Here is a link to our MSN blog that has more pictures (click here to see). We will still use this blog from time to time but please use the MSN blog to browse the picture libraries.

I just finished watching the BBC World show called 'Have Your Say' inwhich Vladmir Putin answers, quite candidly I might add, questions from viewers. A fasinating show which turned much more interesting when the very question I have been pondering was asked.

"What do you think of the rampant corruption in Russia and what impact do you think it has on foreigners traveling in Russia?" We have been contemplating driving to St. Petersburg but every source is warning us against driving.

"Police will see your Latvian plates and stop you and make up stories about what law or rule you have broken and not let you pass until a bribe is paid."

We recently invited the brave Aussie traveller Kim Campbell to say at our home in Jurmala after she had just travelled through Russia.

"Normally, in other countries, I would mark police stations as a point of safety that I would go in case of danger or trouble. But in Russia I marked the police stations and police in general as areas and people to be avoided."

And what was Putin's answer? Well first I encourage you to listen for yourself: your questions for Putin (Another link). But what I was struck by was his advice to foreigners.

"You must conform to all the laws of Russia." Well Mr. Putin that is what we are worried about. Namely, that we will conform to all of the laws and still be mistreated. Well I appreciate his concern about the plight of foreigners I can not help but implore him to move quickly to establish safety and freedoms of all people in Russia both natives and foriegners. We want to see your great nation but at what risk?

The weather in Jurmala and Riga has been extrodinary. Everyone we meet tells us how lucky we are to be living in Jurmala on this, one of the finest summers on record. Earth to weather gods... we are very greatful.

Here are some of the camera phone pictures I have taken in attempt to capture our good times.

One day we went to the beach with the Dubovisky's. Vicki and Olivia swam and swam and finally they build one sand castle each. Both had a moat and a swimming pool. Vicki's had a feather flag and Olivia's had a diving board. We are talking about real kids stuff here folks. These are the days that makes me think that I want to be a kid again. I think tomorrow I am going to build my own sand castle with a flag and a moat and a bell and a... and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow (W. Shakespear)
Vicki and Olivia crouch down for a photo with their castles. The tide is coming in and they won't last long.
Nevermind the tide, incomes Vicki the magnificent quickly followed by Olivia the great to do the job of the tide. Before the tide. Yes, the castle met a quick and dirty fate, crushed to smithereens by enormous feet.
After the beach we went to the Majori fun park. This little carnival is near the beach with bumper cars and other attractions. Here Alex does his strong man imitation as he winds up to ring the bell.
Alex brings down the hammer like a project manager that is two weeks late (bring down the hammer, work with me here folks). And of course the bell responds like a programmer full of two week old pizza. Not exactly the resounding sound of success.
Alex laughs as dad tries his hand at ringing the bell. And, like a seasoned programmer working with new technology, he is no better than the guy with the two week old pizza. As Nelson on the Simpsons would say, "Aha!"
It seems that almost every time we go passed the carnival Olivia jumps on the trampoline with guide ropes and takes instruction from her proud father about how to do a back flip. Well, look here folks, she can do it!	Olivia does back flips.avi (2.25 MB)
After one extremely find day on the beach Denis, his son Vincent, Dan, his wife Marina, his son Earnest, daugher Eve, Kiril (finally got the spelling right), his wife Veronica, and two kids thomas and (still can't even try to spell this one) their other son (appologies) got together for a beach day and then a sea-side dinner. It was a truely awesome day. The water at 10PM was still 24 degrees celcius. After a wonderful meal we walked home on the beach back to Dubulti. Olivia swam as we walked. Marianne and I fell in love again and again walking hand in hand. This is the real thing.
Here is a shot of Thomas's tricycle sitting on the beach at 11PM. The kids all decided to go for a swim. There are still many people on the beach and the water is great. It is very hard to resist getting wet.
	Today we went to the beach with Slava and Vicki to watch Kiril play in a beach football (soccer) tournament. At one point Kiril came over and pointed out that one of the players was Arturs Irbe the NHL goalie. I went over and introduced myself and we had a conversation about: The lockout: He was one of the NHLPA player participants. He was concerned that some of the players were working for the owners and did not negotiate with the unions best interest at heart. He felt that the players were impatient and would have done better if they had just played in europe or stayed with their families. Tod Bertuzzi: Definately a hot head but everyone new that Steve Moore had it coming. Moore could have just stood up for himself then none of this would have happened. It is very questionable wheather Steve has his or hockey's best interests at heart. There is no doubt that the game has suffered. Vancouver: Vancouver loved Archie and Archie loved Vancouver. He has a lot of admiration and respect for the fans of Vancouver who always treated him well. He asked me to say hi to Vancouver for him. This is a big job but I will try my best....HELLO VANCOUVER....

June 23 and 24th  is Ligo [Summer Solstice] the most anticipated celebration in Latvia. Friday is a national stat holiday with a day off for all to enjoy all night drinking parties. Ligo [also known as Jani] is an ancient pagan fertility festival marking the longest day of the year. I always thought that was June 21st. Its customary to spend Ligo in the forest so the city centre empties as cars decorated with oak leaves head for the countryside laden with beer and food.  Rural hosts greet their arrivals with a song and the festivities begin when the guests sing a song in return.

     During the course of the evening much beer is consumed [many special brews made just for this occasion], carraway seed cheese is the appropriate food [not sure the reason for this]  Bonfires are lit and revellers jump over the bonfire three times for good luck, but with the amount of drinking going on it seems a dangerous custom to me. Young couples are encouraged to forage through the forest to look for the fabled fern flower that only blooms on Ligo.  As ferns dont flower its a charming euphemism for the fertility part of the festival.  The Latvian people spend the week before the festival making wreaths to wear on their heads as well as for decoration.  Women use at least 27 different plants, each plant symbolises a virtue she wants the coming year.   Men just use oak leaves for their wreaths which are believed to give strength and protect against bad energy.  /FONT>

     Ligo is a Bacchanalian anything goes party with unbridled merry making.  Last weekend at a dinner party I was informed by a fellow that everything and anything is permitted during Ligo "adultery is even permitted during Ligo" he said with a sly grin. I now remember the word Ligo and how its pronounced [Legal] because everything is legal during Ligo.

Hi this is Alex and I’m going to tell you about go planets, laser tag but first I want to tell you about my thoughts of Latvia I do not like it I’m not fitting in I have no friends I’m not or ever will be settled in. Now that I’ve told you this its time to tell you about go planet laser tag there are six super sensitive targets on the vest three on the front three on the on the back there are robo clocks that if you walk by and don’t shot them in three seconds it will take your ammo credits or energy its maze is gigantic only flaw is that there is no aimer. The places that we got were Alex 2^nd Kent3rd though there was a mix up and I was dad and dad was me. I really enjoyed it.

Ok, I am starting to see the Baltic character emerging in the jokes that people tell me. In an attempt to expose a culture through humor here is the first installment of Baltic Humor.

Baltic Summer: Two Latvia office workers are gathered around the water cooler talking. One asks the other, "How was your summer?" The other replies, "Oh, not so good, I had to work that day."

To hell with it: There is this Latvia guy who is not very content with his life. Just not exciting enough. "To hell with it", he thinks and attempts summon the devil. To his suprise up pops the devil. He explains the he is just not content with his boring existance. The devil offers to send him to hell for a day. The man thinks about it and says, "Sure." He is transported to hell where he is thoroughly entertained with parties teaming with sex, drugs, and rock'n roll. Needless to say he has a great time. He comes back and is content with his life for a few weeks but soon his discontentment and boredom grow again and he summons the devil for a second time. "Please, I would like to take another trip down to hell, can you send me there again?" The devil thinks for a moment and then agrees. The second trip is even more glorious than the first, full to the brim with drunken debauchery and excess. Upon his return he feels great. He really feels alive and this time he is content for a longer period but eventually he grows bored again and summons the devil for a third time. This time when he asks the devil to send him down to hell for a day trip the devil replies, "I am sorry but this is not a place you can just visit. This time you will have to decide whether you want to live there permanently." Hmm, the man thinks for sometime, and eventual decides to go.

A week later the devil checks in on the man and finds him screaming, boiling in a pot filled with his own blood. "How could you do this to me! This is not what I expected."

"Well", the devil responds, "what you experience before was tourism, this is immigration."

One week after our tenth anniversary dinner Marianne and I visited a fabulous Lebanese restaurant on the beach in Jurmala in a region called Majori. The food and conversation was fabulous. Below are some camera phone photos of the restaurant.

	View of the restaurant from the beach. That's Marianne waiving in white on the terrace. The man in black in the arched window is standing at the table where we ate dinner.
	Beautiful view from the window of the building next door. We are planning a visit to the round turit on top.
	Marianne reads the menu at our table. Check out this room. There are enormous windows arching up on each of the walls.
	Marianne spies some lasagna on the menu. Delicious!
	Here we see a Baltic delicacy, cold vodka and spicy pickled cucumber. No frills. Sharp and potent.
	View from our table.
	A better look at the building next door.