Letonia/Latvia/La Lettonie

Am trait zilele acestea intr-o tara unica, cu oameni deosebiti.
Traind in Romania, ajungi sa ai o imagine deformata asupra lumii in care traiesti. Ajungi sa crezi ca toata lumea e hidoasa, diforma, interesata si meschina. Si ca nu mai este nici o speranta.
Pentru mine, speranta aceasta a revenit odata cu descoperirea Letoniei.
Letonia e o mica bijuterie: o imensa padure, marginita de Baltica, o mare cu superbe nuante de albastru si verde si cu el mai alb si fin nisip pe care vi l-ati putea imagina. Exista autostrada, orasele sunt cochete si foarte curate iar capitala, Riga, este pur si simplu splendida, cu un oras medieval foarte bine intretinut, cu oameni linistiti, fara aglomeratie, fara traficul infernal cu care incepem noi sa ne obisnuim aici...
In Letonia se schimba anotimpurile si aerul miroase a padure. Pamantul e reavan si apele tasnesc la orice pas.
Letonia are sigur legatura cu paradisul pierdut.
In curand pe blog, documentarul pe care l-am realizat cu aceasta ocazie si pe care tocmai il montez.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Je viens de vivre ces jours dans un pays unique, aux hommes spéciaux.
En vivant en Roumanie, on commence à avoir une image déformée du monde où l'on vit. On commence à croire que le monde est hideux, difforme, intéressé et mesquin. Et qu'il n'y a plus d'espoir.
Pour moi cet espoir est revenu avec la découverte de la Lettonie.
La Lettonie, c'est un petit joyau: une forêt immense, bordée par la Baltique, une mer aux superbes nuances de bleu et de vert et avec le sable le plus fin et le plus blanc qui puisse exister. Il y a une autoroute, les villes sont coquettes et très propres et la capitale, Riga, est purement et simplement splendide, avec une cité médiévale très bien entretenue, avec des gens tranquilles, sans agglomération, sans ce trafic infernal avec lequel on commence malheureusement à s'habituer ici...
En Lettonie les saisons se succèdent et l'air sent les bois. La terre est moelleuse et l'eau jaillit de partout.
La Lettonie a des liaisons sans doute avec le paradis perdu.
A venir, sur ce blog, le documentaire que j'ai réalisé avec cette occasion et que je suis en train de monter.

La Lettonie sur la toile / Latvia on the net

Art and Culture:
Latvian Institute - www.li.lv/en
Guide to Latvian Museums - www.muzeji.lv/index_e.html
Latvian Material Culture - http://ai1.mii.lu.lv/kultura/lk02.htm
Latvian National Opera - www.lmuza.lv/opera/
Music in Latvia - www.music.lv/en/
Folksong Festival & Cultural Guide - www.culture.lv/en/
Art Nouveau Architecture of Riga - http://vip.latnet.lv/ArtNouveau/en/default.htm
AmberSea Art Gallery - www.ambersea.lv/
Traditional Latvian Foods - www.latviatravel.info/fact/food/
Latvian Cinema - www.latfilma.lv/
Calendar of 2008 Cultural Events in Latvia - www.mfa.gov.lv/en/latvia/culture-events-2008/



History of Latvia:
National History Museum of Latvia - www.history-museum.lv/english/pages/majas.php
Latvian Institute History Profile - www.li.lv/en/?id=16
Library of Congress Country Studies Profile - http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/lvtoc.html
Historical Overview - http://site.yahoo.com/vestnieciba/hisoflatbrie.html
Occupation Museum of Latvia - www.occupationmuseum.lv/
History, Geography & Society - www.randburg.com/lv/location.html
Teutonic/Germanic Knights - www.balticsww.com/Crusaders.htm
Historical Timeline - www.balticsworldwide.com/tourist/latvia/history.htm
Jewish History of Latvia - www.rumbula.org/history_of_latvian_jewry.htm
Virtual Jewish History Tour of Latvia - www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Latvia.html



General Information:
US Department of State Profile - www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5378.htm
BBC Latvia Profile - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1106666.stm
CIA Factbook: Latvia - www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/lg.html
National Symbols of Latvia - www.li.lv/old/symbols.htm
Latvian Resources Online - http://vlib.iue.it/history/europe/latvia.html
Latvia Facts - www.worldinfozone.com/facts.php?country=Latvia
Welcome to Latvia - http://www.lv/
The Livonian People - http://homepage.mac.com/uldis/livonia/livonia.html
Encarta: Latvia Profile - http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577313/Latvia.html
Latvia & Latvian Heritage - www.latvians.com/en/index.php



Latvian Language:
Latvian Language - www.nvtc.gov/lotw/months/december/Latvian.html
Greetings and Phrases - www.codefusion.com/latvian/greetings/greetings.html
Business Terms - http://ai1.mii.lu.lv/valoda/termini1.htm
Learn Latvian - http://europa.eu.int/youth/studying/language_learning/index_lv_en.html
Online Latvian-English Dictionary - www.ectaco.co.uk/English-Latvian-Dictionary/
Latvian Language Facts - www.languagehelpers.com/languagefacts/latvian.html
Babblefish Translator - http://babblefish.com/babblefish/language_dict.htm
Baltic Language Computer Software - www.deksoft.com/index.shtml



Organizations:
American-Latvian Association - www.alausa.org
American-Latvian Youth Association - www.alausa.org
World Federation of Free Latvians - www.pbla.lv/English.htm
Latvians Online - www.latviansonline.com
Baltic-American Freedom League - www.bafl.com
Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies - www.balticstudies-aabs.lanet.lv/aabs.html



Academics/Education:
University of Latvia - www.lu.lv/eng
Latvian Academy of Sciences - www.lza.lv/subjind.htm
Baltic Institute Summer School - http://biss.va.lv/
U of Washington Latvian Studies - http://depts.washington.edu/scand/latvia.html
Kent State U Latvian Studies - http://as.kent.edu/latvian
U of Wisconsin Latvian/Baltic Studies - www.uwec.edu/CIE/sac/program/riga.htm
U of Minnesota Fellowship in Latvian-American Studies - www.ihrc.umn.edu/stories/endw-ala.htm



Latvian Communities in the US & Canada:
Chicago Latvians - www.cikaga.com/
Indianapolis Latvians - www.indylatvians.com
Michigan Latvians - http://saites.org/
New York Latvians - www.nylatvian.org/
Northern California Latvians - www.lvnc.org/index.html
Toronto, Canada Latvians - www.latviancentre.org/
Florida Latvians - http://latvia-florida.org/custom3.html
Weekly online journal for US & Canadian Latvians - http://latviansonline.com/



Latvian Television:
Latvian State Television - www.ltv.lv/lat/
TV Broadcasts From Latvia: Eurosports; STV; TV 24 news (you will need Windows MediaPlayer software) - http://wwitv.com/
TV 5 Live Feed (you will need Windows Media Player software) - mms://159.148.95.4/live_tv5
LNT (Independent) TV - www.tvnet.lv/onlinetv/lnt/
Archive of TV Broadcasts - www.tv.lv/



Latvian Radio:
Latvian State Radio: "Radio Latvia" - www.radio.org.lv/
Live Radio from Latvia - www.surfmusic.de/lettland.htm
9 Radio Stations from Latvia - www.radiotower.com/
21 Live Radio Stations from Latvia - www.live-radio.net



Latvian Newspapers & Magazines:
Diena News Daily - www.diena.lv
Baltic Times (in English) - www.baltictimes.com
Daily Newspaper Online - www.nra.lv/
Rigas Laiks Monthly Magazine - www.rigaslaiks.lv/
Links to Latvian Newspapers - www.onlinenewspapers.com/latvia.htm
News/Media Links - www.kidon.com/media-link/lv.php
News Links by City/Region - www.abyznewslinks.com/latvi.htm



Investing and Doing Business in Latvia:
Investment and Development Agency of Latvia - www.liaa.gov.lv/
Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry - www.chamber.lv/
Latvian Import/Export Directory - www.exim.lv/pls/eximmain/exim_foreign
Statistical Bureau of Latvia - www.csb.lv/avidus.cfm
American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia - www.amcham.lv/index.php
World Bank Latvia Economic Profile - www.doingbusiness.org/ExploreEconomies/Default.aspx?economyid=108