Some observations from a distance

So... I'm in Latvia. Not Lithuania. Not Estonia. L A T V I A. And I've been here for a little over than a month now, which is just enough time to make some relatively fair observations. Before I came here, I tried not to have any specific expectations - high or low. But the truth is wherever you go, you always carry your mindset molded by your own background. Consequently, all my observations are highly subjective and influenced by my upbringing and life in Sweden and I hope that I don’t offend anyone when pointing out things that seem strange or weird to me. After all, we all need some kind of a reference point to which we measure our experiences. One thing doesn’t necessarily have to be better than the other, they are just different. Also, our impressions alter with time, so something I might find excitingly appealing or extraordinary unfamiliar now I will probably view as pedestrian in a year or so.

Red dot is Gothenburg, blue dot is where my parents live and all signs point to.... Latvia

Let’s dig in to it! Not surprisingly, the language is first on my list. Latvian is a Slavic language, thus it wildly differs from anything I’ve ever learned before. So far in my life, I’ve only studied Germanic and Roman languages, so there has always been a connection to my previous knowledge. On the bright side, Latvian employs the Latin alphabet – with a few extra diacritic marks – so at least I don’t have to struggle with decoding signs or pictures. However, the language is not easy, since I barely recognize any words at all, and the grammar is quite complex. I actually started to learn some Latvian about two months before I came here, but the real learning process started when I arrived. As with most language learners, my passive skills are better than my active skills, which means I understand more than I can express. Some days it’s really frustrating, but I’m trying to look at it as an experiment. 

Secondly, there is the climate, which is very similar to the Gothenburgian one. Currently I’m in a small seaport called Ventspils, which is on the west coast of Latvia. The weather is basically the same; rainy, misty and windy most days, with the only exception of ice-cold winds, which cut through marrow and bone. Every. Single. Day. So if you’re complaining about the wind in Gothenburg, please stop. At least there is the archipelago to take some of the blow. Here the wind comes straight from the ocean and overpowers the whole community. And while we’re on the subject, the community is not big. Official records say that around 40-50 000 people live here. In reality, there’s only 20 000 inhabitants, maybe even as few as 10 000. Those are your manipulated statistics, folks! I’m not one to fall for small town charm anywhere (Germany possibly being the only exception) so the town is not very attractive in my eyes. On the other hand, I really love the fact that the beach and the ocean is only some 30 minutes away – by foot. It’s great that you can walk almost anywhere. So far, I haven’t set my foot in a public transportation vehicle. Perhaps I should add that my wonderful car-borne friends have been a huge contributing factor as well. 

Last but not least: humor. Being a person who sees the humorous aspect in almost every situation, it was a bit disturbing to discover that it’s not the approach to take here. Life is serious and it’s not something you should laugh at. I asked my Latvian friends how to translate the phrase it’s funny, because that’s how I start most of my sentences. At first, they were thinking long and hard. Then they told me that there really isn’t a translation for that phrase. Additionally, they warned me about calling someone else funny. People in general might not take it as a compliment, instead they will be rather embarrassed. I completely understand where this is coming from, and I want to respect that. Nevertheless, that will not stop me from making a fool of myself. I will just not make a fool of someone else. Or at least try not to. 

And here are some additional realizations (for good and for bad)

• I can get Belgian waffles in the supermarket. Luxury!

• Icy sidewalks are NOT maintained. I almost killed myself taking a walk the other week. 

• There are basically no restaurants. I know this isn’t Gothenburg, but a few more wouldn’t hurt. Or maybe I just haven’t discovered them yet?   

• Coffee shops. I didn’t think I would miss the coffee shops in Gothenburg as much as I do. Sure, you can find plenty of kafejnīcas here, but the cozy vibe isn’t there.  

• Ventspils is the town of cow statues. There is a story behind that, but let’s get to that another time.