Impressions of present day Estonia - Estonian World Review

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Impressions of present day Estonia (3)

Archived Articles | 08 Apr 2005 | Arved PlaksEWR

I was born in Estonia, but fled the country with my parents in 1944. We were fortunate to be able to immigrate to the United States and I am now retired in Texas. This is my home now - my family is here, still - I feel a strong bond with the country of my birth and have returned there many times starting in 1974, visiting friends and relatives, searching for my “roots”, and participating in choir and folkdance festivals.

While visiting Estonia last summer I was fortunate to be invited to a birthday party for an Estonian man who was celebrating his 80th birthday. The celebrant had led a colorful life. During the Second World War at the time when Estonia was occupied by Germany, he did not want to be drafted to serve in a German uniform, so he escaped to Finland and fought in the Finnish Army until Finland capitulated in 1944. Then he returned to Estonia along with 2000 other Estonians to defend the east border from the advancing Soviet Army. He served with my cousin and they became friends. It was through my cousin that I too was invited to this intimate gathering.

Although I speak Estonian fluently, it immediately became clear that I was regarded as an American, different from a person who has lived in Estonia through the Soviet occupation and Estonia's turbulent return to independence. When the birthday speeches, congratulations and reminiscences were exhausted, I was graciously asked to share my impressions of modern Estonia, and talk about the changes I have observed. Following are some of my observations, and a few comparisons with life in the United States, especially the state of Texas. In return the guests at the party gave me some of their impressions of Americans.

On this visit I had entered Estonia from Latvia by bus, coming from a conference of Estonian expatriates in Riga, Esto 2004. The entry procedure took more time than on my previous trips to Estonia, where my U.S. passport seemed to pave the way. Perhaps because of the fact that Estonia has become a member of the European Union, the border control has now become more thorough.

The bus continued towards Tallinn. I saw a lot of road construction along the way - perhaps the roads were being brought up to European Union standards. The landscape, fields, forests and farmhouses were familiar. Although this was my seventh visit my affection for the country has not waned. Of course it helps that I speak Estonian, and I have relatives and friends there to greet me. Even my grade school classmates of early school years gathered for a lunch to welcome me. My relatives lent me a cellular phone and a car, and I felt truly home.

But this did not mean that I melted in with the native people. I was told how well I speak Estonian! A native Estonian does not compliment another about how well he speaks. One commented that I speak in a singing-like manner. Another said that I speak as if there is a potato in my throat. My writing style was pronounced “interesting.” On the other hand, to me it seemed me that native Estonians hammered out each word. Their words came as if from a machinegun. And I heard new words, words that were not in use when I left Estonia in 1944.

In contrast with Americans, Estonians are much more reserved and even-tempered. Estonians in a hotel restaurant eat quietly or speak with each other in whispers. Foreigners initiate conversations with strangers, inquiring where they are from, and about their travel experiences. Estonians are not unfriendly, however. When asked a question, an Estonian will give a well thought out to the point but cautious answer. Often he qualifies his answers with "perhaps," "maybe," "it could be," or "you might." Possibly the cautiousness is the result of living under 50 years of occupation, when excessive talking could get one into trouble. When I asked what Estonians thought of the Iraqi war, they answered, “We don’t know everything that your president knows.” In contrast, Estonians think that Americans are very inquisitive.

Understatement was common in communication. A native Estonian who visited America told me that Estonians "could be freer with praise and expressions of gratefulness," but act as if praising might violate the emotional space of others. In any discussion the relationship between people is quickly established by addressing the conversationalist, with either the formal or the informal "you," which are two different words in the Estonian language. In cases where the relationship is not obvious, Estonians are masters at phrasing sentences in a way that avoids the use of "you."

Still, Estonians now respond more freely than in the times before they regained independence. In 1990, when in was in an airport on the way to Tallinn, I tried to start a conversation with another man returning to Estonia. When I asked what he did, he said “this and that,” which was no answer at all. In today’s Estonia I could easily initiate a conversation and compare experiences on any public bus. To start person-to-person communication was easy.

Curiously, the ease by which verbal communications are established does not carry over to e-mail. Estonians do not feel the need to respond to emails, unless absolutely necessary.

(To be continued.)

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Maxim.08 Apr 2005 12:34

There is only one place in the world where it's genuinely possible to plumb the depths of one's Estonian identity-and that's here in Estonia. It's only natural that you should experience something incredibly contrasting to what you see in your own local community in Canada...because in Estonia, culture and identity have a much more full-blooded life of their own. The heyday of big Estonian communities such as Toronto are showing signs of fizzling out...and very quickly. In Estonia there is a steadily growing proportion of non-Estonians who are actively buying into our cultural gene pool....and not only the likes of Dave Benton or Paul Goble. Whereas in Canada-multiculturalism hasn't been able to be as big a support for local Estonians as it has been for larger communities. If you follow your nose you'll soon see that in so many respects-from real estate to living out a life among Estonian speaking people brings a quality to your life that obviously is sorely missing in Canada.

from a noisy restaurant08 Apr 2005 11:30

I also couldn't help but notice how Estonians speak quietly in public places, such as restaurants, and how they understate their thoughts and emotions in personal conversation. My (non-Estonian) spouse thought that this gave them an air of dignity. In his autobiography, Jaan Kross mentions this trait, in passing, and ascribes it to the caution that Estonians learned to exercise when communism came. According to Kross, it didn't exist during the independence period.

I wonder if there is an Estonian out there who's prepared to make some equivalently candid observations about us -- the children of the exile generation who have grown up elsewhere, yet maintain an interest and allegiance to Estonia? I'd be interested in reading such an account, even though it might be painful, because it would help me sort out a confused sense of personal identity. I was at ease with myself as a Canadian of Estonian heritage until I got to Estonia. There I received an unexpected shock as I instantly fell in love with the place and its people. I'll be returning at the first opportunity to sort this matter out and I'd retire there if my spouse could learn the language.

Thanks for your interesting commentary. I'm looking forward to the next installment.