Eurovision Night Semi-final 2

So you thought the rumours were only about Adelaide and Melbourne having a Eurovision Party but no Sydney is in on the act as well!!!! · Watch The Estonian representative Getter Jaani sing in the Semi-finals this coming Saturday evening.

FIRST TIME IN HISTORY… Live video-skype link with both Adelaide and Melbourne Eurovision Parties to check the local scores and comments about the selection of songs. This will be an amazing event not to be missed, so make sure you are a part of this!!! Mark your calendars please…

Saturday 14 May 6.00pm onwards

Sydney Estonian House
141 Campbell St, Surry Hills

Dinner will be served between 6.30 – 9.00pm
Entry: $5 for non-members and free for SES members and their guests (max 2 guests per member, must arrive together)

To find out more about Estonia’s entry, visit the official site: http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/by-country/country?country=26

Each year the Council of Estonian Societies in Australia carries out an Appeal for Funds to support the activities of various Estonian organizations and individuals in Australia, such as the Estonian newspaper “Meie Kodu”, Adelaide Newsletter ”Virgats“, Sõrve Youth Camp, Estonian Archives in Australia, Estonian language teaching and others.

Minimum subsidies by the Council each year amount to $19,000. The Annual Appeal typically brings in $5,700, leaving a very large deficit. Although this gap is covered by interest and capital withdrawals from A. Kaljo Fund, this is being reduced each year, highlighting the need to continuously raise more funds.

The Appeal by the Council has a very important role, as without donations from Estonians and their Friends, the work of Estonian organizations in Australia would be greatly restricted or impossible.

You can donate to the Appeal either directly (enclosed slip) or to the representative of your local Estonian organization (collection forms). All donors’ names and sums will be listed in the “Meie Kodu” newspaper, unless you choose to remain anonymous. The Appeal closes on 30th June.

Please be generous with your donations, and take this opportunity to help keep Estonian culture and language alive in Australia.

Thanking you in advance,

Raivo Rähni

AESL Vice-Chairman

To make a donation please provide the following information:

______________________________________________________________________

Council of Estonian Societies in Australia 2011 Annual Appeal

Donation $………………….

Name (capital letters, please)…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Address (city, state)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Cheques to be made out to Council of Estonian Societies in Australia and posted to

AESL treasurer Mrs Milvi Vaikma, 83 Devereaux Street, Oak Park, Vic 3046

_____________________________________________________________________

RAHVUSKAPITALI 2011. AASTA KORJANDUS

Käesolev üleskutse on Austraalia Eesti Seltside Liidu (AESL) juhatuselt rahvuskaaslastele palvega toetada selle aasta Rahvuskapitali korjandust.

Rahvuskapitalil on väga tähtis ülesanne eestluse säilitamisel Austraalias. Rahvuskapital annab igaaastast toetust mitmele eestlaste üritusele ja organisatsioonile nagu ajaleht „Meie Kodu“, teateleht „Virgats“, Sõrve noortelaager, Eesti Arhiiv Austraalias, eesti keele õpetamine ja tarbed, ning teised; kokku igaaastased toetused vähemalt $19,000.

Rahvuskapitali korjandus toob sisse keskmiselt $5,700. aastas. Suur puudujääk kaetakse A. Kaljo Fondi intressist ja kapitalist, mis väheneb iga aastaga. Seega on kaasmaalaste järjekindel rahaline toetus ülitähtis. Ilma kaasmaalaste toetusteta oleks meie organisatsioonide tegevus suuresti kitsendatud või võimatu.

Annetused võib saata otseselt AESL laekurile koos allpooltoodud kupongiga või anda kohaliku eesti seltsi esindaja kätte. Selleks otstarbeks on korjanduslehed.

Annetajate nimed koos annetustega avaldatakse „Meie Kodus”. Juhul kui nime avaldamist ajalehes ei soovita, palume märkida vastavalt ning annetus registreeritakse anonüümselt. Korjandus kestab sel aastal kuni 30. juunini.

Olgem helded oma annetustega, et eesti keel ja kultuur Austraalias püsima jääks!

Kõiki lahkeid annetajaid ette tänades,

Raivo Rähni

AESL abiesimees

Rahvuskapitali juhataja

______________________________________________________________________

Austraalia Eesti Seltside Liidu Rahvuskapitali 2011. a korjandus

Annetuse suurus $………………………

Annetaja nimi (trükitähtedes)……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Elukoht (linn, osariik)………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Tsekid palume kirjutada Council of Estonian Societies in Australia nimele ja saata koos selle väljalõikega AESL laekurile aadressil: Mrs Milvi Vaikma, 83 Devereaux Street, Oak Park, VIC 3046

IT’S like the bobsled movie Cool Runnings, but on skates. Australia’s elite female ice hockey players are preparing to take on the world’s best in the middle of a scorching summer heatwave, hitting the ice while the temperature outside reaches almost 40C.

Despite barely figuring on the Australian sporting radar and living in a climate more suited to surfing, the squad of 20 is hoping to take the gold at this week’s ice hockey world titles.The event is being staged at Warners Bay rink near Newcastle, the first time it has ever been held outside Europe.Aussie defender Anna Ruut said the home team was in with a strong chance.

The 24-year-old, from Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, tried netball and soccer as a child but always dreamed of hitting the ice.

“I pretty much had to wait until I was old enough to drive myself to the ice rink before I could try,” she said yesterday.

The Aussie team was due to play its first match last night against Belgium.

The Daily Telegraph, 02.02

Meie Kodu 4th February 2011

The Sydney Estonian Society invites everyone to the Mother’s Day Concert – “Life with Children”

Saturday May 7 at 2:00pm at the Sydney Estonian House

There will be performances by Virmalised, Lõke, Children and Soloists and Afternoon Tea will be served after the concert

Have you heard the rumour about the great Eurovision Pub Night happening at Melbourne Estonian House? Its true, and you’re invited! A night of laughter, dancing and passionate singing is being held on Saturday May 14 to raise funds for kids wanting to travel to Sõrve 2012 (Estonian Summer Camp http://www.sorve.org.au/) Cheer for Estonian starlet Getter Jaani, as she sings for her country on the HUGE TV screen! Relive past Eurovision triumphs and tragedies. Get breaking news from Adelaide as we skypecast LIVE to sister-event at Adelaide’s Eesti Maja. Prizes and games throughout the night for all ages. Bring your gold coins to participate. A delicious Hungarian Goulash meal is included in the price of entry!

Tickets pre-sale $10 (or $15 at the door). Children under 15 yo FREE! Ticket sales contact Matti Kivivali 0418 841 480 or Gillis Horner on 0488 147 137

Subject: Saturday, May 14 from 6:30pm onwards

Location: Melbourne Estonian House, 43 Melville Rd West Brunswick, Melbourne.

See Esto Pub Night – Eurovision May 14 for more info

The Finnish and Estonian Societies of Sydney present VarpuVolbripäev

April 30 from5pm till 11pm

Estonian House,141 Campbell St Darlinghurst

Tickets $10

Traditional Estonian and Finnish food and drinks DJ, dance and fun…

Kas Sa Räägid?

Too many years ago than I care to remember, we who were the Australian Estonian ‘youth’ of the time, would get together for little festivals called ‘Noorte Paevad’. On one such occasion in Melbourne the ‘catch phrase’ for the festival was ‘Kas sa nägid?’ (with emphasis on the ‘kas’). I remember how thrilling it was to be speaking Estonian in the same jovial style that our parents would use, but with our own cool slant on things.

As years passed, it seemed that ever so slowly, the sound of spoken Estonian was fading from Eesti Maja. Just a few years ago a friend of mine from another culture commented on this. She informed me that in their community they make their partners and children learn their language so that it is not lost. Well I am not sure that you can *make* the partners and children of Estonians do anything. Besides, I am sure that many who are in an Esto family would identify with the culture also. I think it is important to encourage this and not repel anyone through enforcing language.

In the past I have been a strong advocate for having cultural occasions, newsletters etc. in English as well as Estonian, so that those who enjoy the culture but can’t speak the language are not excluded. The radio program, ‘Estonian Too’ was a prime example of this. This is still something I very much believe in and it is great to see this bilingualism happening. From a community evolution perspective, it is inevitable.

However in recent times, it is wonderful to hear a new phenomenon emerging – the halls are alive with the sound of Estonian. Our language is bouncing off the walls of Eesti Maja once again. And this is coming from the generation of former youth that I mentioned earlier.

Not only are we speaking Estonian in choir breaks, we are staying on afterwards to gabble on more, we have organised ‘Räägime Eesti Keelt’ evenings at Eesti Maja and we are even taking it to Facebook.

‘Räägime Eesti Keelt’ evenings happen every few months or so. We make a rule that once you step inside the bar on Jeffcott on these occasions, the only language spoken is Estonian. (Self imposed rules are the best ones). These evenings have become a source of tremendous merriment and often raucous laughter. I think a key point is that we do not criticise anyone’s language skills, but help each other where we can. Of course a trusty English-Estonian dictionary doesn’t go astray either. On the last occasion we even had an Estonian correspondent standing by on mobile for texts back and forth across the equator.

A common desire by people who attend is to learn the newer Estonian that is spoken there now. For example, did you know that a ‘sõnum’ is a text message, that ‘lahe’ means cool, that a computer is an ‘arvuti’ and that a commonly used farewell in Estonian is ‘Tsau’?

One person that came along for the first time commented, ‘We certainly don’t have any problem filling in conversation with the mix of people coming. It was funny and fun.’

If you are in Adelaide, I invite you to attend one of these evenings, if you haven’t already done so. Just keep an eye out on Facebook or in the newsletters. If you are from interstate, I encourage you to organise one – you may be surprised at what a fun and rewarding time can be had by all.

Kas Sa Räägid?

The next ‘Räägime Eesti Keelt’ evening is 6-9pm Friday April the 29th at Eesti Maja Põhja Adelaide’is otherwise known as “Kalev on Jeffcott” at 200 Jeffcott St. North Adelaide!

Lea Rebane

Vic & Lorna Karja are the first and only people in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere who have imported the native horse of Estonia. At the Dundee Tori Horse Stud, they are well on their way to a successful breeding program with their two Tori mares currently in foal to Tori stallions.

Vic & Lorna Karja would love to hear from anyone interested in this exciting project to continue the native heritage here in Australia.

Visit their website Dundee Tori Horse Stud, to find out more about the history of the Tori horse and information on the breeding program.

For more information, contact:
Vic & Lorna Karja
3104 Peak View Road
Jerangle
NSW 2630
Tel 02 64543113

Our summer is hardly a quiet season.  The birds, the cicadas, the clash of waves on baking yellow sands, the tinny tones of radios oozing into the urban air, the singing antics of the Barmy Army, the rev of car engines paused behind red lights, the hum of air conditioners ‒ all are sound cues that the hot season is with us.  Another sound cue is the thumping din of the outdoor concert.  We have them everywhere.  Sydney has its Domain concerts, Melbourne its Myer Music Bowl.  Triple-J unfurls its Big Day Out across the land.  So unsurprising, perhaps, that Sõrve should start off  the celebrations of its 50th year in a similar fashion.

But Sõrve Suurpäev was nocopy cat affair.  First of all the line-up.  Eda-Ines Etti, Indrek Raadik and Ott Lepland – drawn from the cream of young Estonian music artists of the past ten years, backed up by one of Estonia’s best rock bands ‒ Erki Pärnoja (lead guitar), Siim Mä-esalu (keyboards), Ivo Etti (bass) and Kristjan Kallas (drums), mixed by Terminaator’s legendary  Arnold (Arch) Veimer.  Not only were Ines, Indrek and Ott appearing together for the fi rst time together on stage, but it was also their fi rst time on the same bill as Sõrve’s A and B Group choirs and folkdance troupes, the CGroup dancers, and Sydney’s Lõke and Virmalised with Salmiakki Pelimannit.

Part rock concert, part folk festival, this was a showcasing of Estonian culture in its broad diversity.  The day in its diversity showed how vibrant things can be when people love what they do ‒ whether they are professionals or amateurs, or just kids giving it their very best shot.  The weather was perfect, shaking off  the previous evening’s thunderous rain clouds to remind us how hazy an Australian summer sky can be.  Suurpäev drew a crowd of about 350 people ‒ visitors from Singing and conducting – A group of kids and Lembit Suur.Dancing on the playground.Estonia, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Thirlmere and many other places.   Some were making their fi rst ever visit to the camp, others their fi rst visit for a long time.  Some had played a formative role in the fi rst Sõrve camp in 1962, as members of Sydney Estonian Saturday School Committee that identified Point Wolstoncroft as the ideal site for a children’s camp and as parents who organised the fi rst camp. Others were camp leaders or kids who were there in the very early years of Sõrve.

An outdoor stage  sat at the western end of the large grassed common that defi nes the centre of the camp grounds.  The massive eucalypts that have long fringed the area were joined by a temporary sprouting of tents and loudspeakers.  The place was abuzz with a mixing of generations.  At the foot of the stage, eight-year- olds perched on the shoulders of 18-year-olds, rocking to the fl ow of the music.  Further back and seated, eighty-year-olds thought that it was all wonderful, but why did it have to be so loud.  This was a happy crowd: mixing and greeting, sharing memories of Sõrve over fifty years, eating Sõrve sub-committee organisers of Suurpäev – Juhan Lübek, Pille Püvendi, Ron Cowan, Maie Pikkat and Mick Nelson.Aino Matwisyk, Peter Maasepp, Madis Alvre, Rein Simmul.Estonian meatballs and paella, visiting an archives display about the fi fty years of Sõrve and the impressive handicraft display, both of which were set up in the old weatherboard library that is one of the few buildings that remains from the early years, and that, despite a makeover, signals familiarity to old-time camp dwellers.  People saw people they hadn’t seen for tens of years.  Nobody had aged on this day that celebrated youth.

The concert was simply fantastic. Ines, Indrek and Ott not only sang from the best of their hits (while Indrek’s back catalogue of hits now spans two decades, 23-year old Ott’s barely spans the last two years).  Ines sang her 2000 Eurovision hit Once in a Lifetime, Ott his 2009 Eesti Otsib Superstaar’i winning number I will talk and Hollywood will listen, Indrek included some iconic songs from his Tuberkloited years, including the legendary Lilleke rohus.   And movingly, they did cover versions of some of the Alo Mattiisen songs made famous by Ivo Linna in the late 1980s, and Rein Rannap’s Eesti muld ja Eesti süda.   The crowd adopted their favourite stars, in one case even off ering a multiparty proposal of marriage, and jived, chanted and cheered to the wall of sound that, for the fi rst time in the Sõrve’s long history, belted the cicadas into second place.

The day gave occasion  to celebrate the contributions of particular people to the camp through the inaugural Sõrve Lifetime Achievement Awards.  These went to Rein Simmul, Madis Alvre, Peter Maasepp and Aino Matwisyk.

It also gave occasion to say thanks to the many groups and people who have supported Sõrve over the years ‒ the various Estonian community organisations who nurtured and supported the camp in a range of ways; the many private benefactors to and sponsors of the camp; the fantastic NSW Sports and Recreation staff  at Point Wolstoncroft (who were there in force, including from the past, to celebrate the day); members of the various committees and leadership teams who have been custodians of Sõrve over a period of time that now embraces four generations; and the grandparents, parents and kids who have given the camp its very essence and spirit.  In many ways, Sõrve stands as one of the proudest and most enduring achievements of the Estonian community in Australia and it has the potential to see another 50 years with the right support, spirit and eff ort from the community.

The day was made possible by the efforts of an organising committee that worked tirelessly for over a year.  A clammy summer hug goes to Ron Cowan, Juhan Lübek, Mick Nelson, Maie Pikkat and Pille Püvendi for making this a big day out for the whole Sõrve family.  What a party!

Lembit Suur

Meie Kodu 4th February 2011

Adelaide Eesti Selts 2011

• President: Lea Rebane
• Vice President/Public Relations: Richard Semenov
• General Secretary: Anneliis Martinson
• Minute Secretary/Youth Activities: Kristina Martinson
• Treasurer: Oxana Sarapuu
• Assistant Treasurer: Marika Tiggemann
• Cultural Officer and Aged Affairs: Tina Queale
• Media and Information: Silvi Crawford
• Outgoing President: Iivo Tuul

Enquiries can be directed to the general secretary amartinson@adelaide.on.net