unexpected phrases of the Olympics

[flea]

"The legendary Latvian beach volleyball teams..."

I mean, I knew Latvia had a sea coast, and checking Google Maps just now assures me it is in part sandy. But it's not exactly Southern California!

Comments

[dxmachina.livejournal.com]

I think they may have been speaking with tongue firmly in cheek. That was a huge upset by Latvia in the men's competition today.

There was a piece on the NBC evening news tonight about how the Chinese team were training in California because "there's no beach in Beijing."

[loligo.livejournal.com]

I was watching that match! (Purely by coincidence -- I am not fanatic enough to go through the schedule and try to figure out when Latvian athletes are likely to be on.) I called my mom and step-dad to tell them to watch; I relayed a few of the interview tidbits, like that Samoilovs told everyone that Rigas jurmala (the seaside resort area near Riga) is the best beach in the world, and my step-dad started reminiscing -- "Oh, it *is* the nicest beach! and when I was a boy..." and I had to head off a really long story that I'd probably already heard before and tell him to GO TURN ON THE TV.

[makaidiver.livejournal.com]

No, it's meant in earnest. My former brother in law is Latvian, his family emigrated to the Bay Area by being sponsored by a Vallejo church organization, after the entire family was in a German prisoner of war camp for 6 years during/after WW II.

Latvia was annexed by Russia, and the Russians started coming and buying up all the good oceanfront properties, which mightily pissed off the Latvians, among the many things about Russia/Russians that piss off folks from the Baltic Nations. Anyway, if you are Russian, or from Latvia, Lithuania, or Estonia, the Latvian beaches are to Malibu. It's THE beach vacation spot.