Hello All.
I will actually write something this time, because I am not running off somewhere or falling asleep, or feel guilty about keeping someone else off of the computer. It has been almost a month since I came over from home, and almost 3 weeks since I got to Estonia, and I really havn't written down anything. I sorta have no idea where to begin, so I will start at the end I suppose.
As some of you know, it is my 18th birthday tomorrow, and the other lovely exchange students in Estonia decided to have a birthday outing for me, so Arik (from Texas) who lives on one of the islands, and Gustavo (from Mexico) who lives in Pärnu ( i am sure i have spelt that incorrectly) came to Tallinn, and we went to the zoo. It was really sort of odd looking at all of these cages, huge much different than at home, and the other people at the zoo where quite interested with my discussions with the monkeys, one Russian man asking me if I actually thought that I could get the monkey to sit still for my picture. It is hard to explain to someone who speaks very little english that me talking actually has nothing to do with what should occur, much like the Finnish tutors did not understand what I was saying by directing the movements of the other team while playing finnish capture the flag.
Oh side note for those people at home, (meaning Canadians). the finnish national sport is moleball, which is capture the flag. Forget hitting balls with bats (americans) or hitting other players with sticks and a hard rubber ball with the pretense of trying to catch the hard rubber ball with the stick. they play capture the flag competitivly. finland in that moment was my favourite country in the world.
that obviously changed when i asked Liis, our Estonian tutor, what estonian national sport was with the response, I dunno, picking berries? which is obviously better.
okay, what else can i tell people.
My host family is great. My host mom, Tiina, is a vet, and is really great, lots of fun, and is learning spanish, which obviously makes her beyond cool. My host dad, Vallo, is a journalist, and I was told by my host sister that at one point he went to Germany to write about Octoberfest, which obviously makes him above all other comment, other than to say he is very nice and was the reason my host sister and I got to go see the Estonian musical version of Romeo and Julia (their spelling), which another side note, was really great, and i am sure very interesting topic other than i didnt understand anything they said but the numbers and mom, dad, and brother.
I also have two host brothers, Karl and Siim. Karl is off to university this year, and next year he hopes to go to Liverpool to study history, which would be really interesting i am sure, and it also means his english is really quite good, and gives me someone to talk about estonian politics with. Siim is my age, but is going into grade 11, as the estonians start a year later and also he went to mexico for a year on exchange. he is pretty reserved it seems, so i havent really talked to him all that much, but we are in the same class, so maybe we will talk who knows.
And now my favourite, Silvia, who is 11, and I hang out with. A lot. I realize that sounds funny, and it is, but it is also very interesting. And good. she hasnt hit the age where she wont talk to me or her parents, but her english is spectcular (yes better than yours Trish) and she is very useful for finding Estonian words (which i dont have to use because everyone speaks spectacular english) as well as wandering around with me in Old Towne so i dont get lost.
anyway, i cannot think anymore to type, and i will try to get pictures on the computer, but i am challenged in all respects with regards to computers, so it maybe a while, but it will eventually work, and then there will be pictures. anyway, I will write more later, and when school starts I will update.
Much Love to all, and for those of you just leaving for schools in your respective cities, enjoy yourselves, and those in Edmonton, don't drink too much, you don't want to die in a city like that.
Elisabeth
