So I cannot seem to work out the blog thing here in a Hungarian school, so I am typing it all out in an email, and then pasting it is... YAY for the life of Internet in different languages. It makes me feel better though here because at least when I don't understand Hungarian, it isn't my fault.
I realize that I have not updated my blog in several months, and I have no excuse other than I had a tendency to enjoy Anne of Green Gables and Emma more than typing, but I have promised a complete update to my life by the end of March, and although that gives me 10 days, there is no time like the present right?
So I think I ended the last blog with what was happening in Lapland, which was the beginning of December, so the next exciting thing was that I went to Parnu for the first time for the weekend. Parnu is the 'Summer Capital of Estonia' and although it was cold and grey when I was there, you could tell why. It is in the south, and during the summer, there are huge (in Estonian standards) sand beaches which I am told become completely packed. The old town is not as large as Tallinn's, nor as well developed, but it was pretty, and it is a nice city to walk around. I was there because Katie (USA) and Gustavo(Mexico) called me at 1130 on Thursday night and were surprised to here I was sleeping, and decided that I should have been in Parnu instead, Katie having arrived there only hours earlier. I went down the next day, and had dinner at Steffani's, which is supposedly a really famous restaurant, which is understandable because the food was great. The next day we decided to cook for Gustavo's counsellor, something from home, so I made stir fry, Gustavo made some sort of meat grilled and Katie made a cheesecake, which was insanely good. We also had to eat hapukapsas supp, which was basically sauerkraut, which although i can now consume, it is definitely not something I am going to miss. That is pretty much all that is interesting, and we went home on Sunday to the exchange student Christmas party in Tallinn, which was pretty simple, more sauerkraut, blood sausages, which I can eat without problem now, but I don't like the taste of and karaoke, which is a big thing at Estonian parties, very odd.

That was all until Christmas, which included pretty much the same as the party, cabbage, blood sausages and singing, except there was also eel, which is, like much of the Estonian Christmas food, not on my favourites list. The Estonian Christmas is celebrated on December 24th in the evening, when all the presents are brought to the tree by a pakapikk, which is like a elf. To get your presents you had to sing or recite a poem or something to entertain the others, which was embarrassing for me, but also really cool, because my two older host brothers and my host father are all really great singers, so they would just improvise different songs. Although it was all pretty interesting, the highlight of my night was the Christmas presents wrapped in garbage bags, although that was closely followed by my host brother giving my host dad lamp fuel (no lamp included). Estonians have a very odd sense of humour.

On Christmas day I opened presents from home, not wanting to open nothing from home, and then was picked up by my first host family and drove south east to Tartu, where we were going to visit my first host mom's (Tiina) brother and family. I had been to this house before and it is my favourite house in the world, and I really love the lady who lives there, also named Tiina. We had dinner, where they made me eat something that looked very much that it had at one point lived (and died) in a swamp, but it didnt taste too bad, although my host siblings (Karl, Siim and Silvia) all looked at me like I was crazy for trying. The rest of the night was mostly sauna and sleep, and the next day we drove back to Tallinn.

Next event was New Years, which was more of a non event, consisting of lots and lots of fireworks, drunk Estonians holding fireworks, fireworks being set off beside me, and more fireworks. The official fireworks were really well done, and went on for quite a while, but no one really cared where other people were, so as Katie and I walked home there were people up and down the streets setting them off, which made the walk more exciting...

The next couple of days were calm, but I had more exchange student fun when I was trying to get to a friends house outside of Tallinn. After nearly missing the bus because I could not find the stop, I drove out of Tallinn feeling okay, only a little worried. I didnt need to worry. One stop in one town, one in the other, and I had been to the town before, although late at night. the problem was when the bus stopped before the town. then twice in the town. then i called my friend, but she said i should drive through the forest and get off at the next stop. I drove through the forest, but there wasnt another stop. We kept driving. and driving. and we weren't stopping. I call my friend again. I have completely missed the town. Thankfully I had a kind bus driver and was allowed to go back to the town once it turned around. Some how what I have just written does not convey my absolute confusion at the time, nor the amusement it gave afterwards, but just try to imagine. it wasnt the first time it has happened, or the last, but i suppose that is what this year is about, although it would be better for my heart and nerves if it didnt happen.

Another of couple of days rest and I went to Parnu with my host sister. There is a big waterpark there and my host sister (Lisanna, 10) was dying to go in and play with someone who would actually play. After 3 hours of running up and down stairs to go on the watersides and this really awesome river,(http://www.terviseparadiis.ee/eng/?p=51&sd) we went to relax in the sauna. My host sister, being 10, dared me to jump into the plug pool after sitting in the sauna for 20 minutes, and me, having the maturity of 10, said it wasnt a big deal and jumped in. i have never in my life moved so fast out of a pool, and I think there should probably be a sign warning anyone with heart problems against it. We were staying in this really nice guest house, and if you were to combine the size of my host parents suite and ours, it would have been the size of our flat in Tallinn, and that is not small. The next day I wandered around Parnu by myself, met Gustavo for lunch with some of the exchange students from YFU (Youth for Understanding, not nearly as cool as Rotary) and then spent the rest of the day hanging out with Gustavo and wandering around Parnu.
Next day we drove back to Tallinn, host sister pouting because I wouldn't go swimming with her, and back to regular life, because school started again.
Okay, now at least I am into this year. Not a lot happens in January, but anything that did I write about when I can feel my arm again. -- -Elisabeth