Introduction
It was mid 2009 and I needed a new adventure. I needed something different to happen this year, maybe a holiday to a new place for me. Now I am not a person for sitting on a beach and soaking up the rays or anything like that. Then again thinking about it I wouldn’t say I was the biggest dancer, rapper or woodchopper. I didn’t know these things would happen in such a great extent when I booked my volunteering holiday to Eastern Europe. Of course we had been given details on the nature reserve we would be staying , and how the nearest shop was miles down the road. However I couldn't guess what I would learn, the people I would meet or how many mosquitos would bite me!
For me it was a trip to get away from it all and hopefully do a little to help in the world. A trip that had many surprises, many rules broken and many familiarities in a place in the middle of nowhere and unfamiliar.
There were many adventures and stories on the trip which may be left untold here. I would however like to show you a glimpse of the holiday into the unknown...
Or at least I thought it was the unknown before I set off for Estonia... and
how did I end up being serenaded to?
Story
I don’t like being the centre of attention. I don't enjoy all those eyes looking at me. I know am no one special. However breaking rules sometimes is good. This year I wanted a new adventure. I had set off to a place that was unknown to me, a language that was only similar to Finnish and people I knew nothing about. However I ended up here on this evening in Estonia...
We were in a renovated farm house that was used as a nature reserve school. It was literally in the middle of nowhere with the nearest shop being many miles along a bumpy country road. The mosquitoes were probably buzzing outside and maybe the racoon dogs were calling, but we couldn’t hear all that inside. We gathered around a circular wooden table. It was the last night that the Estonian volunteers were spending with us and they would be leaving after lunch the next day. Why I was here was a good question that not only echoed through the night but also the holiday.
On the first day the twenty volunteers and leaders from Estonia, America and Britain were discussing why we were here.
I explained
“In the past I've volunteered with the BTCV in England and helped to build fences and swan nest platforms. I say helped. I mean I tied a bit of string or something”. I remember people smiled at that.
“I also wanted an adventure and see somewhere I had never been before and this looked great”
These were my reasons and everyone had their own reasons.
This last night as we gathered around the circular wooden table people had given reasons to go off to sleep in their tents. A few of us had stayed up to do some weird and wonderful dances. From dancing holding other peoples noses to another called the Happy Beer Maker’s song where we danced on the floor, on chairs and then under the table. Unfortunately for Ellen, this was the point she decided to come inside for something. She was greeted to a dozen bottoms stuck out from underneath a table, which I don’t think is a common occurrence in Wales.
What is the etiquette to seeing 12 bottoms in the air under a table?
I jokingly said “It’s traditional” with a shrug and a smile; well it sounded like a good reason to me even if i knew it wasn't true. She made her excuses and escaped the scene. After all the dancing a few more people left until it was just me and most of the Estonian volunteers.
I forget who; but I was told
“You have to stay to represent the rest of the group”
I smiled and thought I wasn't going to argue with 6 women and anyhow I had my reasons. I looked in the middle of the table where some mushrooms that had been handpicked were floating in vinegar. They were contained in a clear glass bowl with a light hung down, highlighting it up like an art feature.
This reminded me of the mushroom and blueberry picking from one of the days, I was part of the blueberry picking group. Kadri had shown us where to go blueberry picking and we collected jars full. The funny thing is that I am colour blind and so picking something of a particular colour was quite amusing to myself. But everything I picked was bluish in colour so everything was ok! The food we picked and the food we bought was created into wonderful meals during the week by all of us but especially treated to great Estonian cookery.
Anyhow Kadri wasn't picking blueberries this night but was capturing blues and all sorts of colours with her camera as she had been during the holiday. She was also now contributing in a unique way to the singing that had replaced the weird dancing. Some traditional Estonian... Rapping! On the other side of the table Virge decided she would float some tealight candles in the art feature amongst the mushrooms. I hoped that the mushrooms wouldn’t have a waxy taste in the morning!
Those tealights ,looking back, seemed to symbolise our first days of volunteering. On those first days we were chopping down shrubbery and burning them in a massive fire. Of course the temperature outside was already 26c , warm enough for me , but the fire kept the mosquitoes off us. This gave us an awful dilemma: Either get burnt or get bitten by ten zillion mosquitoes. We were still getting to know everyone but the mosquitoes soon wanted to get familiar with us. We were bitten on heads, arms and on the hand exactly where we needed to later hold crowbars and other implements. As for my choice, the evidence is in the burn holes in my hat. I had a go at chopping with a little machete but I feared my life with it and so passed it back to Virge who was hundred times better then me. I instead decided to drag stuff to the fire, no skill needed here! So we cleared the path back...
Back at the evening I had numerous songs in Estonian sung to me. Luckily I had Virge who tried explaining the songs:
“This one is about a boy and a girl and lake and love and everything like that”
I guessed the next song was about the same theme but I was wrong. However this did not matter as I was enjoying the culture and creativity in singing. Many songs had now been sung, none that I could join in as I only knew a few words in Estonian. The night drew to its end with people saying good night and whispering as not to wake anyone who were asleep in the nature school .Although it was probably too late to be quiet now. Katrin was still sat there and she said how she had enjoyed the night of singing and amusingly to me told me:
“That at one stage we were asking each other why you were still sat here?”
I laughed, I had kind of guessed that even if I didn’t understand a word.
“And we wondered if you really wanted to know the explanations”
I smiled maybe I was just enjoying the night. I disagreed that I was at the suggestion I was too scared to leave. I tried to explain my thoughts at the time but I am sure they were no use. I had come a long way both in mileage and spiritually. People had come from strangers to friends. Everyone had been well fed on stories, food and friendship. A language I didn't know I guessed what had been said. A place I didn't know now seemed like home. They say that time is precious and so I was giving this to them all.
Katrin said
“I think you deserve a hug”. And then good night.
I didn't know why I deserved anything. As I said before I am no one special. I was just sat up being a representative for all those volunteers that I unfortunately do not have space to introduce in this story. So here I am writing this to try and explain the night and explaining singing. But at the end of the day I guess its hard to explain singing, I think Virge would agree! You just have to enjoy each note as it flows.
So I braved being the centre of attention I broke a few rules. I felt I had been part of a unique evening, even if I was there just to leave a good story for everyone else to tell. I went back to my tent with a smile and felt that i was sleeping under the colours of blue black and white.
Epilogue
This story was written with the people I could get permission at the time.
And I guess I still dont have the permissions so will give you initials :)
There was also two "P's" with wine, one with homemade wine and the other with a bottle. The bottle I was asked to pour out for others, but poured too much :) Was asked to drink someones glass as it was too much!
But another ending I toyed with was this:
The next day the Estonians were leaving
and we all sat in a circle telling about our time there and our highlight.
I said that my highlight was the night before, which I was sung to.
"I" who was there the night before and been explaining some meanings too then explained how I was seranded to and other volunteers said that they were sad they missed out.
Yes I was lucky!
And If I was to explain singing now... I would just point to the fact that I have been back to visit since
http://palupohja2009.blogspot.com/2010/01/ians-story-of-palupohja-holiday-on-bbc.html
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photo by Ian of the monument of a great Estonian writer
Friedebert Tuglas in Tartu Toomemägi 2010
