Last days in Riga

It's a week ago that I got back in the Netherlands, so it seemed about time to write my last blogpost. At least for now, since I already decided to visit Latvia again next summer. Below you can read about my last days in Riga.

Because of my injury I was staying longer inside my dorm room than to my liking. Yet, it seemed like a good idea to start listening to other people their advice, including that of my doctor(s) who told me to rest.  Whilst I was planning to still visit a few clubs –those I hadn’t been before but heard good stories about- in the last two weeks, I decided that it would be better to postpone this activity for my return visit. After all, each time when I went out and told myself to come back at a certain time... I never did. In reality it was always a few or several hours later... Hence, 'just going out for a short while' (to save my knee) would be fooling myself. In Groningen I don’t have this problem so much, as I tend to get fed up by the music quite soon. But in Riga I liked the music. Furthermore, the company I had in the numerous bars was always good, making it more difficult to 'bail out' earlier than anybody else. Luckily I could still pursue passive activities, such as having dinner with my neighbours and first roommate from the REZNAS dorm. We had a joint dinner at the ''big LIDO'' (Krasta iela), followed by taking pictures of the decorations outside.




Monday
Another thing that I still wanted to do before leaving was making more pictures of Old Town. I was always waiting for sunny days, but those have been rare.  Since it was my last week and chance to make pictures, mediocre weather would be considered good enough. I planned to go out with my camera on Monday. I would wander alone through Old Town and city centre and pres the shutter button of my DSLR to make some shots. However, when I got an invitation from ESN to join the Old Town of Riga Tour I decided that I would join them. I already did such tours before but they would pass sights -I expected this tour to be similar to the one I took with ESN the first time- I wanted to take pictures of anyway. And any company is still always better than no company. Joining in allowed me to meet some of the new ERASMUS students and to see teammembers of ESN Riga again. In the end the latter is what I enjoyed the most. They always have been very friendly and open to talk, this time being no exception. I enjoyed the short last chats very much. :) 
 
After the tour ended I sticked around to make some more photo's in Old Town and subsequently City Centre. Photo's are shown below. 



Jekaba iela 11, the place where you can see members of Latvian Parliament crossing the street!

The other photo's (click to enlarge) will  give you an impression what Riga looks like during the winter. 







Tuesday
On Tuesday I met with my CLP (Couple Learning Programme) buddy, to see her one more time before leaving. We had a refreshing walk and talk in the city. Furthermore, she gave me a nice postcard and a photobook as a goodbye gift. She figured I could put photo's from Latvia in it, and that seems to be an excellent idea. Having it printed still has it's charm over digital only. I will save a spot for a bungee jump photo! That is, I still want to go bungee jumping in her hometown, Sigulda. Then, in the evening I went to my last Couchsurfing meeting. Here I received a bag with foods & drinks from another friend. I didn't expect to get all these gifts, it was a surprising day for me! It was also a bit of a sad day, as I will have to miss these and other Latvian friends for some time.

Wednesday 

On my before-last day in Riga I went with my first roommate to 'Go Planet' (http://www.goplanet.lv/eng/go_planet), a 15,000-sq-metre funhouse. If you want to go there by bus you can get off at 'Mēbeļu nams', from there it is a few minutes by foot. Since my Latvian friend told me it would rain that day playing games seemed a better option than the Zoo. It turned out that she was right, the weather being quite dreadful in the afternoon. Staying inside was definitely better than hanging out outside at the Zoo. At Go Planet they have games for young & old, including some weird 'Create your own horse' game.






We played one game where you stand on a jeep and start to shoot with your gun. After that we played airhockey and billiards. I was better at airhockey, but he was clearly better in billiards. It was nice to have some last fun with my ex-roommate.

Thursday

And on Thursday morning early it was time for me to leave the dormitory and to head to the airport. My first roommate got on the same bus and joined me to the airport. He mentioned the day before that he still wanted to give me a postcard.  A very nice one with a writing that will remind me of his great sense of humour! Furthermore, when I went to the toilet at the airport he snugged some presents in my suitcase! I found out at the airport itself, as I had to shift some weight between my bagpack and suitcase. This is when I decided to give him my thermos bottle. Eventhough I could still take it with me I considered it to be more useful for him. After all, he will stay a few years more in Latvia. In the Netherlands it is less cold so you don't actually need it as much. After having said goodbye (read: auf wiedersehen) I found two other ERASMUS at the gate for my departure. They would join me in the flight from Riga to Bremen. It was nice to chat with them and to reflect on our ERASMUS period. Then it was time to board, time to leave Riga.

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When we almost landed with the airplane (was sleeping almost the whole way) I found out that there was also a student-assistant from LU on the same flight, what a coincidence! When we arrived at the airport in Bremen she asked me if I enjoyed my ERASMUS and how I felt about going back home. I told her that I enjoyed my ERASMUS. Moreover, that I felt okay about going home but that I would have preferred to stay in Riga. Once I walked out of the airport my immediate thoughts were ''boring'' and ''looks like the Netherlands''. Then I walked to the bus stop, awaiting a last surprise! I was taking the Public Express Bus (http://www.publicexpress.nl/) from Bremen to Groningen. It was here where a girl approached me to ask if I was Latvian. It must have been the Dinamo Riga cap I was wearing and the Laima chocolate I was eating. She told me she was Latvian and we started to talk. Once our bus arrived I decided to sit next to her so that we could talk some more. Then we just chatted the whole away about my experience in Latvia and what she could possibly expect in Groningen. She told me she would do her ERASMUS in Groningen, just like other students in the bus. It was nice to take this ERASMUS vibe with me on my journey back. Finally, I have to say that I could never have imagined that I would return back home chatting with a Latvian girl, what are the odds! All in all, this was the best ending of my ERASMUS I could have wished for.

BEIGAS

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.

[ESN EVENT] ESN goes skating/ Ice hockey

After having been to my first ice-hockey match on Thursday, I could try to practice what I've seen already on Saturday, December 1. A sportive beginning of a new month!

With ESN we went with a group to skate (and do ice hockey, if you wanted) in the VOLVO Ledus Halle (Jurmalas gatve 78d, Rīga). Here we had the skating rink for ourselves for a whole hour (actually even a little bit more - the cleaning car had to honk to force us off the ice! - still had to make a group picture) and several instructors for those wishing to be helped.

It had been a long time since I skated, also because I don't always skate when there is opportunity to do so. In the Netherlands you have to be lucky to be able to skate outside each year. With the freezing cold in Latvia this seems to be less of a problem. Yet, so far I did not see anybody skate outside on lakes. I would have to find those first, anyway. This would be another incentive to check out the parks I didn't see yet. However, the real cold still has to begin, allowing the lakes to freeze up.

Now, since I am not a great skater (which is strange, since my mom is talented in it) it was good that you can rent high shoes/ ice hockey shoes that provide extra support. The main problem I have with skating is that I tend to push my ankles inwards, which can result in some nasty blisters. Luckily not with these shoes, being a bit more sturdy! They also allowed me to do a cross-over, taking a turn to the left or the right by shifting my weight and lifting my feet one over the other. I almost consider this as a milestone, as I never was really able to do this with other skates I used in the past.

During the skating hour I was mostly fooling around, falling now and then, sliding. But luckily no major crashes. Yet, I know for sure that the times that this almost happened must have looked funny, me waving my arms all over the place to prevent myself from falling. Other then that I made a few rounds with those being a (total) beginner or hadn't skate for some time, handing out my hand for support. I clearly remember the times that my skating skills were (more) poor and that it is appreciated when someone reaches his/her hand out to you. Lastly, I can say that I went on the skating rink with my winterjacket on but later took it off because I was getting warm and sweaty.
I was being active and had fun, others also seemed to amuse themselves.

Before leaving the hall I noticed that there were some signs that support the belief that Latvians like (ice)hockey. One was a chair shaped in the letter 'H' (which undoubly is meant as an abbreviation for 'Hockey'). The other, strangely enough, was found in the bathroom (see picture). Who could have expected this? I hope to be surprised more often like this in the time that I can still enjoy Latvia. :-)

[ESN EVENT] Ice hockey game

On the first of October many ERASMUS students joined ESN Riga to see the ice hockey game of Dīnamo Rīga versus Salavat Yulaev. Whilst I also wanted to go, I opted to go to my late monday evening lecture instead. One of the first questions the teachers asked during class was why there were so little people. I told her why, she did not seem to be so understanding. Because of her response I really regretted my choice of being there rather than going to Arēna Rīga (http://www.arenariga.com/en/) with all the others. In my opinion, she should know that for most ERASMUS students seeing a live ice hockey game is something completely new and hence, special. For Latvians the situation is different, as ice-hockey is very popular and even seen as a national sport!

Now, when I heard that ESN was going to see the Dīnamo Rīga vs Maskavas Dinamo match on 29.11.2012, I was determined not to miss it. I was going.
Arriving at our meeting point on D-day I noticed that, compared to the first ice hockey ESN event, there were a lot less students. I concluded that many students already took the opportunity to see an ice-hockey match, either with ESN or friends. But now it was my time to see and enjoy. Also, some were there for the second time around, clearly being true fans.
Together we moved our way to Arēna Rīga (Skanstes street 21), being in the central part of Riga and located next to the Olympic Sports Centre. On the way there a good atmosphere was already being created, even though that meant hearing a supporter of Maskavas Dinamo already shouting ''go Moscow'', haha! Actually, already in bus 15 to the meeting point, one of my floormates told me how he liked the anthem(s) of Dīnamo Riga. 'Tikai' and 'tarikitiki' were clearly appealing to him. Later I learned that with the second he must have meant the drumworks. :-)

Once in the arena and having found our seat, we enjoyed some entertainment (live music from a rock band) before the match would start. Then, on the big TV screens we saw the Dīnamo Rīga players passing by, one by one. Each time when the speaker announced the first name of the player on the display, we should shout the last name! This was actually a lot of fun.
You could notice that there was more screaming, applause, or simply noise, when the player
would be a native from Latvia (there are also internationals playing in the team - 'Johnson' does not sound particular Latvian).

During the match I learned that most of the songs were easy. Fellow ERASMUS students, who already saw Dīnamo Rīga playing before, had told me this. Indeed, simply clapping and then saying ''hey hey!'' should be do-able for everyone. Another variant was clapping faster and faster, warming your handpalms up real good. Also, saying (or preferably, shouting) 'Tikai Rīga, tikai Dīnamo' is not the most difficult in the world either. The same holds true for singing 'Woah oh oh oh' when the song with the same title (Seven Nation Army - Woah oh oh oh) was being played. All of this made it more easy to get involved in the match.
I have to admit, it was difficult to both sing and move my arms and watch the puck at the same time. But I tried, and the clapping led my hands to be more warm than cold. I don't know what the two people in front of me where doing, who remained almost motionless for the entire match, keeping their gloves (and woolen hat) on for the entire match. Really, it is more fun if you cheer together with the others. This was difficult, as being 0-3 behind didn't seem to provide an incentive for most visitors to cheer along. However, with the help of (one of the) mascotte (dressed up with Halloween mask) we were still able to do a wave throughout the whole arena 3 or 4 times, indicating that the spirit was still there. Later, when Dīnamo Rīga scored, everybody was fired up again! Too bad no more goals were made, leading the match to end in 1-3, Maskavas Dinamo being the winner.
From this experience I can say that it is worthwhile to visit an ice-hockey match if you can, especially considering the low price. If I have the time and opportunity to go to another match, I will surely take it.

Lastly, before the start of the match we were given a flyer. It included a 30% discount coupon for Sportland (a sponsor of Dīnamo Rīga) on all purchases for the day after. Having made use of this I was able to get some warm pants and face protection (preparing myself for the winter) for almost 20 Ls less. Overall, it had been a satisfying package for a 4 Ls ticket.