Marco Borsato ft. Ali B - Wat Zou Je Doen

From this list I find number 3 to be particulary nice, because it reflects quite well on
the Dutch culture (see video with accompanying lyrics).

Before the radio show started I was informed about the procedure. Then from the beginning it was a friendly conversation. Although I didn't always know what to say good questions were posed as to keep the conversation flowing. As a result, much input was coming from me, the interviewee, instead of the interviewer, exactly as how it should be (I think I can say, after having had some classes on interviewing in the past). I liked the interview very much because it allowed me to refeel some of the experiences and moments I had in Riga, Latvia and abroad with ESN. I also learned that the Riga Radio and TV Tower is higher than the Eiffel Tower. Actually, I never even thought about this, eventhough I  could see this Radio and TV Tower from my window for almost 3 months (PRIMA dormitory). The interview helped me to remember how the education here is different (e.g. classizes) from my home institution. Furthermore, I realised that almost nobody knows (only one person in fact - and I have asked plenty) korfball, to find on Wikipedia that is in fact a Dutch sport! It is all these things which made this interview a special and joyful experience and something which I like to remember as having been part of my study abroad in Latvia. At the end I also received a runā skaļāk pen, as mentioned by the host, helpful for any student. :-) 

For those having become interested in the RSU student radio their website is: http://runaskalak.lv/, their livestream: livestream.com/runaskalak, and the recording of which when I was a guest: http://livestre.am/4foIA. For me all that remains to say is that when I was in the bus back home I thought there was more I wanted to mention and that if I would be invited to come again I didn't even have to think about it, a definite yes. 

What's Up, Doc?

It's been quite a while since I have posted a blog entry, there being several reasons for this. Not only was I busy with preparing for my exams, I also had my family coming over (22.12.2012-29.12.2012) to spend the Christmas together in Riga. Eventhough I didn't see them for almost 5 months I was able to re-feel and recognise their character after just having spent two days with them. This was funny to see as it immediately reminded me of how I know them. During the week me and my mom also got interviewed by Latvian TV, asking us at Doma Laukums (Dome Square) if we were aware about the very fact that the first Christmas tree founds its origin in Riga. Thanks to Latvian friends I found out that it was actually shown on TV, and to another great friend (you know who you are) I was able to see the footage myself.
Related link: http://www.tv3play.lv/play/294074/ (Time: 14:19).
Still I am not sure whether I should be happy that they think I am a tourist. ^^


Then, on the day they left (or the morning after actually) I got involved in an incident which has led me to spent some hours at both the police and hospital over the past 2,5 weeks.
Here I should also write some gratifying words for my neighbour from Georgia who was so kind to assist me as being a translator (English to Russian and vice versa) on two occassions at the hospital, eventhough she told me later that she doesn't like hospitals at all.


Then, my 2nd roommate, from Turkey, who just went with us to accompany me and my 1st roommate from Brazil, who opted to go with me to the State Police the 1st time around.

Over the past 2,5 weeks I was able to do less than I would and being less motivated to still take up on the opportunity to see all that's around me. It is also that I just had (and still have) to deal with problems with my knee, this being an after-effect of the incident. Part of the doctor's orders are to rest, restricting the lenght of my walks. Hence, I joined in for events which would  be fun and only having to sit (and then trying to stretch my leg to relieve pressure on the knee), namely Chinese Hot Pot dinner in PRIMA dorm and several CouchSurfing meetings. Now in the last days (flying back on 31st) I am cooling my knee with ice and putting vodka, hoping I can extend the length of my walks that little bit further so that I can still see new things. That is, before I have to say goodbye to Latvia for quite some time. In reality, I didn't portray my last few weeks to be like this. But then again, this holds true for the entire semester. I liked going to Latvia because it was 'jumping in the blue', to quote an international student and friend her view when deciding to study in the Netherlands. Indeed, it is the only way to find out how something is like, to life it in the real and cherish the moments you got. Try to enjoy them, because as all ERASMUS found out, time flies. Thanks to my friends I regained spirit to not forget about this subtle yet important fact, before I am actually leaving, as I still not realise that it will be over very soon.