We are off to LA tomorrow morning. Strangely, I'm all calm, no much excitment. What about my dream to see the ocean... we'll be living on the coast!!!
I guess, I'm supressing the underlying feelings - concern, nervousness. About how would the flights go, would I be able to be myself at Peter's mother, would Priit behave properly. The biggest concern is whether I will understand what they talk and whether they will understand my accent. I've always understood Peter very well. He says that he doesn't speak differently with me, but I guess, he does though, perhaps unconscieously - more clearly and slowly.
Peter's brother will show up with his family too. Maybe it's the main reason why I feel a bit anxious. Well, seems that I'm prejudiced, but can't help - after his sarcasm to Peter before we got married, I'd rather not meet him. Like Peter said: D will smile all the time, yet make you cry. I don't like sharpness, more so as I tend to attack back instantly, being sharp myself or overreacting and being too sensitive. I hope that 5 years of experience in dealing with all kind of situations in my professional life, has made my skin thick enough, not to let me to be too bothered.
Well, I shouldn't be preoccupied with these negative thoughts, but enjoy our little vacation. Peter is happy and excited - he is a Californian boy after all, who needs to be there from time to time. So I'd better think positively not to ruin his enthusiasm with my moping. Back to packing...
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
A Brief Americana
We were asked in our first ESL class what had been our biggest surprise concerning America. I couldn't help and had to tell about my impression when I saw how people didn't feel a necessity to lock their doors here. For my suprise, one of my classmate's husband, a native Arizonan who has lived in Midwest for a short period, told that the same thing had impressed him too and this was why he especially liked Midwest. I guess, it's not universal here either, we just live in a really good community.
A woman from India pointed out the individuality of the American society compared to Indian. India is much more family-centered - decisions are made in family, people depend on family. I think, in this regard, Estonia is somewhere between.
The wife of the Arizonan, an Ukrainian woman told how the American dispersed (scattered) settlement impressed her. In Ukraina there are either big cities or big villages, no scattered settlement. I've got the same impression of Ukraina according to my two visits there.
A woman from India pointed out the individuality of the American society compared to Indian. India is much more family-centered - decisions are made in family, people depend on family. I think, in this regard, Estonia is somewhere between.
The wife of the Arizonan, an Ukrainian woman told how the American dispersed (scattered) settlement impressed her. In Ukraina there are either big cities or big villages, no scattered settlement. I've got the same impression of Ukraina according to my two visits there.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
First Day at School
It's Priit's first day at school today. There were 4 other children in his 3-years group. As I had expected, he seemed to be the most stubborn kid there, rather doing what he wanted to do than listening to the teacher. But whenever things turned interesting in the group, he ran there too and was able to communicate in English very well. So, it's not the question of language barrier, but his personality. But it wasn't bad, actually; he had fun. At one point all the children had to tell what they liked to do and what they were good at. Most of the kids said something abstract, but Priit stated loudly and clearly -I like to play. Quite honest and really adequate. He's become really good in English. It's amazing to listen to how he chats with Peter or Grant. And he recognizes Peter and Grant as his family now - feels totally free to express hismself with them.
In the past weeks he has begun to play a lot of fantasy games too. For example cooking for us - it seems to be his favourite right now; also being a pilot and flying to somewhere, mostly to Estonia. When I ask why he wants to fly to Estonia, he says that there are lot of good toys there and also that grandmother and grandfather live there. Good enough.
We also have a big problem with buttons, there is no way, he could go by any buttons without pressing it. I'm waiting with fear when he manages to press a fire alarm button for example.
Sometimes it quite amazes me - how is my child so energetic, loud... stubborn. Peter says that nobody could say that he is not his son (yes, especially, considering loudness :)) . Fortunately, he can focuse if something interests him - like writing numbers or letters for more than half an hour, he can read 3-4 letter words in Estonian, he likes to draw. He's smart enough, but I guess that being only with adults for the last year and having these adults mostly for paying attention to him, has made him emotionally immature. He has definitely lacked communication with children. I hope the preschool will be good for him.
It's actually my first day at achool too. My first ESL class is this evening. I'm looking forward to it.
In the past weeks he has begun to play a lot of fantasy games too. For example cooking for us - it seems to be his favourite right now; also being a pilot and flying to somewhere, mostly to Estonia. When I ask why he wants to fly to Estonia, he says that there are lot of good toys there and also that grandmother and grandfather live there. Good enough.
We also have a big problem with buttons, there is no way, he could go by any buttons without pressing it. I'm waiting with fear when he manages to press a fire alarm button for example.
Sometimes it quite amazes me - how is my child so energetic, loud... stubborn. Peter says that nobody could say that he is not his son (yes, especially, considering loudness :)) . Fortunately, he can focuse if something interests him - like writing numbers or letters for more than half an hour, he can read 3-4 letter words in Estonian, he likes to draw. He's smart enough, but I guess that being only with adults for the last year and having these adults mostly for paying attention to him, has made him emotionally immature. He has definitely lacked communication with children. I hope the preschool will be good for him.
It's actually my first day at achool too. My first ESL class is this evening. I'm looking forward to it.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Trying to eat some seafood and talking about history
I was positively suprised that I actually managed to swallow a scallop yesterday. It tasted like...mmmm.... like a sea, I'd say. It tasted like sea smells. Anyway, it was ok, but it's not my favourite food. I also hoped that I'd be brave enough to taste schrimps again, but no, it didn't happen. (I looked up how is scallop in Estonian, but found that it almost doesn't have any sense because I've never heard this word in Estonian. Although we live by the sea, apparently we aren't a seafood eating nation).
I haven't figured it out - my schrimp fear. About 10 years ago, I visited a Chinese restaurant and ate a lot of schrimps there. It was a buffet type of restaurant and my friend had said to me that I should try schrimps and eat them a lot. It was the first time I ever saw a schrimp and I ate them a lot. I guess they tasted ok. Later in the evening I was totally sick, sat in the toilet vomitting. Now I think it was purely overeating. A month later we visted a Japanese restaurant and there were schrimps on my plate again. The outcome was the same - I ended my day sitting in the toilet. And after this my mind associates this sick feeling with schrimps. We visited the Japanese restaurants many times after this as my friends' son loved it and I just ate rice there. I remember one time while the chef, for some reason, seemed to put extra scrimps and extra big ones on my plate - Lena telling me that I seemed to be his favourite, and I unfortunately didn't dare to try anything. It was embarrasing. In the end, he stopped even looking at me.
We watched a documentary yesterday - "America in Forties". When the story-teller announced that Nazy-Germany attacked Poland in September, 1939, I asked Peter if he knew that the Soviet Union began his attack just a bit later and actually occupied the estern part of Poland. He told that he hadn't even heard of it. I guess, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact isn't discussed much except in Eastern European countries. The Soviet Union ended up as a winner and evidently one shouldn't judge winners.
It just made me thought how subjective can our knowleadge about history be. The same way as Peter doesn't know how the Soviet Union was actually an aggressor in the beginning of the war and also about this country's genocide against its own people, I hadn't heard anything about Iwo Jima, for example. I guess, there was only a vague notion in my mind of WWII going on on the Pacific as well. For me it had been totally an European matter.
I haven't figured it out - my schrimp fear. About 10 years ago, I visited a Chinese restaurant and ate a lot of schrimps there. It was a buffet type of restaurant and my friend had said to me that I should try schrimps and eat them a lot. It was the first time I ever saw a schrimp and I ate them a lot. I guess they tasted ok. Later in the evening I was totally sick, sat in the toilet vomitting. Now I think it was purely overeating. A month later we visted a Japanese restaurant and there were schrimps on my plate again. The outcome was the same - I ended my day sitting in the toilet. And after this my mind associates this sick feeling with schrimps. We visited the Japanese restaurants many times after this as my friends' son loved it and I just ate rice there. I remember one time while the chef, for some reason, seemed to put extra scrimps and extra big ones on my plate - Lena telling me that I seemed to be his favourite, and I unfortunately didn't dare to try anything. It was embarrasing. In the end, he stopped even looking at me.
We watched a documentary yesterday - "America in Forties". When the story-teller announced that Nazy-Germany attacked Poland in September, 1939, I asked Peter if he knew that the Soviet Union began his attack just a bit later and actually occupied the estern part of Poland. He told that he hadn't even heard of it. I guess, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact isn't discussed much except in Eastern European countries. The Soviet Union ended up as a winner and evidently one shouldn't judge winners.
It just made me thought how subjective can our knowleadge about history be. The same way as Peter doesn't know how the Soviet Union was actually an aggressor in the beginning of the war and also about this country's genocide against its own people, I hadn't heard anything about Iwo Jima, for example. I guess, there was only a vague notion in my mind of WWII going on on the Pacific as well. For me it had been totally an European matter.
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