The lesson of the Danish language

I always liked learning languages. I’m not saying I’m too good at it, but not the worst either. It is therefore a bit of a disappointment that I’m back in Denmark where all the fun of looking around like an idiot (and that comes naturally for me and fits all the occasions and reasons) because you don’t understand a single word has passed for me in this country. For the pure sake of fun I still attend the language classes. It wasn’t supposed to be for fun. I was naïve enough to think it might be of some use. I might come to remember some grammar again and maybe would get some work to do that is above “Hej, hvordan går det?” (Hello, how are you?), but in this sentence I’ve already been wrong for many times. First- it is impossible to understand the grammar as we are jumping around the verbs, articles, prepositions and possessive pronouns like kangaroos having no connections made between them and as I understand what the teacher says and I understand what is written on the paper I should get the point, but NOPE, my little brain got confused and my fellow country people went over for other cultural activities- chatting to each other. Second- it is impossible to get some motivating tasks above that greeting, because guess what- our teacher never taught that part! We have no idea about how to present ourselves in the simplest way of being able to say name, age, nationality and why not something about the things we like and dislike? But that is probably too clear and practical and we could even use it, so it is safer to keep us away from this information.
Instead we are dealing to perfection with the pronunciation of the vowels- something that I first got at the advanced course of Danish when I lived here before. And all this goes through a humor-prism that remains not understandable for a bunch of Eastern Europeans. Japanese are a bit easier; they have politeness in them, in genes probably. But the incident of this Friday was just amazing. I had to fight with myself not to die in laughter. We were “explained” different prepositions of the language, clearly unprepared… but for such a professional teacher preparation of classes is probably overestimated and there is no doubt- He does speak Danish, was speaking it already when he was two-three years old, so how hard can it be, right?! Anyway we went through the list of them, having a complete mess on the blackboard, getting almost no examples besides “on the table” and “under the table” and we reached to prepositions “bag” and “bag ved”. Our sweet Japanese girl asked for the difference of these two. The Teacher gave a long “Mmmmmm…”, tried to make face of a know-it-all, but it didn’t help and the girl gave him no more time, just stated the fact “You don’t know.” I seriously thought these will be my last moments alive. Trying to keep quiet, I was catching my breath, making all weird squeaking sounds you can imagine and thought of all sad moments in my life to calm down. The lesson finished, sun came out and I was ready to sing my heart out- yep my next class was singing.

Hot tempered Estonians- cd out soon!

Yup, that is the name of our unofficial band that doesn't really create music, just sometimes, but very irregularily. we are more like rhythm people and in general loud and annoying. At the same time I'm proud to be Estonian... yesterday when a crowd of people were asked to go and help out in the kitchen it was the Estonian crowd that stood up and went without questions asked... But back to our band... It all started with Hannes and I taking music classes and having maaaany hours with different coordination and rhythm exercises. plus singing with all four on the floor, on the back, walking around etc...
Then we discovered spoons. yeah, you couldn't really imagine what a tool that is. And please, more creativity now and get your mind further than soup!
The main purpose of a spoon is to stand on one's nose. Or if preferred, on a cheek and for the intermediate to advanced level, on a chin. Or why not on all. Being suicidal you can try with forks as well and take part in running competition like that- carrying a fork on your nose. Sounds like a proper adult past time activity... But Estonians don't settle with ordinary. We gave it a bit more tune and started to use the tools to beat a rhythm at the same time. Basically beating everything- tables, napkins, apples, mugs, sofas, each other... The mark of participation will remain on your body as a proof, no certificates needed. The cold northern people don't behave so odd... but the southern state of Estonia can afford going bananas. We decided here with the small group of hot tempered Estonians that we don't belong to Scandinavia after all. Proud to be Eastern European! Gimme some beat in life!

Sokkidest...

Harra Sokk istus kapiriiulil ja sygas varvast. Ilus see kapp ei olnud. Lihtne, puidust kokku klopsitud kapikolakas, mis toenaoliselt saaskede roomuks oli tumepunaseks voobatud. Meelega voi mitte, aga neile pinisevatele lendkurjamitele see varv meeldis, miks muidu oli Harra Sokk varbasygamisega nii ametis, et ei pannud tahele isegi Proua Soki vestlust tumesiniste spordisokikaksikutega. Nagu harilikult, oli vestlusteemaks sokielu praktiline pool- nimelt olid spordisokikaksikud veendunud, et nende tumesinine varv annab neile paevade sisukuses eelise. Proua Sokk pyydis yha valjenevat vaidlust veidi vaigistada. Tal oli liiga selgelt meeles, kuidas viimases vaidluses Harra Sokk endast nii valja laks, et suutis ennast kaugesse kapinurga pimedusse ara peita ja Proua Soki pani see silmitsi seisma tosiasjaga, et ta oli araviskamise aarel, sest kellel ikka vaid yht sokki vaja on. Tookord koperdas Harra Sokk siiski oma peiduurkast valja, aga porises veel ka peale kahenadalast enese varjamist, et ebaoiglane on lahterdada sokke edukateks ja kasututeks vaid nende varvi pohjal. See polevat ikkagi ei habiasi ega kellegi syy, et nende peres on juba mitmendat polve maaravaks heleda alatooniga niit. Lisaks oli ta lausa uhke oma punase lepatriinukaunistuse yle sookisaares, mis just tanu tema hele-helerohelisele varvile nii kaunilt sarama loi. Harra Sokk raakis oma tusatujus alati viisil, nagu oleks oma ylaserva kummi alla neelanud ja see tegi kone pisut pingutatuks.
Proua Sokk ei soovinud oma mehe peitusemange enam kaasa teha ega oma eluga riskida ning ta otsustas kasutada hadavalet ja ytles spordisokikaksikutele, et tal on juustupirukas ahjus ja tunneb juba korbelohna ning lipsas oma kapipoolele tagasi, tommates kilekotiukse kindlalt enda jarel kinni.

Just no two-wheelers

Getting to Bornholm, my next home, was rather entertaining. Getting up at some strange hour, dad drove me to the airport. Regardless the weather the flight was on time- they probably really are used to everything in Estonia. Reaching Copenhagen at 7.20- just the time to go to work and me? I was just blessed with sunshine, some snow and mild minus degrees and a full day in one of my favourite cities in the world. I took train to central and I could even put my luggage to the central stations luggage store and off to town went to hunt for some breakfast as believe it or not, i wasn't really up for breakfast at 4am. 9am was much better for that.
I could find the bus to Bornholm with no special struggle and by that time i was already so sleepy i was sleeping through the whole trip to Ystad in Sweden to take the ferry to Bornholm. Fruit smoothie on the ferry and i felt half awake again. At least awake enough to continue reading my book which caused strange faces on the ferry as it is probably not a custom that one girl sits in the corner and laughs on her own. I felt great.
As it had been snowing on Bornholm the whole day the headmistress asked me to take a taxi as she didn't want to drive. So the last bit of a transport was a taxi with a very nice and talkative driver.
In one day- car, plane, train, bus, ferry and taxi- i just missed a bicycle or something. What a mistake!

No change in my life style- just in the name of the country(ies)

Guess what... a year has passed and all the travelling from Malawi to UK, working in UK, being at home for long summer holiday, visiting Latvia, working in UK again and leaving my work there with all the juicy tiny bits, happenings and disasters haven't been written down... My deepest apologies to Liina and her sister! Others of course as well...
Guess what 2... I'm packing again. This time my travel takes me so nearby and for such a short time that I was even considering not to change my profile country in Orkut- then again, maybe I will, as nobody likes liars. If I only knew which country does it state right now. I will check that out later.
To the business- I'm going to Denmark (an island called Bornholm) for 4 months, starting my trip at a most convenient hour- 4.30 am tomorrow- to go to an art school. It will be a bit a of a change to my vans, trucks, buses, forklifts, containers, fan belts and all the beautiful machine park I tried to manage in Newcastle/Durham.
So this 4 months will make me a calm, sensible, creative, stable person that stops wandering around the world, gets a bank loan with all the rest and spends rest of the life paying it back. Hey, I got carried away plus having an issue with lies again, but I can't really correct my mistakes now as I have to packmy suitcase AGAIN.

Happy new year!

So, it came. Like it or not, but it is here. Year 2009. I look forward to many changes in my life (not that I haven't had changes before.. khmmmm) and some solutions to problems that 2008 gave me.

But how did it come? It came in Malawi, in Chilangoma. We were 3 of us. 3 girls, sleepy, lazy to even cook something nice and we decided to spend the evening watching movies, not falling asleep and 12:01 go to bed. Terrible, huh. One girl said a very funny statement. "Girls, here we are... with our men far away or in malaria, celebrating the year-change with 5 candies and a bottle of water". That's how it was, only we went to bed later as the movie was so good we decided to watch it until the end. By that time I wasn't sleepy at all, so I was reading and thinking in my bed. Very different from my usual celebration, but for sure I will remember it well. And these were very good candies if somebody has doubt about our menu!

Return of the sock (check september posts)

So, it will be very short, but just a couple of days ago when it was raining cats and dogs and went from kitchen to fill the kettle as i longed for a nice cup of tea, i noticed something lying on the ground. I went closer and as it was getting dark, I bent down to see better. Believe it or not, but it was the sock that went missing in September. It looked terrible- muddy and had lost its colour in many places... but it had returned! So I laughed, washed it and put it next to the other one... I still can't believe it, but things just happen...