Estonian Day No. 67.

Wednesday was boring as always. But in keemia, the teacher said, I could do whatever I want. So I drew some patterns on my vihik. That was nice. And in the evening, I realized that since I don't understand much Estonian yet, I didn't know when and where we would have our choir performance on the next day. I asked Indra from my class. She told me that the performance would be on Friday, two days later. That was kind of embarassing. But at least I knew what was going on.

On Thursday - yesterday - was our school's 52nd birthday. So we decorated a cake in the first lesson (klassijuhatamine). In kehaline, we stayed inside (thank God!) and played saalihoki. After about ten minutes of playing around senselessly, I somehow scored the first goal. That was amazing. Especially since I had been very lethargic and indifferent before and suddenly I was burning with enthusiasm. Another two minutes later the other team scored. And another five minutes later the lesson was finally over.

After noortekoor, I went with Janika to the dormitory. My traditional skirt had been broken and she showed me how to repair it. Additionally, we had some "Pirates of the Caribbean" sparkling wine, because I had promised Janika to bring it next time we'd meet - she'd been so exhausted and kind of depressed on Monday, I had just had to cheer her up somehow. Then Janika went to have dinner in school and I stayed with Rainis in his room. When Janika came back, she changed and we went to the running event that was included in our school's birthday. I just watched (nobody had asked me if I wanted to take part and I was glad about that), and Janika and Rainis took part. It was raining all the time and after about ten seconds (!) my feet were all wet. After running, I came with Janika to the dormitory again and she had a quick shower. Kristiina, Janika's roommate, tried to make me pronounce several Estonian words right, but I failed in trying most of the time. Still, it was great to see how both Estonians and learners can become desperate. :D Janika came back and we went to school to watch the "Erki ja poisid" show. That was a show that showed some guys (Erki and his boys) from class twelve perform in such a weird way, that it was hilarious. Afterwards, I watched some video clips with Janika in her room and then went to Rainis's room and just had a nice chat. At 22.15 I went home. Having entered the kitchen, Ahti said "we have cake because we're having a little party", and I asked "why are we having a party?", and Ilona said "you've been with us for exactly two months now". That was sooooo amazingly cute!


Today, Janika braided my hair for the folkdancing performance. I was kneeling on the floor in the corridor, and she stood behind me. That was funny. Some people watched, but it wasn't very spectacular for most of them, because such things happen all the time in our school. :) During the fourth lesson (yay, I missed bioloogia!) we practised our dance again. One boy hadn't come to school (I think he was ill because everything else would be impossible, but I'm not sure - as always) so we had to change our choreography a bit - two hours before the event! It was easy, but still...! [And now I just went online on eKool, and it told me the following: 21.10.2011 was absent from Bioloogia (lesson 4, without reason, Helle Järvalt) Ilona told me that it's always like this, because only the class teacher can give a reason online - so everything's fine, but I was shocked all the same.]

After the fifth lesson, we went down to the teachers' room to change which took a while - ten people plus our trainer running around in a small room helping each other to dress which isn't as easy as you might think! So we missed the choir performance, since they wouldn't wait for us, but our dance went well. Afterwards I realized how short a performance and how big an input it had been - for those five minutes on stage, we had been training that hard and such a lot, and we had needed about twenty minutes for getting dressed and another twenty for changing to our normal clothes again.

me as the only one with real traditionally braided hair

me in a real traditional Estonian costume

me and a real Estonian boy

I thought I would've missed my bus to Tartu - it should have left at 14.33 - but there was some problem and so it was still standing at the bus stop with half of the passengers outside waiting for their turn to enter it when I arrived at 14.40, and I managed to take it, and I didn't even have to pay because of that problem! Yay! In Tartu, I met Lisa from Austria, but she went to Tallinn soon after I had arrived. I had a look through the town and visited some nice shops, including a subterranean bookstore. (Tartu's bookstores are somehow on the top of the list of the best bookstores I have ever seen in my life.) Then Leonie called and said she had some time, so we met, had kohuke and talked a lot (a lot!) since we hadn't seen each other for quite a while. Then we went back home.

Rainis is gonna stay with us all week. If I got it right, which I am pretty certain of this time.

Tomorrow is Ilona's birthday.

Something I discovered today: my name exists on the school homepage! Just like every other student's name does, but still!: http://lahte.edu.ee/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=75 So coooool!

Later the same day.

Since Ilona never reads my blog (or at least not at once), I can write the best shop dialogue ever:

In the bookstore.

"Can I help you?" (Estonian.)
"Sorry, I don't speak Estonian."
"Oh - can I help you somehow?"
"I am looking for a book."
"Aha." (Remember: this dialogue's taking place in a bookstore!) "What kind of book?"
"It should be old and pretty."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Hmm - something else?"
"It should be in Estonian."
"Okay..."
"Yeah, it's for my mother."
"Okay...?"
"Yeah, she speaks Estonian."
"Okay...?!"
"Well, she is only my host mother. It's for her birthday."
"Ah, okay. When is her birthday?"
"Tomorrow."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"What should it be about?"
"I don't know. It only has to be pretty and old."
"Okay... what does she like?"
"Well, I don't really know - she is Estonian teacher..."
He laughs. I realize that I must be really ridiculous.
"...and she likes folkdancing."
"Hmm - maybe postcards?"
"Okay..." I think 'what exactly did he get wrong about "I am looking for a book"?'
"We have these. And these."
I have a look at them. "Okay..."
"Well, I don't really know how else to help you..."
"That's okay! I don't know it either. I'll just have a look around."