New members of the Latvia forum, introduce yourself here

Hello everyone!

I'm Gustavo, from Portugal. I've been visiting Latvia regularly since 2012, but living definitely in Riga with my girlfriend since past November. I'm a freelance visual artist / archaeologist slowly growing roots in Latvia and the experience is going very well, meeting a lot of nice and interesting people. I'm usually a bit away from the expat forums but will try to visit them a bit more regularly in the future

Welcome aboard gus-ms !

your experience of life in Latvia will definitely be appreciated here

Please do not hesitate to participate on the forum, you could help a lot of people

All the best,

Julien

(nice portofolio by the way)

Hello everyone, I am Prince, a Cameroonian national. My country Cameroon is a bilingual nation as such I'm both English and French speaking, but I feel more comfortable expressing myself in English as I hail from the "Anglophone" region. I am coming over to Latvia-Riga for my post graduate studies and would be most grateful for all the aid and information I can get with respect to my relocation.
My previous traveling experience are: Kenya, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia. This would be my first time of traveling to Europe and Latvia to be precise.

Thanks

Thanks for the warm welcome, Julien! I will do so

Welcome to Europe and to Latvia, Prince! Hope you like it in here!

Hey guys, I'm so grateful for your prompt response. My primary concern at the moment is with respect to accommodation. Can someone keep me updated with the cost of getting a room in the city of Riga.

Thanks

Thanks a million Gustavo.

Hi
I moved here 3 weeks ago, I'm Jess, 28 from London.  I've joined my fiance who is living here in preparation for a job focussed on Russia and the former USSR back in the UK. We're here for approximately a year. I'm teaching a bit of English and attempting a novel, plus improving very basic Russian and learning Latvian.
Jess x

Welcome to Latvia Jess!
Are you having language courses or is it on your own?

I'm trying to teach myself Latvian, but am having some Russian lessons with a girl I know!  It's very confusing to try and learn two languages at once.....

Hi,

My name is Melanie. I will be moving to Latvia this summer in August, after I graduate with my MA from a university in Lithuania. I look forward to the overall experience. I am from the United States. I am learning some Lithuanian, Latvian, Swedish, Russian and Hmong at the moment. I would be grateful for any advice offered to me. Thanks!

Hi, Gustavo
Glad to meet you. I'm a graphic & type designer from Egypt. just moved to Riga for study after living for few years in India. Would be nice to follow up art/design-related happenings in Riga. perhaps you would be interested to exchange some experience
Cheers.
Taph.

This is hapras from INDIA
I am not a expat yet
I would like to migrate to Latvia

Thank you

Hi all!,

My name is Nic, im a kiwi.
I work internationally as an officer on super yachts and my girlfriend is Latvian.
Been coming here on and off over the past 3 years. Starting to want to put some roots down here and buy an apartment in the near future. Looking forward to having some friendly faces around Riga I can connect with when im in town.

Cheers

(moderated: off topic)

Hi, Im Zane, been living outside of Latvia for quite a while and just now returned back and feel a bit as an outsider and still a bit of a tourist ha ha, and to be honest missing some english language, and some friends in Riga, so if any one, lets be friends ha ha

HI ZANE;i am coming to latvia soon.hope to meet you

dajhani

Hi,

I am Suraj( It means Sun )
I am a software professional with 6 years of experience in IT Business Analysis. I studied Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology.
I planning to study at RTU(Masters in Business Informatics) or Turiba Univeristy(Master of Business Administration).
I looking forward to meet the students and  IT professionals in Latvia and learn Latvian.

Thanks & Regards,
Suraj

Hi, my name is Manny (Mani) from India, Chennai. I am going to be there in February 2015 to start my PG in Audio Visual Media Arts-Riseba University. I like to explore and learn the best from Latvia. I hope I will get some nice tips and useful information from here.

Labdien All   

I am planning to move to Riga with my partner early next year.

I have lived abroad in mostly big cities such as Sydney, London and I have been living in Amsterdam for the past 5 yrs.

I am from New Zealand and there is something about Latvia that reminds me of home.  I am very much looking forward to it, also very curious about life there particularly for people in the same situation.

I have many questions, however will shorten the list as best I can..
1. What are the good schools to learn Latvian and not too expensive?  This would be my first priority.
2. Are there other females that have moved for their man out there?  In my research so far, I could only see one.
3.  Is it easy to find professional english speaking jobs?  I have a mixed bag of skills IT Project Management and also can teach yoga! 


Paldies

Christina

Hi,

I was origionally born and raised in Latvia, but moved to UK when I was 13 years old. I have educated (GCSE's, A-Levels, Bachelor Degree in Business Management & Finance) and worked in the UK in different sectors such as sales, recruitment, consultancy and customer service. I also worked for companies of different sizes both FTSE 250 and SME's including market leader in recruitment industry - Hays plc. I am fluent in English and Russian.

I am now planning to relocate back to Latvia. Any suggestions for job opportunities? I do not speak Latvian.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thank you

Anastasija

Hi Cristina,
Let me welcome you to Latvia
About your questions - learning Latvian offers couple of language schools and there is government made online program for free available. My suggestion - stick to those courses what offers Latvian University (they are most experienced)  or take a private teacher. 
Jobs in English - there are quite many shared service centers  in Riga mostly for banks and It company's, there you would find a more international environment as well.
Are there many expacts following their family's to Latvia - no I don't think so.  My husband is Italian and he finds it to be hard to find friends who  would not be single (as single ones are mostly willing to go to night clubs and womanise there ) But it is not impossible, as in my work there are such persons who came to Latvia because of family.

Sounds great but I am English and three years ago came to Latvia. Jobs here pay so little that all youth have left to find work and the population is down to under one million people.Winter is so hard and down to 36 C below. The roads are just dirt and sand and if no Latvian language you are no good here as the ones that remain speak nothing else. Only the youth have any English and they are in USA,Sweden and UK. Latvia is great in summer and very sad in the freezing snow. I think England has the edge on all things and my advise is to come now for a holiday and bring your skies. Sorry that is my best advice.I have two degrees in English grammar and history of law. No one gave me a chance and I have learned the language to about average. That is the position.I took early retirement as my only option.I also write for Amazon Kindle.Kevins Kitchen. Time Detective.and Kevins Kitchen two are my books on line.

Hi everyone!  My name is  Virginia, 44yrs old from Philippines a single mother of 2 kids. Never been married. I have a latvian national boyfriend but living in UK. We are 1yr and 4 months now. He went to visit me in my country nov. 2013. I met him through internet and already 2yrs seperated with ex wife. Now he is working on their British citizenship as a family and after that he plan to work on his divorse papers. We are planning to get married as soon as papers are done. He thought of getting me as fiancee or spouse from latvia as he cant meet financial requirements of UK govt. He is willing to go back to Latvia to easily get me and start a family. I joined your group so I could get ideas and informations to get my papers done. Thank you!

Hello Everyone, I am thinking to visit Latvia next year, any suggestions of places to visit in Riga?

Hi,
For starter, can you please specify the time of year and the duration of your visit  because the possible recommendations may vary a lot depending of it?

Hi Undine, It will probably be during Summer, I do not see me going on Holiday to any country if it is winter there unless it is winter of around +24 degrees haha I will not stay too long, the maximum days off from work is one month. So that will be it Thanks in advance for any information

Hello everyone,

Just a quick reminder that this thread is reserved for the introductions of new members only. It would be great if we could avoid being off-topic here.

If you have any questions or any other topic you wish to discuss about, please feel free to create a new thread on the Latvia forum.

Shaazia
Expat.com Team

Hi everyone

My name is Amy, I've never been to Latvia yet but my Grandfather was Latvian and I am trying to trace any remaining family for my mother. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for how I might go about getting my granddad's letters which are written in Latvian translated to English?

Hi Nic, I am Ricardo from Spain and my case is similar to yours. My girlfriend is latvian and it is also about 3 years that I come and go to and from Latvia. Now I am settled in Riga and I am looking forward to knowing foreigners in order to share some experiences in this country and to speak some "understandable language" from time to time.

[moderated : Please do not share personal contact infos on a public forum for security reasons]

Best wishes,

Ricardo

Hi I'm Alessandro, i'm working for an italian "full service digital agency" as business partnership manager.
Next week i will come in Riga for business. I would very happy to close partnership there and talk with people who are already working in this area.
Thank you
Alessandro

Hello, my name is Baronet Kevin James Parr. I came to Latvia some three years since to build us a house and home.My other half is Latvian born and we met in Hereford UK six years ago. I had no reason to leave my country but to please her I did. Here I spent all my savings on the house and gardens and was forced to take my Army pension early to help with costs. We had perhaps the very worst of winters in our first year here and the house no where near insulated and we cooked on a log fire. Now we a have most things but a bathroom as yet. I am waiting for my British State Pension this year to help finish off the home. I kept back a bit of hard cash until then. My real problem is my English car that I cannot legally use. I did not think that no one would insure it here when I drove it over. Building all day and half of the night for that last three years one forgets to drive. Now it is in sacks over it inside and I need a left hand drive car soon. If trade would buy my car to sell in England and give me allowance to buy another this may work. Otherwise everything is coming up roses and we have a house without a mortrgage. My house was taken by the National Trust in England so I had nothing to sell and rented. Latvia is my home now and I love it.

Hello, my name is Wayne and I was born and raised in England.
I visited Latvia a couple of months ago and was immediately taken in by the culture, architecture, the people and many other things! I finally realized what i want to do in life - to work and live in Latvia. I'm currently doing some self study to learn the Latvian language and will appreciate any tips or help anyone could give. I suppose I am uncertain of the aspect of getting a job over there as my qualifications are only up to college level (excluding CISCO) but I won't let that stop me so again, any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.
Anywho, it's nice to be here and nice to meet you all! Feel free to contact me if you just want to chat (:
Čau.

Hi All
I am Abdul Haseeb from Pakistan and i want to come Latvia for a job purpose
Best wishes,
Abdul Haseeb

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First of all im glad that i have found a forum at least to interact . I work as an IT professional in IT Infrastructures services want to work outside India  i dont know how this blog would help me hoping to get my break in Latvia as i heard they encourage and invite  Indian Folks for work to  in their country thanks to the people of Latvia.

Hello people's,
                         I'm Kennys from United kingdom,basically my wife and 2 children are in latvia for almost 1 year,her family's needed her to sort things out and take care of them,unfortunately the 2 people sadly past away,now she is there try to cope with all things on her own,iv decided to leave uk and move to latvia within the next 2 months,iv been there many times and love the country very much,my only problem is work as we will be liveing in the country and from my experience there is no job prospects around the area,anyway I'm comeing to latvia and will decide on my karma to put me in the right path to make my life with my children and wife.chau

Hello Kennys 

Welcome to Expat.com 

It's a good thing, you will get to be with your wife and children

I understand that it may be tough for a newcomer to find his ways in a new country but hopefully you will manage 

What you can do in the meantime, is to browse the website's sections on the upper green banner of the page so that to gather some informations.

Best of luck,
Bhavna

Hi,

My name is Milad. I will be moving to Latvia next spring in April. I look forward to the overall experience. I am from the Iran. there is any Persian in Latvia? and i need your advise for accommodation in Riga..
I would be grateful for any advice offered to me. Thanks a lot.