Day 30: "Oh my god, a black man!"

What do most people do on a Saturday morning? I spent mine cleaning my bedroom and bathroom. When I start cleaning it is fatal because I can't stop until it's all done. Get it over and done with, that's what I say.

I find that staying busy is a good way of keeping homesickness at bay. I started to develop my new presentation project given to me yesterday and I was making good progress. I looked at the clock and it said 1pm. After adding a bit of colour here and there, I checked the time again and it said 7pm! I really don't know where all my time went. That either shows I worked hard or that my time management skills aren't really up to scratch when it comes to the weekend.

My clock whilst my eyes were glued to my laptop screen.

My stomach, on the other hand, was well aware that the day was passing by quickly; I hadn't eaten since breakfast. What's the one thing you can easily cook and fast? Omelettes are definitely becoming my new staple food out here in Latvia but they will never be ahead of me' biscuits. I have just read that there is such a thing called a biscuit omelette. Whatever it is and however it tastes, I must try this. It's the best of both worlds in my books. My next cooking challenge - accepted.

Now you're probably wanting to know why I gave this post such a distinct title. I have been wondering whether to share the story with you, and just now thought why the hell not. It happened and it was funny. Not many overseas tourists visit the town I am living in so when some people see me they tend to look twice as if to confirm the first one.

The fire alarm has just gone off in my dorms. Someone left some sunflower oil frying in a pan. Clever.


Anyway, back to the story. As my Estonian friend and I were walking back to his car, I looked over at a restaurant terrace, making a mental note to eat there some day. As I tried to see what kind of food people were eating, I saw a black man sitting at a table. I really thought my eyes were deceiving me. That's when I said to my friend, "Oh my god, a black man!" And I think I must have said this quite loud because when I looked back to see if he was still there, he was staring at me. Oops!

It's all about broadening horizons...

Nevertheless, I now understand the looks I get sometimes. Just as the saying goes, I have put myself in their shoes. They aren't being rude, just simply curious. And I feel proud to be the one to spark that curiosity here in Valmiera, Latvia!

Day 29: Down to my last lats

Doesn't it feel great when you wake up naturally without an alarm clock? Flexible working hours are amazing. I would work for these hours for the rest of my working life if I could, but somehow I doubt that will happen. I better enjoy it whilst it lasts then.

I think someone may have heard my distress call yesterday because I have a new kettle! I feel like me again...

It's like this picture was made for me!

Today was another day of hard work in the office (minus the tea and cake from yesterday). I had to finish a few proofreadings for the university brochure and then that was done. So another task had to be thought of to keep the intern busy. A few moments later, I was given the task to create a "fresh" PowerPoint presentation to formally introduce the university to whoever watches it, i.e. guests and prospective employees. With a few previous examples to base my ideas on, I started working on it. I opened up Microsoft PowerPoint and realised that I haven't made a PowerPoint since Year 12 - roughly 2 years ago! My project manager did suggest that I use a website that apparently all the Latvian students are using at the moment to create funky presentations, but to be honest I'd rather stick to the traditional way. Simple yet effective. Hopefully.

My Estonian friend is leaving Valmiera tomorrow, so after work me and him met up to have our last lunch-cum-dinner.

I had to capture the moment (and the food).

After stuffing ourselves as much as we could, we went for a nice walk along the river bank. When we came to the water fountain, an iconic monument in Valmiera, we both whipped out our cameras and started snapping away.

Nature at its best. 

Thank goodness I've found someone else who likes to take photos of random things! Whilst he took captured photos of birds mid-flight, I took photos of a duck drinking water. As sad as it may be, I just found it so fascinating to watch.

"Dig in guys, there's plenty to go around!"

Since the students who were living next door to me have now moved out, I have to stock up on everything they took with them, right down to basic things like salt for example. While my friend sat in his car (clever move), I walked into the big supermarket to begin my food shopping. This was the first time I've been shopping for things like pasta sauce without having a Latvian, Russian or Estonian speaking person handy to translate the labels and ingredients. Let's just hope what I brought home is actually pasta sauce and not something completely different.

I really don't like goodbyes. I'm sure I'll see my Estonian friend someday, somehow. 10 years down the line, I might walk into a supermarket to buy pasta sauce and he will be there. Okay, that's a bit of unrealistic but you never know, it's a small world out there. Or maybe I'll have to go to Estonia one day... Not a bad idea at all!

Day 28: Hasta la vista, ferret

I arrived at work bright and early this morning to find that my team members are still ill and project meeting that was meant to happen yesterday has been postponed again to Monday morning. These germs must be lethal... Lucky I got that travel insurance, huh?

Okay, so I'm not that much of a germaphobe!

Just to be careful, my mum suggested that I buy hand sanitizer during our last-minute dash around the shops. I owe you one, Mum!

Instead of staying in my room and becoming paranoid about catching something, I went into the university and spent all day working on proofreading tasks. Most of the work formed part of my internship (editing the university brochure, the website etc.) but some tasks were for my other content managing job and a few odd bits and pieces here and there. I really do enjoy proofreading but I need to pace myself a bit otherwise someone may have to proofread what I proofread which would be a potentially painful proofreading problem. I think the word has got round that a native English speaker is working in the university and now suddenly everyone wants me to proof their translations. Quite a resourceful move on their behalf, I must say.

After working hard for about 5 hours straight (with a tea and cake break in the middle), I met up with my friend again: my ferret friend that is. I think she could sense I was in the flat. She hid in her cage, pretending to sleep. Whilst my friend was stroking her, I slowly walked closer to the cage. But who was going to make the first move? Her or me? It was just like watching one of those slow motion scenes in a film.

Kindergarten Cop: If Arnold can handle it, so can I! Man up, Gabrielle!

This is how the scenario would have gone if it were a film:

Gabrielle and Miss. Ferret turned their heads at the same time. Their eyes met and locked together. The ferret's look said it all [she couldn't talk afterall - duh!]

"Friends?"

I wouldn't say we are the best of friends just yet. I'm still slightly scared, I mean "shocked", that she is a ferret. I let her lick my hand. It's a start. She does have the cutest little face, little mouth and little paws... Maybe there's hope yet?

When I came home, the cupboards and coat racks were empty. My Latvian neighbours had moved out. It wasn't spontaneous; I knew they were leaving. I just didn't know how many essential things they were going to take with them. Like, erm, THE KETTLE! No kettle, no tea. How on earth will I survive? There's only one way to solve this problem. I'm off to make a fire outside. Needs must, right?

Day 27: My new furry friend

As you can probably tell from the adventures told in my blog, I have learnt many lessons whilst being here in Latvia. One of the biggest lessons that I am actually still learning is being flexible with my time. I love me a detailed timetable or schedule from time to time. I like knowing what I've got planned for the day or even tomorrow. But, needless to say, not everyone is like that.

Plans arranged in advance can change in a split second and I have had to adapt to that by quickly finding something new to do. Like today, for example. I was meant to be meeting with my team to discuss my next project and it was cancelled half an hour before due to the others being ill. Rather than me getting stressed (although part of me was wondering if I will catch whatever they have), I found something else to do. Proofread!

Everywhere I look, people are asking me to proofread documents, websites, brochures or press releases. These opportunities keep popping up out of nowhere, making me not only proud of my language but also curious as to why this is happening all of a sudden. To be honest, I do get a strange satisfaction from editing and proofreading. Perhaps a potential career path is opening its way up for me... You never know!

Getting distracted by big, colourful maps in the office:
the distance from my hometown to Valmiera.

After using my brain as much as I could today, it was time to meet with my friends for a film night! But beforehand, we cooked dinner together. We split the responsibilities amongst all four of us. I was in charge of preparing the pasta. I think I did a bloody good job, considering the only pan I could cook it in was too small to actually contain pasta for four.

Now you're probably wondering about the title of this blog. And no, it's not an innuendo. I'll have you know that my friend (whose house we were cooking in) has a rather interesting pet. As we were walking up the stairs of the flat, I overheard one friend say: "Is the animal out?" Straight away, my mind pinned this mystery animal on a dog or cat, the common household pet. We walked into the flat and there was no trace of this "animal". Just a cage. An open cage. We started cooking and still there was no sign of it. I casually looked around the floor in attempt to spot the animal and then over to my friend. There was a FERRET laying at his feet! I have to admit that I did slightly freak out inside and gradually made it more visible when it came into the kitchen very close to me. I was constantly reminded that he doesn't bite and that he's friendly. I wasn't scared as such, just a bit caught off guard. Yup, I think that excuse will work.

Enchanté Mr. Ferret, Sir.

Looking back, I think me and him got off to a bad start. Directly stepping out of his way whenever it came within 30 centimetres of me isn't the nicest thing to have done to you. I did let him sniff my bag and shoes for about 10 minutes. I was not wearing them of course. Just for him, it will be my personal aim to rekindle our friendship tomorrow. I'll try my best anyway.

Day 26: That's it, I'll just buy a private jet

Waking up to a cloudy sky with a high possibility of rain at any point (you can never be too sure when) isn't the best start to a day. Such weather means that I am forced to either go outside and "sing in the rain" or stay at home and make a start on this paperwork for France. I know which one I'd like to do but wouldn't happen in reality.

If I brought post-it notes with me to Latvia, my room would be covered in them by now. There's always something I have to remember to do today, tomorrow or next week - even in September! Suffice to say that I am just left to use a pen and pad of paper, the less messier form of organisation in my case.

Standard day in the life of Gabby.

Having to do all this paperwork again is like déjà vu. Like, for example, researching for hours on end to find the cheapest flights possible with some quality added as well. Like any flight passenger, I want to feel safe and secure on a plane and rather not be paranoid that the windows might break in or the seats becoming detached from the slightest bit of turbulence.

And neither do I want to be in this scenario.

I've had to change my French language module to replace it with one more related to my degree. It makes sense if you think about it. I guess I'm going to have to learn French the traditional way: visit France, be surrounded by all things French and fully immerse myself in French culture. A great excuse to watch French films all day long and play tedious Learn French games.

So today was a productive day of admin work, organisation and forward thinking. Alongside the current film project, I have to write a short bibliographical article for the university's website on behalf of the PR department. I have to talk about myself in third person, i.e. "Gabrielle Westhead, an amazing, talented and hard-working student from England..." Okay, slight exaggeration there but I do feel like I'm boasting when writing it. And I just keep getting the urge to write "I". I'll get it done eventually... I mean, Gabrielle will get it done.

Now to end with a brilliant quote that keeps my hopes up everyday:

"Effort and hard work construct the bridge that connects your dreams to reality. Those who make steady efforts are full of hope. And hope, in turn, arises from steady efforts. Embrace your dreams and advance as far as they can take you" - Daisaku Ikeda

Day 25: I am mixed race, aren't I?

It was 2am and I finally jumped into bed, ready for my long-awaited sleep. But (and there's always a but) I suddenly realised that I had forgotten to fill in a vital piece of paperwork for my Erasmus exchange in France. It was a form to let both my university and the French university know that I have changed the original modules that I had chosen in December. If I don't fill this in, credits won't be transferred, i.e. it would be as if I hadn't even gone to France and would have to either prolong my degree or fail. I couldn't have slept with this over my head so I slaved away at my laptop until I emailed it to the appropriate academics for signatures. Phew!

Today was the beginning of a new film project for the university's marketing department. Me, my filming partner and a Latvian newly-graduate have to create advertising material to attract and encourage international students to study at this university. This will be a very interesting project because not only are we international students ourselves but we'll also get to travel around Latvia to capture some good footage. My ideal job!

After we brainstormed some ideas for the film, I went for lunch with the Latvian student to get to know her a bit better before we work. Everyone I have met in Latvia so far has some connection to England and she has a relative living there, so that was a great conversation starter! I find it so funny when people ask and then assume where I am from, as if my English accent isn't a big enough clue. According to some, I am Portuguese, Indian, Spanish, of some Arabic descent and American. Not sure where they got these ideas from but I'm quite flattered.

Is this what people see when they look at me?!

Something really strange happened when we were on our way to Hesburger. We were just talking and a man came up beside me and stared me right in the face for at least 10 seconds. I wasn't sure what that was all about. Maybe he was trying to figure out if I was Brazilian or something. Who knows...

In the afternoon, I met with my Estonian friend who had a very good offer for me that I couldn't refuse: becoming the content manager for his website. It will be great to earn a little cash on the side, especially for doing something that I'm good at (and have been partly trained in at university).

I'm sure there was something else I was meaning to say...

Oh yes, I remember! I HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE UNIVERSITY IN FRANCE! Amongst all the happiness and joy, I can't help but think about all the preparation needed before I actually go. Another round of paperwork, packing, procrastination, travel insurance, cheap flights, a bit of sneaky online shopping and a home of some sort. At least I'm a bit more prepared now... bring it on!

Day 24: The morning after...

As my recovery from Friday and Saturday came underway, my body felt the need to sleep for a very long time last night. Waking up in the afternoon can feel either good or bad, depending on the day ahead of you. I had nothing much to do today, so it felt good. But, unfortunately, I was really out of sync with my time management.

I realised that my milk had gone off (because we had to defrost the fridge the other day) and I had eaten all my bread, so my plan was to quickly pop to the shop and go on with my day. I wasn't sure if going to the shop with bed hair, slippers and pyjamas is a social norm in Latvia as it is in some places in England, so I kept it safe and made myself look decent (I still believe in my cavemen theory, but that's another story). Somehow, and I'm not quite sure how, I ended up going to the shop three hours after I had planned to do so. I had breakfast-cum-lunch-cum dinner at 5pm.

I seem to be running on this clock at the moment.

Walking around the supermarket, my eye caught some delicious-looking baked biscuits and I bought them. I had no idea what they were until I got home and Google Translated the name on the packet. A risk well worth taking I must say - all 12 of them were very yummy indeed!

Having no specific plans gives you a lot of time to think. These are just some of the thoughts that came to mind when walking to the shop:


-  On a subconscious level, although I am only 2 hours ahead of England, I still feel that I am living on England time.

 
-  Since Friday's incident, I have noticed that I now carry my keys in the mind everywhere I go. This is either signs of trauma or me just trying to be careful. 

 
-  I feel like I've been living Latvia for more than month. This is definitely a good sign that I've settled in!

So I had a relaxing Sunday but must make sure that snap out of this weird routine I've got going on for this week coming; my second film project is due to begin. If it's not acceptable to go to the corner shop in pyjamas, then I don't think it will be in the workplace. Biscuits I can do, but that is one risk that I'm not willing to take.

Day 23: Time to party!

This evening was going to be quite a long one so I decided to relax at home beforehand. The other day my friend recommended a few films that I should watch (being the film geek that I am) so I decided to watch In Time. I'd never heard of it before, but I wish I'd watched it sooner. It was amazing, so thought-provoking. In this film, time is money, literally. You are guaranteed to live until 25, but then your body clock on your arm starts ticking. From this point on, you have to buy and sell your time to survive in life. Good film...

Sitting on my bed and thinking about life, it was "time" for me to arrange what I was doing tonight to celebrate Midsummer Day. Who knew planning something to do for ONE night would be so difficult? I had to get in contact with at least four people to see what they were doing, and they had no idea what they were doing themselves. Soon enough, plans were made and set in stone. Me and my friends were going to join another group of friends, drive to cabins in a forest just outside of Valmiera and celebrate!

The beautiful layout.

After buying food and drinks, meeting the other group and settling in, my Latvian friend started to make a "flower crown" for herself. She needed more flowers and suggested I go with her to pick some for myself. She tried to teach me how to make the crown. It wasn't complicated but when you're not trained to make them through your childhood you don't want to mess it up your first time round. Luckily, she made one for me and I will keep it as long as I can until it rots away...

Fitting right in.

We had a wonderful selection of food: meat, cheese, salads, bread. After stuffing ourselves as much as we could, we went for a long walk into the forest to look at the Gauja River. Unfortunately it was getting quite dark at this time so I couldn't take a photo but it was a sight well worth seeing. We walked back, phones in hand for light, to make the traditional bonfire.

Capturing the flames.

It was getting rather cold at this time so it was very relaxing sitting in front of the fire, watching the wood burn and roasting marshmallows. We were meant to go in the sauna but it wasn't getting hot enough. It was a good night anyway!

So there you go, my first big Latvian celebration - result!

Day 22: And it was going so well...

After my road trip yesterday (and then a small trip to my friend's house in Valmiera), my phone alarm didn't wake me up but a car alarm did. I am humbly appreciative to whoever's car that was - sarcasm not intended.

On days like these (when you practically miss half of the day) you wake up and have to find what opportunities there are for you to explore. My Estonian friend checked the weather forecast and noticed that it has been predicted to rain for the rest of the week and today was the only day for it to be sunny! He suggested that we go to the small beach (Dalini beach) and just relax there. Good plan! It was so peaceful just laying there on his blow-up bed, reading a book, getting a tan and looking at the clouds.

Very similar to the Google image I included in an earlier post.

After tanning my mosquito bites and reading my romance fiction, me and my friend decided to cook dinner. You gotta love pasta and English tea for afters!

The plan for the evening was to go to the university's graduation prom and see what's happening there. We ended up going to a club. We moved on to another club because my neighbour in the dorms works there and it was her last day. The night seemed to be going well. It reached about 4am and I decided to head home with my neighbour. It was literally broad daylight outside. We arrived at the dorms. I reached my bedroom door and put my hand in my bag expecting to hear the rattle of my keys. The rattle didn't sound. It was one of those moments where you have a mini heart attack. I was having many. Thoughts raced through my tired brain: when was the last time I had my keys? What if I left them in the club? What if they fell out while I was dancing? I was so close to breaking into song:

Something sparked and I rang my Estonian friend whose car I was in earlier. They were in his car! By this time, it was 5am but I didn't care. I just wanted my keys back. I had to get a taxi all the way to his house, get the keys and catch a taxi back! I'm so lucky that taxis are so cheap here. I just hope the same thing doesn't happen tonight when celebrating St. John's Day. Definitely a day and night to remember!

Day 21: ROAD TRIP!

Okay, so right now it is 4am here in Latvia. The sky is getting light and I can hear the birds chirping. I'm going to try and write this blog post to the best of my ability to give you an honest portrayal of my amazing day under these tired and half-sleeping circumstances.

Today was the day that I made my first trip to Riga after a few failed attempts to go. My original plan was to travel by bus with the student who met me at the airport when I arrived in Latvia but, as usual, plans changed. Instead, as a faster and cheaper option, my Estonian friend offered to take us by car and join us for the day. As you have to drive pretty much straight for most of the journey to Riga from Valmiera, we amused ourselves by blasting music, Michael Jackson hits to be more specific. We had to meet quite early in the morning to get to Riga at a decent time and because of this I fell asleep for at least the last third of the journey. But when a sign saying "Riga" appeared, I was soon nudged awake to experience Riga from the start. I have 117 photos of Riga so I'll have to be decisive in the ones I post on here.

Riga clock on top of Origo Shopping Centre

The student who came with us is from Riga so we were in for a treat: a full tour of Riga and Old Riga with personal experiences and past memories thrown in! The first thing we did was go into one of the shopping centres and could hear beautiful singing in the distance. We followed the singing and came to find a small concert of choir singers, performing as preparation for the big celebration of St. John's Day on Saturday.

I didn't want to leave but Riga awaited me.

I must say that that I felt very proud of myself today. I managed to walk past several clothes shops and not be tempted to buy a single thing. That must be a record for me. Before this sudden strength wore off, it was time to explore the city of Riga. There are so many beautifully decorated parks in the centre of Riga from which you can see most of the landmarks.

Standing in from of the National Opera House (complete with a tourist pose)

We just walked a few steps and already I found so many things to take photos of.

Stroking the Major (from 1901 - 1912) of Riga's dog

The main focal point in the centre was the Freedom Monument (unveiled in 1935), a tower that symbolises much political significance for Latvia. It's very tall so you can't exactly miss it! The great thing was that I was able to get some background information and history on it rather than just taking a pretty picture and walking away. This monument, which has been restored twice over the years, honours soliders killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918 - 1920). The liberty statue at the top of the tower holds three stars to represent the then three regions of Latvia (but now there are four regions). The history of Latvia just amazes me...

Another tourist pose...

I don't know if it is very clear but there are also guards of honour who stand at the bottom of the monument. We caught them just as they were marching away to swap with other guards.

Walking past striking water fountains, statues of important Latvian writers and prime ministers and ministry buildings, our tour brought us to the National Theatre.

From the outside.

The theatre was open so we went inside to look at the interior design in true tourist fashion. A elderly Latvian gentleman who works there allowed us to go upstairs even though is was closed off and we unexpectedly saw this...

A sneak peek!

Sometimes you have to go that extra mile to see such intricate beauty of a place and I think me being a tourist helped his decision to let us venture upstairs.

The President's Castle

It was time for Old Riga, the part of the tour I was most looking forward to from hearing all the stories about how wonderful it is, and they were correct.

A cathedral through the trees.

The atmosphere of Old Riga is amazing. It feels like an old village in itself, almost separate from the rest of the city. I walked past several buildings, mainly churches, that were nearly 800 years old - 800 YEARS OLD! My mind was blown (again)...

House of the Blackheads, originally called the New House
(built in 1335 but reconstructed many times)

I wish I could put all my photos on here but then it wouldn't really be a blog but more of a slideshow. But truthfully, photos cannot do this place justice. As soon as we arrived in Riga, I could instantly feel the excitement. I just reminded me so much of home. I think it was the hustle and bustle of the people. It's great to get a different perspective on Latvia. I have been living in a small-ish town for the past few weeks and now I have seen a big city. Now all that's left is the countryside...

I could quite happily live in Riga in the future. A beach can be my back-up plan.

Day 20: Soup-ercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

About 5 minutes ago I sat down to write a blog post, but something felt wrong. Something was missing... I looked on my desk and around my room. My camera was nowhere to be seen! I literally ran to the communal kitchen where I had it last, hoping that the students living in my flat had good enough hearts not to snatch it. Thankfully, it was laying there on the table. I will never let it out of my sight from now on! I'm learning a lot of lessons out here in Latvia...

After a day of meetings with my boss and project supervisor, me and my Estonian friend decided to cook dinner again but a genuine Russian soup this time. My first attempt at cooking Northern European food! We walked around the shop, iPhone in hand showing us all the ingredients we needed for the dish we were going to make. You'll be happy to know that today's cooking was much less of a disaster than yesterday's pasta fiasco.

We spent nearly an hour preparing all the ingredients, slicing and dicing everything. The funniest part was debating the best way to chop the cucumber into the smallest pieces possible. We did half a cucumber each using different techniques for both halves, just to make it fair. And all the hard work and effort that went into cooking the soup made it taste even nicer!

The end result... *drumroll please*

A cold soup: Okróshka

With another successful day gone by, my long-awaited trip to Riga is finally going to happen tomorrow. I will take many, many photos with my beloved camera which will be attached to me at all times and not left on any nearby tables. Fingers crossed.

Day 19: Loving life in Latvia sunny-side up

As I've been staying up quite late most nights, I really wanted to have a long sleep last night. You know, those times when you wake up and you think it's the next day, that kind of sleep. But no, not today. Nature wasn't going to allow it. I woke up from the loud pitter-patter of rain on the window right next to my head. I could have just fallen back to sleep like any normal person would. But no! The first thing I did was switch on my laptop (a habit I've created whilst here) and look for films to watch. So I spent the early morning from 7 til 8.30 watching a funny film. Standard morning for me.

I find that when I'm awake really early, I want to be really active, go out for a morning jog, walk the imaginary dog and cook a full English breakfast. I didn't go that far but did decide to make an omelette. As the pan was only small, I was debating about whether to use one or two eggs. I thought one would make it too thin and two would make it too thick. Two it was then. It was all going so well until I realised that it was actually too thick and the heat wasn't coming through to cook the top of the omelette. Being the master chef that I am, I made the somewhat risky decision to flip it. It nearly didn't work... But I did it!

I managed to rescue the omelette.

After dancing around my room (as you do), it was time to plan my day. Although the rain had stopped, the weather wasn't exactly pleasant-looking, so me and a couple of friends decided to have a sort of dinner party at my dorms. The plan sounded so amazing; pasta with pesto, sausages and salad. Unfortunately, things don't always go to plan, especially with students. My Estonian friend turned up early for me to proofread some of his work in English, something I rather enjoy actually. He brought the sausages and pasta and then our other friend turned up with the pesto. When we chose which kitchen to use (we were spoilt for choice in a multi-storey building), we got our ingredients out and were raring to go. We realised that we didn't have a saucepan for the pasta but a frying pan instead and we had no vegetables for the salad. Nevertheless, we did not let this get in our way.

I managed to find a small saucepan from my neighbour's kitchenware that clearly wasn't going to be able to fit pasta for four people in it. Luckily, there was another student cooking rice on the other hob who had a much bigger pan. While they all taught me the rules to a card game called Sabouteur, every time this student came to check on his boiling rice, our eyes were glued on the saucepan, hoping that he would finish cooking soon and that he wouldn't take the saucepan away! About an hour later, and that's not an exaggeration, we were able to get on with cooking our pasta.

As routine goes, we waited for the water to boil. And kept waiting for what seemed like forever. We were all staring at the water, waiting tentatively for the first bubble to appear. When the water did eventually start to boil, things started to go more smoothly. We stirred in the pesto, put the pasta on plates and then my Estonian friend started to fry the sausages. A few minutes later, dinner was served. It was too good to be true. Strangely, nothing went wrong... Well that's what we thought, until my friend cut into his fried sausage and plastic peeled off it. He didn't realised that the sausages were individually wrapped in thin plastic but did say: "I was wondering why the sausages weren't turning brown"... We couldn't stop laughing for ages, but were way too hungry to let the food go cold!

Students, eh?

Sadly, I forgot to take a memorable photo for my blog (which I'm now known for doing amongst my friends)  but like we all said at the time, we didn't just cook food, we created an experience. An experience that will never be forgotten, that's for sure!

Day 18: Thor can be in my films any day!

Today was such a sunny day... and I spent half of my time in an office. It wasn't so bad though. I managed to send the Erasmus paperwork back to my university so I should be getting money soon. I hope. Please?

Okay, and I was looking at Facebook...

I decided to go shopping (again) but wanted to sway away from the big supermarket and explore the smaller corner shops. The thing about these shops that I find so interesting is that if you were walking past and couldn't read Latvian, you would think they were just normal houses. I know this from experience. Some things seemed much cheaper than the supermarket but I think out of sheer ease I bought half of the stuff I needed from the supermarket anyway. I need to be more money-conscious. I don't want to learn the hard way!

So after dealing with this paperwork and wasting, I mean, spending my money, me and my Estonian friend decided to go for some dinner and then watch Snow White and the Huntsman for my first visit to the cinema in Valmiera. What I love about this cinema is that it still has the original architecture from when it was built under the Soviet rule of Latvia and has only been renovated inside.

Kino Gaisma (trans. as Cinema Light)

It only occurred to me when the lights went down and the film was at least 30 seconds in that this was the second day I was watching an adaptation of Snow White so I should be an expert. And as an expert in this fairytale, I have to say that I think this version was much better. More drama, more special effects and more Chris Hemsworth (Thor to the Marvel Avengers fans). Hmm, need I say more?

There's just something about the way he holds his tool... pun not intended.

So right now, I sit here with a tub of ice cream pressed to my leg. Because of my mosquito bites, obviously. Tomorrow, me and my filming partner will finish the final edit of our first film project. Then the rest of the day is free... art gallery, shopping or another Snow White film? I think I'll do whatever costs the least.

Day 17: Shall I risk it?

The sun shone on Valmiera, creating a warm and cosy atmosphere across the town. Little did they know that grey cloud was already creeping into sight, too overbearing for the sun's rays. Gabrielle, an English girl used to dealing such unpredictable weather, made the wise decision to stay indoors.

Half grey, half blue - I wasn't making it up!

If my life was written as a book, that would be the perfect opening to describe my day today. But whenever one stays indoors, one always gets the urge to go outside and do something. I could hear my bike calling my name, tempting me to ride it one more time. To go out, or not go out: that was the question. I mean, if there was a storm, would my travel insurance cover me if I suddenly get struck by lightning or the wind blows so hard that I fall into Gauja River?

I can think of many pros and cons for staying inside/going outside, the main pro being I need rest! As you can see from my other blog posts, I have done something or been somewhere everyday since I got here (excluding Day 11 when I just sat indoors drinking tea but it was raining then). I just get the feeling that if I stay indoors, I will be wasting a day in Latvia when I could be exploring the culture, seeing what Latvians do on rainy days. But I do need a break.

The weather actually stayed rather sunny for a few hours but very windy so I stayed in bed, watched 21 Jump Street (hilarious by the way!) and Mirror Mirror and ate Latvian sausages because I loved them so much at the barbecue. A lovely Sunday afternoon.

Note the artistic presentation.

So I guess I'd better get this paperwork ready to be signed tomorrow... I wonder if the brewery is open today. Then again, I'm still recovering from last night. Rest, Gabrielle, rest!

Day 16: That's a wrap!

After eating a mini banana and spraying almost half of the mosquito repellent on me (I have to be safe!), I was off to hit the town. And by hit the town I mean buy postcards, visit museums and look at art exhibitions.

I posted my postcards to England, went to the museum to get a stamp towards getting my Valmiera Culture Card - read Day 14 if confused - and then decided to visit the Valmiera Culture Centre. There was a photo exhibition in the main hall called Overseas Biodiversity (trans. into English) in collaboration with French Institute, which I thought was pretty apt seeing as I am probably going to France in September. The photos were wonderful, capturing nature from sea creatures to rainforest animals in their prime.

This is one example:

By Pierre Labout

 And another:

By Loïc Charpy

That starfish and crab really look familiar... Is anyone starting to notice a Spongebob Squarepants theme here?

So after I got my stamp from the Culture Centre (only 3 more to go now), I started to head back to the supermarket when I heard the roar of a car behind me. Someone decided to drift 360 degrees around the roundabout. They might have thought they looked cool, but they didn't... at all. I then met my filming partner to buy ingredients needed to cook chicken wraps - wraps, chicken, lettuce, red and orange peppers, salsa sauce, sweetcorn and a few other things. It was the first time I had cooked in our dorm's kitchen. Quick, simple, easy, very yummy and much nicer than the usual student staple food of pasta.

I took a bite and then remembered to take a photo.

Our friend from Estonia, a participant of the game we were filming last week, has come to Valmiera for 2 weeks. We invited him to join us and he brought scrumptious chocolate ice cream for dessert. We ate it too fast for me to take a decent photo of it!

After two days of cutting and editing our film, we now have a bit of a break until our next film planning starts, so we visited the brewery again after we ate. It wasn't just a crazy spur of the moment idea to get Latvian beer. There were events happening there in preparation for next weekend's big celebration of St John's Day, the midsummer festival, or Jani, and we turned up just in time for several concerts of traditional singing, drumming, beer ice cream and fire making.

And it was still burning at 2am.

Despite drowning myself in repellent, I've got even more mosquito bites but it was worth it!

Day 15: Could I live on a beach?

The forecast for today said that it was going to rain. Just my luck when planning to go to the beach! As we drove away from Valmiera the rain started to come down hard. But just in the distance there was a beautiful glow of blue sky. We were all hoping that the beach was beneath it and luckily for us, it was!

My first proper beach abroad!

Before eating, we walked along the beach. It was the perfect time to listen to the waves, clear all thoughts and just be happy.

Veczemju cliffs: some of the cave holes were so big you could walk into them!

As a little family tradition, I tried to find the best stone as a keepsake for coming to this beach. I thought I'd found the perfect one but looked up and saw this:

I don't think that would have fitted in my handbag!

As I walked through the warm sand, I got one of the strangest thoughts I have ever had: "Even though each grain of sand looks really minuscule to humans, it might look like massive rocks to tiny insects"... Strange but potentially true. It was definitely time for me to eat.

Alongside the salads prepared by my boss, we had the opportunity to cook our own sausages in the barbecue on the beach - a real Latvian barbecue! And you know everything tastes better when you cook it yourself.

Me on the left! (Photo courtesy of Flo Ziegler, my filming partner).

I had a really good evening and the fire from the barbecue kept me warm! I must go again when it's warmer and go for a swim.

I said I'd take a photo like this on beach
when I started this blog - mission accomplished!

Last night I dreamt I was with my younger brother and he was going to take me to get some mosquito repellent. When I woke up I knew I had to do something about this crazy itching! Whilst half asleep, I texted my boss asking her if she could come with me to the pharmacy in order to translate what I need. Just to be safe. I don't want to end up putting something completely random on my skin that is actually carpet shampoo or something. I think you'll agree that a good sense of humour is needed in times like these, would you not?

It's a shame the instructions were in German but it seems to be doing the trick!

When I got home from the beach, I noticed that I've just got sent all my financial paperwork back as a revised draft which I have to get signed all over again. Not the best thing you want to see when you are running out of money! To keep me calm (and sane), I think I'll go and have a lovely, long hot shower now. Yes, I said hot. Our hot water is back!!!

I'll leave you with this wonderful photograph I took as the sun was starting to set. Enjoy!

I want to swim in that water now!

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