Привет from the new intern!
Hi everyone! I am Yeap, or Qian Fang (I don’t mind either), and I am the new intern at Liden & Denz. I just finished my first year as an economics major at the University of Chicago, and am currently in Riga for two months to learn Russian!
My journey with Russian began three years ago, as I left home in Malaysia to join an international school in Armenia. Being in a post-Soviet country with absolutely no means of communication with most of the locals, I took up Russian in school to better connect with the country I was living in. Although I ultimately turned to Armenian instead for communication purposes, I am still drawn to the chaotic beauty of Russian. Some of the best memories I made along the way include watching the Soviet version of Winne the Pooh (Винни-Пух) with friends, and being called ‘солнечная девочка’ (literal translation: sunny girl) by my teacher.
Unfortunately, I am now rather out of practice, and am working hard on my verb conjugations and vocabulary. I am also reading a Russian poetry anthology, ‘Written in the Dark: Five Poets in the Siege of Leningrad’. Would strongly recommend for learning Russian vocabulary and some history, all while exploring the possibilities of Russian prosody and rhyme!
Even after 4 days in Riga, I am still recovering from the shock of Latvia’s May weather oscillating between hot and freezing every day. Nonetheless, I can’t wait to get to know Latvia and its culture a little better. Here’s to learning about the historical and geopolitical background of Latvia while exploring the country, and discovering Latvian sociocultural values in my interactions with the people around me. Hope you are all as excited as I am to embark on this adventure together. Looking forward to sharing my experience in Riga with you!
