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