In Tartu when you see someone you know walking down the street -- which basically happens every day -- you are sometimes encouraged to shout out "väike Tartu linn" to get their attention, inferring that Tartu is so small that such continuous bumping into one another is to be expected.But what about Tallinn, that sprawling metropolis of 400,000 people? Does the "väike Tartu linn" situation occur there too? I am here to tell you yes, it does.
A "väike taani linn" moment can happen anywhere in Tallinn. When I first lived in Tallinn several years ago, I saw then TV host Alex Lepajõe at the Söörikukohvik on Kentmanni street. Then there was that time that then foreign minister Kristiina Ojuland was on our plane. I saw Juhan Parts at the cash machine at Hansapank, and, of course, I happened to cross paths with Arnold Oksmaa -- teine Arnold -- who is probably now used to getting odd looks in public.
But the best place to have a "väike taani linn" moment is at Stockmann in downtown Tallinn. This is where you will find basically every semi-famous person in Estonia picking up some pere leib and kotletid. Usually when I am in Stockmann, it's celebrities I spy. Sometimes Anu Välba. Occasionally Margus Saar. And for some odd reason I ran into the guys from Soul Militia one too many times.
Last week in Stockmann I saw my favorite Keskerakond politician, Olga Sõtnik, loading up on leib and kotletid after a laborious week of working for the people of Tallinn. The only reason I like Olga is because her last name reminds me of my favorite bakery treats, which are called Sotsnikud. If Olga was ever to add an additional letter to her name, she could potentially win more votes from people who also enjoy sotsnikud kohupiimaga.
Anyway, I am hoping to see Edgar Savisaar filling his cart up with blood sausages next time I am in Stockmann. Who have you run into in Tallinn? Feel free to share your "väike taani linn" moments.
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Well, I've been in the same trolley bus with Ita Ever. Haven't actually bumped into many famous people in Tallinn.
Toompea is one of my favorite places for spotting politicians. I used to work as a tour guide and often surprised tourists by showing them one or two of our MP-s or ministers. At least a few years ago they were walking from Stenbocki maja to Riigikogu and back, probably for exercise.
Priit Parn the animator, in the food store at Kaubamaja.
I guess I have not been paying enough attention in Tallinn.
David Vseviov, historian and professor at the art academy, was standing beside me equally annoyed by the luggage not coming at Ülemiste airport last July. I don't really know, though, how "famous" he is - though I have seen him on TV several times, I am more aware of him through people that actually know him in person.
And I ran into the Estonian ambassador to Germany EVERY-SINGLE-TIME I travelled to Estonia, via Berlin, in 2003/2004.
No Edgar Savisaars, Andrus Ansips or Carmen Kasses though. Though I've seen Savikas, that was not a matter of coincidence.
I HAVE had experiences like this in väike Viini linn - I've bumped into TWO former ministers of the interior by chance (almsot running into one of them), have ended up in cash register lines with famous TV moderators, have made the acquaintance of a Ms. Fischer, a friend of my sister's, who turned out to be the daughter of one Heinz Fischer, president of Austria. There are many, many others, but to people not associated with Austria, they'd make little sense.
There is a saying in Austria that Vienna is a village with 2 million inhabitants. It sure feels so at some times, but I guess it's like this in most places that aren't London, New York, Moscow or Tokyo.
(.. mind you, when my mother lived in New York, she DID almost drive her car into Burt Lancaster, and had lunch with John D. Rockefeller III several times.)
Well, I've been in the same trolley bus with Ita Ever.
My trophy is Matti Nykänen. I think I won.
Olav Ehala at the Tondi Selver.
When we were on a class-trip to Paris this autumn-vacation, some of my friends saw Siim Kallas when we were stopping for a quick excursion in Berlin.
And of course a lot of famous people during Laulupeod, glimpses of our two first presidents and famous people in music business. ;) Though I missed the last one, sadly.
Also, a long time ago on a judo tourney in Saku Suurhall I saw the guy who played Mart Laar in Wremja and Sipelga 14. I even got his autograph, along with Indrek Pertelson's and some others.
I have also dined in the same table with Ain Seppik and Kalle Laanet. And chatted a bit with Ivo Linna and Anti Kammiste.
That should be most of it... :P
Yes, deifinately, very often in the central of Tallinn and of course oldtown can be seen more or less famous people.Ita Ever lives in next house to mine btw. First thing that comes to my mind is that I´ve shared a plane with T.H Ilves when he was foreign minister some 6-7 years ago :)
I saw Elvis at the Hesburger at Viru Keskus.
A few weeks after getting back to Estonia I watched "Jaan Uuspõld läheb Tartusse". Basically among the last things I saw that night was his weathered face. The next morning, I go to get breakfast and the first damn person I run into is Jaan Uuspõld. And by now these kinds of things happen daily (not with Jaan Uuspõld, I mean, in general :)) so that list would be long.
offtopic on my behalf, but i had a strange feeling a month or more (or less) ago that I happened to pass you Giustiano, and your family? Ever parked your car (god knows if you even have one?!) on Jakobi Street?
Paar kuud tagasi jälitas mind Järve Selveris Peeter Oja perekonnaga. No ma vaatasin, et näe, see on ju Peeter Oja, lähen parem teise riiulivahesse. Natukese aja pärast tuli Peeter Oja kah sellesse riiulivahesse. Mina mõtlesin, et jube jama, lasen parem sellest poest jalga, ja läksin kiiresti kassasse. Ja mis te arvate! Peeter Oja koos naise ja lastega tuli ja seisis minu taha samasse kassajärjekorda. Jube lugu.
Aga Tartus astusin ma ükskord Juri Lotmanile jala peale. Me läksime koos number 5 bussi peale, ja rahvas trügis, ja ma astusin sammu tagasi, ja midagi jäi jala alla, ja ma vaatasin selja taha, ja see oli Juri Lotman. Siis ma vaatasin veelkord selja taha JL poole ja vabandasin. Ja tema vastas, et nitševoo või mida sel puhul ikka öeldakse, nii et ma olen temaga isegi vestelnud;)
Kes on Jaan Uuspõld Tiia? Või pead silmas Jan Uuspõldu :D?
Lihtsalt norin, mul on kompleks nimede valesti kirjutamise osas kuna minu nime on lihtsalt jubedalt väänatud ja kirjutatud mu elu jooksul.
to:tiia
By the way, did Jan UUspõld say hello to you by any chance? He keeps saying hello to me, although I swear I don't know him personally. We went to the same school, but never communicated. It has happened to others, too, I hear...
I have had quite a few encounters with many Hollywood stars lookalikes. For example there was Quentin Tarantino sipping a lager in Kassisaba Õllekas once. Also I have stood in line at grocery store in Lasnamäe with Jack Nicholson who had come out to buy bread and butter with noone else but Helen Mirren!
Other than that - Edgar Saviczar tends to do his shopping in Lasnamäe Rimi and a couple of weeks ago I ran into Merle Klandorf in Sikupilli Prisma.
Kaljo Kiisk, in the Old Town, all the time. Not anymore, though.
Can you have sotsnikud in other varieties or are they by definition curdy? Where do you get them? Haven't seen them either in a long time. Used to love them at Gnoom and Leibur.
Pruned samurai, I hope you took the opportunity to collar Kallas and ask him where the purloined 10 million (dollars) is.
It was funny after 15 years in USA and especially in Florida to hang out in Tallinn and suddenly got face-to-face with Gloria Estefan and her husband, which I met previous time 13 years before in Miami. We were all snacking at the Greek restaurant next to church on Toompea. Our reunion was well documented in Finland and Estonia, as well.
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