When I first got the list of people who would like to go to Estonia in my hand, I didnt know what was going on and what was the purpose of that journey. I signed myself, and I was happy when I found out that I was chosen and I’m going for one week to Estonia.
Our expedition, which consisted of six people within one teacher, got into train at half past one on Tuesday. We found out that the international express Bucurest-Warszaw, is almost empty. Later we created a theory that the people who really have to travel on this route rather choose a normal, non-express train, because the ‘express’ went incredibly slow. This express had a stop everywhere where there were at least five trees or three houses. Probably that’s why it came to Warsaw at midnight instead of half past ten. Of course, in Warsaw it didn’t stop at the main station, but in a small one. We had some rooms reserved in a youth hostel, but to get there, we had to find a map of city. We failed at this simple task, but we found (or were found by) two taxi-drivers, who offered us a ride, which would cost 40DM. Personally I think that for such money they should take us at least to Tallinn. We sent them away.
So we decided to spend the night at the station. We unpacked our sleeping bags and tried to sleep. However, there were many people, who didn’t make it easier for us. First some man from Ukraine, who was playing videogame for almost whole night. Then the nice lady announcing departures of trains. Then the pigeons
We woke up at five o’clock, when the station was becoming too busy. We brushed our teeth and went to the meeting point, but we came too early. So we went to McDonald’s and came back later. We found a Czech group, we greeted old friends and went sightseeing. Although Warsaw is a beautiful city, we weren’t able to appreciate it, because all we wanted was to come back to our station and sleep. However, that wasn’t possible, so at three o’clock we got onto the bus. Without problems, mainly sleeping we finally got to Janeda, Estonia.
We received T-shirts, nametags, a list of participants and the program. We went to our rooms and unpacked. The rooms were more comfortable than I expected. However, soon we had to face first problem country presentations. We were not prepared for anything. First we thought of making a quiz about Slovakia. Making the questions was great fun (Gender: a.) Male b.) Female c.) Both d.) XXL), but we didn’t use them. Later our teacher tried to make us dance the Macarena on the stage with half-success – some of us danced and some didn’t. After that we had the ice-breaking activities – first games and later we divided into groups (of mixed nationalities). First we tried to make a brick stand on four sheets of paper (it’s possible!) and then the theme of groupwork was announced “All different – all nice”. Then, all tired, we went to sleep.
Now about our ‘***** Grand Hotel’. It had three beds in each room and two rooms had a toilet and bathroom. A Czech teacher told us that we should be happy we have carpet and wallpaper. But hot water would be too big of a luxury, so we had to take shower in cold water. Some hope came when we were told that after ten minutes hot water will come, but we were soon disappointed.
On the next day we went on a trip to Tallinn. In spite of having three or more layers of clothes, we were cold the whole morning. On the afternoon it became much better. Tallinn is a nice city and we have seen as much of it as possible. At noon, a visit to parliament was on the schedule. We didn’t see much of it, but it was interesting. We were taking photo in the boardroom of the government, but when we stood up and wanted to follow the group, we found out that there’s no group around. After few minutes of running and asking one minister if she hadn’t seen a group of students, we found them. We laughed and thought of making a film: Lost In Parliament. After being lost for the second time (we were in the toilets), we wanted to make a sequel: Lost In Parliament II. In the afternoon, after making ‘action photos’, we had a long discussion with the Polish group about Janosik, but nobody except us and the Polish would understand it. First we were arguing about his origin and place where he lived. Later the Polish students expanded this theory: they said that Janosik sank the Titanic, killed Hitler and now is disguised as Bill Clinton and that‘s why Poland will get to NATO. When we weren’t able to call home, they said that it’s Janosik causing it. (Later we found out that we have to add 8 before the country code)
Next morning we played the simulation game BAFFA. We were divided into two cultures, a and b. They were very different. I was in b culture, and the most funny thing on it was that we didn’t speak normally, but we used our own languages, which consisted of strange movements with hands and syllables (if I wanted a blue card number 3, I said: ba le ja le). So when the observers were exchanged, the ones from a culture had a hard time! But we learned that each culture is different (and nice). In the afternoon we had group discussions on a chosen theme. We chose What is the world based on and found out that on money, relationships between people and communication (it doesn’t have to be in this order).
Another important thing was the discovery of shop. We all needed food, especially my vegetarian friend. We were satisfied with our food, but she hated the “Family-frost-vegetables” she was getting every day instead of meat and instead of the best part of the meal. She never ate it, so at the third day she started to think that it’s always the same vegetables! In the afternoon there were some out-door activities, but I didn’t take part in those. However, people who did said that it was fun. In the evening there was a disco and even though many people didn’t come, it was a good way to spend the evening.
Sunday was the day of presentations. In the morning we talked about the results of discussions and after that we had a trip we had chosen from more possibilities. The bus left us in the middle of nowhere and from there we went to some wooden village where the greatest writer of Estonia lived. When we came back, we had the lunch and after that we prepared for groupwork presentations. Our preparation looked like this: three people working, one making origami bird and the rest messing around or talking. The presentations itself were amusing, because the ideas of the students were great. We spent our last evening by the fire, we learned Estonian folkdances and sang our national songs (ours was the noisiest and for us the most interesting one).
In the morning we made our farewells to new friends and to Janeda. We liked the place, the nature was very nice there and people too. I think that nobody would mind spending another week there.
We got into the bus and made our way home. It was fine except two events: two-hour-waiting (it was midnight!) at the Polish border and getting bitten by every bug in Latvia. We spent the time in the bus by talking, playing games and making fun of my friend’s bear-backpack she had bought. The boys fastened it to the luggage racks, so it was hanging above the aisle. In the evening one Polish boy asked me if I’m not afraid of sleeping in the aisle. I asked him why. His respond was:” I would be afraid that the monster would eat me!”
Without any bigger troubles we came to Warsaw. We thought we’ll miss the train, but thanks to always delaying Polish railways we made it “on time”. We thought we were lucky, but we didn’t know that there were no free seats. So we had to sit on our sleeping bags all way to Krakow. After one hour we thought we’ll throw off the train a group of polish pupils, but in Krakow they luckily (for us and themselves) got off the train and we took their places. Our happiness didn’t last for long, because in Tarnow we were “thrown off” the train to the bus, which was supposed to go to Nowy Sacz. The 20km way took the bus one and a half-hour! Then they “threw” us back to train, which came to Kosice only 100 minutes late. When we were standing on Kosice’s railway station, we couldn’t believe that the 34-hour journey is over.
When my friend who hasn’t been to Estonia read this, she said that it shows only the bad sides of our journey. That is not true. We had great fun and if I could, I would go again, even if I had to sleep on the railway station again.
Lubica Jelenova