1997: Still Catching Up

From the archives: It turns out that I was blogging long before anyone had ever heard the term “blog.” Twenty years ago I was an exchange student in Estonia. While studying at the University of Tartu, I created an online travelogue to keep my family and friends apprised of my experiences. Both my life and the nation of Estonia have changed a lot the two decades since. This reprise is providing me with a glimpse at who I was back then and the excuse to learn more about more recent developments in my temporary home, even if some of the opinions that I expressed back then may make me a little bit uncomfortable today. It is interesting to see how people grow and change.

Previous entry: Falling Behind Again

October 27-November 9, 1997

This week’s entry is once again two week’s worth of entries. I am really trying to get everything up to date. However there is still quite a long haul left in front of me. Fortunately, classes are starting to finish up for the semester and I am finally able to put the time into this that I should have been doing all along. Thanks for sticking by me through all of this.

27 October 1997
Monday

This evening I went to Nuri’s place and had a great visit with him and a fellow Bahai from Seattle who was here giving a concert. We talked about faith, Christianity and Bahai. It was incredibly interesting. I love to talk with other people about their beliefs and even when I don’t embrace everything they say, I think that the experience gained from interfaith dialogue brings one so much closer to the basic truths of their own spirituality.

When one comes right down to it, the truth is the truth, no matter which faith preaches it. God is God, and love is our purpose. God is love, and to love is to be holy. A very simple message that all too often gets lost in all the interfaith saber rattling.

28 October 1997
Tuesday

Today was a very good day. I feel that I got an especially large amount out of classes today. It was just one of those times that my language ability seemed to jump forward by leaps and bounds.

We had a guest professor in Russian class today, Galina. Our normal teacher, Ludmilla, was in Moscow at a conference. Galina was a good teacher, but was handicapped by the fact that she was jumping in halfway through the semester and didn’t really know where we were ability-wise. A lot of confusion on all parts. I hope that tomorrow goes better.

We had a post Russian class get together at Zum-Zum. It was good to speak with some of the other internationals. Now that I am living with an Estonian family sometimes I can start to feel a little out of touch with that side of the coin.

30 October 1997
Thursday

This evening I went to visit Yura and Lena. Catching up was wonderful. It has been way too long since we’ve talked. It was also good fun on the Estonian language side. Speaking and understanding Estonian with Russians is quite easy. They speak very clearly and about the same speed as my own tortured attempts at the language.

31 October 1997
Friday

Today is Halloween in the United States. It’s especially hard to be away from home on days like this. I watched Cop and a Half with Ene. It was a little on the pathetic side but it helped a lot. I was not thinking about home too much at all.

1 November 1997
Saturday

Note: Unlike the other entries on this page, this day was originally written in English. A cousin of the family from Tallinn, Aet, was in town visiting for a corporation (sorority) pancake party thrown at the University of Tartu.

No time to write, especially in Estonian, had a great time tonight. I spent the day speaking Estonian with Kairit and Aet then went to the bars tonight. Things went very well and I met a new American, Rafael, an artist working here in town. A good day had by all.

2 November 1997
Sunday

I visited the Catholic Church with Nuri. It was a good worship service. I always enjoy going to the Catholic Church here. In the evening the Estonian class went to visit Ingrid, our grammar teacher, and welcome her back from Turkey.

I was also able to finally get my computer to connect to the internet. Email and webbing from home. No more smelly computer labs!

3 November 1997
Monday

I hate to admit it, but I was a little late to conversation class today because I was playing with my computer. After so long without access to the internet I’m afraid I went a little overboard. I did, however send my first email from home. A truly momentous occasion.

I posted my first Estonian language journal page today. Kairit helped me make some corrections. I think that probably every homepage will get a little better. I hope that someday I might actually be able to right fluently in Estonian. However, I know that day is still a long way in the future.

4 November 1997
Tuesday

I just had my first, “it’s too dark to be 7:00 a.m.” sensation. More is on it’s way. Welcome to Estonia.

7 November 1997
Friday

I sometimes wonder about the sanity of some of those around me. Today while stopping by the International Office to check my mail, I was asked by Kai and Piret to do some translating from Estonian to English. I must say that I think they have extremely more confidence in my Estonian ability than I do. I am going to give it a try this weekend and see what I can come up with, but I’m not sure that it’s going to be pretty. Who knows? Anything’s possible and there definitely has to be a first time for everything.

The other big news is that I took my final exam for my Estonian conversation class today. It went extremely well, I am very pleased with that class. I feel that I learned a lot and hope that the amount and speed of the learning continues with the new reading class that begins next Monday. I cannot believe what I am learning, where I am and what I am doing. Everyone should be forced to study abroad.

9 November 1997
Sunday

A long day. I attended the Catholic Church with Diemo. There we met two Germans and ended up going to dinner together. One of them, Angelika, is here visiting just for a couple of days. She is a law student from Munster. We went to movies together and just had a great time talking. Good day, but I am quite exhausted right now.

Next entry: Pre-Thanksgiving Build Up