Another busy few weeks and a few more good byes

Carrying on from my last post, the next two weeks were also quite busy.

At the beginning of the two weeks (after the end of year seminar) Iris, the exchange student from Belgium, came over for a few nights again. Iris was asked to speak in a radio interview with some other exchange students in Tartu, so I took a two and a half hour bus ride down to Tartu with her, we spent the day there then came back home to Tallinn. The next day we spent taking a bit of a tour around Tallinn, me being the tour guide. It was nice to take time to just wonder around my city and take some photos. 

This is one of many photos I got of Tallinn on our walk around

The pavlova I made

After this I had a good bye party with the homegroup that I have been going to for half a year now. As it is such an international group with people from all over the world, there were quite a few people leaving back to their countries, including me. So yet another goodbye come and gone.

I was then asked by YFU to prepare some kind of New Zealand food for a press conference about YFU. I decided to make a pavlova and decorated it with some kiwifruit and strawberries, to be honest the first pavlova I've made before. It turned out quite well and was set out with some other food at the conference. Some other students also brought food from their countries, like a girl from Tia land and another from Uruguay. We have a pretty multicultural group!

After this first week my family and I took a trip to Finland for a couple of nights. We rented an apartment right in the city center of Tampere. We started our trip early Thursday morning the 20th, catching a ferry which took us and our car across the Gulf of Finland to Helsinki. We spent most of the day driving to Tampere from there, stopping on the way at a medieval castle called Häme Castle. We went for a tour around the castle then continued our drive. Once we arrived at our apartment we walked around the streets for a bit getting a look at the city and some shops. The next day we went out again and to my surprise the streets were empty. Shops were closed and most of the people were gone. “Where is everyone?” Mari explained that it was some kind of holiday in Finland, the longest day of the year. In Estonia this is called 'Jaanipäev' and is around the 23^rd or 24^th of June. Usually at this time people get together with family and friends and have large bonfires all through the 'night'. So all the people in Tampere had left the city to celebrate Jaanipäev. On this day though, Epp, Piret, Mari and I were going to Tamperes amusement park, 'Särkänniemi' We were up early to be among the first people at the park, we excitedly got our tickets and our day had began. We did the same thing the next day, up eary and to the amusement park. On both days the weather was sunny and warm, we tried different rides, watched a dolphin show, went to a planetarium, up a super tall tower to look around the city. We each had our favourite rides, Mari and Piret liked the 'half pipe' where the ride spins a lot while going high up then dropping quickly back down. I liked a different roller coaster, which was where you sit on top of a motorbike and they rushed around in the air. Epp prefered the 'hurricane' which swung side to side and back and forth. We had a great time together, something I won't forget, being with my sisters and having some fun.

Mari and I on the motorbike ride

One of the dolphin shows

Piret, Mari and I coming down the log ride!

Those nights the sun would only slightly go down at around one in the morning then come back up at 1.30! The rest of our days in Finland we drove around doing different things. Visiting different museums, some shops, including the biggest in the whole of Northern Europe, 'Idea Park' (it wasn't hard to get lost there) and going for some nature walks. But most of the time we spent swimming in different lakes, as Mari informed me Finland is known as ( tuhande järve maa) meaning land of a thousand lakes. The weather was really warm so whenever we got a chance we were in a lake swimming for hours on end. 

The four of us swimming

On the 26^th however we went for one last long swim then drove back down to Helsinki just in time to catch our ferry back to Tallinn. On the ferry back we were lucky enough to see the large, round sun go down over the water in a splash of bright orange.

We arrived home that night at one (still slightly light outside) and all went straight to bed! 

Piret, Epp, Mari, Jaak, Külliki

Me and my three Estonian sisters :)

The night seemed to go very quickly and before I knew it I was up and on a bus heading into the city to meet with Alejandro, one of the Mexican exchange students. We had decided a long time ago to verse each other in a game of tennis, so we finally got to do just that ending in a tie with 6 games won each before we had to leave the courts because they were needed for some lessons.
The 27^th came and went and all to quickly the 28^th came, I was up at 3 in the morning and got a taxi to the airport. The time had come to say a final good bye to most of the other students who were all heading back home after their year in Estonia. It's hard to explain the feeling exactly as we were saying good bye. I was saying good bye to so many good friends who would be going back to their homes all over the world. No more running into them on the streets of Tallinn or meeting up for some kind of trip in Estonia. This was the final good bye. For me I was relieved that I wasn't getting on a plane then too, I still have an extra month, but at the same time I couldn't help thinking that the next time I'm at the airport will be for me leaving. Although a bit later, my turn is still coming . . .

To end the week we went to a place called 'Neli järve' meaning four lakes, for my host grandfathers 75^th birthday! We went to the families summer cottage tucked away in the middle of a Forrest. After helping prepare food and getting things set up, the guests started to arrive. I'm sure you can guess by the name of the area (four lakes) there was a lake nearby and so after Lunch, Piret, Epp, Mari and I obviously went for a swim. We went at a good time because late that afternoon it started pouring with rain as we drove home again.

Then today I had a friend come over. Her, Mari and I went for a long bike ride just there and back to see how far it is. Epp went for her first day to her new job at a sushi place in the city and again this evening she is back there and again tomorrow morning she has work bright and early.

Also another exciting thing about today . . my host parents celebrate their anniversary for 21 years together! Mari and I were up nice and early to make breakfast and set up the presents we had all got to give to them before they went to work for the day. The rest of my week has now been booked up with meeting friends for a final good bye and then before I know it I'll be heading off to visit my sister in Norway!! See you soon Gyps :)