Monday and Tuesday of this week were relatively slow. Monday I went to Tallinn Technical University (TTU) to try and secure that one last piece of paper for my residency permit application, and I also found that there is an Estonian language course for English speakers that my roommate Mark is involved in. So, I tagged along with Mark and checked out the course, and it seems like it will be just what I need for formal instruction, in addition to the less formal Estonian lessons I am hoping to get with Estonian friends. So, I registered for the class which will meet every Monday at TTU.
While at TTU, I put another name with a face, and met Kairi Õun, who is the coordinator of international students. She told me that apparently none of the faculty that I had thought were affiliated with TTU actually were (urp!), so I needed to find another professor who would be able to meet me and serve as my affiliate with the university. Luckily, she told me, this would not be hard to do, and I already had their support, so it would work. Kairi told me today that she found a man, named Avo Ots, who I believe will actually be able to help me with my studies on WiFi. So the fact that I didn’t have a formal advisor to begin with is actually helping me, as I now have discovered another expert in the field. So I am hoping to meet Dr. Ots on Monday after my language course. Also, I can now pick up my paper showing my affiliation with the university tomorrow, so I can finally get my residency permit application out of the way! WOO-HOO, bureaucracy!
After this long ordeal at TTU, I was feeling a bit under the weather (sore throat, which is still hanging around a bit, but is manageable) so I just took care of some business around the apartment, did some offline work (We have yet to get Internet in my apartment…STILL! But that should change tonight, I hope.), and took it easy.
On Tuesday I went into the office and didn’t get much ‘real’ work accomplished, but I did take care of a lot of communication and other odds and ends online, which is almost as important as furthering my research.
After work, I met up with Veljo and his buddy Ivo, who is another IT guru here in Estonia, to play some pool at a local pool hall. Pool is their normal Tuesday night activity, and I was glad to be invited to join. I had moderate success, and could feel the beer catching up to me as the night went on. But that didn’t end up being a big factor, as I held my own, winning 2 of the games I played.
More importantly, Veljo mentioned to me that he was going to the southern part of Estonia the next day—today, Wednesday—and he asked if I would like to join him. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I was eager to see more of Estonia, so I said yes. All Veljo told me is that he had some meetings and we would see a museum about Estonian roads, as well as a farm that he had set up with WiFi in January.
So we rose at 5:30am this morning so that we could make the journey down to Tartu. Veljo picked me up at 6ish, and we began the 2 and half hour trip. Estonia is truly beautiful, and the rural areas are complete with thick forests, serene lakes and rivers, and just a general untouched beauty that is hard to find (if even possible at all) in the States.
When we arrived in Tartu, which is Estonia’s 2nd biggest city (to Tallinn), we dropped Veljo’s car off at his buddy’s house, and then caught a taxi down to the main square area, near the university. We boarded this 70’s-style bus that I wish I had a picture of (I’ll try to get one) and Veljo informed me that we were going on a “small tour” of Põlvamaa County, designed for journalists by the local governments.
Perhaps I did not understand Veljo when he had told me a bit about what we would be doing today, but this “small tour” was anything but small, and the government officials that it was put on by were actually the Governer of all of Põlvamaa County, Urmas Klaas, as well as 5 mayors of local townships. This may not sound like a big deal, as this is rural Estonia, but it actually was quite important.
They wined us and they dined us, and everything was planned out to a T. There were speakers on a number of different topics (including Veljo), highlighting what is being done in rural Estonia, and even though I didn’t understand exactly what was said, I picked out various words, and Veljo was there to translate…for the most part. The problems came when Veljo told me that he too couldn’t understand, as the dialect of Estonian that was spoken was too different than the Estonian he speaks, or that the discussion was too technical for him. At this point, I felt like it didn’t even matter that I don’t speak the language—I would have been lost anyway. But all in all, it was a success, and I saw some very different sides of Estonia.
According to Veljo, this whole excursion was apparently all part of a plan by the local government to wow the journalists (newspaper and radio) into providing good press for the incumbents before the upcoming election on October 16, but hey, that’s politics, I guess. And I certainly didn’t mind tagging along, enjoying the delicious food and seeing the sights on the government’s dime (or should I say “on the government’s kroon?”).
But I am getting ahead of myself (and I realize this is a very long post already, so I will try to wind it up shortly!). First, we saw Estonia’s national museum of roads, which was very informative about how trade routes progressed throughout the years, and how the different countries and regimes that have occupied Estonia throughout history affected the roads, and in turn, how different cities have emerged. It was actually quite interesting, and in my eyes it’s something that is often overlooked when considering how countries have changed over the years. Perhaps our current modes of transportation (roads, etc.) are having impacts on future societies that we cannot yet understand. Something to chew on…
After this, we traveled to a very rural farm in a township called Kenapi (prounounced like Canopy), and we saw Veljo’s work first-hand, in the form of a 20-meter WiFi tower that receives and rebroadcasts the signal from the center of town over an 8 kilometer radius. This farm is a bed and breakfast as well, so the presence of WiFi not only has allowed them to advertise themselves on the Internet, but it also attracts guests who might not otherwise pursue such a rural retreat. Apparently it’s really helped business!
At this farm, we tried the homemade honey, cheese, bread, and butter, and it was extremely tasty. We got a tour of the farm and talked with journalists and politicians about a number of topics, but for Veljo and me, it was pretty much all WiFi talk. Veljo also presented about his work here, and it was very well received.
After the WiFi-Farm, our bus headed to a sport center in a town called Põlva, and after this, we toured a factory that makes children’s furniture. I was under the impression that this would all be based around WiFi, but apparently this was something else that was lost in translation with Veljo. When I asked again, Veljo explained that the theme of this trip was to highlight all aspects of Põlvamaa County and its towns, and WiFi was just one of these highlights. This made a lot of sense, and unfortunately to say, the factory was pretty boring for me, not because they didn’t use WiFi, but because I had no idea what was going on, and Veljo had a hard time translating, as many technical terms were used, he said.
So, after the factory, we grabbed lunch at a place whose name translates to “Tina’s Kitchen,” and had some traditional Estonia food—chicken soup, cabbage salad, mashed potatoes and pork gravy, and for dessert, some pudding with jam. After Tina’s, our next stop was at a paper mill in a town called Rapima. But Veljo and I skipped this, as we found a WiFi hotspot we could use, and we both needed to get back in touch with the outside world, after a long WiFi-free span at the factory and at lunch. So we just hung out in the bus and took a much needed break from what was turning into a long tour.
Our last stop was at a manor way the heck out in the middle of nowhere. But, man, this place was gorgeous. It was built in 1903—“very recent” according to Veljo—by the Germans, though they only occupied it for 10 years or so, as World War I “changed everything” in Estonia. But the manor remains, and after a tour of the outside and surrounding buildings, we went inside what was a majestic building.
We were served piping hot fresh bread with freshly homemade butter, and were shown all around the main building, which now serves as an elementary school for about 125 local children. I can’t imagine what it must be like to go to school in this old fort-like manor; it must be pretty cool. After the tour (on which I spotted on of Veljo’s WiFi.ee stickers inside the main building!), we had a light dinner and some wine, and the various politicians, journalists, Veljo and myself chatted a bit before heading back to Tartu, where I caught a bus that I am currently on, heading back to Tallinn.
Check out my photos from our expedition in Põlvamaa County
Thanks for sticking with me through this long post. I’ll try to post more regularly so they don’t get this long! I miss you all and have loved hearing from those of you who have written me. It makes you all feel a lot closer, so please keep them coming!!
All my best, and let’s talk soon.
-J
28 September 2005
25 September 2005
The Weekend
Hey Guys!
Since I last checked in with you, I’ve been busy. Saturday was a pretty easy day—I got some small tasks done, like getting a haircut, going shopping for some essentials for the apartment, and just chilling out a bit, and then in the evening I met up with a few friends to just take it easy and we actually watched a few episodes of the Simpsons. It’s funny how people from different countries can connect on something as simple as yellow cartoon characters, but hey, it works. This actually reminded me a lot of a time when I was traveling in New Zealand with my buddy Mike, and we broke out my computer and put on the “Jackass” movie. By the end of it, we had about 20 people from like 7 countries huddling around the computer and laughing at the crazy antics of the MTV guys. I guess some things are universal.
So after a relaxing day to begin my weekend, I was a bit more active on Sunday. Last week I checked in with the U.S. Embassy to let them know I had arrived in Estonia, and to register my address and all that good stuff. It was a great thing to do, not only because I was able to connect faces with names of people I had previously only corresponded with via email, but I ran into a man named Eric Johnson who I met in July in Washinton, D.C. at the Fulbright orientation.
When I was at the Embassy, Eric introduced me to his staff, including a girl named Anna Hermann, who is an American interning at the U.S. Embassy. Anna (pronounced Ah-na) is a student at Brown, in Providence, R.I., and she is taking a year off from school to live and work in Europe before she goes back and finishes up her degree. She actually had arrived just the day before I met her, so she was even newer to Estonia that me, believe it or not! Anna and I later exchanged emails and Eric suggested that Anna and I go exploring in Tallinn, do some touristy things, and just get to know another person who is in a similar boat to ourselves—namely, new to the country and lacking the language.
So on Sunday, Anna and I ventured to the east side of Tallinn, to a place called Pirita Beach, which is nice and sandy, and extends all the way to a cool forest. In addition to the beach, there is a very cool pier that is adjacent to the sailing village from the 1980 Olympics. The biggest draw of the area, however, is not the beach, but rather, the ruins of a convent that was built in 1407.
In her email to me, Anna mentioned that she is originally from Portland, OR, and I remembered that another American I knew—my friend James—the other American who I met (oddly enough, in McDonalds) is from Portland as well. So I mentioned it to James, and it turns out that he and his wife Kerttu live very near Pirita Beach, so they agreed to meet us, and the 4 of us had a great time.
At the beach, we saw many windsurfers and sailboats, and we took a long walk on the pier, admiring the nice view back to the Old Town, and checking out what the numerous fishermen were catching. It turned out that James and Kerttu could only stay for about an hour, so after we returned from the pier, they had to jet. But it was still cool for 2 Portlanders to meet each other all the way in Tallinn.
Anna and I decided it was time to see the convent. When we crossed the street from the pier, we could see the face of the convent very clearly, and we both mentioned how impressed we were with the architecture of the early 15th century. Upon entering the convent grounds, we were greeted by a very daunting graveyard. We could see inscriptions on the graves from as early as 1485, and there were MANY crosses (check out the pictures, you’ll see what I mean), very close to one another. Anna and I both commented how odd it was that over the years much of the human population collectively decided to mark spots of burials with crosses and tombstones, and if aliens, or anyone to whom this idea was foreign saw this, they would probably be confused. It is pretty odd, when you separate it from religion, to be honest. But it’s just the way life is, I guess.
Inside the convent, the architecture was even more amazing. Even though a lot of the structure (most notably, the roof) had been destroyed, archways were still evident and actual rooms surrounding the main church were very apparent. There was a map explaining what each room was used for, and it was fun to walk through the rooms (which were sometimes built into the ground) imagining how life had been in 1407 and beyond. No electricity, no WiFi Internet…how could they ever have managed?! Haha, playing, of course. :)
After a while at the convent, we grabbed a quick bite at a pizza place and then took a stroll on the beach, explored the forest a bit, and then headed back to the center of Tallinn on what is a truly a beautiful boardwalk path. Anna and I never ran out of things to talk about, and it was really fun to have another person who knows what I am going through, but at the same time is having a different experience. As neither of us really knows anyone else in the area that well (aside from my Estonian Fulbright friends, who seem VERY into their work…almost to a fault, if I dare say so…yikes!), we may try to take a trip to St. Petersburg before it gets too cold. At the same time, I am trying to get one of my oldest friends—and fellow Fulbright Scholar—Jon Fougner, to come down from Oslo, Norway to see Estonia and then make this trek with me. We’re certainly planning to rendezvous at some point soon, but it remains to be seen where and when exactly this will happen.
Check out the pictures from my weekend (as well as a few that I forgot to include in the last album).
Look out for a new post on the blog soon!!
-John
Since I last checked in with you, I’ve been busy. Saturday was a pretty easy day—I got some small tasks done, like getting a haircut, going shopping for some essentials for the apartment, and just chilling out a bit, and then in the evening I met up with a few friends to just take it easy and we actually watched a few episodes of the Simpsons. It’s funny how people from different countries can connect on something as simple as yellow cartoon characters, but hey, it works. This actually reminded me a lot of a time when I was traveling in New Zealand with my buddy Mike, and we broke out my computer and put on the “Jackass” movie. By the end of it, we had about 20 people from like 7 countries huddling around the computer and laughing at the crazy antics of the MTV guys. I guess some things are universal.
So after a relaxing day to begin my weekend, I was a bit more active on Sunday. Last week I checked in with the U.S. Embassy to let them know I had arrived in Estonia, and to register my address and all that good stuff. It was a great thing to do, not only because I was able to connect faces with names of people I had previously only corresponded with via email, but I ran into a man named Eric Johnson who I met in July in Washinton, D.C. at the Fulbright orientation.
When I was at the Embassy, Eric introduced me to his staff, including a girl named Anna Hermann, who is an American interning at the U.S. Embassy. Anna (pronounced Ah-na) is a student at Brown, in Providence, R.I., and she is taking a year off from school to live and work in Europe before she goes back and finishes up her degree. She actually had arrived just the day before I met her, so she was even newer to Estonia that me, believe it or not! Anna and I later exchanged emails and Eric suggested that Anna and I go exploring in Tallinn, do some touristy things, and just get to know another person who is in a similar boat to ourselves—namely, new to the country and lacking the language.
So on Sunday, Anna and I ventured to the east side of Tallinn, to a place called Pirita Beach, which is nice and sandy, and extends all the way to a cool forest. In addition to the beach, there is a very cool pier that is adjacent to the sailing village from the 1980 Olympics. The biggest draw of the area, however, is not the beach, but rather, the ruins of a convent that was built in 1407.
In her email to me, Anna mentioned that she is originally from Portland, OR, and I remembered that another American I knew—my friend James—the other American who I met (oddly enough, in McDonalds) is from Portland as well. So I mentioned it to James, and it turns out that he and his wife Kerttu live very near Pirita Beach, so they agreed to meet us, and the 4 of us had a great time.
At the beach, we saw many windsurfers and sailboats, and we took a long walk on the pier, admiring the nice view back to the Old Town, and checking out what the numerous fishermen were catching. It turned out that James and Kerttu could only stay for about an hour, so after we returned from the pier, they had to jet. But it was still cool for 2 Portlanders to meet each other all the way in Tallinn.
Anna and I decided it was time to see the convent. When we crossed the street from the pier, we could see the face of the convent very clearly, and we both mentioned how impressed we were with the architecture of the early 15th century. Upon entering the convent grounds, we were greeted by a very daunting graveyard. We could see inscriptions on the graves from as early as 1485, and there were MANY crosses (check out the pictures, you’ll see what I mean), very close to one another. Anna and I both commented how odd it was that over the years much of the human population collectively decided to mark spots of burials with crosses and tombstones, and if aliens, or anyone to whom this idea was foreign saw this, they would probably be confused. It is pretty odd, when you separate it from religion, to be honest. But it’s just the way life is, I guess.
Inside the convent, the architecture was even more amazing. Even though a lot of the structure (most notably, the roof) had been destroyed, archways were still evident and actual rooms surrounding the main church were very apparent. There was a map explaining what each room was used for, and it was fun to walk through the rooms (which were sometimes built into the ground) imagining how life had been in 1407 and beyond. No electricity, no WiFi Internet…how could they ever have managed?! Haha, playing, of course. :)
After a while at the convent, we grabbed a quick bite at a pizza place and then took a stroll on the beach, explored the forest a bit, and then headed back to the center of Tallinn on what is a truly a beautiful boardwalk path. Anna and I never ran out of things to talk about, and it was really fun to have another person who knows what I am going through, but at the same time is having a different experience. As neither of us really knows anyone else in the area that well (aside from my Estonian Fulbright friends, who seem VERY into their work…almost to a fault, if I dare say so…yikes!), we may try to take a trip to St. Petersburg before it gets too cold. At the same time, I am trying to get one of my oldest friends—and fellow Fulbright Scholar—Jon Fougner, to come down from Oslo, Norway to see Estonia and then make this trek with me. We’re certainly planning to rendezvous at some point soon, but it remains to be seen where and when exactly this will happen.
Check out the pictures from my weekend (as well as a few that I forgot to include in the last album).
Look out for a new post on the blog soon!!
-John
23 September 2005
Estonian Address and More...
Hey Guys!
I just wanted to share with you my mailing address, in case anyone wants to send me anything (wink wink, nudge nudge). In any case, it's:
John Heywood
Kentmanni 22-21
Tallinn 10116, Estonia
My uncle Monty also found a satellite image of my apartment, which you all should see! Here it is:
This week has flown by, and since I last checked in, not too much has changed. One piece of news, however, is that the article I edited/co-authored/whatever on the Estonian implications of the Skype sale to eBay is now online, and you can see it at:
Skype Matters More than Hansabank
(The way this article actually shows up on the page still needs a bit of work, though I have been told that this is in the process of being done....we'll see. But for now, you can just see what I have been working on.) :)
This week has been slower than I might have expected, but I have been beginning to conduct some of my research, talking with various Estonians I am meeting about how they use, and have used computers in their lifetimes. This type of story will undoubtedly be different for everyone, but I am hoping I can get some good accounts (either in person, via email, or really in any medium, for that matter) from different subsets of the population of how computer usage, Internet usage, and subsequently wireless Internet usage has progressed. I have begun talking with Estonian university students (as these types of people have been the most accessible to me so far), and I seek to talk with other groups within Estonian society, such as politicians, policy makers, elementary school students, the elderly, and business people of all ages. I am hoping that some patterns will begin to emerge regarding computer/Internet/wireless use, and that I will begin to be able to make some generalizations that I can take into account when I begin writing up some of my research. Combine this with some surveys that I am working to put together, and I am beginning to have the 'meat' of my research (sorry to all you vegetarians out there-- the 'tofu' of my research to all of you!).
Researching is clearly not taking up all of my time so far. I have still been taking care of odds and ends around Tallinn, most recently trying to get a residency permit from the Citizenship and Migration Board, so I can stay in Estonia for longer than 90 days-- the maximum one can stay in country without one of these permits. So I spent 3 hours waiting in line at their offices, only to be told I needed one additional form to be filled out that only exists in Estonian. I was not the happiest of campers, as there's no way a non-Estonian-- the only type of person who would be filling out one of these forms-- could know they had to have it filled out! After they explained it to me, I realized that I need to venture down to Tallinn Technical University, with whom I am supposedly affiliated (though I don't know if I will be taking any classes there, so it's all sort of odd), and get the necessary signatures before I can return to the Citizenship and Migration Board office. So, this will be my main order of business for Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Ugh, I HATE paperwork!
This weekend should be a lot more fun than my experiences in the CMB offices, as tonight, Friday night, I am going out with some American friends to a new bar in the center of Tallinn, and then on Saturday and Sunday I am becoming a tourist, and will see more of Old Tallinn, Pirita Beach (and the Old Estonian convent that is there), and perhaps a museum or two. I'm trying to do as much as I can before the bad weather (and lack of daylight!) comes.
Keep and eye out for more pictures after this weekend!
-John
I just wanted to share with you my mailing address, in case anyone wants to send me anything (wink wink, nudge nudge). In any case, it's:
John Heywood
Kentmanni 22-21
Tallinn 10116, Estonia
My uncle Monty also found a satellite image of my apartment, which you all should see! Here it is:
This week has flown by, and since I last checked in, not too much has changed. One piece of news, however, is that the article I edited/co-authored/whatever on the Estonian implications of the Skype sale to eBay is now online, and you can see it at:
Skype Matters More than Hansabank
(The way this article actually shows up on the page still needs a bit of work, though I have been told that this is in the process of being done....we'll see. But for now, you can just see what I have been working on.) :)
This week has been slower than I might have expected, but I have been beginning to conduct some of my research, talking with various Estonians I am meeting about how they use, and have used computers in their lifetimes. This type of story will undoubtedly be different for everyone, but I am hoping I can get some good accounts (either in person, via email, or really in any medium, for that matter) from different subsets of the population of how computer usage, Internet usage, and subsequently wireless Internet usage has progressed. I have begun talking with Estonian university students (as these types of people have been the most accessible to me so far), and I seek to talk with other groups within Estonian society, such as politicians, policy makers, elementary school students, the elderly, and business people of all ages. I am hoping that some patterns will begin to emerge regarding computer/Internet/wireless use, and that I will begin to be able to make some generalizations that I can take into account when I begin writing up some of my research. Combine this with some surveys that I am working to put together, and I am beginning to have the 'meat' of my research (sorry to all you vegetarians out there-- the 'tofu' of my research to all of you!).
Researching is clearly not taking up all of my time so far. I have still been taking care of odds and ends around Tallinn, most recently trying to get a residency permit from the Citizenship and Migration Board, so I can stay in Estonia for longer than 90 days-- the maximum one can stay in country without one of these permits. So I spent 3 hours waiting in line at their offices, only to be told I needed one additional form to be filled out that only exists in Estonian. I was not the happiest of campers, as there's no way a non-Estonian-- the only type of person who would be filling out one of these forms-- could know they had to have it filled out! After they explained it to me, I realized that I need to venture down to Tallinn Technical University, with whom I am supposedly affiliated (though I don't know if I will be taking any classes there, so it's all sort of odd), and get the necessary signatures before I can return to the Citizenship and Migration Board office. So, this will be my main order of business for Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Ugh, I HATE paperwork!
This weekend should be a lot more fun than my experiences in the CMB offices, as tonight, Friday night, I am going out with some American friends to a new bar in the center of Tallinn, and then on Saturday and Sunday I am becoming a tourist, and will see more of Old Tallinn, Pirita Beach (and the Old Estonian convent that is there), and perhaps a museum or two. I'm trying to do as much as I can before the bad weather (and lack of daylight!) comes.
Keep and eye out for more pictures after this weekend!
-John
17 September 2005
Getting Easier
Hey guys!
Tallinn is great! Every day gets easier here, and I am having a fun time. I'm even working on integrating myself into Estonian life, though the language thing isn't really happening just yet. I registered for an Estonian course, but the start date got pushed back for 2 weeks, as there were not enough people enrolled. I am now debating whether or not I should take a class with a bunch of people, or if I should seek out a private teacher...
So far, however, I have gotten a cell phone, an Estonian bank account, and most perhaps important, my own apartment! I found I needed a bit more space than with Veljo, but he has been extremely nice in letting me stay with him while I get acquainted with my surroundings and adjust to Estonian life. I moved into my apartment two days ago, and the link to the pictures is on the bottom of this page! Check them out!
The apartment is in an ideal location, about 5 minutes walking from the e-Governance Academy (as opposed to a 30 minute walk where I was staying before), and it is less than one block away from the U.S. Embassy. It is also about 5 minutes from the old town, which means I am in close proximity to the nightlife. This location will lend itself to meeting other young people, something I am in desperate need to do.
But having Mark and Trudee-- the two other Americans (also Fulbrighters) I know in Tallinn-- around has made all the difference so far. They took me around the city my first day and showed me some of their favorite spots, helped me get my cell phone, and have just been great company so far, especially in this place where no one outwardly speaks English.
Work is good, though it is just beginning to take off. My boss Ivar was in Brussels, Belgium for the week, and he just got back yesterday (Friday). In the meantime, I have just been catching up on correspondence, getting all set up, and getting moved in to my place.
Veljo and I had lunch two days ago and we decided to build out his website, http://www.wifi.ee a bit. I am helping to edit the English version of the website, and build up some Estonian-related content. The first article I worked on was about eBay’s recent acquisition of Skype, and how this will probably have more of an impact on the Estonian economy than any other takeover in Estonia’s history. The article was pretty interesting, and should appear on Veljo's website by Monday, 9/19, or Tuesday, 9/20. Originally I had thought I would author the article, but instead I am just serving as an editor on it. This was still interesting, however, and it was a good start to some of the research I'll be doing over here.
Over lunch, Veljo and I also began discussing how I will accumulate data to begin my research project. Veljo has offered to introduce me to the Estonian Minister of Communications, and the chief of the Estonian Federal Communications Commission. These will be huge contacts for me, as they can provide me with a lot of the hard data I seek regarding Estonian technological involvement. Some of the data I will gather will include up-to-date statistics on Estonian cell phone vs. land line ownership, as well as (what I expect to be) comparable facts about computer ownership, and Internet usage, wired vs. wireless.
In addition to this data that I will collect, Ivar Tallo, my boss at the e-Governance Academy, has offered to help me put together a public interest survey that will help to gauge the future of WiFi Internet here in Estonia. We will seek to understand how people consume this technology—how and why this happened—as well as how they will consume this technology in the future. Creating this survey is one of my main goals for the upcoming week, though it’s important to create it in a way that I will get meaningful data that can be quantified. So, what I’m saying is that I’ve got my work cut out for me.
But it’s not just computer work here. I am working on getting out and about to see more of Estonia, and Veljo has agreed to take me along to some of the more interesting place in Estonia that he is setting up wireless networks. This probably won’t take off for a while, though it’s something I definitely want to do, and will be important to my findings.
Speaking of non-computer work, yesterday was a pretty cool day. Liia Hänni, one of my colleagues at eGA invited me to a conference on e-Voting at one of Tallinn’s fanciest hotels, Olümpia Hotel. e-Voting is a very hot topic here right now, as Estonia is going to be the first country in the world to hold nationwide elections (on October 16th, so very soon!) where voters have the ability to vote online—e-Voting as it is called. There is some controversy over the ability to vote online, though generally the idea is being welcomed, as e-Voting is not going replace traditional means of voting, but rather, supplement them.
At the conference were members of Estonia Parliament, world leaders in e-Government from Switzerland, a number of lecturers from around Estonia, heads of Estonia’s center for e-Democracy, and the Minister of Communications, also the former Mayor of Tallinn. It was a privilege to be included, and even though the conference was in Estonian, there were translators on hand, so I understood what was going on.
After the conference, Ivar and Liia took all of the presenters (the VIPs) out to dinner at Tallinn’s fanciest restaurant, Restorani ÖÖ (the only way I can describe to pronounce this combination of letters that we don’t even have in America is “uuuuuuuuuuh”). There are two weird o’s in Estonian, ö and õ (in addition to the normal O we have in English), and I have no idea how to tell them apart. Estonians pronounce them separately, and they say they can hear a difference, but they sound nearly identical to me. When trying to figure out the difference, an Estonian makes the sound, I try to repeat the sound (and I swear I’m saying it properly), and they correct me and make the same sound again. It’s pretty humorous to them, I’m sure, as I just have no clue as to the difference. Maybe in 10 months I’ll get it.
So, I’ve been here just over one week, though it feels like a lot longer than this (not in a bad way though). Prospects look good for having a great time this year, though there are certainly things I miss about the U.S.
I miss all of you guys, though Skype and a variety of Instant Messaging clients have made it a little easier. If you guys want to get me on Skype, my username is just ‘johnheywood’ (minus the ‘’s). Or if you don’t have Skype but want to give me ring, remember that I have a 510 number that you can reach me in Estonia on. The number is 510-962-3181 and it would be fun to hear from any of you guys. If I’m not around, don’t be intimidated by the European woman’s voice on the voicemail; it’s my voicemail and that is just the standard voicemail greeting on Skype. And since I’m bombarding you with contact info, why not give you my Estonian cell number just in case you want it. It’s +37256303301. There you have it.
Here are pictures from my first week here in Estonia, and included in this album are pictures of Veljo's place, some quick highlights of the Old Town, photos of my new apartment, and of the e-Governance Academy! Click here and enjoy:
Estonia Photos, Volume 1
I also put the pictures from my trip to London online, and if you want to check them out, click on this link:
London Photos!
Well, that’s about it from here. I will check back in within the week.
-John
Tallinn is great! Every day gets easier here, and I am having a fun time. I'm even working on integrating myself into Estonian life, though the language thing isn't really happening just yet. I registered for an Estonian course, but the start date got pushed back for 2 weeks, as there were not enough people enrolled. I am now debating whether or not I should take a class with a bunch of people, or if I should seek out a private teacher...
So far, however, I have gotten a cell phone, an Estonian bank account, and most perhaps important, my own apartment! I found I needed a bit more space than with Veljo, but he has been extremely nice in letting me stay with him while I get acquainted with my surroundings and adjust to Estonian life. I moved into my apartment two days ago, and the link to the pictures is on the bottom of this page! Check them out!
The apartment is in an ideal location, about 5 minutes walking from the e-Governance Academy (as opposed to a 30 minute walk where I was staying before), and it is less than one block away from the U.S. Embassy. It is also about 5 minutes from the old town, which means I am in close proximity to the nightlife. This location will lend itself to meeting other young people, something I am in desperate need to do.
But having Mark and Trudee-- the two other Americans (also Fulbrighters) I know in Tallinn-- around has made all the difference so far. They took me around the city my first day and showed me some of their favorite spots, helped me get my cell phone, and have just been great company so far, especially in this place where no one outwardly speaks English.
Work is good, though it is just beginning to take off. My boss Ivar was in Brussels, Belgium for the week, and he just got back yesterday (Friday). In the meantime, I have just been catching up on correspondence, getting all set up, and getting moved in to my place.
Veljo and I had lunch two days ago and we decided to build out his website, http://www.wifi.ee a bit. I am helping to edit the English version of the website, and build up some Estonian-related content. The first article I worked on was about eBay’s recent acquisition of Skype, and how this will probably have more of an impact on the Estonian economy than any other takeover in Estonia’s history. The article was pretty interesting, and should appear on Veljo's website by Monday, 9/19, or Tuesday, 9/20. Originally I had thought I would author the article, but instead I am just serving as an editor on it. This was still interesting, however, and it was a good start to some of the research I'll be doing over here.
Over lunch, Veljo and I also began discussing how I will accumulate data to begin my research project. Veljo has offered to introduce me to the Estonian Minister of Communications, and the chief of the Estonian Federal Communications Commission. These will be huge contacts for me, as they can provide me with a lot of the hard data I seek regarding Estonian technological involvement. Some of the data I will gather will include up-to-date statistics on Estonian cell phone vs. land line ownership, as well as (what I expect to be) comparable facts about computer ownership, and Internet usage, wired vs. wireless.
In addition to this data that I will collect, Ivar Tallo, my boss at the e-Governance Academy, has offered to help me put together a public interest survey that will help to gauge the future of WiFi Internet here in Estonia. We will seek to understand how people consume this technology—how and why this happened—as well as how they will consume this technology in the future. Creating this survey is one of my main goals for the upcoming week, though it’s important to create it in a way that I will get meaningful data that can be quantified. So, what I’m saying is that I’ve got my work cut out for me.
But it’s not just computer work here. I am working on getting out and about to see more of Estonia, and Veljo has agreed to take me along to some of the more interesting place in Estonia that he is setting up wireless networks. This probably won’t take off for a while, though it’s something I definitely want to do, and will be important to my findings.
Speaking of non-computer work, yesterday was a pretty cool day. Liia Hänni, one of my colleagues at eGA invited me to a conference on e-Voting at one of Tallinn’s fanciest hotels, Olümpia Hotel. e-Voting is a very hot topic here right now, as Estonia is going to be the first country in the world to hold nationwide elections (on October 16th, so very soon!) where voters have the ability to vote online—e-Voting as it is called. There is some controversy over the ability to vote online, though generally the idea is being welcomed, as e-Voting is not going replace traditional means of voting, but rather, supplement them.
At the conference were members of Estonia Parliament, world leaders in e-Government from Switzerland, a number of lecturers from around Estonia, heads of Estonia’s center for e-Democracy, and the Minister of Communications, also the former Mayor of Tallinn. It was a privilege to be included, and even though the conference was in Estonian, there were translators on hand, so I understood what was going on.
After the conference, Ivar and Liia took all of the presenters (the VIPs) out to dinner at Tallinn’s fanciest restaurant, Restorani ÖÖ (the only way I can describe to pronounce this combination of letters that we don’t even have in America is “uuuuuuuuuuh”). There are two weird o’s in Estonian, ö and õ (in addition to the normal O we have in English), and I have no idea how to tell them apart. Estonians pronounce them separately, and they say they can hear a difference, but they sound nearly identical to me. When trying to figure out the difference, an Estonian makes the sound, I try to repeat the sound (and I swear I’m saying it properly), and they correct me and make the same sound again. It’s pretty humorous to them, I’m sure, as I just have no clue as to the difference. Maybe in 10 months I’ll get it.
So, I’ve been here just over one week, though it feels like a lot longer than this (not in a bad way though). Prospects look good for having a great time this year, though there are certainly things I miss about the U.S.
I miss all of you guys, though Skype and a variety of Instant Messaging clients have made it a little easier. If you guys want to get me on Skype, my username is just ‘johnheywood’ (minus the ‘’s). Or if you don’t have Skype but want to give me ring, remember that I have a 510 number that you can reach me in Estonia on. The number is 510-962-3181 and it would be fun to hear from any of you guys. If I’m not around, don’t be intimidated by the European woman’s voice on the voicemail; it’s my voicemail and that is just the standard voicemail greeting on Skype. And since I’m bombarding you with contact info, why not give you my Estonian cell number just in case you want it. It’s +37256303301. There you have it.
Here are pictures from my first week here in Estonia, and included in this album are pictures of Veljo's place, some quick highlights of the Old Town, photos of my new apartment, and of the e-Governance Academy! Click here and enjoy:
Estonia Photos, Volume 1
I also put the pictures from my trip to London online, and if you want to check them out, click on this link:
London Photos!
Well, that’s about it from here. I will check back in within the week.
-John
10 September 2005
Tallinn!!
Tere! Greetings from Estonia!!!
I arrived two days ago, and after a fun week in London, I was very excited to finally get to Estonia. The flight was 3 hours long, and when I arrived, got my baggage, and passed through customs, Veljo Haamer (pronounced vail-yo hah-mer) was there to meet me, as promised. We went to his car and headed toward his apartment, but in a somewhat roundabout way.
First, Veljo took me through the old part of Tallinn (in Estonian it is ‘Vanallinn,’ which literally means ‘old city’), up to the top of the hill where there is a very old church (also the highest building in Tallinn), and I saw a great view of the city while Veljo picked up the spare set of keys to his apartment. Next, Veljo took me to one of his favorite parts of town, a café outside of the old city named Mademoiselle, where he treated me to some of his favorite cakes and teas.
After Mademoiselle, we headed to Veljo’s apartment, but not before stopping quickly at the supermarket to pick up Veljo’s favorite beer, Saku. I learned quickly that drinking is part of the Estonian culture; people drink (beer in particular) all throughout the day here, not just at night to get drunk, as I have been used to in the States, and in college. When Veljo and I finally arrived at his apartment, we had a Saku to celebrate. “Terviseks!” is the Estonian version of “Cheers!” and we have said it quite a few times so far in the trip.
Driving through Tallinn for the first time was quite an experience. It honestly felt like I was on another planet; I have never been here before and all of the signs are in Estonian, which I do not understand, and all of the people around me are speaking Estonian, which I do not speak. All of my surroundings are new to me, which is quite a feeling. My first experiences here in Estonia make my semester abroad in Australia seem like a breeze.
In the past few days, things have gotten a bit easier. On my second day here (my first full day), Veljo and I woke up early (7am in Tallinn, which felt like 5am—London time—for me) and made ourselves some ham and butter sandwiches and had instant coffee and peach juice—Veljo’s typical breakfast. As different as this is from what I am used to in the states, it was actually not bad! The coffee helped wake me up since it was early, and we spent the morning answering emails and planning out our day.
After catching up on correspondence, I headed into Tallinn to meet my boss, Ivar Tallo (prounounced ee-var tah-low), and my other colleagues at the e-Governance Academy (eGA, prounounced ‘egga’). As Tallinn is still very foreign to me and I didn’t know my way around at all at this point, Veljo drove me into town and dropped me off about a block from eGA and pointed me in the direction of the office. I spotted a small metal sign that said ‘e-Governance Academy’ and had been instructed by Ivar to proceed to the 5th floor where the eGA offices are.
Ivar, however, was running late, as he has a 5-month old baby that he is responsible for babysitting while his wife is otherwise occupied. We had planned on having lunch at 12:30pm, but Ivar didn’t end up getting into work until around 2ish. This was fine, however, as I met two of my other co-workers, Annela and Liia both of whom are extremely nice.
Liia gave me a brief explaination of what eGA does and what her role in the organization is, and Annela was extremely helpful in answering many of my questions about Estonia and Tallinn in general.
When Ivar arrived, we went out to lunch and Ivar picked a fancy restaurant called Madissoni, which was in the lobby of the Radisson Hotel, one of Tallinn’s bigger hotels. Here, I had chunky tomato soup and a salad with chicken. It was technically Estonian food, but nothing too daring just yet. Ivar also insisted that I get a beer, so we both got a Saku and said “Terviseks!”
Over lunch we talked and figured out some of what I will be doing with eGA. I also had my first taste of the wireless penetration in Estonia as I jumped on the free WiFi network in Madissoni while Ivar took an important call from an Egyptian diplomat who is coming to Tallinn on September 25th for a conference and a briefing in e-governance that Ivar has invited me to attend.
At lunch, I told Ivar about my undergraduate background and my research interests, and what I hope to accomplish while in Estonia. He was very receptive to my goals and is going to help me create some ways (public interest surveys, collaboration with other companies and organizations, etc.) to gather quantitative data that I can use in formulating an opinion on why and how usage of wireless Internet has happened and is currently happening in Estonia versus other countries.
On September 16th, Estonia is making history with the first ever national election in which citizens have the option to cast their ballots online. As far as I am told, I will be involved in the post-election analysis, and Ivar hopes that I can help spread the word about Estonia’s initiatives to America and the rest of the world.
As Ivar and I walked back from lunch, he told me that both Liia and Ivar are former member of the Estonian Parliament, which totally blew my mind. Estonia is so small so there is an opportunity to meet and work with very powerful people, but this is still very new to me, and I can’t imagine being in such close proximity to former congressmen or senators in the U.S. In Estonia, Ivar has authored several laws that the Estonian Parliament has passed, including a referendum on public policy that is well known around the world, and Estonia’s Code of Ethics, which is the first of its kind in the European Union. Both Ivar and Veljo are fascinating men, and I am very lucky to be working with them.
After stuffing ourselves at lunch, Ivar and I returned to eGA, where I met Steven, another colleague of mine who is from Belgium, and also doesn’t speak any Estonian. Steven is very nice and even offered to help me find my own apartment, so I don’t have to cramp Veljo in his small but cozy apartment. I looked online, and with Annela’s help (she is Estonian, so she has a much easier time speaking on the phone) we called a few places, but, with it being Friday, most people were not able to show us apartments right away.
Steven and I found one place, however, that looked like it might be decent for the price ($400/month—the top of my price range, according to Steven), and it happened to be in Steven’s neighborhood, so he offered to take the bus with me and check it out on his way home. But let’s just say the place wasn’t for me… so I took a bus back to the old city and met Veljo for dinner and a brief stroll around the city.
This city is so beautiful. In Vanallinn, the streets are narrow and cobblestone, and the city wall from the 12th century still stands. Tallinn is one of a kind because most other medieval cities of this type were destroyed throughout the years. Tomorrow, I will meet up with Mark and Trudee—two other Americans who are also doing Fulbrights here in Estonia. I hope to get a cell phone and explore the city more. Can’t wait!!
I arrived two days ago, and after a fun week in London, I was very excited to finally get to Estonia. The flight was 3 hours long, and when I arrived, got my baggage, and passed through customs, Veljo Haamer (pronounced vail-yo hah-mer) was there to meet me, as promised. We went to his car and headed toward his apartment, but in a somewhat roundabout way.
First, Veljo took me through the old part of Tallinn (in Estonian it is ‘Vanallinn,’ which literally means ‘old city’), up to the top of the hill where there is a very old church (also the highest building in Tallinn), and I saw a great view of the city while Veljo picked up the spare set of keys to his apartment. Next, Veljo took me to one of his favorite parts of town, a café outside of the old city named Mademoiselle, where he treated me to some of his favorite cakes and teas.
After Mademoiselle, we headed to Veljo’s apartment, but not before stopping quickly at the supermarket to pick up Veljo’s favorite beer, Saku. I learned quickly that drinking is part of the Estonian culture; people drink (beer in particular) all throughout the day here, not just at night to get drunk, as I have been used to in the States, and in college. When Veljo and I finally arrived at his apartment, we had a Saku to celebrate. “Terviseks!” is the Estonian version of “Cheers!” and we have said it quite a few times so far in the trip.
Driving through Tallinn for the first time was quite an experience. It honestly felt like I was on another planet; I have never been here before and all of the signs are in Estonian, which I do not understand, and all of the people around me are speaking Estonian, which I do not speak. All of my surroundings are new to me, which is quite a feeling. My first experiences here in Estonia make my semester abroad in Australia seem like a breeze.
In the past few days, things have gotten a bit easier. On my second day here (my first full day), Veljo and I woke up early (7am in Tallinn, which felt like 5am—London time—for me) and made ourselves some ham and butter sandwiches and had instant coffee and peach juice—Veljo’s typical breakfast. As different as this is from what I am used to in the states, it was actually not bad! The coffee helped wake me up since it was early, and we spent the morning answering emails and planning out our day.
After catching up on correspondence, I headed into Tallinn to meet my boss, Ivar Tallo (prounounced ee-var tah-low), and my other colleagues at the e-Governance Academy (eGA, prounounced ‘egga’). As Tallinn is still very foreign to me and I didn’t know my way around at all at this point, Veljo drove me into town and dropped me off about a block from eGA and pointed me in the direction of the office. I spotted a small metal sign that said ‘e-Governance Academy’ and had been instructed by Ivar to proceed to the 5th floor where the eGA offices are.
Ivar, however, was running late, as he has a 5-month old baby that he is responsible for babysitting while his wife is otherwise occupied. We had planned on having lunch at 12:30pm, but Ivar didn’t end up getting into work until around 2ish. This was fine, however, as I met two of my other co-workers, Annela and Liia both of whom are extremely nice.
Liia gave me a brief explaination of what eGA does and what her role in the organization is, and Annela was extremely helpful in answering many of my questions about Estonia and Tallinn in general.
When Ivar arrived, we went out to lunch and Ivar picked a fancy restaurant called Madissoni, which was in the lobby of the Radisson Hotel, one of Tallinn’s bigger hotels. Here, I had chunky tomato soup and a salad with chicken. It was technically Estonian food, but nothing too daring just yet. Ivar also insisted that I get a beer, so we both got a Saku and said “Terviseks!”
Over lunch we talked and figured out some of what I will be doing with eGA. I also had my first taste of the wireless penetration in Estonia as I jumped on the free WiFi network in Madissoni while Ivar took an important call from an Egyptian diplomat who is coming to Tallinn on September 25th for a conference and a briefing in e-governance that Ivar has invited me to attend.
At lunch, I told Ivar about my undergraduate background and my research interests, and what I hope to accomplish while in Estonia. He was very receptive to my goals and is going to help me create some ways (public interest surveys, collaboration with other companies and organizations, etc.) to gather quantitative data that I can use in formulating an opinion on why and how usage of wireless Internet has happened and is currently happening in Estonia versus other countries.
On September 16th, Estonia is making history with the first ever national election in which citizens have the option to cast their ballots online. As far as I am told, I will be involved in the post-election analysis, and Ivar hopes that I can help spread the word about Estonia’s initiatives to America and the rest of the world.
As Ivar and I walked back from lunch, he told me that both Liia and Ivar are former member of the Estonian Parliament, which totally blew my mind. Estonia is so small so there is an opportunity to meet and work with very powerful people, but this is still very new to me, and I can’t imagine being in such close proximity to former congressmen or senators in the U.S. In Estonia, Ivar has authored several laws that the Estonian Parliament has passed, including a referendum on public policy that is well known around the world, and Estonia’s Code of Ethics, which is the first of its kind in the European Union. Both Ivar and Veljo are fascinating men, and I am very lucky to be working with them.
After stuffing ourselves at lunch, Ivar and I returned to eGA, where I met Steven, another colleague of mine who is from Belgium, and also doesn’t speak any Estonian. Steven is very nice and even offered to help me find my own apartment, so I don’t have to cramp Veljo in his small but cozy apartment. I looked online, and with Annela’s help (she is Estonian, so she has a much easier time speaking on the phone) we called a few places, but, with it being Friday, most people were not able to show us apartments right away.
Steven and I found one place, however, that looked like it might be decent for the price ($400/month—the top of my price range, according to Steven), and it happened to be in Steven’s neighborhood, so he offered to take the bus with me and check it out on his way home. But let’s just say the place wasn’t for me… so I took a bus back to the old city and met Veljo for dinner and a brief stroll around the city.
This city is so beautiful. In Vanallinn, the streets are narrow and cobblestone, and the city wall from the 12th century still stands. Tallinn is one of a kind because most other medieval cities of this type were destroyed throughout the years. Tomorrow, I will meet up with Mark and Trudee—two other Americans who are also doing Fulbrights here in Estonia. I hope to get a cell phone and explore the city more. Can’t wait!!
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