Tis The Season...

I apoligize for not updating my blog for a few weeks. I got wrapped up in celebration the Holidays. I'd like to thank my family for five wonderful days at home. I love you all. And grandma, thanks for the silk underwear, they fit just fine. In seven days, I traveled for about 50 hours over 10,000 miles. To see a description of what this is like, check out another American-living in Estonia's blog at www.lettersfromestonia.blogspot.com (article "Champions of the Flight"). It is truly funny, yet accurate. I arrived back in Tallinn on Dec. 28th whereupon I walked out of the plane (Tallinn is one of those board the plane from the runway type places) into -11C/13F wintery wonderland, complete with a frigid windchill and falling snow....Welcome Back! Needless to say, I will be wearing my gift a lot.

Because I had been out of town, my refrigerator was empty ( I also needed liquid fabric softener), so I decided a trip to the grocery store was in order. Subsequently, I learned that you can have a cultural adventure just about anywhere, even a western safe-haven like the grocery store (see "To Queue or Not to Queue"). We folk living in Estonia don't have dryers, so we all use liquid fabric softener that goes in the wash. It's not as good as a Bounce sheet, but hey...they used to be communist. Despite their unfortunate past, Estonians now have more brands and types of liquid fabric softener to choose from than you shake a stick at (stick shaking will be discussed later). I use a brand called Lenore...it has English words on the bottle (maybe it is sponsored by Poe's lost love...forevermore). Lenore comes in your typical fragrances like Fresh, Rain, Lilac, and Moonflower. For folks into risk taking, multiculturalism, or without olfactory senses, they also have Amazon, and Flamenco. I never thought laundry could get so cosmopolitan.

Though smelling like a sweaty Spaniard is tempting, I have to say I was most intrigued by Amazon. Besides, I left my flared red shirt and tassled hat back in the U.S. Anyhow, you can't scratch-and-sniff the bottle, and the picture on the front portrays a mountain, a bird, and some foliage, so I'm wondering which part of the amazon are your clothes supposed to smell like? Is it the balminess of a Warrior Princess? The fear of being chased by an Anaconda? Perhaps the pheremones of a blodsucking bat or giant insect? Maybe it's what your clothes would smell like after washing them in the Amazon river...mmhmm. This leads me ask, "What do the Estonians know about the Amazon that I don't?" I decided to pursue a safer course and purchase Honey and Vanilla. Perhaps I will make a New Year's Resolution to be more globally minded when purchasing my household items.

Speaking of New Years, it's very close. I have had a few party invitations. One of them includes traveling to a small town outside of the capital for revelry, merrymaking, and sauna. But this is not the Sauna you're used to...it's Estonian. The traditional sauna involves sitting naked in a small wooden room heated by wood or stones. You pour water over the wood/stones to create moist steam. This can be done single-gender or coed. To get an even more authentic experience, one takes a birch rod and then beats the skin, increasing bloodflow, persperation, and exfoliation. For better results, give the rod to your friend. After about 10 minutes you run and jump into a frigid pool of water...rinse and repeat. For a more scientific/historical description type Estonian Sauna into Google :)

Let me just summarize by adding, nothing says "Happy New Year" like sitting naked in a very hot closet while having strangers swat you with a stick followed by a self-induced coronary...I wish you all a Happy Holiday! May your New Year's Eve bring you as much magic and mystery as I am sure mine will.

*Pics: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.rukansalonki.fi/images/sauna.jpg
&imgrefurl=http://www.rukansalonki.fi/sauna.htm&h=168&w=250&sz=
23&tbnid=6Gq7bQ90o8j8uM:&tbnh=71&tbnw=106&hl=en&start=4&prev=
/images%3Fq%3Dfinland%2Bsauna%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26hs%3DfA0
%26lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official_s%26sa%3DG, http://www.southtravels.com/europe/estonia/radissonsastallinn/gifs/sauna.jpg