A Conversation with Dace Žibala: Celebrating a Milestone at RSU

Dace Žibala, lecturer and manager of the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Language Centre, celebrated a milestone birthday in the summer. It was a great reason to talk to her and get to know her better.

How long have you been working at RSU?

My life has been closely intertwined with RSU for 34 years, and I have never seriously considered changing my workplace. I am truly proud to belong to the RSU community.

I have experienced my professional development here and had the opportunity to be in an international, dynamic environment.

What is your motto in life?

Not so long ago it seemed that the best was yet to come. As you accumulate more life experience, your values change with the years. That's why I have come to love a quote by Paulo Coelho: ‘Anyone who loves in the expectation of being loved in return is wasting their time’. I think that this can be applied not only to love, but to human relationships in general.

Summer 2023. The RSU management congratulates Dace Žibala on the occasion of her milestone birthday. From the left: Rector Aigars Pētersons, Dace Žibala, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Dins Šmits and Vice-Rector for Science Agrita Kiopa

What food and drinks do you like best?

As a child, I could live almost exclusively on sweets. But I also remember watching in horror when my mother added onions or garlic to the food she was cooking. It was the same with caraway seeds. Knowing how I felt about caraway seeds, she would only minimally add them to dishes. However, there were times when it was impossible to complete a dish without them. So, to be honest, I don't really know what traditional Latvian Midsummer cheese tastes like, because you can’t make it without caraway seeds. However, I have gradually grown to like onions and garlic. It is really a question of what tastes good. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if I say that I prefer traditional Latvian dishes on a daily basis as well as on festive occasions like “rasols”[Latvian potato salad – Ed.], or roast pork with braised sauerkraut.

Since one of my hobbies is to go mushroom picking, a sauce made from picked King and Orange Bolete mushrooms that I’ve pickled myself is the biggest autumn treat.

I try to introduce the University’s international students to Latvian foods, because eating is the best way to get to know other cultures. 

What are the happiest moments of your life?

I completely agree with the statement that there is no such thing as happiness. There are only moments of happiness, flashes of happiness. The moments of happiness are get-togethers, spending holidays together, walks with my children and my two grandsons, their success in studies, sports and music school. A moment of happiness is also seeing the first bluebells in the spring or a chance encounter with a deer in a meadow. I am happy and satisfied when I have succeeded in arousing my students’ interest and motivation to learn Latvian or German. I appreciate the trust and support of my colleagues, because it definitely makes everyday life more positive.

It warms my heart when I happen to meet my former students and they approach me to ask if I still remember them.

What time of year do you feel the best? Why?

We can be grateful to Mother Nature that we are lucky enough to experience four different seasons. I also encourage my international students to observe the changes in nature, as some of them come from countries ‘where there is no winter’. When I was at school, I was very happy to see the beginning of winter, because back in the 1970s it was very snowy and cold, so I could ski to my heart's content. However, I feel best in the summer and definitely away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I like being at my countryside house in Plaviņas, be close to nature, smell the freshly cut grass, see the calm flow of the river Daugava. This is where I can replenish my energy reserves the best. It is hard for me to imagine what it would be like if I had to spend the summer in the city.

What book, film, opera, ballet or theatre performance has particularly moved or influenced you?

When I read books, I often tend to visualise how the events described might unfold in reality. In this respect, I was very taken with Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy. I get emotional pleasure from concerts and theatre performances. However, the concerts where my eldest grandson Gustavs performs and the family concerts where Gustavs performs together with his parents are the most exciting and enjoyable. It strengthens family ties and family values.

How do you relax?

As I mentioned, I spend most of the summer in Pļaviņas, which is actually the best time for relaxation.

Weeding, which is probably not a very pleasant activity for many people, is one of the ways I relax, because then my mind is free and I can let my thoughts fly.

Occasionally, on weekends, I go on small, sometimes unplanned trips around Latvia with my husband or my son's family. There are so many wonderful places to see. It's also a great opportunity to spend as much time as possible with your loved ones and experience positive emotions. In the evenings, reading or doing crossword puzzles helps me disconnect from work. I don't watch serial dramas because I find them somewhat addictive.

What are your hobbies?

One of my hobbies is travelling and getting to know other cultures, broadening my spiritual horizons. It is also a wonderful opportunity to reboot, because usually when I return from a trip I am positively recharged and I can throw myself into my work with renewed vigour. My most exciting and far-reaching trip so far was to Australia in 2007. At times I find it hard to believe that I have had the opportunity to see the sacred Aboriginal rock Uluru, or to meet the founder of the Crocodile Park on an island in the Great Barrier Reef, who once hunted crocodiles with a Latvian man from Dundaga, Arvīds Blūmentāls. Like most Latvians, I go mushroom picking in autumn. I know the mushroom spots around Plaviņas best, but unfortunately deforestation has resulted in the loss of many good mushroom spots. Fortunately, I have also managed to discover new ones, and I am very happy about that.

If you had the chance to meet and talk to a historical figure, who would it be and why?

If I had the chance, I would like to talk to an ancient Latvian wise man and learn about the ancient Latvian way of life from the source.

I would like to know how they perceived the world, how they ran their society. The Latvian film Nameja gredzens (The Pagan King, 2018, dir: Aigars Grauba) gives an idea of what it was like then, but the film is our understanding of those times, it is just our story.

What needs to be done to make the world a better place?

Start every morning by saying ‘Good morning!’ and smile to yourself, and then you are charged with positive energy to pass on to others. To quote the play Ronja, the Robber's Daughter: ‘I wish I could fall asleep every night as happy as I got up today’. If we could each say that, we would be surrounded by positivity. You are the one to shape people around you.