This blog started as a rebuttal to the Russian Foreign Ministry website.
I am a journalist by trade and I didn't want to get too opinionated about things, but the Russian wire services were basically spreading lies about Estonia - saying stuff like 30 percent of Estonia's residents don't have citizenship. That's false - about 10 percent lack citizenship. Anyway, that's how the blog started.
But then I got inspired to dig into more Estonian issues and really try to put together a good picture of what it means to be an Estonian. Because when you stand a Finnish person next to an Estonian person - you can tell them apart. The same for Latvians, Russians - Estonians are a unique nationality. But I wanted to dig a bit more into what it means to be an Estonian because I think most people aren't exactly sure. Most Americans have probably never even heard of the country. But a lot haven't heard of Denmark or Croatia either.
So that's sort of become the overriding theme - what Estonia is and what it can be.
It's also a discovery process. Our daughter is half Estonian and, as my boss who is married to an English woman says, "when you marry one of them, you marry the whole country."
"Married to Estonia" - that sounds great :-)got to tell that to my hubby. I have a question about Estonian language - I have heard that it's one of the most complicated languages to learn, is that so? Since I am a native speaker, I wouldn't know, but I haven't seen that many "käändeid" in any other language.
Giustino, you are privileged. There are no more English blogging guys like you about Estonia. But you are keeping it alive. The German word for something important with news is 'Relevanz'. This means Estonia will be never important for German media, will it be for the States? I don't think so. Who cares about Estonia, who does?
I'd add up to what you've said about the estophobic propaganda ordered by the Kremlin.
Not only it is about 10% of the residents who don't have any citizenship, but it is also true that they don't have particular, that is Estonian citizenship. By the caselaw of the Russian Constitutional court some 90% of them are in fact Russian citizens, but just chose not to register themselves as such.
Kallid sõbrad, palun küsi minult mis te tahate. Täna on "Küsi midagi Giustinolt päev." Palun ...
10 kommentaari:
Kuidas läheb?
When you started this blog in June 2005, how did you envision it? Is it now the same as you had in mind in 2005?
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Why Estonia??? (Besides your lovely wife ;)
If it was not Estonia, what country was it (where you would like to go and live)? Or countries.
Ups I made a gramma mistake I think... its 6.30 in the morning...
If it was not Estonia, what country would it be? - Is that right? ;)
Kui mitte Eesti, siis mis riik oleks SEE, kus sa elada tahaks...?
This blog started as a rebuttal to the Russian Foreign Ministry website.
I am a journalist by trade and I didn't want to get too opinionated about things, but the Russian wire services were basically spreading lies about Estonia - saying stuff like 30 percent of Estonia's residents don't have citizenship. That's false - about 10 percent lack citizenship. Anyway, that's how the blog started.
But then I got inspired to dig into more Estonian issues and really try to put together a good picture of what it means to be an Estonian. Because when you stand a Finnish person next to an Estonian person - you can tell them apart. The same for Latvians, Russians - Estonians are a unique nationality. But I wanted to dig a bit more into what it means to be an Estonian because I think most people aren't exactly sure. Most Americans have probably never even heard of the country. But a lot haven't heard of Denmark or Croatia either.
So that's sort of become the overriding theme - what Estonia is and what it can be.
It's also a discovery process. Our daughter is half Estonian and, as my boss who is married to an English woman says, "when you marry one of them, you marry the whole country."
"Married to Estonia" - that sounds great :-)got to tell that to my hubby.
I have a question about Estonian language - I have heard that it's one of the most complicated languages to learn, is that so? Since I am a native speaker, I wouldn't know, but I haven't seen that many "käändeid" in any other language.
OH, and I had one more question when listening to your music - have you thought of writing a song in Estonian?
- Kas sa tahaksid päriselt Eestis elada? Miks?
- Millises riigis sa mingil juhul ei tahaks elada?
Epp has advised me that I should wait for more questions then answer them all in one post. So thanks - good questions - and keep them coming,,,
Giustino, you are privileged. There are no more English blogging guys like you about Estonia. But you are keeping it alive. The German word for something important with news is 'Relevanz'. This means Estonia will be never important for German media, will it be for the States? I don't think so. Who cares about Estonia, who does?
I'd add up to what you've said about the estophobic propaganda ordered by the Kremlin.
Not only it is about 10% of the residents who don't have any citizenship, but it is also true that they don't have particular, that is Estonian citizenship. By the caselaw of the Russian Constitutional court some 90% of them are in fact Russian citizens, but just chose not to register themselves as such.
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