Thoughts and memories

I don't know where to begin to write this post.

I was thinking... I should make one post like summing up all my unforgettable year in Estonia... but I really don't know where to begin.. that's the main reason I was so late doing it. I will put people and all experiences in all this time for me there.

Maybe I should divide it into 2 parts: chronologically and then people;

but maybe I will do it all at the same time. Let's see how it works :)

Also this will be the first time I talk a bit about my private life and thoughts, so I know for most of you this will be strange, I don’t use to talk about it, but don’t get used!
This will be a long post, so stay comfortable, and prepare to read and look more and new pics.

I still remember the day I arrived to Estonia quite well, it was 15th September 2006. Few days before my friends were saying to me goodbye with one really nice dinner and some presents that made me quite emotional. I have not enough gratitude words to them. Seriously, thanks. I don't like to be the center of attention of parties, but I really valued that so many people, even people that don't like too much between them, joined all for me... and for me it was the most important, more even that any kind of present.
I still remember when Lala told me something about that, about people joined in the same table thanks to me... I don't want to tell the words she told me... I don't want one tear came again now as in that time came. Thanks Lala, thanks all… thanks Kike!







Also I still remember the last night in Vigo, when I was mad recording music dvd's all night and some friends came to say goodbye at 3:00 in the night to my home. That was really nice hehe

Well, I remember I wasn't so nervous the day of the trip. I really wanted to change for some time my rutine in Spain and have some new experiences abroad far away.
So I went together with Cristian from Vigo and then we met Manu in Barcelona. We arrived Tallinn at 23:00 if I remember well and we met our lovely tutor Eveliina, always so nice and thoughtful with us!
Not even as her student, as her friend, I will never forget you, Eveliina.
I still remember the first night in the hostel, the first thing we did was to put all the stuff in the room, and then going to some place to taste the estonian beer hehe, that was the first and last time we stayed at the Eva's pub, I don't know why we didn't come back there :D

As I promised, the first night in a pub in Estonia, I wear that shirt my friends gave me. Strange ambient for that shirt :)

Of course there were more spanish people there, I hadn't so much relation with them because of I spent most of the time with Manu, Cristian and Gartxot, but I remember you! of course!
Isra, Angel, Marlene!!!


Just after coming and some tours in the Old Town,… party party party... and more and more new people.. I still remember quite well almost every weekend the "Italian flat partys".










I don't know anything about Ricardo right now (right, the guy green dressed), but I hope all goes fine for him. He had to leave us cause his mother was quite ill.
Greets and be strong!



And of course those afterpartys in the corridors talking about culture, politics, different points of view, beer and fun. Thanks german and austrian people! (And french :) )
Thanks Martin, Gregor, Lars, Roland, Michael, Jeremy (France), Stephan (France)...











Then the first trips around Estonia. The first one I was it was in Tartu. I will remember that trip especially because my dear mp3 disappeared there…. Argh!
Some little children came into our hostel and stole all the electronic stuff. Anyway, if it wasn't for that, that would be the best trip I’ve had there. Lots of fun and visits. I still remember that visit to the A. Le Coq factory without any food in the stomach and at 13:00 in the afternoon heheheh and after going out the previous day!










In that trip I met one of my main supporting persons in Tallinn, Eray. I have no words to describe his attention to me in the bad moments always. We have suffered together, and we supported each other each time we needed someone to rise up our spirit, no matter if there is one party out or something more. And I think I will have a friend forever there in Istambul. Eray, be sure you have me for whatever whenever.
I know some people didn't like your choice, and you have lost some friends, but I think this kind of choices are too personals as to others judge them. This is my opinnion. Maybe some people could think that I'm playing to be in many sides, but I really think, that's not my business, it's a personal thought that you had to take, and I shouldn't say anything. I like to value people for the behaving with me, not for their personal choices, and I don’t have words for your supporting to me in the low moral moments. You were always there when I needed someone. And I think finally it was worth for you and you feel now happier than before. That's what really matters. You are luckier than me, I have always told you ;)

I also began to go to concerts, even alone in those days, and I began to met local people different from the ones from the university. One of the first ones was Eddie, my first and good local friend that will visit me in few days to my place here in Galicia with Nikita, another really good guy.
I will remember always those evenings drinking beer in the New York.
Thanks a lot!!

PS: what happens with the concerts in the north!!??

All they sound great! Almost no technical problems and the best bands!

Aaaaaaaargh I want to live in the north!!




One drunk night of October.. from the dark side of the imagination... the A-Team arose from the ashes of some twisted minds...
Can you remember guys how was the main idea at the beginning? I cannot remember it clearly... but what it's still in my head is that midi theme in the Roland's laptop... and that evil thought of... let's go to wake up Stephan... (I remember it was his birthday… and after some time with us.. ehem.. he had to go to bed quite soon, do you remember??) and later... let's go wake up more people ehheheheh

Nice sequence of photos (there is also one video!)

Members of missions:

Roland

Lars

Gregor

Jeremy

Michael (Bocki)

Cristian

Stephan (first victim, then team)

Manu

Me

In the late November, Manu and Cristian (the spanish guys with whom I was sharing flat) left the Academic Hostel and moved out to live in the center in a flat with Gartxot (another spanish) and Justus (Finland). They really wanted to do that, but the last minutes of their staying in the hostel I could see the sadness in their faces (maybe not in that picture!).

That change affected me in the way that I didnt have any spanish near and I had to manage to live in english and with more unknown people, but that was good! I learnt more english than ever and I knew better the rest of the people of the hostel and made a lot of good friends there for ever.
Anyway, nothing was lost with the spanish' ones, I think even our relation became better, I used to go to their flat and drink some beer and go out with them, and I had really good times and fun with them.



In that time I met one of the most special persons for me in this erasmus Tallinn 2006 2007. I think most of you know about her. Her name was R. I spent almost 3 months with her there like flying in the purple sky. But she did a lot of things afterwards wrong towards me. She doesn't realize of that, but I hope some day she will. Our relation or whatever it was ended, and it ended as bad as couldn't be. Yesterday and today we sent our respective goodbye forever mails and we won't talk and see anymore. It's really hard for me, cause I have never felt that I am not able to be friend of someone, but I cannot stand anymore to talk to her at least at the moment. Anyway, I still don’t know if I did well making that or I should wait some time more, because I’m afraid I regret.
And anyway, I will remember her forever and I will try to get the best and good things from all that time, though people tell me I should forget all about her, I know I cannot do it. I also cannot tell bad things about her, because I don't feel that, I only feel pity she isn't like I thought, and she was different. And I feel pity about myself, about how could I think I knew one person and cared so much about her, and she was the totally wrong one and very different from the one I met...
I'm sure she won't read this, though she saved my blog in her favourites, I suppose now she deleted it, as we deleted each other from the msn and mails... so all you can suppose how bad was this ending... I always supposed that for her would be easier than for me to forget each other and she showed me that in the last mail, for example, because I told her “not at the moment”, and she understood me, or wanted to understand, or maybe she wanted, after my last mail, “forever”, ok. But I cared about you and I won’t forget you, R., you know it, and maybe we will talk again in some future about our lifes, it’s too confusing for me to think that I won’t talk anymore to the girl I cared more in my life…

December was quite exciting and sad at the same time. Lots of partys and as the exams were over lots of fun and knowing more about people. And sad cause it was the beginning of the end for lots of people who shared with me all that autumn semester time.

It was also a strange time, the weather wasn’t normal in Estonia. The snow almost didn’t exist in that month and local people were telling me that they never saw so warm weather in December.



At the beginning, it was the trip to South Estonia, the last trip of the first semester, and really funny one. I remember of that trip very few hours of sleep, lots of funny moments, lots of tired moments! long trips by bus and very few free time between visiting and visiting. I remember I ended dead tired that trip…

Ouh, it was a pity, I still remember that last sad night of Manu with the broken arm.

And that accident was only few time before leaving to Italy!

Then the last partys, like that great and amazingly sad Christmas party in the hotel. With songs and awards included…

The dinner in the Glehni castle.

And I have to say sorry again to Kaisa, Eray, Michael, Lars and others for not staying at the hostel in my birthday. I was invited since lot of time ago to the place of my estonian friends, Kätrin and Kaarel for the last days of the year, and also invited by Eddie, … and I felt so bad when I wasn’t able to be there on 30^th…

Those days I have been more in trains and buses than in places :)

First with this couple and their friends near Parnu (it’s a pity I don’t have any picture of those days). That visit to the swamp and the ancient estonian fortress was amazing. And even more with the sunset and the bonfire in that old stonebuilt estonian house.

And then in one little town called Laitse really far away from Parnu with Eddie, Nikita, and their friends. Unforgettable that sauna (Presidenti Sauna) and the jumping in the snow!! (few but enough snow to make some snowballs hehe).

I arrived to the hostel on 2^nd January, and I found there the partykings, so I couldn’t even rest!!

No time to sleep!

Let’s play karaoke and drink wine and champagne!!

Do you remember that, Lars and Michael!?

Barbara, Marit, Eray, Frauke and boyfriend (sorry that I don’t remember your name) joined us and it was awesome!

January was a quiet month, in the end of December also I had one fast guest in my home, one chinese girl that shared with me almost 1 month and half if I remember well. Rebecca was a quite strange girl, but really nice! Don’t understand wrong, Rebecca, I mean strange maybe because of the cultural shock between Europe and China, maybe she thought I was the strange one hehe. I missed her so so so much when she went away…

I still have one thing missed about her… and I will play some guitar next time we will see ;) But I won’t get drunk for you! :)

And Rebecca, you gave so many presents… when I came back from Estonia I was unpacking all the stuff.. and I was .. oh this is from Rebecca, this tea also from her.. also those sticks… oh the chinese medicine…. And the cup of tea! So many things!!

Thanks!

But the best thing was to have you as flatmate… I hope you didn’t suffer too much with me :P

In January was also the last day of Reetta here, and I became quite sad first days, there it was the beginning of some sad time for me. But I didn’t show it to many people, only Eray and few more knew about my sadness… I guess the rest supposed it :)

Since the beginning of the year I became closer to Lars and Luis. We were the remaining ones from the last semester, and we supported each other quite a lot since the leaving of the people of the autumn semester and even later, with the new ones from the spring semester.

In February the cold became strong. I have never been at -29º and I have to say that it was really interesting looking how my beard gets frozen or breaking the hair so easily when it is like thin ice sticks. Again I went with Kätrin and Kaarel this time to Palamuse, one small town also far from Tallinn where they have one old estonian house. I remember those days like reaaaaally cold days. Even inside the house it was cold!But it was worth!!! And I will ever say thanks to them for being so kind with me! Specially to you Kätrin, lots of luck with your work! You deserve it!

That month, as I told I was a bit sad and I didn’t want to do any trip… I didn’t feel that, I wasn’t in the mood, and moreover the first trip was the same as the last one of the previous semester… But anyway I remember those days as the days of the coming of the new Erasmus and the corridors of the hostel became again full with partys.

That birthday of Luis was quite destroyer :) eh?, Luis?

March was also a cold month. I made that short film (thanks Astra!!)

And my friends from Spain, Kike, Maria and Tere (hola!) came to visit me and see how is life in there. They have known also how the partys inside the hostel were, their visit was at the same time as the famous “Destroy Party” or “Demolition Party”. That party was absolute crazy!

I have no words to describe it.. and I think photos can explain better than me.. only saying that falck came like 5 or 6 times, and police some also…

And also we had the visit again of Roland!

Ready to party again as the last semester.

Another sad thing in those days was the leaving of Lars with Roland back to Germany. Lars was one of my main supportings that semester and I was truly sad when he left. I thought he would stay the whole semester, but he had some problems with his university or something like that and he had to leave.

I missed so much those nights like…

“hey Diego! Let’s drink some beer!!”

“but tomorrow I have to wake up..”

“nonono… one beer come on!”

“ooook …”

…

“hey! it’s 4 in the night!!”

Also I remember that last night when Lars took me… and he said… Diego we have to do it for last time…

So he took me out in the door of the corridor… and both together we sang…. “Alcohooooooool… alcohooooool … alcohol alcohol alcohol… hemos venidoooo ….”

Later the receptionist came thinking that we were a lot of people and said to us…

“come on! You are waking even the neighbours of the other buildings and it’s 5:00!!!”

Hahaha

After the leaving of Rebecca, my new flatmate was Rieke, one girl from Belgium. Really nice girl and kind. She stayed since February if I remember well till end of April. In that month and almost preparing the leaving we had in our flat one “Belgium Night” quite quiet after that destroy party heh…

She joined flat with Mara, my other flatmate, from Portugal, another girl who came quite late in the spring semester.

I put again this pic of mine because of Rebecca, she told me it was the best pic she has ever seen of me. Well, I don’t know, I was quite sad that day, and it seems I just woke up…

Later one strange party inside one tram.. I have never been in one party even similar. The tram was without almost chairs and the music was playing like a pub meanwhile we were making a tour allover Tallinn. Quite interesting and funny.

But for Estonia, March will be remembered as the month of the bronze statue and the riots in Tallinn. Quite strange days. Most of the local people I knew were telling me that they didn’t know what will happen. It was so strange that alcohol prohibition… but it seems that it worked!

I haven’t seen the city with so many policemen in the streets as those days.

The leaving of Rieke brought Joao as my new flatmate, boyfriend of Mara and from Portugal also. Both them were my main friends all the time I remained living there until the end. I became really a lot close to them since we were living and seeing leave all the erasmus and we stayed there. Also we could talk to each other in our respective languages. As some of you know… my mother language is galician, not spanish, and really close to portuguese. So it was amazing that for a long time I was in Tallinn speaking only english and galician… and some times that few estonian..

Hey that book from the university was helpful!

Sul on ilusad silmad!

Kas me saame minna kuhugi, kus on vaiksem?

Ma armastand sind!

Üks olu palun!

Mul on pohmakas

Useful estonian for beginners! :)

Oh and of course… Müin perse Raiiiiiiiiiisk!!!!

and some bad russian words… (hey Eddie!! How do you write that? Giviounish gaviouni!?!?!?!hahahah)

Ah Joao, Mara, I miss you both!

I still miss those days when Joao came in the afternoon in my room and he asked me when he realized I was awake... "Eh, entom? como vai?" :) ("and then, how do you do", more or less)

May was the month of the beginning of leavings of people of the second semester and the last partys.

Hey Luis, do you remember that afterparty? Ehem hehe

Nice sequence of pictures… what the hell was that liquor??? Someone tell me for never buying it! XDDD

Oh, my dear collection of beers! I won’t forget you! Sniff sniff

First that nice “portuguese party” also in my flat, cause of the portuguese couple.

I have the receips Mara! All them are in pictures… so … I will ask my mom to take note… hahaahah yeeeeeeeh too lazy to cook, I know… but 1 year cooking… at the end I got tired!

The party in the Glehni castle, thanks to Gautier, the crazy partyking of this semester!!

Gautier, you are great!!! Thanks for coming!

And as the first semester, the last party was in that hotel… this spring, the last official party was one picnic in the abbandoned Patarei prison. Strange place for one party, but it was surprinsingly good and funny. Again some awards… this time with me as one of the winners… (someone! Explain me clearly… what does mean “Survivor of the semester”???? If nobody answer.. my next poll will be “What do you think that award that people gave me means?” and 6 possible answers.. that I will see what to put.. and I see the last ones will be “all of the above”, “all are false” heheh)

June was then, at first sight one quiet month… people were leaving… each time less and less people… exams were over… summer was coming… but I remember I didn’t have any time to relax. Thanks I made such a lot of friends in Estonia, I was busy having some beer with ones, hanging around in the city, I don’t know… but I remember very few time to think in other things… today I have to met them, tomorrow the others.. and so on…

Also in the middle of June and thanks to my dear friend Ilona, I went with her, Katya and Pille to Turkey for that amazing exchange in Turkey for 9 or 10 days. I have so much to thank her! Met new and so good friends, one new country that was so far from Estonia and I couldn’t even imagine to visit so close in time… and that time there shared with people from all Europe… THANKS ILONA!!! (And lots of kisses and luck in your french adventure!!).

After only 9 hours of sleep (“only” because I almost didn’t sleep in the trip back to Estonia from Ankara), I had to pick up my brother and friends in the airport.. and more and more visiting, going out and fun…

Later 5 sad days of saying goodbye to people… I almost have to make a schedule!!.. I returned back home…

Watermelon-vodka party! Thanks Ulrika and Pam!!

I guess the question for all now is… “how do you feel?” or “how are you?”…

I have to say that I am damn depressed, I am getting better day by day and getting use to talk again to all in galician, and see people around me speaking this language or spanish… and so on.. the same rutine… but I really miss Estonia, life, and people there, and I guess I will be sad for a lot of time more. Of course I am happy to see again family and friends (great wellcome barbecue, Kike!!) but after that amazing year abroad and having that excitement of… what will I do tomorrow? …

More people, that I didn’t ment up there… I don’t forget you!! (no special order)

Julia!

I was writing this and inmediately I thought in you. You were right, I have the same feeling of you after your erasmus in France. I have changed also something inside, as you… we have a lot of things in common in that field… and..

I miss you!!! I miss all those last days having some drink and chatting time!!

We will get over that, and we will see again… for sure I will visit Tallinn again in some future, if not there, in another place in Europe or in Spain if you dare ;)

That’s a message for all!!! Don’t forget! I don’t want to talk again to each one of you asking if you want to come to Galicia to my place! :) All you are invited! Just tell me with enough time.

Yan!

You were always so nice to me!!!

Thanks for those dinners and you are a great cooker!!

Thank you also for joining me to the airport, you will be always near my heart whenever you are, China, Estonia, Bulgaria, or in the castle of Dracula! ;)

Petri!

Always so thoughtful! Thanks for your eternal activity and good mood in trips and of course, for taking me to the TV and become famous in Estonia hehe … it was interesting.

Seriously thanks for your visits to the hostel, I appreciate that a lot!

Ewelina!

Keep on as you are, my dear kind polish girl.

Polish death metal rules!!

Ilona!

Without you I couldn’t have been in Turkey and have so awesome days there and met so many people. Thanks for thinking in me, you cannot imagine how glad I felt when you told me I was one of the first ones you thought for making that exchange. I’m pleased that I have met you in Estonia. As I told you, good luck in France, we will see some day!

Rifat!

Stop moving that leg!!!

Greetings to the coolest turkish guy! I told you the day of the leaving of Ankara, I have no words for your hospitality and kindness. Thanks! Keep on rockin’!

Siim!

You are crazy man!

Time to say.. Come on Motherfuckeeeeeeeers!!!

I will miss those poker games.

Drink one (or 2 or 3) beers for me!Terviseks!!

Say hi to Aarne, Märt, Karl, Tiit, Maarek and the rest of people!

Oh! And if you get some pics from the camping just tell me!!

Viggo!

Rise up that moral!

All we have bad moments, look at me at that time! But we have to think that better times are coming. That’s what keep us alive!

Dzintars!

I didn’t put any word about you here! Well I think most of the people don’t know anything about you! I will introduce you: Dzintars was my latvian roomate, but he was out almost all the time, so most of the Erasmus people came to me and asked .. but .. do you have roomate? Really?

Hehe

Well only saying that it was a pleasure to have you there and good luck with your director career!!!

Gocken!

Thanks for being always so nice with me, your presence in the exchange was always a light near, and we will see soon!!

Janne and Karin!

My favourite receptionists! I hope we didn’t do too much mess those party days and you forgive us. It was really nice to meet both you.

Specially Janne, with whom I still have one pending chat :)

Ulrika!

Thanks for being there always and, we met already a bit late, since my coming in September, but I will miss you. When I come back we will do another vodka-watermelon party, but that time I will put the vodka, ok? ;)

Greetings to Pam also!

Manu!

Thanks for coming again in the second semester, few days but you came just in the right time! I hope that arm will be ok in few time!

I hope I didn’t forget anyone!

Of course others that I had there: all tutors, Elisabeth (the last person who talked to me when I was still in Estonia, thanks :) ), Alex, Ziqui, all new and old erasmus (I don’t want to put all names here), Justus, the guys of the shop of Rockstars, Tibo (and all his pictures), friends of Eddie; Nikita, Kent, Anton, Anthony, … Laura, Liisi (the first estonian I met, she was erasmus in Vigo before I came to Estonia), Jekaterina, Silja, Vlada, Yu, Kerli, Astra, all receptionists; Annika, Anneli…. People from the Ankara’s exchange , Riin Kobin, the best coordinator!... and sorry if I forget someone more

Taksos!

Thanks for trying always to steal and take some extra kroons from our poor student pockets.

I want to come back to those days, but I know I have to go on with life…

It was 295 days in a row in Estonia, and it went so so fast!

Some people tell… when you think time passed fast, it means that you enjoyed it! I cannot be more agree.

Again thanks to all for becoming part of the best year of my life!

And now… time to cry :)

See you.

PS: this summer I will upload few things more to the blog, I will be few time in internet, that’s because I made this so long. Feel free to write some comment, suggestion, whatever, BUT SOMETHING, about Tallinn, the post, how much will/did you miss me :P…