A little walk on the frozen sea

One of the best things I have experienced so far here *o*

After New Years Eve /Silvesterwhich was pretty much the same like in Germany, only with less firecrackers, because we were in the middle of the forest, I drove to a friend to celebrate my birthday, and we went together to Pärnu, the fourth biggest city in Estonia, famous for it's beach ( I heard that half of Estonia Gose to swim there in Summer) and took a little walk to the sea. 

I couldn't wait for the snow and the colder weather and finally it had come, like another birthday present for me. We didn't think that already after a few minutes outside in the cold, we would be completely frozen, but unfortunately we dressed way too cold. Neverthenless all this was so worth it, because as we came to the beach, we noticed that the sea was frozen, and that there were even a few people walking on it! The Eastern sea is very flat in Pärnu, that's why it freezes so easily. It's probably not a big deal for Estonians, but for me, who only visits the sea in summer time it's such an amazing thing to see. 

It was a magical and unique feeling to step onto the ice and walk on the sea. Clara was able  to take such wonderful pictures, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do :)

We also took a few pictures in the forest :3

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.