Sydney Estonian Society invites you to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia!
Sunday February 17th, 2pm at Sydney Estonian House (141 Campbell St, Surry Hills).
Musical performances by Lõke and Karin Kapsi trio. Speech by consul Triinu Rajasalu. At 3.30pm a documentary “Class of 1943” will be shown.

Shrove Tuesday dinner at Sydney Estonian House (141 Campbell St, Surry Hills), Friday February 15th 7pm, doors open 6pm.

Although I’d never been to the homeland, I’ve always felt like an Estonian. Growing up in Canada, my family spoke Estonian at home and my brothers and I were involved in the Estonian community in and around Toronto.

At university my involvement with the Estonian community continued although at a decreased level, and it diminished almost completely when I departed to Australia for graduate work. Marrying a non-Estonian lady moved me even further from my Estonian roots. But I never forgot.

Over the years many relatives and friends visited Eesti, but I was always reticent. Would my wife, Allyson, who only speaks English, be comfortable? Would my relatives, whom I hardly know, be welcoming? Could I get by with my rusty Estonian? And why visit what I imagined to be a poor and flat country? But finally, we decided to go.

First, to improve my language I listened to children’s bedtime stories on Internet (Õhtujutt lastele). The storyteller spoke clearly and I could pause the broadcast and translate unknown words using an on-line dictionary . Perfect!

We flew to Amsterdam and then with Air Estonia to Tallinn. I was excited listening to other passengers speaking Estonian, and understanding them. An attractive blonde stewardess wore a uniform tastefully decorated with an Estonian folk pattern.

My cousin Kadi and her son and grandson met us. My mind whirled as we drove into a modern European city. It seemed strange seeing signs in Estonian. Then we entered the medieval Old Town and I was overwhelmed with emotion for Tallinn is one of Europe’s most beautiful capitals with narrow cobblestone streets, church spires, medieval buildings, thick battlements and towers.

Over the next two days we walked and walked, immersing ourselves in the glorious Old Town, which was established in 1219 when the Danes built a castle on Toompea Hill. Tallinn (an abbreviation of Taani Linnus, Danish stronghold) became a major centre of the Hanseatic League. The town is surprisingly well preserved given the wars that Estonia has suffered. At the centre is the Raekoja plats (town hall square), which is dominated by northern Europe’s only surviving late Gothic town hall (1404) and lined with bustling open-air cafes. Patio umbrellas carried the name Saku (the local beer). Throngs of tourists often milled in the square for Tallinn is a regular stop for cruise ships.

The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is actually two towns, each with its own fortifications. The upper one on Toompea Hill was for nobles and the lower town for merchants. About 2 kilometres of sturdy stone walls and 27 towers are still preserved.

Museums, churches and other fascinating places to visit in the lower town are too numerous to list, but one of our favourites was the Passage of History in the alley beside the Great Guild House (1410). Plaques inserted in the sidewalk outline Eesti history from 1154 to the present.

From the ramparts of upper Town we enjoyed wonderful views onto the rooftops and spires of lower Town. We visited the parliament buildings, the Russia Orthodox Alexander Nevsky cathedral and Pikk Hermann tower, which reminded me of the Estonian flag holder in my parents’ home long ago.

Next day, our guide stopped on a narrow cobblestone street and pointed to a stately Gothic house. “That was the former KGB headquarters,” she said. “This street was the most feared place in the city.” As we were to learn, Russia still casts a dark shadow over the land.

Our local haunt became the Hell Hunt bar, on whose window a smiling wolf carries a naked blonde lady. Even better, the beer was delicious and cheap. Allyson and I usually ordered the house hele (lager) and dume (dark) beers, respectively. Many other restaurants and bars abounded.

We spent one evening at the home of cousin Kadi and another at the home of cousin Tiit. It was wonderful to chat with them, to meet their children and grandchildren and, suddenly, to be part of a large family. I was happy, realizing I had grown up with two lives. Now I was meeting relatives and seeing my parents’ homeland. I was connecting the two halves of my life, making it complete.

My cousins explained that Estonia is an amazingly progressive country. Free since 1991, Eesti has made huge economic and political strides in recovering from communism. For example, Skype was invented here; there is almost no government debt; Estonia is a member of NATO and the Eurozone; corruption is minimal and voting is conducted via Internet. I was proud.

One afternoon cousin Kadi took me for a walk. “There’s much to see outside the Old Town,” she said. We passed old wooden houses that looked Nordic but often needed a coat of paint and some repair. Then we arrived at Seaplane Harbour, a brand-new, world-class maritime museum. The main building is an immense dome, originally built in 1917. Inside, it is surreal and contains a submarine, the oldest boat in Estonia and much more. Outside in the bay are cannons and ships including a historic icebreaker, Suur Tõll. The museum is a must-see.

On the fourth day, we rented a car and set off for Pärnu. We were entering terra incognita for tourists rarely go outside Tallinn.

[This is the first of a three-part series. Join us next week as Hans and Allyson travel to southwest Estonia.]

Source: Meie Kodu http://mk.eestiselts.org/An_Esto-Canadian8217s_First_Vis_427.htm

What does kino!@ Estonian House Sydney have in store for its audience this year? Well to begin with, we have a fantastic new Epson movie projector that is now suspended from the roof of Estonia House – not on the ground.

Gone is the data projector we had to make do with last year. The image shines onto a purpose installed movie screen that is about twice the size of the screen we used last year. We have improved 100%! We ran the new equipment during the Estonian Film Festival, Australia and it was like being in a movie cinema – the quality of image is exceptional.

Next, we have decided to make a few changes this year in response to how last year went in regard of the films we showed and how we showed them.

The first major change is that we will only be showing a single feature film or documentary (or possibly a series of shorts). There will not be a short film beforehand like there was in 2011/12.

There are a number of reasons for this – the major one being we want kino! to be a social event as much as it is about seeing a film or documentary. Therefore by increasing the time before and after a film, people have the chance to sit down and unwind from the day over a drink and food before watching a film, as well as after.

Last year, we found people were a little rushed to make the film by 6:30pm. We will still be opening our doors at 6pm like we used to, but the film will not roll until 7pm (a half hour later than 2012). And because we will only show a single film, the film will end sooner so people will be able to either stay longer and talk with friends, or get away faster if they have to.

So more Estonian film and documentary for 2013?
Yes and no.
Part of our change for 2013 will also be the content of our films. We have adopted a title to go with kino!: ‘Stories from the Countries of the Baltic Sea, and Beyond’. It’s long title but it sums up where we intend to get our films from in 2013; Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, possibly Poland, Norway and Denmark.

Why the move away from Estonian film then?
We will never move away from Estonian film. People should not worry: we will still be showing Estonian film and documentary as our priority!
It is just that we have recognised two things:

• that the Estonian film industry can only produce so much quality product in a given year, and we are starting to run out of quality product to watch (not just any product), sure we could show old classics (which we may), but most people can watch those at home on their DVD players these days. We want to be fresh and relevant with what is showing today in Estonian cinemas;
• that there is an extended audience out there we want to attract to Estonian film (and Estonian House), and the best way of doing that is by introducing these people to Estonian House via showing them film – their film.

So Swedish film for the Swedes, Finnish film for the Finns etc?
Exactly! And the quality and amount of film and documentary these countries have will fill in the gaps whilst we wait for the next big Estonian attraction. We are committed to quality. Not just showing any old film on the last Friday of every month. We want people to come to kino! @ Estonian House Sydney and leave saying “WOW!”.

Any clues as to what you might be showing during the year?
Unfortunately not. We rely on getting permissions from the owners of the films before we show them so this can be incredibly time consuming and does not allow us to set a schedule over the course of the year.
All I can tell you is that we intend to lighten-up the content of our films for 2013. We are aiming more for a feel-good type of film this year; however that’s not to say we will shy away from challenging our audiences with thought provoking stories.

How will people know what is playing for 2013 then?
We will always provide details about our movies via updates to:

• our facebook page (KiNO! at Estonian House, Sydney),
• eesti.org.au
• Meie Kodu
• as well as mail-outs via email for those only using email (send request to siimonrampe@hotmail.com )
• posters displayed inside Estonian House giving details

Will the price to see a film go up for 2013?
No! For SES members it’s going down!! Due to kino! @ Estonian House Sydney becoming a film club, SES members will now only pay $5 per kino! night instead of $7.

The price will remain the same however for non-SES members at $10. So join the SES! It will pay itself back by August if you come every month; sooner if you attend other functions as well.

Photo Credit: atomicjeep via Compfight cc

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR 6-10 YEAR OLD KIDS!
TÄHTIS TEADE 6-10-AASTASTELE LASTELE!

You have a rare opportunity to participate in an exciting experiment aiming to teach Estonian via internet to children who can already read!
Teil on haruldane võimalus osa võtta põnevast katsest õpetada juba lugeda oskavatele lastele eesti keelt interneti kaudu!

Ask your mum or dad to read the the following information received from Estonia.
Las ema või isa loeb järgnevat Eestist saadetud informatsiooni.

Tiiu Salasoo, AES Liidu eesti keele õpingute koordineerija

* * *

The Estonian Institute invites 6-10 year old children wishing to learn Estonian to participate for 2 hours per week in an online 10 session test course designed to teach the basic principles of the Estonian language. Parents may assist their children. Testing will begin at the end of January, 2013 and will last until the end of February. Interested parents should immediately get in touch with Raina Reiljan, raina.reiljan@einst.ee või tel + 372 6314 355.

Head eestlased väljaspool

Pöördun teie poole seoses eesti keele e-õppe testkursusega. Nimelt on valmimas 10-tunnine eesti keele testkursus 6-10aastastele väljapool Eestit elavatele eesti (juurtega) lastele. Testkursus on üles ehitatud eesti kooli riiklikule õppekavale. Kursus on kasutamiseks tasuta ning mõeldud abimaterjaliks õpetajatele ja lapsevanematele. Kursuse loomist rahastab Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium.

Testkursus koosneb 10 tunnist, igas tunnis on keskmiselt 10 erinevaid osaoskusi arendavat harjutust. Kursus on mõeldud lapsele iseseisvaks läbimiseks kodus, kuid tarvis võib minna lapsevanema ja õpetaja tuge (rühma õpetaja määrame Eestist).
Kursusel saavad lapsevanem ja õpetaja jälgida lapse tehtud harjutusi ja tulemusi. Iga laps kuulub kindla õpetaja rühma ning saab vajadusel õpetaja poole pöörduda. Soovitame läbida kaks kursusetundi nädalas. Ühele tunnile kuluvat aega on raske ennustada, kuna lastel on erinev arvuti kasutamise kogemus ja keeleoskus.

Pöördun teie poole, kuna soovime kirjeldatud kursust testida võimalikult erineval sihtrühmal. Oleme sihtrühma valinud erinevat tüüpi väliseesti koolid/seltsid, samuti jälginud, et testijaid oleks igast maailmanurgast. Soovime testimisse kaasata ka lapsed, kes pole väliseesti kooli/seltsiga seotud ega käi koolis/seltsis eesti keelt õppimas.

Palun teilt ühe pere lapsevanemate kontakte (nimi ja meiliaadress), kelle laps(ed) on vanuses 6-10, ning huvitatud eesti keele õppimisest ja nõus testimisel osalema. Oluline on teada, kas lapsevanemad on nõus, et nende laps õpib umbes kaks kursusetundi nädalas iseseisvalt (võib vajada lapsevanema tuge) eesti keelt arvutis.

Testimine algab jaanuari lõpust ja kestab veebruari lõpuni. Kindlasti on neid õpilasi, kes läbivad kursuse kiiremini või aeglasemalt, kui kaks tundi nädalas. Kursuse kohta ootame tagasisidet nii sisu, vormi kui ka tehnilise poole kohta – tagasiside küsimustiku saab täita testkursuse keskkonnas.

Ootan teie vastust esimesel võimalusel.
Testkursuse avamisel saavad lapsevanemad ka täpsemad juhendid.

Vastan meeleldi tekkinud küsimustele.

Ette tänades

Raina Reiljan
välisõppe koordineerija

Eesti Instituut
Suur-Karja 14
10140 Tallinn
Eesti
Tel +372 6314 355
http://ekkm.estinst.ee
http://www.estinst.ee

A music event not to be missed!

April 7th 2013, Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

Celebrating the music of one of the world’s greatest living composers, Arvo Pärt, this concert brings a canon of his most popular works to the Concert Hall stage.

Renowned Estonian Yoga Instructor Almer Jansu is again in Sydney and there is opportunity to participate in his Yoga class at Sydney Estonian House (141 Campbell St, Surry Hills) on Monday 21^st January, 2013, 6-7.30pm.

The Russians occupied Estonia in 1940, the Germans only a year later. Conscription remained; the Germans needed young healthy conscripts as badly as the Russians had, and so, in the summer of 1943, the boys of class 4b of the Tartu Poeglaste gymnasium were drafted into the German army. Those who didn’t comply with conscription were considered to be deserters and deserters were shot. There was no escape. The boys witnessed the horrors of the Eastern front and the hardships of the prison-camps. Miraculously some survived.

This documentary tells the story of five young men, including one who, together with his parents, was ready to commit suicide rather than accept imposed Soviet rule over his beloved country. All who love Estonia should see this extraordinary documentary, to understand, what a generation had to live through.(If they could.) Eerik Purje – Eesti Elu.

A film by: Helga Merits
Narrator: Alan Morris
Camera: Ramaz Melasvilli
Editors: Maaki Nurmeots and Jaan Kolberg
Producers: Helga Merits and Peeter Urbla

DVD’s are available in Tallinn, at Slothrop’s: www.slothrops.ee and in New York, Estonian House: www.estonianhousenewyork.com. Or you can order: info@classof1943.info for 15 euro’s and shipping costs ( 2.55 within Europe, otherwise 2.85).

Want to host the new Estonian Radio show in 2013?  SBS is looking for an Executive Producer for the weekly Estonian show starting in April 2013.

Apply direct to SBS at : SBS Jobs – Estonian Executive Producer

Work Area: Audio & Language Content

Salary: SBS Salary Band 4: $69,991 – $75,756
Work Type: Ongoing – Part Time
Location: Melbourne, City, Sydney, Artarmon

SBS’s Audio and Language Content Division is looking for an Executive Producer for the Estonian Language Program.

Candidates must have a background in journalism, experience in radio broadcasting and a good knowledge of the Estonian community. The right person will be an effective communicator, with a sound knowledge and understanding of the Estonian culture and issues, and possess proven experience in creating innovative radio broadcasting.

The role of Executive Producer includes responsibility of planning the Estonian program, and ensuring consistent quality. Ideally you will have great attention to detail, demonstrated experience managing editorial content and program budgets, and a flair for being creative in a fast paced media environment. This role also involves creating and broadcasting content for the Estonian speaking community and involves research, writing, producing, sub-editing, translating and presentation of content for radio, online and mobile.

Proficiency in written and spoken Estonian and English is essential and successful applicants will be required to pass a language assessment. Proficient computer skills are also mandatory.

This position involves rostered shift work which may include early mornings, evenings and weekends.

The successful applicant will need to undertake approximately 30 hours of technical training and SBS Induction and there is limited flexibility in relation to when the training sessions will be offered, predominantly Monday to Friday between 8am to 6pm and in the months of February/March 2013.

Please open the attachment below to view the Duty Statement and Selection Criteria.

For further information about the position please contact Maurizio Pascucci on
(03) 9949 2121.

Applications must be submitted online by midnight (AEDT) on Sunday, 13 January 2013.

A radio story: On radio we broadcast in 68 languages, reaching millions of Australians who speak a language other than English at home.

Apply direct to SBS at : SBS Jobs – Estonian Executive Producer

Video of the month is back!

The Eesti Päevad festival programme has been designed to cater for people of all ages. It will include the traditional choral music, folk dancing and cultural events plus new additions to explore the City of Sydney.
Check out the website for more details: www.ep2012sydney.org.au

Join us at the Melbourne Estonian Society Christmas Party featuring

• choir
• folk dance groups
• kids group; and
• Santa!

Followed by dinner (Australian style and Estonian – verivorstid, hapukapsad) and live music.

Melbourne Estonian House, 3pm Sunday Dec 9