Canadian-Latvian author Bērziņš re-releases “Happy Girl”

Daina Grosa | May 18, 2014

Ilze Bērziņš has just re-released her debut book Happy Girl, a memoir of her time spent in Latvia in the 1990s.

A Canadian-Latvian, Bērziņš is the author of 15 books written over the past 17 years, that have been enjoyed by both North American and Latvian readers worldwide. Bērziņš, also an artist who studied at the Sorbonne, published Happy Girl in 1997. This was followed by a number of other books, mainly murder-mysteries, some Latvian-themed, others set in Canada.

Bērziņš herself comments on her genre: “I often think of my books as part travel story, part humour and part plot with mystery with a dash of romance.”

Bērziņš’ own summary of this new release reads:

‘“God help you,” her father says, when Ilze Berzins leaves Canada for a new life in Latvia. But the Latvia she discovers in Happy Girl, a book first published in 1997, is rife with corruption, poverty, and decay. She encounters many shocks and disappointments, as well as spectacular beauty, fulfilling work, and lasting friendships.

“The result of the author’s disillusion is a funny, lively, painful book,” wrote reviewer Diana Kiesners. “Berzins, along with a whole expatriate generation, was promised a fairytale Latvia that only needed independence to exist again. The promise is still unfulfilled.”

In 2012, Ilze Berzins travelled back to Latvia, visited her old haunts and attempted to recapture the giddy excitement she felt when she tried to settle there almost twenty years ago. This new edition of Happy Girl includes an account of this bittersweet homecoming. What she discovers will surprise, challenge and delight you. Will you agree with the reviewer of Happy Girl? Has the promise many “expats” took as a sure thing been fulfilled’

Daina Gross is editor of Latvians Online. An Australian-Latvian she is also a migration researcher at the University of Latvia, PhD from the University of Sussex, formerly a member of the board of the World Federation of Free Latvians, author and translator/ editor/ proofreader from Latvian into English of an eclectic mix of publications of different genres.

A Latvian school class dating back to the late 1960s in Australia. Photo courtesy of an anonymous Latvian Australian.

Survey: What do you think of your Latvian schooling?

Daina Grosa | May 17, 2014

Did you go to Latvian school, happy to meet up with friends, eat pīrāgi and smalkmaizītes and dance the polka together? Or did you go under pressure because you wanted to play sports with your local school friends? Do you think attending school was of any benefit to you later in life? Here is your chance to express your views – anonymously – about the Latvian school system as it was set up when you attended.

A survey has been created by Daina Gross as part of a study of the attitudes of previous generations to their Latvian schooling that will be presented at a conference titled “Latvia Outside Latvia: Culture, History, Emigration and National Identity” organized by the World Federation of Free Latvians (PBLA) which will take place in Riga this October.

The purpose of the survey is to get feedback from Latvians worldwide on their time spent at Latvian school on Saturdays or Sundays back in the 1950s through to the 1990s. Insights into the views of the previous generations will provide valuable information on how to move forward and provide a better quality “Latvian” education to those hundreds of Latvian children who currently live outside Latvia and attend Latvian schools on weekends.

The survey is meant for those Latvians who lived outside Latvia during the trimda years and attended extra-curricular Latvian Saturday/Sunday school. Those who were born and raised outside Latvia, and now live in Latvia are welcome to complete the survey as well.

Survey participants are also encouraged to follow up with an interview at a later date – via email – if they feel they would like to share their views further on a particular aspect of their Latvian schooling.

Click here to complete the survey.

Thank you to all survey participants in advance – your views are valuable to the next generation of Latvians!

Latviešu nedēļas nogales skolu skolotāji pulcējas LVA rīkotajos skolotāju kursos 2013. gada jūlijā netālu no Valmieras.

Latviešu valodas aģentūra rīko ārzemju latviešu skolotāju kursus jūlijā

Daina Grosa | 2014. gada 7. April

Jau septiņus gadus Rīgā notiek ārzemēs dzīvojošo izglītības darbinieku kursi. Tos rīkojusi gan Pasaules Brīvo latviešu apvienība, gan Latviešu valodas aģentūra.

Darbs vienmēr bijis kopīgs – abas organizācijas cieši sadarbojušās, lai latviešu skolu pedagogiem regulāri būtu iespēja sanākt kopā, papildināt savas zināšanas un dalīties vērtīgajā pieredzē.

Zināšanas kursos iespējams papildināt gan latviešu valodas pasniegšanas metodikā, gan arī dažādās citās latviešu nedēļas nogales skolu darbībai būtiskās jomās, piemēram, psiholoģijā. Pēc intensīvām lekcijām un praktiskajām nodarbībām dienā seko piesātināta kultūras programma vakarā.

Kursi sniedz lielisku iespēju ar kolēģiem pārrunāt izaicinājumus, ar kuriem nākas sastapties, darbojoties latviešu nedēļas nogales skolās. Gūtās idejas un ierosmes lieti noder visa gada garumā – līdz nākamajiem kursiem, kas nu jau kļuvuši par lielisku tradīciju. Un vēl – ikviens kursu dalībnieks saņem pedagogu profesionālās pilnveides programmas beigšanas apliecību.

Šogad kursi notiks no 8. līdz 10. jūlijam. Nakšņošana, ēdināšana un transports no Rīgas uz kursu norises vietu un atpakaļ ir bez maksas. Ja arī Jūs šogad vēlaties pievienoties draudzīgajai latviskuma kopēju saimei, lūdzu, rakstiet Latviešu valodas aģentūras diasporas projektu koordinatorei Aijai Otomerei: aija.otomere@valoda.lv. Ierosmei vizuāls ieskats pagājušā gada diasporas skolotāju kursu norisē Cēsīs – http://ejuz.lv/atteliem.