Social Life in Ljubljana and Riga
Ljubljana is a
lively city, so it is almost impossible to avoid all the hustle and bustle and
not to be a part of the social life that is an inevitable part of it. The high number
of students and tourists has helped to shape a vibrant café, cultural and
nightlife scene. There is a similar situation in Riga, which is also located
along the river and additionally near the seaside. Yet it is also possible to
notice some differences in different spheres of the social life.
In Ljubljana,
pleasant weather provides various possibilities for culinary events, open-air
concerts and other events almost throughout the year, which provide an
abundance of opportunities to relax from the everyday hustle. Sitting on the
paved surfaces is especially popular around the river Ljubljanica, which has
broad stone steps alongside its riverbanks and where a lot of different cafés,
restaurants, bars and shops are located. Sometimes you can hear a loud
‘Opaaa!’. That is an indicator that Slovenians are having a drink or two in
their favourite pub. This call that originates from Greek language is a widely
used version of cheers. And some locals, as well as foreigners, choose to sit
right at the riverbanks.
Food, Dining & Drinks in Latvia (Accessed: http://www.safaritheglobe.com/latvia/culture/food-drinks/)
(Accessed: http://www.safaritheglobe.com/latvia/culture/food-drinks/)
Slovenia: Doing business & staying in touch. (Accessed: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/slovenia/business-communications)
Eastern Europe (Accessed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Europe)
List of Countries in Eastern Europe (Accessed: http://goeasteurope.about.com/od/easterneuropedestinations/ss/Countries-Of-Eastern-Europe.htm)
Is Slovenia a eastern European country or a western one? (Accessed: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090510063739AADEfMZ)
Source: Ljubljanawithyourdog.com |
The ritual of going
out or meeting people is different with each individual, but there are some
common traits you can spot. Foreigners in Ljubljana usually meet at one place
and just talk or listen to music. Sometimes people name a party after the food
they make, for example, ‘‘a pancake party’’. Occasionally, someone makes some
food, as for instance their national or traditional dish, and sometimes all the
partygoers make some finger food together. Food is always accompanied with a
glass of wine, juice or a soft drink. After the meal, they usually head to the
center to a club or a bar. Some of the most popular places for mainstream music
lovers are Klub Circus, Cutty Sark (named
after a Scotch whisky) and TOP Club.
While places like Metelkova, Orto bar
and Rog are favourites for
alternative music lovers. Usually, people tend to stay there until early morning
hours. On a weekday you can simply go out for a drink or a meal.
Furthermore, in
Slovenia it’s quite common to invite some friends to their place and have some
food already prepared. As far as gift giving is concerned, it is not really a
common practice, but a little practical present like a bottle of good wine is
very welcome. The Slovenians attend formal meetings punctually, however, in
non-formal meetings, they are usually not on time; moreover, it is normal to be
up to 10 minutes late. Topics that should better be avoided if you do not want
to get into a heated debate regard the comparison between Slovenia and some
former Yugoslavian countries as well as mentioning or talking about the World
War II. Another hot topic is the location of Slovenia - a lot of Slovenians prefer
to say that Slovenia is a Central European country, whereas other might think
that by saying that, Slovenians want to highlight that they are closer to the
Western rather than the Eastern world. Additionally, questions that are a bit
more personal or concern personal finance should not be discussed.
In some ways,
the social life in Riga is similar to Ljubljana’s. Riga has become highly
popular among tourists, especially Swedish and Norwegian tourists, who go there
mainly because of lower prices. The most popular places for those who like to
socialize in a busy environment are found in the Old Town, which has numerous
bars, cafés, bars and other places to spend the time. For those who prefer a more
peaceful lifestyle, a nearby Jurmala beach resort or lakes during the summer
time are a favourite.
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People in Riga also
often choose to stay at home with their closest friends and have, for example,
a movie or a game night. Normally, it is agreed beforehand if someone will cook
or if everyone should bring something to eat. Usually, everyone brings what he or
she will eat or drink and additionally something for the host. On the contrary
to Slovenia, the most important rule in Latvia is to arrive on time. Latvians
tend to be punctual and they like to arrive 5-10 minutes earlier than agreed.
Finance, politics and business are sensitive topics in a conversation due to
different historical (e.g., being part of the Soviet Union) and economic, historical
(e.g., the collapse of Latvian bank Parex)
events. Furthermore, how you dress and the overall outer appearance in most cases
is also important in Latvia. You can notice a more formal and conservative
attire in situations where people are expected to go out after they have a meal
at someone’s home. They like to look good as that means that you feel also more
confident. Women prefer to wear skirts and some blouse or a dress when they go
socializing. For men it is clothes with more neutral colours. Slovenians in
this case, especially men, draw less attention to the attire. When it comes to
meal, if it is homemade, Latvians usually drink soft drinks such as juices,
coffee, tea, birch juice and the like. Drinking wine or some other strong drink
with the main dish is not as popular as in Slovenia. In a non-formal or party
atmosphere, drinks in Latvia vary from the local drink from rye bread (maizes kvass), beer, wine, hard liquor
to vodka, whiskey, and others. One of the signs it’s time to leave is when
there is nothing left of the food or drinks. If everyone decides to continue
together, they mostly head to the Old Town after midnight, which offers
different entertainment for people of all ages at basically any time and day of
the week. Just before leaving home, many people like to visit a fast-food
restaurant. They have become highly popular due to low prices and the chance of
a quick meal. In the Old Town, some of them work until 4 a.m. Slovenians like to
eat something greasy before going home from a party, but their fast-food scene
is not that diverse and mostly you can get only burek, kebab, French fries,
pizzas, sandwiches, burgers and the like.
Socializing in
Ljubljana, as well as in Riga, is quite easy, mainly due to the many
opportunities to meet new people. Staying at home is also a rather pleasant
choice in both cities. Yet punctuality, dressing, eating, drinking and some
other bits of the social life indicate slight differences among the two places.
Riga is more influenced by the Western world and thus its lifestyle is more
hectic and includes numerous American habits like fast food restaurants. One of
the good things is that shops and other buildings have long working hours. Perhaps
with time, Ljubljana will also overtake some more Western world habits. In any
case, social life in both cities is vibrant and people of any age and
nationality can find things to do and mingle with new people.
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References:
Clubs and Nightclubs (Accessed: http://www.visitljubljana.com/en/activities/entertainment/15927/detail.html?encodedParam=poi#tabs)
Riga reveals (Accessed: http://www.local-life.com/riga)Food, Dining & Drinks in Latvia (Accessed: http://www.safaritheglobe.com/latvia/culture/food-drinks/)
(Accessed: http://www.safaritheglobe.com/latvia/culture/food-drinks/)
Slovenia: Doing business & staying in touch. (Accessed: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/slovenia/business-communications)
Eastern Europe (Accessed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Europe)
List of Countries in Eastern Europe (Accessed: http://goeasteurope.about.com/od/easterneuropedestinations/ss/Countries-Of-Eastern-Europe.htm)
Is Slovenia a eastern European country or a western one? (Accessed: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090510063739AADEfMZ)
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