After each 5 years, Estonia is helding a unique and special festival -
Song and Dance Festival - people all over Estonia gather together to Tallinn with their folk dance groups and choirs to perform for the Estonian people. It is considered as one of the largest amateur choral events in the world.
And indeed it's a HUGE event - having about 100 000 spectators and singing along with the choirs... It's a part of Estonian culture and seems not to loose its popularity also nowadays. The history goes back to
1869 when the first Song Festival was held in Tartu to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of serfhood in Estonia. In the 1st Song Festival, only men choirs and instrumentalists were participating, together 845 peformers. This year, the number of people during the performance of united choirs under the Singing Arch was about 24 000!
This year, I went to enjoy this event together with my Finnish penpal Minna. At first, we went to the performance of Dance Festival - the theme was "Sea" and it was absolutely lovely. We had very good seats and could see all the patterns the dancers made. Additionally to Estonian dances, also national dances of Latvia, Finland and Russia were shown.
From there, we rushed to the Song Festival ground to be ready for a lot of singing and huge crowd... We managed to get good seats, later were joined by my friend Kristi, her mother and Eve and Ragnar; and we all enjoyed the event very much singing along... It's certainly an event you will never forget. In 2003, the UNESCO international jury included the Estonian tradition of song and dance festivals in the list of oral and intellectual heritage of humankind.
Song Festival
I and Minna in the Song Festival, the Singing Arch in back.
Minna, I and Kristi have found our spot to listen to and sing along the songs.
Ragnar and Eve have joined us, too, + Kristi's mother.
The Estonian flag made of balloons.
The crowd when the festival has just started.
Dance Festival
Yesterday, I took the whole day to make Christmas cards... I was inspired by ethno and ornament styles, and I really enjoyed my time in the middle of all decoration staff. Alltogether, I made around 30 cards, so watch out - something may pop to your mailbox as well! ;)
Since I do not want to ruin the surprise, then I will introduce the cards when Christmas is over and the greetings have reached their destination. 
Photo: A group-photo of 18 girls who studied together with me at university.
Photo: Excursion in our new library.
On Thursday, September 17, the ceremonial commencement was held in our university - to celebrate the 91st birthday of the university as well as hand over the certificates of Doctor's Degree for all those 38 doctors in our university who had defended their work within 1 year. I was one of them :) 
Photo: Our Rector Peep Sürje arriving to the ceremony.
Photo: Rector Peep Sürje is giving me the diploma.
Photo: I'm writing my signature to the university's yearbook.
Photo: Greetings time - Erik hugging me.
Photo: Greetings from my friends Tauno and Kairi.
Photo: Taken after the ceremony in the building where I work (Economics Faculty)
Photo: Taken near my new office.
Photo: My diploma.
Photo: A very small tea-table after the ceremony (I've had all my parties already in summer...)
Many of you know, that I have been moving to a brand new office due to my work during this summer. The official opening of our new house in university's campus - the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences - took place in August 31. It was an important event - the building was opened by the President of Estonia - Toomas-Hendrik Ilves; and the former President - Arnold Rüütel - being also present. 
Photo: The start of the opening ceremony. You can see our Dean Enn Listra (second from left), the President Toomas-Hendrik Ilves (third from left) and the rector of Tallinn University of Technology - Peep Sürje (speaking). 
Photo: The speech of the President. 
Photo: Our dean and the President of Estonia 
Photo: Some important people 
Photo: Here you can see the mascot of our university - Juulius. 
Photo: I together with the mascot Juulius. 
Photo: The new house from outside.
Photo: View from the last floor of our building over the old part of university's campus. 
Photo: View from my colleague's window, left you can see another quite new building of university (faculty of Power Engineering). 
Photo: This is my new office which I share with my colleague Marina. Of course, most of our time we spend in lecture halls... 
Photo: Another photo of my new office. 
Photo: Park around the campus.
After each 5 years, Estonia is helding a unique and special festival -Song and Dance Festival - people all over Estonia gather together to Tallinn with their folk dance groups and choirs to perform for the Estonian people. It is considered as one of the largest amateur choral events in the world.
I and Minna in the Song Festival, the Singing Arch in back.
Minna, I and Kristi have found our spot to listen to and sing along the songs.
Ragnar and Eve have joined us, too, + Kristi's mother.
The Estonian flag made of balloons.
The crowd when the festival has just started.
Even when Independence Day of United States is coming on the 4th of July, the American Embassy in Estonia celebrates it usually a few weeks earlier. This year, the banquet was held in June 18, e.g. yesterday. I, of course, had the eternal question - what to wear? And no summer clothes were in consideration, because it was again one of the cold-almost-rainy summer days we have had very often in this June. 
Photo: The speech about American History.
Photo: American soldiers.
Photo: A beautiful cake...
Photo: I and Erik and cute red Mustang.
Photo: I and Erik's colleague Ahti.
Photo: Our President Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Photo: Our former President Arnold Rüütel
