Things Considered Rude in Estonia but Normal Abroad
What are some things considered normal in your home country that are rude in Estonia?
I asked an expat Facebook group, and the answers were surprisingly fun.
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💡 TOPICS IN THIS VIDEO 💡
•Life in Estonia
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★ TABLE OF CONTENTS ★
• 00:00 A True Story
• 02:05 Looking people in the eyes
• 03:08 Kissing on cheeks when you meet someone
• 04:04 Being Loud in Public
• 05:32 Sitting with someone in public transport
• 06:47 Honking after green
• 07:58 Speaking to strangers in public
• 08:51 Drinking soup from bowl
• 09:21 'How are you?'
• 10:18 Using Cash
• 11:08 Reminding people what you said online
• 12:12 Bonus Point
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We were joking about personal space during pandemics: we were really unhappy after an announcement made by our government that we must keep the distance at least 1,5 meters (the usual distance used to be ~5 meters before pandemics!)
😂😀👀
I loved covid distance rule. I loved talking to people in shops etc 2m away. And nobody was too near in public space.
Ka minule meeldis see reegel! @@madliuuemae1879
it was 2 meters, bro did u not look at the signs?
2m
About the last point - Estonians definitely criticize things about Estonia between themselves, but, indeed, not when talking to foreigners. This has deep historic roots. For centuries, the Baltic Germans were considered the upper class - that was going so far that even when an Estonian succeeded to reach it somehow, he became Germanized. And, that caused distrust between "us" and "them". And then, there was the Soviet time, when Moscow was dictating things, or telling how they should be done at best, and the people in charge were mostly ethnic Russians (or, people with Estonian roots who were born in Russia, and often quite Russified). Not to talk, that having big mouth could cost you dearly.
If you don't complain about everything, then people will consider you as a weak person and lack of character.
Very interesting and it makes sense. Thank you for sharing.
Like the Estonians living next to me do understand what I mean when I look at them when they are a bit loud and never have I needed to say something. You do complain a lot, sometimes so much that you change to your mother tongue forgetting that in my ears it sounds like gibberish able to pick out a word here and there. My point is that you do criticize when you talk with foreigners :P
and you do it on the internet at least if there is that anonymous option?
As an Estonian I really hate loud people, especially in public transport. I don't care if they are Estonian, Russian or random foreigner - just don't be loud and rude. I think this is basic consideration for other people and should be common knowledge.
A good video in general, but I would like to add a couple of things: 1. Being against the autority and speaking up is not considered rude, in fact I think about half of the people I have met lately have expressed their dislike of Kaja Kallas and her reforms (some quited heatedly), so it's very common. Estonians just rarely protest on the streets. Also politics is often not discussed with strangers to avoid possible conflicts. 2. Sitting next to someone is ok, if there are no free seats. However, if there are other places where nobody is sitting, it is considered impolite to take away someone's space by sitting right next to them. Keeping your bag next to you on a seat so nobody can sit there is also considered rude unless there are other free spots.
Thank you for your comment, appreciate that and glad to have you here.
We prefer empty seat for sitting, but when bus is full it's no problem do sit side by side. It's polite do give your seat do elderly, pregnant woman or pre-school kid, specialy when driver doesn't drive fluently
i would like to add there really isnt much reason to publicly speak against many things as the dislike for stuff is quite clear. for example the surging popularity of isamaa and their leader for no reason whatsoever other than the dissatisfaction with the ruling party/PM.
Rekkad/ auto eksamit tegevad inimesed kahe realisel/ ühesuunalisel.
I don't agree with your first point. I'm from the Netherlands and live in Estonia for about 7 years now, and I'm still completely baffled by how law and authority abiding everyone is. It's almost like they are programmed to be good citizens and don't want to interrupt the system whatsoever. In the Netherlands, this is the complete opposite.
As an Estonian, I don't think any of these are rude (besides the honking), it's just how most of us behave. Not behaving like this is not rude per se, you might just stand out a bit. For example, when I am hanging out with good friends, we can definitely be loud in public or in a bus. Theres no like "Oh no I'm breaking the bus rule" thought. When I'm alone in a bus I'm not annoyed at loud people, but as there is nothing else going on, I might be looking at them or secretly listening in. As for the honking, oh my god i hate it. I really don't understand the "honking culture" in some other countries. WHy would you make the whole road so loud and horrible for everyone in the vicinity. That's not what horns are made for, it's not a communication device, it's to ALERT, you don't have to use it at every mild annoyance.🙄
Yeah, I was in Georgia Batumi and it was awful🤢, honks from everywhere from every driver… so yes, please no honking in Estonia, even if you hurry, always remember its just your problem P.s: you can ignore everything else but not this. Please
Nõustun. (põhiliselt)
Agreed BUT being loud on a bus.. There is always a thought going through my mind that it is so rude 😀. And sitting next to someone on a bus is sketchy as f if there are other singular empty seats available. I am always super suspicious of that. Might think the person is a pickpocket or something.
Im just uncomftorable when it happens.@@at-qj4ks
Yes, these are mostly unwritten. The society in general has agreed them as normal and because I was an outsider I looked at them through fresh eyes (and shared) with all.
Drinking soup from the bowl is ok at home. Its just very out of place in public places unless you are a child, then usually people dont mind as the child is still learning how to be a estonian :D. You can do it just be prepared for weird looks, tho it might be fine in some places
def was not ok with my grandma. so, careful there, i got _some_ talking to when i tried as a kid. got compared to a pig. not that i spilt anything, it was just. not. done. lesson learned, only drink soup when alone. 🤣
Estonia is a beautiful country with a rich history, stunning scenery, and a vibrant culture.Estonia is my dream country.
1, 3, 4, 6, 8) My family in Estonia have told me about this in preparation for my upcoming visit this summer 2024. I will talk with them about the other things you mentioned. One thing I do remember being told is that Estonian will look like they are serious all the time but they are laughing 'on the inside'. My dad is/was Estonian and I remember growing up (in the USA) that he would seem to look serious when joking around but he was actually laughing/happy. My Vanaema and Vanaisa were the same way. As a little bit of background, my dad & his parents came to the USA post-WWII (1950?) because they were 'forced' to escape their homeland of Estonia because of the Russians invading in 1944. Its a long story.
As an Estonian I want to implement the drinking from bowl thing. Its soup dammit! I wont chase droplets with a spoon only to splash them back on the way to my gob. 😂
I like it too.
About sitting in public transport, it is completely normal to sit next to someone when these are the only seats available, people rather stand only when it is a short distance bus, like a few stops inside the city, because then it seems a hassle to sit down and worry if the other person wants to stand up. But in long distance (like even 20-30 km between towns) everyone sits, I have never seen anyone stand, unless there are no seats left at all.
I really love to visit Estonia. Estonia is my dream country❤❤❤❤.
bring your snow shovel if visiting about now 😉🌨❄🧹
I am lucky or blessed to finally be able to visit my long lost family in Estonia this summer. My father's side of the family is in Estonia and sadly he passed away before he could "go home"
The same in Finland. Standing on the aisle of public traffic is dodgy, because you are blocking the way for people moving in and out, thereby making a lot of unnecessary awkward moments of close proximity.
😀 True
made this joke before, but here once again, maybe there's some new viewers. how do you tell apart estonian introvert and estonian extrovert? -- while speaking to you, introvert stares at their own shoes, extrovert stares at your shoes. so, avoiding eye contact is very real, with strangers. one can practise with cats, very much same attitude as estonians. they/we take looking to eyes as agression from strangers, but tolerate with familiar ppl. and of course 'how are you' is existential question 🤣 very, very so. and very nice description you give here, literally, when asked this question, all life flashes before my eyes. but very estonian answer is: 'normaalne'. about authorities, speaking against: here are other comments on same, and thing is: we speak much against authorities, but maybe not as much in presence of foreigners or just unknown ppl. joking at expense of goverment and such is practically national sport here, and complaining about...everything, basically. but not to strangers. maybe not as much in fear, more like, as in: man can think his wife is ugly, to himself, but will not allow any other person to say so.
Thank you for your comment Siiri. It is great to have you here and I look forward to your comments.
Usual answer to "kuidas läheb" is "normal" or "as usual" 😂
I found #7 strange, and I am actually a Baltic Russian born in Tallinn. Always drank soup from the bowl when there was a small amount of liquid left. Then again, I always feel like a foreigner outside of Lasnamäe.
When I was a child my grandma told me not to do that (or drink from a glass with a spoon inside it) because it's bad manners and only "matsid ja venelased" do that. 😅
I love your videos! Really resonate with all of these points as an estonian 😅
Glad you like them!
I think not talking against authority has more to do with introverted culture where people go home and complain, than the authority itself. For instance, Estonians would not accept casual corruption, where random officials ask for a bribe nor do they treat their superiors in any different manner when they met outside of work (maybe except for distancing themselves, when they aren't friends, but they aren't definitely not treating them like they are higher). Protests sound loud and rude, this is the reason behind it. Also, because of the Soviet past, a lot of people associate protests with propaganda, especially the older generation. That people go to protest because they are paid to do so or agitated somehow or young lazy people who don't have jobs.
Very interesting insights particularly about the paid protests. But recently things have changed with the teachers strike. I am sure we will start seeing a lot more.
@@MananAnwar I'm not from Estonia, I'm from nearby Latvia, so our customs are not exactly Estonian, but they are, in my opinion, similar enough for me to try to add a bit of explanation to the point of authority. There is absolutely no reverence towards authority itself; it's not sacred. People do not fear authority, and always ready to discuss it and complain, but only with people they know, know their political affiliation and know their reaction on political discussion. However, there are serious reasons why people don't talk about politics and authority publicly or with strangers. There is deep divide in Latvian and Estonian societies by the ethnic lines; there is a significant Russian minority in the country, and even among ethnic natives, there are different political positions. Those positions are often deeply held, people are emotional about them and they can't discuss their differences calmly and abstractly. Therefore, any political discussion or a critique of authorities with people you don't know may turn into an emotional conflict quite easily, and it's just not something people of Latvia or Estonia are comfortable with; saying political things that may go in contrast with political beliefs of your opponent and may offend them is considered rude; even when people talk about it, they try to do it in the most inoffensive way possible, unless there is an emotional outburst and it could quite often turn into a huge angry and rude argument right on the spot, and afterward everyone just feels terrible about it. For example, when I was in hospital two years ago, there was a very loud political argument between some medical personnel and it turned very rude very fast, pulling in people, and afterward the whole ward was quiet and uncomfortable and generally ashamed and not knowing how to get past it, because, in the end, it's still a hospital and no one can go anywhere and we still have to continue to be all together. As you may be know, there is a war that Russia wages against Ukraine, and some ethnic Russians in Estonia and Latvia support the Russian state, while most (although definitely not all) native ethnic people support Ukraine, and Russian government tries - for decades - to ferment discontent among Russian minority using Russian-speaking press, and tries to make Russian minorities opposed to native Estonian and Latvian authorities, and people may feel defensive of their authorities, feeling (rightfully so, in my opinion) that any open discontent or critique would be misused by Russian government in the ways detrimental to Latvia and Estonia. So people are definitely critical about authorities, but that discussion is not held across ethnic lines or with foreigners or with people they don't know because those are very sensitive topics which can easily turn rude, and it's not something people are comfortable with. There is no fear of authorities, but a fear of disharmony with people around you. Once you know the affiliation of the people you are talking with and know their possible reactions to major positions, people are often discussing the authority and its decisions and critique them.
As an Australian 🇦🇺 who travelled to 12 different countries around Europe last summer including Estonia 🇪🇪, I honestly have to say that it is the ONE country I do not have any or very little if any desire to visit again. The one thought I had about Estonia in my mind prior to visiting was that it was one of those exotic, off-the-beaten-path countries which hardly anybody visits. And while that may have been true (although there were still plenty of tourists/backpackers in the hostel which I stayed in), the Estonian people themselves were what turned me off the most. Don’t get me wrong. Although very small, it is a nice country with a stunning old-town in the capital city Tallinn, pretty nature as well as some interesting abandoned buildings from the Soviet times. But still, I found it very difficult to connect with the locals, being from a country where friendliness towards strangers along with smiling is socially acceptable. And that’s the thing, I would say that I’m actually a little more reserved than a lot of people, even in my country. But I still do smile a lot and look people in the eye when I address them, as it is considered blatant not to do so in Australia. I can understand and I respect why they are the way they are, because the further north in Europe you go, the environment becomes colder so as a result, the people reflect that environment through their personalities and vice versa for southern Europe. I didn’t have any particular problem(s) with anybody. Actually that’s a lie, I did get ripped off by this woman bartender in a nightclub one time when she didn’t tell me the price of a drink before I paid 😏. But back to the point, on the one occasion when I walked into two different bars and bought a drink in each, the young girl bartenders in both of them didn’t even want to acknowledge me when I was just sitting there having a beer and just wandered around the room with their eyes even though I was sitting at the bar right in front of them, and I was the only patron there! 😅 Back to the point of being ripped off, that’s another thing which shocked me about Estonia, the prices! Contrary to what I had imagined, Estonia was surprisingly expensive 😳. Less so than Scandinavia + Finland but more so than most of Western/Southern Europe e.g. France, Italy and Spain. I honestly thought being located in Eastern Europe (sort of), it would be cheap as chips. But boy was I wrong… According to a local who I met in this other bar which was owned and run by Chileans 🇨🇱, Estonia is now the most expensive country in the EU due to hyperinflation which was mentioned in the video. So then I just went “Ahhh, so THAT’S why most things here cost an arm and a leg 🫠”. But I also thought to myself “Really? That’s insane!” That guy was the only social Estonian who I met the whole time I was there, mainly only because he was half black American and sounded completely American and acted completely American… I would’ve NEVER thought he was Estonian. Nice bloke nonetheless Lastly, I know this is common all throughout Europe, but Estonians smoke, A LOT… Which was another huge turnoff for me, as smoking in my country is not considered cool or cultural in any way, shape or form, but is (usually) seen as just plain stupid and disgusting. Is Estonia at the top of my list of countries I’d like to visit again? No Would I ever consider going back if I had to or wanted to return with a new perspective? Absolutely I would be willing to give it a second chance, although truth be told, it was my least favourite out of the three Baltic countries which I also visited 😬. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad one I’ll be back for you one day Estonia. Eventually! 😊😊😊
Such a detailed comment. Thank you for taking the time to review. Would you like to connect with me via email or IG. I’d love to hear more thoughts in future. Very well put.
@@MananAnwar Followed ✅
If Estonians are cold, it is nothing personal. If we warm up, then we are friendly and trustworthy.
@@ATRestoration The trick is getting them to warm up though. Spoiler alert: It is near-impossible
About riding on a bus. If i am in a window seat and someone sits next to me my only thought is that this person goes away before or during my stop, if not I will ride till he gets off haha. I just dont want to do whole excuseme...
😬
As an Estonian watching this video, the video is great, the amount of times i reflexively paused the video and said "OH GOD, DONT DO THAT!" really proves how much you nailed the points. Especially with the bus seats, being loud and talking to random people (especially that one), please for the love of god dont go up to people and make small talk, you will traumatize us
Got you covered kzhead.info/sun/krmvesmEgKeupmw/bejne.html
Thank you for sharing! I am an American going to visit family in Estonia this summer and while my similar aged cousin (whom I am staying with during my vist) shared these same things with me, it is good to read it from another native Estonian 😊
@@k8tina thank you, I hope you have a wonderful time here :D
@@WaiGee_ Aitäh! I appreciate your kind words! (:
I recently noticed that when I am dressed casually, people who I am acquainted with ignore me by looking at the other way. For example when passing them in kindergarten. I scare them by saying hello to them when I'm the closest to them and about to pass. :) However, when I'm dressed up in my suite and shiny shoes, these people greet *me* first from afar, and also even people that I even don't know look at me in my face and nod as a greeting, some even say hello and I have no idea who it was, which can be considered very weird in Estonia.
Very interesting.
(I'm not Estonian - but English) Sometimes if I'm admiring someone's outfit, I make sure to smile at them, so they know I'm not judging them or being rude. Could that be what is going on with Estonian's too? (English people (and Welsh) have a similar thing about more than a glance being considered rude... Other than London - there are many rude people there.)
Thank you Manan! :) 💚So insightful! It's very interesting to get an expats view on Estonians. Funny too! ..."how are you?" becomes an existential question" :D :D True! It's so true about personal space and not looking in the eyes or (god forbid) smiling and saying "hello to strangers!" :D Could it be that many Estonians have social anxiety ..?. Or .. just frozen inside from living in this climate... can barely survive the 6 month winter? But definitely kind of apprehensive and keeping a distance from each other. Once, after I'd recently been to a small town in Ireland, where everybody just greets everybody on the street - and I loved the experience, ..so I came back and sort of started to smile and nod/greet people in my neighborhood ... a mistake! :D, people just ignored me or looked at me like I needed a ride to a mental hospital. But ...that was over 10 y ago. I have to say: things are slowly changing in that respect. Peace! ✌
Thank you for such a lovely comment. It is great to have you here.
Most have social anxiety. Its considered normal here.
You are amazing!!! One of my friends in medical school is Pakistani….very honored that you would learn our language, I will be sure to tell him!
Thank you. I am glad to have you here. Do you study in Tartu ?
@@MananAnwar We are both M.D students in the US, but backgrounds are from Estonia and Pakistan! I have a very high opinion of Pakistan because of him haha. Cheers to you living in Estonia though, you are amazing and thank you so much!! Please survive until the summer, I know Winter is awful there lol
When I was younger then I didnt care about sitting next to foreigner in bus, i did take that as experiment in my mind. Now where i have gain weight, i dont to that anymore. And when i was living with parents then it was normal to lick plate clean, because you cant waste food. Of course publicly, its a bit rude. I stopped that cause my wife didnt like it, but now im single and slowly starting again that habit in home.
Nice video
Thank you.
I'm not sure it's a 'rude' thing myself but I've noticed that a lot of Estonians seem to be like this and I know some of my family members back home would consider it rude. I guess I've seen a general impatience among people in Estonia over the years, more so than in other parts of the world. One example I can think of is that when I've been on some of the longer stretches of single-lane roads in rural areas, there's a lot of overtaking as I'd assume some people get pretty impatient when cars in front aren't going fast enough. I think one of the bigger examples is when you're on a flight to Tallinn and entering Estonia - the second it's possible to get up and go, the majority of the flight is already up and ready to exit the plane. Maybe it's something else as the vast majority of Estonians I've met are pretty relaxed and easy going people but when it comes to going out and doing stuff, everyone seems pretty eager to get going quickly
Yep. Hardly anyone obeys the speed limit on roads.
Getting quickly out of the plane, I think this is because we want to get home quickly. People in general don't like hanging around doing nothing. And as Estonians don't talk to each other very much unless it is family, friends or work colleagues, then there is no point lingering around. Things are a bit different in rural areas, where the pace of life is slower. There is quite a bit of speeding yes. From my point of view, it is because you want to get home, you have had a long day etc. There are other reasons of course as well. Tallinn is quite a nervous city compared to South Estonia. There is a bit of macho culture amoung young Estonian men, good and fast cars. Sorry if I offended anyone.
Hi, I really like the way u put out your videos and I am thinking about moving to Estonia but don’t really know where or how to start can you make an video where u explain the steps and how to begin the proses of moving to Estonia
Sure, check this out. (FREE) Find out if Estonia is the right place for you: amanan.gumroad.com/l/BeforeYouMoveToEstonia
Soup from the cup is not nice, but i still like it as the end of the soup is hard to get with a spoon ;) ..but yeah, american "How are You doing" is major waste of time.
If we talk about respect for authority, it is not the same in Estonia as it is in many East Asian countries, where social status automatically requires respect. Estonians do not rebel against the government mainly because throughout history they have had to fend for themselves. The government has often been the enemy of the people! Most Estonians would prefer the government to minimally interfere in their lives. We really do not trust the power of the government and do not believe in its abilities. A real Estonian can handle himself...even with 1000% inflation 🤣
You knew that a person from Finland would react on you thinking its odd that people stay calm in a bus that just had an accident :D Here you can hear someone say out loud "no voi vittu" and then call work. I just feel proud over Estonia knowing our ways even if they were stuck in that dark place a bit longer :D
honking, as per driving laws, is only allowed for _preventing_ dangerous situations. in fact, i was taught in driving school that honking after a dangerous situation has already formed is like... "illegal" would be too strong a word, but it would not really be following neither the letter nor the spirit of the law. i think thats pretty cool. i was surprised by your point about eye contact. im estonian myself, but im also too autistic to have known that _nobody_ here likes eye contact.. i guess that explains what im doing wrong lmao. i dont get the sense personally that people are very deferent to authority, i think not speaking about inflation and stuff is more about not making it look like you cant handle things. its like saying to someone "im struggling with money you know!". sometimes it does come up though but it feels kinda intimate.
Thank you for sharing, very interesting thoughts.
I think you estonians are very similar to us in Sweden for me this is normal in Sweden if someone is speaking loud they are foreigners and especially on the phone.We even have silent designated areas in the train. This is normal
12:45 Oh no. Your perception about Tokyo, Japan is totally outdated by about 25 years. Believe it or not, it's one of the cheapest metropolises around the world. I've been to more than 80 countries so far, and it's getting more and more difficult to find a place CHEAPER than Tokyo. And yes, I'm a Tokyo resident near the Shibuya Scramble crossing.
I didn't know that. Very interesting insight. Time to visit Japan then.
About the last point... I guess people who don't complain about inflation are the people who will manage prices going up. I presume you work in an IT company and you earn decent amount of money and not just bother when something that cost 50 cents now costs 75 cents. They just think that "oh well, the prices have risen again but whatcha gonna do, that's life". But if you speak to "normal" people who earn a minimum wage they always complain that this or that is really expensive. I hear that a lot.
I am not in IT. In the last 2 years there definitely has been some talk about this. But even at the worse times (when electricity in Estonia was more expensive than Finland), there was only one notable protest in Tallinn (to my knowledge) and that was by EKRE.
That drinking from the bowl was a thing not long ago(you still can do it at home and my grandfather did it still, but he drank coffee from the damn plate also instead of the cup), like there are many old ways that have died away/evolved in Europe. Eating with fingers depends on the food but if you share it with someone then I think no one else here would touch that food if you went in with your fingers. Too many reports on how much stuff still exists on your hands after a toilet visit or people scratching themselves getting skin cells under their nails(there is a reason why doctors really scrub their hands). Old ways that we also had in Europe but long gone.
Estonian (uni student) here: I look people in the eye all the time (even smile sometimes, wild I know). I'm fine with people being bubbly and loud in public. *I'm* sometimes loud and bubbly in public. I sit next to people in the bus. I'm not scared to speak badly about the government. We're human, yk :D
Tere, good to have you here. How old are you and have you lived abroad?
I would not live anywhere outside Tallinn. Everything is already small and Tallinn is small itself. Tartu has more energy, but also small.
I don't think drinking soup from a bowl is as much rude as it's just not done and perceived as unusual, especially since soups are usually eaten while they are hot, so the wide surface area of the spoon serves to cool it down while you raise it to your mouth. Eating food with your hands depends on the food. It's very acceptable to take any kind of bread with your hands and most kind of snacks. But generally picking up anything that's greasy or sticky is seen as unhygienic and uncultured, especially when you are in a restaurant or in some other setting where everybody is at a table. Protesting is only seen as rude insomuch it disturbs other people. It's more of an issue of being loud, obnoxious, or a hindrance. If there's just some people holding signs or if there's something like a teacher's strike, most people are quite okay with it and even supportive. Bringing up political topics in a conversation is generally avoided similarly to religious or sexual topics, but it doesn't really have anything to do with authority. It's just something that's best left unexplored when talking to strangers or people you don't know very well.
Thank you for your comment. Good to have you here. Look forward to more from you.
Eating food in Estonia, is everybodys own business, I really don't care if they drink their soup :)
As an Estonian myself I definitely agree with your list. I don't know if I would say those things are rude per se but just very annoying to estonians. Like if someone I don't know looks at me and smiles or tried to come and say hi it definitely makes me feel uncomfortable and expecially if they tried to kiss me on the cheeks id feel physically threatened. I think if that happened to a guy there would be a threat of getting punched in the face by them. Estonians really ARE very protective of their privacy and personal space. Also in a way I think estonians are kinda spineless and mentally defeated - I think that's the reason we don't protest. I think everyone just has the kind of mindset that ''what would it help anyway?'' And also probably there might be some fear of not being a united nation and that chaos would maybe make Russia look at us and try to take advantage of our country being turned against itself. I think we gained our freedom still quite recently and nobody dares to mess with fucking it up by proteting. Also I think that estonians really hate other estonians and they wouldn't really bet on them to come along and protest with them and they wouldn't want to go there alone and get arrested. I think that as long as there is no threat to our independence we'll just let the government fuck with us and turn the other cheek but if it came to defending our country for it's independence everyone would come together. We just really don't want to because we have suffered a lot of losses from the second world war with families being ripped apart and that fear is still there.
Hi, I have been following you for quite sometime, Your videos are really helpful & informative I have a question,I hope you will reply that : I am an Indian,If I am a Masters student in Estonia, during the summer break can I do part time job in other Schengen countries for example in Germany? Is it possible? Please reply
I am not sure actually. Depends on a lot of things, especially where you pay taxes and what kind of work do you do.
It's all about having manners or not having them. We have eating etiquette taught already to children. Anyway you need to be courteous communicating with other people. If you want sit in bus, just ask "Kas see koht on vaba?" If you want talk with stranger, ask "Vabandage, kas ma võin teiega rääkida?" You can do what you want, just be polite.
These are good observations. I wish they don't sit with me in public transport but they do. In other countries, if people see that you are a foreigner they will not sit with you. In Estonia they ignore that rule that I need 2 seats a a foreigner. You can eat soup from a bowl, but not from a low plate as soup is served in Europe. Asians will have special bowls with high edges for drinking soup, they will not drink from European style soup plate. You can eat poultry, lobster, fruits, bread, pastries, pizza with hands. It is normal. You can eat those fishes with hands.
Thank you for your comment. Great to have you here.
Bit Off the topic, can you confirm as a student how many working hours can we work?
No limit.
What about kids ? They tend to be quite loud naturally. Is it ok there ? Thanks !
Hey I'm from Estonia so I'll help with this. I think most people do find it annoying when kids are loud and running around but we understand that they're just kids. It depends on the situation too. On public transport people can find it rude but outside a bit less.
kids are kids, some older people or drunk get in a way, some times it happens
No, having kids is not ok. That why the population is in decline
Kids are offcourse okay, although there can be stares but that doesn't matter. Kids are kids. Even Estonian kids are rowdy when they are kids.
Come to Latvia - 150km and you can do anything.
I will definitely visit.
eating with hand... well we do eat chicken with hands (eating chicken with fork and knife is rude)... Now using cash is not rude... many of us actually prefere using cash... Cashless life is more like government way to check how much money you get for salary and there fore how much taxes do you pay... if you get paid by cash then government doesn't see real numbers... But I have to be honest... Using card instead of cash is very comfortable :)
sitting on the next to other person in bus..nah, yes you can do it here. some people might not like it, but you can definitely do it.
This reminds me couple of bus-incidents as well. One happened years ago, when i was taking bus back home with friends, and an SUV rear-ended the bus. After the bang, noone raised an eyebrow( not even the bus driver ). We were sitting at the back of the bus and were the only ones who bothered to look over the shoulder and check what it was. After taking a quick look, we went back to our usual chat. Another incident happened last year, when a battery of a LUX bus exploded with a big bang. Everybody just got off the bus, went to grab some snacks whilst we waited for a new battery to be delivered. Around 2-3 hours went by and the bus was fixed. People got on and the ride continued. Noone said anything. I can imagine that in some other countries people would be cursing at the driver, at the bus company and at each other :D
It reminds me of something that happened to me about 25 years ago when I was a student at University of Tartu and went to my hometown Kuressaare by bus for a weekend. Back then, there was a bus starting from Tartu at night, I think it was about 1 am, arriving in Kuressaare early morning. It was winter, quite cold outside. Before the bus left Tartu, some technical issues appeared that needed to be fixed. So they drove us to some kind of bus center building where all those people had to wait more than an hour in a big, almost empty room. There were some chairs and tables in this room but some people were also standing all the time. It was very silent, nobody was really talking, just waiting very patiently there in the middle of the night. Remember myself not feeling quite well and having a little fever but yeah... Eventually the bus was fixed and our trip continued as if nothing happened 😊. Nobody said pretty much anything. I actually think that now, people would react at least a bit differently in a similar situation. Someone would surely call somewhere, asking for information, people wouldn't be so patient, another bus would've sent, maybe there would even be news in media etc (remembering the recent incident with the Tallinn-Tartu train when there was a jam and people had to wait outside for the replacement bus). But the overall reaction would probably be still quite calm and reserved. Which of course is rather normal for me as an Estonian 😊.
This incident was narrated to me by another foreign friend. Glad to see that I am not the only one. :D :D
Thank you for sharing. That is very different from the rest of the world.
Is there any apps I can use to learn the Estonia language please ?
Check out speakly
@@MananAnwar ok
@@MananAnwar Aitäh! Thank you! I will look into this since I am visiting family for the first time this Summer 2024.
I don't know, I criticize authorities all the time and I don't consider it rude because we still have freedom of speech so that's their problem if someone thinks it's rude. Regardless of that why would anyone want to argue with the bus driver when he asks everyone to get off the bus after a car accident, besides, it 's pretty much pointless? But yeah, don't try to kiss me unless you're a young pretty woman :)
Not speaking against authority comes from USSR times. Had something to say? - you got a "free" ride to siberia. People are talking about their disagreements a lot but only in safe spaces.
Yep and with very trusted friends.
Totally fine to criticize the government, with constructive input.
Rare but okay.
For example in France the cars would have burned long time ago because of the noodle prices.
Which job is common in Estonia that any foreign can get it easier?
Taxi and food delivery. Plus if you are an IT specialist.
"on the bus"
You have been here for as you say 9 years. How was it going through “moments” of history here. Covid-19 surely was one but Ukraine war probably is the more historic one here.
Yes, maybe I can talk about it during a subscriber live session.
@MananAnwar As an Estonian native speaker born in 1981 Soviet Estonia I say that You, Manan Anwar, are TOTALLY MISTAKEN at the last point of this video, where You claim that it is rude to talk/stand_up_to authority in Estonia. The reason, why You might have had such a mistaken impression is that may be You have not taken the PRACTICALITY ASPECT to account. For example, if a boss or any other superior official is not to one's liking, then a PRACTICAL thing to do is to just quietly start looking for a new job while working at the old, unsatisfying job. A smart Estonian boss understands that and tries to prevent that situation PREEMPTIVELY by giving a salary raise AT ITS OWN INITIATIVE. Or the student protests in Estonia: they do not happen, because in Estonian universities STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES ARE LITERALLY PART OF THE UNIVERSITY TOP LEADERSHIP and are democratically ELECTED. What's the point of protesting, if all it takes is just one email to the student representatives, WHO ARE PART OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY, and they actually will take those letters and wishes to account? On the other hand, one of the best ways to make a total fool of oneself, to really become the village fool in Estonia, is to DO USELESS THINGS THAT ARE UNPRACTICAL. If You can just send one email and Your wishes will be taken to account to the maximum extent or You need to change employers or make some changes to one's life anyway, then what is the point of "protesting"? The purpose of protesting is to make oneself heard to the other party, but if You are heard anyway or have to take some more radical action anyway because Your wishes are totally denied by the other party then what's the point of "protesting"? And if the other party is also aware of that aspect of Estonian culture, then they will certainly listen with great attention and they will read emails with great attention, or, if they do not do that, then business is tough, they will loose the best employees, etc. What regards to protesting against the state, like the teacher's strike/protests and alike, then that is not so much about sending a message to the government/ministry_of_education/ministry_of_X, but rather a way to communicate one's message to the general public and to pressure the government/state to raise the teachers/nurses/etc. salaries due to a threat that if the government/state does not do that, then there will be consequences at next elections. Or, to jump back to the private sector example, if You are not contempt with Your boss or salary, then a PRACTICAL THING TO DO is to change Your job and if one does not bother to BE PRACTICAL AND SOLVE ONE'S ISSUE (bad boss, low salary, etc.) by moving from one employer to another, then basically, the attitude is that people should keep their empty talk to themselves. Empty talk in Estonian culture is one of the worst things that one can do. It's truly, deeply, rooted in our culture, to the point that a word "mölakas", which might be translated to English as "empty-talker", because it has been derived from the Estonian word "möla" ("empty talk", "blabber"), is such a dirty swear-word that calling somebody directly a bastard ("kaabakas") sounds even lighter, less swearing. To say that somebody is "mölakas", is really strong and deep statement that depicts deep personal despise towards that person and usually that word is not used even privately, when talking about someone that one even hates. You may also think of that cultural phenomenon this way that wasting other people's time is a rude thing to do and those empty-talkers waste a lot of time, which is not just money, but also life-hours. That does NOT mean that Estonians do not enjoy some friendly chit-chat from time-to-time, but in business, well, if You talk something at all, then You'd better mean business or You will veer into that empty-talker, "mölakas", side. Politicians are kind of forgiven on that matter, because the DEFAULT ASSUMPTION is that they are empty-talkers anyway, so they're not even listened to with a kind of attention that one listens to one's coworkers or reads the emails of friends and coworkers and clients. I hope that it helps to understand that aspect of Estonian culture, id est it's perfectly OK to stand against authority, but then You'd better ACTUALLY STAND AGAINST AUTHORITY in stead of doing some useless EMPTY TALK. Thank You for reading this comment.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts.
Good to know i'm never going to Estonia
i find it rude as an Eesti boy that you are culture vultuering my culture. Come to my Curry Furry convention at 22 deer hill road, Redding Connecticut. DONT BE RUDE