Off to Viljandi!

Tallinn is really busy this time of year! So, yesterday I escaped the hustle and bustle of the capital with our intern Ayesha Hamza and our Protocol Assistant Laine Lembavere to head to one of Estonia's cultural treasures, the City of Viljandi. Our first stop was to meet with Viljandi's newly elected mayor, Ando Kiviberg. He is famous in Estonia for being the organizer of Estonia's most popular annual folk music festival which is held in Viljandi every year. I met him there this summer, along with Ambassador Levine, when the U.S. Embassy brought an Alaskan Inuit music group, PAMYUA, to play on the main stage. He was as energetic as I remember him being and was really excited about Viljandi's future and its potential to become a worldwide destination for music and the arts.

Our next stop was the Kondas Center which features an excellent variety of paintings by Viljandi's own Paul Kondas. We were accompanied by Krista Kull, the head of the Department of Public Relations and Tourism at Viljandi's City Government. Krista, who is always eager to show off Viljandi's cultural offerings, took us through several new exhibits - one that features a modern and ironic take on puppetry and another, art inspired by mushrooms!

Group Photo! From the left: Ayesha, Alison, Krista, and Laine

From there we departed for Viljandi High School where I gave a presentation on U.S. history viewed through pop culture and my enthusiastic intern gave a quick talk on an English learning video game produced by the U.S. State Department called “Trace Effects.” We also got a tour of the high school which is the first of its kind on the county level in Estonia, in that it only has 10th, 11th, and 12th grade (most Estonian schools are 1st through 12th grade). The school actually includes two buildings - one a restored 1928-built school house which was constructed by Estonian farmers for their children, and the other a modern steel and glass structure which has tons of light, open spaces, and creative approaches to learning environments. The school also puts great trust in their students, and at the same time demands great responsibility from them; there are no bells or chimes to indicate when class is starting and students have a great deal of autonomy in their study choices. All-in-all it was a fantastic visit; the students were really engaged and we all had a lot of fun.

Ali spoke to the students about American History though Pop Culture

Our final stop for the day was Viljandi's American Corner, which is situated in a bright corner in the city's library. There we delivered some new video conferencing equipment that will soon be used to help the center conduct live seminars with American experts, English language competitions and other activities. Next year will be the 10th anniversary of this American Corner and we're so pleased with all that we've accomplished together, from hosting exhibitions to visiting music groups, film clubs, lectures, and other goings on. They have been an excellent partner to the Embassy and one that we have been happy to support. Finally it was time to hit the road and get back to Tallinn. I find that every time I go to Viljandi, it is a unique and rewarding experience. It is a place that always has something new to offer but preserves the best of Estonian traditions. As a past U.S. Ambassador has said, it is truly a cultural treasure.

Ali delivered new video conferencing equipment to the Ameican Corner at Viljandi's city library.

Blog post by Assistant Public Affairs Officer Alison Davis

Photos taken by PAS Intern Ayesha Hamza and Protocol Assistant Laine Lembavere

Roadtrip to Rapla

I sit at my desk working on something not so very interesting when I suddenly glance at my watch: It’s 11:54 on November 7. While this may hold no specific meaning to your ears (eyes?), it means that I must be in front of the embassy in six minutes for an outing with Ambassador Levine, APAO Alison Davis, and Cultural Assistant Tiiu Vitsut - the phenomenal photographer!

I stood up and tended to my caffeine addiction with an energy drink shot before saying adios to my boss, the Regional Security Officer. I had been full of eager anticipation for what promised to be an eventful afternoon. After all, it is not every day that I get to leave the embassy—let alone Tallinn! The ride to Rapla was certainly fascinating. I was able to question the Ambassador about his most recent expedition to Afghanistan, and he mentioned a jovial and optimistic sort of camaraderie among the soldiers at Camp Bastion/Camp Leatherneck, which was accompanied by a resonating seriousness. 

The tour started with a short briefing in the conference room.

When we arrived at the Akzo Nobel factory, which produces Sadolin brand paint, I was ready to get out of the car and finally meet some Estonians from outside of the capital city. Once inside, we had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Piret Minn, who guided us through the factory and into a conference room. Inside the room, an abundance of Estonian-style, delicious hors d'oeuvres beckoned. There was kiwi, several cheeses, some unusual meats that shocked my taste buds, and even a bowl of sensational cookies (my kryptonite). Ms. Minn gave us a delightful presentation about Akzo Nobel and their subordinate brands, including the Soviet and post-Soviet history of the company as well as their operations in places from Tallinn to Uzbekistan. After the presentation was concluded, we received a brief but rewarding tour of the facility, which included a tour of the primarily-mechanized assembly line! It was pretty cool to see the process by which paint cans are filled, sealed, and grouped for packaging.

Group photo at the factory!

Our next destination was the Rapla Vesiroosi Gymnasium, a primary and secondary school named for the water flowers found nearby. There, we met Ms. Edvig Saidla and some wonderfully pleasant English teachers, who took us immediately to what used to be a basketball court. Instead of shooting some hoops, we were greeted by a room full of chairs, sixty of them filled with 12th graders. It was refreshing to sit among 12th grade students and hear to their ideas about the Ambassador’s speech. The speech itself prompted them to think about where they wish to continue their education and how well connected they are to events outside of Rapla and Estonia, even. It turned out that much of the student body at Vesiroosi Gymnasium was well informed and globally minded. A couple of the 12th graders were interested in continuing their education in the US! After the speech was concluded, the students were allotted a few minutes to ask questions to the Ambassador in a more personal setting. One student approached me personally and asked questions about my university, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Finally, we were given a brief tour of the Gymnasium, I handed out US gift bags to our hosts, and we were on our way to the next stop.

The Ambassador tests the students' global mindedness.

We arrived at the the Rapla County Government building just in time for the Picturing America exhibit opening—around three dozen or so pictures, including “Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851” and my personal favorite, the cover illustration for The Last of the Mohicans were on display. The Ambassador gave a speech in Estonian for the guests who had come to view the exhibit. After the speech, we made our way to Governor Leier’s office on the top floor, which contained more cookies (again, my kryptonite)! The Ambassador had a discussion with the mayor and then Mr. Janek Kadarik showed us a video about the county’s biggest companies.

Ambassador Levine opening the Picturing America exhibition

This final stop was my favorite, since it managed to pluck at my heartstrings. We visited the Saagu Valgus Foundation, a charity organization whose goal is to help children in need and low-income families. We met the Manager-in-Chief, Ms. Alma Linder, who was very kind to all of us. We were also given a chance to browse in the donations-only shop which is one of their main fundraisers. While there, the Ambassador and I agreed on the sharpness of a certain tie, which he then proceeded to buy for me! After we finished in the shop, we were given a tour and invited for some cake and tea. By this point, I had filled myself to the brim with cookies, so I was in no shape to enjoy some cake, as tasty as it looked. Finally, the Ambassador had an interview with a local reporter named Siim, who spoke excellent English.

Ambassador Levine sat down and interviewed with Siim, a local reporter.

All things considered, the Rapla trip was educational, fun, and a great way to spend an afternoon. I especially enjoyed the varied conversations I was able to have with the Ambassador and our APAO. It was really great to get out of the office, and a nice experience to visit a town outside of Tallinn that had so much going on. I look forward to the next time I get such an opportunity!

Blog post by RSO Intern Jordan Nottingham

Photos taken by Cultural Assistant Tiiu Vitsut

Saaremaa or Bust!

A few weeks ago I had the incredible fortune to travel with Ambassador Levine, PAO Michelle Schohn, and other embassy staff to Saaremaa, the largest of Estonia’s 1500 islands. I had already heard on numerous occasions how Saaremaa was the most beautiful of Estonia’s 15 counties, so it was really no wonder why I jumped at the opportunity to go.

Leaving at 7:15am sharp meant it was still pretty much pitch black outside – signs of the coming winter. But the streets were alive with cars on their morning commutes to work. It was dark, rainy, and windy pretty much the entire time – which meant the ferry ride was rough. I’ve head Estonia’s ferries have come a long way in the past decade or so, but boy was I impressed! There was food service even though the ride was a mere 20 minutes long, it was clean and spacious, and the decks offered large viewing areas from which you could gaze out at the sea. It wasn’t an awesome day to be on the deck though – the ferry was literally bouncing up and down in the water and things were falling over inside – it’s really a good thing I don’t get seasick!  But before we knew it, it was over and we were pulling into Saaremaa.

I think what struck me first was the contrast between the now bare trees and the still green fields. They were exactly the same green color of crayon I used to draw grass with as a child. Soon enough the verdant Estonian landscape gave way to the small city of Kuressaare, the largest on the island. Since back home we don’t have many old, charming buildings like here in Estonia, I really had to marvel at the colorful, small buildings. I later learned that Saaremaa does not have a single traffic light on the island! Unless you counted the harbor, which everyone seemed eager not to.

Ambassador Levine in Kuressaare Libaray's American Corner

Our first stop in Kuressaare was the Kuressaare Library where we were given a tour of our American Space there as well as the rest of the library. I was impressed with their resource pool and hope that the new addition of a video conferencing camera which we brought for them will allow students and visitors alike to engage with American instructors, college representatives, etc.

Students in Saaremaa drew pictures of pumpkins and ghosts in celebration of Halloween.

After lunch at this fantastic Italian restaurant down the street with the library director and her colleague, we returned to the library for the Ambassador’s talk with a group of high school students in Kuressaare. The Ambassador spoke on a wide range of U.S. domestic and foreign policy issues such as NATO, Iran, and Syria. The students asked insightful questions at the end, and the Ambassador was pretty impressed with their English skills.

Many students were eager to ask the Ambassador questions during his speech.

After checking into the hotel, we met with the county governor and his colleagues. After meeting and drinking coffee (in my case tea), we headed out for Luksusjaht – a yacht building company on Saaremaa. I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was pretty incredible! We got to walk through the different processes of yacht making – from the design phase all the way to the showroom. They say you learn something new every day and I think my time in the yacht factory is a perfect example. For example, I learned they create Styrofoam models of a yacht to see if the design is feasible. That was probably the most Styrofoam I have ever seen in one place!

Look at the size of that yacht!

Luksusjaht creates everything from motor boats to 80-foot long luxury yachts. They currently have an 80-foot one in production, as well as a 53 foot yacht. We learned that their record is making four 53-ft yachts in one year! That’s three months for each one! I was also quite impressed with how many women work at the factory as well. When we made it to the showroom part, I got to actually step foot in a yacht! (Probably the only time I will ever find myself on board a luxury yacht). It was pretty incredible with its two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a pretty spacious deck. I also learned while there that of all the yachts they have sold only one is still in Estonia.

Posing by the beautiful sky.

After the tour of Luksusjaht as we were walking to the restaurant where we would be eating dinner with the governor, I mention how warm it was outside. Apparently you don’t say that in Estonia – if you say it’s warm, it will cool off considerably in a very short time span. And it did – a mere 2 hours later when we walked back to the hotel, it felt 10 degrees colder!

Dinner was incredible – I got to taste some traditional Estonian food, which was delicious. We also got to meet the new mayor of Kuressaare and heard about his remarkable bike trips across Asia and Europe. We heard stories about biking through Iran and about his trip to North Korea, of all places! It was a delightful and interesting evening of conversation.

The next morning after a good night’s rest we headed back to the county government building to meet with the governor and other staff. We were given a briefing on Saare County’s major economic sectors and various flagship businesses. We learned that although Saaremaa is a common tourist destination in Estonia, tourism was not a major contributor to the county’s economy. The three top industries were food processing, construction, and small craft industries. One such small craft is boat building – like Luksusjaht. We discussed ways Saare County might be able to boost tourism to contribute more to the county’s economy and also learned about many limitations. For example, even though the ferry system is quite reliable, it is the only consistent way to get onto the island. There are not many flights servicing Saaremaa and direct flights from places like Sweden, Finland, and Latvia are even harder to come by.

Ambassador Levine with Saaremaa County Governor Kaido Kaasik

Our last visit of the trip was to the Kuressaare Castle. It was incredible! It has never been severely damaged or destroyed. I also noted the interesting fact that the castle has never been taken by force – it reminded me of the Aleppo Citadel where I have been on numerous occasions that has also never been taken by force. I loved that the castle still has a functioning moat; I was tempted to ask if there were alligators or crocodiles in it.

Kuressare Castle

Even though Kuressaare Castle is a pretty tiny castle, it was still by no means small. There were loads of rooms and we didn’t make it to all of them. I think it’s safe to say we were all impressed by the large historical artifact collection the castle lays claim to. The coats of arms in particular stood out. The view of the Baltic from the defense watch towers was simply stunning, especially on a sunny day.

Ambassador Levine, Governor Kaasik, and Exhibition Manager Salumäe on defense watch tower.

All my experiences in Saaremaa only reinforced my view that Estonia is essentially the hidden gem of the Baltic. There is so much life, so much beauty, and so much history that I will be happy if I can take in even a fraction of what Estonia has to offer.

Blog post by PAS Intern Ayesha Hamza

Photos by Social Media Assistant, U.S. Embassy Tallinn

Work hard: play a video game!

Who knew that you could consider playing a video game working and being productive? I certainly didn’t think that before last Monday! I found out then that I had less than a week to prepare a presentation on the new U.S. Department of State video game Trace Effects, to be presented to English teachers in Tartu. Tartu is two hours away from Tallinn. Road trip!

Greete Palksaar, head of the Tartu American Corner

Trace Effects is a new video game that invites users to play the role of Trace, a time traveler who makes his way through several museums and other places in the United States in an effort to get back home. Users have the chance to practice their English and also learn about current topics such as the environment, entrepreneurism and empowering women. I had a lot of fun learning to play the game and after several days of doing so I was ready to make my presentation in Tartu!

Talking about the English learning game Trace Effects

For those of you who don’t know, Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia and is often considered the intellectual capital of Estonia, housing Estonia’s oldest and largest university. We stopped first at the University of Tartu’s library where we visited our American Corner and Education USA Center there. We met with Greete Palksaar, head of the Corner. She showed us the corner, the new website, and all the different resources they have available for students and faculty. She also told us about the different types of outreach she does to help promote the American Corner as well as study in the United States. For example, she is having a pumpkin carving contest … entries are accepted up to October 31st!

Once we left the corner, we went to the Estonian Academic Teachers of English 22nd Annual Conference at Miina Härma High School where we would give our presentations to English teachers. While waiting to present, we were treated to the sweetest cake I have probably ever eaten. It literally tasted like pure sugar and was delicious!

The ride back to Tallinn

Finally we presented! The teachers really appreciated APAO Alison Davis’ intro which she did in Estonian. I feel like people respect you more for learning their native language and using it with them, and people are always so surprised! Alison talked about the American English website and the fun teaching and learning resources you can find there. And then it was my turn as I took the gathered teachers on a “tour” of the Trace Effects video game. I had a great time talking to the teachers and a lot of them are planning on telling their students about this fun new tool to practice their English.

On the drive back to Tallinn Cultural Assistant Tiiu Vitsut showed us the Snail building, this really unique suspension bridge, and Tartu’s Town Hall square. The sunset on the road back was beautiful, and the clouds that evening complemented it nicely. All-in-all, it was a productive and amazing road trip – and a great way to end the week!

Blog post by PAS Intern Ayesha Hamza.
Photos by PAS Cultural Assistant Tiiu Vitsut

History is always with us

History has a way of surprising you. And that’s exactly what happened to me when I visited the site of the Klooga concentration camp last week. I was told that many of the bodies of those who died at the Klooga concentration camp were, in fact, now buried there, directly below where we stood. That’s when it hit me – here I was standing over the bodies of Holocaust victims and up to this point the Holocaust has only been something I had learned about in history class! I never thought the first time I’d stand at the site of a former Nazi concentration camp would be in Estonia. I’d always thought of Germany and Poland when I thought about the Holocaust. But Estonia, while occupied by Nazi Germany, was not spared from the Holocaust, and Klooga (now a memorial commemorating those who died there) is evidence of its devastation.

Ambassador Levine speaking with exhibit curator Olev Liivik

I was travelling with Ambassador Levine and embassy staff to see the Klooga Memorial and we were joined there by experts from the Estonian History Museum who showed us the new permanent, outdoor exhibition “Klooga Camp and the Holocaust,” which was opened on September 16, 2013. The focus of the exhibition is the heinous liquidation of the camp in September 1944, when the Germans executed all the prisoners there before retreating from the advancing Soviet Army. The exhibition is made up of large, angled concrete blocks spread out across the camp area. A zig-zag trail leads the visitor from one block to the next and each concrete block has photos and descriptions of different aspects of the Klooga camp and its history, in Estonian, English and Russian.

I remember hearing from the exhibition’s curator Olev Liivik that the Klooga camp was actually considered one of the “good” camps, if there was such a thing. When I heard that, the only thing I could think of was how cold I was with four layers of clothes on, and how cold the prisoners must have been in January and February. It gave such a stark reminder of the brutality of the Nazis, no matter where in Nazi-held areas you happened to be.

For me, I needed a moment to take in the surroundings, knowing that the now forested areas were once execution sites. Although nothing remains of the camp, the exhibition serves to remind people that one of the largest mass murders in Estonian history occurred here. Though the topic is tragic, I was very impressed with the care and thoughtfulness that was put into this memorial. The designers and curators took great pains to preserve Klooga’s history as a reminder to us all of the importance of respecting religious and all kinds of diversity, and to standing up against prejudice, tyranny, and intolerance.

Blog post by PAS Intern Ayesha Hamza
Photos by PAS Cultural Assistant Tiiu Vitsut

I got to get inside an APC!

Last week I had the chance to visit the Headquarters of the Estonian Scouts Battalion and try out what it’s like to be inside one of their Armored Personnel Carrier– that’s APC in military! It was my first time ever on an army base – and there were a lot of military terms and ideas that were thrown around that were new to me, but all I could do was listen because no matter how much I didn’t understand, it was all so interesting!

I was part of a team visiting from the U.S. Embassy which included Ambassador Jeff Levine and APAO Alison Davis. The Scouts Battalion is the only all professional infantry battalion in the Estonian Defense Forces. It has a history dating back to 1918 and the Estonian War of Independence. The majority of its troops have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, and it was re-established, after re-independence, in 2001.

Ambassador Levine with Major Andrus Merilo, Commander of the Scouts Battalion, and Captain Mart Sirel, Chief of Staff of the Scouts Battalion

After a briefing with the Commander of the Scouts Battalion, we got to see the soldier’s barracks. I don’t know what I was expecting when I saw them, but I thought that they would perhaps be bigger or that there would be less people in a room! But I suppose soldiers don’t have a lot of personal effects with them, and few items to carry help a unit to be all the more mobile.

And finally, the best part of the whole trip was the APCs! I doubt if I wasn’t interning with the U.S. Embassy I’d be able to jump in the back of one. But I am an intern with the Embassy, and I did get to jump in the back of the APC with APAO Alison Davis and Ambassador Levine. Amazing! Not as roomy as you might think (by the way). I also don’t know how soldiers, loaded down with tons of gear, can literally hop in like it’s no big deal. Lots and lots of practice I guess!

Ambassador Levine and APAO Alison Davis in an APC cabin 

Visiting the Scouts Battalion was a truly incredible experience! I hope to have many more of these moments during my time with the U.S. Embassy. Over and out.

Blog post by PAS Intern Ayesha Hamza
Photos by PAS Cultural Assistant Tiiu Vitsut

Music Knows No Borders

Three concerts in two consecutive nights? That’s nothing special for the travelling musicians of Poetica Musica, a New York-based consortium of Soprano voice, flute and guitar! But what if I told you we had to cross an international border over a river that separates the European Union and Russia to make it happen with concerts in both Narva, Estonia, and Ivangorod, Russia? Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?

Concert at Narva Nursing Home

Poetica Musica, played and sang in various locations in both Estonia and Russia on their most recent tour last week – and I had a front row seat to some of their best concerts! Prior to their performance in Narva, my colleague Tiiu Vitsut took the group – including Eleanor Valkenburg (soprano), Oren Fader (guitar), and Jessica Han (flute) – to play in Padise Manor, Tohisoo Manor, Paldiski High School, Tallinn Tondi Middle School, Tallinn Linnamäe Russian Lyceé, The International School of Estonia, and the Hopner House in Tallinn Old Town (in the Town Hall Square, no less!) where they performed songs and melodies by Aaron Copland, John Corigliano, Robert Beaser, and George Gershwin; as well as spirituals by J. Rosamund Johnson and Betty Jackson King; and Nuevo Tango pieces by the King of Tango Astor Piazzolla.

In Narva Castle 

Even though Narva greeted us with stormy weather and city-wide road construction, the positive emotions of the elderly tenants of Narva Nursing home made us forget about the elements and let the musicians’ inner sun shine bright. Once Oren announced Piazzolla’s Tango piece (and I translated it for the audience), a small grey-haired lady in a wheelchair asked at once, “Will they dance for us, too?”

Most people I bring to Narva only get to have their photo taken on the Estonian side of the river, with Ivangorod fortress in the background. Well, not Poetica Musica! Read on!

On the Estonian side of the river

Our next concert was held in the Refectory, which serves as a concert hall in Narva Castle, and it filled up quickly with Narva’s music lovers and connoisseurs. Altogether, about two hundred people attended and many shouted “bravo!” demanding an encore. What I really liked about these concerts is the instant feedback we got from the audience. A woman came up to us after the performance and said she loved Rober Beaser’s Mountain Songs, and told us about how they reminded her of Hutsul shepherds in the Carpathian Mountains, where she used spend a lot of time.

On the Russian side of the river (Narva Castle in the background) 

The next day, courtesy of Narva City Government’s Culture Department, we boarded a van and crossed the border into Russia. The first thing we saw upon entering town was a hand painted poster announcing the concert at the local Cultural Center! Later, as I walked around in town, I saw more of them.

My colleague Tatyana Kosmynina from the Public Affairs Section of the Consulate General in St. Petersburg took us to the Ivangorod fortress, a first for Poetica Musica and me as well. Similarly to the Narva Castle, it has a long and interesting history. This is where I took a snapshot of Eleanor, Oren, and Jessica with the Estonian caste in the background – a rare occasion for American (or any) performers.

Hand painted signs advertised the concerts

We were pleasantly surprised at least three times more that day. First, when a man at the hotel approached us and said he attended the concert in Narva the previous night. He lives in Narva but he liked the performance so much that he, too, crossed the border to hear Poetica Musica play once more on the Russian side of the River! In addition, after the concert, which was well attended, a local woman approached the musicians and said her daughter was on a high school exchange program in Minnesota and asked for a photo with them. She said she would send it to her daughter to show her how she, too, is getting familiar with American culture and that it would be the topic of their next Skype conversation.

Finally, the Cultural Center Director Zoya Pogodina graciously let the group keep one of the hand painted poster. As I helped them detach the poster, we saw that the artist had used old wallpaper. What a great way to recycle!

Poetica Musica in Ivangorod, Russia

I bid farewell to my new friends after I took this photo and crossed the border back into Estonia on foot, walking along the “Friendship Bridge.” Tatyana told me that the gang explored The Russian Museum and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg yesterday. They also gave their last concert in the Kochneva House concert hall.

The bridge connecting Narva with Ivangorod and Estonia with Russia is named “Friendship Bridge,” first and foremost because it connects people. Similarly, Poetica Musica is connecting and uniting people all over the world with their music. After all, music is a language that every single person in the world knows and, luckily, it knows no boundaries, nor borders.

Post and photos by Social Media Assistant, U.S. Embassy Tallinn.

What do a brain scientist, an MP and a standup comic have in common?

On September 25, 2013, I teamed up with a brain scientist, a member of parliament, an architect, a standup comic, a prison official and a few others to talk about “borders” in Estonian society and how we can bridge them. Despite the speakers’ varied backgrounds, they all had a fresh perspective to share that stemmed from their own discipline and life experience. And our standup comic host, Stewart Johnson, kept us laughing all the way through!

Member of Parliament Liisa Pakosta questions assumptions

The event was the first in a series of seminars that is being put on by Estonia’s U.S. government exchange alumni NGO with fresh perspectives on social, cross-cultural, and cross-disciplinary issues. These alumni have participated in U.S. State Department funded exchanges such as Fulbright and the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) and are now teaming up to stimulate discussion in Estonian society on hot topics. The whole event felt like a TED Talk with short, intense presentations, lots of audience participation and cameras everywhere to capture the action.

Audience members kept the Q&A sessions lively 

The seminar kicked off with Jaan Aru (a neurosciences researcher at Tartu University) who proposed we cut open someone’s skull to examine where consciousness begins. Despite no volunteers from the audience he went on to talk about what is known and unknown about the human brain. He was followed by IVLP alumnus and Member of Parliament Liisa Pakosta who questioned our ideas of whether maternity leave and bans on youth labor are really the best thing for families and children. In the last talk of the morning, Fulbright Student alumnus and architect Ivan Sergejev discussed how buildings and built spaces create or bridge boundaries between people.

Neuroscientist Jaan Aru asks where consciousness begins 

The afternoon kicked off with IVLP alumnus and director of the Tartu Center for Creative Industries Raul Oreskin, who talked about the butterfly effect and how Estonian society can change as a result of small but impactful inputs. Mathematician Kristjan Korjus challenged the audience’s ideas about god, the brain and mathematics. And finally, Prison Department official and Humphrey Fellowship program alumnus Anne-Marika Maschorov talked about her work crossing borders and breaking stereotypes as a woman professional working in correction.

I was impressed with the range of topics and passion that our speakers brought to the dais, but the audience’s (mostly university students) enthusiasm was also contagious. By the end of the day, people were pretty exhausted, yet we’d all learned a whole lot more about our world, Estonia and the borders that we can overcome together. To learn more about the U.S. Embassy’s exchange programs and how you can apply, visit our website.


Blog post by Assistant Public Affairs Officer Alison Davis

American Documentary Takes Prize at Nature Film Festival

During Autumn, Matsalu National Park is a special kind of place. Moose roam around, wildlife is abundant and bird migrations are underway with crane calls and the chatter of gathering flocks in the Matsalu bay and reed beds. The air is full of the golden glow of birch trees preparing for the long winter.

Photo by Ago Ruus, Matsalu Nature Film Festivals, www.matsalufilm.ee

But last week it wasn’t only Mother Nature who was putting on a great show in Matsalu, the park also hosted the Matsalu International Nature Film Festival, in its 11th annual installment. For more than 10 years the park has also been a special place for nature documentary film makers and enthusiasts and this year was no exception! More than 280 entries came from 60 countries, of which 30 films were accepted for competition in two categories: Nature and Man and nature. This event has clearly arrived on the international map of film festivals. More than 10 films from the United States from a diverse group of American film makers made it into the program and we are proud to congratulate one American filmmaker, Director Sandy Patch, who won 1st prize in the category of Man and Nature. His movie “The Last Ice Merchant” was praised by the jury for showing the global implications of a changing world in a simple and humane way.

I really enjoyed being on hand for the launch of this year’s festival which featured performances by local musicians and a screening of a documentary on the life of Jacques Cousteau. To attend the opening night we travelled to the small western Estonian town of Lihula which is located on the edge of Matsalu National Park with a population of approximately 2500 and a history dating back to 1211. Films were also screened in Haapsalu, and the best documentaries were screened on the national broadcast TV channel, ETV, much to the delight of many nature fans in Estonia.

Film festivals are not only about the movies – the program also featured many workshops, educational programs and also an Earth Day exhibition on loan from the U.S. Embassy at the Lihula Library. On the first day of the festival, school kids gathered for the screening of a documentary about the lives of owls, followed by an owl-drawing workshop. The children’s whimsical owl drawings were then exhibited at screening venues in Lihula.

It’s great that I get to attend film festival’s like Matsalu as part of my job, but our partnership with Matsalu International Nature Film Festival speaks to something bigger: treasuring nature and our environment – something we all care deeply about. I hope to see you at the festival in 2014!

Post by Jane Susi, Cultural/Educational Assistant

Giants, dragons and towers!

Did you know that there’s a dragon in Tallinn?

You can find it in Nõmme, the “village within the city,” where I joined Ambassador Levine for a tour with District Elder Erki Korp on Monday. Nõmme is one of the eight administrative districts of Tallinn, located at the south-western edge of the city. Although it is located in Estonia’s largest city, Nõmme feels far removed from the high rise metropolis and is known for its small town ambiance. And we definitely got a taste of this on our visit!

Our small group started our tour at the district offices, where we met the administrative staff and quickly moved on to the grounds of Nikolai von Glehn’s stone castle. Von Glehn was a Tsarist-era Baltic-German landowner whose Gaudi-like, eccentric style has left its mark. During his time in Nõmme, he built a fanciful castle, observatory tower and several larger than life statues, including a dragon and a towering colossus of the Estonian epic character Kalevipoeg. Most of these were damaged or demolished during war times, but they have been faithfully rebuilt since then. In fact the castle is now owned by the capital’s own Tallinn University of Technology, whose male chorus raised funds to rebuild and restore it to its former glory.

Von Glehn's Castle

Kalevipoeg

I really enjoyed my visit to Nõmme and learning about its history and architecture. It was especially interesting to learn that, though von Glehn left Nõmme in 1918, his descendants, most of whom now live in Brazil, are still in touch with the town and that many of them planned to visit this very week! I hope they enjoy seeing not only all that their ancestor accomplished during his lifetime, but also what a pleasant, prosperous and green place Nõmme has become.

Burning garbage is one way to go green? No way!

Yesterday, I got yet another amazing opportunity to leave the office and learn something completely new. The Ambassador and I embarked on a trip to Iru Power Plant to tour the brand new Waste to Energy facility, which is in its first year of operation. This addition to the plant incinerates about 220,000 tons of Estonian waste annually, eliminating the need for landfills and providing all of Tallinn and the neighboring Maarda municipality with thermal energy.

Now, I have traveled to parts of the world on numerous occasions where I have seen my fair share of trash on fire, but nothing would prepare me for the scope of the operations here, especially the fact that it is environmentally friendly.

About 80 garbage trucks arrive at the Iru facility daily, bringing with them 700 tons of garbage. The trucks go through radiation detection and a weight bridge before dumping the garbage in the tipping hall. From there, the trash is moved to the waste bunker where it is picked up by cranes, a large scale version of a claw machine but instead of grabbing a toy, these engineers are grabbing a ton of trash and depositing it into the boiler. In the boiler, the trash is heated to 1200 degrees Celsius. The plant can incinerate 27.5 tons of trash per hour. The heat released from waste combustion produces overheated steam which is then guided to a steam turbine to produce electricity. The leftover heat is guided to the district heating network through heat exchanges. After this, the flue gases are cleaned using a semi-dry cleaning process and an environmental impact assessment has shown that the WtE unit to have no impact on the pollution level in the vicinity of the power plant.

After walking through this huge factory and seeing some really interesting sites (like 20 tons of garbage on fire!), we walked to the chimney. The chimney is a 200m tall tower which stores energy, and the day was sunny and perfect so we got a chance to hop in the Willy Wonka style elevator and ride to the top! We saw amazing views of Tallinn and learned about the 60m cooling tower we saw below us, though it looked tiny from our vantage point.

This new addition to the plant completely changes the waste management system in Estonia, as there is no longer a need to put trash into landfills; instead it is being used to provide people with heat and electricity. There are some metals that don’t burn, and those are also reused as they get sold off to a company that deals in scrap metal. Estonia produces about 500,000 tons of waste annually, but after half of that gets sorted for recycling, the Iru power plant deals with the leftover miscellaneous garbage.

After a great afternoon in the factory, I can conclude that the Iru Waste to Energy unit is a new solution for Estonia, both in terms of energy production and waste handling, as well as being an important environmental project. It is great to see the people of Estonia exploring alternative energy sources so they can save precious nonrenewable resources.

Post and photos by Public Affairs Intern Aalia Udawala

PAMYUA at Viljandi Folk!

PAMYUA

Estonia may be pretty cold, but you still don't expect to see Inuits here!

Last Friday, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Viljandi Folk Festival with the Ambassador and Public Affairs staff. The Viljandi Folk Festival is one of the largest folk festivals in Europe! Around 25,000 people travel to the otherwise quiet town of Viljandi, mainly drawn by the friendly atmosphere and storybook location. I couldn’t believe the setting, in the ruins of Viljandi castle, overlooking a lush lake and forest. Immediately upon entering the gates we were hearing music from all over Estonia, Europe, and the world!

The main purpose of this trip was to meet and introduce the Inuit band PAMYUA (pronounced Bum-YO-ah), whose members hail from Alaska. PAMYUA means encore in Yupik and Rolling Stones magazine has called them the ‘best Inuit band in the world.’ Over tea in the Estonian Traditional Music Centre, we learned more about their incredible background, Yupik culture, and the inspiration for their music. Ossie Kairaiuak, who composes the majority of PAMYUA’s songs, told us how he wrote the song ‘Bubble Gum’ in colorful detail, inspired by a student who was chewing it in his class. Being exposed to yet another facet of the wide range of American cultures was both fascinating and exciting. PAMYUA were keen to share their story and love of their heritage with us and their friendliness was contagious.

Ambassador Levine with PAMYUA

Next we met up with Ando Kiviberg, who founded the festival in 1993 and has been an active part of it ever since. He gave us a wonderful tour of the Estonian Traditional Music Centre, a wonderfully restored store house on the castle ruins. Every room was decorated with Estonian needlework from a different region and some stages had ‘trick elevators’ and gorgeous halls. This festival truly became ‘Estonian’ after I saw the IT guys sitting in the computer headquarters running multiple stages and numerous screens simultaneously, all the while keeping an eye on a rainstorm that was threatening to come through. They were two young Estonians working their high tech magic in a way only Estonians can. Everything was interconnected and linked to the internet; it looked like a scene from a high-tech movie. We then went to the Folk Music library, where the Ambassador presented Ando Kiviberg with a book about American Jazz, adding a different kind of folk music to the mix.

After the tour we toured the Kondas Center which held magnificent paintings from Paul Kondas and other naïve artists. Naïve art means that these artists weren’t trained formally but I would have never guessed as I saw brilliant canvases painted with vivid scenes and political commentaries.

Finally, it was time for PAMYUA to play! After the Ambassador said a few words of introduction in Estonian, the band came on for a highly traditional and interactive performance. Soon, the whole crowd was telling the story about a hunter and a seal in Yupik style, waving their hands and singing in verse. This passion of storytelling shared by PAMYUA was now radiating through the crowd and it was a great moment to be a part of.

On the long ride back to Tallinn after a great afternoon in Viljandi, I reflected on the tradition of folk music that brings people from all over the world together to sing, dance, and share their cultures with anyone and everyone. If I ever find myself in Estonia for another summer, I will definitely make it a point to spend an entire weekend in this happy, friendly, and exciting festival.

Post by PA Intern Aalia Udawala
Photo by PA Intern Oleg Remizov

Startup Central

Want to make it big with your startup?

You’ll need to attract venture capital to get your idea off the ground.

And today, I had the fantastic opportunity to attend a lecture by Dr. Ken Singer of the University of California, Berkeley, as he addressed a group of students at the European Innovation Academy and told them how to do just that. After an introduction by U.S. Ambassador to Estonia Jeff Levine (whose hometown just happens to be in what is now Silicon Valley), Ken walked the student teams through the essential steps required to win over the toughest audience of all: the men and women who control millions of dollars of venture capital that can make or break a startup with their quick decisions. Ken’s take away messages were so many, but it all comes down to distinguishing your business, product or service from a field chock full of serious competitors.

The event was hosted by the Tallinn University of Technology and brought together 200 students, pairing them with experienced mentors, successful entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and academics from tech hot spots all over the world. Split up into thirty international teams, these students are forming their own startup business plans and getting ready to “pitch” them as part of the three-week experience. One of the biggest groups in attendance came from UC Berkeley.

It was really thrilling to be in the room with so many bright minds – all of them intent on turning their concepts into viable businesses. One student team proposed to set up a web-based person-to-person bike rental service for people on vacation. As an avid biker and traveler, this is one business I’d use in a heartbeat. Each of these teams will be facing a mock competition in the next few days … and the best team will win €10 000! I wish them all the best of luck in the next few days and success as they pursue careers of innovation and entrepreneurship after graduation.

Post by APAO Alison Davis
Photos by Cultural Assistant Jane Susi

Chemistry Class with Molycorp and Eastman

Normally, most people rarely consider the entire process that goes into manufacturing products they use in their day-to-day lives. Yesterday’s visit to two American chemical facilities opened my eyes to the captivating and complex steps within this manufacturing process. I joined Ambassador Levine and embassy staff in touring Molycorp and Eastman factories located in the cities of Sillamäe and Kohtla-Järve.

We first visited Molycorp, where we donned lab coats and goggles as Managing Director David O’Brock led us around the facility. This Molycorp plant is one of Europe’s largest producers of rare earth metals and rare metals. These are fundamental in creating specific parts within items used in everyday life, from cell phones to magnets. Molycorp is the largest company in Sillamäe, and has played a vital role in not only rebuilding the town, but in helping to sustain it for the future.

In our tour of Molycorp’s facilities, we witnessed how rare earth metals were both separated and then manufactured. While the facility and machinery lacked aesthetical appeal, it made up for this by being absolutely fascinating. For me, the best piece of machinery we saw was a giant electron gun. We also toured Molycorp’s pristine lab, where all the glass beakers and bottles were very reminiscent of a chemistry class. David was an amazing tour guide, and even gave us CDs of his band following the tour’s end!

Our next stop was Eastman. With company headquarters in Kingsport, Tennessee, the facility in Kohtla-Järve is one of several worldwide. This plant’s production is centered on benzoic acid. It’s a key component in many normal parts of life, one example being food preservation. Site Manager Gadylsha Gismatullin gave us an informative presentation about the company and facility, and then it was onto the tour! The biggest surprise of the tour was seeing how Eastman still uses a bit of technology installed during Soviet times. In one particular room, older, massive machines with a complicated system of buttons, levers, and graphs surrounded a group of workers sitting at modern computers.

Visiting these chemical facilities and witnessing how American companies operate globally with local partners was such a treat. Prior to these visits, I found chemistry boring, but these tours taught me otherwise. Best of luck to Molycorp and Eastman in the future!

Post by RSO Intern Genevieve Shapiro

Improvisation in Viljandi

Ever walk into a room and be stunned to find a group of ordinary people simultaneously dancing, shouting, hiding behind curtains, crawling on the floor, or running in circles?

If that’s the case, you may have just stumbled onto an intensive action theater workshop. On Monday, I traveled to Vilijandi, where Embassy staff and interns visited Notafe 2103, a festival dedicated to the art of Action Theater. We were there to watch a master class and listen in on a talk by American theater specialists. At this festival, artists travel from around the globe to come and dedicate their time to practicing, learning, and watching Action Theater performances. Some attendees come simply because it’s a hobby, while others were using experiences gained during this festival for professional development. All the performers were greatly energized, and were clearly excited to be there, strengthening their craft.

After arriving, we first sat in on the advanced class. Having no prior exposure to Action Theater, watching the workshop was a great opportunity to understand it. By the time it was over, I was almost ready to try the process myself!

Action Theater uses physical and vocal improvisation as a method of expressing oneself. At the workshop, performers divided up into small groups or pairs and then began shifting and transforming the “world” they were in, all while uniquely contorting their bodies and voices. This might involve a pair going from a world in which they were babbling nonsense together, to then angrily stomping around the room, and to then gleefully hugging one another. As a casual observer, the challenge the artists appeared to face centered on how to simultaneously tap into a primal side of themselves, while also constantly remaining aware of their partner’s performance.

Following the workshop, we then attended a discussion of Action Theater by two American experts, Cassie and Heather. Their passion for Action Theater was obvious from the moment they began the talk. In their discussion, they explained the philosophy behind Action Theater, which was much different than what I had expected. Essentially, one must train their body to be an imaginative reflection for personal experiences, emotions, and sensations. To do this, an artist must tap deeply into their self-awareness, and force this consciousness to explore new territory in their improvisation. The pair also talked about specialized techniques, and the story of how they became involved with Action Theater.

It was incredibly fascinating to learn about an art form that I had previously known nothing about, and I was excited that I had gotten the opportunity to watch such a unique form of theater. Enjoy the rest of Notafe, performers!

Post by RSO Intern Genevieve Shapiro
Photo by U.S. Embassy Tallinn

Ben Franklin Fellows in Purdue

One of the programs that the State Department has that I find particularly exciting is the Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows program.

The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Initiative gives students aged 16-18 from Europe and the U.S. a chance to foster relationships in order to advance links and awareness of shared values, encounter principles of freedom and cooperation as challenges of the global 21st Century. The inspiration for the program is American statesman and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin, who prized religious tolerance over intolerance, social mobility over class privilege, and was a firm believer in free speech. The program works to create an environment that encourages individual expression, communications, and information sharing in an effort to advance positive relationships among the various ethnic, religious, and national groups.

Each year, Embassy Tallinn tries to send two of Estonia's top students to the U.S. for this program, and this year we sent two really impressive young women, Elis and Pille-Riin.

And from the sound of Elis' blog, To The Other Side of the World, they are getting the most from their adventure!

Already, Elis is figuring out some of the "major and minor differences between Estonia and US":

She writes:

* The food. Everybody knows that Americans eat a lot of unhealthy food, but it's still weird to see all 10-year olds eat Fench Fries, hamburgers and a lot of other greasy stuff for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

*The rules. They are very conservative. I'm supposed to be staying in the land of Freedom and Liberty, but the rules here are over the top ridiculous. A boy and a girl can't go somewhere (even in public) just by themselves. If there are only 2 people going somewhere, they have to be both girls or both boys. Also, girls can't go to the boys side of the dorms and vice versa, but in the US people our age can get married.

* Politeness. Everybody is so polite. In the stores, there's always someone who comes to ask if you need any help finding something. Then they sometime start a conversation with you and ask where you come from. After hearing the word "Estonia" they nodd with "what-are-you-saying" faces and go on with their talking. Also, everybody's always holding doors open for everybody and you definitely have to remember to say "Thank you".

* Religion. Everything revolves around the church. They have so many different types of religon and churches on campus.

* Sororities and fraternities. You can see the Greek houses everywhere and although it's summer, some of them have quite a lot of people living in them right now. Basically, they were supposed to be all about the parties.
You can follow Elis' continuing adventures here.

Celebrating July 4th, Embassy Tallinn style!

Have you ever wondered what goes into throwing a birthday bash with more than 1,000 guests?

Well we here at Embassy Tallinn can tell you, because that is just how large our Independence Day celebration on July 4th!

Of course the day of the event is filled with preparations...decorations to be hung, tons of food to be made, hundreds of bottles of Coke and Pepsi to bring in, hundreds of glasses, plates and utensils to set out. Security has to be checked and cars, motorcycles and wind turbines have to be brought in!

But the preparations the day of are the end, not the beginning, of the planning. It isn't much of an exaggeration to say the planning for our July 4th Independence Day celebration begins on July 5th. Months before the actual event, we are sorting out costs, themes, and logistics. Guest lists are made, invitations created and sent. And even that far in advance, there are meetings. Lots and lots of meetings. In the beginning, the meetings happen maybe once a month. But as the event draws closer, so do the meetings, from bi-weekly, to weekly, and finally nearly daily. No detail is too small or too large.

In May, we select the cars for display at the event, and then there is our really big tent. We put that up a week in advance. In June, we start social media promotions, including running a photo contest on Facebook advertising this year's theme, California cool, honoring Ambassador Levine's home state.

And California Cool it definitely was! You could see it from the surf boards lining the tent entrance to the rock stars in the audience (Ewert and one of the two Dragons!) to the giant Hollywood sign in the back corner.

You could also see it in the photos taken by our photo contest winners: Martin Trofimov (ages 15 and under), Emil Salulaid (ages 16-21) and Aile Kaasik (ages 22 and up).

Ambassador Levine hoped to make the event more like we celebrate the 4th in the states. So he lost the suit and tie and encouraged others to as well. We swapped our traditional band for the upbeat tunes of Eesti Otsib Superstaari (Estonian Idol) winner Liis Lemsalu. And we swapped the hamburgers for...

No, wait, there were still hamburgers. There was just a lot more than just hamburgers! So much food! Going with our California theme, we had Cal-Mex quesadillas and healthy salads (and watermelon, because what 4th is complete without watermelon!).

We also had a drive in with pulled pork sandwiches. And of course, we also had McDonald's and the newest addition to the Estonian fast-food scene, Subway.

Am I forgetting something? Oh yes, dessert. We had cake. And not just any cake. THE CAKE. Which takes folks at the Radisson Blu days to make and must be seen to be appreciated.

Ambassador Levine, Estonian Prime Minister Ansip, and DCM Gilchrist watch chef Dmitrieva cut the cake

And of course we had the standard July 4th fare: our Marines presented the colors and the National anthem was sung.

And the scene was awash in red, white and blue.

And while we didn't have fireworks, we did have Segways! Luckily, there were no crashes!

Ambassador Levine on a Segway

And if that all wasn't enough, when this party was over, we had ANOTHER one, this one sponsored with the American Chamber of Commerce in Estonia for a MERE 450 guests!

If you were at the event this year, thanks for joining us! And if you missed it, check out these photo galleries and news coverage!

U.S. Embassy Tallinn's Flickr Page

FOTOD: Vaata, kuidas valmistuti USA iseseisvuspäevaks suursaadiku residentsis!

USA saatkonna peol pakuti üle tuhande hamburgeri

Täna on Ameerika Ühendriikide iseseisvuspäev

Galerii: USA suursaadiku uhke vastuvõtt

Галерея: прием американского посла по случаю дня независимости США

USA iseseisvuspäeva tähistati traditsioonilise vastuvõtuga

USA iseseisvuspäeva tähistati traditsioonilise vastuvõtuga (video)

День независимости США отметили не только за Атлантикой, но и в Эстонии

Post by: PAO J. Michelle Schohn
Photos by: Michael Avina and U.S. Embassy Tallinn