Many Thought I Was An Actor

Last Saturday, we had a very special event In The Pub With Čaks (Krodziņā pie Čaka) which was again put together by my wife Sandra Neliusa.

Picture: Article by Žanna Zālīte in our local paper "Bauskas Dzīve"

Normally, I do not find it particularly difficult to recite poetry and to live the life of the characters depicted. But yesterday I faced probably the greatest challenge ever. In a party dedicated to the deeply loved Latvian urban poet Aleksandrs Čaks (Wikipedia entry about Aleksandrs Čaks), my task was to recite his poetry.

The characters of Aleksandrs Čaks poetry are mainly the streets of Riga, its nightlife, homeless people, sailors, prostitutes... The poems are simple and easily understood by anyone. Yet extremely difficult to convey.

The texts by Aleksandrs Čaks are extremely heavily charged with emotion - longing for love, meaning in life, true friendship. They show also how many people live their lives without ever finding anything that has real value.

His means of expression are interesting but challenging for the one who needs to speak of them in as natural manner as possible. Imagine a moon that looks like pickled or linden trees that are "longing for bees and lake waters, warm and tender like skin". If you try to speak about such as naturally as you can, you will understand, what I actually had to lift.

But I did it and received a lot of praise from the spectators. A few who did not know who I was, even mistook me for a professional actor.

Watch pictures on our local news portal Bauskas Dzīve

Deer Behind Our Window

Winter did come, though very late this year. The lowest temperature I saw here was - 29.

When there is frost like this, we often see forest animals graze in the fields that we see from our windows. When the evening twilight comes, it's the roe deer time.


Now the weather is a lot milder. Roe deer are now less frequent guests. But we still take care to put out some crumbs for titmice, woodpeckers and jaybirds.

Ibrahim Presents Turkey

Ibrahim is a volunteer worker staying now in Stelpe as part of the international volunteer exchange project where our non-governmental organization Stelpīte takes part.

Ibrahim agreed to come to the school and do a short presentation about his homeland Turkey.

Picture: Ibrahim talking to Stelpe schoolchildren

Probably the funniest thing everybody learned from Ibrahim's presentation was the fact that Turkish men dance separately from women when they have a dancing party. If women want to join the men in the room where they are dancing, they need to be dressed as men.

Being in Stelpe, though, Ibrahim agreed to show some moves from a Turkish traditional dance to a mixed group of male and female schoolchildren.

Picture: Ibrahim showing moves of Turkish dance to Stelpe schoolchidren

Barricades Remembrance Day

Picture: History teacher Mrs. Aloida Baķe speaks about the importance and the chronology of the Barricades Time, the time before it and after.

A few days before and after January 19, Latvia remembers the Barricades Time.

In 1991, Latvia was on its way to independence from Russia, the then USSR. Russian troops were ready to oppress the freedom quest. The people of Latvia were afraid that the occupation power might restore its power by a cowardly attack under the cover of the night.

To exclude the possibility of secret restoration of the oppressive government, people from all over the country moved to Riga to protect it. Farmers went on their heavy agricultural machines which look impressive though are of little battle value against Russian tanks. But not an actual fighting was the main point.

It was important not to allow the occupants overthrow the government of Latvia whose aim was full independence of our country. Little we could do against Russian military power. We were there to let the world know the truth about whatever would happen.

Under the pressure of the international society, Russia withdrew its troops then, and the final result was independence of Latvia restored de facto and de jure in August 1991.

The barricades were build around the Parliament, the government house, TV studio and tower, radio house. Us, Stelpians, were appointed to guard the TV tower area. We were standing there not knowing what would happen next. But we were determined to stay there, come what may.

My generation will never forget the Barricades Time. But for today's schoolchildren, it's history.

But the young people need to understand fully that now live in a free country because their fathers were standing on the barricades, bare handed against Russian tanks.

They need to understand that all the more because Latvia still borders on one of the most aggressive, treacherous and unpredictable country of the world and cannot move away from there.

Picture: Stelpe schoolchildren helping their teacher by showing visual aids

Picture: The school hall was decorated for the Barricades day event with figures made by the schoolchildren

Artificial Snowmen in Dobele Town

In order to soften the people's disappointment about not having snow and any white Christmas last December, Dobele Town Council had decided to place artificial snowmen all around the place.
We were visiting Dobele on the Christmas Day, and saw the snowmen there. We were surprised and amused.

Picture: (From left) Tereze, Dag and Sandra having a talk to one of the Dobele snowmen

Picture: Snowmen in front of Dobele Church
Picture: Terēze Neliusa in the center of Dobele Town
Picture: Snowmen sledging