Dzintra Kažoka celebrates a milestone birthday!

What is your motto in life?

‘What you've achieved through hard work is the most valuable thing.’

What are your favourite foods and drinks?

My favourite dishes are homemade grated potato pancakes with sour cream, grey peas with bacon, and the Latvian dessert bread soup. As for drinks, I enjoy kefir, kvass, and good coffee.

What brings you happiness in life? What makes you happy every day?

Happiness for me comes from me and my loved ones having good health, surrounding myself with people who love and respect me and loving and respecting them in turn. I find joy in greeting each new day, in living, breathing, working, relaxing, doing good deeds, and caring for others.

Everyday happiness comes from things and moments that cannot be measured in monetary terms. 

What time of year do you feel the best? And why?

I love all seasons, because each has its own specific atmosphere and colours. Spring arrives to awaken us from the winter sleep, bringing greenery, new energy, and blossoming flowers. Summer brings flowring meadows, Līgo songs, Midsummer celebrations and cornfields, as well as time to relax! Autumn adds colours, refreshment and bounty, and winter comes with the long-awaited brightness or unexpected darkness, white snow and the magic of Christmas.

Each season has its moments that make me feel good.

RSU management congratulates Dzintra Kažoka on her significant anniversary. From the left: Vice-Rector for Health Studies Andris Skride, Dzintra Kažoka and Rector Aigars Pētersons. Photo: RSU

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

From the wealth of books in the world, I would like to mention Kadri by the Estonian writer Silvia Rannamaa, and the epic historical novel The Egyptian by Finnish writer Mika Valtari. From Latvian authors, Kaķīša dzirnavas (Cat's Mill) by Kārlis Skalbe is special to me. As for films, Limuzīns Jāņu nakts krāsā (A Limousine the Colour of Midsummer’s Eve, 1981, dir: Jānis Streičs) and High Strung: Free Dance (2019, dir: Michael Damian) stand out for me. As for operas and ballets, I appreciate La Traviata and The Blue Danube, and the play The Legend of 1900 (Alessandro Baricco).

What do you like to do in your free time?

Although I don't have a lot of time to relax, I enjoy travelling and reading a lot in the time I have. I also spend some time doing chores around the house or catching up with people I haven't seen in a while.

What are your interests or hobbies?

My hobbies include travelling and reading books. I also enjoy singing, dancing, playing the piano, drawing, and learning languages. When I have more time, I like to do handicrafts. 

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

I would like to talk to strong people who have managed to attract the attention and the respect of the public because of their accomplishments. I think it wouldn’t just be a conversation, but also an amazing lesson that would offer new insights or perspectives. Among the historical figures I would like to meet would be Michelangelo, as well as Mother Teresa, and Diana, Princess of Wales.

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

To make the world a better place, we must start by changing ourselves and our attitudes. We should show more respect and love, care for others, and spend quality time with loved ones. We must understand the timeless and forgotten values that have been handed down to us over time.

We need to lend a helping hand and offer support more often, to appreciate what makes us happy and healthy, and to seek new knowledge or strengthen the knowledge we already have.

We must understand and love our work, whether we are working alone or as part of a team.