Marko - Southern human after all =)

Scary story of the northern lands is officially over. It took some time for me to realize it is gone. As I walk the less crowded streets of Riga, with less lights stepping in local places, ones not so used to tourists... And yet ready for them. =)

I know where I can buy things all night even on Sunday, but also - I know where to buy a nice hot - dog in the middle of the night now! A southern alliance guided by adventurist spirit encountered a discovery! A polite multilingual invitation to the club followed, coming from people that offered us simply to show us inside. Riga lives in Wednesdays, yes. And much more than one language can be learned here. ;)

Sunday, on 30th of January made us say bon voyage to one of companions in our little expedition in Latvia - Angelo made our group of southerners in Riga that eat enormous dinners smaller...

New small video project is ongoing! I must admit that material made so far makes me really happy, can't wait to add the final version in my next waving for "Hi" from Riga!! =D

As I look through the window, I can see the long fur Latvian cats coming out just for fun, so it means that maybe the time is right for exploring some pieces of land and culture out of Riga borders... Will come back to report with that. ;)
Until than,
all the colorful wishes!
Your friendly neighbor,

Marko

Marko - What's cookin'?

Good day!
A good one it is when it starts with caramel! =)
Thanks to a Latvian legal procedure for getting visa so I can stay more than 3 months, I found out that I don't have tuberculosis. Nice to be sure, no? I learned how to do following things since my last text :
- organize my own Christmas in foreign soil ( well, if that can be called organization... )
- cut my own hair, oo yes! ( no photos, sorry )
- make homemade falafel ( very satisfied with it! And not being the only one! )
- some Ukrainian wisdom
- climb a building with a rope ( next time we will charge the battery, so it will be documented by a photo )
- some more Latvian language... Right, teacher..?
- Bowling! A mixture of fun a little bit of sport! Warmly recommended!
- how sushi is made - enjoying simplicity...
- tooth paste can help against pimples... True story - tested! =)

Not a bad month so far! Also I had interesting introduction to Latgale, an open market in Riga, a cyberpunk place, where almost everything can be found... At the moment I am into media contact business, a video flyer for the upcoming event needs to be made! We are trying to put stamp of our new ideas in it, without any following typical postulates. Will soon show You the final version! As the tide is coming, waters are about to bring us to the opening night and the premier tournament of the skatepark - we are increasing tempo for building our boat. I will report back with fresher accomplishments.
Yours, sincerely,

Marko =)

Marko - Becuase no! For sure no.

No, it's no cold, it is very fresh! Happy New Year and Merry Christmas with small delay! Here comes something different after annual beach party and planning the grand opening tournament of Korpuss 5 skatepark!
As much as old factory district of Riga - VEF doesn't produce so much old big radios today, I was honored to see some of them with clear name of "Belgrade" on the city stations marker. In the meantime, our office shines with some new colors, functions with more effectivity after couple of planned self-inflicted technical changes, while serious ramps continue to grow in our skatepark, already thundering with riders, impatient to test them! More than 75% of riding space is ready to shake under fast wheels already, and trust me, they look provoking enough for a non-rider and "ground trooper" like me. But... long is the way to the adult childhood. =) Let's wait and see. Or read. Or visit in a clinic. Hope not.  Maybe I make a bridge to indoor extreme sports one day. That's a big maybe. For sure is one thing - I like bridges. =)
See you soon, once more, clear heart in 2011!!!
Yours sincerely,
Marko =)

Marko - Tallinn!

Ahh, yes. Tallinn! The unknown... There was no serious snow in latvia when we moved. Simple dark cold. Before border a small place with strong thindering train sounds and a shop were our last click off and leaving Latvia. Border... Couple of parked trucks, lights off in police buildings, not a living soul on site - ghost city. And than the first encounter with Estonians... Our car lost control and we were off the road in the deep, deep snow... Yes, i said - not a serious snow in Latvia. Couple minutes after entering another country it became really serious... But, a kind fireman brigade truck was passing by, and with a bit of Russian, a bit of gestures, arms power joined - our wheels were back on road! Well, there was road under that 6cm of snow... With tropic rhytms in a car, we grabbed Tallinn...
A long entering street was a fairytale -  wooden, pretty houses covered with sparkling snow, hills of whiteness all around... And than - trams! Same as in my home town! Same noise, same instability, same stickers with "Made in Czechoslovakia"(I checked later...)!!!! People were nice and polite, there was no difference after we asked the sixt person for directions... All went smooth, like on ice. ;)
Event that we organized went out pretty well, I would say, Estonians we met there have the links to tropical tunes, no doubt.
Day after we tried a nice Estonian coffee  as we enjoyed walking through the old town on the hill... At least I understood that coffee was Estonian... Hosts, thanks! Export some politeness, please! =)
Visu labu, friends! Your faithful... Marko =)

Marko - piece of a puzzle...

Hot, hot! Sen neredzēts! Or - long time no see! I am getting some work habits, I promise. Will be less selfish with sharing my EVS delights! OK, this "hot" at the beginning is there to grab attention. But from here it gets better, I promise!
Being too sleepy in sidewalks of Riga these days is not too smart. Snow is falling from roofs. Not too precisely in the marked areas all the time. So - eating less is definitely a good choice! Don't turn into a bear. Perfecting more light recipes...
I am very proud to say that we use our own hand-made jacket hanger in the office since 2nd December! Unfortunately, there is no picture of it, but I asure you it is... very nice! Tried to hang all my weight on it and it didn't break! Don't tell my boss...
Now... I will need to dedicate another (next) post to beautiful Tallin... Yes, it is written correctly - BEAUTIFUL! Stay with me ;) In meantime, plans for opening event in the skatepark "Korpuss 5" are hot! Opeining will occur on the February 11... Two days will last the opening... that's all of the secrets so far. Will discover more, let them in air shortly... Volunteer's promise. ;)
Salute from snow mountains of Riga streets and parks! Visu labu! =)

Vincenzo - So...

Almost 40 days since my plane landed! Sometimes looks less... I made a lot of new things in this period like use a snowboard or make a sauna and the snow like an usual thing it's strange for a guy from the south, but i like it! Working in a skatepark has a lot of advantages, not only did not wake up too early in the morning, but also being in a creative environment with interesting people, which is what prompted me to move here in Riga. This city is wonderful and i starting to understand the latvian way of life... Christmas is coming and gingerbread spreads! I would never have said but also the food is delicious. In this days we start to think about skatepark's grand opening event and you just have to stay tuned! ;-)

Atà!

Vincenzo

Liepāja! Go West!