The story of how I became one of the members of the heavy metal - or rather rock - band "RumStoned". In fact what I want to tell is the story of a lovely, successful corporate event that was thematic, carefully planned, interactive - with almost everyone participating, including from all regional offices - and that generated a great deal of positive emotion.
Who knows how it is in France - the cradle of Museum Night - but in Latvia this event always falls during the blossoming of bird cherry and chestnut trees. The breath of spring drifts through the air and crowds move through Riga's streets, especially through Old Riga, seeking new impressions, new acquaintances, new information.
Long awaited was this festival, for November's cold, damp and dark evenings were crying out for some colourful beam of light. Yesterday evening was reasonably warm and pleasant for a walk, though wrapped in fog and fine drizzle. Riga's centre was overflowing with crowds who seemed to wander haphazardly through the central streets.
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At Michaelmas they say the winter gates are now open - meaning that from this day one must expect the cold to begin. Michaelmas is usually celebrated on 29 September, but this year on 25 September the Michaelmas Fair in Old Riga - on Dome Square and Town Hall Square - took place bathed in warm sunshine, and nothing at all suggested the approach of a harsh winter. Though wise folk say that an autumn as bountiful as this year's will certainly bring a winter equally bountiful and harsh.
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Tonight - do it yourself, take part, for it's White Night - Contemporary Culture Forum 2010 in Riga. The dominant aftertaste after observing several visual installations and sound and movement performances: rummaging through old junk and one's own subconscious. We managed to visit only three locations - Survival Kit 2 on Miera Street, the VEF complex, and Andrejsala. One thing is clear: art objects are created by the dark and the light demon that lives within the artist. What is inside comes out. Both carry an extraordinarily powerful energy, and both could be felt that night.
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Although yesterday the rather unfriendly fine drizzle prevented us from fully enjoying all the festival events, we did attend several of them, and it was interesting - aerobatic display flights, a puppet procession, a retro car parade, an artisans' market, a show at the Small Guild, an open house day at the Russian Drama Theatre, and of course the fireworks.
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Today, 10 July, the festival "Dunamunde 2010" took place at Daugavgrīva Fortress, with the participation of 15 military history clubs from Latvia, Russia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland. Walking through the camps set up on the fortress grounds, visitors could explore history from mediaeval knightly tournaments and the battles of the Great Northern War and the Napoleonic Wars, right through to the First World War. Many tried their hand at shooting with a bow, crossbow, and musket.
Of the promised delicacies, what was to be found were the culinary secrets of Sardinia - who else but Roberto to prepare and serve them. There were also nuts - whether from India itself, I couldn't say.
It must be said straight away that the name "festival" has been taken rather too boldly. To even notice this so-called festival, you have to enter and exit the "Gastronome" department of the mc2 shopping centre almost twice. Ordinary shop business-as-usual. The pastries, though, were perfectly fine - delicious, in fact.
Today on the second floor of the Nature Museum we visited the annual rabbit and other pet exhibition, open from 24 to 28 February and organised by the Latvian Small Animal Breeders' Association "Rabbit and Others". We looked at, photographed, and filmed all the exhibits - here is a glimpse of the event.