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