YoC5: Jelgava International Ice Sculpture Festival
A visit to the Jelgava International Ice Sculpture Festival meant a fantastic night of art and culture under a full moon.
The Decision to Stay
This post is dedicated to Stephany Kecy who always seems to have my back on social media! (fixed the misspelled name) She asked me whether I had made my decision—was I coming back to Westside or not? I thought I had posted about it, but I haven’t written any sort of thoughtful explanation or reflection. …
Daugavpils: Part 1
10.2.18 For those of you who don’t know, Daugavpils is Latvia’s second largest city and is sometimes thought of as the most Russian city in Latvia. According to Wikipedia, it is over 50% Russian. As I look at the Wikipedia page, I am struck by the complete desertion of the city from 1920-1950 when the …
Patterns of Light
Gaismas Raksti: Cultural Experiences After a week of cultural experiences, I need to write something to deconstruct what I have observed, felt, and discovered. The title of this post is based on the multimedia show we experienced last night by Shipsea, a Latvian rockstar, at the National Library, Gaismas Pils. The title of the show …
Feeling Safe
Drošība un Miers 28.9.17 Safety and Peace… I wanted to write a quick follow-up to my post yesterday about the vacation being over. I want to make sure that no one misunderstands my collection of mishaps and woes as a general reflection of my mood. Yes, there are ups and downs, as there always are …
When Cultures Clash: Spain vs. Latvia
Spain vs. Latvia One great thing about being an American in Latvia is that I get to sit back and just observe the way the world works with a whole new perspective. I get to watch people, like an anthropologist, and make notes about what I see. Today, I witnessed the clashing of tribes—a showdown …