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

The first school week!

How I already mentioned in my lost post the school has begun on 1st of September. It is not only in Estonia a special day but e.g in Latvia and Russia too. First I went to the ceremony of Iti, my little host sister, who had her first school day in her life. In her class are only 6 people! The entire school has 9 grades, but only about 80 students. Typical for a little village in Estonia I think. After that we drove to Rakvere. My school is bigger, it has about 900 students. I was so nervous! The ceremony took place on the schoolyard and it was pretty good, although I didn't understand anything. The choir sang, the school band or something like that played a song too and the head master gave a speech. Then we all went to our classrooms, where we had to introduce ourselves(my nervousness grew even more) and our class teacher told us the timetable for the next day-unfortunately by word of mouth and so I didn't get anything, despite the help I got.
The next day was the first real school day. I was very confused because I didn't know my timetable (you can check it in the Internet), but my class is very nice.
 The subjects are pretty similar to Germany, I have: History, Geography, Biology, Maths, Physics,Music, Art, Estonian (about the origin of the language and grammar), Literature, English, German, PE, Anthropology (lessons about humans). Because I am in the theatre class I also have Film and Drama. I will also go to the lessons of the younger kids instead of some German lessons to improve my Estonian.
On Thursday everything was less stressful and confusing for me. We wrote our first history test there! On the second school day. It was a map of Greece you had to fill the names in and you also had to answer a few questions. I think I'm going to get a 1! There are grades from 1 to 5, 1 is the worst and 5 the best.
Today we had our first drama class and it was so awesome. I think we have a pretty good teacher, because the class laughed all the time. It's so awful when someone says something funny and everyone laughs, and you just don't get it. One reason more why I should keep learning Estonian. We had to introduce ourseves again on the little stage in our drama room and then we had to stand in a line and hug everyone and say them hello. I'm looking forward to the class about films on Monday.
I'm going to tell you more about the school in Estonia in a few weeks, when I have more experience.

About Kohuke, frogs and fairytale places

First of all I know that my English isn't the best, but I really hope it's going to improve during the year and that you don't mind too much.

Well, that's what I've experienced so far:
On Saturday we went to Rakvere, where my school is and I saw it the first time (but only from the outside). School will start at the 1. of September. There will be a ceremony and we'll get our schedule and more information. I have a very long schoolway, it takes over 1h with the bus, sometimes even 1h and a half. I hope that I will manage that somehow.
On Sunday I met a girl who will go into the same class as me and who lives in my village. She showed my the part of the village I hadn't seen yet. It was so beautiful, I felt a bit like in a fairytale.

I discovered my love for frogs! 

 In the evening my family, Anna and I went to a lake to swim a bit. The lake was really lovely and peaceful because we were almost the only people there.
On the next day we went to the little town in the near of my village to fill out some paper stuff about the ID card.
I am alone during the day because my host mom has to work and the kids usually stay with their grandparents. But I don't mind it much, so I have time to rest a bit. As soon as they home I feel always really comfortable anyway.
 So we went to 'Emumägi' (Emumountain) on Tuesday, which is the highest 'mountain' in Nothern Estonia (it's ratgher a hill, about 150 meters high). Along the path to the top of the mountain are several sculptures made of wood. On the top there is a tower you can climb and from there you have an amazing view over the landscape .

My host grandfather found this big caterpillar in our garden!

The next day I went with my host mother to Rakvere again. First we went again to my school, but this time we actually entered it. I met my class teacher and the head master and I got a tour through the school. It's so awesome! It has an atrium, a new gym hall and the most impressing thing: the rooms for cutting and grabbing the little films. It seems to be so professional!

We looked for school shoes afterwards, because in Estonia you have to wear a second pair of shoes in school, so that the dirt is kept outside. I wasn't able to find suitable ones, because ballerinas,that seem to be the most common kind of shoes for school, don't like my feet at all, but it doesn't matter that much, I have shoes, I can use temporary. We also visited a few sights.

the theatre of Rakvere

You can buy milk in bags. That's so weird! :D

Have I already told you that I'm in love with Kohuke? Kohuke is like a chocolate bar with a filling of quark and it's SO delicious

It was also the last warm and sunny day. The next day it started raining. I'm afraid that the Estonian summer is over. :( 

On Saturday we went to the North Coast of Estonia. It's really beautiful there.

 I also have more information about the theatre program. Reaalgümnaasium Rakvere is a special theatre school, which offers a theatre class I will attend and there are many special theatre activities at my school, I can join if I want to. But depending on which school you will go to there are differences of course. But what applies to everyone on the program: YFU pays all theatre visits.
I just won't understand anything on the theatre, at least the first half of the year .
 My Estonian is good enough to speak a few short and easy sentences and to understand some words in a conversation like 'ja'-'and' or 'ma ei tea'-'I don't know' and if I'm very lucky I can understand what the topic is. I have been pretty motivated to learn Estonian in Germany, I have known a bit already as I arrived here. And I still am motivated to learn. I don't know why. There have been moments I almost smashed my Estonian book against the wall but my enjoyment over understanding a new word I have learned in the Estonian subtitles on TV or over being able to say a more complicated sentence has always won about my frustration and desperation. What do we say to the God of Death  who invented the Estonian language? Not today.

Here I am

I've been here in Estonia for five days now. First all the exchange students who will spend their year in Estonia had a arrival seminar for four days. There were people from all around the world, over the half of us from Germany but there were also some people from Thailand, Japan, Mexico, Chile, Belgium and  Czech Republic. We had workshops about the Estonian culture and other useful stuff and language lessons there. Besides that we played many games, which were really fun. I really enjoyed the time there, the teamer and the students are so amazing. One evening the teamers gave us typical Estonian sweets and I am already in love with Kohuke! We also had the opportunity to go to sauna, for me it was the first time in my life. I didn't expect to like it that much. It was just awesome!

The lake near our youth hostel. It was so beautiful. 
               


But on Wednesday it was the last evening because we would meet our host families the next day. I was so nervous!
We sang an Estonian song for them, I think it's called "Mul on üks tore tädi" which means "I have a nice aunt". Here is the link to the video of it: https://www.facebook.com/YfuEesti/videos/10152873436966157/
Then we could go to our families and hug them for the first time. We had lunch together and then we drove home.
 So I arrived at my new home yesterday. My new home for 10 months. It's a little and very lovely house with a huge garden. Estonia is so green! Everywhere are trees and trees and trees again.
The next day I was alone at home so I took a little walk through the nature and took some pictures.

 My cute host dog Kutsiini

The parents of my host mother live in our neigbourhood, so the girls stay often with them. This evening we ate apple pie at the grandparents'. They only speak a few words in English, so I was forced to talk in Estonian to them. Because I have learned some Estonian before in Germany I was able to understand some frases. It is an incredible feeling when I speak a few words in Estonian even when it's the most easiest 'sentence' like for example juustuga? ~with cheese?

Tomorrow we're going to go to Rakvere because Iti has a competition there,so we can buy some clothes (one of my trousers ripped yesterday-yeey)

to all my friends and family back in Germany: feel hugged💕

die letzten Wochen vor dem Abflug | my last weeks before my flight

Hey Leute!
heute sind es nur noch 5 Tage.
Am Anfang der Ferien habe ich eine kleine Abschiedsfeier mit rund 20 Leuten veranstaltet. Wir haben in unserem Garten gegrillt, Werwolf gespielt, am Lagerfeuer gesungen und einfach eine schöne Zeit miteinander verbracht.
Trotz der Feier habe ich mich mit den meisten noch einmal getroffen. Am Donnerstag war ich zum Beispiel mit einer sehr guten Freundin auf einem Sunrise Avenue Konzert, welches trotz der Hitze unbeschreiblich toll war.
Jetzt sind meine Tage weiterhin mit dem Treffen von Freunden, Ausmisten und Packen gefüllt. Am Donnerstag werde ich mich dann noch von meiner Familie verabschieden. Es ist alles trotzdem noch ziemlich weit weg und ich habe mein ganzes Vorhaben noch nicht wirklich realisiert. Ich schwebe in einem Zustand zwischen Angst und großer Vorfreude. Gerade überwiegt die Vorfreude, da ich gerade den Welcomeletter von YFU Estland mit mehr Informationen über Estland erhalten habe.

Das Sunrise-Avenue Konzert

Ein Bild von meiner Abschiedsparty

Ich will euch bei der Gelegenheit eine kleine Liste an Dingen aufschreiben, die ich unbedingt in Estland erleben möchte und auf die ich mich richtig freue:

• einen Elch sehen
• einen Esten zum Lachen bringen
• das erste Mal auf Estnisch träumen
• meine erste längere Komversation in fließendem Estnisch führen
• mit meinen Freunden in Mockingjay Part 2 gehen
• unter dem estnischen Sternenhimmel schlafen
• ein Theaterstück aufführen
• im Meer baden
• in die Sauna gehen
• durch Tallin schlendern
• ein neues Hobby ausprobieren
• ein estnisches Lied auswendig können
• Finnland besuchen
• auf ein Konzert gehen
• für mein Estnisch gelobt werden
• mich mit estnischem Essen vollstopfen

 Ich weiß, dass meine Zeit in Deutschland rasend schnell vorbeifliegen wird. Das wird auch mein letzter Blogeintrag aus Deutschland sein (wie habe ich mich darauf gefreut diesen Satz endlich schreiben zu können)
This is the beginning of anything you want.

Summary of my previous posts

First of all I want to say sorry that I have to share my English posts so much later than the posts in German, but I just don't have enough time to write it immediately in English. They are also  shorter, unfortunately.
Well, as you probably know, I'm going to spend 10 months in Estonia with the theatre program of YFU.
In the beginning I wasn't that happy about it, because I rather would have gone to Norway or other countries. But by now I'm looking forward to the 16.08.
As I searched more information about Estonia, I realized that it's such a fascinating country!  I think it's so interesting that music and theatre has such an important role there. Also Estonia is very small and sparsely populated and has a beautiful landscape, but in contrast to that it's the highest developed country in electronity stuff in Europe! You can vote for example per the Internet.
Every German YFU exchange student has a preperation week, where you learn useful things not only for your exchange year, but for your entire life. I had mine in the end of May and I spent there such a wonderful time with such amazing people. I also met there other exchange students, who are going to go to Estonia.
I'm so excited to leave (in only 29 days!!!time's running incredibly fast), but of course I'm scared too. It's such a big step to leave everything you've ever known. You're friends, you're family, you're entire life. I'm afraid that I won't going to fit in my host family, that I will have difficulties with meeting Estonian friends,that I will miss my loved ones too much...And so on.

But I never have doubted my decision to do it.Yes indeed, I'm certainly afraid and sad that I have to leave so many great people behind, but at the same time I can't wait to get into that plane!On Wednesday a stranger added me on Skype and this stranger turned out to be my host mum!  We wrote throughout the whole next day and I am so glad and happy that they have decided to host me.
I will live with my host mum and my two host sisters (11&7) in a small village (about 450 inhabitants) about 35km far from Rakvere in northeastern Estonia. Rakvere is a town with about 15 000 inhabitants and it is famos for its theater, I will also go to a school with a special theatre class there. Every second Friday they grab a video and share it in YouTube (the channel is called Reaalitv). That's so amazing!
My older host sister plays also the violin and the whole family seems to be very sporty. They also have a dog and a cat, which is awesome, because I adore animals. I'm just a bit worried about my long school way, but my host mom seems to be so caring and nice, so I think that we will find a solution for every problem.
Just 13 days till Estonia!