I know I've been slacking on updating this page since I've left Estonia. I'm sorry. I will upload a good number of photos soon, and this old blog will see a spark of new life.
In the mean time, you can check out what I've been up to lately in Taiwan.
Mary, Janie, and all of my other Estonian friends: I miss you and I hope the onset of winter doesn't affect your pleasant demeanors too much. I'd love to keep in touch, so if you ever want to chat, my Skype user name is joe.wyszynski and I'm usually online in the mornings and late nights (Tallinn time + 6hrs.) and on the weekends.
Also, Jane's dad Ayvar predicted that we'd have really good food here and so far I'm happy to say that he was right. Pretty good soups, dumplings, fried stuff, and some interesting items like pig's blood pudding, fish balls, grilled squid on a stick, and stinky tofu. Yum.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Eestima, ma armastan sind!
I miss Estonia already. The people, the good cheap beer, and the non-sweltering weather. I miss my Estonian friends, and I miss having a decent amount of English speakers wherever I go.
I'm in Taipei now, and I'm very busy with getting to know my way around and my training session. I'll update this blog later, once tings slow down, with more accounts of my time in Estonia, including more about Haapsalu, our trip to Helsinki, and other impressions of the land.
For now, visit my Taiwan blog. It's getting off to a decent start.
I'm in Taipei now, and I'm very busy with getting to know my way around and my training session. I'll update this blog later, once tings slow down, with more accounts of my time in Estonia, including more about Haapsalu, our trip to Helsinki, and other impressions of the land.
For now, visit my Taiwan blog. It's getting off to a decent start.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Almost Over
This is my last day in Haapsalu. After today, I'll be in Tallinn for the rest of my stay here. We are taking a ferry to Helsinki for the day Saturday, and then Luke and I leave Estonia on Tuesday. We will be in Taipei on Thursday, where we begin the next chapter of out journey.
It's hard to believe that it's been a month already. We have done and seen a lot, but we were convinced when we got here that five weeks would be a long time. Enough time to do everything we wanted. Too much time even.
Now that we're facing our departure, I feel a kind of pain in the fact that we're leaving. I've made new friends, picked up a bit of the Estonian culture and language, and started to feel at home a bit here. I almost feel a bit of the same sentiment I felt when leaving Ohio. Leaving comfortable surroundings and people for a place unfamiliar filed with unfamiliar faces.
I know I'll enjoy Taiwan too, and in a few weeks I'll be ready to call it home, but I will never forget the places I've been and most importantly the people I've met along the way. The Meisters, the Peikels, and all of their friends and relatives have been nothing but kind to us, and have extended us their homes and hospitality in a way that made us feel welcome and at home.
Even though I may be almost done living in Estonia, I'm surely not done thinking or reflecting on it. I plan to keep updating this blog periodically with musings and photos, and will eventually add all of my photos to my Picasa albums. I'll keep in touch with Mary and Jane, and hopefully will get back to visit again sometime in the future.
In the meantime, if I don't get the chance to update this for the next several days, feel free to email me and make any requests on things you wish I'd posted and didn't.
I was going to post about my visit to the KUMU, but the pictures tell more than my words could. I've uploaded them to an album here:
Be sure to look at the captions to tell you what you're looking at. Also, don't forget that clicking the pictures makes them bigger.
Until next time, ciao.
It's hard to believe that it's been a month already. We have done and seen a lot, but we were convinced when we got here that five weeks would be a long time. Enough time to do everything we wanted. Too much time even.
Now that we're facing our departure, I feel a kind of pain in the fact that we're leaving. I've made new friends, picked up a bit of the Estonian culture and language, and started to feel at home a bit here. I almost feel a bit of the same sentiment I felt when leaving Ohio. Leaving comfortable surroundings and people for a place unfamiliar filed with unfamiliar faces.
I know I'll enjoy Taiwan too, and in a few weeks I'll be ready to call it home, but I will never forget the places I've been and most importantly the people I've met along the way. The Meisters, the Peikels, and all of their friends and relatives have been nothing but kind to us, and have extended us their homes and hospitality in a way that made us feel welcome and at home.
Even though I may be almost done living in Estonia, I'm surely not done thinking or reflecting on it. I plan to keep updating this blog periodically with musings and photos, and will eventually add all of my photos to my Picasa albums. I'll keep in touch with Mary and Jane, and hopefully will get back to visit again sometime in the future.
In the meantime, if I don't get the chance to update this for the next several days, feel free to email me and make any requests on things you wish I'd posted and didn't.
I was going to post about my visit to the KUMU, but the pictures tell more than my words could. I've uploaded them to an album here:
 |
| Tallinn: KUMU museum |
Be sure to look at the captions to tell you what you're looking at. Also, don't forget that clicking the pictures makes them bigger.
Until next time, ciao.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
A visit to the zoo
This past weekend, the girls and Luke and I visited the Tallinn zoo. After a brief debate with the ticket counter lady about whether Luke and my student IDs were valid, being that we were from America and 22, we got our discount tickets (ha!) and headed inside.
The girls, having been to the Cincinnati zoo with Luke last fall, warned us that the Tallinn zoo wouldn't be as exciting or nice as our zoos. I was open to any experience involving exotic animals, and therefore heeded no mind to their warnings.
Directly inside the entrance, we were greeted by the average zoo layout. A big ZOO sign, maps of the exhibits, and path markers.
It is in the middle of the city, but is surprisingly spread out. Walking around, it took a while to get from one family of animals to the next, with long walkways between.
We then went in search of animals. To patrons of zoos in the USA, the Tallinn zoo presented a stark contrast. I was used to animals, behind plexiglass, in cages approximating their natural habitats-- even if only a rough approximation. In Tallinn, the cages were concrete boxed with attached concrete yards, all surrounded by chain link fence. It really looked more like an animal prison or gulag, a zoolag if you will.
We only managed to see a few of the animals. The rest were absent from their cells, possibly sent for reeducation. Here are some snapshots of the ones we managed to view.
There were an inordinate amount of ungulates in this zoo. Lots of species of deer, rams, some bison, and a few camels.
A decent amount of birds, but no large aviary habitats where they could fly around.
My favorites were the fish and the polar bear, the latter possibly being my favorite animal.
Overall I had a good zoo experience. I kept an open mind about the facilities, but I wish there were more animals that presented themselves for viewing. Considering how there are only a few months in Estonia where it is possible for people, let alone tropical animals, to survive outside for more than a few minutes, I can understand how the zoo would be lacking. Plus, from what Mary and Jane told me, it sounds like the government doesn't see much importance in funding a zoo. If it were up to me, the zoo would shrink in size, consisting of a few nice, comfortable (for animals and people) indoor facilities open all year round.
The girls, having been to the Cincinnati zoo with Luke last fall, warned us that the Tallinn zoo wouldn't be as exciting or nice as our zoos. I was open to any experience involving exotic animals, and therefore heeded no mind to their warnings.
Directly inside the entrance, we were greeted by the average zoo layout. A big ZOO sign, maps of the exhibits, and path markers.
It is in the middle of the city, but is surprisingly spread out. Walking around, it took a while to get from one family of animals to the next, with long walkways between.
We then went in search of animals. To patrons of zoos in the USA, the Tallinn zoo presented a stark contrast. I was used to animals, behind plexiglass, in cages approximating their natural habitats-- even if only a rough approximation. In Tallinn, the cages were concrete boxed with attached concrete yards, all surrounded by chain link fence. It really looked more like an animal prison or gulag, a zoolag if you will.
We only managed to see a few of the animals. The rest were absent from their cells, possibly sent for reeducation. Here are some snapshots of the ones we managed to view.
There were an inordinate amount of ungulates in this zoo. Lots of species of deer, rams, some bison, and a few camels.
A decent amount of birds, but no large aviary habitats where they could fly around.
My favorites were the fish and the polar bear, the latter possibly being my favorite animal.
Overall I had a good zoo experience. I kept an open mind about the facilities, but I wish there were more animals that presented themselves for viewing. Considering how there are only a few months in Estonia where it is possible for people, let alone tropical animals, to survive outside for more than a few minutes, I can understand how the zoo would be lacking. Plus, from what Mary and Jane told me, it sounds like the government doesn't see much importance in funding a zoo. If it were up to me, the zoo would shrink in size, consisting of a few nice, comfortable (for animals and people) indoor facilities open all year round.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The Sun
Two new posts today, be sure to see my Tallinn post below.
Last night Luke, Jane, Liis, Kadi, and I went to see Tanel Parder and The Sun, perhaps Estonia's biggest rock band, right here in sleepy Haapsalu. Fresh from the beer festival, they did a show not ten minutes drive from where we live, and with tickets at about $12, we decided we had nothing to lose by seeing them again. They sing the 'Welcome to Estonia' song that I have a YouTube video of a few posts below this.
They played at the local yacht club, a very small venue for such a big act. As such, the crowd was an intimate one (read: small but packed like sardines.)
They were joined after half of their set by Florida, USA's own Bill Blue. Bill played blues guitar annd sang his blues while Tanel and The Sun played their best blues riffs. A really memorable show.
I filmed a whole tape's worth (60 min.) of the show, so I didn't get many photos. It was hard shooting over people's heads anyway.
After the show, we went to Pub Afrika, in central Haapsalu, where we happened to run into Bill Blue when he poked his head in. I told him he did well, but he seemed pretty drunk. Still, it must have startled him to meet possibly the only other Americans in Haapsalu.
Last night Luke, Jane, Liis, Kadi, and I went to see Tanel Parder and The Sun, perhaps Estonia's biggest rock band, right here in sleepy Haapsalu. Fresh from the beer festival, they did a show not ten minutes drive from where we live, and with tickets at about $12, we decided we had nothing to lose by seeing them again. They sing the 'Welcome to Estonia' song that I have a YouTube video of a few posts below this.
They played at the local yacht club, a very small venue for such a big act. As such, the crowd was an intimate one (read: small but packed like sardines.)
They were joined after half of their set by Florida, USA's own Bill Blue. Bill played blues guitar annd sang his blues while Tanel and The Sun played their best blues riffs. A really memorable show.
I filmed a whole tape's worth (60 min.) of the show, so I didn't get many photos. It was hard shooting over people's heads anyway.
After the show, we went to Pub Afrika, in central Haapsalu, where we happened to run into Bill Blue when he poked his head in. I told him he did well, but he seemed pretty drunk. Still, it must have startled him to meet possibly the only other Americans in Haapsalu.
Tallinn, in brief
As I stated in my Beer Festival post, Luke and I went back to Tallinn again this past weekend. Jane was working this time, so we went with Mary. Being as her roommate was out of town and had two beds in her room, the situation worked out well.
First we went and spent the night with Mary's family, the Peikels, in the tiny town of Palivere. Palivere is really just a dot on the map, with one or two main streets and inhabitants probably numbering in the triple digits. Still, Mary's parents, grandparents, and brother, Priit, made us feel like guests of honor. They made a huge meal, brought out the fancy silverware from a box on the mantle, and Priit gave up his room for Luke and I to sleep in. Very generous people.
We were greeted at the gate by the family dog, Lord, who I am told is half wolf.
We ate a delicious meal of pork tenderloin, potatoes, salads, kraut, and wine. We had a lively dinner discussion, with Priit and Mary acting as translators. Mrs. Peikel was learning English vocabulary at an astonishing rate.
After dinner, we went for a walk around Palivere, where we saw the community, Mary's mom's workplace (a lumberyard) and the adjacent local swimming hole.
Before going to bed, Mary, Priit, Luke, and I stayed up talking for a few hours, drinking beer, and eating the delicious cinnamon raisin bread that Mary's grandma made.
The next afternoon we went to Tallinn, and attended the beer festival (see below.)
The day after that we went to the botanical gardens and TV tower. Those are better shown than told, so I'll post a few photos, and you can see the rest in the various albums on my Picasa page.
We also went to the WWII memorial. It was a mixed memorial for Soviet, Estonian, and German soldiers, as Estonia has been in control of its own monument-creation for only a couple of decades at this point. Really cool monument, though with sloping walls and stonework.
I'll finish off the post by posting various photos of Tallinn's Old and New towns.
Old Town:
New Town:
I've opened up comments to all viewers now, after I realized that they weren't. Leave comments if you want, I'll enjoy reading them.
First we went and spent the night with Mary's family, the Peikels, in the tiny town of Palivere. Palivere is really just a dot on the map, with one or two main streets and inhabitants probably numbering in the triple digits. Still, Mary's parents, grandparents, and brother, Priit, made us feel like guests of honor. They made a huge meal, brought out the fancy silverware from a box on the mantle, and Priit gave up his room for Luke and I to sleep in. Very generous people.
We were greeted at the gate by the family dog, Lord, who I am told is half wolf.
We ate a delicious meal of pork tenderloin, potatoes, salads, kraut, and wine. We had a lively dinner discussion, with Priit and Mary acting as translators. Mrs. Peikel was learning English vocabulary at an astonishing rate.
After dinner, we went for a walk around Palivere, where we saw the community, Mary's mom's workplace (a lumberyard) and the adjacent local swimming hole.
Before going to bed, Mary, Priit, Luke, and I stayed up talking for a few hours, drinking beer, and eating the delicious cinnamon raisin bread that Mary's grandma made.
The next afternoon we went to Tallinn, and attended the beer festival (see below.)
The day after that we went to the botanical gardens and TV tower. Those are better shown than told, so I'll post a few photos, and you can see the rest in the various albums on my Picasa page.
We also went to the WWII memorial. It was a mixed memorial for Soviet, Estonian, and German soldiers, as Estonia has been in control of its own monument-creation for only a couple of decades at this point. Really cool monument, though with sloping walls and stonework.
I'll finish off the post by posting various photos of Tallinn's Old and New towns.
Old Town:
New Town:
I've opened up comments to all viewers now, after I realized that they weren't. Leave comments if you want, I'll enjoy reading them.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Õllesummer (Beer Festival)
When we heard about the beer festival in Tallinn, Luke and I decided we had to go. Who could say no? It was held at the same festival grounds as the song festival, so we knew the layout and location well enough.
Upon entering the fairgrounds we were exposed to a lot of drunkenness. Actually, we thought there was a bit of drunkenness, but as the evening wore on, we would see what real public intoxication was.
One of the first things we saw was the Statue of Libeerty, as I dubbed it.
Mary was with us, and after meeting up with one of her girlfriends, we headed over to the A. Le Coq beer tent with the promise of free cake. The "cake" in this case turned out to be a big ass sandwich, layered like a wedding cake.
Apparently these are all the rage now in Estonia now, appearing at graduation parties, weddings, and even birthdays; much to the dismay, I imagine, of small kids. Who wouldn't cry if, instead of chocolate cake with sweet butterscotch icing, a kid were handed a plate of tuna salad and rye bread? Happy birthday Jimmy, enjoy your seafood confection.
(The 'cake' was actually pretty good.)
There were dozens of beer tents for each vendor, meaning that I never had to wait more than a couple of minutes in line for a beer, often I didn't have to wait at all. And unlike rib cook-offs and state fairs in the USA, the beers didn't cost an arm and a leg. The average price at Õllesummer was the same as the cheapest pubs in Haapsalu, 25EEK, or about $2 for a pint.
Thankfully, the port-au-johns were plentiful as well, with lines seldom more than 1 or 2 people deep. I've been to Oktoberfest in Munich, and while I had an awesome time there and there was so much more to do and see, Õllesummer was much more pleasant on my wallet, my bladder, and was therefore a better experience.
We checked out some more of the attractions, including food tents, bungee jumping from a crane (just watched) and 'shoot the jerk in the paintball getup as many times as you can' booth.
The best parts were the free concerts and group drinking song session, which was held under the same amphitheater as the Laulupidu song fest. The concerts featured some of Estonia's top musical acts including the rock bands Blackie, Terminaator, and The Sun. Terminaator was my favorite, and they had the biggest stage (adjacent to the amphitheater.)
The Sun
Terminaator
All in all, I had a great time here. I didn't get too drunk, despite the cheap and easily available (and good) beer, which allowed me to enjoy myself without the repercussions of peeing my pants in the middle of a crowd of people. Estonia sure knows how to party.
Upon entering the fairgrounds we were exposed to a lot of drunkenness. Actually, we thought there was a bit of drunkenness, but as the evening wore on, we would see what real public intoxication was.
One of the first things we saw was the Statue of Libeerty, as I dubbed it.
Mary was with us, and after meeting up with one of her girlfriends, we headed over to the A. Le Coq beer tent with the promise of free cake. The "cake" in this case turned out to be a big ass sandwich, layered like a wedding cake.
Apparently these are all the rage now in Estonia now, appearing at graduation parties, weddings, and even birthdays; much to the dismay, I imagine, of small kids. Who wouldn't cry if, instead of chocolate cake with sweet butterscotch icing, a kid were handed a plate of tuna salad and rye bread? Happy birthday Jimmy, enjoy your seafood confection.
(The 'cake' was actually pretty good.)
There were dozens of beer tents for each vendor, meaning that I never had to wait more than a couple of minutes in line for a beer, often I didn't have to wait at all. And unlike rib cook-offs and state fairs in the USA, the beers didn't cost an arm and a leg. The average price at Õllesummer was the same as the cheapest pubs in Haapsalu, 25EEK, or about $2 for a pint.
Thankfully, the port-au-johns were plentiful as well, with lines seldom more than 1 or 2 people deep. I've been to Oktoberfest in Munich, and while I had an awesome time there and there was so much more to do and see, Õllesummer was much more pleasant on my wallet, my bladder, and was therefore a better experience.
We checked out some more of the attractions, including food tents, bungee jumping from a crane (just watched) and 'shoot the jerk in the paintball getup as many times as you can' booth.
The best parts were the free concerts and group drinking song session, which was held under the same amphitheater as the Laulupidu song fest. The concerts featured some of Estonia's top musical acts including the rock bands Blackie, Terminaator, and The Sun. Terminaator was my favorite, and they had the biggest stage (adjacent to the amphitheater.)
The Sun
Terminaator
All in all, I had a great time here. I didn't get too drunk, despite the cheap and easily available (and good) beer, which allowed me to enjoy myself without the repercussions of peeing my pants in the middle of a crowd of people. Estonia sure knows how to party.
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