Thu 24/07/08 06:15

So it’s day four in Riga and I’m starting to feel like I’m wasting my time here. I don’t really know what to do, should I wait for my debit card until tomorrow, or go get a cash advance on my credit card and continue on with my vacation? I know the answer to the question, I’ll wait until Friday (tomorrow) afternoon and if it’s not here then I’ll go to the bus station and just take any bus that gets me out of here.

So I went to the cafe to meet up with Maris and Sam today at noon. I get a cappuccino and sit back to watch the people go by. After about five minutes a woman at the next table asks if I speak Russian so I could help her translate an advertisement on the paper she was reading. I tell her I can’t, then she asks where I’m from, about 2 or 3 minutes later she invites me to her table.  I thank her but tell her that I’m waiting for some friends that should be here any moment. A beggar comes up to me asking for money, I shake my head and the beggar goes to the woman, the woman rattles off about 3 quick sentences in Russian… kind of strange that she needed me to translate that ad. So now I’m feeling a little uncomfortable in the situation… I mean, I’m more than just a piece of meat (I admit, a piece of really prime, good-looking meat) that can be wooed with some cheap pick-up line… I’d like to think so at least. Anyway I go and get another coffee and when I get back she asks me to buy her a beer. What!? I guess I am more than a piece of meat, I’m her beer-daddy, her beer meister. So I did what I always do in that type of situation, I go and buy her a beer. :) I have such a hard time being rude to people. After that I finished my coffee and excuse myself and came back to the hostel. Neither Sam or Maris showed up, I didn’t really think that they would since I didn’t show up yesterday.

It really makes you wonder about this place though. I mean every day I go to the square I get approached by someone, usually a regular, and usually I feel like they want something from me.

I warned people that my entries were going to get boring… did I lie?