Easter in Riga: The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia

The last thing we visited while we were in Riga was the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia. The weather was fairly cooperative, and while it rained slightly, it was not pouring. We took the bus to go to this vast museum outside of Riga.

Donau-Panoramaweg: Leg 2 - Kelheim to Poikam (18 km)

I wanted to continue the Donau-Panoramaweg, which I started back in 2024. So for a week, I based myself again in Regensburg. And I picked up where I left off.

Easter in Riga: An Excursion to Jurmala

It was just early April, so definitely not yet beach weather. Nevertheless, we wanted to see the sea, so we went on a little day trip from Riga to Jurmala, which was a short train ride away.

Joseph Beer's Polnische Hochzeit

I rarely see operettas. But as I had an opportunity to see a rather rare one in Regensburg, I opted to get a ticket. And it was a fantastic show!

Georg Friedrich Händel's Alcina

It seems I am dipping my toes heavily into Baroque opera nowadays. In late May, I was temporarily in Regensburg for a holiday, and during that time, the Staatstheater Regensburg was producing this Late Baroque opera. I decided to see it, and I have to say, I absolutely enjoyed it, regardless of the fact that when my musical center of gravity leans heavily toward post-WWII avant-garde and spectralism. Intriguing, eh?

Easter in Riga: Latvian National Museum of Art

When I am in a new city, I tend to visit the local art museum. This allows me to see and get a glimpse of the local art. I did the same when we were in Riga, by visiting the Latvian National Museum of Art.

Book Review: The Passenger by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz

I finished this book quicker than I expected. Somehow, it was a page-turner, yet there were also areas which made me scratch my head.

They say that this book is one of the most remarkable, visceral pieces of literature to emerge from the onset of the Holocaust. What sets it apart from many other works on the era is its staggering immediacy: Boschwitz wrote the novel in a frantic four-week fever dream immediately following the Kristallnacht pogroms of November 1938. Because it wasn't written decades later with the benefit of historical hindsight, it captures the psychological terror, confusion, and eerie social claustrophobia of that exact moment with the terrifying accuracy of a live broadcast. And perhaps this is the dimension that made it a page-turner for me, but at the same time, I find it rather hard to sympathise with the main character. After all, Otto Silbermann seems to only care about his money, all the way to the very end.

Easter in Riga: Art Nouveau Museum of Riga

One of the other things we visited in Riga was the Art Nouveau Museum. This is the only museum in the Baltic states dedicated entirely to the heritage of Art Nouveau (known locally as Jūgendstils). Opened in 2009, the museum provides an immersive look into how the wealthy residents of Riga lived during the height of the movement at the beginning of the 20th century, a period when roughly one-third of the buildings in the city center were designed in this ornate style.

No Flights Booked

Somehow I am in a rare period. Most of the time, I have a flight booked for sometime in the future. But somehow, nowadays I have been planning trips that use the train instead, and so I actually have no future flights booked for the time being. This is a weird feeling, I have to say.

Easter in Riga: House of the Blackheads

We visited perhaps what is arguably the most recognizable landmark in Riga's Old Town. Located prominently in Town Hall Square, the House of the Blackheads is celebrated for its opulent architecture and a resilient history that mirrors the story of Latvia itself.

Berliner Mauerweg: Warschauer Strasse to Schönefeld (19 km)

I continued the Berliner Mauerweg. And this is the leg when I finally get out of the city centre.

Easter in Riga: The Cathedral of Riga

So we ended up exploring the Cathedral of Riga.

Olga Neuwirth's Orlando

Somehow, I ended up getting a ticket for Orlando (2019), which is a "music-theatre in 19 scenes," based on the 1928 novel by Virginia Woolf. It was produced recently in the Komische Oper Berlin, and was a multimedia explosion that transcends traditional genre boundaries. Komische Oper said it was a queer sci-fi hybrid grand opera, so I was curious.

Salome

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine and I went to the Schaubühne to see Salome by Einar Schleef, based on the version by Oscar Wilde. I knew the biblical story, so more or less I knew what the plot was about. Hence, I was able to focus on the content and the staging. And I have to say, it was intense!

Easter in Riga: Exploring the Old Town

So, we arrived in Riga. We arrived late at night, so we just plopped dead into our bed once we checked in. But the day after, we started exploring. Of course, we started at the Old Town.

Book Review: The End of Eddy by Édouard Louis

I read this book and found it rather gripping. I have to say I enjoyed it.

The End of Eddy is a 2014 autobiographical novel by Édouard Louis. It became a major literary sensation in France and internationally, serving as a raw, unflinching examination of class, masculinity, and the struggle to escape one's environment. The story follows Eddy Bellegueule (the author's birth name) growing up in a poverty-stricken village in Picardy, Northern France. From a young age, Eddy is perceived as "different": his mannerisms and voice are seen as effeminate, which makes him a target for relentless bullying and violence in a community that prizes a rigid, aggressive form of traditional masculinity. The title has a dual meaning: it refers to the literal end of his childhood identity and his metaphorical "killing" of his past self to reinvent himself as Édouard Louis.

Easter in Riga

Earlier this year, we decided to do a small getaway outside of Germany. We took the opportunity that came with the Easter holidays: Friday and Monday was a holiday, so we thought we could find a destination where we would be flying out of Berlin on a Thursday evening, and come back on Monday evening. After a little bit of research, we settled on Riga. Research told us that this would be a place where things are nevertheless open regardless of the fact that it was a public holiday. So we made plans.

Year 22

Wow, I am starting my 22nd year of blogging!

Interludes from Chinese Class: Wangjiang Pavilion Park

It was time to leave Chengdu. I had a flight that was scheduled to leave Chengdu just a little after midnight, so that meant I had the entire day to myself when I checked out of my hotel. After having a leisurely breakfast, I slowly packed my bags and checked out. And after doing so, I explored Chengdu for the last time. I ended up in Wangjiang Pavilion Park.

Bernstein, McTee, Barber, and Copland

I recently was in the Philharmonie again, this time to listen to the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin perform a quintessential "Americana" program. However, for someone who leans toward the post-WWII avant-garde (Xenakis, Grisey, Lachenmann) and the "Hard Minimalism" of Reich and Andriessen, this program presented me with an interesting tension. It balanced the "Great American" populist sound with high-octane virtuosity and contemporary living voices. While I didn't enjoy all four pieces equally, I still had a great time that evening.