First the bad news.........

Can you believe it - Riga is "pleased - proud - ecstatic" ( pick your own adjective) to have won the opportunity to host the NATO conference in November 2006.

Does anybody remember the chaos that the USA El Presidenti brought to the city earlier this year ? Well now try to imagine what it is going to be like when all 26 el Presidentis + their respective entourages arrive. It will be a Dog B.....ks of a time.

What on earth are they thinking about, perhaps this time the residents of Riga will have to leave the city so that the visitors from afar can enjoy the beauty of Riga, without actually being submitted to the possibility of being viewed or accosted by the local population.

As for the tourists - well they can forget it, as every hotel in Riga will be taken over for this one.

Just in case you are in doubt I personally think this is a crap idea.

Well now that I have got that of my chest ( Why do we say that ?) - onto things more pleasant.

Firstly and with Christmas fast approaching, it is again with wonder I see how much Riga has changed in the last ten years.

Just as in every other season Riga takes on new face, so with Christmas. Seemingly from nowhere the shops and stores are bedecked with Christmas garlands and lights. In the streets huge Christmas trees appear overnight, to entrance all of us who love Christmas.

Throw in a little snow ( not much so far ) and the city takes on a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale look - stunning !

Their will be much more on this subject as we nearer to Christmas itself.

Now speaking of Christmas, and our fund raising efforts - an update

Cash Raised - Ls55.00

Toboggans - sledges - to be funder by Aussie J... & Myself

TV with Tape player - to be funded by S....... ( Welsh with attitude)

So to all who read this whether it be cash or funding one of the outstanding requested items, which are

DVD player

Computer + Printer

Kitchen sink ( estimated cost LS400.00 - ish)

Please let me know as soon as is possible

Also may I ask that given that it is Christmas, if anybody feels like buying toys, books etc I am sure that they would be appreciated. To everyone who has contributed a million thanks, I think it is for a good cause.

But we do have one small challenge - how do we get them to the orphanage ? - anybody got access to a large van ? Ideally I would like to take the gifts out on Saturday 24th December or Friday 23rd - any volunteers ?

and finally and with thanks to R.. C........ ( English but with a good Latvian wife) a touch of Canadian humour - I liked it