Sunday, November 28, 2010

To keep you up to speed...

The month of November has been fairly uneventful, hence lack of updates. Anyways, recently, on the 18th, my school had its annual Moeshow or fashion show. Now, get this idea out of your head. It's not about the fashion, each year there is a different theme. This year's theme was Decades and as tradition the 10th grade organizes the whole show. Each class in the gümnaasium participated, each having 10 or so students to represent the class, and of course the 10th grade couldn't because they were busy organizing. With the Decades theme, each class had a different decade. My class's was the 1950's so we had an Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, house wives and a dance to the song 'We Go Together' from Grease. I didn't participate in the show; I just attended. But it was fun to see all the classes and all the costumes they had. Very interesting and some were just really goofy. Anyways, it was a pretty entertaining night. Before the show started, I had to go to school of course then hung around town with a couple of friends until the show started. We went to the different shops and visited the pub. It was the first time I had a hamburger in Rapla. Haha.
Since the moeshow was on a Thursday night, everyone was completely exhausted the next day because the concert after the show ended at 10. But nevertheless. It was nice. Definitely an experience.

Some of you may be asking how Thanksgiving was here.. Well, just to remind you Americans, Thanksgiving isn't an international holiday. Strictly American.. well Canadians kind of stole it from us.. So Thanksgiving Day here was just a Thursday. A really boring Thursday in school. My last lesson on Thursdays is gym, but since my teacher didn't come, we didn't have class and could leave. Great, just great.. So we got out around 2. Usually this would be a good thing, but here's the bad part. I was planning on going to the other gümnaasium's moeshow that night. I had so much free time afterwards all by myself because none of classmates could go with me to the show. I was really hoping they could go, so I wouldn't be alone, but they were busy.. Luckily my host sister could go, but I didn't see her after school to meet up with her. So we met later at the show. So for 3½hours I wondered around Rapla with a foot of snow on the ground. I first went to this place.. I'm not really sure how to describe it. Kind of like a court house? Anyways, I still have legal trouble here and had to turn in more papers. To my disappointment, it didn't even take 3minutes. So I was back on the streets. I looked through the shops and while I was cold and on the streets alone I realized something: It's Thanksgiving today, I'm hungry, I'm cold, I'm alone, This is so pathetic.. So to make myself sound like even more of a lonely loser and to make my tummy stop growling I went to a coffee shop and ate a pancake. It's funny, it doesn't matter which coffee shop I'm in. They all play Mexican Soap Operas that are dubbed in Estonian. But when I sat at my table with my pancake, knowing that I'm an English speaker, the lady behind the counter changed channels to an English speaking one. How sweet. So my Thanksgiving dinner was me eating my pancake, alone, while watching Australian soap operas. terrible. Afterwards, I started to make my way to the other gümnaasium. They had a different theme for their fashion show. It was Horror. It reminded me a little of Halloween, seeing the students in costumes. When I first got there it was really awkward because I've never been in that school before (that's one of the main reasons I wanted my classmates with me) and my sister wasn't there, yet. I talked to one of my classmates on the phone. Thanks, Greete, you didn't make me feel like a total loser there. haha.
It got a little annoying. Every class. Every single class played the song Thriller and the song from The Ring. Believe me it got old fast. I'm glad I went to see it. Again, it was interesting. I mean Justin Bieber made a quick appearance in it. haha. After the show I talked to a couple of friends and basically had my ass handed to me. My Estonian is terrible. Everyone refuses to speak to me in Estonian, so I don't have many chances to practice it. People would rather practice their English. So it gets really frustrating at times to think my exchange is almost half way over and I still can't keep a conversation for that long anyways. And when I do get people to speak to me in Estonian, they speak too fast for me to catch everything. If I ask for them to repeat themselves they just ruin it for me and tell me in English and won't go back to Estonian.. Schmeh.

I finally got to kind-of celebrate Thanksgiving on Saturday the 27th. I made a big lunch for the family. I made Buffalo Chicken, which was too spicey for their tastes, Macaroni and Cheese, Pumpkin Pie, and Rice Pudding. Everything turned out fine, except the Mac and Cheese. I put in too much flour in the sauce. Woops. Another example of my hatred toward the Metric System.

6 comments:

Laura said...

Hey ! :)
How are you, American-Estonian girl?
Yes, unfortunately we don`t have Thanksgiving and I`m sad to hear that you`re Thanksgiving was lonely. ..I had here my first Thanksgiving, which was FUN !And I think this celebration is very nice ! I spent mine with my friends family. And later at night we went to shoping. The Black Friday:D So coooool but for me new and exciting cause we don`t have this kind of things.So much people and so big sales.
About language? What do you think about our language? I know it`s hard:D But I think you really have to say your friends that you want and need to speak in Estonian and you want to leave Estonia speaking Estonian too:) But yes, everybody can practise their English with you:D What languaeg you speak in school? English?.
I have good time here in America but I feel too that I still don`t understand everything, so I hope my languaeg will grow more:D And How you like Estonian food?
Anyway,take care and Enjoy snow, because I don`t have any in California:D
Laura

Trinx said...

Hey Marina! I stumbeled on your blog through my little relative who is currently in California right now, the same one who made a comment before LOL :) Anyways, I just wanted to say that your blog is faschinating and it is very cool to read how one survives a year in Estonia :)
If you ever feel lonely in Tallinn or maybe if you want someone to show you around a bit, then contact me via trinxikene[at]gmail.com I live in Tallinn but I travel around in Estonia because of my job and my school. :) I hope you still like your stay in Estonia. :) I will be reading your blog in the future too, i hope :)
Have a nice days (may I say snowy days, since its very snowy here in November :) LOL
Triinu

Merilin said...

Haha, I had a good laugh reading it :D and i agree that mexican soap operas dubbed into estonian are terrible

Merleen said...

Hello, Marina! :)
I started to follow your blog long time ago, but i never commented it until now. I must say it's really exciting. You have so different opinion and view about everything and it's really interesting to read that. Everything you write is so detailed and it really makes me want to read your blog even more.
I always look forward to another entry. Anyway, i hope you like to be here, in Estonia.
It's a small country and yes, people are quite shy and reserved, but at the same time i think Estonia is still a very beautiful country, especially in winter. :)
Best wishes,

Merleen. :)

Laura said...

Hey ! )

It was so nice to hear from You !:)
About my language. Well,it is much better than it was when I coming and I kinda understand everything but when I speak then I still do mistakes.I hope it goes better.
And it is really sad to hear that You speak basically only in English in Estonia.I believe you that you want to learn because I have the same situation but differences are that nobody here don´t speak Estonian so I only can speak English but yes, in my country lots of people speak English and it is the small country thing, you have to speak other languages aswell. I still hope that you can learn and everything works out for you !

How was your Chritmas Eve?..It is a little bit different aswell. For me too, because in Estonia everything happens 24th evening but here is 25th more important. But we aöreadu opened one present today and spent good time and tomorrow is for me Christmas !! I hope that you have amazing Christmas tooo !!!

Greete said...

Only Coffee Shop has the mexican soap operas and Full House. They share the drunks with others:D:D