In honor of the bock beer of May (and some deep dark thoughts that accompany such libations) the quiz returns.  Be on guard for the inevitable trick question or red herring.

1) Football club Bayern München has once again emerged as the Champion of the German Bundesliga.  The club extended its record to 21 titles in large part due to the great contributions of a player of Latvian ancestry.  Who is this champion athlete?

2) The Latvian diaspora in Europe founded a cultural center at a castle in the Loire valley.  Name that pils!

3) Near the above-mentioned Latvian cultural center is the city of Chinon.  This city was famous as the winter palace of King Richard The Lionhearted.  Chinon has a sister city in Latvia, a city of the Hanseatic League.  Name this city.

4) In the late 19th century, and also notably after the 1905 uprising, many Latvians left their homeland to eke out a living in the jungles of South America.  A Latvian colony was formed in Nova Odessa.  They were joined in the 1920s and 1930s by hordes of Baptists who founded a colony named “Vārpa.” Today these communities continue to thrive, and many folks there proudly boast of their Latvian roots.  In which country were these colonies founded?

5) Latvian Lutherans in Canada founded a retreat on 250+ rustic acres.  It’s where the Latvian Scout and Guide jamboree “Rīga Dimd” took place in 1972.  What is this sunny place called?

6) Latvians in the Pacific Northwest have been sending their kids off to summer school to this place since the 1970s.  In fact, the West Coast Latvian Education Center is the only place west of the Mississippi where Latvians can come together in a beautiful natural setting that they can call their own.  What is this property in Washington State named?

7) A Latvian immigrant in Australia was rather unhappy with the continent down under, and decided to leave and seek his fortune in America.  Crazy sod was he, purchasing an 18’ regatta yacht and undertook a sail to California.  9,000 miles later he became the first person to make a solo crossing of the Pacific Ocean from West to East.  Name this adventurer!

8) A lovely lass from the region of Daugavpils went on to find success on the basketball court, as a star for Riga TTT, and player on many Soviet, European, and World Championship teams.  She earned 2 Olympic gold medals and was the first non-American woman enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.  Who is this wonderful woman?

9) In 1919 this statesman founded the Latvian State University.  It was later named in his honor and bore his name until 1991.  Who was this man?

10) This Latvian-American actress has been a mainstay in films and television as well as the stage.  Among her numerous credits are star turns opposite Steve Martin in “Planes Trains and Automobiles,” and Tom Selleck in “An Innocent Man.” Other notable credits include roles in “The Equalizer,” “Law & Order,” “Sex & The City,” and as “young” Livia Soprano in “The Sopranos.” Name that Thespian!

(To Be Continued)

Sounds of Music:

I) “I was born singing, I grew up singing.  I’ve lived my life singing.” Whilst singing, I encountered Death.  Where was he?

II) At night I overcame a dreadful hour.  Death came to me and spoke: “Now you have lived a’plenty.  You’ve drunken much beer and made love to many women.  You must leave this world, and accompany me to the Other Side.” I begged and pleaded with Death, and offered him something for his mercy.  Death accepted my offer and allowed me to continue imbibe brew and love the ladies.  What, pray tell, can be offered to the Grim Reaper that will extend your stay in this life?

III) A humble little man sauntered slowly.  He sauntered slowly and pondered: “Where will they bury me when I die?” Apparently he was placed where he could watch and see if his friends drank beer or brandywine, if they played cards or made love to the ladies.  So—where did his buddies bury him?

IV) “I heard a siren from the docks, saw a train set the night afire.  I smelled the spring on the smoky wind.  I’m gonna make me a big sharp axe, shining steel tempered by fire.  I’ll chop you down like an old dead tree.” What town is being serenaded in this song?

V) “I sailed a boat out to sea, to hunt grouse.  I knew not which one to shoot, they all had such lovely crests.” Which one eventually got shot, and where did it go?

VI) A folk song describes a rather insane young maiden.  First, she dons white leggings and goes to a garden where she proceeds to hop around.  She pleats a wreath from white roses (though there is no telling if she removed the thorns) and puts it on her head.  She strolls down by the seaside, where a powerful wind blows the wreath into the current.  Rather than ask someone to swim out to get it, she instructs her brother to build a boat from scratch in order to go get it.  When the building materials she instructs him to use prove to be substandard, she makes him build yet another boat.  Again, her choice of building materials proves to be stupid, and the second boat is equally worthless.  Finally on the third try, the brother gets it right, and he is tasked to sail out to sea to retrieve the wreath.  Like he’s really going to find it after all the time it took him to build three boats, with plans dictated to him by his twisted sister no less.  Anyway, what were the three boats made of, and why were two of them no good?

VII) The narrator of this next song received a pergamento that some Señora wrote to him, beckoning him to come to Sorrento where he will be serenaded.  What 3 items of food and what libation is he anticipating upon his arrival there?

VIII) The narrator says farewell to his horse: “Neigh not, my sad pony, standing in the stalls.  You shall ride no more this autumn.” He remarks that another man will ride the horse soon enough, the same man who will take his woman and tend his fields.  He instructs his horse to go to the abandoned fields, to run free with the wind.  What becomes of water spilled on the ground, and a wreath given to one’s countrymen?

IX) A singer laments: “Oh what a shame, oh what a shame that I loved you too late.” What are the flowers with the blue blossoms called?  And what are the girls with the blue eyes called?

X) A narrator, clearly overwhelmed by life, recounts his sad tale: “An adorable little tyke was I, who grew to be a big drunkard.  I caroused in bars and when I got home I beat on everyone.  I used my fists on the wife, and beat the children with wooden spoons.  I stuck my mother-in-law in a butter-churn and sent her rolling down a hill.  A white horse and a young wife, that was my downfall.  A horse has to be washed, and a young wife must be watched.  I took a horse, but then it died.  I took a wife, and then she blew up.  I buried the horse at the top of the hill, and the wife down by the swamp.” What markers did he place at their respective grave sites and why?

1) Oliver Khan the goalkeeper.

2) I’ll try Saumur…

3) Kuldīga

5) Saulaine

10) Laila Robins

Pierre

VI Avu Avu Baltas Kajas--the ‘osa’ laiva was too heavy and sank; the liepu laiva (made from the Lime tree) was successful.  I don’t remember another boat, will have to go back and review.

IX Ak vai tik zel the blue flowers are called ‘neaizmirstulem’, neaizmirstulites (forget me nots); the girls with the blue eyes, ‘neaizmirstamam’ (unforgettable).

Irena

VI re: Avu avu baltas Kajas...the ‘osa laiva’ is the boat made from ash, but...I don’t see that there were 3 boats, only 2, at least in my song book. 

II Vakara ap Sadu Laiku

What can be offered to the grim reaper to extend this poor guy’s life?

He (the grim reaper) will settle for a glass of beer-- ‘Nu tu vari atkal dzivot, Alu dzert un meitas milot. Par so alu glaziti Vari dzivot muzigi.

VII The song is Vestule no Sorrento

The 3 itmes of food:  macaroni, spinach and ‘karbonade’ (pork chops).

The libation: Moselle wine.

Irena

2. Abrene
4. Venecuēla
6. Kursa
7. Ulja Semenjanova

Couple corrections of my previous post:

4. Vārpa was in Brazil (not Venezuela)
8. Ulja Semjanova (not item 7)

Between my two posts I went to the place where I have celebrated Jāņi for the past 50+ years. What is the name of this place? Several LOL members have been there.

Lauris

Sveiks Lauri!

Between my two posts I went to the place where I have celebrated Jāņi for the past 50+ years. What is the name of this place? Several LOL members have been there.

Fenway Park?  :-)

Just kidding of course. Must be Piesaule. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to make it there this year :-(

Pierre

number 2: Chateau la Ville au Maire.
Renaming a chateau is considered bad maners by the cheese eaters in blue
Farmer Johns.
But that was only one of fifteen irreconcilable moves that Austris and Anita
pulled off...............’twas fun, tho.

Hey, next time give the answers to your previous kvizs before starting a new one!  Sheesh!

Having registered my complaint, let’s move on…

In the songs area -
I She sang in the garden of Paradise

IV - Others already answered about the boat that was too heavy and the just-right boat… but in between there was a boat made of flowers, which was too light.  (And granted the girl may have been insane… but what does it say about the man who meekly obeys her whims and actually builds these boats??)

VIII Water cannot be unspilled/drawn again - and the wreath cannot be retrieved/ungiven.

X The horse’s grave got a golden cross, but the wife’s, a wooden spoon.  This is because the horse earns money, but the wife spends it.

(One quibble with your translation, Robert, unless you were just funnin’ us… “nospraga” isn’t “blew up” - that would be just “spraga”.  “Nospraga” better translates to “kicked the bucket” - and is generally used only to describe animals.  Thus the humor in “Kevi nemu, ta nomira.  Sievu nemu, ta nospraga.")

And… do the Pogues have a connectionto Latvia??

One more reply, this to Lauris/Pierre, and then I’m done for the evening:

Lauri - remembering with a smile the time this LOLer spent in Piesaule.  Tie bija tiesam jauki Jani.

Pierre - Was in Fenway last year… how about that play by Manny yesterday??  Caught the fly on the warning track, high-fived a fan in midair, then relayed to Pedroia for the double play!  WOO HOO!

Beat me to it again with X Mazins Biju Milulitis and VII, Nezviedz Berais Kumelins.  But I have V, unless someone already answered that one too.  V--Ar Laivinu Ielaidosi.  Which grouse got shot?  ‘Kas gar malu lidinaj’ The one flying near the shore.  Where did it go?  “Ta gul juras dibena’ It sank to the bottom of the sea.

That was a fun time at Jani in Piesaule when you visited Anita!  Lauris and Juris Z were so gracious--izdancinaja mus damas, izskratija smiltis!  Too bad we didn’t or at least I didn’t see you there then, Pierre.  Don’t think I’ve ever been to the Fenway in all the years I’ve lived here, though of course I know where it is...can’t say I really care...much…

Visu labu un ar labu nakti!

Irena

Sveiki Anita un Irena!

We were at Piesaule for Jāņi 2006. I saw Juris Z., but didn’t realise it at the time.

Anita, I take it you are a big Sox fan. Hockey is my game, but I enjoyed your paly-by-play. :-)

Pierre

Ah ha!  Numero III!  ‘Es Dzerajs Virins’ Where did they bury him?  Two slight variations here; Rociet man’ krogu, kroggalda gala’ bury me in the bar/pub at the end of the table or (the one you’re probably looking for) Rociet mani krogu, krogu zem galda, Lai varu redzet, Ko draugi dara --bury me in the bar under the table so I can see what all my friends are doing…

Anita asks what the Pogues have to do with Latvia?  I guess the Irish and Latvians have a lot in common; they both like to booze it up, party, have a good time.  No offense, (I hope)--growing up here in Boston nearly everyone was Irish--Irish pubs all over everywhere.

Irena

Song IV must be the red herring, no?

number 2: Chateau la Ville au Maire.  It was called Abrene by latvians.  “A brenne” means “into the swamp” in french. hmmmm?