Gingerbread, blood sausage & gnomes :My Estonian Christmas

Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Häid jõule ja head uut aastat!

I hope you are having a great time with your families and friends! :)

Although I haven't been quite in a christmas mood this year, I enjoyed it. I was really afraid of it, because I thought i would be really homesick, but as it turned out this was not the case.

Christmas is quite similar to Germany here I guess, but there are a few differences. Although the Estonians have also the 'adventskalender' (but it's not that common) they have additional the 'päkapikkud',little gnomes who visit the children every night in December and put some sweets in their 'sussid' slippers. 

The biggest difference was probably that many Estonian families visit the graveyard on Christmas Eve and light candles instead of going to church. After we came back from the graveyard we ate the Christmas meal. Pork, chicken,fish and eggs, potatoes and sauerkraut, peet salad and 'kringel', a sweet yummy bread with rosins.
The traditional Christmas food though is blood sausage and pumpkin salad with potatoes, I ate this on the last school day. Every stude also got a chocolate box from my school as a christmas present! To get it we had had to prepare something: a dance, a movie clip, a song...

However, the santa claus 'jõuluvana' came to our house and brought not one but two huge bags of presents to our house. The whole family was surrounded, the children were running excited through the house, with big eyes and rosy cheeks.
 To get a present everyone had to say a little rhyme, dance or sing.
I decided for this rhyme (because it's so short :D)
                           vahuveini vanniga 

                          piparkooke panniga

                          verivorste krõbedaid

                          palju päevi toredaid

I really missed the various German christmas cookies, because the Estonians only seem to know gingerbread :D

These were our creations :))

The slightly different Christmas tree in Rakvere

The days after Christmas Eve I just spent at home and made Kaiserschmarrn, an Austrian dish, it's basically pancakes ripped in little pieces. 

I also drove to Tallinn to visit the Curly Strings concert(a very famous Estonian band). It was so great. I had goosebumps several times and I even understood much of what the band was talking about between the songs. 

This is their most famous song, if you want to hear some of their music! :)

https://youtu.be/vFlUhVyp0cA 

The next day we went to the cinema to see an Estonian movie, which was also really good and with English subtitles, so that I was able to understand it, before we drove back.

Over Christmas Eve and my birthday we are staying again at the aunt's house. 

I remember exactly the moment one year ago, when the last moments of 2014 passed, I was wondering where the new year would take me. 

And now I am here, the last ours of the new year are running. This year was the most exciting, the hardest, the year I travelled the most, the year I met amazing people from all over the world, the year left my home behind, the year I found a new one.

And I am looking forward to what the next year will bring.

Helsinkitrip

Tšau!
How you already know we travelled to Helsinki last weekend. Johanna from Germany, a girl from Thailand and me stayed over at an incredible nice family in Tallinn, because we live too far away to get the ferry in time the next morning. The family showed us the old-town, and we had the cance to visit the famous Christmas market in Tallinn. I expected it to be bigger-honestly it was quite small and a bit boring for me, because in my German area are lots of beautiful Christmas markets too. But it was quite nice :). And after that Johanna and me went to the cinema to watch (of course) Mockingjay 2. I can't express my love for the series. The movie was soooo good. *o* Maybe even a bit too gripping for Johanna and me :D(you know what I talk about)
After that we spent a wonderful evening with the family, we talked a lot and had great food :)
The next morning they dropped us off at the harbour and our adventure in Finland started *---*
Here you can read more about the trip!
http://yfueesti.blogspot.com.ee/2015/12/discovering-helsinki.html
The only things I can add to this is that we really had to walk a lot (my group didn't ride the tram :D). Like really really a lot. Honestly, I think that I have never ever walked that much at one weekend.
We were lucky and had two exclusive guides through the city, two exchange students, who are spending their year in Finnland. We had much fun and I enjoyed the weekend so much. Helsinki is such a charming city with a special flair, especially during christmas time ♥
On Saturday evening we had nothing to do and just walked through the city. Because we got a recommendation by a woman, we asked in a big and expensive hotel, if we could go to the top to see Helsinki at night.Although we were a bit sceptical if it would work out,we were guided to the top floor by the security man- and it was just such an wonderful and breathtaking view.

The first seven pictures you can see are taken by my friend Clara

The reason why you should have always washi tape with you! :)

They are just so scary,right? 

Luulepäevad | Theatrefestival in Jõgeva

Tere!
Today I came back from a theatre festival, which lasted for two days. The theatre group of my class did attend it and and I was invited to it too. Unfortunately I am not in the theatre group yet, but I really want to join in the next play. I hope I can! I miss playing theatre :D
Schools from all over Estonia were participating in the festival, our school had even two theatre groups inclusive me as lucky charm/decoration. My charm seemed to work, because the theatre groups of my school did really well. The 11th graders won the prize for the best duo and one boy of my class was elected the best male actor. We were also one of two groups which were nominated for the best play. I am so glad for them, they really deserve it.
I am also way more conscious of the strong theatre culture here. It's such a huge difference in comparsion to Germany, I don't really know how to describe the differences exactly, but it seems that the groups are in general more professional.

The whole festival is dedicated to the famous Estonian poet Betti Alveri. On Friday evening there was a ceremony in remembrance of her. It took place in a small parque, candles lighted everywhere on the ground. After a few of her poems were read, I suddenly found myself in a circle with all the other people, holding hands, dancing in a circle, to soft music played in the background.
The play of my class: https://vimeo.com/146503923

Here you can see the parque during the day
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/et/3/3c/Betti_Alveri_m%C3%A4lestusm%C3%A4rk.jpg

One day later it snowed for the first time. I am so excited! Everything is way more prettier now, although it's cold. And I lost my gloves. Yey. But I am going to buy new ones on Friday, because I am going to Tallinn . This weekend is already the YFU-Helsinkitrip, on Saturday the ferry is taking us to Finland!

Circus perfomance!! :3/Mardipäev

Yesterday we finally had the perfomance of our first theatre project. The week has been very exhausting. On Thursday and Wednesday we practised the whole day after school, so I arrived at half past nine at home. On Thursday the classmate, who should have played all the scenes with me my grandmother,got sick and unfortunately couldn't perform neither.So a girl had to take his place and learn the text in one day, but it all worked out and we had two amazing performances for the other classes of my school. There is also a video on Reaalitv of the performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ8TFoOkdLY (from minute 12.55)

here you can see my awesome class after the perfomance-please ignore my weird face xD

On Friday evening we also had a costume party, that was hosted and prepared by my class, so I was the whole day in school (again :D) and prepared food. The thing I like most about my school is that the class is doing so many things besides the school together and that we have so many special and exciting events, which are making school varied. I couldn't stay long on the party (because I live so far away-what a surprise), but the preparing process was so fun and I was honestly glad to come home and not until the next morning.
On Monday Martipäev was celebrated. A few classmates including me went to the first till fourth grade of our school. Traditional we dressed up all black and painted mustaches on our faces. We sang the traditional song, told them about the traditions, proved their ability to write,gave them riddles to solve, and gave them peas, which should bring them luck. In return we got loads of sweets. Meeldib *~*
Last week there was also hingedepäev (the Estonian word for 'Allerheiligen')and in the evening, as it was dark outsides, we walked at least 2 kilometres to the graveyard. It was so beautiful. All the candles,lightened to remind and honour the dead, shining through the dark, creating a stunning and enchanting atmosphere.

My improvised costume. I also had a camera and a 'business card' ~ so I went as a professional photographer 

Tsirkuseproov~ circus rehearsal <3

This the Estonian weather at the time . Either fog or rain and it gets dark early. I feel like I get to see the sun once in a week.

There are two types of Estonian houses. One typ are cute cozy little houses and the other grey and depressing townhouses of the Soviet Union time.

Autumn vacations / Halloween

I have done so many things in the vacations I don't know where to begin :D  Clara stayed over for two nights at mine, because she lives in Pärnu, what is basically on the other side of the country and we did 'a few' pictures with her camera. I'm trying to upload some of them. I also met two exchange students who are living in my area.
And on Saturday the exchange students who are spending their year in Finland came to Tallinn , so we had the opportunity to meet them all and to spend the day with them in Tallinn . Johanna and I came 1 hour to late,because the bus we wanted to take was already full (we didn't know that such a thing is even possible). We did a ralley through the old town and after that I ate with a few exchange students at hesburgers, that's the Estonian Burger King. It was definetely too less time in this beautiful city, because I had to drive back the same evening, but I hope I can come back there soon and tell you more about it.
Here in Estonia I'm getting a completely different relation to time. I don't think that to drive 2h every day with the bus or train is much anymore, because I am so used to it.
So the weekend after the vacations I drove to Tartu again to a small YFU-party. It was really nice, we talked and...ate. Far too much. We don't have a scale at home but I can see that my body has changed. One of the reasons for that is probably that I eat two times a day warm food. One time in school at half past eleven, and one time at home. Sometimes I even eat four times a day, because my host family often eats at 8 or 9 o'clock again Müsli or a sandwich. And then there is my love for Kohuke and chocolate and the fact that I sit for so long almost all day.
I try to go for a run twice a week, I hope that helps somehow, but I don't know how long I can find the motivation for it.
Well, I want to tell you a bit more about a usual day of me. I wake up at 5.50, get ready and walk about 5 min to the bus station, where I meet Anna-Liisa. The bus drives at 6.45 and arrives one hour later in Rakvere. In the classes I usually try to understand what the teacher is talking about and write down everything, and when I I don't understand anything(especially History and Literature) at all I'm studying Estonian. After school I do the dishes, walk the dog and study Estonian.
On Friday there is another Halloween party of the theatre classes of my school. I'm preparing the food and making pictures. I am so excited. *--* On Friday  is also the circus perfomance and I honestly don't know if everything will work. I am so scared that I will forget all my lines, but we will see. Friday is going to be an exciting day for sure! (Edit: The party and the perfomance are one week later)

Teachers day / How to learn Estonian

On Monday we had Teachers day- that means that all the teachers could stay at home and the lessons were given by the 12th graders. Unfortunately they were pretty much the same like normal lessons- an exception for that was English. We watched a video about education. About how school often fails to educate us, although education is so important. This video is really worth a watch, it made me so thoughtful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_ZmM7zPLyI

The weather is getting cold here. 0-7 degrees mostly. It's like a warm german winter. Brrrr. In the last two weeks my class has been busy with the preparations for the circus project. For the frame story we decided for an old woman, who tells her grandchild (played by me *feeling excited*) a story about her past, when she was working in a circus. We have a dances, magic tricks, livemusic... I think it's going to be awesome!

On the last weekend we had a meeting from YFU. We talked about how the first weeks have been, what problems we had, how we feel and so on. It was so great to see all the exchange students of my group again! Ma armastan vahetusõpilasi! ♥

My language skills are improving, at least I think so. For example I read a very easy children book yesterday and I didn't have to look up any word, because I understood everything out of the context and the pictures. Every little achievement in this language make me so happy! But when I try to speak in Estonian a bit, there are usually at least two mistakes in every sentences. (The Estonian sentence is also the corrected version)

The biggest problem for me is that you have to learn four forms of every noun... But if there should be anyone reading this, who is interested in learning Estonian, I can totally recommend to you the website keeleklikk.ee . You can create your own free account and learn with small videos and varied exercises. I am also using two textbooks:
Estnisch für Anfänger by Lextra: http://www.cornelsen.de/lextra/1.c.3092623.de

Estnisch Intensiv https://books.google.ee/books/about/Estnisch_intensiv_das_Lehrbuch_der_estni.html?id=yw97NwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

But the last one is very taxing and I think it is maybe even too profound for an exchange year.
 I recently found a youtube channel, on which an Estonian girl explains some basic Estonian stuff, like the numbers. So if someone wants to know a bit more about this language, this playlist is perfect! :)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwzaKL53VjNZVSHAkwHJR31A2YfcBlvfh
(I am sorry for the many links)

Besides that I sometimes translate children books or AABITS. That's the book, Estonian first graders learn reading with and I am watching Estonian TV.

So we have autumn vacation next week (I have too many plans for only one week :D). Today is also the 16. of Oktober, that means that I am already here for two months. On the one hand I feel like I have been here forever and on the other as if I left Germany two weeks ago.

Estonian nature / Foxweek

On the weekend we visited my host aunt and her family who live in a house in the middle of the forest in Soomaa National Park in the South of Estonia. After we arrived, we took a long walk through the forest. In the deep woods there live bears and wolves, but you pretty much never see one of them.
Instead you can see blueberries and mushrooms, lining the edges of the pathes.
If you're alone you can only hear your own breath and the whispers of the tree tops, maybe one or two birds, which are chirping their songs.

like claws sticking out of the ground

just pick and eat. 

The biggest anthill I have ever seen!

The foxweek is a special Estonian tradition. The 10th graders are the foxes and the 12th graders their 'gods'. That practically means that the foxes are their slaves. Our foxweek only consisted out of two days. The first day was the Friday before we drove to the National park. We had to jump from classroom to classroom, do some squads and pushups in the breaks and got bottles sticked to our arms with tape. That was...painful for me, but really fun in the classes, because some couldn't write. 

I also got an agreement from my gods with things I had to do like bring them chocolate and take a selfie with my history teacher and put it on Instagram. The highlight of the foxweek should come on Monday.

As we came back from the South on Sunday I already was having a sore throat, but it wasn't bad and so I had fun with meeting two awesome exchange students, who live near me. We just talked and messed around and it was such a great day!

But on Monday morning I felt too bad to go to school. My sore throat turned out to be a tonsillitis (Mandelentzündung)-of course it couldn't have come at any other school day. That's why I missed on fox day and couldn't fulfill my agreement. So I spent a lazy week cuddled up in my bed, watching series and relaxing. I was alone all day and had too much time to think, so I felt a bit homesick and overwhelmed with the whole situation.

On Sunday I finally had recovered, so I baked cupcakes with my hostsister. After one week of illness it felt really great to be back in school and to see all my class mates again and the little down I have had was immediately gone. As long as I stay busy, I'm really happy to be here and I feel totally well and comfortable.

There are much more school events on my school than in Germany. 

We had a relay between the classes around the school house, where some classes wore costumes. My class deciced for aprons and gas masks (<this is the reason why we lost, but hey we had the best costumes :D)

Today was also a school concert. That means that two professionals (at least I think so) came to our school. A woman sang classical opera songs and another woman accompanied her on the piano.

My new life isn't new anymore. I got used to the small things. I got used to sleep in the new bed, I got used to hurry to the bus in the morning and to sleep there again. I got used to my class mates, got used to talk in English all the time. I got used to not to understand most things, which are spoken around me. I got used to eat warm lunch in school, I got used to come home and to be welcomed by our dog with loud barking, and jumping at me and wagging its tail.I got used to the TV, which is running all day and I got used to go for a walk with my host family and to much more. I got used to my new daily-routine.

 I'm arrived. 

1 month in Estonia | Estonian school | 1 kuu Eestis | Eesti kool

It's about time to write something again. I'm so sorry that I don't post more often, but I am so busy! I am usually home at 4 o'clock and I am so exhausted after school. Twice a week for 1 hour and a half I also have violin lessons at the small music school in our village. In Estonia you usually also learn how to play the piano, if you are learning the violin-so I have piano lessons for half an hour per week too. That makes me so happy, because I have wanted to learn this instrument anyway. Additional to the music classes I also have to study Estonian and for school, my days are certainly filled.
School. A topic I could write pages about. The students study so much here. It depends, of course, but usually they study 3 hours after school. I wouldn't say that the subjects are harder in general, they just have to learn much more by heart. I'm in the easier Math course (at least I think so), so it's really easy for me. I already have had all topics last year, it's just revision, but that's totally fine for me, so I can understand more. English however is harder for me, because we are only a small course, you have to pay attention every second. This is also the only course (besides Drama),in which the teacher really involves the students. In the other lessons the teaching is more frontal. The teacher talks, the students write, and sometimes the teacher tests a few students orally about the subject. If the whole class is asked, the students just shout/say/mumble the right answer. There is no thing like raising your hand like in Germany. And you call the teacher 'õpetaja' (=teacher), not Mrs.x. That's really useful in the beginning, when you don't know their names yet :D Between the lessons there is always a 10 minute break, after the 4th lesson is lunchtime for half an hour. Lunch is free at my school! The students change the shoes in the basements and they leave their jackets and the shoes in their spind. In school you wear 'school shoes', mostly ballerinas or snickers.

 My favourite subjects are Filmindus and Drama. Last week our homework in Filmindus was to take several pictures, and we discussed them in the next lesson. The teacher also gave us more photography tipps.
The last Drama lesson was the best lesson I had so far. We improvised and I also had to do it, but it was really fun. I'm just going to try to play roles, which don't use much language like little children or grumpy old people or I have to do it in English and be pepared that I am the only one talking. Some people can't speak English that well (well har har)or just are too shy to do it.
 I also attend the Informatics class although I don't have to, because my class teacher told me that it would be too difficult for me, so I thought they would programe things. But they don't. They do Exel, which I already have done in 8th grade in Germany, so I can join without having bigger problems.
What I like most about the school here is e-school. that's a website on which every student has its own profile. You can see all your homework, important messages and your grades there (your parents can see your profile too) I want to have that in Germany as well, it's much easier to stay organized!
 Of course I can only talk about my school and I can compare the school only to my German school I attended. It's the same for everything in Estonia I compare with Germany.
On the last weekend I went to Tartu and Tallinn to go shopping there with exchange students.
 In Tallinn I didn't have the chance to go into the old town, I spent the whole day in the shopping centre. As far as I know there are no shopping promenades here with small shops like I know it from Germany, just huge shopping centres. You also don't have the little bakerys here, you buy you're bread in the supermarket.

Now I am already a month here. One year ago I hadn't even come up with the idea for an exchange year. And now I am here. In Estonia, sitting at the desk in the living room, typing, living a new life. 

Our garden

Simuna-our neighbourhood

I saw deers on my school way today!! Just about 10 metres from me one of them hopped across the street. I was so excited!

Now the pictures of Tartu:

I want to eat it all

We bought all Pirukas we could find. They are like pasties. This one is with rice and carrots, but there are lots of variants

A whole shop with cheapened sweets. Paradise.

The train station

market place of Tartu

Theatre of Tartu

old-fashioned