Love/Hate

Almost every day I have two thoughts about Estonia: 1. I love this place and I'm so glad that I'm living here. And 2. I just want to get on a plane and leave this minute and never come back.

As of a few days ago, my ticket has been purchased and I will be departing Estonia on June 25th, 2008 - just after Jaanipaev. Honestly, it's been incredible, and I'm so sad to leave.

As cheesy as it sounds, I can't wait for the next chapter of my life to begin. I need to find a job,and an apartment and a life somewhere. Sadly it will not be in Estonia.

"Criistal Scissorhands"

I go to this Estonian girl Criistal (which I realize is a stripper name) to cut my hair. I just sit down and tell her to cut it and let her have her way with me. She never says a word while she is cutting my hair - which I like. I've had some haircuts where the hairdresser won't stop yapping and I end up with one side shorter than the other.

She usually seems to know what she is doing. First, she washed and cut my hair, then she blow dried it and cut it again - all Edward Scissorhands style. I wanted to tell her to stop, but my curiosity got the better of me. It actually turned out really nice. I like it anyway. She even gave me the proper Yoda burns...






Hope you like it. If not, lie to me...

And, no, Mom, I will not get my hair out of my eyes...

Good Day. Sunshine.

So, the sun came out today and I decided I needed pictures of Old Town with a little snow. Unfortunately, the rare sun melted the last remnants of yesterday's blizzard. Well, you can never have too many pictures of Old Town...

Weather Vane, Anglican Church, Hotel Viru...

Pikk Jalg

Lai Street (That's "Lie" not "Lay", guys...)

St. Olaf's
The sun's not even really out in this picture, but just a little blue sky makes me happy when there are only about 5 hours of daylight.

Nerd Alert!

Dear Diary,

I have a crush... on Gosta Esping-Andersen.

Why you ask? He articulated the seminal categorization of welfare regimes in 1990. Of course, when you try to categorize something you're just asking for criticism. And come it did. So, in 1999, Esping-Andersen re-visited his theory and politely, pithily and persuasively argued for the existence of three worlds of welfare with the possibility of a fourth type, but only if you were to re-evaluate the whole classification based on different criteria. Reading his explanation of homines gave me chills.

Way to go, Gosta!!

Dumb Luck

So, the other day I was trying to write an essay on Estonia's political system and I couldn't find how many people each person can chose when they vote for parliamentary candidates. I read like 5 books and searched the web - and nothing.

Then it occurred to me that I am IN Estonia... at the National Library OF Estonia.

I asked the girl next to me and she told me you get one vote.

I Thought I Had Heard It All...

I'm working on my essay about Post-Communist East European Democracies on the 5th floor of the National Library of Estonia's Social Sciences Reading room. My professor recommended some books for me to read about my topic, and luckily most of them are available here! Grand! So, I search the E-Estor Catalogue and find the book I need. Turns out, the Eesti Rahvusraamatukogu has two copies of the book I'm looking for and they are both "KOHAL" (read: available). Double grand!

One copy is here in the library in the 3 rd floor archives and one is in the Parliament Reading Room across town. I fill out my slip of paper and take it to the desk. The lady behind the desk says the book I want is not available! Kättesaamatu?? EI!!! They explain to me that they must send for the book from the Parliament Reading Room and it will be here tomorrow at noon. I ask them why I cannot have the book that is on the 3rd floor - 2 floors below me! In the same building! I am told that when there are two examples of a book at the National Library you may only have the book in the archive when the other is not available.

That makes sense.