Lariat Malinovska by Nigel A JAMES
The
Ripples of Englishness - A Latvian Communicator!
Events
shape lives! And, what happened more than 25 years ago in the small
English town of Sheffield was like a stone being dropped into a pond.
And it was Lariat Malinovska who dropped the stone, and the stone
that she dropped was at the time nothing more than an idea. But it
was strong! And it sent ripples on their way to the outer
extremities of the pond and beyond, and, once movement takes hold it
keeps going for ever. And what happened then is still happening now!
Lariat
was a student at the time. She was studying at Sheffield university
as part of an exchange programme. And she was happy. And, she was so
for two very good reasons. Firstly, she had been allowed out of
Latvia – something that was not so easy in those days, and,
secondly, she had fallen in love with the English and their ways and
their kindness. And, it was this passion for all that was English
which moved her to set up an English club at her home university upon
her return.
And
the Jelgava University English Club has been going strong ever since!
But
this club is more than just fun! Its events, its parties and its
events are not only an introduction to the Englishness of the
English, it is also a tremendous source of information and help for
students wishing to spend some of their study time in Great Britain.
And many do. The ripples continue.
But
of course, clubs need people to lead them, and Larisa Malinovska, now
an acclaimed expert in international relations, has not the slightest
intention of stopping. She has many friends to help her. She threw
the stone and she is keeping it going!
