Tallinn, my Tallinn

The weather was excellent, so i went Tallinn-spotting. Cruising through Kalamaja and old town, here's what caught my eye.

Lamu life

Constant struggle

Every morning is a struggle. Getting out of bed is like trying to dig a hole in frozen ground. I push the clock forward 10 minutes, every morning, another 10 minutes if i decide my hair is still clean enough, and another ten minutes if i decide to skip breakfast, sometimes another 10 minutes if i find that being a bit late to work is acceptable. Kenya trip did give me loads of energy but it was mostly mental energy, helping me deal with the fact that this year's winter lasts forever. However, no trip can change the fact that i am, actually, a bear, therefore still hibernating.

Kenya trip: the most amazing things part 2

Glowing water. Have you seen the movie Beach? Or read the book? If you have, you might remember them talking about the glowing water. Well, right, literal exaggeration, i thought...before i actually witnessed it on the beach in Lamu. I can't believe our Lamu friends were not advertising this to us. We were having this amazing night and were still mesmerised by the abundance of stars in the sky (I don't think i've ever seen so many stars in my life) when we had the brilliant idea to take a lovely dip in the ocean. And then the water....OH MY GOD....it was truly glowing. You could just stroke the surface and it would leave a trail of sparkling bits. I felt like a good fairy, lighting the ocean, with my hands, my feet, my body...and when the water splashed on the clothes, the drops glowed there for some moments. You can not believe the childish elation we were in, completely oblivious of the surroundings or even the fact that we were not wearing any clothes. As it turns out the glowing water effect or bioluminescence has not really ever been scientifically explained. We found out as much that it only happens when Mr. Moon is hiding and only the stars cast the light. And i read that all bioluminescent reactions occur in the presence of oxygen. Two types of chemicals are required- a luciferin and a luciferase. So, deriving from that...lucifer and so on....there was definitely something devilish going on. Maybe that was when we fell so much in love with Lamu. The perfect day. Sometimes you get days which may start off as perfectly ordinary ones but during which you already start getting the feeling that they might turn into the kind to remeber for the rest of your life. One of those days was Wednesday, February 25th. We took a dhow trip because that is what you do when on Lamu, but ours was different from the beginning because we got to do it with our friends. So we were me, N, Baji, Iggy, our food provider the Fishman and new addition to the group - Hannah. We sailed, swam, chillaxed, Fishman harpooned fish and octopus for our lunch, we cooked food, we chillaxed some more on Manda beach. We were just sighing how much we'd love a cold beer when suddenly, like out of thin air, cold beers appeared, accompanied by some ganja-smoking, funny as hell rasta-guys. And then we sailed to the floating bar, listened to Bob Marley, had a couple of more beers and watched the sunset. Then we met Maley and Freeman. Then we were taken back to our hotel for shower and some relaxing (considering how stressful the day had been so far) and later were picked up by Habiba again and taken back to floating bar. That day really did go on forever. After that we took the boat back to town and partied til early morning hours and it was all good-good-good. Perfect, one might say, actually. I only got back to my hotel for breakfast time.

Kenya trip: the most amazing things part 1

Safari. If you ever go to Kenya or any of the neighbouring countries and are questioning whether or not to do safari, stop right there and just do it! Fearing to sound like an easily amused American, i have to say safari was amazing. Who knew i'd be so mesmerised by animals. Or N, for that matter, the world-known animal-lover:) But i mean, who wouldn't be in awe when you get to see a family of lions up close and personal, or 70 elephants slowly and elegantly cruising through the Masai Mara. Don't even get me started on how funny the hippos were or how pretty the zebras and giraffes or or or...how cheetah was teaching it's cubs how to hunt a baby gasell. I learned more about animal world in 4 days than i have in my whole life. Did you know that animals are jumping around in the morning when the sun is up again because they are happy and darkness is scary :) or that all the different species have a lot of structure in their life, like avoiding inbreeding, even if for some it means living a polygamous and for some monogamous family life. Having George as a guide was helpful, too. I think you always are more eager to learn when the teacher's hot :) We were really lucky with the group as well - Bas, Kim, Caroline, Edward and Sidi - thanks guys for good company!

Lamu. I take a bow, pause for a second and say Lamu again. This little island really captured my heart. It's the little paradise in hiding. But paradise with a twist, not picture perfect and ideal, but perfect with its little flaws. After we'd had the 4-day safari we honestly did think the best part of the trip was over and we were actually quite fine with that. We had to leave a good group and great experiences behind, but boy did we get proven wrong, the best part was yet to come. We had a short stopover in Mombasa but were luckily chased away from there by that eager self-proclaimed tour guide who wouldn't get off our backs. So we escaped to Lamu (we literally escaped early in the morning) for a couple of days, or so we thought. We ended up staying til the end of the trip, stretching the stay til the last bit. Lamu is an island where time travels differently. It's like being lost in parallel universe. It's all too good to be true and even when you acknowledge you're lost in some surreal life, it still feels too strange to be true. How many times did me an N look at each other in all earnesty and say: "Is this for real?!"

I'm really torn on what to tell you guys about Lamu. Part of me wants to keep it to myself and part of me knows bits of it needs to stay in the surreality because you won't believe it anyway. I have to stop now anyway, i'm tired. More tomorrow.

...

I'm sure you'll recognize people on the pics by my descriptions or i haven't done a very good job at all:)

Kenya trip: The people

N. When it comes to the people, i have to start with N. You all know her but not many of you have travelled with her. I think me and N work great together as a team when travelling. I seriously think we should apply for a state support as ambassadors of Estonia and travel the world, we work wonders on promoting our country. Don't be surprised to find that a little boy in a remote village near Masai Mara has eaten Estonian candy or to find a dhow in Lamy cruising under Estonian flag. Me and N, we find the nicest places and the nicest people. And i believe we also get the best prices when we discuss the price in the language no one understands, trying hard to hold back laughter and keep a straight face when all we're saying is that it's excellent and let's get it but let's torture the poor guy some more for a better price:) Like we did in Shella for the guesthouse or like we did when negotiating the price for the safari. Yes, if you ask me, i think me and N travel well together. And what this trip did was bring us even closer together.

George. George was our driver and guide at the 4-day safari trip and he deserves a mention. George is black as night, a very proud man, funny, sharp as a pencil and quite hot. George is also a very wise man, having done the guide work for 8 years he knows everything about all the animals. Thanks to George we now know that Cheetah always hunts alone because he is capable of that. Lions, however, sometimes have to cooperate because they are not as fast. We now also know that Rhino has a very bad eyesight and attackts just anything that moves because it could be a potential threat or that Hyenas (ugly little things) can walk for hundreds of kilometers because they're built this way and that they cannot make a kill but they have the world's strongest jaws so they can chew even through bones. George is from the same tribe as Obama, which is the Luo tribe (one of the around 40 different tribes) and therefore he is especially proud of his bro Barack and even has his speech as a mobile ring and wears his picture on his t-shirt.

Iggy and Baji. I talk about Iggy and Baji together because thats how we met them. Iggy and Baji run a little bookstore together in Lamu. They're "our people" that much is clear from the very beginning. There's such a good chemistry and by the end of the first day we're spending all the free time together. Iggy is a sweet and funny guy, he's fit, has a nice smile and his skin is charcoal black. He's funny and understand irony, which is probably one of the reasons we click so well. Baji looks like a devil. When he's serious, and you don't really know him, he might even look slightly frightening, but he's as sweet as can be - very caring and amusing and takes an immediate liking towards us. Those 2 are the first ones who make us feel so welcome on Lamu that it's clear from the beginning we're staying for longer than couple of days.

Maley. Maley, Maley, what can i say. He's tall, dark and handsome. His skin is chocolate brown so he is not as dark as most people we've met here. He's slender and each one of the muscles on his body is toned. He wears his hair in dreads, which have bleached slightly with sun and saltwater. He dresses well and likes to wear a lot of bling. Maley's our captain. He's the proud owner of the dhow Habiba. Sexy Habiba he calls it and it is his baby, his love. The first time we see Maley when we're at the floating bar, having had already one of the best days of our lives. We'd spent the day on Habiba so Maley came looking for his baby, following its smell, or so he claimed. He arrives at the bar, shaking what his mama gave him an in no time we're all shaking what our mamas gave us. Maley must also be one of the funniest people i've met. There were moments when neither me or N couldn't stop laughing at what Maley was saying and it just seemed effortless from his part. He claims he's got internet in his head and there might be something to it because as laid back and chillaxed as he is, he's got it all under control and he can somehow even talk to a deaf-mute guy.

Freeman. Freeman's Maley's cousin and another one of the rasta culture people. Freeman is not his real name but absolutely everyone here has a nickname and they're mostly very becoming. When we first meet Freeman we also give him our own nickname - the carrot top, because his dreads are short and spiky. Come to think of it - looks nothing like carrot but it seemed fitting then. Freeman's is definitely one of the people who adds a lot to us feeling like queens on this little paradise island. He seems to be somewhere in his own world and most of the time he seems to be lost in the ganjaworld but he's got it all together. He is a marvellous cook and he takes such good care of us. One day we plan to go on a boat to watch the sunset. For that, Freeman cooks the food and him and Maley have decorated Habiba with purple flowers. I love those guys, i swear!

Hannah. Finally, a girlfriend getting a mention. We meet Hannah on the "perfect day" (more about that later). She's a new addition to our dhow trip. At first we can't figure her out. She's very slender and white-skinned and seems like such a grey mouse, but thankfully she proves us wrong in no time. As it turns out, she couldn't figure us out either. In a couple of hours it's clear that she's on of "ours" and the whole chemistry of the group is just excellent. Hannah has humour, she drinks beer and doesn't say no to ganja and she says shit and fuck a lot. Quite different from what we first expected and not your typical nurse (because that's her job, you know). She also likes to shake what her mama gave her and she, too, is instantly drawn to us. It's strange that there are those people all around the world who're "your people" yet you have to travel to Lamu to meet them. Anywhow, girlfriend's coming to visit us in Tallinn very soon and i think all three of us will go back to Lamu quite soon.

Yves La Rock

Africa, my love

This travel diary is not going to work out as a travel diary. I am lacking structure in my head for it. Maybe it's not supposed to be structural, maybe Africa is not. Or Maybe Kenya is not. Or maybe my trip was not. After all, there were no plans, no itinerary, no places booked.
But there are some things in my head. There's people - the characters of my book, there's amazing situations, and incredible coincidences. And there's even a soundtrack. It features some really good reggae by the likes of Richie Spice and Bob Marley, and some hiphop & r'n'b by the likes of Lemar, Akon and John Legend but first and foremost there's the one song which i have to bring to you. It's in my next post.

Good morning

Here i am, hung over from the big night out because the swedes were back in town and that called for a party. Naaaaah, i'm too old for staying up til 7....
And what about that dream i had, hmmmmm, that one was strange.
And, here i am thinking i should quickly write my travel diary before new emotions take over.
Ok, maybe later, too tired now.

Hakuna matata!

Jambo, my dear friends. I am back from my trip to Kenya. I am alive and well and i did not get robbed and nothing was stolen from me except for a big part of my heart. Never in my life have i met so many friendly people and never in my life have i felt so much caring from almost strangers than during the last week of my trip. I had THE BEST TIME EVER!

I hope i can find enough inspiration in me to write about my whole experience even though it is difficult to put it into words and even though i sometimes feel i would like to keep it hidden from the rest of the world.

Since the whole life in Kenya is very pole-pole (slowly-slowly) you can imagine how pole-pole am i during my first day at work. You better believe that the blog will be coming along very pole-pole as well. Bear with me!

Holiday check list

Things to check before going on a holiday somehere further than your neighboring countries:

Passport - good for at least next 6 moths. Check, yes, fine.
Jabs - yellow fever, hepatitis, typhoid et al, plus the malaria prophylactics. I was hoping for some more exciting side effects from the malaria pills like the crazy hallucinogetic dreams but i didn't get any. Maybe my dreams cannot get any weirder. All i got was funny tummy.
Good backpack - got my baby today, we're just getting acquainted tonite since we'll be spending some quality time together quite soon. Finding a good bag is as hard as finding a good boyfriend. Plus, you have to pay for it.
Insurance - i don't care if the whole insurance business is just a very clever idea of taking my money only for the added feeling of ...well...insurance. I'm addicted. I'm afraid if i don't get my health insured for travel time then i'm messing with the universe.
Sunglasses, hat and sunscreen - how hard is it to buy a pair of normal, regular sunglasses nowadays - they're all blinged up, a little gold here, some rhinestones there. Just give me a pair of glasses that no one would want to nick but which would still protect my eyes from scorching sun. And don't even get me started on the hat business... And you know the familiar smell of sunscreen - i can't say i like it as such, but it just smells like holiday:)
All hygiene essentials in tiny versions - you wanna take care of yourself but not add any extra weight to carry around.
Meds - nah, N will take care of that. Her mum is, after all, connected in the drug world.
A flask to fill it with some Hennessy for all kinds of reasons - for lubricating your insides against stomach bugs, for lifting your spirits, for when someone is in shock and someone else yells: "Quick, get her some brandy!", like they do in criminal novels.
...can't remember any more...

FOALS, HUMMER

I am sick

I'm having my first sick day in a loooong time. I guess the partying at weekend left me open for a tiny disease, which was amplified by the 4 vaccine shots i received yesterday and voila, here i am, blowing my nose off my face and using all kinds of grandmas' remedies to get better.

To sum it up...

Every night, before falling asleep, i write a chapter of my book. I do it in my head, though. Can't be bothered getting up and writing it all down. The chapters i write are not the same lenght, they're not even necessarily from the same book, they're just stories and situations that i play through in my head when the memories are still fresh. I cannot comprehend how people can write their autobiographies when they're like 70 years old. How can they remember the situations and feelings they had at some point. Emotions fade. That's the positive side with the mind that we forget the pain and hurt but also the negative side, as the good feelings are toned down over time as well. You might be able to remember the euphoria and over-the-top feelings 2 days later, not 2 weeks, let alone 2 years later. Like, for instance, when something absolutely amazing has happened to you and at first you're able to tell it in smallest detail to some of your friends, by the third and fourth time (if you can still be bothered even telling the story) you are already summarising it. And you cannot convey real emotions by summarising them!

Say you've just met someone amazing and it's been the best night of your entire life, at least that's what it feels like. You're totally euphoric and the emotions are flooding over. If you had to write it down, it'd be sth like this:

"I cannot believe the night i've just had. I felt like i was just flowing, totally walking on air, with someone magically sweeping all the problems and obstacles out of my way. And when i met him/her, it felt like it was the most logical thing ever, just waiting to happen. Like the universe had finally decided to let us meet. The butterflies were running wild, mine colliding with his/hers and no one and nothing else in the world mattered any more."

Say, some years have passed and a lot more has happened in your life and you can now put that situation in perspective with some other events. You can already summarise it. Does it thus belittle that night? Make it somehow less important? Yet, you'd probably describe it a lot differently, sth like this:

"I can vaguely remember that it was a warm autumn night a couple of years ago. That was the night i met him/her. It was probably among, let's say, 10 of the best nights of my life. I knew i liked him/her the moment our eyes met and i guess it was only logical that we ended up together."

And now, back to writing my head-book:) Because writing ABOUT it is all that ends up on screen or paper.

Two-headed Kerli Kõiv

Kerli Kõiv (picture from Google)

I was walking home on the morning of January 1st, it was already light, though still early and the big party-night had just given way to the quietest day ever. I was almost home when i noticed that the door to the Estonian songstress Kerli Kõiv's home was wide open. (She'd moved to my house at some point, to ground floor, u know, where that store used to be, with big windows.) Well, the door was wide open and she was lying on the bed. I thought it strange and maybe dangerous, so i went inside. She was lying there, crying, all sad and hung over and with two heads!!! One of them was considerably smaller than the original one. She sat up and started crying even more, saying: "Oh my god, now the whole Estonia will find out about my two heads." I felt so sorry for her and assured her no one would hear about it from me. She was just sobbing and her place was a mess and it was really cold, so i told her to come over to my place and we'll make pancakes. She perked up a little at the thought and said it would be a very nice change indeed. She stood up, took a large piece of double sided sticky-tape and with an experienced move attached the smaller head somewhere under her hair.

And that's when i woke up. I'm telling you, my dreams get weirder and weirder all the time.

Still laughing....

I just discovered the funniest thing! Been amusing myself for 5 minutes. Maybe i'm just easily amused. Well, try it yourself. Go to youtube, watch a video and then write a comment to it. You don't have to post it but do try the "audio preview". It really does repeat everything you tell it to, silly thing! I thought it'd surely draw a line with obscenities and just say "beeeep" but no, repeats it, like a good pupil. Try Estonian words! :) (S, N, and the others who are familiar with, mantra, try this one too!!):)

Nah, i guess i am easily amused, but i find it hilarious.

What is it with me!?

The last couple of days i haven't been myself. I've been awfully clumsy. I've broken 2 glasses. I keep dropping things. The other day i spilled a cup of hot coffee and burned my hip (of all places!). I've hit my elbow and my toe. And, today i keep getting mild electric shocks from everywhere - door handles at work, my car, my computer, my fridge. Even the alarm system at the store went off for no apparent reason at me. What the hell is the metter with me?

My wonderful year 2008

It’s time for my yearly roundup, again. My travels, big events, people i’ve met.

January
Went to Morocco, escaped my BD.

February
Nothing, it seems (i could just copy this sentence from 2007 summary, what’s up with February?) (I did see Korn and Chris Rea in concert but really not worth putting into the year’s roundup.)

March
Went to Stockholm for a business meeting, saw Koop live in concert (well, saw Rihanna as well), gave my first lecture.

April
Went to Cognac and Bordeaux in France (strangely enought this is in connection with some latter events of the year 08), danced on stage with Angelique Kidjo during Jazzkaar, also saw Jose Gonzales in concert and Roy Ayers and Torsten Goods in a jam session.

May
Helped clean up Estonia, on the last day od May started my trip to Portugal, via London.

June
Met P. Pause. Important. Went to Portugal, met some nice people in Lisbon, among them J; saw Feist in concert in Porto, and Seal in a concert in Tallinn.

July
S got married and that took almost the whole month and also included a trip to London and Bradford, met the whole bunch of her new lovely in-laws. (Problems with some of the dearest, which luckily have passed.) Oh, and N moved to my neighbourhood.

August
Olympics, P, öölaulupidu and i got an interesting offer.

September
End of an era, 6 years in TM, new job, less time for blog, P.

October
Organised my first events at the new job, went to Copenhagen.

November
Went to London again, and out of it, like for instance, Bath.

December
Again, i can borrow from last year – not a particularly good month - for one reason, don’t wanna talk about it. Went to London again. Otherwise, you know, the regular – xmas with family 1 and family 2 and so on.

Met some very nice people this year, they know who they are, acquired 3 new countries to my list – Morocco, Portugal and Denmark. The best month by far, was June. Other than that, the information for drawing any deep conclusions is not substantial. Universe is still a mystery to me.

This year will be different?

They say that the way you start your new year indicates how the rest of it will look like. Well, let's see, what can be predicted for me in 2009.

I started the year in the company of good friends (good company for the whole 2009?), drinking champagne (only quality drinks for 2009?), eating good food (bring it on in 2009) and feeling a lot more sober than in the previous years (why not, just a bit tipsy's good); and there was no hangover the next day (no hangover for whole 2009, thank you very much, i'll take it).

Plus, my January 1st was quite busy, with one of the biggest Hennessy events to be held - a Händel gala concert, to be precise, with live broadcast on TV. This might indicate that i work a lot in 2009, or go to cultural events a lot, or start my new career as an event planner, or...or...or

Anyways, HAPPY NEW YEAR, my darlings!