Leaving for Riga
Tomorrow morning I leave bright and early for Riga. Up at 4 am, to leave the house at 5am and fly out at 7:30am. It all seems crazy.
Today was our half day at school, but I feel exhausted from running and dealing with the last errands of the day - Chorsu, Turquaz, Sarkor. More money spent,but necesar to ensure that when I return all is set for me to begin the school week.
We also went to the Latvian embassy's Christmas party. It was a small group of people, but as always I felt that I have a community to turn to outside of my home. In Australia, in the US, in Sweden, everywhere I have been there have always been Latvians to welcome me. In the US and Australia they spoke English. In Sweden, they spoke Swedish. This time they spoke Russian among themselves. Strange that in Latvia Russian seems like the evil language. Here it just seems like another language used by Latvians in exile. I will have to learn it by the next Christmas event. Tonight I had many of the toasts translated to me in Latvian, and my toast was translated to many in Russian.
What was nice was that they had bought presents for the three of us. Both boys had two bags full of gifts and candy, while I had a bottle of balzams and an Uzbek mouse (don't quite know how to explain that one!). We all had to give our requisite poems or songs to receive our gifts too. I also met the ambassador tonight - a nice, unassuming, quiet guy.
I am looking forward to arriving in Riga to celebrate my 40th. I will see everyone, and have a good time. Until my next posting from Riga!
Today was our half day at school, but I feel exhausted from running and dealing with the last errands of the day - Chorsu, Turquaz, Sarkor. More money spent,but necesar to ensure that when I return all is set for me to begin the school week.
We also went to the Latvian embassy's Christmas party. It was a small group of people, but as always I felt that I have a community to turn to outside of my home. In Australia, in the US, in Sweden, everywhere I have been there have always been Latvians to welcome me. In the US and Australia they spoke English. In Sweden, they spoke Swedish. This time they spoke Russian among themselves. Strange that in Latvia Russian seems like the evil language. Here it just seems like another language used by Latvians in exile. I will have to learn it by the next Christmas event. Tonight I had many of the toasts translated to me in Latvian, and my toast was translated to many in Russian.
What was nice was that they had bought presents for the three of us. Both boys had two bags full of gifts and candy, while I had a bottle of balzams and an Uzbek mouse (don't quite know how to explain that one!). We all had to give our requisite poems or songs to receive our gifts too. I also met the ambassador tonight - a nice, unassuming, quiet guy.
I am looking forward to arriving in Riga to celebrate my 40th. I will see everyone, and have a good time. Until my next posting from Riga!
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