So the government decides to raise the price of motorcycle registration. What do you do? How do you protest this unreasonable increase?? How about ride your motorbike into the Daugava river! One smart chap this morning, in a definite nod to the immortal Evel Knievel, decided to jump his bike over the railings and into the icey water. That'll show them we're serious!

The website for Riga's multi-million Lat tourism campaign went live today (Live Riga). Its seems that kept the same English copywriter/translator on for this project as well - see previous 'Hard to Live' debacle. The English is again embarrassingly awful. Every sentence seems to have a grammatical error. Every sentence is a test in comprehension. Every sentence makes me cringe and wonder how tourists are supposed to take Riga serious if they cant understand what the fuck is written about it. Three simple words for the creators of this site ( and Im also talking to you Šlesers and Ušakovs) - Native English Speaker. Its not hard, there's quite a few around town.

Heres a few gems if you havent got time to wade through the quagmire:

"...built in 14th century and rebuilt several times after war destructions."

"Near outskirts of Riga, in the end Brīvības gatve is located the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum...There you can find ethnical buildings"

"Gastronomy Art college and Green market of Latvian peasants will be situated here"

"Take a walk in the Old Riga and you will unfold fascinating little streets, that make you feel like in the 14th century!"

"The squares in green show beautiful buildings and give rest."

"...though the street itself is a real showplace of Art Noveau. Buildings of this style are scattered around the whole center of the city and the region of Pardaugava on the left cost of the Daugava"

"The Peter's church greets foreigners for centuries..."

"Riga – the capital of Christmas tree for 500 years"

"Judging by medieval manners we could imagine that furnishings were bands, dried flowers and fruit, straw puppets. "

"The “tree”, that could also be an “intallation” of wooden sticks, was the main attraction in the celebration house all along the Christmas time."

"...a colourful Christmas fair will welcome you with gingerbread, hot wine and tea, tuckers of Latvian national cuisine"

"In the middle of previous decade the little, but professionally managed zoological park regained the second breath. "

No explanation necessary...

I'll have the Sorrow soup and a side order of Melancholy, thanks.



FYI - supposed to be Sorrel soup

How many major cities in the world do you think have a beaver problem right in the middle of their city? The Riga canal that runs borders the Old Town currently is under attack by one eager beaver. He has already taken down one tree opposite the Opera House and judging from these photos he's getting more brazen in his choice of tree. What will the city council do??

A folk hero is born! Ingmārs Līdaka, a member of the Latvian parliament (Saeima), recently lost his cool whilst debating National Holidays, turned to the 'left' and told them to shut their mouths - Aizver Muti! Apparently this is a big thing in Latvia and perhaps a more non-literal translation might be one with more emphasis and passion - Shut your fucking mouth! He also labeled the trouble-making 'left' as a bird and animal garden (zoo). This one left me scratching my head but the 'Aizver Muti'/ 'Shut your Mouth' has taken off in a big way here. The meme has moved from video to t-shirts, from mobile phone ringtones to Dirty Harry inspired stencils. Below is a collection of things found online and on the streets. If you want to see the original Parliament footage scroll through to the end.

Ingmārs Līdaka himself with an Aizver Muti shirt (photoshopped). Below are stencils and an A4 printed variation I found telling people to Shut the door!

Here are some Youtube video parodies





And some more, less inspiring videos

• Jancis & J.Dobelis & I.Līdaka - Muti Ciet (AIZVER MUTI)
• Aizver muti. Ingmārs Līdaka
• Kanye West vs. Ingmars Lidaka
• Ingmārs Līdaka - Aizver muti..... this is sparta remix
• Aizver muti 300

Some user created images...


Interestingly, a mix-up with recent American internet memes. (click for larger images)



Finally, the original footage of Ingmārs Līdaka and the now infamous Parliamentary session.

I seemed to have missed this one over the summer but heres a wonderful video extolling the virtues of Latvia's spas. And, it only cost the Latvian Tourism Agency 41,00 USD!

Šlesers and Flick yesterday presented the first phase in Riga's new tourism campaign. Things got off to a bad start when journalists were sent this version of the ad complete with one big Freudian slip.


oops... was supposed to be "Leave". Click pic for larger size.

This ad has almost something wrong with it everywhere you look. First of all the whole slogan just sounds clumsy in English, certainly not up to the level of what it should be.

Riga City: Easy to go. Hard to leave. You understand what they were trying to get at but probably needs to be written a bit different. Firstly you dont need to call it Riga City, people will understand fine enough if you just say Riga. Easy to go - maybe 'Easy to visit' might be better. Hard to Leave is probably the only thing right in this slogan.

Have a look at the tagline at the bottom. Birthplace of Christmas tree - a 'the' in there wouldnt go astray. Then under that is something I still cant figure out what its supposed to mean: Now for 499 years What the...?? I cant even imagine what it was in Latvian before they got their literal translator to have a go at it.

Lastly the photos. OK this may be purely subjective, but to me those images say nothing. In an abstract way, which I would understand, it still says nothing. A heart with an eye in it (EDIT: Took me awhile but I just work out its supposed to represent I LOVE = eye heart) and a fat viking opera singer.... thats just got Riga written all over it!