Having recently moved to Rīga with the family for an extended period of time, one of the tasks that lay ahead was to organise after-school activities for my children. After deciding on the school the kids would attend we learnt that school in Latvia finishes at lunchtime and then the kids need to be kept busy during the afternoon.

To find out more about the options for extracurricular activities a logical place to start was the Web.

Cālis.lv

The first port of call was Cālis.lv, a portal for families. It sounded like it could be the place for all my answers. Agnese Vidnere, then living in Finland, began the site in 2001. On the site, a “Cāļenciklopedija” (literally, a “chicken encyclopedia,” but cāļi in this case means children) provides all manner of advice on child-rearing, from how to handle the temper tantrums of 2-year-olds, to tips on buying prams and strollers, to parents’ thoughts on pocketmoney dos and don’ts. Also in the encyclopedia are sections on pregnancy, a place to find baby names, and finally—success!—activities for pre-schoolers. Parents have posted their experiences, so other visitors get to read both good and bad reviews on schools, daycare centres and sports activities.

Rīga government

But where is an easily navigated list of after-school activities? I was still none the wiser when it came to the big picture. Suddenly, I found one: the Rīga City Education, Youth and Sport Department Youth Direction,www.rsdc.lv/jln. Although the graphic design side of the site is definitely lacking, the information is both in English and Latvian, and seems to be a pretty comprehensive listing of government-funded extra- curricular activities. This does not mean that every institution has its own Web site, but phone numbers and addresses are certainly a good starting point. For more information on sporting options in Riga there’s Sports Rīgā  however, this is more a list of government departments involved in sports.

E-Skola

Then there’s E-Skola, an absolute goldmine of information. Run by the city government, the site is meant for those who are involved in children’s education in Rīga. Published only in Latvian, it is obviously aimed at informing the locals, those who work in education or who live in Latvia and seeking education-related information. Nevertheless, there are quite a few gems to be found here, such as details on the process involved in getting your child into the prestige schools in Rīga, competitions that children can enter during the school year, a recently founded parents’ committee and its involvement in educational matters and much more.

I had to remind myself this was not the information I was originally after and, as is often the case with Web surfing, I had to pull myself away from this tempting tangent.

The result of this exercise? I have found a few leads for sporting activities for my son, which I can now follow up with phone calls.

The Brisbane-based kokle group Zigrīda Ansamblis has just released its long-awaited first compact disc. The ensemble has been playing for quite a few years and has recently spread its wings to not only play to a local audience but is well known in the Latvian-Australian community from coast to coast. The group has played at national youth gatherings called Jaunatnes dienas, as well as the more widely attended Kulturas dienas, a multi-generational gathering of Latvians in Australia. This first CD showcases the versatility and fusion of modern and ancient sounds that make Zigrīda Ansamblis unique.

With only eight tracks, the CD might seem to be quite short, but on closer scrutiny each individual musical piece can be imagined as a course in a banquet. The flavour of each separate morsel must be savoured, the nuances of each piece must be discovered and enjoyed before the sweet sounds of the next song make their presence felt. Just as a banquet should not lead to overindulgence, for a CD the right balance must be found so the length and variety of music don’t overstimulate the senses. This CD has achieved just that.

The melodies are not all instantly recognisable; they’re not all the standard kokle-type songs everyone has heard over the years. The use of voice, percussion instruments as well as the base kokle all add an extra element making each musical piece a finely polished gem. At the same time, however, there is a sense of continuity as each song flows into the next and gives the album a feeling of unity and wholeness.

“Mēness ņēma saules meitu” and “Ačkups” are the more traditional pieces and bring back memories of folk dancing performances of years gone by, while “Iebrauca saulīte” is an original fusion of percussion (washboard and drum), kokle and voice, showcasing Zigrīda Ansamblis’ talent in acoustic arrangement. The lesser-known version of “Seši mazi bundzenieki” also makes good use of the drum as an instrument in a Latvian folk song.

The CD cover shows good design elements and evokes a truly “Latvian” mood with the use of the traditional symbol of Latvia’s agrarian heritage—wheat stalks and the subdued brown and green earth tones that are so characteristic of the summer colours visible in the countryside in Latvia.

How many times have you heard the phrase “the younger generation just doesn’t read Latvian books anymore” said about those now in their 30s, 40s and 50s? It’s true—but why? Is it simply because our Latvian is not as competent as that of the older folks or is the problem subject matter? I would like to think it’s a combination of both.

Latvian books (those written outside Latvia, anyway) are often autobiographical memoirs or novels loosely based on the author’s own experiences. These are informative but difficult to relate to if you have not been through those times yourself. Of course there are also books written by contemporary Latvian authors living in Latvia, but the style of writing is quite different to what people living outside Latvia are used to. The free association and dream sequence-style musings of many modern Latvian writers are all well and good from a creative point of view, but nothing beats a solid story line with believable characters.

Sandra Upeslācis has this and more in her first novel, A Visitor from Latvia. The book is written in English, so no one has the excuse of finding it difficult to read. The plot contains many elements that Latvian readers can relate to. Set in Toronto, many contemporary issues are raised: the ongoing traditions of the Latvian community that still continue today, juxtaposed with the life and career of the next generation in their homeland, Canada. Throw into this setting a visitor from the old “homeland”—the now independent Latvia—and you have the ingredients for an interesting mix of human interaction. This scenario is also easily transposable to any other Latvian setting outside Latvia. The story could just as well be set in Sydney in Australia or Los Angeles in the United States. The intergenerational attitudes and issues, as well as the differences between Latvians from Latvia and those who have lived most of their lives outside Latvia, are similar all over the world.

Other usually taboo subjects in more or less classical Latvian literature such as love, sex and interethnic relationships are also covered, making for quite scintillating reading. The main character, Klāra, is a feisty, independent Latvian-Canadian whose high-powered, career-oriented life is the epitome of what everyone seems to strive for these days. She comes from a traditional Latvian background, where mum is the homemaker and dad the retired breadwinner, and is one of three children in the family. You can probably start seeing the similarities with your own family already. The relative from the homeland, Andrejs, is also the traditional guest from Latvia—everyone has had at least one such over the last 15 years. Glimpses of his life back in Latvia show that he, too, is one of the younger generation with trials and tribulations that await him on his return.

The interaction between the main characters—mainly Klāra with her family, her new love Philippe and her cousin Andrejs—is quite well developed. The racy pace make this book compelling reading. Let’s hope Upeslācis’ creative juices continue to flow and we can look forward to more fresh and perceptive exposes of the lives of Latvians today, wherever the setting may be.