The "Human Web" theory holds that there will be no more than six degrees of separation between you and every other person on earth. I was told this is probably BS in real life, but completely true in Estonia. If you REALLY need it, the Embassy told me, someone you know knows someone who can get you a sitting with the President.
On Thursday, I went to an Erasmus party. One of the "tutors," local students who are paired up with exchange students to help us settle in, recognized my accent as American, interrogated me (ok, not really, but Estonians can seem rather abrupt before you're used to them) to find out why I was in Estonia since I'm clearly not an Erasmus student (since Erasmus is a European program), and then reveals that he knew a Fulbrighter named Erin, and he would introduce me. He later did- popped up out of nowhere, said "Come with me," plopped me in front of her, and promptly disappeared again. Two degrees of separation.
On Friday, my roommates and I went to an apartment to have some wine and chat with new friends. Karin, my Austrian roommate, had met one of the guys, another Austrian, the night before. He invited her to this small gathering at his friend's apartment. His friend was a Korean man named Kiyoho (I think) who came to Estonia on study abroad and never left. He now owns a Korean restaurant here. It was a lovely evening, but nothing seemed too strange. My roommate met a compatriot who has a friend- seems typical enough, but wait.
On Saturday, I met Erin for coffee, and she invited me to dinner with some friends of hers. We ended up at Kiyoho's restaurant, which was one of our dinner-mate's favorite restaurants in Tallinn. As it turns out, one of the friends who met us was an Icelandic composer who knows Eugene, the other Fulbrighter in Tallinn, because Eugene went to Juilliard with one of the Icelandic fellow's (whose name was almost completely unpronounceable) friends from home. I was a little mind-boggled by how many connections I'd made simply by leaving my flat three days in a row, and that the people from all three evenings were connected. Erin just smiled and told me I'd better start getting used to it.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
As an American, I'm a bit of an oddity at Tallinn University. A typical round of introductions goes something like this. "I'm John, and I'm from Latvia." "I'm Jane, and I'm from Poland." "I'm Tom, and I'm from Italy." "I'm Katie, and I'm from California." "Wow...." Many haven't really encountered Americans who aren't tourists, and I am frequently asked why on earth I would come here.
The short version- the one I give to most students- is that I've already graduated, but I'm here to study and do research with a grant from the government. This prompts one of two responses, usually. "Ahh, I get it, it's for your CV." Alternately, "Why does the US government care about Estonia?" At that point I explain that it's Cold War-era program designed to broaden American perspectives and to showcase American goodwill abroad. Normally, the subject changes afterwards.
So why did I pick Estonia? Even now, I have a bit of difficulty putting my finger on it. About a year and a half ago, I sat down with a pen and paper to brainstorm Fulbright ideas. I wrote down topics I was generally interested in on one side and places that I had liked from my travels on the other, and started drawing arrows to link entries on the two sides of my paper. Eventually, I put the paper down and thought about what really interested me most from my EU semester. I decided the subject I'd developed the most long-term curiosity for was Russian-Estonian drama and its repercussions. As fate would have it, there was no language requirement, and a former Fulbrighter to the US was writing a book in English on the exact same topic. From that, a proposal was born. Almost as important- I adored Tallinn when I visited.
I haven't yet settled into the core of my research; however, I've observed some things in the last two weeks that I never noticed during my first visit. The first is that, if you know what to listen for, you realize that Russian is all around you- even in the city center. This surprised me, as I had heard that much of the Russian population is confined to the massive Soviet-era apartment complexes along the edges of the city. In many of the tourist shops selling all sorts of authentic, hand-crafted goodies in the Old Town, you'll probably hear the shopkeepers speaking Russian to one another, and, if there's a radio on, it's probably in Russian too. If you speak Russian to them, you'll encounter a look of surprise, and then quite probably a smile. I met some lovely girls from Narva, a border city that is almost entirely ethnically Russian, who were absolutely delighted by the fact that I understood them and came here to research THEIR way of life. I'm happy to hear as much Russian as I do in the university- for a long time, ethnic Russians were barred from the university by default, as classes are only in Estonian, a language that-until recently- many never learned. Their presence shows that many young Russians are integrating more and more into Estonian society, and one of my goals for the year is to figure out what precisely that means for the future of Estonia.
For more information, check out this NPR story.
The short version- the one I give to most students- is that I've already graduated, but I'm here to study and do research with a grant from the government. This prompts one of two responses, usually. "Ahh, I get it, it's for your CV." Alternately, "Why does the US government care about Estonia?" At that point I explain that it's Cold War-era program designed to broaden American perspectives and to showcase American goodwill abroad. Normally, the subject changes afterwards.
So why did I pick Estonia? Even now, I have a bit of difficulty putting my finger on it. About a year and a half ago, I sat down with a pen and paper to brainstorm Fulbright ideas. I wrote down topics I was generally interested in on one side and places that I had liked from my travels on the other, and started drawing arrows to link entries on the two sides of my paper. Eventually, I put the paper down and thought about what really interested me most from my EU semester. I decided the subject I'd developed the most long-term curiosity for was Russian-Estonian drama and its repercussions. As fate would have it, there was no language requirement, and a former Fulbrighter to the US was writing a book in English on the exact same topic. From that, a proposal was born. Almost as important- I adored Tallinn when I visited.
I haven't yet settled into the core of my research; however, I've observed some things in the last two weeks that I never noticed during my first visit. The first is that, if you know what to listen for, you realize that Russian is all around you- even in the city center. This surprised me, as I had heard that much of the Russian population is confined to the massive Soviet-era apartment complexes along the edges of the city. In many of the tourist shops selling all sorts of authentic, hand-crafted goodies in the Old Town, you'll probably hear the shopkeepers speaking Russian to one another, and, if there's a radio on, it's probably in Russian too. If you speak Russian to them, you'll encounter a look of surprise, and then quite probably a smile. I met some lovely girls from Narva, a border city that is almost entirely ethnically Russian, who were absolutely delighted by the fact that I understood them and came here to research THEIR way of life. I'm happy to hear as much Russian as I do in the university- for a long time, ethnic Russians were barred from the university by default, as classes are only in Estonian, a language that-until recently- many never learned. Their presence shows that many young Russians are integrating more and more into Estonian society, and one of my goals for the year is to figure out what precisely that means for the future of Estonia.
For more information, check out this NPR story.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Eesti!
I've arrived! Wahoo! So much has happened in the last few days that I think it may be close to impossible to give a comprehensive update with the amount of time I have, so here are some quick tidbits to let you know about my new life here in Estonia!
-My apartment is amazing! Two minute walk from the university, rather large, our own sauna and jacuzzi bath, and a good kitchen. The only downside is that I have no chest of drawers, closet, or anything, so my clothes are folded up in piles on my sofa.
-Estonia is one of the few countries in Europe with no Ikea. Many will take the ferries to Finland, then pay one of the many companies conveniently located in house to deliver items to Estonia.
-Many Finns, meanwhile, come here for cheaper alcohol. It's cheaper to take a ferry to Tallinn, stay here all night, then take the first ferry back in the morning than it is to have a similar night out in Helsinki.
-Estonia is one of the most wired country in the world, with near universal wifi coverage. I have an easier time connecting to wifi in public places here than in the States.
-I have a new addiction to cloudberry-cheesecake yogurt. Cloudberries look a bit like yellow raspberries and are found in cold climates in northern Europe and parts of Canada. They're rather difficult to reach, which is why you tend to find them mostly in products (yogurts, etc) than sold directly.
-If you want to know anything about Estonian history, PLEASE find a copy of "The Singing Revolution." It's a beautiful film, and I think it's amazing that independence from the Soviets was won without a single casualty. It was really inspiring to watch people fight so hard for their independence without resorting to the ugliness or divisiveness that seems to characterize so many political interactions today.
-Singing, even prior to the revolution, was one of the most-practices activities among Estonian youth. American kids join AYSO, Estonians join the local choir. The university has tried to point us to various choir opportunities. After informing us that Spaniards believe bad singing brings rain, one of my colleagues announced that Estonian already rains enough, so they really shouldn't be encouraging him to sing.
-Estonian humor is quite dry, and here is my favorite example. Student: Do you need your own equipment for the sports courses, or is it provided? Athletic Director (in a perfect deadpan): It's all provided, except for the course on trampolines. Those you will have to acquire and transport yourself.
-On September 3, it was 45 degrees in the middle of the day. I thought I had a month or two before it got cold, so nearly ALL of my winter gear is still in California. I'm horrified to report that I need to go shopping as a result.
-Speaking of shopping, Fulbright students in Estonia get to go to the Marine Ball at the Embassy, so I have to find an evening gown as well. I'm also tearing myself up over that.
-This semester, I will mostly be taking language courses. Three Russian classes, a class for day-to-day Estonian, and an Estonian history class. Shortly, I should be able to set up a schedule for my work as a research assistant and have more details about my project.
-I've turned a corner and am feeling better.
-My apartment is amazing! Two minute walk from the university, rather large, our own sauna and jacuzzi bath, and a good kitchen. The only downside is that I have no chest of drawers, closet, or anything, so my clothes are folded up in piles on my sofa.
-Estonia is one of the few countries in Europe with no Ikea. Many will take the ferries to Finland, then pay one of the many companies conveniently located in house to deliver items to Estonia.
-Many Finns, meanwhile, come here for cheaper alcohol. It's cheaper to take a ferry to Tallinn, stay here all night, then take the first ferry back in the morning than it is to have a similar night out in Helsinki.
-Estonia is one of the most wired country in the world, with near universal wifi coverage. I have an easier time connecting to wifi in public places here than in the States.
-I have a new addiction to cloudberry-cheesecake yogurt. Cloudberries look a bit like yellow raspberries and are found in cold climates in northern Europe and parts of Canada. They're rather difficult to reach, which is why you tend to find them mostly in products (yogurts, etc) than sold directly.
-If you want to know anything about Estonian history, PLEASE find a copy of "The Singing Revolution." It's a beautiful film, and I think it's amazing that independence from the Soviets was won without a single casualty. It was really inspiring to watch people fight so hard for their independence without resorting to the ugliness or divisiveness that seems to characterize so many political interactions today.
-Singing, even prior to the revolution, was one of the most-practices activities among Estonian youth. American kids join AYSO, Estonians join the local choir. The university has tried to point us to various choir opportunities. After informing us that Spaniards believe bad singing brings rain, one of my colleagues announced that Estonian already rains enough, so they really shouldn't be encouraging him to sing.
-Estonian humor is quite dry, and here is my favorite example. Student: Do you need your own equipment for the sports courses, or is it provided? Athletic Director (in a perfect deadpan): It's all provided, except for the course on trampolines. Those you will have to acquire and transport yourself.
-On September 3, it was 45 degrees in the middle of the day. I thought I had a month or two before it got cold, so nearly ALL of my winter gear is still in California. I'm horrified to report that I need to go shopping as a result.
-Speaking of shopping, Fulbright students in Estonia get to go to the Marine Ball at the Embassy, so I have to find an evening gown as well. I'm also tearing myself up over that.
-This semester, I will mostly be taking language courses. Three Russian classes, a class for day-to-day Estonian, and an Estonian history class. Shortly, I should be able to set up a schedule for my work as a research assistant and have more details about my project.
-I've turned a corner and am feeling better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)