When visiting Riga, one thing you will quickly notice is that the locals rely heavily on SMS to communicate. That's essentially THE way to communicate in Riga. Being the brilliant individual that I am, I decided to bring an old phone to Latvia, which isn't compatible with their networks. To make matters worse, there are about 50 different kinds of SIM cards you can buy, under various "nicknames" representing a few large telecom companies. It's all very confusing for a foreigner, and the not-so-helpful locals only make matters worse.
Today I had the opportunity to meet with another local, but thanks to my phone issues we never managed to connect. I wasn't very happy about the situation, so I headed to a pizza place and gorged out, as I've been doing frequently the last week or so. At this point many of the days just blend together, since my experiences have been limited. I really should have gone to the beach today, but I waited around to see if this meeting would pan out.
Not all was lost however. After lunch I headed to a small stream to feed the ducks! This has become a favorite activity of mine. Of course I spent more time feeding the few injured ducks who stray a bit from the main pack! While feeding the ducks, a miraculous thing happened: A Latvian person actually talked to me! She didn't appear to be a beggar or scammer either! What sort of scammer approaches somebody feeding ducks by a stream after all?!
The Latvian girl's name was Elina. She small talked with me for a bit, and even wanted to feed the ducks! Of course I knew there was something hidden behind the conversation, and there was.. Elina was representing a Christian church in Riga, called "Prieka Vests". She gave me a pamphlet in Latvian, but also directed me towards the church website, where I could find information in English. Elina and her friend wanted me to attend a service on Sunday at Prieka Vests. They were kind enough to offer to meet me first, so that I wouldn't get lost! After a few minutes of talking, they said bye and went on their way.
I later researched Prieka Vests online, and it looked completely legitimate to me. Nothing shady about it. After a month in Riga, I tend to view every situation with great caution! That's just how it is in this city. I'm thinking about attending the service, and why not? Although I'm not particularly religious, it could be an interesting experience. Also, I complain almost daily on this blog about how the locals are rude and completely ignore tourists. Well I think Elina and Prieka Vests deserve a chance, just as I wish Riga would give me a chance!
After my interesting encounter with Elina, I walked back to Old Town. I saw there was quite a scene going on with the "Religious Fanatic Man". I know I haven't previously brought this individual up in the blog, but he frequents the area around McDonalds in Old Town. The Religious Fanatic Man stands on top of a toolbox, and yells some kind of religious sermon out to the people of Old Town. It's very frantic and aggressive in nature. Sometimes this "sermon" is in English, and other times it's in a different language. As far as I can tell, it's an extreme brand of Christianity. You know, the whole, "Save yourself before you go to hell!" theme..
The Religious Fanatic Man makes quite a few enemies on the street, as people passing by often glare or even yell back at him! Clearly people do not appreciate his aggressive talks. Even the police seem wary of this individual, and keep an eye on him. Although it's annoying and offensive to many people walking Old Town, in a way it's nice to see that somebody can express their free speech in Riga. This is an important freedom in the United States. No, you don't have to like or agree with somebody's opinion, but they still have the right to express it! At least he stays away from the more tranquil parts of Old Town!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.