News about News

For many of us living in Riga part of our daily life is in checking via the internet the various news channels sites available to us, likewise what would a day be like if at least once a day we did not access our favourite newspaper site be it local or national just to check what is going on at home and in the world.

However getting news, at least in English as to what is going on in Latvia or indeed the Baltic's has at least for now been near impossible. Even the English language Baltic Times web site is always somewhat out of date as it only publishes weekly.

So it was with some surprise that I discovered a web site covering the events in all the Baltic States with factual reporting and is updated on an hourly basis.

So for those of you who wants to get the facts check out

http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/analytics/

Now as we all know the world is in deep s..t - but just to give a taste of the goings on in Latvia here are a two of the headlines at the Baltic-Course web site

Apartment prices in Riga dropped by 52% in February over year

In February 2009, compared to February 2008, new car registrations in Latvia decreased 76.2%

So all good news there then !!

Now this weekend sees the penultimate rounds of the six nations rugby, with Wales meeting Italy, Scotland v Ireland and then on Sunday France v England. So hear is my forecast

Italy beat Wales !!
Scotland murder Ireland
France annihilate England

However returning to reality I suspect only one out of the above has a chance of proving to be true. So I will watch the Wales game at home courtesy of SC4 and of to the village lounge to watch Ireland v Scotland courtesy of France TV2. But can someone please explain to me why the Scotland game starts at 5.00pm GMT (7.0pm in Riga) - or is this simply to cater for the TV rights of the broadcasting companies.

Books Again

In my undying efforts to spread the reading habit to all ( and make a few Lats in the process !!) I have set up a new web site

https://sites.google.com/site/englishbooksinriga/

It will also allow those of you have excess books to put them up for sale (with a little commission for me)

Anyhow spread the word to those who live in Riga

Books Galore !!

So what can I tell all of those you still with great frequency check out the blog for any update I cannot believe I am still getting approximately the same number of visits as before. Mind you I have to thank NTL and TECHNIUMVPN.CO.UK for the frequency of there visits - strangely both based in Wales on in Port Talbot area and the other in Swansea. I wonder who they could be ??????

Life in Riga at least for the moment is singularly quiet, and for the last week my internet connection has been down !! Izzii have a great customer service person - if and when you can actually get a hold of him !!!!!!!

However we did see the return of young C.... (English- retired beach bum) - apparently life in England was not to his liking, and so he has once again set foot into the Riga life, with a possibility of a more permanent stay - we shall but see.

Our Mexican dilettante has once again had a switch in career, from aspiring to become a licensed doctor, he has now decided to become a licensed Ophthalmologist. Apparently this will only take three years, but given V..... track record of late - I suspect this may be short lived, however I wish him all the best.

Last weekend saw a brave try to change locations to watch the rugby Wasps v London Irish - first of all we thought to try the Stars pub in Lacsplace - but this was filled with locals watching Ice Hockey - so onwards and forward to Stars pub in old town - but no Wexford and no Velvet - so leaving J... ( Australian - SIP specialist) to his Guiness, I forelornly returned to the Village lounge - only to find that the most obnoxious, loud, ignorant Texan-American was back in town - and had taken over the upstairs.

So I quietly gave in and had three beers in the back room and watched the rugby in perfect peace. I had thought that this piece of American s..t had returned back to his homeland for good, but as they were working on the new American Embassy, I can only assume they have returned - hopefully for as short a time period as possible.

Now in an effort to take advantage of my extensive book library, I have decided to set up a little book shop, where for a modest amount you can buy my books, and if you so wish if you bring them a back then you can get a discount on any new purchase. Total number of books initially will be around 200+. I would love to say this was my idea, but I have to give credit to our Mexican Barman/doctor/Ophthalmologist etc etc for the idea - we shall but see how it works out - and at worst it will help my clear up some space at home.

The weather is somewhat of a flux, with frequent snow showers, but temps are staying above zero, and what is really nice is that once again I can wake up to daylight.

Very little news to report on ex village members - in fact none - other than that our Welsh wizard of cat flaps has succeeded where all others have failed, and is now working for - and say this quietly a French company - and this after France beat Wales - see in these desperate times no time for principles !!!

The former Irish brigade are visible by there silence - nothing P... (Libya - administrator in chief) - J.....(Ireland - finance entrepreneur) J... (Ireland - Builder of food chains) nor indeed J.... (Ireland - king of the undersea buses)

And finally a bit of good news and I quote from Leta News Agency

"Annual inflation in February decreased to 9.6%"

What it does not say is that in January it was 9.8% !! - but in these troubled times better a step down rather than up