Ahh travel

So it's been a while..but I had an interesting moment today (and most days).
So I don't have any money because I bought last minute tickets to Cyprus and thusly havent really eaten anything but potatoes and onions. But thats not the point. The point is I had to take the bus to the airport here in Riga in order to conduct an interview with a director at the Post.
I scrounged up enough pennies for the 40 santims it cost to get there. But realized i had NO money to get back at all. And the possibilities of sneaking on the bus were nonexistant. SO in rummaging around in my messenger bag and found two very wrinkled US dollars. "AH HA!" i thought..i could walk into the airport and go to the currency exchange! Which I did. And got 82 cents out of it. The dollar blows.
Anywho. Then I asked where the Post office was..and the woman was like "why didnt you get off at the right stop for the post office? This is the airport? Didn't you think about this!?" But thats the kind of tone I've grown accustomed to. So she finally pointed me in the sorta right direction. Through some bushes. and a swamp. and like a sandpit. It was a good time. And about an hour later I arrived slightly scratched and dusty..and sandy, to the post office. Where I had an interview. Then I rushed to get back to town, only to find that the like 9 presidents in town for the Baltic Summit were leaving..so we had to wait for like 5 presidential motorcades to whiz by. seriously. what a day. But on the brightside I have 30 cents!

Luckily...

Well fortunatly I have my own computer here in newspaper land. The unlucky thing is that they changed the locks on the doors of my office and I cant leave to go home. of all the random times to change locks and not tell anyone. Oh well. I could do with some blog updating time.
There is nothing more gorgeous than an eastern european winter, provided there is snow. Which there isnt right now. Just cold. But that all the more reason to enjoy hot beverages, alcohol and the company of others. And hanging out in sweaty dance clubs turns into more of a pleasently warm experiance, rather than an unbearably hot one.
In other news: There is an Uzbek restaurant in town which I am so going to check out.
I thought about going down to Kosovo for the independence announcements..but it didnt work out. It will be interesting to see Russias reaction to the decision and the impending economic whatnot thats sure to follow.

Riga, Latvia!

Weeelll So i'm back in Latvia again, working at the Baltic Times and teaching english, among other things. As its been one week, i've already lost like 7 pounds eating nothing but sausage, dairy products and fried potatos. It's really quite heavenly.
Last night I saw a production of Lolita in Latvian, and can now understand why many in Latvia chose not to do drugs. Watching the play was much like an acid trip. IN a good way. In a way that included live sheep walking out of closests with indians in very small loin clothes..in LOLITA. I'm not sure Nabokov would approve.
All in all its good to be back in the land of relatively unsmiling people (save for the few that are very smiley and totally awesome), Fried delicious foods, and a work ethic that rivals france.