Laima's Sign

As in every country, Latvia has its own culture with its ancestral "stuff". One of the things that are still alive nowadays are Latvian Signs. These signs holds something special and really powerful for Latvians. We can see a lot of signs in Latvian houses, items, books... 

Each of the signs has its own meaning and it can affect everything that is related to it. 

In this image we can see three signs, but all of these signs have the same meaning and the same title. It is a sign with three different ways to represent it. It is called Laima's Sign. Laima is a Latvian women's name. This sign holds success and luck meaning. It holds the destiny within it. It wipes all the bad away. Helps to finish one life period and start the next one. 
----------------------------------------------------------------    

Nowadays, the most popular place for these strong Latvians signs is on the human body, I mean tattoos. 

Here is a tattoo with Latvians Signs and as you can see these signs can be put all together as one tattoo. The last one is Laima's Sign. 

Every tattoo holds something powerful, therefore it can affect person who puts something like this on his/her body. It does not guarantee that it will bring all the positive things. In this case I want to mention, that anything you put on your body (tattoo) somehow affects you. Every number, letter or illustration holds its identity/meaning/affection, but that is something ESOTERIC, therefore, you need to think before you do something like that. 

Different Cultures

In this post I am going to talk about some interesting facts that shows the difference in cultures between Europe and the United States. 

Feeling of Distance and Time

THINGS ARE REVERSED WHEN IT COMES TO DISTANCES. EUROPEANS WOULD TEND TO THINK THAT DRIVING 100 KM IS QUITE A LONG WAY, WHILE FOR AMERICANS THAT WOULD BE RATHER NEAR. THIS IS DUE TO THE MUCH HIGHER DENSITY OF POPULATION IN EUROPE, AND THE SMALLER SIZE OF EUROPE.

IN EUROPE THEY USE TIME COUNTING FROM 1 TO 24. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THEY SAY 1 PM IN THE USA, in the Europe it would be 13:00 or 11:15 pm in the USA means 23:15.

Cars

Almost all Europeans have cars with manual gears, while Americans have a marked preference for automatic ones.

Measure system

All Europeans use the metric system (metres, grammes, litres, Celsius, etc.). Although Americans do learn it at school, the vast majority of them still use the old English Imperial system (yards, miles, pounds, Fahrenheit, etc.).

Date Systems

Europeans write the date in the format "DAY MONTH YEAR", whereas Americans use "Month Day Year". Americans usually consider the week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday, while in Europe it always starts on Monday and finishes on Sunday. 

Schooling

Schools and Universities are free in most Europe countries. Europeans see University as granted, while American families often have to save for years for their children to attend one. 

Food

Europeans eat more varied and balanced meals (especially in southern cultures) and less fast food than Americans (except maybe the Brits). Europeans eat more cheese (not just French!), more yogurts, and on average drink more wine and stronger beers than Americans. 

Also, it still seems distasteful for me to eat pancakes, omelet and bacon together and pour it all with syrup. 

The Monument of Freedom

42 meters tall in the very heart of Riga stands a symbol of Latvia - the Monument of Freedom, adorned with the title "For Fatherland and Freedom" and dedicated to the Latvian heroes in the fight for freedom. (www.latviatravel.com)

A young women holding three golden stars high above her head, symbolises the provinces of Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Latgale. 

The monument was financed by the citizens of Latvia and was unveiled on November 18, 1935. 

Renovation was last conducted in the period 1998-2001. (www.latviatravel.com) 

A two-man Honour Guard stands at Freedom Monument daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

It is possible for everyone to get as close as they want to the Monument of Freedom and it is the most "must see" object in Latvia. 

"Medus kūka" a.k.a "Honey Cake"

I guess the best Latvian traditional desert is Honey Cake which is my favourite Latvian cake. It is simple and delicious. It requires a little bit of work, but it is definitely worth it! 

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup honey
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 16 ounce containers sour cream 
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Don't get scared away because of the sour cream, it matches perfectly with the sweet honey taste. 

As I said previous, it takes a little time to make it delicious, but the taste of the cake will amaze you. 

Here are directions how to make it:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
2. Mix together eggs, honey, flour, and baking soda in a large bowl. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter onto 5 9x13-inch sheets of parchment paper. Spread the mixture as thin as possible using a wide spatula. there is enough batter for 5 thin layers. 
3. Place one sheet of batter onto a baking pan and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the baked cake layer from the baking sheet and prick with a fork to enhance filling absorbency. Repeat with the remaining 4 cake layers. 
4. Stir together the sour cream and sugar in a small bowl. Place one cake layer in 9x13-inch baking dish with the parchment paper side up. Carefully remove the parchment paper from the cake layer. Spread 1/5th of the sour cream mixture on the cake layer and then sprinkle 1/5th of the walnuts on the layer. Repeat the process with the remaining 4 layers. Cover and refrigerate overnights. Trim off any ragged edges before serving. 

Cook the cake for 15 minutes and leave it for 9 hours in the fridge. It is gonna be great! 

Enjoy!

7 Famous Latvian Athletes

This post will show some of our greatest Latvian athletes who have significant success not only in Europe but also in the whole World. 

1.   Anete Jekabsone - Zogota - the best Latvian basketball player. Plays in one of the best Russian basketball club and formally for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury. Also she was a member of the Connecticut Sun WNBA team.



2.   Zemgus Girgensons - is a Latvian professional ice hockey centre. Currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. Girgensons is the highest-drafted Latvian in NHL history. 



3.   Ernests Gulbis - professional tennis player. In 2010 he won his first ATP Tour singles title in the Delray Beach. In total, he has six ATP titles. He is the only Latvian tennis player ever to be ranked inside the top 10 in ATP Singles Ranking.   



4.   Sandis Ozolins - ice hockey player. He was drafted for the NHL in 1991 and during his career in North America, he was a seven-time NHL All Star, Stanley champion and Norris Trophy finalist. He is also the all-time leader for goals, assists, points and games played by a Latvian in the NHL and holds several Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks franchise records.  



5.   Martins Dukurs - the best skeleton racer who has competed since 1998. He won silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and a second silver at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. He has also won three FIBT World Championships and six Skeleton World Cups.  



6.   Jelena Prokopcuka - a long-distance runner. She is the best marathon runner in Latvia. She participated three times in the Olympic Games (1996, 2000, 2004). Best known for winning the New York City Marathon in 2005 and 2006. 



7.   Maris Strombergs - professional BMX racer. In the 2008 Summer Olympics he became the first Olympic champion in BMX cycling. Earlier that year he won the 2008 UCI BMX World Championship. In 2012 he saved his Olympic title by winning the gold medal in the London Olympics. 

  

We can be really proud of athletes who holds Latvian name in the World. Of course, there are also artists and musicians, doctors and businessmen who are famous not only in our country but that is another story. 

Positivus Festival, Wikipedia

Positivus Festival is the most popular festival in Latvia. A lot of people are coming to this event from all over the Europe. It is located along the Baltic Sea and it is not only a music festival, but also an art and chill event. Everyone who has been there is amazed of the positivity and fun they gain in this festival. 

Below is the information about this event in Wikipedia:

Positivus Festival is an annual, three-day summer music and culture festival held in Salacgrīva, Latvia.
First held in 2007, Positivus combines a variety of genres, including indie, pop, folk, electronic and more styles in between. The festival is organized by Positivus Music. The festival always takes place during an extended weekend- from Thursday afternoon until Sunday morning of the third week of July.

There was not a lot of information in Wikipedia about this festival, so I supplemented it:

Positivus Festival is an annual, three-day summer music and culture festival held in Salacgrīva Latvia.First held in 2007, Positivus combines a variety of genres, including indie, pop, folk, electronic and more styles in between. The festival is organized by Positivus Music . The festival always takes place during an extended weekend- from Thursday afternoon until Sunday morning of the third week of July. Positivus Festival is the largest music and arts festival in the Baltic States that takes place every year in the middle of July. Every year Positivus Festival is becoming more and more popular in Europe. It is a festival with international chart toppers and underground emerging talent set in an idyllic holiday location. Positivus Festival has been awarded the title "Best European Festival". There are more than five stages where performs artists such as Ellie Goulding, Bastille, Hurts and, of course, Latvian artists as well.

Wikipedia is not the best source to look for the information, because everyone can edit the website and it could provide misleading facts and information. Although, I edited this part of Positivus Festival in Wikipedia, it is possible to fulfil it with more information. 

Dinner in the Sky

Dinner in the Sky is hosted at a table hosted at a height of 50 metres (164 feet) by team of professionals. 

The project accommodates 22 people around the table at every session with three staff in the middle (chef, waiter, entertainer). 

This enterprise is operated in 45 countries including Latvia. This event is available for six days and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner (separated). 

It is a unique event and gives the ability to experience safe and everlasting impression on their guests. I think this is an excellent way to have an unforgettable mealtime with a great view above the city. 

Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to go to Dinner in the Sky, but I will absolutely take this opportunity in the future.

The Baltic Way

At 7 pm on August 23, 1989 about 2 million people joined hands forming a human chain spanning 600 kilometers, which is almost 400 miles. The inhabitants of the Baltic States-Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia joined hands in a peaceful protest demanding restoration of their independence. THIS BECAME KNOWN AS THE BALTIC WAY. It became as a global attention for Baltic struggles. This protest marked the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. The Baltic Way demonstrated not only a popular desire for independence, but also illustrated solidarity among three nations.

Although, I wasn’t born yet, my family was a part of this campaign and the emotions and feelings they experienced were indescribable. It was not only to show a political matter, but it showed a moral issue as well. Something like that had never been done before. The Baltic Nations achieved the unthinkable–FREEDOM. This shows the power of nations.

If there would not be the Baltic Way, I may not be living in freedom today.

Can you imagine that almost all Latvians, Estonians and Lithuanians stood and hold each other hands to characterize their desire for freedom? Even old people with difficulties to walk, showed their desire to be a part of unforgettable history event.

There is a song that consists of all three languages–Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian and is written because of the Baltic Way campaign.

RIGA

Look at this short video of Riga, it is worth it! 

Riga is the capital and the largest city of Latvia and in the Baltic States. Riga is the pearl both of Latvia and the whole of the Baltics.

It was founded by Bishop Albert in 1201. The history of Riga is terrifying. It has been occupied by many countries such as Germany, Russia and Poland. And has been burned and destroyed more than once. However, “Riga’s architecture is beautiful and diverse. A heritage that dates back eight hundred years in terms of its Gothic churches which were built by Riga’s very founders, plus the medieval buildings of the Old Town, exquisite Art Nouveau structures, and many wooden buildings make Riga a true architectural pearl. A walk along the streets of Riga will be an exciting adventure for every visitor to Riga.” (Latvia.travel) 

According to a specialized agency of the United Nations, Historic Centre of Riga, aka Old Town, is included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage list. Riga is one of the key economic and financial centres of the Baltic States. “Riga was the European Capital of Culture during 2014, along with Umeå in Sweden.” (Wikipedia) 

It is a fact that Riga is an excellent place for tourists and its inhabitants to enjoy the beauty of the city in all four seasons.