Spring and Easter

Some choir members, director and I after our concertEaster-Lauris and I

Lieldienas! Easter! Swinging!

It is a Latvian tradition to swing on Easter (so that mosquitoes don't bite you in the summer)

Little gardeners

Hang in there!

Spring has arrived in Latvia! The grass is green, flowers are starting to bloom, frogs and toads are leaping and the only snow to be seen is hidden deep in the forest.

I spent Easter in the countryside with my relatives. It was wonderful! Great weather, lots of time spent outdoors, delicious food and good company. A Latvian Easter isn't too much different from Easter in Canada, except that a Latvian Easter does not involve candy. It does, however, involve swinging and egg wars (hitting your boiled egg with an opponent and if your egg does not crack, you are the winner! I find it strange that the "winner" is unable to eat their egg because it is not cracked)

My choir concert went well. Linda came to watch me and most of our songs were sung successfully. My favorite part was wearing a traditional Latvian costume! The concert was recorded, so I will be able to listen and remember our music when I return to Canada.

I am beginning to get excited (but not TOO excited) for visitors in May! My godmother, Linda, is coming to visit me for a few days and so is Mum (as long as she gets her passport and tickets in time... that is why I am not getting TOO excited haha). I really hope the plan will happen :)

I have spontaneously decided to go on one last big adventure of the year. I am going to Fez, Morocco and Frankfurt, Germany at the end of May! I had sort of planned to go to Frankfurt to visit my cousin, Monica, as she will be working there for the summer and then I thought that maybe I would go somewhere warm for a few days and after looking at the ryanair website and seeing that this dream trip would only cost me about $200, I couldn't pass it up! When am I ever going to get the chance to do something like this again? The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea and a few hours later I booked the flights. I am really excited!

And so, the majority of the next month will be spent at the hostel (with one countryside break), then visitors, then adventure, then one week in Latvia doing all of my favorite Latvian things and then HOME!