To Latvia we go

The only snow left now is the small pile in out empty swimming pool in the garden, the ground is officially green and the trees are starting to  become green too. A whole lot of little spring flowers have been popping up these past few weeks. I realized I've never seen a Spring so distinct before, back home the seasons just roll into each other, not too much different than the last one, but here after such a long, dark and cold winter all life is literally springing up, leading into summer.This weekend was sure proof of summer, 22 degrees in Tallinn . . . not that I was in Tallinn. This weekend we had another YFU trip. This time to the capitol of Latvia, Riga.

Luckly it was also very warm in Riga, about 20 degrees, which meant that finally after months of cold we no longer needed to wrap ourselves up in bug jackets and hats.
The trip started early Friday morning, I met with some of the students coming from Tallinn and we took a bus down to Tartu, where we then met all the rest coming on the trip. We had our own little bus waiting for us, so we all piled in and were off driving further south. We spent our first night in Estonia, staying in a local school in Rõuge, which is a small countryside town. On our ride down to the school we stopped in a few places. First was a little village museum. We got a tour around and I did my best to translate some of the stuff into English for a girl who had come with from Germany. She is a new intern at YFU so she doesn't yet know Estonian.

Part of the village museum

We found a nice park where we stopped to have some lunch and then drove on to a sandstone cave somewhere near our destination in Rõuge (On the map I've put up Rõuge is not shown but it is just a bit South of Võru)  By the time we arrived at the school, we were all very glad to be out of the little bus for the day. We went to a cute little bed and breakfast for dinner and then did some exploring around the area.

Our group stretching our legs after a long bus ride

The next morning a few of us were up super early and out in the little town again, all with our cameras out and clicking. Back to the bed and breakfast for some food and then again into our little bus for another long drive to Valga. Before catching our train, just for a bit of fun, we drove across the boarder into Latvia, exchanged some money and then drove back into Estonia. It was just passing a little pole which was stuck in the ground to say this side is Estonia and this side is Latvia. On one side people speak Estonian and use Euros and on the other side people Speak Latvian and use Lats. It was cool to just drive through to another country, if I tried that in New Zealand I would drown! Back in Valga we caught a train which then took us to Riga. It was a hot day and we were on the train for about 4 hours on our journey. When we arrived in Riga we found our hostel where we would be staying for the night, found our rooms, dumped our bags and then got a tour through the city.

Latvian flags flying

Riga is a big city, well bigger than Helsinki but still smaller than Stockholm. Buzzing with people and noise. A lot like Tallinn's old town, Riga was also set up and ready for tourists with restaurants setting up tables in the old streets and a lot of little wooden stalls everywhere selling amber made items like jewelry and other little souvenirs . Latvian flags were flying everywhere. As it turns out it was the 'restoration of Independence day' in Latvia and to celebrate, a large stage had been set up, live music flowing through the streets. We all found our own places for dinner, I stopped with a group of Germans at a pizza place, the waiter laughed when we ordered, all talking out at once because we were so hungry.

Large screens set up to show the stage

Sunday morning our breakfast consisted of all our left over foods and snacks from the previous day, which we laid out on the table and everyone just helped themselves. We went out for a quick walk around the city again, then back to the hostel to clean up and get our bags. The people who had come from Tartu or South Estonia had to leave then by train but the rest of us still had the afternoon in Riga. We decided to go for a boat ride on the river. To get to the river though we had to pass through the big city market. We made a line and hurried through the city market to get to the boat on time. The market seemed to go on forever, past souvenirs, clothes, food and fruit and fish and flowers (a lot of flowers) and eventually made it out the other side and to the river. After our ride on the river it was time to get to the bus station and start our journey back up to Tallinn. We crossed the boarder into Estonia without even realizing it and were then driving alongside the sea and home again

The concert still going as the sunset

Riga from the boat

Where did the snow go?

As my title suggests the snow has officially gone, one week of almost non stop rain washed away every last piece of snow. It seems really strange now after about 7 months of complete whiteness everywhere there is now only the beginning green shoots of spring.

So with the snow melted we did get to go canoeing. We went on Sunday to a national park called Soomaa. We ended up with me, Külliki and Epp in one canoe and Jaak, Piret and Mari in another. It was a very cool experience, we were literally paddling boats through a forest and over roads! This is an anual thing, each year when the snow melts this particular area gets flooded, and there is a small window opportunity to go for a canoe through this flooded park. Last weekend there was snow all around, this weekend was flooded and next weekend the water will all be gone. After our day of canoeing, we went to visit my host moms dad who lives in a village called Võhma, this is in south west town Estonia.  After some cake, berry tea and plenty of talking we were in the car on our way home again, the sun only just starting to go down at 8.30 in the evening . . . I think this is a sure sign of summer! 

The theater

Us girls in my family got to dress up a little, we went to the theater to watch opera, "The prince and the pauper." It was in Estonian of course but had a large screen above the stage translating everything to English too. After this we went to watch another of Maris circus performances, this night was a little different to her usual, it was an 'open stage' so there were plenty of other acts too.
We then wondered around old town taking photos. I noticed the town is now getting ready for the new batch of summer tourists. Cafes have many tables and chairs out especially in the main square, Raekoja pläts, which only a few months ago held the Christmas market and was covered in snow. Many of the old town shops have people dressed in the medieval style and out on the cobble stone streets shouting to draw attention and draw tourists into their shops or restaurants. When I see a group being guided through the streets of old town I can't help but remember my first day walking those same streets, then crowded with many people all speaking different languages. I remember how overwhwelming and exciting it was to see this town which dates back to the 13th century. I had never seen anything like it, we don't have the narrow roads and stone churches will tall spires back in New Zealand. It was a very strange feeling then and now I know these roads, I know the names of the many churches which have stood here for centuries. I know how to get to the main square hidden in the middle of all the buildings and I know where all the little side streets leading away from this square will take me. It will be strange to have to leave this place in 3 and a half months.


I was recently asked to write an article for a travel magazine, so I have been working on that, this will be published in June in Esttravel.

The weekend before last I basically spent the whole weekend at church. Saturday was a mission conference, which ran the whole day, morning to night. It was mostly in Estonian but some English speakers as well coming from Romania, Germany and Brazil. 
Then Sunday morning Epp and I did our usual trip to church, staying behind so Epp can help in the cafe. I was then invited to another small church where I met some new people. Including one Norwegian girl who was in Estonia visiting a friend for a few days. We got talking and I mentioned that my sister is in Norway at the moment, I tell her shes staying in Gjeving and this girl replies very excitedly 'that's my home town!' As it turns out she used to babysit my sisters host siblings when she lived there. I passed this information on to Gypsey who then said she had actually met this girls mother on a number of occasions. What are the odds of me meeting someone in Estonia who is from a tiny town somewhere in Norway, which also happens to be where my sister is spending a year on exchange? How small is the world?!

Sum up of March

I am sorry for the long time since I last posted. I won’t go week by week but I’ll sum up what has happened in the month of March, this being my 7^th month in Estonia. 

We had our ‘spring’ holidays mid-March. My week was mostly spent getting together with other exchange students. Two of which came to stay one night, we had a late night playing a long and intense game of monopoly, then spent the next day in oldtown ice skating, before rushing everyone off to the bus station for their journeys home. I also joined forces with the other two exchange students who came to Estonia on a film program, we spent some time working on a video about the YFU Narva trip. 

Now with holidays over, my last term of school in Estonia has begun. It’s scary to think that I only have about 9 or 10 weeks of school left in Estonia . . . 

Another exciting thing that happened in March was Epps 17^th birthday. We celebrated with the usual, having some family over for a BIG lunch, Epp making all sorts of different foods and snacks for everyone to enjoy. I have now got to celebrate all three of my host sisters birthdays! 

The last two Friday nights my youth group have been in English. The one was promoting an English camp which is happening at the end of July. This is an American camp so there will be some Americans over here, which seems to be quite exciting for the Estonians as one of my friends told me while jumping up and down.  Another evening we had a guest speaker from America so it was in English translated to Estonian. I got to speak to the guest. This has sort of become my ‘job’ now, any English people or guests at youth on Fridays or Church are sent to me as an English speaker. Which is great! I have met so many different and interesting people from ALL OVER the world and gotten to know them and their stories of how they have ended up here in Estonia. Whenever I do meet new people they still find it surprising that I’m only 16 and spending a year on the other side of the world . . .  

I find I have been meeting so many different people here, from so many different places. On Thursday evening I went to my usual home group that I’ve been going to for a while now. We have a pretty multi-cultural group. Norwegian, American, Estonian, Danish, Brazilian and then me from New Zealand. 

For Easter we went to Kose to visit my host grandmother. We painted some boiled eggs, each chose one and then had a competition to see whose egg was the strongest by hitting them together. The winner then is the one whose egg doesn’t crack after competing with everyone else, they then get all the rest of the eggs. 

More sun, melting snow, blue sky, a little bit of grass . . . must be the real spring now. The snow is very slowly disappearing, dripping from roofs and leaving large puddles around. The days are now lighter and longer, the sun higher. Everyone is getting ready for summer including us. If the snow continues to melt within the next few days my host family and I will be going canoeing with some of the other exchange students and their families too. So fingers crossed!

My sister, Gypsey, who is now almost 3 months into her exchange  in Norway has started a blog! http://agypseyinnorway.blogspot.com/?spref=fb Check it out :)  

 

I've realized I have very lame titles for my posts . . .

 The 24^th of February, Estonian independence day. The family all woke early and went to watch the Estonian flag rising with the sun in one of the old towers in Toompea (in oldtown). Everyone stood together with Estonian flags to celebrate the countrys 95^th year of independence.

While there I saw another one of the exchange students with his family also there for the event. We stood amongst all the people in the cold morning and after a few speeches and watching the flag rise we went home again for some breakfast. Then Epp and I left for church again, this time Mari joined us to help Epp in the Church café after the service. After Church there was a parade going through the city which we hoped to get a glimpse of, not that we saw much because of all the people though.

 

Thursday night I went with a friend to a little café for a movie night. The café is owned by an English speaking family so everything is in Estonian and English. At the movie night there was a good mix of Estonian and English buzzing around, heard a lot of English and it actually felt quite strange to hear so much English at once, to be able to fully understand what people were talking about. Usually I have to listen hard and then decipher some words before getting the topic of a conversation in Estonia, but Thursday night I didn’t have to do so much work. 

This weekend we had another YFU trip. This time the exchange students met up in Narva, an Eastern city in Estonia. This city is right on the Russian border so is mostly populated by Russians as we found out when the lady at the till in the grocery store couldn’t even speak Estonian, only Russian. We went for Friday night so we spent Friday in the only Estonian school in Narva. We watched a presentation about the history of the city and then some of us made our own presentations about our home countries.

That evening we spent playing some games and meeting some of the students from the Narva school.

Everyone laughed at me when I said I brought a pillow with for the night, but no one was laughing anymore when it was bed time and we all had to sleep on the floor in a classroom.

Saturday morning we had some breakfast and then headed off to a castle right on the Russian border. There is only a river separating Estonia from Russia at the part of the country with a little bridge jammed with a long line of cars connecting the two. Two castles stand facing each other like a bit of a stand off on each side of the river, one in Estonia and the other in Russia. We had a bit of a tour of the one in Estonia and form up in the tower we were looking over Russia. Everyone with their cameras out and clicking (mine too of course)  After our tour we had some free time, so we all went to get some lunch and then were off in little groups wondering around Narva. Most of the buildings are in the old soviet style, tall grey block houses. 

As afternoon came we started heading home in groups. My group was first, taking about a 4 hour bus ride to Tallinn where I was met by my host parents. 

The Estonian castle

the bridge connecting the two

and the Russian castle

This is one of the YFU volunteers taking a big group photo with every ones cameras

Another view of the Russian castle.

I managed to get some shots of the sunset on the bus ride home from Narva

Saturday night my host cousin, who is 5, stayed the night so early Sunday morning I was woken with a colouring book and pencils because he wanted to draw.

I went to help collect food for another food bank with a group from youth. We then spent the day in the city together. The group enjoyed mocking each other on their English speaking and sort of ‘grading’ each other but I’m still impressed that so many people speak a second language so fluently.

Well what can I say, we are defiantly heading for spring . . . or so I thought. The cold has suddenly come back, this week being the coldest in a long time, here in Tallinn getting to -17. We do have sun though, blue skies and ‘cold’ sun. It's very beautiful, the blue sky and white ground. It is also getting lighter now in the mornings and in the evenings it gets darker later, around 6pm. I can’t believe that only two months ago it was getting dark at 3.30. I have now one week left of school and then it’s school holidays for me, already planning to meet up with some of the other exchange students and friends. I actually cannot believe how quickly everything has gone. I have a little over four months left in Estonia, I’ve realized that’s how long I had to prepare before coming here and I know that went very quickly. I’m trying to get as much as I can done and do as much as I can and spend time with as many people as I can because before I know it I will be  back in NZ again.

Artsy weekend

On Thursday afternoon I had my first skiing experience. When I got home from school Piret and I walked to the nearby Nõmme forest where in autumn we went for our long bike rides. Now the tracks are covered with snow and the trees are tipped with white. At first skiing felt a bit strange but after a while I got going and it was a lot of fun. It was made easier of course by the tracks made by previous skiers. I managed for quite a while but towards the end I had a few falls. Overall it was a great first experience and I was glad to have Piret there to help me along and to laugh with me.

Helsinki in normal state

This weekend I was very glad to get the opportunity to go with Epp on a school art trip to Helsinki (Finland) and Stockholm (Sweden). So this is how the weekend went, Saturday was my host moms birthday but unfortunately Epp and I couldn’t be with her the whole day because of our trip. But we woke up early and after wishing her a happy birthday we were off to the ferry terminal to catch our ship to Finland. When we arrived there two hours later we went to three different art centers. The first was a modern Japanese art exhibition. The second was of Russian fairytale paintings. Lastly we went to a large modern art gallery, where I got lost a few times amongst all the people. It was strange to be back in Helsinki though, well to see it in its normal, non-Christmas state. The big piles of snow on the streets are now gone and there are not so many tourists. This time I could hear more of the Finnish language which is quite similar to Estonia, I found I could actually understand some things. Our time in Helsinki ended and we were on a different ship heading to Stockholm. We found our little cabins right at the bottom of the boat, way, way down at the bottom and then through a maze of narrow corridors which lead to a hall way of pink doors.

The sea in its winter state

That evening, Saturday the 16^th of February, Epp and I went to a restaurant on board to celebrate me being in Estonia for 6 months! The next morning we woke up, had some breakfast and shortly after we docked in Stockholm. As soon as we stepped out of the ferry terminal I noticed large rocky cliffs. They stood out so much because Estonia is so flat so to see cliffs again was quite strange actually. We then took a bus ride into the city to another art center (‘we’ being the 50 students who had come on this trip). The art center we visited was very big with a whole lot of different exhibitions inside. After this we had some free time so we wondered around Stockholm’s old town. From what I saw the old town is mainly one long cobblestone street with a whole lot of little ones branching off to the sides. Each lined with tall buildings mainly from the 18^th and 19^th century. Wondering around the old town we found a little statue and it is said that if you touch its head, you will one day return to Stockholm. So we found this little statue, touched his head and well I look forward to my next visit to Stockholm. We walked down the main street of the old town stopping in different little shops, sweet shops, book shops, tourist stores and then to a cute little coffee shop for a desperately needed hot chocolate. We were then back on the boat for an early dinner, the large group of us took up four tables.

Our cabins

This is the little statue, judging by it's size I'm sure you can guess it was quite hard to find.

Epp standing outside a cafe in Stockholm's old town

Monday was quite strange. I woke up feeling quite sick, late morning we docked in Helsinki and then boarded the next ship for the last part of our journey.  When Epp and I arrived home I was surprised to find someone sleeping in my bed . . . no not goldilocks, but Iris, the exchange student from Belgium. As it turns out she had a nature program up in Tallinn this weekend but she was feeling ill so she spent the night at our house. So Sunday night my host family found themselves taking care of two sick exchange students. 

Well yesterday afternoon Maris school had a similar playbox event like my school did. Mari was the host of this so we went to watch and support her. After the show though, she was off to her training. Then this afternoon she had a circus performance which we went to watch and then once again she was off to her training . . . busy girl.

Half way through

For YFU, the exchange students have a sort of art exhibition where we can display a piece of art for this years topic, ‘Why I came to Estonia’ The exhibition is in March so I'd better get moving and pull something together soon! I've started going through all my pictures from my time in Estonia to get some inspiration on an idea. Doing this has really made me think of all the opportunities I’ve had here and all my new experiences. Most importantly of all the people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made. I don’t often talk about the people I've met but really, this whole experience has been made so much better because of all the  people who have been with me along the way.

 I also realized that I am now over half way through my exchange year in Estonia . . . even though I have become very comfortable with the way of life here, with my family and friends, it still feels like I only just waved goodbye to New Zealand and hopped on a plane. The long flight, my first tour around Tallinn (which has now become so familiar) the camp, the exchange students, hearing the strange new language, meeting my family, starting school, making new friends, finding hobbies and groups, traveling a bit, the first winter snow . . . the cold. All this has happened in only 5 months and I can’t wait to see what the next 5 months bring. New adventures, new places, new experiences and most importantly new people and new friends. 

So because I've been quite slack and haven't updated in a while (sorry) I think I'll jump back a few weekends. So one Friday a while back, I had a friend stay the night. She is a girl I met from the very first church (in Keila) I went to when I first arrived in Estonia. Mari and I met her at the train station and that evening she joined Epp and I at youth. Saturday morning we decided to go into oldtown for some outdoor ice skating in the cold. Then it was back to the train station to say goodbye.
That Sunday a Mexican exchange student, asked if I could give a tour of Tallinn to his sister who had come to visit him. So Sunday after Church I met him and his sister and took them around to the places I remember my host sisters taking me when I arrived. I thought I would be a little adventurous and take them to a park in Tallinn only problem was I couldn't exactly remember how to get there. So after getting lost at first (or taking the 'scenic' route as I like to think of it) we eventually got there and the tour was successful.

Yes this is a boat that we drove past on the ice road :)

It's hard to tell exactly where the sea ends and where the sky begins.

Last weekend was quite cold. No it was very cold. My family headed to Vormsi island (vormsimaa) a small island near Saaremaa (which is Estonias biggest island), there the wind was blowing strongly. How did we get to this little island? By car. We drove on the sea, yup a 'jäätee' (ice road) took us across the ocean a few kilometers to the island where we spent some of the day. The road was marked by trees stuck into the ice. Vormsi has population of 406 people but the largest collection of wheel crosses with over 300 in one cemetery. We left the island red faced from the stinging wind. Back inland we went to a town called Haapsalu, it’s a cute town with colourful buildiings lining the small streets. At first it seemed like a ghost town because there were no people around at all. But as we got nearer to the frozen sea we saw the reason for the lack of people on the streets, they were all ice skating or watching an intense game of ice hockey among locals. We also visited a little castle with a bit of a sad legend to it. They say that on August nights 'the white lady' stands in one of the windows, looking out. She was the lover of one of the solders in 14th century, but woman were not allowed to enter the castle, so he dressed her as a boy so they could be together. When it was found out that she was in fact a woman, she was plastered into one of the walls. So now she stands in the window watching for her lover to return. 

Piret and I braving the cold

Mari

Me excitedly standing on the frozen sea.

 Now this weekend we had our YFU midyear seminar. All the exchange students flocked to the small town of Põltsamaa in the middle of Estonia. We spent the time catching up and doing a few little workshops to find out how our lives in Estonia were doing. Saturday evening we were put into small groups and then had to do a little play in Estonian. After this was a movie and then bed, not that many of us got much sleep anyway. Sunday went by rather quickly. A few of us went for a bit of an exploration around this strange place. We found ourselves in a large Church, there was a lady who was so excited by the fact that a group of exchange students had found their way into this church that she gave us a tour and a long history of the building, testing our Estonian skills.

As the say went on students started heading off in their different groups. I was part of the last group to get on a bus for the 2 and a half hour journey back to Tallinn. It was good to be with all the other exchange students again and was quite sad to see everyone split up again. As one girl said to me “It’s like saying goodbye to my third family.”

Some of the 'third family' catching up

This the room where everyone had to find space to sleep