Stay On Your Feet Kiddo

One week later and Latvia is still treating me well. Sure being an exchange student has been a pretty constant roller coaster of ups and downs, but my Uncle David told my mom something which I have learned to live by. He told her you have to push through the bad days because the truth is they never last forever and live in the good days because you never know when a bad day is right around the corner.
Oh yeah and keeping busy while in a foreign country away from everything familiar helps too, and with school and training in full swing I've been doing just that. I wake up early and take a shower grab a bowl of yogurt and granola and watch a little CNN. (that's another thing since being here I know a lot more about what's going on in the world around me, I've begun to pay attention I guess.) If it's not a Tuesday I head off to school with my first class starting around 8:10. After school I hurry home grab a snack (normally from my jar of peanut butter) and shortly head back out the door for practice. Normally I get home from practice around 6:30, grab a banana and hit the couch with some books and try to figure out what it was I was suppose to learn in school that day. Suddenly it's 8 and we are eating dinner...And the last few nights I've fallen asleep reading "The Human Blueprint" a crazy book about genetics as I'm taking my schooling into my own hands until I really know what's going on in class.
This last week I fought off a cold, actually the doctor told me no sports all week! At that I broke down, I couldn't do that, it was just a cold, I'm supposed to be tough right? In the end we worked it out, I kept an extra close watch on my heart rate, continued to load up on my vitamins...And promised to drink lots of fluids and make it to bed at a reasonable time. I have to say I followed the rules and I'm proud to say I've gotten over the sniffles of the snotty nose and such.
Saturday I ran a 5K race, I was pretty excited about it. It was a road race, but man it had some hills, a lot of hills actually...Okay so the last 1.5K was all up hill. (Great joy!) The night before I sat down and figured out what I wanted to run and my pace per kilometer. I figure 20-21 minutes would be ideal, and decided on 4 min K's. The race came and though it was quite the stampede I managed to make it across the start line with all my limbs. Until 3.5 K I was running just almost perfect 4 min K's...The town had forgot the race for that day and were at the time of the race laying new blacktop on half the road. Well it was a down hill and being klutzy little me I managed to slip on the curb and take a pretty good tumble banging up both my knees, and one shoulder. I got up and hoped not too many people had just witnessed what I had managed to do so gracefully and kept running. The ending didn't go as well as I liked on the last long hill and did put out the energy I normally do in a final kick to the finish. So I ended the race pretty disappointed in myself running almost three or four seconds over 22 mins. I ended up placing second in the oldest age group. I got a nifty medal and a pink towel and 5Lats prize money (about $10 us). Oh and I was the only person who required medical attention after the race because the doctor insisted that she clean my scraps and cuts that had caused blood to run all the way down my right leg. (It looked pretty good, though I didn't know I was bleeding until 5 mins or so after I finished the race) We finished the race in the center of the castle park where a small festival was taking place with Latvian choirs, folk dancing, crafts and plenty of food for sale.
Actually after the race my coach came to make sure I was alright and said, "I put you on fast roller skis with big hills and you don't fall down, I put you in a running race and you fall?" I nodded my head and said, "It happens a lot...Just wait until we get on snow..." For all you nonskiers out there, my group of lovely salties(Molly, Erica, and I) and I at least all face planted or totally wiped out once every practice, we got pretty good at it.

anyway...
We helped ourselves to some very traditional rye bread, potatoes, cabbage, and mushroom soup and sat back enjoyed the music on a nearly perfect sunny fall day.
After checking out the crafts and wears (mostly wooden spoons, silver things, honey, and lots of amber) I got to take part in my first Latvian folk dancing experience. I'm not exactly what most would consider graceful or a dancer, so it was pretty interesting and mildly amusing...probaly more amusing for anyone who was watching. Latvian folk dancing is very much like American square dancing, but with no caller (for all you faithful duck for the oyster fans) We danced for about a hour and a half, slow and fast songs alike. One of the last dances was like a polka expect after shaking for finger at your partner and a slap the girls ran about to their next partner...One of which was a little lost Japanese man who wasn't terribly found of the polka. Another dance consisted of shouting and running in circles and lot of spinning and clapping hands, oh and of course some good old latvian bum bumping? I have to say it was quite the experience but I'm not sure if it's a one time is enough kind of thing or not...We will see what other festivals I can run around at.
My other big accomplishments have been taking a nap on a Sunday afternoon, because all good Latvians like to sleep, eat, and dance. And my other accomplishment big accomplishment is, last night I made potato pancakes all by myself, I feel so Latvian it's scary. (but they were "yummy in my tummy" so nothing gets much better than that.
Oh and I am pretty awful at aerobics, okay that's because everyone else knows what is going on...I'm like the kid who can't clap on beat and instead claps on the off beat all by himself.

And one of the highlights of my week. I received a very lovely card from Deanna Perssons, I love getting mail...And unexpected mail is even better so I was pretty excited.

Tomorrow I run in some crazy schools track meet like thing...And I have no idea what to expect, my sports teacher at school told me I was running the 100M, 800M and high jumping...Can you say "girls just want to have fun..."?

That's all for now,
I miss you all very much.

Until next time

Grab Your Sweatband and a Latvian Dictionary and Meet Me at the Gym

I hope you enjoyed the pictures from yesterday I'm hoping to get ten or so more pictures posted tonight. (cross your fingers)
Alot had happened since the last time I wrote, and I'm sorry that it's been so long.
My school classes have officially started, and it's much different than at home.
I have eight 45 min. Classes everyday, except for Tuesdays where I lucked out getting put in the first English group and don't have to report to school until almost 10am! (though if my latvian teacher doesn't have a class those two periods I might find myself coming in for some extra latvian classes Tuesday mornings) Our breaks between classes vary from 5 to 20 mins, with our lunch break from 12:05-12:55. Breaks grow as we get closer to lunch and are much shorter after lunch. I get out of school at 3:15 everyday, and then hurry on to whatever I have in the afternoon. My easiest classes right now, besides English, are physics, Math, and of course sports class. And my hardest class is Russian, I don't get a whole lot right now in Cultures and economics, but that will change as the year goes on. (one boy told me that even the kids who know latvian don't get alot from those two classes)
My training has now started at the sports school here in Cesis, and at the training center(ski track) in Prekulle. I've changed coaches so I'm no longer practicing with little boys, and it's going very well. My new coach is Angela Brice, she is a former Latvian Olympic biathelte, and her husband competed in Torino this past winter on the Latvian Olympic Biathalon team.
Because I'm training with biatheltes we do alot of running as well as roller skiing, so it's been great. The training center, roller ski track, and trails at Prekulle are beautiful and challenging. The other day I ran/imitation skied some killer 4K repeats...I thought our home cross country course had some nice hills, this trail kicks even its bum. It's like running up and down the hill at telemark over and over again with some hair-pin curves...skiing could get pretty interesting this winter, and I'll even get to try my hand and aim at some biatholon!
The Prekulle trails are around 7K from the sports school, so after school I'll walk into the center of town and catch a bus to Prekulle (the town/village) and then from there I will hike through the woods for about 10 mins or so. We don't really drive a whole lot here, just because everything is in walking distance.

Last weekend my host families family friend from Norway came to visit. He is there daughter Liga's host father from when she was an exchange student in Norway years ago. He is a very smart and funny man, who loves to ski, so we got along just fine. (he actually invited me to over easter go mountain skiing at there cabin!) The entire weekend he wouldn't let me forget about Norway or skiing or the fact that there is a high school about 1.5 hrs from his house just for skiers and biatholon. (the teasing was hard) Well on Sunday we ventured to Sidgulda to WildCat where for a little over three hours had a blast on a high ropes course...it was so much fun. I've been wanting to do a high ropes course for a long time and so when my host mom asked if I was interested in going I jumped for joy!
On thursday of this last week my class went on it's first excursion, which was alot of fun. And where did we go? To Sidgulda to the high ropes course and then bowling in the center of the town. (I bowled a 134!) But besides it being alot of fun, it was really a good thing for my class to do. You see half my class is new to the school and the other half has gone to this school for the last three years, so there has been this akward rift between the two groups. One half was very loud and talkative and the other very shy and have kept mostly to their selves...Until this trip. It allowed my class to really mix, and make us more of a "class". So what I'm thinking is that we should go on more excursions...If you get what I mean.

Last week at school one of the boys at lunch asked me if I would like to go the folk dancing thing on Friday, and I said yes, because I can always be up for some good ole latvian folk dancing. I was actually really looking forward to it...Until I was over taken by a cold, and a cold is a very serious thing here in Latvia?...Actually any remote sign of sickness is...So I spent my Friday evening and a good portion of my Saturday wrapped up in my blanket drinking tea on the couch.
My host mom is very funny, she doesn't like chemical medicines so instead I've been taking my vitamins and loading up on some good old fashion vitamin C. Along with some good hot foot soaking, and I mean hot. And afterwards you proceed to wear big wool socks (very itchy and slippery) and roll up in a blanket for a bit more.
It is now Monday morning around 11:45 am here and I'm sitting in my computer class, but the teacher has given me some other work to do at home so I sit here freely rambling away to cyber space. (which is okay with me, and probaly you as well.)
I awoke with a mighty fine cough this morning, so Inese's insists I go and see the family doctor at 1pm with her, and I will, maybe I've caught some rare Latvian potato cough...I don't know.
When I get back from the doctor I will have mathematics and Russian, and after that I will hurry home grab a snack and go to practice. Today my training will include a little over one hour of circuit weight training and then aerobics, so I'll make sure to grab some bright colored tights and a sweatband before I hit the gym...Okay maybe not.
Well I believe that is all I have to tell you for now.
I love you and miss you
until next time

Snapshots (number one)

Labdien, good afternoon to everyone back in the states. I thought I might finally post some pictures, unfortunately they are out of order and I can only post five pictures in one entry so I guess you are lucky, because I'll post more than one blog.
Okay here it goes:


This is my mom and I in time square in NYC, the night before I left for latvia.
They have very happy yogurt here in Latvia, enjoy, it is yummy as well.
This is my lovely first house in Latvia, it's right out of a story book.
These are little bells with wishes attachted to them from the top of the church tower in Cesis, from the 800th year celebration this summer.
This is from the plane on my way to amsterdam.

One Little Jar of Peanut Butter.

Okay so school "started" this past Friday (sept.. 1st) here in Latvia, but my first official day of classes starts today (wed. sept. 6th). I guess I lucked out you could say, three fake days of school for Corrine.
The first day of school here was nothing like the first day back home at old Hayward High. At nine o'clock all the kids reported to their schools carrying loads of flowers. My school is called The Cesis Friendly Appeals State Gymnasium. (there is a shorter name...but it's the abbreviation of the school in German I think...?) We then stood outside for almost two hours of speeches and welcoming. The school gave awards to those students who had a average of 9 or higher in their marks from last year (roughly 4.0's). There were also gifts and awards given to the people who had helped repair the school over the summer holidays. I was introduced and welcomed to the school being presented with a little stuffed toy owl (the school's symbol), information on the school (in English), and a kiss on the cheek by some nice boy with a funny name. We went inside and gave our teachers flowers, and lots of them, and then were dismissed for the day. (so my first day of school ended at around 11:30, not too bad)
Monday we reported to school at nine, some classes earlier some later. The first thing on the list to do was to set the teams for Tuesday's Sports Day, with the big event being a huge orinteering contest. There were two team captains; Martinš (who is about 5'3''), and Mia (who is about 6ft)..Itt was a pretty funny picture, the two of them standing in front of the class. After the teams werechosenn (I was put on Mia's team) the teacher pulled out a map of the US and had me talk all about it, Wisconsin, Hayward, and myself. When I was done they asked me questions, about what kind of music I liked, my favorite movie, sports and classes at my high school, but my favorite question was from a boy named Helmut. (I keep wanting to call himhelmett)
His question was this, "Is your high school like it is in the movies?..Youu know, thequarterbackk, thecaptainn of the Football team is the coolest kid and he always dates the head cheerleader?"
We then went to the library and got our books for the year, and then the school day was over at approximately noon.
Tuesday was Sports Day, and was a great deal of fun. My team had a lot of trouble getting started, for some reason we didn't have a compass and couldn't read the map very well, so we spent roughly 20 mins going in circles. Finally something clicked, it was simple, follow the map! It shows you exactly where to go..Okayy maybe some little boy pointed us in the right direction..Butt I did first say we had a rough time getting started...
We managed to finish the course in a little over an hour reaching all 12 check points, and today at school we'll find out just how bad or good we really are. And so once again my school day was till just about noon, but hey, I'm not complaining or anything.

Now let me back track...
Saturday was the Cesis District Roller Ski Sprints, it was an up hill skate sprint that was just about .5K. I showed up at the course early was handed a pair of roller skis and a bib and told to go try them out. They were fine, I was a littleshakyy...I hadn't been on roller skis for over two weeks, and had done a little to much classic this summer. Myqualifyingg round was good setting me high in thewomen'ss rankings, and in my semi finals I was racing the best skier in Latvia my age. We skied head to head the whole way, at the peak of the hill I pulled ahead, but with about one meter to go I tripped up and got beat by a nose..Itt was a pretty good photo finish. I went on to take third place in the women's finals, and got to stand on thepodiumm and get a pretty medal.

Later that day we(Dace and I) went to Liva's house, one of Dace's friends. Liva's dad owns and runs a big brick factory here in Cesis, that has been operating for a very very long time. The red square in Russia is made from the bricks from his factory. So, well...their house is huge...I mean really big and they even have a great big angry dog to go with it. As soon as we got there we had to wash our hands and were showed into thediningg room to eat, and eat a lot. (Liva warned us not to eat before we came...she was right) Her mom made a ton of food, ribs, salad, potatoes, some more pork, some more pork, some more potatoes and a giant water melon. It was one of those table's where you were like "woah" and then knew that you had to eat everything before you would be allowed to leave the table..Wee ate everything, as Liva's mom watched us from the doorway.
We then took a sauna...because well they are crazy about their saunas here in Latvia, and it just so happens that Saturday is sauna day at Liva's house...so we took a sauna...
After getting out of the sauna and putting on our normal clothes we were ushered back up stairs to eat pancakes, lots of pancakes, but these were Latvian pancakes filled with meat. And once again we ate everything as Liva's mom watched from the doorway with a very pleased look in her eyes...I did say when I first got to Latvia and they gave me plate of food, just looking at it, I knew that they expected no one to starve here.
After we were completely over full, Liva's dad took us home were we immediately found the couches and both agreed that was much too much food for anyone.

Okay I think that is it for now.
I will post later about my first day of real classes
Until then, I miss you.

oh yeah about the peanutbutter, which I've missed so much...when I got to Liva's house her mom ran up to me and gave me a jar of peanutbutter. They searched all over Riga for it, and found one small jar of it just for me!