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Dear students from Valle,
It was pleasure to meet you at Valle- your wonderful school, to see your classrooms, surroundings and feel the spirit of your site, experience Norway itself.
You are coming to Latvia, to Smiltene. I hope your teacher Ewa has already told you how students from Smiltene and Valle have been working together for nearly 2 years. Now it is time for you to take a floor- to try yourselves how things work.
Write, please, about your expectations when coming to Latvia. Think if you know anything about the country you are going to visit or how it would be like there. You may have a look at the very first entry of the blog where your colleagues have already expressed their knowledge (22th April 2009), but we would be like to know your personal thoughts.
And the next step- if you have any questions to ask – do not hesitate! Ask! The students (your peers, hopefully your new friends) from Smiltene Centre Secondary will reply you!
Mind! Even if you do not have anything to ask about the country or your stay here- ask about the project! Enquire about things and activities you are going to do together!
My dear new friends- two tasks altogether- your expectations and at least 3 questions (whether about practical issues in connection of your stay or about our school, students, project etc.)
We are really looking forward to seeing you in Smiltene,
Sincerely, Gundega
:)
What can we do in our free time ?
Is it living many people in smiltene ?
How big are the school?
Re: :)
Re: :)
There is about 6300 inhabitants in Smiltene.
There are about 430 students in our school, but actually our classrooms are not so big, but it's very cosy and sunny, so I think you will like it very much!
Looking forward to see you too! :)
Re: :)
I am looking forward to see you here.
to answer your questions, well about free time here in smiltene we have balling centre, very nice parks and lakes so it's nice to take walks as well we have nice cofes where to sit and drink some tea and cocktail.
Now about how big is the population it's 5880 people in total.
And the answer to your last question, the school has more then 400 students
Marija Janneke
My expectation to Latvia is very big. I'm looking forward to meet you and to see how your culture is, your school and how your nature is in Latvia. I was just wondering, do you have much homework at your school? And what activities are most common among young people in Latvia? Here in Norway football and handball is very popular. I also wondered if you are using uniforms to school in Latvia? In Norway we don't, and I'm happy for that. I hope that we can get to know each other and keep in touch after our visit.
I'm looking forward to seeing you,
love Oda
I think that you will achieve your goals in Latvia and have a really great time! :)
Well, actually I could say that there's quite a lot of homework, but it's not so bad either. The most common activities are like basketball, in winter ice-hockey, volleyball.
In some schools students have to wear uniforms, but not in our school. Well, our principal has an idea that our school could have uniforms, but we are not very keen on to this idea.
I am looking forward to see you here. In my opinion, Latvia is small country, but we have beautiful nature and unusal culture. You will be sure about that, when you will come to Latvia.
Yes, we have a lot of homework, but I think, it is very important for our future. If we didn't have homework, we wouldn't learn as much.
The most common activities among young people in Latvia are team games, like football, basketball, volleyball, ice hockey, handball. In winter we can ski and skate, in summer - swim and ride the bike. In our school are lot of activities, for example, every year we have basketball competitions between classes and poetry evenings.
In some schools in Latvia students have to wear uniforms, but in our school we don't have, although we have some ideas about it. I think, uniforms are something special for school and students - it describe school and you can be proud of it. And I hope that, some day in our school will be uniforms.
Signe V. (S)
How is the people there, are they nice?
Are there a lot of malls there, with good clothes?
Is there a lot of crime in Latvia?
Well if we talk about our people... usually most of them are nice and helpful, of course with some exceptions. Malls with good clothes... Well I'm not right person to talk about shopping centers, because I'm not big shopping fan :( Crime... I don't think our crime level is big. The worst you can except is few drunken people in streets at night, that's all. :)
I think that people in Latvia are nice, if you are nice to them, they are nice to you.
Yes, there are a lot of good shopping centre in Riga and there are some shops in Smiltene.
I wouldn't say that there are a lot of crime in Latvia, so you don't have to worry.
Linda
:)
I agree with Linda, that people are nice here...
I think here are a lot of good malls, maybe not so much in Smiltene, but in Riga (offcourse) are a lot of good shoping centres!
About crime level in Latvia, I dont think that in Latvia this level is verry high! again I can totally agree with Linda that you don't have to worry about it! :)
Voldemārs
I look forward particularly to visit the shopping center in Riga. but do you visit Riga much? all you lot?
It will be great week, when you come to Latvia. We have a lot of big shopping centers in Latvia, most of them is in Riga. There is a lot of places where you can get some good stuff or clothes, all what you need. Personally I don’t visit Riga very often, about once a month. But Smiltene is very beautiful town too.
Gatis B.(S)
The first thing I think about when I hear the name “Latvia” is, flat landscape, big lakes. The people in Latvia are not so poor, but they don't have so much money as an average person in Norway has, correct me if I am wrong. I think it is very green there in the summer. the cities are big, with a lot of pollution. I have heard that, yodel is your folk music? I don't know actually. In Latvia there is many fishers who fish in the big beautiful lakes. And pull up big trouts and salmon.
And then I have some questions for you.
How is the price-level in Latvia ? How much do you spend for a sweater or pants for example?
How is the agriculture in Latvia? Is it big compared to Norway? How big are the tractors you use in your country?
Are the women in Latvia pretty? Are they as pretty as the women from Norway?
Marius.
I was surprised when I read about yodel as Latvian folk music. Yodeling absolutely is something very interesting and special in the Alps, in Austria, but not in Latvia. Our folk music is like traditional songs about latvian people life centuries ago. But you are right about most of other things. There are beautiful lakes, quite big cities and trouts. :)
About our price level - I haven' t been in other countries to compare, but I think prices are little bit higher in Latvia than other places.
I'm not so well informed about agricultural technique in Latvia, but I sure know, that we use best tractors who comes from Norway.
And if about girls in Latvia. Some says that here is the most beautiful girls in Europe. But you will have chance to see yourself.
Signe.
:)
About womens in Latvia, I dont know how pretty are womans in Norway, but I can say for sure in Latvia womans are very prety!
I dont think that in Latvia clothes are too expensive (actualy, it depends where you by clothes), but I realy dont know how much money you spend for clothes in Norway!
I dont know a lot about agriculture in Latvia, but I can tell what kind of tractors use in Latvia, we use : VALTRA, CLAAS, JOHN DEERE... (ofcourse there are some other tractors but these are most popular in Latvia.)
Voldemārs
Hi, im excited to get to Latvia and see how the cultue is down there.
Questions:
1. How is the standard down there? (smiltene)
2. What can I expect?
3. How is your school?
Well, our standard is good, you don't have to worry about anything.
You can expect a great experience, new friends, having a wonderful time, probably you will learn some new things and a lot of other things. :)
Personally I think that our school is very sunny, cosy, of course it is small, but it really doesn't matter.
Linda
We were commissioned to write back to you about the things we expect and ask questions if there is anything we would like to know. The only expectation I got is that it is not gowing to be a fulpacked program and no time for ourselves in the evenings. My question is how many stores are there in Smiltene?
Looking forward to meeting you. :)
I can tell you that we have quite many shops.
We have like 5 or 6 food and other stuffs.. We have cloth shops, sports shop and many other..
Alvis
I can tell you that we have quite many shops.
We have like 5 or 6 shops with food and other stuffs.. We have cloth shops, sports shop and many other..
Alvis
I think that you will have some free time and then we probably will show our town and then you can see how we spend our free time.
Personally, I think there is a lot of them and in different kinds.
Dainis
So, I wonder a bit about how the nature in Latvia is like? Is it a lot of woods, mountains or lakes or anything special?
And of course, what do you eat? Is there like something that is only in Latvia (typical Latvian?) or do you eat things that you can buy in the whole world?
How's your teachers in your school like? Nice and kind, or very strict?
I think our country is beautiful. Well, OK its highest "mountain" is 311 meters high above sea level, but we have lot of forests and lakes. Our longest river is Gauja and it's length is 452 kilometers. Our flattest waterfall is Ventas rumba and it's also flattest waterfall in Europe, too.
Of course we also eat things what we can buy in whole world, but very typical Latvian food is black bread. It is baked from rye-flour.
Most of our teachers are nice and can teach thing well. Of course few teachers are strict, too, but I think they are also a good teachers.
I'm so exciting that you all will come to Latvia. I'm sure that you will learn a lot of new about our country and school.
In Latvia is lot of woods and lakes, but mountains are't so many. People in Latvia eat different types of food, example - potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, meat, cucumbers and of course different fruits like apples, bannanas, oranges, plums, strawberries etc. Our teachers is great, sometimes they are nice and kind, sometimes they are strict too.
All the best and see you soon!
Lāsma
My expectations to Latvia is that it is something new to see, something that we don't have in Norway.
The colture is mabe different to our coulture in Norway.
One of my first expectations are that Latvian people are very cind to other people.
Qestion:
1. How are you?
2. Why do you latvian people want us to come?
3.What is yours expections to us as guest?
4. is it good food down there?
-V
I think that your expectations will be successfully achieved ;)
1. I am fine, thanks for asking! :)
2. Because it is an great experience and opportunity to make new friends in other country, and new knowledge about the other country. :)
3. We expect that you will be friendly and talkative, and open for all the new things and activities. :)
4. Yes, I personally think it is, especially because of our new school canteen. :)
Looking forward to see you!
Linda