Round Ball in Latvia
Sports fans—imagine this! At 5:00 on a Friday evening you’re considering evening options, and discover the home town team (think Patriots, UNH Wildcats hockey, Celtics—probably not the Bruins) are playing in town at 8:00. Call some friends (3 in this case), meet a little after 7:00, walk 20 minutes to the arena, buy tickets at the door, sit for a drink and snacks before the game (the U.S. Embassy marines were working on a full course meal before the game), then walk into the game with 5th row, non-reserved seats just off center court.
The game was exciting—fast paced, physical, multiple lead changes including double digit leads for and against our ASK Riga team. There was fairly spectacular 3-point shooting from a player or two on each side. “We” seemed intermittently careless and sloppy with the ball—missed fast break layups, errant passes out-of-bounds, way too many missed free throws, but with 3 +/- minutes left the score was tied at 76. After a fast and furious finish (their big, C. Barkley-like center fouled out), ASK Riga won by 3 points.
Highlights of the show? Check the pictures. 1) The game, of course! 2) The half-time antics of several children, including a 2-3 year old or two—the next generation of players? 3) A brief schmooze and photo with the team mascot, a Lion, 4) the blonde-maned, similar-sized, scantily dressed, energetic, gymnast-like cheerleaders, & 5) a chance to chat with the 6’ 10” A.J. Bramlett—former U. of AZ star, drafted by the Cleveland Cavs in ’99, for the past 2 years center of the ASK Riga team. Check him out on Wikipedia—nice guy & one of 3 U.S. starters on the team!
Oh, did I mention the price of admission? One LVL, i.e. U.S. $2.00 each!

Riga and Politics

About the time I think I have made some real progress learning about this new culture, I’m hit with another insight; in this case about politics. In Social Work practice we teach the importance of community, state and national social change through legislative processes to improve quality of life. In the US we know the name, party, and positions of our representatives and do sometimes write, call, email or visit. So, in 6 fall classes I asked students (about 250 in total) if they knew the name of their legislative representative in the parliament and got back blank stares or occasionally a comment like “It doesn’t really matter” or “They don’t represent us anyway.” An instructor can only push an issue so far and then needs to move on. I moved on.
But here’s what I didn’t/couldn’t understand. “There is no one specific representative to call.” Cheryl & I had lunch with the church senior citizen group this noon and sat with a Latvian-Canadian who was today’s activity organizer. The discussion focused on a parliamentary resolution to increase significantly the pensions of the elderly. At this point it’s the kind of feel-good proposal that many support in principle but aren’t likely to fund. “Because of the Latvian proportional system”, said our host, “the members are beholden to no constituency but the party. You see, there’s no specific person to call.” Latvia is smaller than West Virginia and has a population of just over 2 million (about the size of metropolitan Cleveland or Cincinnati).
Here’s the Latvian system for electing parliament. Each of several political parties puts forth a list of candidates. Five to seven parties reach the 5% vote level to qualify for seats. If a party wins 20% of the vote, they appoint 20% of the members of the 100 seat parliament from their list. Several may be from one district or neighborhood but other districts or neighborhoods may not have anyone in the parliament from their area. It’s no wonder students looked blank or perplexed by my culture-bound queries about “their” representative.

Saule spid

When the sun is out Bob and I explore more of Riga, so this past Monday we took the tramvajs to The Brothers Cemetery also known as the Cemetery of Heroes. There are about 2000 graves beginning with 1915, the soldiers who fell during the first World War. In another section of the cemetery are white crosses representing some of the victims of the years of the Stalin terror...these remains were removed from a mass burial site in Riga and reburied here. The obelisk with names of the victims including the "nezinams" (unknown) The plaque reminds us that people remember and commemorate the events that occurred in the past. The eternal flame burns ....there always seem to be fresh flowers at many of the memorials throughout Riga.....people do remember. The statue of Mate Latvija (Mother Latvia) overlooks the vast rows of tombstones of her fallen sons.

Gunars Astra a human rights activist sentenced during the Soviet regime said in court....

"I fervently believe that these nightmare times will end one day. This belief gives me the strengh to stand before you. Our people have suffered a great deal but have learned to survive. They will outlive this dark period in their history." He was sentenced in 1983 to seven years' imprisonment and five years' internal exile by the Soviet regime for the crime of possessing recordings of radio programs, photo negatives and subversive books and for writings of a personal nature. In was sentenced in 1983 he died in 1988 and is buried in this cemetery.

In 1991 the people of Latvia were at the barricades to regain freedom.

The Barricades

Yesterday, January 20, we saw many Latvian flags on buildings and as we came into the doma laukums in the Old City we saw bonfires. These were lit to commemorate the January events...

the Barricades which commemorates Latvian resistance to the Soviets in 1991. This action led to the reestablishment to an independent Latvia that year. As described in the blog http://lettonica.blogspot.com/2007/01/barricades.html..... half a million seven hundred thousand people gathered in Riga to defend, the banners read,

" your freedom and ours". They faced the Soviets. Four people were killed by snipers, two of them journalists filming the events. At that time heavy equipment blocked streets and huge stones and lumber blocked off access to the old city creating barricades. At the Freedom Monument there was a procession to lay flowers as a military band played ending with the playing of the National Anthem. We are in awe of the courage of the Latvians.

Tallinn, Estonia 59 N 25 W

Over the weekend of January 12 to 15 Bob and I visited Tallinn in Estonia. Bob presented a lecture at Tallinn University on Monday and we had Saturday and Sunday to explore the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Michael, a Fulbright professor from Rutgers to Tallinn University was our guide. It was interesting for us to see the similarities and differences with Riga.

The familiarity of the weather, cobblestones, public transportation tram and Rimi grocery store contributed to our being comfortable finding our way around. The differences seem to be a result Tallinn as a port on the Baltic for many ferry and tour boat lines. There was more English on the signs and people in the shops and hotel and restaurants seemed adept at English usage. We heard little to no Russian. Everyone seemed especially helpful and friendly. The people in the hotel, albeit a Swiss hotel, went out of there way to answer questions usually about tram routes and stops. Another outstanding example of this friendly helpfulness occurred on our tram ride back to catch the bus back to Riga. We were riding the tram with our luggage to the bus depot. I was following along with my slip of paper the count the five stops and listen for the names. At the fourth stop a woman on her way off of the tram says to me in English "It's the next stop and you walk across the street."

Amazing....The bus ride to Riga took about five hours. We experienced a little bit of history.

The Schengen Treaty removes border checks of the European Union countries. It was this December 21, 2007 that nine countries were admitted to the Schengen visa free zone. When we crossed the border into Estonia we could see the former gates and check points completely empty...no stop..the bus just drove on through. When we were in Germany at Christmas our friends there felt it was very positive to now have Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and two more.....It is good to be back in Riga.

Return to Riga....laimigu Jauno gadu 2008

Laimigu Jauno gadu 2008

We wish you all the best in the new year.....a year of promise and hopes....

I've heard there is a tradition in Latvia that during the Advent season one lights candles an additional candle each day and then on New Year's Eve as you blow out all the candles one at a time you blow away all of the worries of the old year. It is appealing to think of the New Year as a year of hope and good things to come.

Let's all keep the best memories and have a Happy New Year 2008

Christmas in Beedenbostel, Germany

Christmas in Beedenbostel was a wonderful week of visits with Bob's AFS family. We shared many memories of visits in the past, to Germany with Tina and Andrew when they were young and the visits of Mattias and Gudrun canoeing with Edie and Hutch , the many visits of Ota and Eve and of Mutti as well. Also of Lilli and Gunther to Tamworth....so many wonderful memories. We had wonderful German food, venison, red cabbage, quark and of course potatoes. I learned how to make herring salad with Mutti giving me the directions in German and we even had Gudrun's homemade pesto and the venison was from Mattias' successful hunting. We caught up with the children and met some of the grandchildren of the Liman clan having coffee in Brokel with Ota and Eve. Bob went with Mattias to his hunting grounds, no wild boar to be seen even though the trails were there. WE spent an evening in Celle with Rainer and Sabine and Thomas and Erika and Lilli and Gunther. We walked, we laughed, stayed up late and slept in. Heilige Abend (Christmas Eve) was especially beautiful in the church and at Mutti's with the tree and its many real candles lit for Chirstmas. We hope you all had a Christmas filled with the warmth and joy of family and friends.