NSLI-Y 2024 Latvia – Week 5
Welcome back to our blog! This week, we are excited to present a blog post written by our students Omer and Savyon.
Привет from Туса 16 (cohort nickname which in Russian translates to Party of 16)! To everyone who told us, “Those six weeks will fly by,” we’ve got to hand it to you – time really did slip through our fingers! The suitcases that were once left untouched for their lack of use are now being hurriedly packed as we’ve discovered we only have one week left.
We are cherishing every last moment we have here in this vibrant city of Riga, with its captivating historic architecture and the genuine hospitality of its people. Even as the program comes to a close, the friendships and bonds we’ve made along the way are not only flourishing but are also proving to be everlasting, especially as we continue to see the growth in our Russian skills.
This weekend, we enjoyed an action-packed tour that provided us with a glimpse into Soviet-era Riga. This included sites around the city of Riga – monuments and historic buildings – and the Spilve Airport, a former civilian and military airport from Latvia’s Soviet period. We listened to our tour guide as she discussed the life of Gunārs Astra, a Latvian human rights activist who was arrested by the Soviet Union in 1961 and who served 15 years in prison.
We also had lunch in Ligatne, explored the countryside and nearby caves, and ended our day with a visit to the secret bunker. At the bunker, we learned about how the Soviet Union organized and prepared for emergency situations. We looked at old maps, visited different rooms of the enormous bunker, and ate pelmeni.
The next day, some of the members of our cohort went to the Laima Chocolate Museum. Laima is the largest producer of confectionaries in Latvia. Founded in 1870 by Teodors Rigerts, the company was one of the largest confectioneries in the Baltic Provinces of the Russian Empire. It was an interesting and delicious opportunity.
On Monday, our group experienced a rare case of severe weather, with strong wind and rain starting Sunday night and continuing through Monday. Due to the storm, we stayed home and attended class via Zoom that day. Some students lost power, but everyone was okay.
Once we were back in-person, Tyca 16 had the privilege of attending public speaking “Оратор” master class, where we learned about how to give speeches and received individual feedback on how to improve our skills. This is useful as we are preparing for our culminating project presentations next week.
On Wednesday, we had our weekly RD meeting after class. Madeline taught us everything there is to know about Latvian food. We even did a bread tasting. The members of our cohort learned to tell the difference between different types of black bread sold in Latvia. It was so tasty, and meshed so well with all of the food vocabulary we learned in our grammar classes this week.
On Thursday, we had an optional group activity to tour the Saeima – the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. After the tour, the RDs and some students went to see Despicable Me 4 (Гадкий Я 4) in Russian!
We ended our week by meeting with our peer partners; we worked together to create skits and record them. After that, we played board and card games with our peer partners.
Thanks for reading our weekly update. Until next week!
Туса 16 against the backdrop of Hotel Latvija, constructed in the 1970s for international visitors to the USSR.
Туса 16 exploring the Spilve Airport in Riga.
Gunārs Astra memorial on our tour of Soviet Riga.
A cohort picture inside the secret bunker, where we got to experience what life might have been during the Soviet era.
Madhav and Carissa create their own chocolates at the Laima Chocolate Museum.
Staying safe and cozy during our online learning day while it stormed outside. Weather isn’t going to stop Туса 16 from learning Russian!
Robert and Dominic practice their public speaking skills in preparation for our culminating projects next week! We are so ready and excited!!
A cohort picture in front of the Saeima! We enjoyed exploring every bit of the Latvian parliament and learning how it functions on a national stage.
Robert, Rose, Joaquin and Katherine stand by the Despicable Me 4 poster at the movie theater.
Lena and Sophie practice restaurant vocabulary and dialogue during class.
Savyon and Sophie chat during a class break.
Our RDs present on Latvian food and cuisine.
Students (Will, Dominic, Rose and Alex) and their peer partners meet to work on their skit.