I was shopping in Alpha Rimi last night and heard the wonderful exchange
Girl: Can I have some shrimp salad please.
Shop assistant: I wouldn't if I were you.
Girl: Why not?
Shop assistant: The Chef forgot to put the shrimps in when he made it!
Bliss.
The real thing to see yesterday were the prices in the Alpha clothes shops. They have dropped seriously to levels unseen here for 10 years. But still there were few people buying. Even I just window shop now. New clothes will have to wait a while. More water in the soup please!!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
JANI
Trips to Finland, Estonia and another trip to UK have reinforced my view that Latvia really is in worse condition than the rest of Europe. Not that I needed much convincing. Tuesday morning at Stanstead airport was hectic and the number of travellers was huge. It makes Riga airport look even more rural than it is.
But at least I manged to get back for midsummer celebrations in Mazsalaca. Jani is special for Latvians and when I got back into Riga it was empty like the city of London on a wet November Sunday. Everyone seemed to have left for the country. The Jani evening was warm and bright. It never really got fully dark. The only difference this year was that the table was not groaning under food as previous years. Eating is now expensive and money must be preserved. But there was still enough meat for all, including the dogs and cats, who must think Jani is gods answer to them. they sit round the bonfire poised and watching for any plate that touches the ground - and becomes officially theirs!
So back to work. Gatis Kokins has highlighted the long Economist article about the Baltics on Twitter. I think that people do not realise how precarious the Baltic States are in security terms at the moment. I hope that we get through the coming months without unwelcome visitors from next door.
But at least I manged to get back for midsummer celebrations in Mazsalaca. Jani is special for Latvians and when I got back into Riga it was empty like the city of London on a wet November Sunday. Everyone seemed to have left for the country. The Jani evening was warm and bright. It never really got fully dark. The only difference this year was that the table was not groaning under food as previous years. Eating is now expensive and money must be preserved. But there was still enough meat for all, including the dogs and cats, who must think Jani is gods answer to them. they sit round the bonfire poised and watching for any plate that touches the ground - and becomes officially theirs!
So back to work. Gatis Kokins has highlighted the long Economist article about the Baltics on Twitter. I think that people do not realise how precarious the Baltic States are in security terms at the moment. I hope that we get through the coming months without unwelcome visitors from next door.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Hammocks, queues, deceit and Cardiff
On Brivibas Iela there is a Hammock shop. Yes I did write Hammocks! What it is doing there I have no idea. Who buys Hammocks in the winter for goodness sakes? I pass it daily, indeed for 6 months I lived just a block away from it, and I have never seen anyone in there. No-one. It is always bright and colourful with lots of lights on, so the electricity bill won't be small. It has appeared so resilient that I had decided that if that shop closed we were all in trouble. Its still there, but there is a ''30%'' off sign in the window. I predict that 50% will soon follow - SO IF YOU CAN BEAR TO WAIT A FEW WEEKS, THERE WILL BE HAMMOCK BARGAINS TO BE HAD BY ALL.
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.
The recession effects continue to add up steadily. Today I noticed for the first time that the evening queue at WEF bridge has gone. Well not quite true, it was there on the other side, but surprise surprise, it was caused by the traffic police doing whatever it is that traffic police do to create havoc at the busiest times.
Not surprisingly the government withheld the true cost of the recession and the cuts required until after the election. ''Just normal'' was the most heard comment. It is sad that even in a time of world crisis the Latvian governing class is still totally self serving rather than caring for their own people. I hope they are ashamed of themselves. Somehow I doubt it though - abusing the people of your own nation is a national sport here. I heard that one of the Ministry of Transport appointees was getting 18K a month. In USA or Britain that might be acceptable. Here that is obscene and totally corrupt. Sadly the law allows it.
So I end with Cardiff. I was there last Thursday. I was overwhelmed by the activity, vitality and sheer shopping energy. As I have said before, the effects of depression in UK are very very hard to see, and in Cardiff they were totally invisible.
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.
The recession effects continue to add up steadily. Today I noticed for the first time that the evening queue at WEF bridge has gone. Well not quite true, it was there on the other side, but surprise surprise, it was caused by the traffic police doing whatever it is that traffic police do to create havoc at the busiest times.
Not surprisingly the government withheld the true cost of the recession and the cuts required until after the election. ''Just normal'' was the most heard comment. It is sad that even in a time of world crisis the Latvian governing class is still totally self serving rather than caring for their own people. I hope they are ashamed of themselves. Somehow I doubt it though - abusing the people of your own nation is a national sport here. I heard that one of the Ministry of Transport appointees was getting 18K a month. In USA or Britain that might be acceptable. Here that is obscene and totally corrupt. Sadly the law allows it.
So I end with Cardiff. I was there last Thursday. I was overwhelmed by the activity, vitality and sheer shopping energy. As I have said before, the effects of depression in UK are very very hard to see, and in Cardiff they were totally invisible.
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