R_P_A_S
25th July 2011, 01:01
How can a country change so much, so fast?
Hey guys. I was in the land of gorgeous women... Estonia! :D
I'm fortunate enough to have lots of Estonian friends so I got to stay with a few of them through Tallinn. I must admit that I was a impressed on how modern, clean and organized the city seem to be. I wasn't expecting a shit hole or anything but I didn't think they'd be doing so well. On the surface at least. My friends did say that things are a big tougher now as far as the economy ever since the Euro was introduced. I also learned about the tensions that exist amongst Estonians and Russians living in the capital.
Russian people I met seem to have a chip on their shoulder. They feel like Estonians treat them as second class citizens. I met an Estonian born Russian in Finland who told me that when the Soviet Union collapsed he wasn't issued an Estonian passport and that many Russian people who were born in Estonia when it was still part of the Soviet Union don't have Estonian citizenship.
It also seems that Estonia is trying to do everything possible to distant it self from the image of "former soviet state". I asked a couple of my friends if one could bribe the cops and they said that 5, 7 years ago it was possible but not any more. THis was after I was talking to a girl from Latvia and her boyfriend from Belarus who told me that it's very common to do that in those countries.
"anything that can compare us to Russia, or Latvia, or any other former soviet country.. the Estonian people and our politicians try very hard to get rid of this image or presumption."
Before I went to Estonia I was in France, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Finland. In all of these I saw beggars and your typical displace, awkward homeless person.. drunk or passed out... I saw none of these in Tallinn.. IM NOT saying they don't have them but I never ran into any in the 6 days I was there.
I met new friends. some of them Russian who brought me around other Russians. One made a comment that he didn't like foreigners. I didn't know if he was kidding or what he's deal was. I'm also curious as to how "street smart and shady" Russians can really be. The reputation of the mafia, scams and just crime in general in Moscow is well known and these guys seem to brag about it. Well I grew up in Mexico City and we are also known to be some shady motherfuckers.
For the fun of it I would love to stage a contest between Moscow Russians and Mexico City Mexicans to see who's the shadiest scam artist.. lol
anyways just wanted to share. I can't wait to go back to Tallinn..
Hey guys. I was in the land of gorgeous women... Estonia! :D
I'm fortunate enough to have lots of Estonian friends so I got to stay with a few of them through Tallinn. I must admit that I was a impressed on how modern, clean and organized the city seem to be. I wasn't expecting a shit hole or anything but I didn't think they'd be doing so well. On the surface at least. My friends did say that things are a big tougher now as far as the economy ever since the Euro was introduced. I also learned about the tensions that exist amongst Estonians and Russians living in the capital.
Russian people I met seem to have a chip on their shoulder. They feel like Estonians treat them as second class citizens. I met an Estonian born Russian in Finland who told me that when the Soviet Union collapsed he wasn't issued an Estonian passport and that many Russian people who were born in Estonia when it was still part of the Soviet Union don't have Estonian citizenship.
It also seems that Estonia is trying to do everything possible to distant it self from the image of "former soviet state". I asked a couple of my friends if one could bribe the cops and they said that 5, 7 years ago it was possible but not any more. THis was after I was talking to a girl from Latvia and her boyfriend from Belarus who told me that it's very common to do that in those countries.
"anything that can compare us to Russia, or Latvia, or any other former soviet country.. the Estonian people and our politicians try very hard to get rid of this image or presumption."
Before I went to Estonia I was in France, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Finland. In all of these I saw beggars and your typical displace, awkward homeless person.. drunk or passed out... I saw none of these in Tallinn.. IM NOT saying they don't have them but I never ran into any in the 6 days I was there.
I met new friends. some of them Russian who brought me around other Russians. One made a comment that he didn't like foreigners. I didn't know if he was kidding or what he's deal was. I'm also curious as to how "street smart and shady" Russians can really be. The reputation of the mafia, scams and just crime in general in Moscow is well known and these guys seem to brag about it. Well I grew up in Mexico City and we are also known to be some shady motherfuckers.
For the fun of it I would love to stage a contest between Moscow Russians and Mexico City Mexicans to see who's the shadiest scam artist.. lol
anyways just wanted to share. I can't wait to go back to Tallinn..