AN INTERVIEW WITH SKRIVANEK TRAINEE ELISAVETA SLOBODYANIK FROM GERMANY
1. TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF – WHERE ARE YOU FROM, WHAT ARE YOU STUDYING, WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?
My name is Elisaveta, but everyone calls me Liz. I come from a small village in Germany, and while studying to become an office manager and management assistant in an investment company, the opportunity to do my internship abroad in Latvia came about.
2. WHY HAVE YOU DECIDED TO DO YOUR INTERNSHIP IN LATVIA?
My vocational school offers internships in different countries, and I was lucky enough to end up in Latvia.
3. DO YOU ENJOY BEING A PART OF THE SKRIVANEK TEAM?
I really like the team, especially my supervisors Agnese and Rasma, who are very friendly and helped me to settle in quickly.
4. HAVE YOU TRIED TO LEARN A LITTLE LATVIAN AND DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT OR EASY?
I speak fluent Russian and I thought that would help me understand Latvian, but I was wrong. Latvian is completely different from any other language I know, but I memorised some words very quickly. For example, “paldies”. However, it is not an easy language.
5. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN RIGA/LATVIA?
I really like Riga, because even as the capital it’s not overwhelmingly big. It’s very easy to memorise the streets and recognise your whereabouts. I also really like Bolt and the public transport services here in Latvia. It’s easy to get to your destination by car or public transport.
6. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN RIGA/LATVIA?
I would say that every that I’ve been to in Riga will always remain in my heart. Every shopping centre, restaurant, café, bar and club that I have visited while living in Riga was very special.
7. WHAT SURPRISED YOU WHILE LIVING IN RIGA/LATVIA?
Several buildings surprised me, both in a good and not so good way. Riga has beautiful architecture, but some buildings are completely run down. It was also very surprising that there was so much rain and wind in Riga during the time I lived here, that even the locals said it wasn’t usual. I was also surprised that you can have a meal in a restaurant for a very affordable price.
8. HAVE YOU TRIED LATVIAN FOOD AND WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON IT?
We went to Lido once, where they serve traditional Latvian food, and I loved it. We also tried some real Latvian food at a café near the company where two of my group members worked. They had really delicious and authentic Latvian food.
9. HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR FREE TIME HERE?
We visited every shopping centre in Riga, which there are plenty of. Of course, we did other things too, like watching a game of football (Latvia: Armenia), basketball (Riga: Istanbul), visiting cafés, bars and clubs. We partied quite a lot, but there were also quiet evenings of playing pool, football or singing karaoke in our student accommodation.
10. WHAT’S THE AFTER YOUR INTERNSHIP?
My plan is to pass the first part of my final exam as soon as I get back to Germany. And then try to get back to normal and not miss Riga too much.
You can also read an interview with Lorenzo Pellegrini from Italy.
