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.
Source: Ljubljanawithyourdog.com
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.

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.



Source: Kasjauns.lv
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.
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:


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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