Castles and (American) Corners

A couple of my colleagues and I had the opportunity yesterday to visit the northeastern Estonian cities of Sillamäe and Narva.

While we were there, we got to visit Narva castle, and we could see Ivangorod Castle just across the Narva River in Russia.

But of course, seeing cool tourist sites was not the purpose of our trip (just an added bonus!) So in each city, APAO Menaka Nayyar and I visited students and discussed U.S. higher education opportunities. In Sillamäe, we visited Sillamäe High School and in Narva, we stopped by the American Corner at the Narva City Library, which is the first-ever established American Corner in Estonia at 10 years old.  

Also on hand were Eha Teder and Epp Kirss from EducationUSA at Tallinn Technical University, who spoke about the practical side of applying for a U.S. university, including financial aid, exams, etc.  True to their reputation, the students tended not to ask questions from the group, but rather one-on-one after the presentations. They were curious about life in a U.S. college, the different ways to pay for school and what they would need in order to be successful.

I am hopeful that some of them will take the leap and choose to study in the United States!

Post by PAS Intern Kirsten Anderson
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

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