Chanced upon, well, was guided to it, a recent video of an Estonian-speaking parrot on Reddit. We had budgerigars, not parrots, before the offspring somehow showed up. Korneelius and Vilhelm were their names. The budgies. My sense of humour. Conquerors, rulers both. Understood Estonian too. Truly.
Tule siia And they flew to me and sat on my shoulder. I believe in a perverse way that they really liked nibbling on my earlobes. And leaving their calling cards on my clothes as well.
Thinking about labels here. Such as saying something or someone is for the birds. I consider myself to be an Estonian first, as my formative years, from birth onwards, were conducted in Estonian. And, giving thanks to the country of my birth, a Canadian second. No need for a hyphen. That is the way it is. The term
väliseestlane should be banished. It is a divisive, almost pejorative word, not allowing for the very real truth that so many had to flee Stalinist terror. For numerous, varied reasons. Is not life more important than stubbornness? Or lack of opportunity?
Statesmanship is often misunderstood. How do you define a statesman? One recalls how Toomas Hendrik Ilves, during his time as an Estonian politician of note was not considered to be a true Estonian, as he was born in Sweden, grew up in New Jersey. However, THI was the right choice to be President at the time, no matter what you thought about him as a person, both in the West and in Estonia. Intelligent but often aloof, THI was perceived by many to be arrogant as well. Yet in politics one cannot function without being pliant and receptive, and when push came to shove he was able to rein in those traits. He was able to connect with the ones that mattered, the nomenklatura, pardon the expression, of the Free World. He had the ear of those who made important decisions. Spoke English, the
lingua franca of the world. And that cannot be dismissed.
We now have a new president, Alar Karis, in the position for slightly over a year. A molecular geneticist before becoming a civil servant and politician, Karis was previously the Auditor General of Estonia, prior to that the rector of the University of Tartu. Eminently qualified, certainly not for the birds, as some thought of his predecessor. A life-long bureaucrat who succeeded THI, after Estonia’s parliamentarians could not come up with a suitable candidate. She was a compromise choice, and it showed, alas.
Karis is visiting Canada, meeting the elite, not those who have for decades selflessly served our Toronto community. Initially he was to see our supplementary school in action, hear our Male Chorus in the Latvian Cultural Centre. But no. The meeting was moved to Tartu College. Logistical reasons were given for a last minute change of location for this rare opportunity. As the Toronto Estonia House is no more the only place left with our national imprint is Tartu College, where fraternities meet, high-brow lectures are held. In a small hall meant for academics. Not for all of us.
Meeting the Toronto community, long considered the bastion of free Estonians during the Soviet occupation years was something that the previous president did not do. THI did. Estonian-Canadians did much during the occupation to keep our country in the public eye and contributed greatly, still are doing so after independence was regained. Proof positive – the number of Estonians living here who have been blacklisted by Putin’s Russia.
President Alar Karis is not only very intelligent but also cool, calm and collected as proven by the times his public statements have been shown on the internet. Qualities that befit a statesman; qualities that can only stand Estonia in good stead. Let us hope that his visit to Canada will strengthen bonds between those Estonians living here and our politicians – both Canadian and Estonian - making decisions in the interest of a small but courageous people. Let us also hope that Karis’ first term in office will not be rocked by decisions made in Moscow. Many are certain that the Estonian president would be up to the challenge, but it is not a peril that anyone wishes to have to face.
TÕNU NAELAPEA
