the passion is dead, punks are not

basically – this is the post where i’m really pissed off.

when did we stop doing things for ourselves? being just as we are and caring just for the happiness?

oh, i miss those times so very, very badly! and i don’t blame age. i blame century.

i always wonder – how anyones instagram, twitter or facebook would look like if there would be no one to impress? recently i read one great quote – all our information on timelines for others appear just for few seconds, sometimes not even a blink of an eye. still – we’re struggling so hard to show the best of us, leave the greatest impression and get best reviews. can’t really decide – which is sadder – the fact that we’re trying to impress unknown people or the fact that we feel urge to impress our friends? 

lets just bring one pure smile for no one else, but ourselves

for those bicycle rides around the yard with just two random friends when no one on facebook could liked your fail in the race (sad for the winner, tho), for analog photos that only you and your best friends saw, for videos that were watched by gathering family around, cakes that were baked for eating (not teasing others on instagram). for those nights when talks mattered and stars weren’t outshined by screens. oh, i miss those times ..

right about now i’m feeling like all those good times are just blurry stories, blast from the past that are now going to be told to our grandchildren as mythical stories about some people and some times in never, ever land… at least somehow we all will be legends!

VERY CHEESY PEACE OF BLOG || Retrospect

[aka ‘one epic hell of a year ‘]

I am afraid to use such big words as ‘best year of my life’, but I am completely sure that this was craziest and the most insane one (: All the emotions, people and adventures, even a glimpse of those memories make me wanna cry my heart out, because I know that year like this was only one in my lifetime and I am willing to share you my best discovery – people are great!

I’ve been doubtful for many things in my life. I’ve never really trusted kindness, helpfulness or just happy smiles. In latvian there is this song that says ‘why are you smiling today? Are you acting or waiting for someone?’. And that is how I overall saw nice people – confident that they are trying to get what they want by acting the way I could want them to.

But you know what? People are great! That is insane how many of them [oh well.. – of us] are ready to say kind words because they really see that, they really mean that, they want to make you feel better and they just want to see your smile. and you know what? That is insane how wonderful is smiling person! After all the countries, all the impressions, all the people, I can only say that smile is the best thing ever! and people do kind things, because they care! They are ready to help, ready to give an advice, place to stay, entertain you or just talk about life matters. why? Because they know – it is wonderful to spread the happiness! That is my most favorite conclusion of all <3

And that is one thing that I want to wish for every single person who was with me this year and all the rest of you – smile, be happy and make people around you happy and smiley as well! That will make the world spin faster (: Now I really know – peace and happiness are the things to strive for!

I have the very best friends and I met all the greatest people – thank you thank you thank you! Keep being so awesome! <3

 

Poland, bombastic as hell

…i kept telling people – i came to poland just because… and then… well, you know, many reasons why ‘just because’. after all – like many of my fellow volunteers, somehow i got to poland by mistake. and kind of blindfolded as well. what turned out of this blindfolded journey? amazing 2 months that will be kept as great addition to my so far so wonderful year 2014.

as tribute to my wonderful friends and colleagues from poland that are missed very badly, i’ll collect here some of our quotes. be aware that most of them will be with no big sense, but i hope that at least for someone will bring up some great memory from time we spent together! just because of awareness – i’ve kept all of names for myself. if you’re recognizing yourself of someone else… – i have no idea what you’re talking about!

* 2 guys. ‘can i blow my noise in your shirt?’ – *expressive and fast ‘angry’ reaction follows* ‘i’ll blow you!!!!!!’
* i was making sandwiches, meanwhile kids are dying at presentation, but after all – it’s not africa around here, you know…
* ‘usually people start sentences with swearwords, you – with 2 minute laughter’ – ‘should i start using swearwords?’ – ‘that would be faster for sure…’
* instead of disco kids tonight will have fireworks with burning speakers
* if every day you are saying that it is your last day, one day you’ll be true!
* dangerous kurvas (spanish and polish included)
*’lets make b eerpong party tomorrow!’ – ‘we just need a lot of beer’ – ‘and a lot of pong’ #badjokewednesday
* ’my socks are smelling like socks and my scarf is smelling like socks as well…’
* drunk guy by the wall ‘i’m so hot, but the wall is so cold!’
* ’turkish people don’t understand english, so when someone is saying that we’re cleaning kitchen ourselves, they don’t understand it…’
* ’it’s so cold in latvia, so you just need to drink there’
* ’my home city is small. like half of latvia’
* ’why are they coming from klodzko here so often?’ – ‘because we have no people here?’ – ‘no, because they have no free food there…’
* ’i like to think about things. i think about them and that’s it’
* ’what’s wrong with them? why they have same shirt? are they twins?’ – ‘no. they’re just… teenagers’
* ’film a short movie’ – ‘our room is like horror movie…’
* ’how many kids we lost today?’ – ‘only one’ – ‘oh, that’s a good day then!’
* ’this could be the moment when i should stop talking…’ – ‘there always is this moment, but you always somehow pass it’
* ’there are only two places you can find cups – in the sink, dirty, or in the washing machine… although dirty’
* ’you know it’s bad when even latvians are joking about latvians’

and after all, one golden quote from beginning of our trip – just after we got out of 22 hour ride in buses and trains to poland

*’even after drinking we’re not so stinky…’

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING MY VERY DEAR SUNSHINES FOR TWO MONTHS AND EVER AFTER! :)

ONE BEERISH TIME OF MY LIFE || TRIP

(Or you can call it celebration of my blogs 3^rd birthday)

Once I had this wonderful tradition to post some quotes or highlights from my trips. I did it with our roadtrip to Slovakia, when I went to Denmark for the second time and the first one is captured somewhere as well.. and few more times that I’m too lazy to look for… anyhow – back on track. There have been some trips meanwhile I was quiet, but this is the one that i need to engrave here for sure (thanks for being worth it!). So Germany – Munich it was!

• First of all, you can’t come to Germany if you don’t know that women and beer you push downstairs
• We got stuck in traffic even on highroad. Those are some skills over here!
• You can’t meet on the internet in Germany, because internet is so slow.
• Ieva goes into huge pizzeria to find toilet. Comment – ‘if you find yourself in train station, you know, you missed the toilet’.
• In Turkish streets even sprite is Turkish
• If mountain will be crushing or air tram falling down, you won’t find time to be scared, so no worries!
• 8 p.m.? Bars? Streets full of happy people walking home from work? Oh, wait, no, you already missed bedtime…
• *cooking some pies* ‘How it should look like when it’s ready?’ – ‘Warm’
• And then he wakes up at 5 a.m., asks what am i doing, puts up ‘are you gonna be my girl’ and walks around the room with satisfied smile on his face ‘oh, such a wonderful morning!’ (Is it? Really?)
• Went abroad to find out that my paradise looks like big bookshelves and huge, puffy bed. No, actually Munich itself wasn’t so bad either : )

Round, round, round it goes… so see you next time, Germany! (If you’re up for bringing me to Berlin, I’m just here!)

Sincerely
Ieva.

what’s new, pussycat?

travelling and living in different places always brings something new in your life. a bit more than last three months i spent in italy and only now, when i just day ago arrived back in northern part of civilization, i realized what has changed in my life while living in italy.

• i don’t know how to cross the street! even thou here are not many cars by my place, i get as close to getting driven off as you
  can get. EVERY-FKN-TIME. i just go. and that’s a mistake. no one does that here. even when street is empty people are waiting for green light. i don’t even notice traffic lights in general anymore…

• if we’re talking about native people, i am really (really, REALLLY) used to the fact that 99,99(9999)% of people, ok, i’m talking about guys, really do have only brown eyes and beards. in just few last hours i’ve catch myself in empty staring with half-way open mouth at guys who have blonde hair and blue eyes. although in italy there were many tourists, i still haven’t seen so many blonde people in one place in a looooooooooooong time. 

• i am saying ‘ciao!’ as ‘hello!’ and ‘bye!’ to everyone. the saddest part in it – it is not so common to greet everyone here. not in the shops, not your neighbors, not… anyone! especially they will look at you with weird look if you’re leaving shop with bright smile and loud ‘ciao!’. no. do not do that. (ieva, do not do that…).

• timing. i was pretty sure that still till the last day italian slowness irritated me. i know that i started to get along with that, but still – needed some more time to completely calm myself down if i needed to wait for something. now i can’t catch up with people. everything is happening like each second has value of lifetime. SLOW DOOOOOOOOOWN, please. pretty please!

• i am used to take off my clothes only when it’s at least +30. +20 does not count. you do not walk with skirts in +20 !!!!!! such an insanity…

no, actually i’m joking. it’s only +18 here now and once and again i’m the only one showing my naked legs…

• trashes. italians are obsessed with recycling. now, when i have only one trash bin where to put everything, i often unconsciously leave some things outside just because it does not feel right to put everything in one place… then i go back and wonder – why i haven’t thrown it out?!

enough with my new lifestyle traditions for now. lifts, wind and bicycles – it’s still a thing!!! now i can live happily ever after

cheers, folks!

STEREOTYPE TIME: italians vs latvians || Travel stories

When I was living in Naples, most of my friends were from Erasmus. Here, in Rome, most of people that I have been contacting with finally are true citizens of this country.

I came here with full package of my stereotypes. Most of them – true… but italians have some thoughts about latvians and northern people in general as well. Some of them were in my mind before coming, other ones still make me thoughtful – why… just why…?!

Anyway the thing is – finally I meet, as french would say ‘tête-à-tête’ [head-to-head/eye-to-eye whatever you prefer], with italian opinions, stereotypes and just thoughts about northern and latvian people (since sometimes for italians we are eastern people… not so sure how correct is their globe around here)

1. First of all – no one knows word Latvia. Here they have Lettonia. And I still haven’t figured out why… right now I already have my typical answer to question where am I from – ‘Latvia, I meant – Lettonia’. Feels like I don’t even know where the hell I come from anymore…
2. Latvia and Lithuania is not the same. Some Italians know that, but most of them doesn’t consider this topic serious enough to keep it in their heads.
3. We, northern people, are well known here as the ones who can drink a lot. As far as I have talked with different people – they are kinda admiring it. So – cheers to us, my northern friends!
4. Weird socks. I have weird socks. And no one here has any idea why we need such weird socks.
5. In italian heads in Latvia we have neverending sibirian weather. I am pretty sure that they basically think that we are living like eskimos. And they are giving me so sad eyes about it that are saying ‘oh, you poor human being, finally you will be warm…’
6. Good thing – still haven’t heard any comparisons to us being a part of russia or anything. although almost everyone who knows something about Latvia automatically generates this idea that i know russian…
7. They know that Riga is beautiful or at least have heard something about it! There are even few people who wants to visit it. At least something warms my heart truly (and if you’re italian reading this – no, don’t use it as your next pick-up line, thank you).

I am pretty sure that i will collect or remember some more… it’s like neverending story going on around here.

HOW I SPITED MY SILLY KARMA AND GOT LUCKY || Travelling & Experience

Happy goes lucky – story how I spited my silly karma and got lucky. Special thanks to Karīna, Lilla, Elif, Michele and Matteo in making this story possible (otherway I could be sleeping in tents by Termini right now…)

It was two weeks ago when I decided that I can’t stay in one place. Not so sure who I can consider as guilty one in this part, but it just was like that… two days later – on my way. And that’s where the story of my luck begins.

At first I spent 3 wonderful nights at Karīnas, Lillas, Elifs and other girl place in Naples center. Despite the fact that their apartment is in 7th floor and my bag is pretty heavier than me (i like to think like that, haha), it really was a lot of fun and definitely there i spent my best time in Naples ever! All the nights out and nice stories in the morning… – I missed it a lot! Despite the fact that I still have blue stomach and leg because of running into a sign… (at least my forehead survived). Although still the worst problem is trying to remember, how the ‘sign’ is called…

While I was there I enjoyed one more thing pretty badly – their beautiful roof terrace. Keep this is mind, because there will be continue of this part of the story…

Later my silly karma (I don’t want to say that it’s bad, it’s just really silly. My karma is like little silly monkey – always somewhere here. Sometimes make me laugh, other times – gets me pretty pissed off…) So, my silly karma wanted to show me the best of Rome and made train strike. In my italian phrase book (that I bought only few days ago, although i’m in Italy almost two months) one of the ‘must know’ phrases is ‘I’ll be late, because there is a train strike’. Well, good to know how to say it! There were a lot of adventures while this happened, but even then i got lucky – met some new friend from America. Since we had some [a lot] time to wait for the next train, i heard some great stories and after all felt happy and lucky again.

When I arrived in Rome it was raining and I got lost (oh, what a surprise!), but after all I met my first welcoming host – Michele! since then I can’t stop thinking – how life always lets us meet the right people. I had this luck to meet him, share some amazing stories, experience life in roman loft (that was gorgeous), taste some spiiiiiiiiicy food that my mouth will definitely never forget (since I’m still spitting some flames) and after all – gain some good friendship with amazing human being! :)

Long story short – I went to Rome to look for a job and in case of getting lucky while living at micheles – look for a place to stay for longer time.

But life changes everything and not the job, but the place where to live next came first and I got opportunity to rent a gorgeous room in one of my favourite roman districts where are a lot of amazing bars, artistic atmosphere that’s crowded with students and just nice people around. What’s best – I have gorgeous roof terrace right by my place! Here we can back up a little – while I was in my last surfing place in Naples I continued to say ‘you are so lucky with such a great roof terrace and such wonderful roof view!’. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I have view to the roofs and hills as an extra…

And just one more problem in my way to living like in a bath of warm milk (no idea why it sounds so wrong in english)… – two days without a place to live. That was the next great ‘always meet the right people in the right time’ when I talked with matteo and got chance to live with him till I get my room. Heard some experience about italian theatres and remembered my lifelong theatre directing dreams :)

So after all I can say that by all those adventures without any direct path that I should be going I have gained amazing experience and after all – I have renewed my trust in great people! Everyone is open for some help, even the smallest one, a lot of smiling faces, a lot of good words for me after hearing my story. And it all helps so badly! I am really truly happy that I have met each one of those amazing persons and I wish everyone such great luck that I got myself!

There are people who say that you always need at least some backup plan, some backup finance, anything… I have great friends and I keep gaining new ones in the most incredible ways and that is what brought me here where I am today. And I keep considering them as my best backup plan.

And one other interesting thing – although I may not know how I will pay the rent, how long I will be here, who I will meet next or anything and actually I have much more things to worry about – I have never felt so careless and happy as I do now!

Ciao, ragazzi!
ieva.

legend… – wait for it –

bet visa iesākumā šis

jau kopš dienas, kad sākās sarakste ar nosaukumu, kuru es atkal neatceros, es solu, ka pienāks diena, kad tiks izdota grāmata. tomēr grāmatai tajā visā pārāk daudz cenzūras cienīgu materiālu… tomēr laiks joprojām iet un es joprojām saku, ka izdošu grāmatu. jau sen vien velns zina, par ko tā īsti būs. un jo dziļākā peklē ir noslēpts noslēpums – kad. bet tieši tāpēc ar kaut ko beidzot ir jāsāk. un, lai piedod man jaunkundze, kuras vārdu es varu arī mainīt, bet visi tāpat zinās, kas ir šo sarunu līdzdalībniece… varbūt grāmatas vietā izstādi uztaisīt?

 

 

 

sex, drugs and rock’n’roll jeb īstās dānijas vētras notiek silo

es šo ierakstu būtu nosaukusi arī konkrētāk, bet nevēlējos izklausīties nepiedienīga. tomēr beigu galā stāsts ir par to, kā es braucu uz Dāniju, lai apciemotu Alisi. tas viss gan mainās brīdī, kad trīs traki sievišķi, kas reiz, sen senos laikos, atklāja ruma un (lēta) vīna šotu burvību (khm), izlēma atkal apvienoties un pamēģināt, kā ir kopā ballēties pēc tam, kad to ilgi nav sanācis izbaudīt… tā nu šis virsraksts no ‘Ieva Dānijā’ ir pārvērties par to, ko jūs redzat savu acu priekšā…

*‘tev putni galvā, bet ievai vispār albatrosi’
*‘es vakar… ā, nē, jums neinteresēs, tas nav ēdiens’
*20 gadus par vēlu uzzinājām, ka dzīvē visam ir savas robežas
*‘ar šo man kādam laikam pietiks’ – ‘tu teici – mēs šovakar atkal piedzersimies?’
*‘jāsauc ēdienu sastāvdaļas. nu, nevis pica, bet makaroni’ – ‘eeeeem… makaronu sastāvdaļas?’
*‘tie ir dvīņi’ – ‘nē, tās ir sievietes’ – ‘sievietes nav dvīņi?’ – ‘nē, sievietes ir dvīnes !!!’
*‘tie pa labi bija labi. o, mans lifetime sentence!’
*‘es dānijā esmu tikai stundu, bet jau piedzērusies… braukšu vēl!’
*‘es vakar tik daudz alu dzēru’ – ‘es vakar tik daudz dzēru’ – ‘es vakar tik daudz…’
*‘eu, rekur izskatīgi čaļi… ā, nē, paga, viņam ir dzeltenas zeķes’
*pasaule būtu labāka vieta, ja dzīvē nevienam netrūktu seksa
*appīpējies cilvēks: ‘i’m so high that you can’t reach me’
*‘izrādās, ka arī krāsas orientāciju var mainīt ātri un nemanāmi…’ – ‘ātri varbūt, bet, ja tu to sauc par nemanāmi…’
*‘aizveries un eksistē klusām’
*‘gribēsiet – ēdīsiet šodien, negribēsiet – ēdīsiet rīt’
*‘kāds sakars seksam un kaviāram?’ – ‘seksu visur var atrast… ui, sakaru var visur atrast’

un beigu galā no Dānijas bija jānozūd. pēc pēdējām negulētajām naktīm un centieniem vismaz kaut kā aizvērt koferi, piedzīvojumi turpinās nu jau katrai savā valstī. kāda savas nākotnes vārdā nepieminēs šīs brīvdienas, cita sūtīs nēģerēnus uz āfriku, trešā cīnīsies ar kāzu noformējuma izvēli…

dzīve nebeidz sākties. un šoreiz tā visnotaļ tikai sākas.

īsumā par manu lidojumu uz dienvidiem >> ‘we are fully booked, so you may leave your baggage outside as well’. bet par to jau cits stāsts taps…