A box-out in the Kohver ('Suitcase') insert of this week's edition of Eesti Ekspress sees Sirle Seemen - who is or was at some point the chairwoman of the Estonian Society in Brisbane - relating the shocking events of a shooting that took place in Melbourne recently from the point of view of someone living at the other end of the country. In the article she paints a rather rosy picture of life in sunny Queensland. I quote verbatim (and shall provide a translation thereunder):
"Austraalia turvalisuse tase on väga kõrge, ütleksin, et üks kõrgeimad nende riikide seast, kus kunagi viibinud olen. Siin ei lukustata uksi, garaažid on ööpäev läbi avatud ja samuti autode uksed tänavatel. Röövimised on ennekuulmatud – kui mõni siiski juhtub, on see nädal aega tabloidide esikaanel! Ja öösel mööda pimedaid tänavaid jalutades ei teki kordagi ohutunnet, sest inimesed, kes sulle vastu tulevad, tervitavad ja naeratavad – võõraga pimedal tänaval silmside loomine julgustab.
Just selle kõige tõttu on Queenslandi osariigi inimestel raske mõista, mis toimub Victorias. Melbourne’i peetakse ju üldiselt üheks rahulikumaks ja romantilisemaks linnaks, kuhu noored nädalavahetust veetma sõidavad."
__________
"Australia is a very safe country – one of the safest of any I've been to. People here don't lock their front doors. Petrol stations are open 24 hours. They even leave their cars unlocked out on the streets. Robberies are unheard of – and if one does occur, it's headline news in the tabloids for a week! Walking the streets after dark never feels unsafe, because everyone you walk past smiles and says hi – and making eye contact with strangers on dark streets gives you confidence.
It's because of all this that the people of Queensland are having trouble comprehending what's been going on in Victoria. People think of Melbourne as being one of the most peaceful and romantic cities in the country – somewhere young people go to spend a fun weekend."
What, from Brisbane? Bit of a hike. And I know I haven't been to Brisbane in a long time, and have never lived there, but is it really such an idyll that even in 2007 no one locks anything? If Ms Seemen was based in Toowoomba or somewhere it might sound more plausible, but even then I doubt it. Does that make me a cynic?
http://www.ekspress.ee/viewdoc/4268981B7302AA2BC22573020040A4C8
One thing living away from Australia has shown me is that in many ways it is the Lucky Country, but there aren't half some daft things presented about the place as fact in the Estonian media, usually by people purporting to live there or to have travelled there extensively. The following is a good example. It's from an article entitled Even bananas raise eyebrows with Australian Customs that appeared in Estonia's leading business daily Äripäev. Edited highlights this time + translation:
"Lisaks keeletestile meeldib austraallastel proovida ränduri teadmisi maateaduses. Loodan geograafiaõpetajale mitte häbi teha, määrates lõunasuunda päikese järgi. Aga lõunapoolkeral tõuseb ju päike läänest ning lõunatunnil sirab põhjas. Loomulikult keerleb ka vesi teisipidi, autod sõidavad paremal teepoolel. Lapsepõlve veendumusele, et tegu on pea peal kõndijatega, ma siiski kinnitust ei leia."
__________
"It's not only your language skills Australians love to test: they'll also test your geography. I hope not to bring shame on my old geography teacher by using the sun to establish which way's south, but of course in the southern hemisphere the sun rises in the west and blazes at midday to the north. The water goes down the drain the other way too, and the cars drive on the right. But I find no evidence to confirm my childhood belief that people here walk on their heads."
Spot the mistakes? Answers on the back of a postcard to the usual address. The thing is, the rest of the article suggests that the author, Ave Adoberg, must have been on the package tour that is always advertised in the travel section of the Estonian papers, involving a lot of bus travel up and down the country. Can she really have failed to notice they were driving on the left the whole time? Maybe the bus did a lot of overtaking. Or maybe she was too busy trying to figure out which way was south, and confusing east with west.
http://www.aripaev.ee/3470/rpp_turism_347001.html
Saturday, June 30, 2007
When the left hand doesn't know what the right hand's doing
I expect this will be my first and last rant on the topic, mostly because it's not very interesting. It's irritating and it's petty, but it's also completely impersonal, and therefore not worth getting embittered about.
I received notification today that the Citizenship and Migration Board were denying my application for a Long-Term Resident's Permit, because since I first arrived in Estonia I have spent one month and nineteen days longer outside of the country than they clearly feel is appropriate for someone who has been here almost seven years.
I don't have a problem with this - they quoted legislation at me chapter and verse pointing out exactly why I fail to qualify - except that said law is the very thing I questioned them about prior to submitting my application, and was assured that whatever the short version said, I did indeed qualify. To paraphrase the reply I received to my query: "Oh, you've been here more than five years in total, so that's alright."
Being told that black is white by one 'specialist' before being enlightened by another that black is indeed black after all is symptomatic of the Citizenship and Migration Board, so I can't say I'm surprised. I have had to deal with them half a dozen times since I came to Estonia in August 2000 and never once have things run smoothly. At least this time I encountered possibly the only friendly employee they have when I lodged the application.
I can't even say I'm disappointed, really, as it's all so much red tape. It was a waste of money, needless to say, but the decision won't affect me in any way. It will just mean that when my current Temporary Residence Permit expires next February I will have to go through the whole application process again. According to the board's figures I won't meet the Long-Term Resident's Permit criteria until next August, when I clock up five years since I returned from my last extended trip home. But given I'll have to pay another 1500 kroons for a temporary permit in February I'd be a fool to pay the same again less than six months later. I might as well wait until that one expires and then make another application for the long-term permit. Which at that rate would be some time in 2010, almost ten years after first settling in the country.
The exasperating thing of course is the inflexibility of bureaucracy. I can shrug it off - because let's face it, what else is there to do apart from bash your head up against a brick wall - but there's still a point to be made: the letter I received listed every date related to my residency in Estonia, thus making it clear even to the Citizenship and Migration Board that I have lived here plenty long enough to qualify if there weren't these pointless sub-clauses. They are also aware that I meet all the other requirements, not the least of which being proficiency in the local language (as the lady who dealt with me when I submitted my application can attest from our chummy conversation about Australian and Estonian fauna, of all things), and must therefore also know that I have invested a lot of myself in the place.
"You actually like Estonia?!" asked the woman charged with taking my money from me when I made my application. "Of course!" I replied. "Why, do most people applying for residence permits not like Estonia?" She leant in to answer in a conspiratorial whisper. "Not the Russians," she revealed. "They come in here, shouting at us in Russian; they refuse to speak Estonian, and probably can't anyway, and tell us the only reason they stay in Estonia is because they don't have anywhere else to go. And we have to give them what they ask for." I took this for what it was - a crass generalisation, albeit one rooted in truth - but it does underscore the irony of my situation: I really love Estonia and plan on staying here, and have done my level best to integrate through learning the language and getting to know the country and its people, but still they turn around and say I'm not acceptable.
For now, anyway.
I received notification today that the Citizenship and Migration Board were denying my application for a Long-Term Resident's Permit, because since I first arrived in Estonia I have spent one month and nineteen days longer outside of the country than they clearly feel is appropriate for someone who has been here almost seven years.
I don't have a problem with this - they quoted legislation at me chapter and verse pointing out exactly why I fail to qualify - except that said law is the very thing I questioned them about prior to submitting my application, and was assured that whatever the short version said, I did indeed qualify. To paraphrase the reply I received to my query: "Oh, you've been here more than five years in total, so that's alright."
Being told that black is white by one 'specialist' before being enlightened by another that black is indeed black after all is symptomatic of the Citizenship and Migration Board, so I can't say I'm surprised. I have had to deal with them half a dozen times since I came to Estonia in August 2000 and never once have things run smoothly. At least this time I encountered possibly the only friendly employee they have when I lodged the application.
I can't even say I'm disappointed, really, as it's all so much red tape. It was a waste of money, needless to say, but the decision won't affect me in any way. It will just mean that when my current Temporary Residence Permit expires next February I will have to go through the whole application process again. According to the board's figures I won't meet the Long-Term Resident's Permit criteria until next August, when I clock up five years since I returned from my last extended trip home. But given I'll have to pay another 1500 kroons for a temporary permit in February I'd be a fool to pay the same again less than six months later. I might as well wait until that one expires and then make another application for the long-term permit. Which at that rate would be some time in 2010, almost ten years after first settling in the country.
The exasperating thing of course is the inflexibility of bureaucracy. I can shrug it off - because let's face it, what else is there to do apart from bash your head up against a brick wall - but there's still a point to be made: the letter I received listed every date related to my residency in Estonia, thus making it clear even to the Citizenship and Migration Board that I have lived here plenty long enough to qualify if there weren't these pointless sub-clauses. They are also aware that I meet all the other requirements, not the least of which being proficiency in the local language (as the lady who dealt with me when I submitted my application can attest from our chummy conversation about Australian and Estonian fauna, of all things), and must therefore also know that I have invested a lot of myself in the place.
"You actually like Estonia?!" asked the woman charged with taking my money from me when I made my application. "Of course!" I replied. "Why, do most people applying for residence permits not like Estonia?" She leant in to answer in a conspiratorial whisper. "Not the Russians," she revealed. "They come in here, shouting at us in Russian; they refuse to speak Estonian, and probably can't anyway, and tell us the only reason they stay in Estonia is because they don't have anywhere else to go. And we have to give them what they ask for." I took this for what it was - a crass generalisation, albeit one rooted in truth - but it does underscore the irony of my situation: I really love Estonia and plan on staying here, and have done my level best to integrate through learning the language and getting to know the country and its people, but still they turn around and say I'm not acceptable.
For now, anyway.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Do you think they realise?
I translated a text today about a laudable non-profit organisation and support group for HIV-positive drug addicts in Estonia who are seeking public support for the launch of a rehabilitation programme for young addicts - something that is all too lacking in Estonia, despite the country having the highest rates of drug addiction and HIV in the European Union. The programme is based on the AA 12-step model and is designed to help young people overcome their addiction and achieve a more stable life, avoiding a prison sentence as a result. The name of the organisation?
Convictus.
I wish them well in their endeavours.
www.convictus.ee/?lang=eng&id=1
Convictus.
I wish them well in their endeavours.
www.convictus.ee/?lang=eng&id=1
Naabrist parem
So last year, or the year before, whenever it was, one of the commercial channels decided to do its own version of The Block. (No idea what it might have been called in the UK, US or elsewhere, or indeed whether they even had their own versions; it's the show where four couples each get one flat in a block to do all the interior work on, one room each week, with the best design and craftsmanship being rewarded etc etc.) Indicative of the prevailing mindset in these parts of late, the Estonian version was not called Korter ('The Apartment') or something equally innocuous, but Naabrist Parem: 'Better Than The Neighbours'. And as if the name didn't make it clear enough, check out the logo.
Touché, the point of the show is to be better than your neighbours: it is a competition, after all, even if it does come down to personal taste. Ironically, but predictably, the four young couples who took part were far too nice to each other to really give the twist they were trying to put on the show any teeth, which is perhaps why the producers resorted to new television lows to inject some tension into proceedings.
I recall* the winners of one challenge being given free rein to go into the other three couples' flats and take anything they liked for their own flat - not for themselves, I hasten to add, and you shall shortly see why - whether that be the $2 Reject Shop corn cob holders in the kitchen drawer or the $10,000 lounge suite in the open-plan living room (not that there's any other type in Estonia... but don't get me started about local architecture). The three losing couples were horrified at the idea, and the winning couple suitably abashed, although in the spirit of the game they went along with it. And who can blame them? Well, in fact, lots of people: not blaming them, as such, but the producers. Because what they took from one of the flats was a brand new widescreen TV which had been given to the unfortunate losing couple who were soon to part with it by the young lady's family completely outside the bounds of the show. But rules were rules, and the TV was in the flat, and what was in the flat was up for grabs. And so they lost it.
The other novelty in particular that I remember was introduced in the final episode, where it came to public televoting to decide the winner. Or rather it didn't. You see, the producers decided that the best thing to do would be to have the audience vote against the couples on the show, ostensibly as if to say, "theirs is the flat we like the least". Naturally, it didn't turn out that way: the ones who were voted off first arguably had the best taste in - and talent for - interior design. They were also the 'foreigners', being the only couple from outside of Tallinn, where the show was made. (Whether this had any influence on the voting I wouldn't like to speculate.) After this tasteless early approach to deciding the winner, the whole final episode became strangely muted. The couples involved were clearly appalled, and when the winner was finally announced, there was little excitement to be had.
It tells you something about the makers of the show and the people who bothered to pick up their phones and vote for it that (a) jealousy and acrimony, rather than fair but vigorous competition, were actively encouraged; and (b) the couple with the nicest home were sacrificed by the producers, inevitably becoming the target of viewer spite and the first to be struck down. If there were awards for fostering ugly stereotypes, the concept designers on this show would be national champions. Estonians might not be particularly vocal or demonstrative about their feelings, but give them the anonymous medium of technology to hide behind and they will attack someone else's success without a second thought. Some of them, anyway.
The sad fact, of course, is that none of us is really very different.
*vaguely, and possible inaccurately, but still
Touché, the point of the show is to be better than your neighbours: it is a competition, after all, even if it does come down to personal taste. Ironically, but predictably, the four young couples who took part were far too nice to each other to really give the twist they were trying to put on the show any teeth, which is perhaps why the producers resorted to new television lows to inject some tension into proceedings.
I recall* the winners of one challenge being given free rein to go into the other three couples' flats and take anything they liked for their own flat - not for themselves, I hasten to add, and you shall shortly see why - whether that be the $2 Reject Shop corn cob holders in the kitchen drawer or the $10,000 lounge suite in the open-plan living room (not that there's any other type in Estonia... but don't get me started about local architecture). The three losing couples were horrified at the idea, and the winning couple suitably abashed, although in the spirit of the game they went along with it. And who can blame them? Well, in fact, lots of people: not blaming them, as such, but the producers. Because what they took from one of the flats was a brand new widescreen TV which had been given to the unfortunate losing couple who were soon to part with it by the young lady's family completely outside the bounds of the show. But rules were rules, and the TV was in the flat, and what was in the flat was up for grabs. And so they lost it.
The other novelty in particular that I remember was introduced in the final episode, where it came to public televoting to decide the winner. Or rather it didn't. You see, the producers decided that the best thing to do would be to have the audience vote against the couples on the show, ostensibly as if to say, "theirs is the flat we like the least". Naturally, it didn't turn out that way: the ones who were voted off first arguably had the best taste in - and talent for - interior design. They were also the 'foreigners', being the only couple from outside of Tallinn, where the show was made. (Whether this had any influence on the voting I wouldn't like to speculate.) After this tasteless early approach to deciding the winner, the whole final episode became strangely muted. The couples involved were clearly appalled, and when the winner was finally announced, there was little excitement to be had.
It tells you something about the makers of the show and the people who bothered to pick up their phones and vote for it that (a) jealousy and acrimony, rather than fair but vigorous competition, were actively encouraged; and (b) the couple with the nicest home were sacrificed by the producers, inevitably becoming the target of viewer spite and the first to be struck down. If there were awards for fostering ugly stereotypes, the concept designers on this show would be national champions. Estonians might not be particularly vocal or demonstrative about their feelings, but give them the anonymous medium of technology to hide behind and they will attack someone else's success without a second thought. Some of them, anyway.
The sad fact, of course, is that none of us is really very different.
*vaguely, and possible inaccurately, but still
I stand corrected
Posted by Oliver on June 27, 2007 at 11:04 AM
You were missing the following labels: self-criticism/irony/ridiculing, Estonian sarcasm etc.
__________
Irony indeed. How could I ever have thought that there would be any self-satisfied liberals in Estonia? ;-)
Of course, what makes Mart Raukas' article so effective is the ring of truth it has. For the benefit of those reading this who had to duck the flying irony, let me elaborate. In point form.
*Estonians have gone borrowing mad. The new sense of financial security that has blanketed the country has led to a boom in lending, primarily for housing, but this is also a country where you see nightly advertisements for instantaneous SMS loans should you overspend on your grocery shopping. Something's got to give. Inevitably, it will.
*Estonia's prime minister, Andrus Ansip (pictured), recently justified only marginally increasing excise on beer - whilst upping it significantly on things like petrol - by saying "You can't play with the price of beer. How long do you think a government that raises the price of beer will remain in power?" Nice to see we have forward-thinking leaders in this country with the future of their nation at heart.
*Estonia has some of the worst rates of gambling addiction in Europe. Have you ever seen the episode of Little Britain where Tom Baker reveals that there are 5 pubs per head of population in the UK? It's a bit like that here with casinos. One of Andrus Ansip's catchphrases when pressed on such matters is "Don't ask me, I'm just the Prime Minister".
*Granted, the gender equality issue is more debatable. In my view it's never really seemed to be much of a thing here: whoever is right for the job gets the job. And since virtually everyone in Estonia has exactly the same schooling and a degree in Business Management, what basis for discrimination can there possibly be?
*Estonia has certainly taken the whole 'stand up and be counted' thing to heart, packing troops off to foreign warzones and providing advisers to presidents in countries which haven't quite come as far in recent years. Smacks a big of sibling rivalry though, vying for the grown-ups' attention, with a poor cousin complex thrown in, and a big boys/playground mentality. Which is perhaps an uncharitable way of viewing it, but there you go.
Then there is the whole 'better than the neighbours' thing at the heart of the article... but more on that next time.
You were missing the following labels: self-criticism/irony/ridiculing, Estonian sarcasm etc.
__________
Irony indeed. How could I ever have thought that there would be any self-satisfied liberals in Estonia? ;-)
Of course, what makes Mart Raukas' article so effective is the ring of truth it has. For the benefit of those reading this who had to duck the flying irony, let me elaborate. In point form.
*Estonians have gone borrowing mad. The new sense of financial security that has blanketed the country has led to a boom in lending, primarily for housing, but this is also a country where you see nightly advertisements for instantaneous SMS loans should you overspend on your grocery shopping. Something's got to give. Inevitably, it will.
*Estonia's prime minister, Andrus Ansip (pictured), recently justified only marginally increasing excise on beer - whilst upping it significantly on things like petrol - by saying "You can't play with the price of beer. How long do you think a government that raises the price of beer will remain in power?" Nice to see we have forward-thinking leaders in this country with the future of their nation at heart.*Estonia has some of the worst rates of gambling addiction in Europe. Have you ever seen the episode of Little Britain where Tom Baker reveals that there are 5 pubs per head of population in the UK? It's a bit like that here with casinos. One of Andrus Ansip's catchphrases when pressed on such matters is "Don't ask me, I'm just the Prime Minister".
*Granted, the gender equality issue is more debatable. In my view it's never really seemed to be much of a thing here: whoever is right for the job gets the job. And since virtually everyone in Estonia has exactly the same schooling and a degree in Business Management, what basis for discrimination can there possibly be?
*Estonia has certainly taken the whole 'stand up and be counted' thing to heart, packing troops off to foreign warzones and providing advisers to presidents in countries which haven't quite come as far in recent years. Smacks a big of sibling rivalry though, vying for the grown-ups' attention, with a poor cousin complex thrown in, and a big boys/playground mentality. Which is perhaps an uncharitable way of viewing it, but there you go.
Then there is the whole 'better than the neighbours' thing at the heart of the article... but more on that next time.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Cradle of philosophy vs Crock of philosophy
The following is the English translation (provided, and paraphrased, by yours truly) of an opinion piece that appeared in today's Eesti Päevaleht. I can't begin to enumerate the points on which I disagree with the author, 'Mart Raukas, philosopher'. Unless his tongue is very firmly in cheek and he's not the self-satisfied liberal he seems to be. (I have sought a second opinion.) He would appear to have written it on, or based on, a recent flight from Crete to Tallinn.
____________
There are few things in the world that influence people’s happiness quite as strongly as being compared to their neighbours.
Those who once measured how well-off they were against nothing more than the achievements of their closest neighbours have now begun to draw comparisons with the achievements of people who form part of different cultures altogether. And wherever these comparisons bring positive results, such superiority tends to take on a patriotic form.
Compared to Estonians, the Greeks – however illustrious their history – are no longer a cultured people, not when you look at the country’s attitude to the economy and social norms. The Greek government closes its eyes to the budget deficit, produced by the ‘black money’ that so massively circulates – not properly issued bank loans, like we have here in Estonia.
Greece lags well behind us in terms of its policy on alcohol, too: the government there has proven unable to do anything to stop local production of moonshine, which goes on in every village in the country. Its unwillingness to raise excise and impose new duties has made the Greeks complacent, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea for our government to teach their southern colleagues a thing or two about how things should be done.
Not that it’s just the success of our economy we should take pride in; we should also be proud of our cultivation of the latest social trends.
The Greeks have tied casinos up in their apron strings at the state level, viewing them as dens of folly. Our Minister for Social Affairs, conversely, appears to represent the government’s position, which is that gambling addiction is the free choice of every citizen and that it is not the government’s place to step in. Estonians and Greeks also have diametrically opposed views when it comes to sex and gender equality.
And isn’t the famous Greek art of war in something of a downward spiral? How else can you explain the fact that, at a time when our soldiers are dying on foreign missions protecting the children and the elderly of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Greeks haven’t even got the courage to chip in with a support unit?
Estonia is conspicuous for its success. Much of it is due to the trans-Atlantic coalition we are part of, in which me have earned ourselves trusted partner status. What this trustworthiness has given us is a government who are two times as good as their Finnish colleagues when it comes to how often they have met the leaders of the United States.
www.epl.ee/arvamus/391128
____________
There are few things in the world that influence people’s happiness quite as strongly as being compared to their neighbours.
Those who once measured how well-off they were against nothing more than the achievements of their closest neighbours have now begun to draw comparisons with the achievements of people who form part of different cultures altogether. And wherever these comparisons bring positive results, such superiority tends to take on a patriotic form.
Compared to Estonians, the Greeks – however illustrious their history – are no longer a cultured people, not when you look at the country’s attitude to the economy and social norms. The Greek government closes its eyes to the budget deficit, produced by the ‘black money’ that so massively circulates – not properly issued bank loans, like we have here in Estonia.
Greece lags well behind us in terms of its policy on alcohol, too: the government there has proven unable to do anything to stop local production of moonshine, which goes on in every village in the country. Its unwillingness to raise excise and impose new duties has made the Greeks complacent, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea for our government to teach their southern colleagues a thing or two about how things should be done.
Not that it’s just the success of our economy we should take pride in; we should also be proud of our cultivation of the latest social trends.
The Greeks have tied casinos up in their apron strings at the state level, viewing them as dens of folly. Our Minister for Social Affairs, conversely, appears to represent the government’s position, which is that gambling addiction is the free choice of every citizen and that it is not the government’s place to step in. Estonians and Greeks also have diametrically opposed views when it comes to sex and gender equality.
And isn’t the famous Greek art of war in something of a downward spiral? How else can you explain the fact that, at a time when our soldiers are dying on foreign missions protecting the children and the elderly of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Greeks haven’t even got the courage to chip in with a support unit?
Estonia is conspicuous for its success. Much of it is due to the trans-Atlantic coalition we are part of, in which me have earned ourselves trusted partner status. What this trustworthiness has given us is a government who are two times as good as their Finnish colleagues when it comes to how often they have met the leaders of the United States.
www.epl.ee/arvamus/391128
To die a man
A generally well-balanced article that appeared on Delfi today in reference to the two Estonian soldiers killed in Afghanistan described their deaths as 'manly'. Mehelik surm. But since when is the measure of a man's life how manly his death is?
http://www.delfi.ee/news/paevauudised/arvamus/article.php?id=16275497
http://www.delfi.ee/news/paevauudised/arvamus/article.php?id=16275497
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
The view from your balcony
I don't live in an old Soviet apartment block. I used to, when I first came to Tallinn. It was quite close to the central market. After that I lived in an 'Estonian era' wooden building, beautifully restored and renovated, just outside the Old Town near the British Embassy. And a while back I moved into a brand new place out here in the middle of the forest. Here's an artist's impression.
And here's a map to give you some idea of where it is. The name of the development, Männisalu, means Pine Grove. There are lots of pine trees here, and very sandy soil.
For the first time in my life a couple of weeks ago I saw a hedgehog. It was foraging in the undergrowth at twilight, just up the road from my place. And the other day, from my living room window, in the clearing at the edge of the forest, I watched a fully grown deer grazing, quite happily, on the greenery. You don't see that very often when you live in a concrete box in the city.
A word to the wise
Edited highlights of the press conference following Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves' meeting with US President George Bush at the White House, 25 June 2007. It lasted six minutes. (The press conference.)
PRESIDENT BUSH:
It is a high honor to welcome President Ilves to the Oval Office. He is a very strong advocate for democracy and the marketplace, and as a result, his country is thriving and doing well. And so we welcome you.1
I thank you very much for your voice, heard very clearly, for those who suffer under tyrannical societies. The people of Estonia paid a high price. I know you lost two soldiers in Afghanistan recently.2 We thank you for your sacrifice.3
We talked about a lot of other interesting subjects, as well. I readily concede there's an inconsistency in our visa policy where the people of Estonia are treated differently from other people inside Europe -- even though they are making great sacrifices for the cause of democracy and liberty alongside with U.S. forces.4
We also talked about an interesting subject, and one that I can learn a lot about,5 and that is the cyber attack that makes us all vulnerable. Estonia recently went through a wave of cyber attacks.6 And this President, one, understands the issue well; two, has got some ideas.7
But I'm dealing with a man who is a clear thinker, he speaks with moral authority and moral clarity, and he's a voice for reason and hope around the world.8 And we're proud to welcome you here to the Oval Office.
It is a high honor to welcome President Ilves to the Oval Office. He is a very strong advocate for democracy and the marketplace, and as a result, his country is thriving and doing well. And so we welcome you.1
I thank you very much for your voice, heard very clearly, for those who suffer under tyrannical societies. The people of Estonia paid a high price. I know you lost two soldiers in Afghanistan recently.2 We thank you for your sacrifice.3
We talked about a lot of other interesting subjects, as well. I readily concede there's an inconsistency in our visa policy where the people of Estonia are treated differently from other people inside Europe -- even though they are making great sacrifices for the cause of democracy and liberty alongside with U.S. forces.4
We also talked about an interesting subject, and one that I can learn a lot about,5 and that is the cyber attack that makes us all vulnerable. Estonia recently went through a wave of cyber attacks.6 And this President, one, understands the issue well; two, has got some ideas.7
But I'm dealing with a man who is a clear thinker, he speaks with moral authority and moral clarity, and he's a voice for reason and hope around the world.8 And we're proud to welcome you here to the Oval Office.
PRESIDENT ILVES:
Thank you very much, President Bush. I'm grateful for President Bush's position, which I did push him hard on.9
I know that President Bush has a busy schedule, but I do hope that when his term in office is up, that you will come to my ranch -- which is a lot smaller than yours.10
Thank you very much, President Bush. I'm grateful for President Bush's position, which I did push him hard on.9
I know that President Bush has a busy schedule, but I do hope that when his term in office is up, that you will come to my ranch -- which is a lot smaller than yours.10
PRESIDENT BUSH:
Thank you all for coming.
_____________________
1: Makes you wonder what he’d have to say to the President of, say, Moldova.
2: Two local soldiers were killed in Afghanistan on Saturday – the first to die in the line of duty since Estonia joined NATO, if I’m not mistaken – while the rest of the country was marking the Victory Day public holiday. (See also 4 below.)
3: Interesting take on the ‘thank you for shopping with us’ spiel.
4: I wonder if that means priority is given to countries whose servicemen are dying in other people’s wars. It must be comforting for the families of Kalle Torn and Jako Karuks, the two servicemen killed in Afghanistan, to know that they won’t have to spend a dime of their 1.5 million kroons in compensation on a visa next time they want to jet off to the States on vacation.
5: One of many, I’d wager.
6: Did Torchwood open a local branch on the top floor of Tallinn’s new twin towers?
7: And they don’t involve pre-emptive strikes on Moscow. Fancy!
8: OTT perhaps, but as labels go, you could certainly do worse.
9: Carry On Up The Oval Office, anyone?
10: Needless to say. President Bush’s ranch could be modest by American terms and still be about a quarter of the size of Estonia.
Kunst & Tähendus
SL Õhtuleht, the bastion of Estonian journalism, reports today that Indrek 'call me Summer' Raadik has had more tattoos done. Apparently they are "artistic" and "meaningful". But I'll let you be the judge of that.
Very nice.
Monday, June 25, 2007
"Either past it or a bit dull"
According to The Economist, there are only two interesting heads of state in post-Communist Europe, and Estonia has one of them. (The other is Russia's Vladimir Putin.) Labelled 'brainy' and well-travelled, Toomas Hendrik Ilves is seemingly elevated to the ranks of much better known senior statesmen Lech Walesa of Poland and Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic (but interestingly, not Estonia's former president, the late Lennart Meri). Perhaps he will attain the same status in time. He probably deserves to.
The article is ostensibly about the newly elected Latvian president, Dr Valdis Zatlers, whom the unidenitified author portrays as "an orthopaedic surgeon [who] admits collecting thousands of dollars in tips from grateful patients, on which he is now hurrying to pay tax" whilst decrying the fact that he doesn't even hold a wick, let alone a candle, to the country's outgoing leader, Vaire Vike-Freiberga, "a steely-minded émigré polyglot". He (for I am assuming the author is a he) clearly holds the multilingual in great stead. Especially those lucky enough to have been raised and educated in the West.
Not that I'd begin to argue the point. Toomas Hendrik Ilves' outright victory in the funny handshakes round of the presidential election last year - something no one was really predicting - was the most enthralling edge-of-your-seat television since Turkey won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003 with the second last set of points from Slovenia. I hadn't been so chuffed about anything in Estonia in a long time. I actually jumped up and down, cheering madly. (Much as I had when Turkey won Eurovision.)
There's good reason for this, of course: he's the best thing to happen to the Estonian political scene in a long time. The president may only be a figurehead in this country, but with Ilves at the helm, there's no 'only' about it. And when you ponder the alternative, and look at other examples around Europe... well, take Poland, for instance. The writer from The Economist says its "ruling twins are refreshingly honest, but prickly and provincial". I'm sorry, but if you ask me, there's something fundamentally wrong about having two brothers as president and prime minister. Especially twins. And it's not exactly like they (or, by extension, their government) have made a name for themselves recently with their progressive attitude.
Fair dos, the article does single them (and others) out as exceptions. "A lot more typical," it continues, "are such political leaders as Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, or Hungary's Ferenc Gyurcsany: wily political operators with [...] a populist touch. They show little interest in restarting reforms or in foreign policy." The irony is that these couple of lines could just as easily describe Estonia's prime minister, Andrus Ansip - who is head of the Reform Party. I'm not aware of any use for laurels other than to be rested on, and sadly, neither is the country's recently re-elected government. But again, given the alternative...
Thank goodness we have Toomas Hendrik Ilves at the tiller.
Oh, I almost forgot: tha article naturally also gets the thumbs up for being entitled Doctor Who?
How shall I put it?
A friend of mine, born in Texas, currently residing in New York City, previously of Tallinn, pointed out that for a first post, anyone would think I actually didn't like the place much at all. But it's a lot easier to enunciate the negatives, you see.
To balance things out, I thought I would reveal one of my great Estonian loves.
No, not the association itself, although you've got to love any logo that features such a beatific sow.
Estonia is home, without doubt, to the finest pork and ham products in the world. And for someone who likes his white meat, this is a positive boon.
To balance things out, I thought I would reveal one of my great Estonian loves.
No, not the association itself, although you've got to love any logo that features such a beatific sow.Estonia is home, without doubt, to the finest pork and ham products in the world. And for someone who likes his white meat, this is a positive boon.
Blame the Dutch
And the Americans. It's really only in response to things that a couple of friends of mine* said about blogs never being worth reading that I thought I would start my own. Take that as you will.
Not sure who I expect to read it. Next to no one, presumably, given I've lived here for almost seven years and that any cultural references I make are likely to mean very little to anyone who is just planning to visit Estonia. And the readership who it might mean something to are probably the same people who'll hear me spouting off about such things anyway. Hmmm.
Bit of a potted history then: Australian, 29, lived in Estonia since 2000, having moved here with a teaching degree from Italy. Studied languages at university, with a triple major in Japanese, Latin and Italian, none of which have proven to be of any use to me other than in perhaps picking up languages generally more quickly. Spent roughly the first five years of my life here in Tallinn teaching English before making the switch to translating, having taught myself Estonian in the meantime. I've also authored and co-authored a couple of textbooks since I've been here, and worked as the Production Team Supervisor on the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002.
Most people ask me "why Estonia?" and my answer is always the same: vague. I don't really know. It was largely whim that brought me here in the first place, and I'm glad it did. Sometimes you just find yourself somewhere and think: this is right. I don't love my adopted country unreservedly; I'm too much of a realist, and too opinionated, and lucky to have been brought up in a country that never faced the struggles Estonia has.
I admire its pluck, but deplore its smugness. I love the fact that it is a quiet achiever, but hate it when that self-sufficiency is redressed, as nothing more than a means to an end, as vulnerability. I respect the people for their unwavering determination and unwillingness to submit to other people's values, but detest the hipocrisy and intolerance that this engenders.
Estonia is a complex place, ever-changing, and yet somehow always the same. And perhaps it's that very balance, odd though it may be, that I remain drawn to.
*you guessed it, one Dutch and the other American
Not sure who I expect to read it. Next to no one, presumably, given I've lived here for almost seven years and that any cultural references I make are likely to mean very little to anyone who is just planning to visit Estonia. And the readership who it might mean something to are probably the same people who'll hear me spouting off about such things anyway. Hmmm.
Bit of a potted history then: Australian, 29, lived in Estonia since 2000, having moved here with a teaching degree from Italy. Studied languages at university, with a triple major in Japanese, Latin and Italian, none of which have proven to be of any use to me other than in perhaps picking up languages generally more quickly. Spent roughly the first five years of my life here in Tallinn teaching English before making the switch to translating, having taught myself Estonian in the meantime. I've also authored and co-authored a couple of textbooks since I've been here, and worked as the Production Team Supervisor on the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002.
Most people ask me "why Estonia?" and my answer is always the same: vague. I don't really know. It was largely whim that brought me here in the first place, and I'm glad it did. Sometimes you just find yourself somewhere and think: this is right. I don't love my adopted country unreservedly; I'm too much of a realist, and too opinionated, and lucky to have been brought up in a country that never faced the struggles Estonia has.
I admire its pluck, but deplore its smugness. I love the fact that it is a quiet achiever, but hate it when that self-sufficiency is redressed, as nothing more than a means to an end, as vulnerability. I respect the people for their unwavering determination and unwillingness to submit to other people's values, but detest the hipocrisy and intolerance that this engenders.
Estonia is a complex place, ever-changing, and yet somehow always the same. And perhaps it's that very balance, odd though it may be, that I remain drawn to.
*you guessed it, one Dutch and the other American
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