September 30
Another exciting day in Latvia - coffee, pealing apples, run on the beach, knitting, mushrooming, and sitting in the car in front of the school to surf the net. Tonight while on the computer, I got a visitor - Kristīne wanted help with her English homework!

Word........................mājas darbs = homework
Dish...........................kartopeļus ar olum un seņu mērci - potatos with eggs and mushroom cream sauce.
Highlight....................finding 5 jars on the beach. mom thinks it's disgusting but since there is no recycling here, I like the idea of combining a beach clean-up and having more jars to can all the jam I keep making!
Lowlight.......................

Random observation.............


September 29
Went with Alise to Alsunga to exchange money and get gas. Then went mushroom picking with Marija. Can't remember much else. Knitted for a while. Rained all day. The excitement came when I went running on the beach in the evening. It had stopped raining but the sea was huge and the tide was high so there was barely any beach. It was exhilarating to be there and the run was great, until I saw a huge dog come running after me. I tried to be nice to him but I could tell he was up to no good, and then he lunged on my back and I was very freaked out. Even when the owner was there, she had no control over him and he kept lunging and growling at me. He only got meaner and more aggressive when I threw a rock at his feet.

Saying........................Tu esi riktieks mēsls! You are a right piece of manure! (thanks, mom for teaching me that!) (btw - riktieks is german)
Dish...........................šķeltie zirni biezsputrs - that's split yellow pea puree - bland but not too bad.
Highlight.....................the sea was beautiful
Lowlight...................... the dog

Random observation.............

September 28th
Busy Monday. First, Alise and I went to Pavilosta to go to the bank, grocery, and pharmacy. The bank refused Alise's 100 dollar bill because it was written on. At the pharmacy, Alise got her denture cleaning pills, and at the grocery, I tried Lithuanian brand Coke - not very good. The rest of the day was spent canning my jam and my cranberry juice. Then in the evening I went on a run on the beach. It was windy and stormy and dusky and so beautiful. Then suddenly, there was a huge dog running towards me and he tried to attack me. Ana, his owner, had absolutely no control of him and he repeated lunged after me and I was really scared.

Word........................iet projām = go away!
Dish...........................izvāritu cuku ribiņas = boiled pig ribs. They looked to be about 50% fat. I declined.
Highlight....................seeing the Baltic sea storm and rage with the storm. The waves were huge and the power was awesome.
Lowlight......................being attacked by a huge dog and seeing that the owner had no control over him. really sad what kind of life that dog must have.

Random observation.............how the raw power of nature is so beautiful, but when any power (like the dog's) is turned against someone, it's no longer beautiful at all.

September 27th
Went berry picking with Nagite and her 15 year old daughter, Kristine. This time, I mostly picked blueberries.

Word...........................lāsit = means both "to read" and "to pick or gather" (as in berries!)
Dish........................... I made potato leek soup and mom actually like it!!! (must of been all the cream I added to it!)
Highlight....................berry picking, again
Lowlight......................there were so many things I wanted to ask/chat with Kristine about, and I couldn't because of my inept Latvian.

Random observation.............berries and mushrooms have different personalities, like people. Mushrooms are shy and like to hide. Brūkenes (low bush cranberries) are bright and shiny and gregarious and shout out to you - pick me! pick me! Mellenes (blueberries) are delicate and quietly wait for you and you have to gently pick them one by one or they get crushed.

September 26th
can't even remember what I did. Went to the library, went on a run on the beach, cooked my jam. That's about it.

Word........................vilnis = ocean wave
Dish...........................white bread, cheese, and homemade jam (mom would have used butter instead of cheese but as thick of a slice)
Highlight....................being by the ocean
Lowlight......................i have no social life here.

Random observation.............here's a little verse mom taught me:
Kad es biju jauna priša
Man bi(ja) Peters, man bi(ja) Kriša
Tagad vēca sakaltusi
Visi mani atstāijuši!

When I was a young priss
I had Peter and I had Chris
Now that I am old and dry
They all went away and left me to cry.

September 23rd to 25th

September 25

went berry picking with Nagit - she wanted the cranberries but I kept getting distracted by all the blueberries!

Word........................mellene = blueberry

Dish...........................cranberry - apple sauce. they like to mix the cranberries with apple, but I prefer to mix them with the blueberries and make a jam.

Highlight....................berry picking, of course

Lowlight......................

Random observation.............it definitely feels like autumn with berry and mushroom picking, making pear sauce and plum jam, canning all the extras - preparing for the cold winter.

September 24

Marija, Alise and I went to Kūldiga. First we visited the weaving workshop, then went grocery shopping at Elvi, then sat and had coffee (Marija drank kefir).

Word of the day......................aušana = weaving

Dish of the day........................ drupata maizite - crumb cake - a flat yeast sweet bread with a think layer of jam and a yummy crumble on top.

Highlights................................Marija talking about seeing a naked lady dancing on T.V. and me trying to figure out if it was an artistic theater piece or a girly show!

Lowlight...................................I tried to sign up for weaving classes but they said that all the weaving machines were taken so I have to wait til October.

Random observation...............

September 23rd
Didn't really do too much today - I felt really tired all day. In the afternoon, I went walking and mushroom picking with Marija. It started drizzling and that didn't even phase my 91 year old aunt.

Word......................................mākonis = cloud

Dish........................................ rudzu miltu klimpu zupa (locally, also called ķilken) = watered-down milk soup with a soggy rye dough floating in it. Not exactly bad, but pretty much flavorless.

Highlights.............................walking in the rain.

Lowlight.................................being tired all day - I couldn't motivate to do anything

September 22, 2009

- Mom left today - 6am left the house to get to Riga by 9ish. I was definitely feeling the effects of last nights grape juice. Saw my mother through the security gate and officially did not use my return ticket. Drove back to Jurkalne, stopping at a small National Park on the way home. Did nothing the rest of the day.

Word of the day......................dumbrājs = marshland

Dish of the day........................Skābenes zupa (sorrel soup) - canned sorrel, potatoes, boiled egg, some kind of pig meat, spices. Served with sour cream. Yummy. And I finally see one way they avoid scurvy - sorrel is packed with Vitamin C.

Hightlights...............................visiting Ķemeri National Park - walked a little nature trail in a black alder forest, and visited a shallow lake with over 30 swans.

Lowlight...................................(besides saying good-bye to my mother, of course) watching a swan find a cigarette butt on the bottom of the lake, try to eat it, and then, fortunately, spit it out. Arrgh!

Random Observation...............I think my hair dying fascination must be in the genes. Every woman here, from 12 to 80 has their hair dyed some crazy color.
Today I saw a lady of about 70 with bright orange red hair, several ladies with various shades of bright red to pink to orange, and some officially blue-haired old ladies. Also, the bleach on top, black on the bottom is very popular. I'll try to get some photos.

September 17th to 21st

September 21, 2009
I stayed in bed all morning, reading Twilight. Mom and I crawled to the beach in the afternoon but too windy to stay long. Fun evening of laughing and a bit too much vodka.

Word......................vīnogas = grapes

Dish........................porkchop with creamy chantrelle sauce, super garlic shredded carrots, and pickled beets.

Highlight...............getting tipsy on vodka and berry juice and having my grandmother take a video of my interpretation of the Jurkalne and Riga accents.

Lowlight................the second round of vodka and grape juice cocktail.

Random observations.............Mom's gifts she's bringing back to the US are vodka, vodka, rye bread, wildberry jam, honey, honey, pancake mix, and a hotplate

make of kadiķi (latvian cedar, i think).


September 20th

Spent the day at the Lažupe River at the race. I got to run the race twice in a raft with 3 others and then I paddled a flat river in a little inflatable kayak with a bunch of people. So fun to be in my element in a country where I often feel out of place.

Word.............................forši = cool

Dish..............................ham omelet with apple-cinnamon-cottage cheese toast

Highlight (2)...............(1) the laz^upe river: rafting 2 runs in a sololom competition and then an hour-long mellow creek run in an inflatable kayak.

.....................................(2) seeing my mother surrounded by all the young boys at the river race - they wanted to practice their english. so cute.

Lowlight.......................my latvian accent is horrible!

Random observations: The men wore bikini bottoms and not much else, while the woman were all covered up in wetsuits, sealskin, t-shirts, etc. I prefer it the other way around.

September 19th
packed up all morning, and went to Saldus and Lažupe river in afternoon.

Word.....................arbūzs = watermelon

Dish.......................arbūzs, of course. oh, and horseradish egg salad sandwiches, left in the fridge at mom's house.

Highlight...............short paddle in the late afternoon on the lake above the dam.

Lowlight................mazmājina = outhouse

Random observations: How pleasant it was to see athletic and sporty Latvian women. And men for that matter.

September 18th
Mom and I went to Ventspils and I bought a Latvian cell phone.

Word.............................lasis = salmon

Dish...............................salmon and avocado maki roll

Highlight.......................very friendly waiter at our restaurant. i'm not sure if he was laughing with us or at us, but it doesn't really matter.

Lowlight........................the "famous" fish sculptures made of plants (like giant chia pets) weren't really that forši.

Random observations: apparently, there is a wild baltic salmon here. need to find out more about it.

September 17
Alise, Baiba, and I went to Alsunga, Edole, and a lake

Word.....................vīģe = fig

Dish.......................mushroom omelet with mixed frozen vegetables and cheese sauce

Highlight...............at the lake, a big dog came over to us and took a liking to Baiba

Lowlight...............Alise whining about how she doesn't like anything at restaurants

Random observations.........I like it when I just turn down some random road and see where it takes us.

September 13th to 16th

September 16
Marija's 91st birthday - Wallie came over. Quieter than Alise's birthday last year. In the afternoon, Baiba and I went to Pavilosta, a little fishing town south of Jūrkalne.

Word..................dzimšanas diena = birthday

Dish....................kuka = very sweet cakes that Marija picked out, with whipped cream and syrup and fruit and who knows what else.

Highlight...........

Lowlight...........Marija kept trying to make me eat more cake and put rotten whipped cream on it. I didn't give in.

Random observations:

September 15

Baiba and I went shopping in Alsunga for Marija's birthday gift - we got her a basket to use for mushroom picking and a pretty scarf. In the afternoon, a pigeon flew into the house and entertained us for 40 minutes as we tried to shoo her out. Baiba kicked my butt at Yatzee.

Word..........grozs = basket

Dish............kvass = a fermented, carbonated drink
Highlight....being silly with my mom at the lake in Alsunga.
Lowlight.....
Random observations:


September 14
Baiba, Alise, and Marija went to Kuldiga
I went running on the beach

Word...................smiltis = sand

Dish.....................sklandu rauši - rye pastry with a sweet carrot and potato puree filling

Highlight.............getting some exercise was very nice
Lowlight..............

Random observations:

September 13
Baiba, Alise, Marija and I went to Pop's grave at the Mežs Kapa (Forest Cemetery). Afterwards, we went to eat lunch in Kuldīga. An afternoon walk with Marija in the woods while Alise made Latvian cheese cake/bread. In the evening, Baiba and I went to Pilsburgu Krogs to check out the guest register.

Word......................pīle = duck

Dish........................sauteed fresh broccoli with rice noodles (can you believe it! - delicious)

Highlight...............we planted a few plants on Pop's grave last year and they were still alive.

Lowlight...............after lunch, we were going to stop by Sasha's house but everyone kept yelling out directions in Latvian and then got mad that I didn't understand them (and was driving too fast) and then we went home.

Random observations...........Latvians think the louder you are, the more people will hear you, but actually, the louder you are, the less I listen.

September 12th

Mom and I went to the spring to fill up our water containers. Marija and I went mushroom hunting in the afternoon.

Word...............gailenes= chantrelles
Dish.................fried mushrooms with cauliflour, onions, and garlic.
Highlight.........making an apple pie
Lowlight..........according to my grandmother, the crust was too dry - because I didn't use lard.

Random observations.........when picking mushrooms, the stems get hollow with age. if it's a mushroom that's not good to eat, Marija calls it a suns-sene which means a dog-mushroom, or for the dogs, I guess.

September 11th

Baiba and I went to Kuldiga to exchange money and then to a vet clinic to pick up flea and worm medicine for the cats. went to the beach in the afternoon.

Word.................blusas = fleas
Dish...................skabu kapostu zupa = sauerkraut soup with chunks of pork in it.
Highlight...........I also went to the bookstore and bought 2 Latvian grammar books. One for first graders and one for English-speaking adults.
Lowlight............I first looked at the workbooks for 5th graders and was sad to see how pitiful my Latvian really is - even the 1st grade book is hard!

Random observations......

September 10th

Word.................pāsaka = fairy tale
Dish: ................dark rye bread with butter and homemade wild raspberry jam
Highlight..........going to the library to check my email. the librarian gave me a fairy tale book with one side in Latvian and the other in English.
Lowlight...........still pretty sick but only mild fever

Random observations: at least mom has a very sweet cat named Domino who slept with me in my bed the whole time I was sick.

September 9th

We landed in Rīga and then 3 hour drive to my grandmother's house in Jūrkalne.

Word..............gulbis = swan
Dish................crispy cabbage salad with shredded carrots and light vinegar
Highlight.......Ainars, my grandmother's neighbor, who picked us up, invited me to go kayaking with him
Lowlight........sick as a dog, in bed with a fever

Random observations........it's not very smart to do one overnight flight (AK to SF), then party for two days, then another overnight flight (SF to NYC to Rīga).