It has been 2 weeks.... yep 2 weeks of me being here... away from home...away from what i am used to.... not the first time though, to be away i mean... but i think this is a little bit far from my usual job assignments.... hmmm with the tasks involved... the place... the weather....
I am here in the flat now, living alone in 1E Vilandes Iela. Iela means street to them.... hmmm can be use as a true person's name i think.. oh well.... its a little bit gloomy outside... looking at the window i cant see the sun shining, spreading its rays all over the sky. It has stopped snowing from last week and from the looks of it, rained poured down throughout the night. Hmmmm maybe winter time will be ending soon and spring will come along. That would be nice, seeing nature change. I am looking forward to see all the trees grow leaves, for the flowers to bloom... see them from grey or brown to green and let them give more colors and beauty to our eyes. It will be a good experience, i think. Back home we dont have winter days... this is my first time to feel such cold while walking along the street.... feeling my hands go numb to such coldness... legs that could barely walk... feet striding in icy streets... lips so dry... and a running nose out in the freezing wind.... Every morning i would go out of the flat with a damp hair (dont have any hairdryer in the flat), and by the time i arrived in the bus station, i could see icy flakes in my head. Hmmmmmm... great!!!!! i now have a frosted hair =D. Isnt it nice? Too brittle to hold and will easily break if your not careful enough to hold it. So i just let it be frozen by the wind, by the time i arrived in the bank it will turn back to its original texture... and always hoping =P.
So hows my life like here anyway???? After my 2 weeks stay???? Hmmmmmm... nothin much to tell actually... My routine is waking up at 6:30am, prepare for work... leave the flat by 7:30-7:45am, i should be in central by 8:10am for the shuttle bus going to UB... report in the bank from 8:30am up to hmmmm depends on the demands... but usually it would be 9:30pm. Lunch for 15mins max at around 3pm, latest would be 4pm.... dinner at 10:30pm or 11pm.... When i arrived in the bank, i go straight to the security room to ask for the keys to the huge room at the end part of the building, which i am occupying alone... literally... i need to sign in for the keys then sign out when i return if after work.... Basically i have no time to think about where to go what to explore what to eat since i am so preoccupied with work and by the time i am done for the day, i just wanna go back to the flat, have something to fill my grumbling stomach and sleep. With the tv channels, i can only watch cartoon network, national geographic and mtv channels... for the rest i need an interpreter please!!!! all are dubbed in their local language... too bad... so now am done with house md2 and OC1 in my notebook... nothing more to watch huh... tsk...tsk...tsk...The first 2 weekends i have here, i was able to walk along the central, old riga, and been to shops, groceries, and took some pictures. But nothin more.... i cant seem to find any more interesting thing to do, fascinating places to go, especially me being alone here and the freezing temp outside. Ahhhh oh well.. how can i forget these things with my 2 weeks stay:
(1) Snow snow snow on my first night here in riga... good one..... The afternoon i arrived, when the plane landed in their airport, i was happy to see the remnants of snow... and then i did wish that snow will still pour one of these days while am here... hope am not too late. Then that night my wish was granted =D snows falling.. pouring in my head... its cold but a good one... snows lightly... the next day... oh oh... its too heavy.... and not advisable to walk out there... hahaahaha.. i said ok.. that would be enough for me... i have seen it and experienced it so maybe snow will stop now =P...
(2) Arms around my shoulders, a guy i dont know of in dickens pub while eating dinner with my colleagues... get your arms off me!!!! Luckily i was with my colleagues ... at least the guy did listen when they told him to spare me.... duh!
(3) Slipped in the icy street while walking... its like im ice skating???? hehehe... i did bruised my fingers in my left hand.... impacted my left hips as well... but still able to recover fast.... bwahhahahah.. but the bruised hasnt healed yet =( till now
(4) Tasted the pear cider beer in a latvian restaurant... nice taste.... not the usual smelly beer... but it should have some warning label... strong beer! taste like juice but intensity of a redhorse... hhmmmm.. well maybe just for me based on my alcohol tolerance ;)
(5) One sunday afternoon, there were 4 guys walking with beer bottles in their hands... drinking while walking... a usual scenario in this country... if this is not allowed in ours.. oh well.. this is very much legal here... drinking in the office, in the park, in the street is so OK. I was walking back to the flat when i bumped into these guys. They stopped in front of me. 1 of them squatted, giving me a devilish grin.. intimidating me maybe trying to scare me off... i looked back... who the hell are you look... not a little bit stirred... then he smiled again, flashing his teeth and then they walked away... i continued... walking.... and so thankful they did left me alone... in reality, i was a bit frightened by that scene... im the stranger in their sight... am not sure what they are capable of doing.... yet i am guarded by my angels.... and im so thankful for that....
(6) The clock did turn an hour early from the usual time... no idea about it i was late for work... hahahahha.. i was on the bus stop waiting for the shuttle the usual time that i know of... nobody is there... it cant be that the bus has left already for im on time... waited for 20mins more... too cold... i hate waiting for the bus!!!! i was thinking maybe its a holiday today.... the bus is early??? ok now what... no bus... i need a taxi... try to call through my cellphone... oh oh... too bad my battery's dead!!!! hi, where can i find a taxi? i asked a lady... lucky enough she understood me... showed me the way... then i hailed a taxi going to valdlauci... when i arrived thats the time i was told... i need to adjust my watch... 1 hour early it should be huh... so i really was late without me knowing... hehehhee.. so now am on time again... =D
(7) Eating ice cream while walking in the cold =D. Its fun to do it actually... its not freezin though... its like fighting the cold with something cold within system... ;)
(8) Russian Vodka!!!! in the bank... there was a small celebration for the department i am working with... luckily i was called upstairs to look into something, fishy bug in the system, and there they are celebrating in the mid afternoon. I was on my way down when they offered me some cakes... by the way it will be just bread for us but a cake to them... but good one... with fruit stuffing and sugar confections... blah blah... and then there's this vodka... i cant leave without a taste of it... oh my... i really cant stand the taste of a pure vodka... so i asked for it to be mixed with some juice... how unlucky i was.. no more juice around... so what else to do... close your eyes and drink it.... actually just a sip... heheheh...russian or not still the same... ewwww!!!! and am done... not my drink huh... =(
So what else... oh ok... with english... the language barrier... its a little bit hard to communicate with people here for most people cant speak english. Its like when you buy something for example, you can point on it and not ask any details about the item. It was funny though last night, I was on my back in the flat and remembered that i need to throw my garbages. I was told i have a cleaning lady assigned to my flat, yet i cant see any improvement after 2 weeks of my stay. So i decided, maybe i am the one who needs to collect and throw away these garbages or else my flat will smell like the smokey mountain. When i arrived in the building, i saw the guard. He knows me now, whenever i arrived, i need not push the buttons for the codes, the door automatically opens. Well, maybe he easily recognizes me since i am distinctively asian looking, standing out from the usual them. So i did approach him to ask regarding the garbage collection. Oh oh... he cant speak english!!!! so typical!!! a little bit of a hard time for me huh.... ok lets begin... "Where can i throw my garbage???? hhhhhmmmmm... waste????" He just smiled... hahahahhaha... funny... indicating that he doesnt understand any words that i was saying. By the way i have some groceries with me. So i hold the plastic trying to tell him that this, like garbage, throw. He said OK... he though i want him to carry my groceries to my flat. I said no no no.... again... i get something from my groceries. Hmmmmmmm... i think i have a box of Musli with me... so i hold it shake it and act as if i am to throw it.... still he's not able to get it... i am getting a little bit frustrated here.... ok lets try 1 more sign language... i need some paper... paper paper paper.... ok... in my pocket i have some receipts.... so i show it to him... got the receipt, crumpled it and throw it in the floor... ok now am happy he's reacting reacting reacting... seems like he did understood what i am trying to tell him... so he did roleplay a cleaning man.... oh my!!!!! he acted out somebody cleaning the floor, vacuuming something... so he's trying to tell me is my floor not cleaned... cluttered.... i said no.... shaking my head... indicating a big no no.... and i said 1 more try.. lets give it another try... OK.... so i picked up the crumpled paper... again.. i said... i showed him... me... where to throw this... me throwing the paper in the plastic of my groceries.... ALAS!!!!!! at last!!!! at last!!!! he was able to get it... he said OK... smiling... he suddenly put on his coat... put a cap on... and then showed me the way to a door leading at back of the building.... and there i saw the green garbage can... big one.. where everybody is putting their garbages for collection.... he's happy he understood and put his fingers on his head indicating he's smart.... and am glad.... after such trial and error charade.. finally i know where to throw my garbages... and i said my thank yous and was assisted to the door leading to the stairs to my flat... got the keys, opened my door and... voila! my flat is clean... hmmmmmm.. the cleaning lady finally did her job... and so glad to see it.... i rushed into the trash bin... oh oh... garbages gone already... so i slumped in the sofa.... and ok.... hahahahha... after my ordeal downstairs now i have nothing to throw... hahahhahah.. funny... but anyways... its ok.. there will be next time when my cleaning lady will not be able to do it then i can do it myself... for there will always be next time =D
