At Riga International Coach Station, Agnieszka gets off the bus. She has to get to Rēzekne, and she’s going to get the Riga-Zilupe train. She buys a ticket electronically and finds the right platform.

As soon as Agnieszka has got on the train and settled in for the journey, she receives a message from Gundega.

‘Hi Agnieszka! Mission accomplished – we’ve bought tickets for the concert! I will be with my friends Viktor and Ināra. After the concert we can go and visit Ināra’s brother at his place in the country.’

Agnieszka is very pleased that she will see Gundega and meet Viktor and Ināra. What’s more, Odums is in Rēzekne too! Agnieszka is so delighted that she can’t sit quietly and starts to speak to the man sitting next to her.

‘Excuse me. I hope I’m not bothering you, but I’m very happy!’ Agnieszka says in Latgalian. She heard before that the man was speaking on the phone in Latgalian.

‘No, you’re not bothering me at all,’ the man grunts, a little morosely. It doesn’t seem like he wants to have a chat, but Agnieszka doesn’t notice.

‘Oh, that’s great! My name’s Agnieszka. What’s your name?’

‘Ahem, hello, my name’s Jānis.’

‘Are you going to Rēzekne?’

‘I’m going to Zilupe.’

Agnieszka is getting on her neighbour Jānis’s nerves more and more. He’s not used to chatting to strangers on public transport.

‘I am going to Rēzekne! I’m meeting my Latvian-Latgalian, American and Russian friends there. We’re all going to a Sovvaļnīks concert together.’

‘Really? To a Sovvaļnīks concert?’ Jānis comes to life. ‘I really like Sovvaļnīks! What’s your favourite Sovvaļnīks song?’

‘I like ‘Vysi Vieji’.’

‘Oh, that one‘s pretty soft,’ says Jānis, throwing up his hands. ‘It doesn’t have a real rock feel. Take a look at this one instead,’ he says, going to the video for ‘Lotgola’ on his phone.