1997: My First Week in Tartu
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. The centennial of Estonia’s independence on February 24, 2018 inspired me to go back and take another glimpse at who I was back then and to use that opportunity to learn more about recent developments in my former temporary home.
August 6-10, 1997
I just finished my first full week in Tartu. I’m proud to say that I am feeling quite good right now. There have been a few bumps in getting used to the lifestyle once again, but by now I am very much back in the swing of things. The strangest thing to get used to right now is the simple fact that school is not in session. Because of that there are very few students running around town and things are very, very quiet. Sometimes it is too quiet, I really can’t wait for classes to start and the return of people I know. Tartu in the summer is just something I have never really seen before.
One thing that I really like about this summer is the wonderful weather that we have been having. It’s hard for me to get over how nice it’s been in the two months since I got here. Except for the occasional light rain or slightly cooler temperatures, it has been sunny and warm (20-30 degrees, average near 25) ever since the middle of June. This week was no exception. I have really been having to work to stay cool. When I packed to come here I was preparing for a cold, cold winter punctuated by a cool summer and fall. Therefore, I only brought a couple pairs of shorts with me and because of that they have really been getting a workout. At times like this, laundry really becomes your friend.
A wonderful side benefit of the warm weather has been the ability to carry out my Estonian language study in some rather, um, unconventional places. The beach, for example. Tartu has a couple of beaches on the Emajõgi River. They’re not too big, but it’s a lot of fun to go out there and lay out on a blanket and work on my grammar. After all, no one ever said that all studying had to occur in a library. Actually I think that I tend to learn a little more out there than if I had been in a library. Perhaps it has something to do with being very relaxed.
The biggest activity of the week was getting to go to the Manhattan Transfer concert Wednesday night. It was a great time. I went with a Finnish friend of mine. We had very good seats at the beginning, first row a little off center, but unfortunately the standing crowd got too big and eventually got between us and the stage, forcing us to move back to be able to see anything. The music was wonderful, the crowd extremely appreciative and a good time was had by all. It was by far the best show that I have seen here in Estonia.
This weekend went really well. What I enjoyed most was finding two churches in Tartu that I am very comfortable in. Sunday morning I went to Pauluse (St. Paul’s) Lutheran Church, the one recommended to me by the Estonian I met at church last week. He was right, it was a much better service, a larger, more vibrant congregation and a comfortable, if rather sparse, building. It was the first church I’ve been to in Europe that reminded me of my church back home. Rather than a big, overwhelming cathedral or a building that dates back several centuries, this was just a normal, everyday church. To tell you the truth, I’m not quite sure which one I prefer.
Later in the afternoon I attended the tiny Methodist church. It was a strange experience because the congregation shares a building with an Orthodox congregation. It was a bizarre mixture of basic protestant communion table and pulpit and Orthodox icons and extravagance. It’s a small congregation, but because of that it is very closely knit and made me feel extremely comfortable. The service was led by a student from the theological seminary in Tallinn. I will definitely be going back, especially since they practice open communion.
While I will not do it every week, I enjoyed going to both services. Besides being wonderful language practice, it gives me a chance to meet many new people and is a good opportunity to learn something new. After all, since I am going to go into the ministry as a profession, I should have an understanding of as many different churches and faith traditions as I can.
So, I survived my first week here and am once again having a good time. Despite everything, I still can’t believe how lucky I am in being able to come here and do the things that I am doing. I’ve gotten so used to this lifestyle that I sometimes forget how unusual what I am doing truly is. Wow. A weak word, I know, but the only one I can find right now. Some things are simply beyond words.
Next entry: Tartu, Back in the Swing
