It has now been two months since I arrived in Estonia. Well okay, two months and two days, but who’s counting. I can’t believe it. Time seems to move so quickly here. My roommate and I have this recurring conversation every few days it goes something like this:
Hende: “Is today the 25th?”
Me: “No, it’s the 27th. Woah.”
Hende: “I can’t believe it’s the weekend again.”
Me: “I know, wasn’t it JUST the weekend?!”
Hende: “Oh here we go having this conversation again…”
Me: “Hende! It’s almost November.”
Hende: “And then it’ll be Decemeber, and then Christmas, and then I’ll be back in Finland.”
Me: “How is this possible, what is happening to our time in Estonia?!”
Anyway, you get the idea. I probably shouldn’t think about it so much. I think we feel this way because we are both so busy, but we are busy with really interesting and new things. I certainly haven’t felt bored in quite some time. Let me tell about some of the exciting things I have been up to.
I love living in Viljandi. It is small, cute, and charming, and there is always some cool cultural event going on. For instance, every month (I think) there is a Tantsumaja (Dance House) at the Ait. People come together to dance to live folk music. It seems like knowing the different folk dances is a requirement here. It is really cool to see all types of people, young and old moving their feet to this kind of music. If I went to a similar event in the States (and I have done so occasionally) I would probably be the only “young person” there. I also love that almost any event with music is a good enough reason to dance. They start off by teaching a dance and talking through some things, then later in the night they just play music and everyone dances freely. If you know me at all, then you know that I am one of the least coordinated people on the face of the planet. Graceful is definitely not my middle name. I frequently trip over my own toes, walk into walls, and fall over when simply standing in one place. Needless to say, I am not the best dancer, but I do enjoy it. I am very grateful for the patience of the people who dance with me at these events (especially my friend Liisa who says there is hope yet for me). They continue to drag me around the floor, help me learn these dances, and don’t seem to be offended when I bump into people.
Photo by: Pärimusmuusika Ait
Let’s see, what else have I been up to…? One weekend I took a trip to Riga, Latvia and spent some time with my “Fulbright family”. I love that I can just go to another country for the weekend; it’s a concept that still blows my mind a little. Anyway, in Latvia this year there are four Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) and Research grant recipients. Bart, the other Estonian Fulbrighter and I, got to know them back in the States during our orientation in DC. We decided then that we would try to get together during our Fulbright year and do fun things or travel. The six of us had a fun weekend walking around Riga, exploring the central market, grabbing a few drinks at the Folk Pub, and visiting the Open-Air Museum. It rained all weekend so I didn’t get to walk around the city quite as much as I would have liked, but that just means I have to go back! It was really great to spend time with the Latvian Fulbrighters and get to know them better. I can’t wait for them to come visit Estonia!
The handmade mug I got at the Open-Air Museum
Photo by: my friend Dan
The following weekend three American girls, who I met during orientation in Tartu, came to visit me in Viljandi. It was fun to show them around. After I picked them up at the bus station and we got a bite to eat, we walked around the castle ruins (of course). Then we went up into the Old Water Tower and looked out over Viljandi. I am glad we did because I think it is now closed because tourist season is over. There may not be a whole lot to see in Viljandi (although I have still yet to go to the Viljandi Museum or the Kondase Keskus art museum…gasp), but it was nice to just walk around and talk. I think my friends appreciated the change of scenery.
The next weekend Bart and I went on a trip with the US Embassy to a the Lindi Nature Reserve in Pärnu County. I took a bus to Pärnu and met the rest of the group who had driven from Tallinn together. From the bus station we headed to the bog. We strapped on our bog shoes and then took off to explore one of Estonia’s beautiful natural landscapes. It was fun to feel the spongey ground bounce beneath us. I only fell once…because I decided it would be a good idea to skip in bog shoes. We walked through a little forest island where our guide showed us how to easily start a fire and mentioned some survival skills. At the end of our walk through the bog we all sat together in this little wooden hut and enjoyed a hot meal that our guide prepared for us. It was really tasty and much appreciated after our long walk.
Photo by: my friend Bart
From the embassy newsletter, “The Medieval Times”
When our time at the bog was over instead of heading back to Viljandi like I had planned, I decided to head back to spend the night in Tallinn. That night Bart and I met up with my Estonian teacher for dinner and then did a little bar-hopping. It was a lot of fun and we met two of my teacher’s friends who were really funny. I laughed harder than I have in a long time. They work at a radio station in Tallinn and asked me to perform at a charity show they put on. Unfortunately I had a conflict for this particular event, but I hope that in the future I can get my band to go to Tallinn and play with me. The next morning Bart had plans to go to Tartu, so again I tagged along. We spent the day with the Tuula, the girl I had stayed with when I was in Tartu for orientation. By the end of the weekend I had pretty much made a circle around the country.
During my two months in Estonia I have learned to say “yes” more and to be comfortable with the unexpected. I don’t always know what my plans are or where I am supposed to be, but when I just go with the flow, I end up having these awesome experiences. I can’t wait to see where the next two months bring me!
My Fulbright Experience 