I have arrived!!!

After a very long trip I finally arrived and, this is the amazing bit, my luggage appeared on time and in one piece as well!!! That's not part of the travel experience. I signed up for luggage drama.

So before I left I was asked to share my first impressions of Latvia. I was given a timeframe of a couple of weeks but the country is very impressionable so I will start right away.

First Impression: SNOW


My flight in Frankfurt got delayed because of the snow and while I sat there watching them de-ice the airplane I was trying to work out whether I would prefer to get there (some flights were cancelled) or perhaps not fly in a plane covered in ice!





There was even a man shovelling snow. I thought this was particularly novel. Especially considering it continued to snow.









I know it's a rubbish bin but do you notice anything special?? That's right. It's covered in snow!!










Second Impression: Snow doesn't stop crazy driving, infact, it seems to encourage it.

Latvians share the same attitude to driving that I have seen in other European countries. Namely that the faster you go the safer you are despite the weather conditions (snow and ice everywhere). I have also discovered the origin of a few of my mothers driving habits ie. lack of indication :) (love you mamiņa)


As for my family, the first impressions are good. They are so nice and enjoy a joke. They also enjoy practising their english so I have a big job ahead of me to speak Latvian. They live in a new house (the bathroom is still being built) across the road from the school. And I have my own room with a big double bed and animal print wall paper. What more could a girl want to combat homesickness?
The flowers they gave me. Awww.


One really cool thing about these is that the grass stems have pearl beads threaded onto them. It's so pretty and such a good idea.







The wicked wall paper. How did they know?








"What's that?" I hear you ask. "Oh that? That's just my television".











This is the roof of my room. I felt like getting arty at 3 in the morning, ok?


















My bedroom. Please excuse the mess.











So there is my first taste of my new life. ļoti garšigi!

Please forgive me for my jet lagged writing style. I promise my next post will be both eloquent and witty.

Zaiga
xox