Day 14: Some things never change!

Today was the first day in while that I've been up before 8am. That thing happened when your brain wakes you up just before your alarm does which does have its advantages if you need to be somewhere to do something like, erm, get your eyebrows done. My boss who recommended the "eyebrow lady" walked me to the building, introduced me and I took the stage from there. Although she barely spoke English, we still managed to communicate well which is key if you're letting someone alter your appearance. Fortunately, it was a success! It was so much of a success that I nearly fell asleep when she was massaging my face. I've never had my eyebrows plucked before, but it definitely hurts LESS than threading (sorry for the girl talk boys!).

I had a calm walk on the way back to the dorms because I had two hours to kill before we had to edit. I went to the local tourist information centre to ask about the "Valmiera Culture Card" that I have read about online. You basically receive a stamp card and when you visit at least five of seven places in Valmiera listed and get a stamp afterwards, you return this card to the centre and get a discount card for Valmiera attractions. The only annoying thing is I've already been to three of these places. I'll just have to go back to get a stamp and maybe show them my photos to prove that I have been there before.

As a student, tourist and generally a girl addicted to shopping, I regret to say that I am slowly running out of money but this doesn't actually stop me from buying things. I had to buy some basic food today, like bread and milk, but my attention was caught by something else as I walked around the supermarket - mini bananas! They went straight in the basket. Anyone who knows me relatively well (particularly from school) knows that I love any food that comes in a mini version. Weird habit I know!

Who could ever resist these cuties?

So after I bagged my bananas and spent my last pennies, I went back to the dorms to edit the second half of the short film. I'm so happy to say that it is practically finished. It just needs a few tweaks here and there and it's done. Result!

This evening we went to our boss's house for dinner, which funnily enough was near the factory in the picture from Day 12's post. It was a really relaxed evening with great food and entertainment.

Our furry entertainment: Winnie (as in Winnie the Pooh!)

For the starter we had a traditional Latvian cold soup containing beetroot, cucumber and a few other goodies and for the main course we had a bit more of an international dish: the one and only spaghetti bolognaise!

I bet you weren't expecting the soup to look like this...
I'll have to get the recipe for this one!

After a cosy dinner party, all three of us went for a bike ride from one side of Valmiera to another, passing through all the bits in the middle. Some parts I recognised from my first week in Latvia but others were completely new! Cycling is a really great way of seeing places in a different light. Our boss took us on a route that led us to a small beach at the end of a forest. For now, I'd like to end with a beautiful photo I took on our way back home standing on a bridge over Gauja river.

I love the reflection of the sky in the river!

And an inspiring quote to top it all off:

"The worst mistake you can make is to give up on yourself and stop challenging yourself for fear of failure. Keep moving forward with a firm eye on the future, telling yourself, 'I’ll start from today!' 'I’ll start afresh from now, from this very moment!'" - Daisaku Ikeda