The last few days have been very very busy.
Yesterday we spent in Riga, and I saw the city from the highest point, the St. Peter's church tower. It was pretty amazing, and pretty windy as well.
We ventured to the country house a while back, which I should say is beautiful. Their grandparents live there and they are 84 and 82 years old. They are the sweetest souls, and knew no English...I really wished I knew more Latvian right then so I could of said more. They have an amazing garden full of carrots, onions, tomatoes, beans, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, herbs, peppers...apple trees, and berries...I can't imagine how they manage it all by their selves. (we ate all of our meals there straight from their gardens) The grandpa was so kind and gave me about a dozen hugs or so before I left, he has this little lap harp of an instrument ( I will try to find the English name for it later) and he learned to play the US national anthem on it just for me. Afterwards he kept apologizes for how bad he thought it was, and wants me to learn the Latvian national anthem so I can sing it for him next time we see him.
Also at the country house, inese my host mom, has a couple of bee boxes...So I got to make honey! It was a lot of fun, even though I am not a fan of bees, and we made a lot of really really good honey...I have never eaten it fresh like that, it really is something else.
On Monday I went to the weight room again to lift at night, and it worked out just fine. (I was told I most go at night when the trainer is there) Well I walked in, and the room is full of very very very large body builder/power lifter types, all guys....Even the trainer was gigantic. They all looked at me as if to say, "You...Weight room? Do you know where you are?" But I got my work out in and the trainer was really very helpful (though I don't think he really knew what to do with me). The best part was that this European radio station was playing "Air plays greatest hits" (all American) and I'd be lifting and in the mirrors I would see these huge macho guys dancing around to American pop music. (It took a lot of control to not totally burst out laughing)
I met with the sports school today and the head director was very very nice, and a skier!
Kids here focus on one sport so I will be enrolled as a Nordic skier for the next ten months or so.
There are 150 kids in the program (from 7-20 years old) and I will hear from my coach later today. We will then set a day and time to meet and start training with my group. I will race in the national championship races here this year (there will be 4 stages) and also other races in the Baltic area. So I guess it was mostly good news, I was disappointed a bit about the one sport thing but I will make do with what I have. Also this Saturday their is a roller ski sprint in the center of town and if they can get me some skis by then I will compete in it as well!
School starts Friday, and with classes and more kids I will have more and more to tell you...
I'm hoping next time I will be able to post pictures!
Oh and I saw the Baltic Sea yesterday...It is beautiful and peaceful, it was chilly but we went for a little swim.
I'm missing you all still...But school will start and I think that time will fly by...Maybe
until next time
Aug 30, 2006
Aug 25, 2006
It is only 15 degrees, wait...what?
Right now life is very interesting, I need a better word, it's just that everything right now is so new. The house is new, the family is new, the country is new, the words are new, the cars are new, the food is new, the smells are new, the view is new, this life is so new. (oh and 15 degrees...It was Celsius...Yeah)
Sometimes it is hard to handle everything being new, so now I just sit back and watch, I've been doing a lot of watching you could say. I just got back from my first Rotary meeting here, my host mom is the president of the Cesis club, where once again I watched. Sure I pick up on a few words, a few sounds, a few eye brow raises, but for the most part I am so lost.
I'm sure the rotary meeting would of sounded just like the ones I've gone to back home...If it were in English...
I don't mind going to Rotary meetings, because Rotary meetings mean food, good food, (they are always held as lunches) and today very good desert as well. But the thing was is the they put the deserts in front of us, they were these great big fluffs of white with a hint of cinnamon sitting in some sauce, but instead of digging in the governor had to speak. I think it might of been easier to keep my mind off the dessert the whole second half of the meeting, but I only caught the words good afternoon, four, thank you, and good. (but I could tell everyone else would of rather been eating the dessert instead too)
Life is slow in Cesis during the summer, but people walk fast. Last night there was a street jam down by one of the parks, with loud hip-hop music, I did enjoy watch a few kids breakdance though, and today they are doing something with, "The towns strongest man"...or something like that, I will go see after I write this.
The food is good, I'd avoid the homemade cottage cheese type stuff if I were you though...it is a little bit, well sour. And the milk is strange it kind of tastes like onions so instead I will drink my tea and water ( and some milk) but I can stick to cheese and yogurt for now, or until my bones turn to dust.
I got to lift weights today at the sports complex, which I was very happy about, and I'll meet with the head of the sports school this coming up Wednesday, but it looks like I might have a ski team, and maybe some track...But I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out here.
I met with the school as well, and here I will be in the "10th grade" (they only have three years of high school, and kids start school a year late), so all the kids in my class are my age, older and younger. I'm just ahead here. These are the classes I'll be taking...
Latvian Lit.
Math
History
English
2nd lang. (russian or german)
gym
computer class
business
more Math
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
History of Art
Geography
yeah all year, they might move me with the older kids later in the year when my latvian gets better.
Oh, and I thought I had a little sister, she is not so little in age...she turns 16 in one week, so only 4 months younger than me...yeah not so little I guess.
I leave tomorrow for my family's country home, to make honey, they have bee boxes.
I hope to have pictures up next week.
Until then...
I miss you all very much
Sometimes it is hard to handle everything being new, so now I just sit back and watch, I've been doing a lot of watching you could say. I just got back from my first Rotary meeting here, my host mom is the president of the Cesis club, where once again I watched. Sure I pick up on a few words, a few sounds, a few eye brow raises, but for the most part I am so lost.
I'm sure the rotary meeting would of sounded just like the ones I've gone to back home...If it were in English...
I don't mind going to Rotary meetings, because Rotary meetings mean food, good food, (they are always held as lunches) and today very good desert as well. But the thing was is the they put the deserts in front of us, they were these great big fluffs of white with a hint of cinnamon sitting in some sauce, but instead of digging in the governor had to speak. I think it might of been easier to keep my mind off the dessert the whole second half of the meeting, but I only caught the words good afternoon, four, thank you, and good. (but I could tell everyone else would of rather been eating the dessert instead too)
Life is slow in Cesis during the summer, but people walk fast. Last night there was a street jam down by one of the parks, with loud hip-hop music, I did enjoy watch a few kids breakdance though, and today they are doing something with, "The towns strongest man"...or something like that, I will go see after I write this.
The food is good, I'd avoid the homemade cottage cheese type stuff if I were you though...it is a little bit, well sour. And the milk is strange it kind of tastes like onions so instead I will drink my tea and water ( and some milk) but I can stick to cheese and yogurt for now, or until my bones turn to dust.
I got to lift weights today at the sports complex, which I was very happy about, and I'll meet with the head of the sports school this coming up Wednesday, but it looks like I might have a ski team, and maybe some track...But I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out here.
I met with the school as well, and here I will be in the "10th grade" (they only have three years of high school, and kids start school a year late), so all the kids in my class are my age, older and younger. I'm just ahead here. These are the classes I'll be taking...
Latvian Lit.
Math
History
English
2nd lang. (russian or german)
gym
computer class
business
more Math
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
History of Art
Geography
yeah all year, they might move me with the older kids later in the year when my latvian gets better.
Oh, and I thought I had a little sister, she is not so little in age...she turns 16 in one week, so only 4 months younger than me...yeah not so little I guess.
I leave tomorrow for my family's country home, to make honey, they have bee boxes.
I hope to have pictures up next week.
Until then...
I miss you all very much
Aug 22, 2006
Hello from latvia!
(I won't be able to post pictures for a few days I must figure out my host mom's office still)
Hello, from Cesis Latvia with love...that by itself is very weird. Everything is new and a little overwhelming, but I know all things will come with time. In the mean time i should introduce you to the new characters in my life.
Inese my host mom is 45 years old, and is very kind and welcoming. She is like most moms I think, she wants to know where her kids are, and wants the best for them, and for me. She wanted to host a child because her daughters have been exchange students and she has seen how they have grown and changed for the better. I love her because she hugs me, and is trying so hard for me.
Tallis is my host dad, he turned 50 this last year, and is as jolly as Santa Claus himself. He is a very busy Man and works alot (sound familar, yes?), but he works alot so that he can give his family the very best. He is helpful, and proud or his history. I tried to carry my bags in from the car but he insisted on carrying them by himself...I really tried.
Dace is my host sister, she is 15 but will turn 16 at the end of august. Dace is a doll and has been my biggest help so far in Latvia. I'm pretty sure she was more excitied about me coming than even I was. We are very much alike and yet at the same time we are very very different. She is as serious about the piano as I am about running and skiing, which is nice.
There are two older sisters Ilze and Liga, but they live in Riga together where they study. Hopefully they will come visit Cesis, or we will go visit them in Riga.
The plane trip was was fine, my bags made it through and my planes were on time. (It was just very long) I got on my plane at the JFK airport around 5:30 pm, it was very hard to say goodbye to my mom at the security check, but she managed to get through and hug me at my gate again. (getting on that plane was very hard) I arrived in Amsterdam at 7:20 am, after getting rougly 3 hours of sleep, my next flight was at 9:20 so I went and got some food. My flight to Riga went out of gate D6...now gate D6 is a wing all by itself, a floor below all the rest of the terminal. (It's divided into 6 or 7 seperate parts) We ( me and about 30 other people) took a bus out onto the runway where we boarded the little plane from the ground. That flight was just under two hours long. The Riga airport is not very bug, but that was nice, we made it very quickly through customs and the baggage claim, and right through the doors the entire happy Jaunzeme family was waiting for me.
After bringing my luggage to their van, we went back inside to eat. There was so many choices, but I made up my mind (amazing i know) and had beet soup (which is the most amazing pink color) and chicken with vegetables. After seeing my plate I've decided they want no one to starve here, becaues my plate had more food than two of me could ever eat! The rest of the day consisted or unpacking, sleeping, eating and some more sleeping. ( you can imaine how much my clock is off, they are seven hours ahead here)
Monday:
I was sure I would end up waking up very early, but i most of been very tired because I slept until 12:30 in the afternoon. After eating a very late breakfast Dace and I walked into the center of Cesis, it is about a ten minute walk. It is very beautiful here, with old buildings and narrow roads, in the old part of Cesis the roads are made of stone. There are two large parks with ponds and fountains, full of ducks and a few swans. there is a big castle in one park, I will take pictures of it some time...I've never seen anything like it in the US before.
Also there is a big old church, we climbed to the top of the tower and from there you can see almost all of Cesis. We walked to our school, which is also very pretty, but very small. The sports hall next to my school is not what I thought it would be, but there is good news, across the street there is a bigger school (about 1000 kids) and a very very nice sports complex! Something interesting I learned today is that instead of there being music, art or sports in the schools, there are instead music, art or sports schools that run in the afternoon...so on wednesday when I meet at the school we will ask them about that as well.
Almost everything I have eaten so far has been grown by my host family or the grandparents, even their own honey. This coming weekend we will go to the country house and make honey from their bee boxes.
So far it is hardest for me at night, when the whole family is home and when I go to bed, because that is when I miss my family the most and the smell of my own room and bed. And also, I wish that my books on Latvian had a section about how to deal with adults who aren't your host parents because they are a little itimidating and overwhelming. My host family sometimes worries about me, "Because I am so quite," (and I'm not quite at all, ever) but it is hard when i know little latvian...I just don't want them to think there is anything wrong with them...but I am learning so much already.
Today/Tuesday:
It is 1 in the afternoon here...but 5 am back home.
we are just getting things around town today. I will meet some of Dace's friends tonight...
Inese is in Riga today for work, where she will work on my visa as well.
Talis is leading meetings for all the school teachers.
I will write again in a couple of days...then I hope to have some pictures for you.
Until then
much love
Hello, from Cesis Latvia with love...that by itself is very weird. Everything is new and a little overwhelming, but I know all things will come with time. In the mean time i should introduce you to the new characters in my life.
Inese my host mom is 45 years old, and is very kind and welcoming. She is like most moms I think, she wants to know where her kids are, and wants the best for them, and for me. She wanted to host a child because her daughters have been exchange students and she has seen how they have grown and changed for the better. I love her because she hugs me, and is trying so hard for me.
Tallis is my host dad, he turned 50 this last year, and is as jolly as Santa Claus himself. He is a very busy Man and works alot (sound familar, yes?), but he works alot so that he can give his family the very best. He is helpful, and proud or his history. I tried to carry my bags in from the car but he insisted on carrying them by himself...I really tried.
Dace is my host sister, she is 15 but will turn 16 at the end of august. Dace is a doll and has been my biggest help so far in Latvia. I'm pretty sure she was more excitied about me coming than even I was. We are very much alike and yet at the same time we are very very different. She is as serious about the piano as I am about running and skiing, which is nice.
There are two older sisters Ilze and Liga, but they live in Riga together where they study. Hopefully they will come visit Cesis, or we will go visit them in Riga.
The plane trip was was fine, my bags made it through and my planes were on time. (It was just very long) I got on my plane at the JFK airport around 5:30 pm, it was very hard to say goodbye to my mom at the security check, but she managed to get through and hug me at my gate again. (getting on that plane was very hard) I arrived in Amsterdam at 7:20 am, after getting rougly 3 hours of sleep, my next flight was at 9:20 so I went and got some food. My flight to Riga went out of gate D6...now gate D6 is a wing all by itself, a floor below all the rest of the terminal. (It's divided into 6 or 7 seperate parts) We ( me and about 30 other people) took a bus out onto the runway where we boarded the little plane from the ground. That flight was just under two hours long. The Riga airport is not very bug, but that was nice, we made it very quickly through customs and the baggage claim, and right through the doors the entire happy Jaunzeme family was waiting for me.
After bringing my luggage to their van, we went back inside to eat. There was so many choices, but I made up my mind (amazing i know) and had beet soup (which is the most amazing pink color) and chicken with vegetables. After seeing my plate I've decided they want no one to starve here, becaues my plate had more food than two of me could ever eat! The rest of the day consisted or unpacking, sleeping, eating and some more sleeping. ( you can imaine how much my clock is off, they are seven hours ahead here)
Monday:
I was sure I would end up waking up very early, but i most of been very tired because I slept until 12:30 in the afternoon. After eating a very late breakfast Dace and I walked into the center of Cesis, it is about a ten minute walk. It is very beautiful here, with old buildings and narrow roads, in the old part of Cesis the roads are made of stone. There are two large parks with ponds and fountains, full of ducks and a few swans. there is a big castle in one park, I will take pictures of it some time...I've never seen anything like it in the US before.
Also there is a big old church, we climbed to the top of the tower and from there you can see almost all of Cesis. We walked to our school, which is also very pretty, but very small. The sports hall next to my school is not what I thought it would be, but there is good news, across the street there is a bigger school (about 1000 kids) and a very very nice sports complex! Something interesting I learned today is that instead of there being music, art or sports in the schools, there are instead music, art or sports schools that run in the afternoon...so on wednesday when I meet at the school we will ask them about that as well.
Almost everything I have eaten so far has been grown by my host family or the grandparents, even their own honey. This coming weekend we will go to the country house and make honey from their bee boxes.
So far it is hardest for me at night, when the whole family is home and when I go to bed, because that is when I miss my family the most and the smell of my own room and bed. And also, I wish that my books on Latvian had a section about how to deal with adults who aren't your host parents because they are a little itimidating and overwhelming. My host family sometimes worries about me, "Because I am so quite," (and I'm not quite at all, ever) but it is hard when i know little latvian...I just don't want them to think there is anything wrong with them...but I am learning so much already.
Today/Tuesday:
It is 1 in the afternoon here...but 5 am back home.
we are just getting things around town today. I will meet some of Dace's friends tonight...
Inese is in Riga today for work, where she will work on my visa as well.
Talis is leading meetings for all the school teachers.
I will write again in a couple of days...then I hope to have some pictures for you.
Until then
much love
Aug 18, 2006
Leaving on a Jet Plane
The hardest thing up to now has been trying to pack my life into two suitcases (even though one did go over the limit by 15 pounds), that was up to now...The thing is, it's just now slowly setting in that tomorrow I'll be getting on a plane and leaving the country. The plane door will close and it will finally be official, my adventure will begin. It seems like such a long time ago that I first decided to go abroad, and now it's finally time, finally now.
This last week has been a blur, but I've managed to enjoy every bit of it. It's hard for me to find the right words to explain what everyone means to me, and I hope you meaning the world is alright because that's what you are, my world. I've spent a lot of time this last week with a lot of people shedding a good deal of tears, and I know I should of shed more, but somehow I'm sure that tomorrow I'll be shedding the most tears by myself on the plane.
I'm going into this with no expectations and I'm sure that is the best thing to do, to expect nothing but look forward to everything. I'm nervous, excited, and mildly terrified but I'm going to jump into this with everything I have because I know this is meant to be amazing.
I've spent the last few days in New York city with my mom and it has been wonderful. (and a nice transition) We've spent a lot of time walking around the city which has been pretty fascinating by itself. I guess I'm just a small town girl caught up in the big city, but it's been nice just the same. We saw two Broadway shows, Dirty Rotten scoundrels and Phantom of the Opera, both were absolutely incredible. Oh, and last night they were shooting the movie A Perfect Stranger informs of our hotel (pretty cool).
I'll try my best to keep you updated.
Thanks to everyone and all their support and kindness.
I'm sorry this one is short, but I have this feeling I'm going to have a lot to tell you the next time I get the chance.
until next time...
This last week has been a blur, but I've managed to enjoy every bit of it. It's hard for me to find the right words to explain what everyone means to me, and I hope you meaning the world is alright because that's what you are, my world. I've spent a lot of time this last week with a lot of people shedding a good deal of tears, and I know I should of shed more, but somehow I'm sure that tomorrow I'll be shedding the most tears by myself on the plane.
I'm going into this with no expectations and I'm sure that is the best thing to do, to expect nothing but look forward to everything. I'm nervous, excited, and mildly terrified but I'm going to jump into this with everything I have because I know this is meant to be amazing.
I've spent the last few days in New York city with my mom and it has been wonderful. (and a nice transition) We've spent a lot of time walking around the city which has been pretty fascinating by itself. I guess I'm just a small town girl caught up in the big city, but it's been nice just the same. We saw two Broadway shows, Dirty Rotten scoundrels and Phantom of the Opera, both were absolutely incredible. Oh, and last night they were shooting the movie A Perfect Stranger informs of our hotel (pretty cool).
I'll try my best to keep you updated.
Thanks to everyone and all their support and kindness.
I'm sorry this one is short, but I have this feeling I'm going to have a lot to tell you the next time I get the chance.
until next time...
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