Lost in translation

Hi there,

I have spent the last two blogs catching up and dwelling on some of the things that have happened to us, but thought this memory might make you smile before I move on to more current happenings,

I am sure many people who have lived in a foreign country have suffered from the problem I have expressed in the title of this week's blog. "Lost in translation". Most times things can be sorted with a little patience and explanation, let me see if I can tell you what I mean.

Some time ago a friend asked Valerie and me if we would like to go on a boat trip, the teachers from the school were going and there was room for us if we wanted to go. Well, of course, we would love to go thinking it’s just what we could do with, an afternoon leisurely drifting down the river Memele. You need to be at school at such and such a time our friend said and I’ll tell them you'll be there.

Great, it was a beautiful day, sun shining with just a gentle cooling breeze as we climbed aboard the bus that would take us to a village of Kurmene where our trip was to start.

A view of the river Memele in Kurmene.
(Picture fromVecumnieki .lv)

I might point out here that our friend was not among the group, and at this point alarm bells should have started to ring.

Everyone was in high spirits as we made the twenty-five-minute journey to our starting point and the coach pulled up in a narrow country lane opposite a track that led to the river, and having unloaded his passengers our driver sped off to await our arrival at the end of our trip in the village of Skaistkalne. There was a distinct buzz of anticipation in the air as we all made our way down the track and as we rounded the last bend the full extent of our “Boat trip” became clear.

We were expecting a boat! but I guess we did have a choice,
a red and white or yellow and green canoe.

"There's canoes"!!! Valerie cried out, ( now she hates the water and water sport of any sort, except for perhaps the University boat race,) But what could we do, the bus had gone, our friends were all climbing into the canoes after of course putting on life jackets and calling for everyone to follow as they set off. I can tell you it took all my power of persuasion to even get Valerie into a life jacket and sat in the one remaining canoe. Oh how many times have I heard the Latvian phrase “bus labi” and it was with these words ringing in our ears we were pushed out into the river and were on our way.

Bus labi Valerie.

 I was in the front with Valerie behind me and all was going well until I had a cramp in my hip, talk about agony, and there was nowhere to stretch my legs. So ten minutes in we were heading for the bank to change places, this in itself was no mean feat believe you me. As we set off once again we caught up with some of the rest of our group who were experiencing their own set of problems so that made us feel a little better (not a lot though)

Our friends waited until we were on our way.

Someone had said when I asked at the start of our journey “ How deep is it”? ( any water that comes over my knees is deep) oh not very deep, so when I put my paddle down into the water and couldn’t touch the bottom I knew it was DEEP. Added to this in places the water was quite fast and in places large boulders came close to the surface and could only be seen when we were almost on top of them, we did in fact hit a couple which really raised our heart rate.

While the rest of the group headed off down the river. 

To reassure Valerie, I told her it won't be long before we can see the end of our journey, I was working on the idea that from our starting point to the finish was ten minutes by car not far at all, what I hadn’t taken into account was the river doesn't follow the road but takes a more meandering course.

Don't worry Valerie I'm sure the end is just
round the next bend.

Finally after what seemed a lifetime ( but was nearer two and a half hours) we rounded the last bend and joined our friends for a well-earned rest, and as we were the eldest in the group were very proud of our effort and all in all, it was a beautiful trip with lovely scenery,

The scenery was beautiful

A boat trip it certainly was not!!

They say every picture tells a story, I was cream crackered

I think everyone was glad to rest and relax at the end of
what was really a great day out.
Would we do it again? Not on your Nellie!

Oh yes last time I promised to tell you the result of the garden competition, well I am happy to tell you that we won and were presented with an illuminated award, a conifer tree and three bags of compost plus a bale of peat. We were so happy that all of our hard work had paid off.

Our garden competition award which now
takes pride of place in our sitting room.

And if you are wondering what "bus labi" means well it's a phrase we hear quite a lot and is simply "it will be fine" 

 

My hymn to finish this week is one that many will remember firstly from school days at Uckfield CS school I think it was the most chosen hymn when class’s took assembly and it was OK to sing a hymn, have a bible reading and say a prayer. Boy how things have changed.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways; reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find, in deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust like theirs who heard, beside the Syrian sea, the gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word, rise up and follow thee.
O sabbath rest by Galilee, O calm of hills above, where Jesus knelt to share with thee the silence of eternity, interpreted by love!
Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace.
Breathe through the heats of our desire thy coolness and thy balm; let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire, O still, small voice of calm.