TÄNAVALT (From the street). In favour of the home team

One of "100 reasons why it's good to live in Estonia!" – "Untouched nature, which you can actually touch," submitted by Marge. The logo in the lower right corner reads: Ma armastan Eestimaad – I love Estonia or the land that is Estonia. MAA = land, as well as country.

In early 2012 the President of Estonia asked people to come up with reasons why it's great to live in Estonia and to post them on his Facebook page. Over 1000 reasons were submitted and voted on by the online public. A handful were later displayed on bus shelters and street posts including this one.

Untouched nature is something Canadians might sometimes take for granted, but visitors from many European countries marvel at Eesti's wilderness; which in turn makes eestlased realise how fortunate they are to have such an abundance of wildlife and pristine nature.

The project was also summarised as "100 Eesti eelist". An EELIS can be an advantage, asset or virtue. Also a preference or priority: Ma eelistan = I prefer. It comes from the word EES – to be in front, to lead.

NB – Marge is not pronounced like Marge Simpson, since there is no such thing as a silent E in Estonian. You pronounce every letter and therefore the G here is hard ("Mar-geh.")

Riina Kindlam, Tallinn

A verbose reason it's great to live in Eesti, proposed by Timo – "A country and people, who are able to evoke a genuine sense of homeland in foreigners with a desire to acclimatise, who have moved here due to work, education or love." Photo: Riina Kindlam - pics/2012/03/35530_003_t.jpg — A verbose reason it's great to live in Eesti, proposed by Timo – "A country and people, who are able to evoke a genuine sense of homeland in foreigners with a desire to acclimatise, who have moved here due to work, education or love." Photo: Riina Kindlam