There is a teacher in a South-Estonian school who despite his stable and peaceful life would like to know more about the children in Africa. He has told the pupils about two very different worlds, of which one lays in Estonia, the other in Ethiopia. These countries differ a lot but then again there are heaps of similarities. Reading the children’s description which their teacher sent us of their daily lives in South-Estonia, Kambja or in faraway Ethiopia, one can note that not even the amount of meals in a day is not as important as are our everyday relationships. If in Estonia there are not bundles of siblings to have fun with we choose friends for that from outside the family circle. Friends often become as important to us as family members, sometimes even more than siblings
But there is reason in every dissimilarity. Sometimes the difference might seem to be with a negative shade. Being here answers the the questions about these things. The Estonian winter seems unbearable in this faraway warmth, as the single meal a day for Ethiopian children seems unbearable to us. It is difficult to imagine every family in Estonia having six children or the possibility that each one of these children might be struck down by a serious illness.
I had a feeling that reading the children’s letters helped to grasp dissimilarities, the balance of life and beauty beyond our zone of comfort.
MERLE
In school
20th of January
I had slept in so I had to hurry. I hastily made some sandwiches and set my steps towards the school.
First lesson was music. We learned to play the song „Poisid ritta!“ („Line up! Boys!“) on the recorder. I a little trouble with it. We also sang the song „Taat, Ära maga“ („Grandfather, Don’t sleep“) It was an amusing and a funny song.
The long break
After the third period we have a long break which lasts 45 minutes. We went sledging with others. There were bumps on the slope and I hurt myself a little. Laura broke the rules and so Olle and Taavi threw snowballs at her. One of Olle’s snowballs hit me too. When the bell rang I went inside. I was little bit in a good and little bit in a bad mood. The next day during the long break we sledged down the slope as a train. My sleigh was the last one. I fell off it into the snow many times but I didn’t get hurt. It was so much fun. We were all laughing. I was very sad when the bell rang and the break was over.
In the English lesson
Today I did very well in this lesson. There were only few mistakes in my workbook. Teacher Eha showed us different pictures and we formed sentences of them. I learned some new words. When the lesson ended, I was happy. The long break started and we got to go out sledging.
Social studies lesson
On Thursdays we have the Human and Social studies lesson. There we learned that all the children in the world don’t get to go to school. They have to work instead and boys have to fight in wars. That was sad. We checked from the map where these countries are located. We also learned about the laws and rights of children. And then about safety. It was a very educating lesson.
Sunday
23rd of January
I woke up around nine o’clock. It was already well light outside. We drove to moms friends place and spent the night there. No-one was up yet. Only when mom woke I came out of bed. We started preparing breakfast. Dad and his friend were still asleep so we had breakfast without them. Around two o’clock we started going back home. Arriving home I immediately fed the dog. Then me and mom set the doe for a carrot-pie to bob up. While the doe was bobbing I did my homework and made bookmarks for my books. Then we put the pie into the oven. It turned out to be great. Before going to bed I watched „Garfield“ from the TV and read a book. It was a very cool day. I didn’t quarrel with anyone. It was a good feeling.
Art lesson
24th of January
At first we drew a magpie, which we hadn’t finished. I added a lot of feathers to it. Later we started drawing a spider with an erasing rubber. I am not afraid of spiders. I like them. We didn’t quite finish the picture. On Friday we will make a frame for it. I especially liked strengthening the lines.
Physical education lesson
26th of January
We took the parish bus to the gym today. At first we were exercising in the gym. Everyone showed one exercise. I did „the candle“. Then we practiced relay with handing the pole. I didn’t drop the pole once. After that we jumped with the jumping-cord. I managed to do it well. Dodge ball is my favourite game. I was thrown out of the game at the very end of it. Then I went to climb on the ladders. When I was coming out of the locker room I felt a little sad. I wanted this lesson to continue.
Nature science lesson
2nd of February
Today we studied natural resources. Teacher Lembit laid on the table many little boxes which had in them chalk, oil shale, calcareous stone, coal, iron ore, many types of marble, granite sedimentary rock, mica.
We smelt and touched these. Coal made our hands black, iron ore red. I enjoyed copper ore the most. It looked like gold. Ther were a blue and purple colours in the piece of copper ore. Taavi asked the teacher: „Where did the stones get their names? And which was the first stone?“ Teacher Lembit figured that some names were given by scientists. We found out that there isn’t any gold or silver, oil nor coal in Estonia. Our natural resources are oil shale, peat, sand, clay and lime and calcareous stone. I liked this lesson very much.
After the lessons
19th of April
Ii is well spring already. Today after the lessons I am going horseback riding in Karl-Erik’s farm. After the practice mom will probably pick me up. If she can’t do that I’ll go home by foot. It is about two kilometers from the horse farm to my home. It is nice to walk home in the spring. To hear the chaffinches sing ” Siit metsast, siit metsast ei saa mitte üks pirrutikk“ (from these woods, from these woods no single lighting match can be had*). To see the yellow brimstone butterflies and feel how the sun warms your back. The road to my school goes sometimes uphill sometimes down. Because of that i can see the roof of the school and its green wall from far away already. If I haven’t done some of my homework I think to myself „I’ll do it during the break.“ Lake Pangodi can be seen very well from here. It is still covered with ice right now. When I get home I do my homework. Sometimes I help my mom cook as well. But later I go for a walk in the pine forest. I see if something new has happened in the woods. Is the daphne blossoming already? The whole school wants to come and look fer themselves then. Blossoming of the Daphne is one of the signs of spring. Many children in our school are not familiar with this little bush and I can be their guide then.
* the sound of the song of the chaffinch put into words