Reply to Tash :)

It has been forever and a day since I wrote anything here.  An email from Tash resulted in a reply which turned into this post.  Thanks Tash!!

I'm good!  The weather is mostly nice, so I'm outside with the Angel for most of the day digging in dirt and other fun things.  I've discovered that I love gardening!  Since I now have a huge back yard, I am Mrs. Farmer.  Apple Tree, cherry trees, lettuce, coriander, strawberries, blueberries, sunflowers and other pretty flowers whose names I don't know, but they looked pretty in the pictures on the seed packs.  If they would only grow, it would be great.  I'm really hoping that I see some rewards for my efforts in summer.  It is still a little early to see anything much.

The Angel is great too.  Talking now, non-stop; real words, not just sign language, in her sweet little baby voice.  Mostly english, with the occasional estonian word here and there.  Running and pushing along on her tricycle.  And of course being very very dirty.  If there is a patch of mud within a 2 mile radius, she will find it.  She seems to be allergic to staying clean.  Normal, from what I hear.  Although everybody else's child always looks clean around here.

We're going to visit Prague and Portugal during summer!  There is a possibility of us moving to Prague for the Funny Dude's job... nothing concrete yet...just an idea.  So we're going to check out the city.  And a friend's seaside apartment in Portugal was an opportunity not to be passed.  Yay for Europe and easy traveling!

And we have ducks!  Well we don't own them, but they took up residence in a pond behind our house.  So a couple times a day they come up to my patio looking for their meals, knocking on my door if I don't see them.  They are quite lucky this isn't Trinidad.  I love a good curry duck.

So between a busy toddler, a garden that always needs work, ducks, and a Funny Dude, I have almost no computer time.  And that's fine by me.  I have all winter for that.

Today is rainy, and we're inside.  I'm typing this with my Angel on my lap, helping herself to my boobs.  No signs of that stopping anytime soon.  We both still love it too much to let it go :)

And that's about it! I'm sure there are other things that happened, but I just can't remember now.  Spring 2009 has been really nice.  Friends have been coming by regularly because, as city dwellers, they think I live in the country... seeing as I have a backyard and all.  Fun times :)

I don't know when next I will update here, but you are all in my thoughts.  Your emails to check up on me have made me feel so loved!

So take care guys and gals!  Enjoy your summer!!

Once upon a time there were some ducks.

They lived under a bridge nearby.  We had some old bread, because we didn't eat it all before it went and expired.  And some people don't think that eating old bread is a very good idea.  So we decided to give it to the ducks.  Because they aren't so picky about their bread.

 So we went to the bridge and threw it for them.  They seemed pretty happy about the whole thing, until we ran out of bread.  Then somebody else came along with more bread, and they defected.  No loyalty I tell you.

We went sledding instead.  Because that is what you do when your ducks defect.

WTF Friday

Last night I found out that today will be Friday. WTF! Where did the week go? In honor of my Eureka moment, I present all the things this week that have made me say WTF:

Only 35% of Estonians supported Obama. WTF??

The fact that this was a defining moment in history was not that important here (except to us foreigners). There wasn't much ado about it at all. WTF?

There was ICE on the car this morning. WTF!!

The Prime Minister of Trinidad wants to spend 35 million TT dollars to lease luxury vehicles for the Summit of the Americas from BMW in Germany. The local dealers wanted to lease them to the government at no cost. WTF?!?!?!?!?!

The tooth fairy now has to pay 20 dollars per tooth. WTF! In my day, I got 25 cents! Kinda like how in my parents' day they used to pay 3 cents for a loaf of bread, with cheese. Damn I feel old.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. So why am I doing this alone? WTF! (Yes, I have a husband, but he is at work all day. He does what he can, especially after enthusiastic discussions about the value of sitting on the couch with his laptop and its impact on the parenting experience.)

The cat's bowl is empty. Am I the only one that sees that? WTF?

I've been very tired, kinda pukey, head-achey, my boobs are sporadically leaking, but the pee-pee stick only shows 1 line. WTF??

Sarah Palin didn't know that Africa was a continent. W.T.F???????????

I saw a t-shirt that read ''Don't blame me, I voted for McCain''. WTF?

In 2 weeks, the Angel will be ONE YEAR OLD. WTF?!! Where did the year go??????? My tiny, soft, precious, beautiful, cooing, fragile little newborn is now a rumbling, tumbling, babbling, even more precious, even more beautiful toddler. But more on that in another post.

I am a wife and mother! WTF!!!!!! (But that's to be read in more of a ''Oh my God! HOW COOOOOL'' kinda way )

So there you have it. My Eureka moments for this week. Did you have any?

In Tallinn Today

The leaves are changing colour. The bright green of summer is turning into a blend of gold, bronze, red, and orange.

Gone are the light and lazy cotton t-shirts. Heavy coats, wool sweaters, knitted scarves, warm gloves now cocoon their hurried wearers. The wind is brisk and biting.

Sunset is earlier than it was yesterday. Sunrise is later.

The smell of fast approaching winter is in the air.

And the winner is...

BEANS! YAY for Beans! This is your prize! It's a water-colour of the Old Town done by a local artist. The bar I met hubby at is just around the corner on the right :)

But Beans has Estonian friends in London if I remember correctly. So she might have had a slight advantage.

Everybody got the one about lining up right. Am I the only person that thinks standing parallel to the counter is strange? Lord knows how many times I glared at people that I thought were skipping the line; those rude Estonians! Now I understand why they were looking at me like I had a stray booger.

As for your neighbour in the elevator. Well, I've tried each approach. The only one guaranteed to not result in that booger look is avoiding all eye contact. I have encountered the occasional friendly Estonian where the brief nod of acknowledgement has resulted in a brief nod back. Anybody that responded to a hello and a smile would turn out to be something else, but not Estonian. They are a quiet people. Silence in Golden in their world. I think my loud Trini-ness kinda scares some of them, especially considering some of them have never seen a real chocolate face before.

I see we have lots of drinkers in the house! But the first time I ever heard of sour milk for a hangover was here in Tallinn. They call it Keefir. I dunno about you, but the thought of anything sour when my tummy is already upside down just aint pleasant. And Tash, sushi is perfect anti-hurl food.

And how many times have I tried to hand cash or my card to a poor, bewildered cashier. Or stretched out expectantly for my change. Then I remember the little plastic tray.

Sour cream in Potato Salad. And in a lot of other salads too. They really dig the sour thing. Hubby thinks I am weird for using mayo. I had to make him google potato salad recipes to prove that the rest of the world uses mayo. He still thinks I'm weird. And that the ambiguous white sauce... turns out its a mayo / sour cream combo. But they don't use it with the tater salad.

So that's it for your Tallinn 101 today :)

I'm off to papa-in-law in the country in the mornin'. See ya on Monday :)

Its Time for Tallinn Trivia!

Its Tuesday in Tallinn... again. This happens fairly often, like once a week or so. Kyah kyah kyah... lame.

So, to honour the city that I now call home, I've concocted a quiz! Dust off those thinking caps, but outside, please. I've swiffered the floor 3 times already today.

He (or she) who hath the most rightest answers winneth a prize!! Something Estonian, obviously. I'll let you know when I decide what it is. And I'll try to make it not quite as lame as my headlining act / joke, I promise.

Okaaaaaay. Ready, setty, GO!


1. When at one of Tallinn's very few-and-far-between fast-food joints, like Mc Donalds for instance, do you line up to pay for your grub:
a) parallel to the counter
b) perpendicular to the counter
c) What line??? The technology is so super duper amazing that you never have to line up!


2. As you enter the elevator at the mall you see someone who looks familiar. Wait a minute... she lives in your building, you've seen each other around before! You:
a) Smile, say hello and make polite conversation.
b) Avoid eye contact at all costs. Studiously staring at the floor is the best option.
c) Give a brief nod of acknowledgement but say nothing.


3. The best remedy for that horrendous hangover on a Saturday morning is:
a) the hair of the dog
b) a big glass of sour milk
c) cold, bubbly 7-Up
d) sushi


4. You go back at McDonalds, because the Big Mac you ordered was swimming in mayo and it all fell to the floor on the first bite. You order another one, this time without any mayo, and then:
a) Hand the cash to the cashier and wait for your change.
b) Hand over your debit / credit card. This is Tallinn after all, and nobody uses cash.
c) Place the money in the little plastic tray. You never hand over cash directly.


5. The main ingredient in Potato Salad (other than the potatoes obviously) is:
a) Mayo
b) Sour cream
c) That ambiguous white sauce that they serve with everything.



TA DAAA! That's it! May the best wo/man win!!

Country roads, take me home.

I soooooo need to buy a hammock!

I also need to buy a beautiful country cottage with tall, shady trees all around so that I can hang my hammock and swing with the angel peacefully to that soothing, mellow hum of the woods.

The angel loved it. She just drifted off to sleep as we rocked. Completely at peace.

As kids, my Dad used to take us hiking almost every other weekend during the dry season. The beach was a regular weekend and often weekday activity too. And we had a lovely back yard with trees perfect for climbing and picking. So even though I didn't grow up in the country (Chaguanas may not be the city, but it ain't exactly Nature World either) we had our fair share of natural life.

Now I live in an apartment the middle of a city. There's a patch of grass outside with a couple trees, but that's where everybody ''walks'' their dogs. And its behind a gas station. Not exactly National Geographic.

There was something about being away from the cars, steel, and billboards that made me realize how noisy life in the city is. I had forgotten that. Not that country life is devoid of sound; au contraire; those birds and frogs were going at it non stop! But it wasn't noise. And the rigid structure of cold, dead concrete can't begin to touch the wild beauty of a forest.

I think my friend Kati will be seeing a lot more of me this summer!

Do you hear that???

It's the beautiful sound of an angel sleeping... and she didn't need to screech before too. It seems to have come to an end. Praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah! So what was it anyway? Growth spurt? Lung Practice for an illustrious cheerleading career? Or maybe she's gonna be a rock-star? Move over Axl Rose!! Whatever the reason, I'm glad that it has come to an end... albeit probably only for now. I'm sure that it will come again.

Its just a phase, its just a phase.



But it's Midsummer here in Tallinn! Jaanipäev (pronounced yanni-pev) in Estonian. This is a Big Deal over here. BIG. Like Christmas Big. Days don't end. They get a little darker around midnight, but just briefly, and then the sun comes back out again. To commemorate these never-ending days, Estonians get drunk, jump over bonfires and see which woman can throw an old rubber boot the furthest. No kidding. I have done this. Grilled meat on open fires, (or a bar-be-que pit if you don't feel the need to be too authentic) is the main menu.

Last year we camped out at a friend's country place. He hasn't built the house yet, but he did have a sauna. Another ''must have'' for the true Estonian country experience. A wooden hut with a fire, hot stones and a bucket of water for steam. Birch tree branches to be slapped on hot sweaty backs is the real deal for those so inclined. I haven't done that one yet. I am lame.

No camping this year though. In true Jaanipäev fashion it rained all day. And I just wasn't about to endure sitting in a tent all day with a 7 month old.

She is 7 months today!! Happy Birthday my angel! MWAH!!

She's just about sitting up on her own, although she does forget sometimes that leaning back will shift her center of gravity and de-stabilize her perfect form. She's is only 7 months after all. And there is only so much physics you can remember at any given time, Dad ;-)

It's Tuesday in Tallinn

So Tallinn is COMPLETELY different from Trini. COM-PLETE-LY. Red chalk and blue cheese different.

There are cobble-stoned streets, castles (yes yes, there is Stollmeyer's Castle in Trini, but that's different), free wireless internet connections everywhere - even in the park, a reliable public transport system. Over here, ''punane'' means red; back home it means... well.. erm... I'm trying to keep this blog PG. I could go on and on. It really is a totally different world.

Back home on Frederick Street, vendors with ovens-on-wheels hang out on corners selling honey roasted peanuts rolled up in brown paper cones. YUMMY! It is a hot, sticky, sweet, crunchy, all-over-scrumptious, more-ish snack.

And they sell it here! Complete with brown paper cones too!!


That's my mom trying it out when she was here in December.


It's a lil different, to be fair. There's a cinnamon flavour to it here, and it's not as sticky. And the dudes selling it don't have dreadlocks and say ''yeah fam'ly''. They wear ye-olde-Friar-Tuck robes instead of air-brushed Bob Marley t-shirts.

But when the weather gets cold and grey, it never fails to take me back to the hot, crowded, vibrant streets of home.

A Day at the Zoo

It was so beautiful on Sunday so off to the zoo we went... along with the rest of Tallinn.  Circled around, looked for a place to park so we could join the million-man-line, drove straight into another car also doing the same.

Sigh.

Damage to us:  Radiator busted, front door can't open, bumper bumped out of commission, hood sqooshed.

Damage to them: a scratch on their back door.

But I could not have hand-picked a prettier spot to have an accident!

There was an old crow reading the papers.  He was sick though, or really old... by the time we got the bureaucracy out of the way, he had gone off to birdie heaven.

I took lots of pics of pretty flowers.  The Angel tried to eat most of them... the flowers that is, not the pics.

This lil old lady was grumbling with her hubby.  He just held her hand and walked along with her.

Gave up on the zoo and went to get some grub instead.

We can try again some other time.

There's No Place Like home! Part Kaks

Kaks means 2 in Estonian.

12 months is Kaksteist Kuud.  I'll let you say that out loud a few times.  hehehehe

Now, as I was saying.

Things I CAN wait for:

The looooooong flight... with 2 connections... with an 8 month old in tow.  I used to be a flight attendant (that's what they are called Nan) albeit very briefly.  And flights with lil kids were not fun.  And these flights were 15 minutes long.  Yes, I was more of a bus-conductor really.  Hello, hello, hello, hello, hi, hi, hello, hi... tug dummy life vest, point at the floor... good bye, good bye, bye, good bye, bye, bye... all with plastered Miss Universe smile... 8 times a day... roughly every half hour.  fun.  But I digress.  

The excitement of being on a plane lasts for a few very short minutes.  And let's hope that we get excitement and not all out fear of the huge noisy thing crammed with complete strangers who are giving off  ''Oh God, I hope that baby isn't sitting next to me'' vibes.  I'm pretty sure babies and kids do not like flights any more than the adults who have to sit squooshed up next to big fat guys.  But unlike the adults who can get drunk, sleep, play cards, read a book, try to hook up with other passengers, apply for the mile-high club etc, the lil angels kinda just have to suffer through it.  And they let us know this... us and everybody else in a 5 mile radius of the plane.  So yeah, I'm trying to get prepared mentally for a rough 9 hours.  And that's just on 1 flight.  We get to take 3.  And then we get to do it again to come back.  Any tips... pleeease feel free to let me know!

Being judged on my mommy-skills.  So far, living like a hermit has made it possible to partially escape the barrage of unsolicited advice, and tsk-tsk-tsks about my choices.  Like any mother, I am trying to do the best I can with the information I have available... and Lord knows I spend most of the Angel's nap times reading everything I can about child development.  Such a fascinating topic!!  And it does make you aware of the myriad of theories out there... some of it really quack... like the she-devil Gina Ford who boasts about how she starves babies into submission so that she can get them on a minute-by-minute schedule.  Her book was a best-seller too.  Poor babies.  I got her book as a well-meaning gift.  I don't have it anymore, and unless the dudes at the dump are wondering how to schedule their babies, in English, I have hopefully saved at least one baby from that horrid fate.

Again with the digression... back to what I was saying.

I hope I can handle being told that I am spoiling her, or that she should be sleeping through the night, or that I am crazy to still have her next to me at night, or that I should be bottle-feeding her or that I have in some other way ensured that she will forever remain my siamese twin.  I hope that I can smile gracefully, say ''Thanks, I'll think about it'' and sit on my desire to defend myself to the death... as I am often want to do.

I also hope that I don't do that to others.

Coming back to Tallinn.  The last time I did that, I left the warm, vibrant, musical, sunny shores of my beautiful and tasty country, and arrived, at the dreary, forever midnight, forever eating potatoes and white sauce, forever cold, dead of Tallinn's winter.  Gosh, it feels heavy just thinking about it.  But thankfully this time we will be coming back in summer.  And summer is beautiful here.  Everything is green and flowery and pretty... even the people :)  Everybody is happy, albeit half-naked and laying about on any and every patch of grass they can find.  Tallinn comes to life in summer.  So this time coming back won't be so bad.  But I know I will be sad to leave everybody again.

All in all, the good outweighs the bad right!  One thing about being so far away, it definitely makes you appreciate home.