New Update

This week was relatively abnormal on many accounts. It mainly began on Sunday as all weeks do; however, I just realized this while debating in my head where I should start. Sunday seems like the appropriate day because that is the day I became proactive in Estonia.

Sunday, March 22
The Americans spent the day at Werner, the closest thing we have to a coffee shop. Technically, by definition, it is a coffee shop; it sells coffee. Werner does not sell the fraps or mochas etc that other coffee shops sell at home. ***oh I miss Taste Buds! This just hit me, uh!***The decor is plush: purples, black, and white on couches and pillows. It's a really nice scene. We went there to do homework. Personally, I had to study for a test I had on Tuesday in Baltic Sea Region Economies. I had not read anything so I was freaking out, but after four articles I decided to work on my schedule for next year. While working, I found my second major, Problems in a Global Society. I basically get to learn about the human aspect in addition to poliy of environmental studies, which is what I have been looking for. Amazing! So I was stressed, and hungry when we left so Gen, Colin and I made veggie lasagna (not my best) while Pete hung out with an Estonian that interviewed Colin earlier in the day.

Monday and Tuesday, March 23 and 24
Still had to study for that silly test. I had the teacher for another class that day and decided to tell him that the materials were not on the study system, which he immediately fixed. That made my night much more enjoyable. I went to Palo's goodbye party downstairs in the Old Indian Pub after Ancient Near East class. It was a shame that he was in isolation for the majority of his stay. So came home from his party, read one group of slides, fell asleep, woke up at 6, studied, went to bed at 9:30, got up at 12, studied, went to class at 2. The test, I felt, was easy although I probably did not do well. Then I went to the gym and had a crappy work-out. Yeay! ...not really.

Wednesday, March 25
My day off, yeay! I don't have classes on Wednesday so I clean and such. This Wednesday I had to work on migration papers. I still don't have my residency in Estonia due to my insurance, but I refuse to buy insurance for 2 months. Pff really? Uh! Anyway, also bought my dress for casino night. It gorgeous and I totally love it. I can't decided on my fav part b/c it's that wonderful, although I wish it was just 1/2 in shorter. Casino night was posh at the Tikke Tiger. Peter and Colin played poker while Gen and I chatted it up with other internationals. During the event, they had a live band, which made me so happy because I thought of Salisbury's Night Out.*oh* Afterwards we went to Peppe's birthday at Zavhood and had Italian-made tiramisu. Mmmmm.

On Wednesday it also hit me that I am in Estonia! Omg! Oh kinda makes me sad that now I know where I am and won't be in a couple of months. Tear drop! I suppose, ending with a naked bike ride in London is not that bad either. I'll just keep telling myself that.

Thursday, March 26
One of the most amazing days in Estonia. The battle between spring and winter continued yesterday. At times it would be sunny outside and then like when I was leaving Werner, where I had lunch, I was blinded by the huge soft soft flakes. I really wanted to just twirl around, laugh, and fall in a pile of snow, but I had class to attend and didn't want to scare the Estonians.

In Estonian Culture this week we were in a new classroom which did not allow me to use my computer so I had to learn. I walked in late (due to deliciousness at Werner) and entered while a VHS was playing. The video was one of the most amusing I've seen in a while. Black and white, silent film, drawn. At first I was horrified, because these people who were dancing looked so gaunt and haunting. It was so amusing b/c the you could tell what each couple wanted. Like the fat lady and the small man, I figured the fat lady wanted to be loved and all she could get was this little man who enjoyed being suffocated by her huge breasts. I feel like I identified most with that couple not cause I have huge boobs or scary dwarves following me around, but whatevs. But then the people looked normal when the fiddle began to play. It was like when the clarinet played I feel like their most selfish desires were shown and when the fiddle played, everyone relaxed. It wasn't so obvious then. Towards the end the clarinet player wins and everyone turns into trees. One of the most memorable scenes was when the people turn into trees and the boobs of the women turn into a tree and these little scary imp things start drinking the outpouring liquid in a drunken state. Weird, but it made me laugh. I love when movies are so weird, just makes my day. And it did! .. now that i think about it, it reminds me of the animated movies of Maurice Sendak's books. Loved those as a child!

We talked about the beginning of the Soviet Era in Estonia. One phrase she used when talking about the Soviet censorship that was like wow. "A massacre of the printed word." It sounds so poetic like all these words are so kind and then wham! Wiped out. I really enjoyed the imagery. Also saw two paintings I need to own. Picture of Koidula by Adamson Eric was pretty amazing, but this might be because I love pastels. They are one of my favorite media. Um and then Council of Art Rating An Artwork by Kits, which is about the censorship of paintings during the occupation. Both are impressionism, which might be another reason why I love them so. Some other fun facts I learned, lots of kids were in orphanages because their parents had been deported. It never really had occurred to me before to think what happened to the children. We also watched this video that I enjoyed because it freaked me out ....ah! Estonians never cease to amaze me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR-gCT3jx80

But that wasn't the end of my awesome day, truly it was only the beginning and it was only 4. While in class I debated which languages to learn. I decided on French (already know that), Finish/Swedish/Norwegian (I can't decide, eh!), Arabic, Russian, and Urudu. Then Whit will teach me Spanish, German, and Japanese. This made me happy. Went to Zavhood to talk to some Estonians with Gen and Peter. Then we made crepes. The End.

Oh, wait! On Wednesday like I said I was proactive, so I emailed all these people back at university and I received replies. So far they have been really positive, which made Thursday even more amazing. Yeay! Go me! Now it's the end. You can leave. Cheers!