Inge Lande describes her memories of 1988-1991 Latvian History

I appreciated Inga's willingness to share her memories of the events of 1988-1991 as the people of Latvia worked to regain their nationhood and independence.

My students were amazed to hear history from one who lived it, and they transcribed and submitted Inga's video (and Vaira's interview) to the Civic Voices International Democracy Memory Bank Project for other students and teachers to enjoy: http://www.civicvoices.org/MemoryBank

You can view her testimony at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj254zX_eoQ (copy and paste the url into your browser).

My time in Latvia has been a truly remarkable experience, and what I learned from my partner Inga and her students will inspire my teaching for years to come!

Liels Paldies!

Final day in Latvia, Old Town Riga, here I come!

Where else would I spend my final day in Latvia? Old town Riga, of course! I began this amazing adventure in Vecriga, the location of my first day exploring Riga and Latvia's history, so it makes perfect sense to complete my visit in Vecriga.

We began at Laima Clock, a traditional meeting point for friends in Old Riga.

Day one was cold and sunny, but today we had warm and bright weather. Inga accompanied me on a search for items to take home, and was patient with me as we scoured the souvenir shops looking for the "just right" gifts.
We toured the Occupation Museum and I pored over all the text and artifacts.


The exhibits were presented in four languages and there was so much to learn about the tragic history of Latvia's occupation in the twentieth century.



We met Beate who joined us for the rest of the day, and we had lunch...wait for it...at Lido, of course!
We then traveled to the Meza cemetary to visit the graves of some of Latvia's heroes: Zanis Lipke who saved Jews during the Nazi occupation, Rainis who wrote some of Latvia's greatest literature, and the Soldiers field; Beate described it as Latvia's Arlington Cemetary.



We also visited Meza Parks, the forest park in Riga where the Song and Dance festivals are held. Beate ahs performed at the festivals and showed us around the venue.


We returned to the Old city to have one last coffee culture experience, and I took leave of Beate wwho has been very kind to me. Inga and I continued on to locate the elusive souvenirs...and we found what I was hoping to find :) along with more Art Nouveau architecture!


Inga made dinner of grey peas and special forest mushrooms as a parting meal. Now, it's time to pack and prepare for tomorrow's very early flight homeward...
My two weeks in Latvia have exceeded any expectations I may have had. I have been treated with such kindness and care by Inga and her colleagues, and by her son and daughter...

Liels Paldies, Latvija! Briniskiga diena!

Latvia on the road, traveling through History and Time, day 11

Another fine day in Latvia!


Bauska Castle was a lovely sight in the early morning light, above the rushing waters of two rivers and in the bright sunshine...




Rastrelli's Rundale Palace was beautiful in the warm spring air...the exterior was stunning, and we had not yet seen the interiors!






The designs and decorations in each room were eye-popping in intricacy and color!






Just think of all the staff the Duke and Duchess would need to keep such a house!








We drove through the lovely countryside, enjoying the warm spring day. We made our way to a Latvian Memorial park honoring the Latvian men whose lives were lost in WWII.

I was honored when Inga pointed out the name of her Grandfather etched with care on the monument.
She shared with me the story of her Mother's recollection of hearing the news that her Father had been killed, but she never learned where he was buried...


It's not a proper afternoon in Latvia for me without a bit of Latvian coffee culture and a visit to a famous bakery Laci!


Inga's son has been a fantastic driver and is now my Latvian Brother!

Last day with Inga's students, and so much more!

I spent the morning with Inga’s English classes; it was our final day together (Inga has no classes on Thursdays, and Friday is Good Friday holiday).

We discussed phrasal verbs (i.e. get out, put up), proverbs, sports analogies, and other English usage that seems to be a challenge to Latvian students seeking to gain deeper fluency in the English Language.


We marked the final day with photos and a video greeting to my students and school that will be played on our in-school TV broadcast.


I also took my leave of the school's principal and Inga's colleagues; I thanked them for making me feel so welcome and for allowing me to be a part of the community for two weeks.


We had a busy afternoon with appointments to meet a variety of individuals. We had lunch with Biruta Pjalkovska whom I met in Lincoln at last year’s orientation with the TEA ILEP program.

She was in Riga to meet her partner teacher Kyle who arrived early to enjoy Latvia with his wife. We ate (yes, you know where) at Lido, my favorite Latvian cuisine restaurant; the food was delicious as usual!

After our midday repast, we walked to a coffee shop to meet with a former Latvian Department of Education official, Dace Saleniece, to discuss the teaching of History in Latvian schools. The decision has been made to offer two history classes to students: one lesson per week in Latvian History, and another lesson in World History. Previously, both histories were taught in the same class each lesson. At this point, Latvian history teachers are awaiting the final approval of the Latvian Parliament as they have the final say in this change. I also wanted to meet Dace because she is pursuing her PhD in Holocaust Education and Civic Education. It seems she and I have friends in common, particularly Stephen Feinberg at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum where she hopes to spend nine months as a Museum scholar-fellow (she awaits the results of her application…)

As we walked to our next meeting, I found my way to a Baltic Jewelry store and found a number of items calling my name, but they were not the correct size…I am looking for a piece that has all the Latvian heritage symbols in the design…no luck yet!

We arrived at the home of Ilgvars Andernovics and his daughter, Silvija. I wanted to meet them both since their experiences and family history help illuminate Latvian 20th century history for me. Silvija serves as the head of the Latvian Teachers of English professional organization, and Ilvgars has a fascinating life history! Ilgvars was in high school when Latvia was invaded by the Soviet Union as a result of the Non-Aggression Pact of 1939 between Germany and USSR.

He described what life was like under the Soviet occupation at that time, and how things changed when the Germany invaded the Soviet Union and Latvia... He ended up in South Australia and worked to build the Latvian community there. He returned after Latvia regained its independence. Silvija returned in 1991, and her recollections of that time were also fascinating.


I also admired all the Latvian artistry in the home - handiwork of Silvija's mother...beautiful!