@VladVernygora-ug8sw nordics are known to be progressive and caring, neither russians nor estonians either (estonian myself) have such a mindset, russians tend to be even more conservative
If you come to Estonia to have fun, you stay in the fun places and have enough money, it may look like we are very Nordic. Ideal Estonians in ideal situations perhaps even are. If one is young, looks good, has had the sense to study the right thing (the ones that bring you enough money because in genera our salaries are really low while living costs are the same as in Scandinavia) and has had the luck to grow up in a more or less functioning family... then, yes, perhaps those Estonians in ideal conditions are pretty Nordic. Basically, people who manage on their own. Because as soon as you need any kind of help in Estonia, you will see a very different mindset. It is so depressing I do not want to get into it. Very shortly put: Estonia does not respect its citizens once they need help. But this respect is the basis of any welfare society. And we are not even trying to become one, this phrase has basically become a satirical phrase pointing to helpless, naïve, stupid people who cannot manage life nad who have first-world problems Estonia is for the young, healthy, rich and lucky. As long as you belong to those categories, you see one side of the country. Then it almost a paradise. Once you fall out of those categories, you will considered to be belonging to what we call "second Estonia" which is a very different world. Nothing Nordic about that. I understand that we have not had much time as a country to build everything up after the Soviet occupation and i would be very patient to give us time. But the thing is that we do not seem to be trying. We have almost no safety net here that will catch you should something happen to you. "everyone has to manage by themselves" is our main motto and we are fff-ing proud about it. I do not even know if it comes from the Soviet period or our extreme individualism. Perhaps both.
I’ve been to Denmark in the early 1990s, then I was in my early 20s. Somehow all the danish girls up there in Løkken liked me somehow. But when it was about to have sex, they were too afraid to go on all out 😮😢 Or maybe it was because I was interested in several girls at once 😂😜🥰
My wife is Estonian and a few years ago her grandmother broke her leg and was in the waiting room at the hospital at the same time a guy came in with a broken finger and was making a bit of noise the doctor came out and told him to be quiet and said "this lady broke her leg and is making no noise!"
This @11:54 is gold. Finding your soulmate is difficult. Finding soulmate from another culture even more so, and the farthest (culturally) you travel the more desperate it gets.
As an Estonian this is why travelling is often very mentally exhausting for me. I've visited over 30 countries and I've loved visiting different places to see the buildings, nature, etc, but the way random people strike up conversations is always so difficult for me to handle. So every time I get back home, I am relaxed by the fact that I don't have to talk anymore haha
I have dual citizenship; America and Estonia, I mostly think of myself as mainly Estonian since I lived there from one year of age to about fourteen-fifteen. I moved to America due to circumstances (thinking of moving back), and I'm not gonna lie, once you get used to the random conversations and saying hello to everyone you see, it's really nice. It has a much less depressing feel, since everyone isn't reserved to death, lol.
As someone who is Swedish and Finnish I have always seen the Baltic states as being brothers to Nordics. I see the Baltics having a lot more in common with the Nordics than they do Eastern Europe. I often see traditional Latvian and Lithuanian clothing having Nordic influence and Estonia also has a history of being under Denmark and Sweden. Plus the Nordic-Baltic Eight should a sign of strong ties with each other.
The only difference is that Finland and Sweden were the same country for over 600 years. Even today swedish is the second official language in Finland.
Aslo Belarus ,north Ukraine and north west Russia have similarities with baltic states and Finland ,peoples look the same and have same genes, close traditions and mentality, aslo introvert , wooden houses but have much influence from est europe because of comunism, aslo ruriks were baltic and finnish vikings
@dariusm3711 You need to look much at genetic tests than genetic map in google made by reddit peoples, if you go to villages in north Ukraine (not towns because are inhabited by peoples from all regions of Ukraine and imigrants from soviet times like Klitschko brothers who born in Kîrgistan , average north Ukraine female look like Lana Frolova o Alyona Osmanova and average male look like mykhailo romanchuk (he born in Rivne north Ukraine ) balts inhabited terotories from north Latvia to north Ukraine, aslo Kolochin culture from north Ukraine and south Belarus was a balto slav culture
I'm from Turkey and I have had close Estonian friends. Not only they have a great sense of humour, they're the best I think as friends. They're just very reserved before getting to know you.
@@kriimdriimthere’s some prejudices and jokes about Estonian being very slow minded and acting people all over the former Sowjet Russian space.. 😂 remember the joke about the Estonian subway driver in Moscow..😂 or the one with the dead rabbit on the road 😂😅
Turkish and European mentality doesn’t go along well with each other. At least here in Germany there’s very few examples of German men getting along with Turkish. Most Turkish here have too much testosterone
It it? I live here and am an introvert and it is so hard for me. It is impossible to find a place to be on your own or a place where someone is not noise-polluting or just talking constantly
Not helping in accidents with several bystanders is called the bystander effect in psychology. There are cultural differences, some have theoreticized that not wanting to stand out or take the first step in helping is a fear more commonly found and instilled in cultures that is or have been victims to oppressive regimes in recent times. Maybe it takes one or two generations of freedom to get over.
I am aware of that theory. But then why is it that Russians have no problem calling an ambulance if they see something has happened. It is almost always a Russian person who makes the call or does anything. The same if something has happened to your car: the ones who stop and help are always Russians. I hate to say that because as an Estonian i am supposed to dislike Russians, and I do. But it sadly is the way I have described it and Russians have had much more of oppressed regimes than we have. It is true: Estonians will never help a stranger. Never. It would have to be some kind of miracle. One exception to it though: Estonians do not hesitate to call help for animals or birds. This is a very good thing and i am very proud of that. But we will never help a person. Very often we will also not help close ones or family members. They are all also supposed to manage on their own. People will take care of their parents who become too old to manage on their own. But most people will do that out of robotic duty, also legal duty.
@@HelenGolovina-y9hEstonian are still pagans. 😅 at least it’s the country with the least christian believers in Europe. 😊 And the thing with Russians being more active might be because many of them have more southern blood. They are more temperamental than common Estonians. And to say something nice about Estonians: if you ask somebody directly for help, then they will help you with everything in their power. 😊.
@@volkerr. Might be the southern blood, or just being a more collectivistic type of culture. as for asking Estonians for help directly: yes, you may get some help sometimes. But not always. Not in my experience. I have asked a person what time it was (my phone was lost, I had nowhere to look time). The person looked at me really long and gave it a really long thought before she looked the her phone and showed it to me (from afar). As if it was a really hard thing to do and she had to be really sure before doing it. And she showed it from so far away that I could not see it, still had to ask her to TELL me and finally she did. Lately we had a program on TV showing our police videos of situations of people walking by a person being beaten on the street. For 15 minutes and do nothing. Not even call the police after having passed. Because nobody called the police, the victim just contacted police later. I understand not wanting to intervene physically, I would not. But you can CALL. Estonians do not even do that. Latvians (who are actually more southern than us) are even worse. I have asked people on the street to call the police because I needed them and had some technical problem with the phone. People just refused. Not one or two people, everyone. Finally I saw a police car and stopped them by standing in front of the coming vehicle. So I live my everyday life relying only on myself, being ready that there is no room for any mistake. All that happens is what I myself make happen. Even those whose job it is to help, are often angry if they are called. It is very easy in Estonia to be told off by ambulance for calling them. Estonia is a very bad place to be alone when something happens to you. At the same time it is relatively safe, not much bad happens crimewise.
Visited Tallinn early this year. Gorgeaus city. They have a bar totally dedicated to Depeche Mode, one of my favorite band. The women in Estonia are beautiful and modern and sophisticated.
So true! If you stop me to ask me a question in the streets, keep a few meters distance and promptly and clearly state your business so that I can be on my way.
I'm Irish, in Ireland. One time I was at a club/bar with my ex and friends. A Danish guy was there and he loved chatting with us, a Norwegian as well. Then I saw 2 Finnish guys by themselves looking awkward, so wanted to include them in our group. They blatantly said no and asked me to leave them alone. It was such an odd experience. They soon left when Brazilians started talking to them (who later joined our group). So maybe I was just getting too close as the girl said. I wonder would it be like that with Estonians.
I used to work in Stockholm in a multinational company. There were mainly Swedes there, with a few foreigners from the Americas and Europe. There was also a sizeable Finnish presence and they never mixed like the rest of us did, but they were not particularly rude about, just a little surprised/reserved if you ever did make the mistake of thinking they would want to talk to you
Finnish people and Brazilians are polar opposites of each other. Brazilians are loud, extremely friendly, rowdy and very up close in your space while Finns are the very opposite. We like our space and keeping to ourselves. It takes time and a lot of patience to get into our circle. Just ask the person I’m married to. I’m Swedish and Finnish married to an American from the South. Our relationship started off at very different frequencies but we have managed to meet some where in the middle. Our common interests is what brought us together. The first few dates were awkward but managed to warm up.
@@saalvosegg8171 Ain't no body got time for that sweetie. I determine in two seconds if you're fly or not. We had a Finnish group actually join is in Amsterdam so there's some Finnish people who are outgoing and like a loud boisterous crowd, so just like you expect patience, that's a luxury outgoing people may not afford you.
My son married a Estonian. I am going to be a grandma of a baby boy this year! His wife is a beautiful, nice, kind young woman. Hoping to visit Estonia soon. ❤️🇪🇪
I live in South Estonia ,the most genuine part, i travel a lot and also i have a lot of friends from all around the world, who have lived in my place(....Uruguay, Italy, England, Portugal....), since they got to know me and my friends, they do something, that is not common in here, they say a lot, that they love me.....but.....i love them a lot also, i,m just not used to tell them that....
Nordic countries : Finland 2 meters to talk , Baltic countries : Estonia 1,5 meters to talk , The Whole American continent , the North and South : can we get closer ? 30 cm is too far from each other 😂😂
Estonians, bare minimum, more than reach of stretched out limb... And only if absolutely necessary... - thank god for telegrams, phones (preferably SMS), email, social networks, ...
@@Yalbou Finland is full member of Nordic council (meanwhile, Estonia isn't). Finland is also very much northern Europe (geographically, culturally, etc - also, the given affinity is meant when people speak about „nordic Estonia“) What Finland is not, is Scandinavian (geographically, also excludes Iceland for example) and North-Germanic - here its Finnic (unrelated language - linguistic similarities between Scandinavian languages and Finnish is kind of like attempting to compare Greek and Turkish).
Last week I spent my holiday in Estonia. And to be honest, I found it rough. In my own country (the Netherlands), I'm being considered an introvert. In Estonia I felt like the most extrovert person in the world. Every time I said "hi" to people they either ignored me or looked at me like they saw a ghost. I went out one evening and I didn't manage to even get one decent conversation. Every time I tried to have a conversation they answered my questions and nothing more. I really had to pull it out. So, I experienced the Estonian people as extremely closed and almost terrified of strangers. Of course I had read about it but I totally underestimated how extreme it was. It's sad, but because of this the chance that I will ever return is very small. On the other hand, we also went a few days to Helsinki and we experienced the people over there as much friendlier and open. Shy but very approachable.
it's the ussr past, everything the russians touched or anywhere they went the just ruined it, it's a fact. Anyone who didn't experience it they just won't understand it. I was born in Poland in the '70s. Poland wasn't even part of the ussr but until the end of '80 the spying authoritarian state was present everywhere, that's why all central Eastern Europeans are like that, diffident, simple as. It is changing though especially with young generations being born after that VERY bleak era, but it's a generational change.
I wonder if the the sparser town more north of Finland are more like Estonia. I'm not surprised too much by what you said about Helsinki as large cities seem to be much more socially relaxed and outgoing.
This depends more on the culture. I think that we would agree that Spaniards are more extrovert than Dutch people but we don’t feel the urge to say hi to random people on the street. Of course, if you say hi we are going to reply and in other instances, we are going to strike up a conversation.
people from warmer climates tend to be more friendlier quicker because you're outside more often in the year than the colder climate countries. It's like that here in Canada as well when trying to get to know people. One thing though is we aren't shy to say hello and speak to people. I can easily tell Eastern Europeans and Nordic people apart from Westerners. The way they walk look so closed off. It's their normal behavior but I couldn't imagine that being apart of my culture. It's amazing how cultures differ even in passing by.
i think it depends where you are in canada. for example i find that large cities like ottawa and vancouver, but also small conservative towns, are not big on saying hello to strangers; while smaller cities like kingston and victoria tend to be much friendlier. context matters too. buses are a place where canadians will be "coconuts" like russians or finns.
Yes even Newfoundlanders & most other maritimer province people tend to be friendly. And mind you they get very cool weather. Cooler than in Ontario where i live.
i have a little question for Estioninas about your nordic connections: I am Danish have seen in danish documentarty that Tallinn really means "danish town" due to the Danish Crusaders back in the middle ages coming to the city. Is this true or its just danish propagana so to speak? :D also at 11:59 with the people dancing in the street in medival clothing where the sign says "soldans" thats a very clearly a danish word for sun dance :)
Taani= Denmark, Linn= City. Turning interwar era period Estonian nationalists wanted to turn Tartu into capital city, since Tallinn is considered as foreign made, but then WW2 and Soviet Union happened.
Northern Estonia belonged to Denmark until the mid 14th century. So yes, "Tallinn" is basically a "City of Denmark", however the name first appeared in written text around 16th century, long after danish were gone. The city itself had an official german name Reval for centuries. Estonians changed it to Tallinn after 1918 after they gained independence to distance themselves from the then hated german rulers.
I'm from Brazil, and (if I don't royally screw it up) moving to Tallinn when the winter ends. > anything except for marrying and divorcing is done online Buying and selling land. Unless they changed this from the last time I read about Estonian bureaucracies, they also directly record and manage land ownership.
Estonia is a very modern (introverted) country, so I wouldn't be surprised. It has great cybersecurity. You can't even access your bank without your ID card or SSN
Honestly, flowers are more of a special occasion kind of thing here in Estonia. In my personal experience, younger men (30 and under) aren't very romantic.
I'm Canadian, and Canadians can also be quiet and reserved. I myself am that way. I can become more extroverted if I feel comfortable with the people I'm with, though. It can take a while to make friendships in Canada because people are often quite circumspect about who they get involved with. This is especially true of English-speaking Canadians whose ancestry is British. That's not to say Canadians aren't friendly.. We can and do talk to strangers in the street, but we're not intrusive about it. We don't have a problem smiling at others. And like Estonians, we like to be a comfortable distance away from people when talking to them. So the upshot of what I'm saying is that I can understand where the Estonians are coming from.
As much as I've talked to Estonian guys, they prefer Estonian girls. But honestly I think in general they would take anyone who shows interest in them😃
I think all the Nordic countries have the feeling of being shut off with strangers, but warm with their close ones. So much more love and attention to give, when you don't have to engage in meaningless interactions throughout the day.
Maybe it's much to do with history and harsh conditions of the nordic coutries. There wasn't time for any extra socialising with strange people of no help. I'm from Finland, so I understand that.
6:09 this is due to the Russian influence. Estonia was conquered and occupied by Russia quite often and for a long time. People are used to suffer without complaining. They take everything with a stoic calm.
when I fell on ice in the winter I felt so embarrassed when a man tried to help me😀 I would have prefered him to ignore me lol. If you need help, ask for it. If you dont ask, people assume you can manage by yourself
I have visited the 3 Baltic States a total amount of 8 times, the coldest people I have met are Latvians by far, not even Estonians, even when I went to Latvia the I experienced a few times that not even the room clerk would say a simple "hi" which is not a hard thing to do, its just a "education" thing, not bowing your head down to any stranger. After a few times traveling there (love the history of those 3 countries, architecture, etc...) you just gets used to it. 😂😂😂
I am Estonian. go to Riga regularly because I have to for a specific reason. And I hate it there. I have been verbally attacked in a really aggressive way for no reason at all for so many times I have lost count. The last example is from last time when I had some time in Riga before the bus back to Tallinn. I saw a university, a Latvian university or sth like that, definitely a state run university, right in the city centre and I thought I will go and have a look inside. In Estonia, all state run universities are public places, everyone is welcome and you really feel welcome in Estonian universities, esp in their libraries. Because they are funded from public funds, that means that i am paying for the as a taxpayer. And it only makes sense that I can go on their campuses and just be there. (i am not talking about stepping into anyone's office) So I thought in Latvia it was the same and it would be ok to go have a look to the building for 5 minutes. It was a beautiful classicist building after all. There were no signs anywhere forbidding entrance for outsiders either. The door was full open. Jesus, the moment I stepped in I was attacked, almost physically, by an old/middle aged crazywoman (do not know if she was Russian in Latvian, but I have learned that in Latvia there is not much difference. In Estonia that would make huge difference, Estonians and Russians have a very different idea of what is polite). The only word she knew in English was "LEAVE" and she kept shouting it at me literally as if I was a bomb that was about to explode. She was in complete panic that I had entered and just kept yelling like crazy. Actually, it was a good experience, because it made be appreciate so much more how normal and nice and respectful my own country is. So far i had taken it for granted that universities and places like that allow anyone in. That crazywoman in Riga made me feel really good about my own country. But why yell like that, why such an attack? You would think that even if a university, probably the most important one in the country (if it is named after the country) would have the decency to at least hire a respectful and polite guard who manages at least a few words also in English. I have been attacked like this in Riga many times. Most of the times I cannot even understand why. A year ago I asked in a market in Riga if i can try the strawberries they were selling (in estonia, a normal thing to do n a market, even some shops). The person selling them got REALLY angry and accused me of coming there all the time to eat stuff for free. Well, how is that even possible as it was the first and last time I was ever at any market in Latvia). He could have just refused, peacefully. Just said no. But no, this was a real attack. Again, cannot tell if it was a Russian or Latvian, would not make much difference unfortunately because the Latvians have embraced Russian "politeness standards", the worst of them. A lot of people in Riga seem to be on edge, really nervous and suspicious. Even in pharmacies, they behave as if i was doing something wrong. The drivers of the Tallinn-Riga buses, if they are Latvians, are also so full of themselves it is ridiculous. They behave as if they were captains of a huge military ship. So, I completely believe what you are saying. Estonians would never attack anyone like this. We may be reserved and not so very nice, but at least we will be polite, we do not start screaming at people out of the blue. It is also surprising how militarily minded the Latvians are. There is so much security everywhere. To enter the national library in Riga, there are 3 secirity gates, cards, all stuff has to be put in a special cupboard. In Estonia in our national library nobody cares who you are, what you take with you or if you are drinking coffee inside. Absolutely no security at all, not even basic security gates. And no guards. (In theory they have a contract with a security firm but I have never even seen a guard in any of our libraries, and no cameras) Also in Latvia, they have 4 police!!! guarding their freedom statue (which is really just a statue, and even that is dominated by the guards). Riga Airport has herds of security walking around asking everyone to present documents and boarding passes, and in a pretty disrespectful way. I have never seen anything like that in any other airport in the world, and I travel a lot. Not even in airports that actually do have high security risks. In Riga, there is security everywhere and that shows how edgy the entire society is that they feel a need for all this. In Estonia I cannot even remember where we would have such security. Definitely not public places or universities or libraries. Just a few lonely guards in supermarkets, and not in all of them. The only thing we are afraid of, apparently, is shoplifters. So, the happiest moments of my life almost are a few minutes before my bus is leaving Riga towards Tallinn. I always feel that I am going straight to heaven from there. Ig I survive the bus station which is really ugly and annoying. Never mind that
@@HelenGolovina-y9h Russians are a bit rough but much kinder than any Baltic person ,you are polar opposite,very very cold compared to Russians ,I love Russians cause of Orthodox Christianity,it truly made them better humans
It's amazing how so many people in the world(even in US and Europe) have never heard of Estonia... God forbid! This country is a member of the European Union and NATO since 2004! It also uses the Euro as its currency! Estonia has a lot of nature, beautiful women and smart children! There is one bad thing though: Russia is a neighbor....................
A lot of people are ignorant of many countries unfortunately. Also, in a lot of public schools in America, kids don’t learn geography of the world. I never learned all of the countries as a kid in school-I learned them on my own as I grew up.
I think it's a good thing that they have Russia as a neighbor. Two people have a long history in the area from before communism. Am I now being ignorant?
I am from Mexico and Estonian men approached me a lot and not only in clubs or bars but in the university, malls, stores. It is the first time in my life that I feel that popular :)
Having lived in Estonia years ago, I have to say that they are quite distant but not as distant as Finns. Alcohol helps with both Finns and Estonians to open them up.
Finland's alcohol consumption is not so high. Watch the statistics in the video " Country alcohol consumption comparison. " Finland's alcohol consumption is in the middle of Europe. Estonia 's alcohol consumption is higher.
@@cinderellaandstepsisters In the old days I saw many Finns passed out around the Olympia Hotel and staggering around in the streets. The ferries between Tallinn and Helsinki were so unbearable for me, that I would spend the voyages on the outdoor decks to avoid the loud drunken Finns inside. Estonians on the other hand are quiet drunks which I much prefer.
@@davidpritchard604 Finnish people go to ferries to drink.. that's the wrong place to form an opinion of Finns. You know Finland is only 106 years old country, there's still a lot of "trauma leftovers" from wars. I think that's a part of why Finns drink and can't talk deeply without a drink (for most people). We do have our flaws just like any other country.
@@lamppuu1 I know what you mean about war trauma, years ago an old drunken man started yelling at me on a trolley traveling north on Manerheimintie. He was screaming Saksa at me. According to other passangers, he was from Lappland and was still angry at the Germans and thought that I was one of them.
Come to Sweden next time to Skåne, Helsingborg my dear, and i'll change the boring perspective. Stockholm is what we in Skåne says, ultra boring. I love your videos abroad. Hugs! ^^
I don't understand when foreigners come to another country that the culture and customs of that country should be the same... not ofc everyone think so.
I'm Estonian from mostly Russian town, so my mindset and mentality is mixed. I LOVE being alone but at the same time I love people and long conversations. That's why I'm travelling a lot and speaks with everybody when I'm somewhere outside Estonia. You can get very lonely in Estonia.
6:10 He said it like it would be a bad thing that nobody start yelling and cursing. Are there really people who prefer the yelling "culture" to the quiet one???
I think it wasn't expressed as a bad thing, it was "cultural shock" and not negative one. But indeed many people see anything outside from their own box to be just wrong at first.
This video focused on the historic Old Town area which is very interesting as the most preserved city center from the 13thcentury which i different from that tourist'centric Old Town. I am an American who lives in St Petersburg Russia over 2 decades and regularly visit Tallinn since it is so close. Compared to most of Scandinavia or Finland Estonia is friendlier and far easier to meet people, particularly girls. My most recent trip was last week and since the end of tourist season ended a month ago, Old Town was not crowded at all. Generally prices are low, about 1/2 of Finland, and a lot more variety. I met and went out with 3 girls, casual activities since I was over twice their age. Tallinn is my favorite Baltic Sea city, after St Petersburg which is more open and much more cultured with a wider range people from all over the world. One of the traits those I met were attracted to was living in such a great city, one a lot younger than Tallinn. The people of Estonia are friendly to Russians but the government is not. The sauna culture is not as universal as in Finland. The cafes bars and restaurants in Old Town have staff who speak Estonian, Finnish, Russian and English for the most part. Small countries almost always have multicultural trade and languages. The city is very clean, more so than European or UK cities and certainly cleaner and safer. Walking around after midnight requires no added caution, like St Petersburg. Smaller towns are more difficult to communicate unless you know Estonian in the north or Russian in the south. Warning ,take very comfortable walking shoes,, Old Town has its vast area entirely with cobblestone so your feet can really get bruised in leather or light walking shoes.
Well yeah, if the guy asks the girl on the date, then he is paying. If a girl comes up to a guy and asks if he will join her for a coffee down the road, then she's paying. The invitation is key.
I just discovered this video, but my ideas about this all: - Estonians don't panic or make any noise and are quiet all the time This is connected to the fact that we have always been under other countries/regimes, and through all of this, we have grown to handle any situation in quiet and peace. In Estonia, you really don't see any demonstrations or anything against the government, even though people are not happy about what is happening at this level. - Estonians don't help you if you are in trouble Actually the same reason. People have been educated not to make any fuss about what's going around. The mentality is that everybody can take care of their sh*t. -... Actually, all this comes down to the same reason. Our history has influenced our parents, grandparents, etc so much that this all is in our DNA. But as the video said - people are changing more friendlier etc.. Just need to give time - the last time we were under a foreign regime was 1991 - so 33 years ago. It is a very short time - people still remember the horror of that all. But slowly give us time (and independence) and we will grow into more trusting and open people. Thats my thoughts - I might be wrong... But I don't thin I am 😂
Seems to be a great place in Europe in terms of digitalization. Otherwise it is very similar to Western Europe and Scandinavia in terms of the societal norms i.e. reserved people, wary of strangers, excessive compliments are frowned upon etc.
@@nevojae511 no no ,Estonians and Latvians are horrific ,much much worse than any closed westerner ,it doesn't even compare ,their coldness should be studied 😂
I am expat in Medellin Colombia. Love it here for now (5yrs). But want to continue my travels and watch tons of videos about other places sort of like yours. But you by far the best in the way you ask questions it gives us a better idea of culture and if we would be good with that or not. Thanks keep up the good work. There is a guy from S. America doing videos like yours but mostly just showing all the beautiful women. I think beautiful women are everywhere. It's the culture that is important to me and I know that not every single person will fit into that stereotype but most will. I could not live in Estonia if they let a female who broke her foot just lie there without helping her. Here in Colombia, I was hit by a car the first week I moved here. There were about 7 [arking meter people who saw it and did nothing. I remember I saw stars it hit me from behind so I didn't see it coming at all. Only scrapped my elbow and lost all of my groceries. So I was lying down in the road got up quickly put a huge dent in the side of the car ran around to the Driver and it was a young girl. Lucky bcs I was planning on yanking out of the car. But the parking meter people did nothing. Here it was not bcs they dont want to get involved. They dont want to get involved with gringo in complicated situations bcs they dont understand English. Sometimes here that works for you too. Police having random stops for motos will have you drive through bcs they dont speak English either. Your twist on all of this is very interesting keep it up!
I lived in Sweden years ago but am American. Estonians seem Nordic in termperment and attitudes. I knod of know what it would feel like there even without going to visit.
@@uzstiklo7141 You are old enough to remember the USSR? Or just going by western propaganda? I spent time in Leningrad in the middle 70s and it and Moscow were rather middle class, and offered unmatched access to culture, and education. In the 80s it declined until end of the USSR, a choice by a president who is hated now because it created forced privatization to criminal groups, a process created by USA "advisors". The 90s were terrible for all but the criminals by by 1999 the corner was turned and the new president started the continuous increase in quality of life that continues today. Older Russians look back on the USSR as a time of security and stability for families, with very good education, leisure time pursuits, access to culture unmatched by any country, long vacations etc. They looked at pride as the only country that could and did defeat the nazis, and absorbed by far the greatest loss of life. 1/2 of the US population would see a dramatic improvement in quality of life if they had the services of USSR of the 70s. Now it is the widest open direct democracy in Europe or the Americas.
@@stanspb763 Yes, I'm old enough to remember those times, unfortunately. Sorry but only deeply traumatised people may talk about 'stability and security' along all the other 'perks' of the Soviet system. Following this logic, prison life isn't that bad, either. North Korea seems to be quite stable, too. Amazing life with no human rights, widespread poverty and 'long vacations' behind the Iron Curtain:) Why go to Paris or New York when you could enjoy 'culture unmatched by any country':) Long queues and smelly half-empty shops built your character. Military style marches around a school hall and obligatory marches in the street to celebrate occupiers' holidays were a dream:) People didn't have to make choices -- things were decided for them. Vielikaja dierzhava, indeed. Brrr.
In this place, on November 20, 1945, Jonas Neifalta-Lakūnas, the commander of the partisan platoon of the Dzūkija region (later Dainava district), died in the battles with the Chekists.
Estonia is not the Sillicon Valley of Europe. That place is reserved to London, judging by the numbers of startups. Yes Estonia is a digital friendly country, but it doesn't even come close at the number of startups compared to London.
You don't have to lie. 69.72% of the permanent residents of Estonia were Estonians. There were 25.2% Russians, 1.74% Ukrainians, 0.97% Belarusians, 0.59% Finns, 0.15% Tatars, 0.15% Jews, 0.14% Latvians, 0.13% Lithuanians and Poles. 0.13%.
@@karilamp558 i mean, in 2011 in Tallinn and Riga, almost! And I'm NOT pro Putin's Rússia! Catalonia have similar problem like Estonia and Latvia, not with Russians but with Zpanish!!!
I have been to a lot of dates with Estonian men. When it comes to who's paying for the date, it has always been the guy. I don't really know if they actually want to pay but they still do it. I sometimes insist to split the bill, but only when I really don't like the guy and can't wait to get away from him😀
When I invite a woman to an event, opera, club, dinner, drama, bicycle trip etc, I always pay in any of the 92 countries I have dated in. I never turn down a home cooked meal however if they want to reciprocate. If they want to pay, they should organize their own activity and invite me. That might seem old fashion but it is part of the selection process to weed out closet masculine women. Being from the US, I left decades ago because the culture got so crazy and 67 genders were too difficult to navigate, being cancelled or attacked for not knowing which of dozens of pronouns one adopted. By insisting to pay, it diminishes the effort to plan a memorable activity.
Not surprise at all. Brazil is mainly known for few things: criminal, football, overrated carnivals and maybe videos like "2 girls 1 cup" 🤮 Be proud, be proud... 👍🏼
@@sashal7123 Hey wise man. There is a difference between a country and its people. Where did you get the pride thing? I never said I'm proud of that country. Read my comment again, duh..
Had a couple of dates with an Estonian woman years ago. Her brutal honesty was just too much for me. It came across to me as arrogance and demeaning. And this was after I dated a German woman, so that is saying something!
All these videos about Estonia are awesome, but they only talk about Tallinn. Get out of Tallinn and find out. In Estonia, the saying is a country within a country. The people of the country side have to collect money to go to Tallinn for a vacation, a concert, a museum...
I'm not from Tallinn and find this quite an exaggeration. Do not know anybody who has difficulties finding 10 euros for a bus ticket or 30-40 euros for a museum, or restaurant. Most drive cars anyway and EE is so small you can get anywhere very quickly.
Sorry becoming someones friend should not have to require massive effort.This sounds like a big drain on someone and I can see why people just don't bother.
They meant it just takes little bit time to win theyr trust not like you have to bring moon and stars for them or smth. If you win theyr trust eventually, its much more rewarding cause you can be sure that they truly like you and like spending time with you As an Estonian who lived in Australia for a year, it was so weird how ppl were so “friendly”, “nice” and etc. It was tiring for me cause it seemed soooo fake. Sure, several ppl werent fake and actually were nice but this learned fake friendliness gives me trust issues cause I dont understand is the person genuine with me or not
And no, I think that becoming someones friend requires effort. Friends are more than just people with who you meet time to time and do things together. Its much more deeper and you should ‘work hard’ to become friends with someone
You are confusing friends with acquaintances. People tend to have a few friends and a lot of acquintances. Becoming someone's friend should always require work.
@@He_l_en I don’t know what type of friends you have but I never had to work to have friends it’s something that just happens you don’t plan it and you can’t make it happen either the whole idea that you have to basically make someone like you or make someone have something in common with you it’s not friendship I don’t know what it is but it’s not friendshipI’ve never had to work at being someone’s friend.
@@He_l_en Win someone over? That’s not friendship. You can’t make friendship happen it just happens naturally if you have to play games and do silly little things like that then I can see why people in the country don’t have friends.
To me as a Norwegian Estonians absolutely seem to be Nordic in their mindset.
@VladVernygora-ug8sw Nordic are absolutely emotional robots ,anti social psychopaths ,Russians are opposite of nordics in every way thank God
@VladVernygora-ug8sw In your dreams tibla
@VladVernygora-ug8sw nordics are known to be progressive and caring, neither russians nor estonians either (estonian myself) have such a mindset, russians tend to be even more conservative
If you come to Estonia to have fun, you stay in the fun places and have enough money, it may look like we are very Nordic. Ideal Estonians in ideal situations perhaps even are. If one is young, looks good, has had the sense to study the right thing (the ones that bring you enough money because in genera our salaries are really low while living costs are the same as in Scandinavia) and has had the luck to grow up in a more or less functioning family... then, yes, perhaps those Estonians in ideal conditions are pretty Nordic. Basically, people who manage on their own. Because as soon as you need any kind of help in Estonia, you will see a very different mindset. It is so depressing I do not want to get into it. Very shortly put: Estonia does not respect its citizens once they need help. But this respect is the basis of any welfare society. And we are not even trying to become one, this phrase has basically become a satirical phrase pointing to helpless, naïve, stupid people who cannot manage life nad who have first-world problems
Estonia is for the young, healthy, rich and lucky. As long as you belong to those categories, you see one side of the country. Then it almost a paradise. Once you fall out of those categories, you will considered to be belonging to what we call "second Estonia" which is a very different world. Nothing Nordic about that.
I understand that we have not had much time as a country to build everything up after the Soviet occupation and i would be very patient to give us time. But the thing is that we do not seem to be trying. We have almost no safety net here that will catch you should something happen to you. "everyone has to manage by themselves" is our main motto and we are fff-ing proud about it. I do not even know if it comes from the Soviet period or our extreme individualism. Perhaps both.
I’ve been to Denmark in the early 1990s, then I was in my early 20s. Somehow all the danish girls up there in Løkken liked me somehow. But when it was about to have sex, they were too afraid to go on all out 😮😢
Or maybe it was because I was interested in several girls at once 😂😜🥰
My wife is Estonian and a few years ago her grandmother broke her leg and was in the waiting room at the hospital at the same time a guy came in with a broken finger and was making a bit of noise the doctor came out and told him to be quiet and said "this lady broke her leg and is making no noise!"
This @11:54 is gold. Finding your soulmate is difficult. Finding soulmate from another culture even more so, and the farthest (culturally) you travel the more desperate it gets.
As an Estonian this is why travelling is often very mentally exhausting for me. I've visited over 30 countries and I've loved visiting different places to see the buildings, nature, etc, but the way random people strike up conversations is always so difficult for me to handle. So every time I get back home, I am relaxed by the fact that I don't have to talk anymore haha
Lmao
It’s difficult for you because your slow brain finds it hard to maintain a conversation.
thats kind of sad actually.
@@BumbiSit there's nothing sad about it, it's just a different culture around small talk and respecting others' privacy.
I have dual citizenship; America and Estonia, I mostly think of myself as mainly Estonian since I lived there from one year of age to about fourteen-fifteen. I moved to America due to circumstances (thinking of moving back), and I'm not gonna lie, once you get used to the random conversations and saying hello to everyone you see, it's really nice. It has a much less depressing feel, since everyone isn't reserved to death, lol.
As someone who is Swedish and Finnish I have always seen the Baltic states as being brothers to Nordics. I see the Baltics having a lot more in common with the Nordics than they do Eastern Europe. I often see traditional Latvian and Lithuanian clothing having Nordic influence and Estonia also has a history of being under Denmark and Sweden. Plus the Nordic-Baltic Eight should a sign of strong ties with each other.
@dariusm3711 Lithuania does have a blend of Nordic and Central European. They’re also very introverted as well. But they also have Romuva.
The only difference is that Finland and Sweden were the same country for over 600 years. Even today swedish is the second official language in Finland.
I call them the chihuahua states
Aslo Belarus ,north Ukraine and north west Russia have similarities with baltic states and Finland ,peoples look the same and have same genes, close traditions and mentality, aslo introvert , wooden houses but have much influence from est europe because of comunism, aslo ruriks were baltic and finnish vikings
@dariusm3711 You need to look much at genetic tests than genetic map in google made by reddit peoples, if you go to villages in north Ukraine (not towns because are inhabited by peoples from all regions of Ukraine and imigrants from soviet times like Klitschko brothers who born in Kîrgistan , average north Ukraine female look like Lana Frolova o Alyona Osmanova and average male look like mykhailo romanchuk (he born in Rivne north Ukraine ) balts inhabited terotories from north Latvia to north Ukraine, aslo Kolochin culture from north Ukraine and south Belarus was a balto slav culture
I'm from Turkey and I have had close Estonian friends. Not only they have a great sense of humour, they're the best I think as friends. They're just very reserved before getting to know you.
We are very sarcastic, making quite merciless jokes, mostly about ourselves but also others, which can be difficult for a foreigner to understand.
@@kriimdriimthere’s some prejudices and jokes about Estonian being very slow minded and acting people all over the former Sowjet Russian space.. 😂 remember the joke about the Estonian subway driver in Moscow..😂 or the one with the dead rabbit on the road 😂😅
Turkish and European mentality doesn’t go along well with each other. At least here in Germany there’s very few examples of German men getting along with Turkish. Most Turkish here have too much testosterone
@volkerr. I'd like to know the jokes
I visited Tallinn a few months ago and loved it! It really is an introvert's paradise like me.
Estonia the Baltic Tiger - it is an excellent documentary about Estonia in YuuTuube.
It it? I live here and am an introvert and it is so hard for me. It is impossible to find a place to be on your own or a place where someone is not noise-polluting or just talking constantly
Not helping in accidents with several bystanders is called the bystander effect in psychology. There are cultural differences, some have theoreticized that not wanting to stand out or take the first step in helping is a fear more commonly found and instilled in cultures that is or have been victims to oppressive regimes in recent times. Maybe it takes one or two generations of freedom to get over.
I am aware of that theory. But then why is it that Russians have no problem calling an ambulance if they see something has happened. It is almost always a Russian person who makes the call or does anything. The same if something has happened to your car: the ones who stop and help are always Russians. I hate to say that because as an Estonian i am supposed to dislike Russians, and I do. But it sadly is the way I have described it and Russians have had much more of oppressed regimes than we have.
It is true: Estonians will never help a stranger. Never. It would have to be some kind of miracle. One exception to it though: Estonians do not hesitate to call help for animals or birds. This is a very good thing and i am very proud of that. But we will never help a person. Very often we will also not help close ones or family members. They are all also supposed to manage on their own. People will take care of their parents who become too old to manage on their own. But most people will do that out of robotic duty, also legal duty.
@@HelenGolovina-y9hEstonian are still pagans. 😅 at least it’s the country with the least christian believers in Europe. 😊
And the thing with Russians being more active might be because many of them have more southern blood. They are more temperamental than common Estonians.
And to say something nice about Estonians: if you ask somebody directly for help, then they will help you with everything in their power. 😊.
@@volkerr. Might be the southern blood, or just being a more collectivistic type of culture. as for asking Estonians for help directly: yes, you may get some help sometimes. But not always. Not in my experience. I have asked a person what time it was (my phone was lost, I had nowhere to look time). The person looked at me really long and gave it a really long thought before she looked the her phone and showed it to me (from afar). As if it was a really hard thing to do and she had to be really sure before doing it. And she showed it from so far away that I could not see it, still had to ask her to TELL me and finally she did.
Lately we had a program on TV showing our police videos of situations of people walking by a person being beaten on the street. For 15 minutes and do nothing. Not even call the police after having passed. Because nobody called the police, the victim just contacted police later. I understand not wanting to intervene physically, I would not. But you can CALL. Estonians do not even do that.
Latvians (who are actually more southern than us) are even worse. I have asked people on the street to call the police because I needed them and had some technical problem with the phone. People just refused. Not one or two people, everyone. Finally I saw a police car and stopped them by standing in front of the coming vehicle.
So I live my everyday life relying only on myself, being ready that there is no room for any mistake. All that happens is what I myself make happen.
Even those whose job it is to help, are often angry if they are called. It is very easy in Estonia to be told off by ambulance for calling them.
Estonia is a very bad place to be alone when something happens to you. At the same time it is relatively safe, not much bad happens crimewise.
NO WAY, MANAN! also as an Estonian I find this video quite interesting and fun :D
Visited Tallinn early this year. Gorgeaus city. They have a bar totally dedicated to Depeche Mode, one of my favorite band. The women in Estonia are beautiful and modern and sophisticated.
Hence they enjoy the silence
@@kalebind1😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
@@toomuchinformation intended basically
I know.
"This is comfortable , but the another is Finland" lol 😂
So true!
If you stop me to ask me a question in the streets, keep a few meters distance and promptly and clearly state your business so that I can be on my way.
I'm Irish, in Ireland. One time I was at a club/bar with my ex and friends. A Danish guy was there and he loved chatting with us, a Norwegian as well. Then I saw 2 Finnish guys by themselves looking awkward, so wanted to include them in our group. They blatantly said no and asked me to leave them alone. It was such an odd experience. They soon left when Brazilians started talking to them (who later joined our group). So maybe I was just getting too close as the girl said. I wonder would it be like that with Estonians.
Good lord and I thought Canadians are somewhat reserved. We're not brazilians but also def far away from finnish
I used to work in Stockholm in a multinational company. There were mainly Swedes there, with a few foreigners from the Americas and Europe. There was also a sizeable Finnish presence and they never mixed like the rest of us did, but they were not particularly rude about, just a little surprised/reserved if you ever did make the mistake of thinking they would want to talk to you
Finnish people and Brazilians are polar opposites of each other. Brazilians are loud, extremely friendly, rowdy and very up close in your space while Finns are the very opposite. We like our space and keeping to ourselves.
It takes time and a lot of patience to get into our circle. Just ask the person I’m married to. I’m Swedish and Finnish married to an American from the South. Our relationship started off at very different frequencies but we have managed to meet some where in the middle. Our common interests is what brought us together. The first few dates were awkward but managed to warm up.
@@saalvosegg8171 Ain't no body got time for that sweetie. I determine in two seconds if you're fly or not. We had a Finnish group actually join is in Amsterdam so there's some Finnish people who are outgoing and like a loud boisterous crowd, so just like you expect patience, that's a luxury outgoing people may not afford you.
@@Ed-xv4sy Why are you Dutch so aggressive? I’ve understood that about you guys.
My son married a Estonian. I am going to be a grandma of a baby boy this year! His wife is a beautiful, nice, kind young woman. Hoping to visit Estonia soon. ❤️🇪🇪
Where are you from?
I live in South Estonia ,the most genuine part, i travel a lot and also i have a lot of friends from all around the world, who have lived in my place(....Uruguay, Italy, England, Portugal....), since they got to know me and my friends, they do something, that is not common in here, they say a lot, that they love me.....but.....i love them a lot also, i,m just not used to tell them that....
Nordic countries : Finland 2 meters to talk , Baltic countries : Estonia 1,5 meters to talk , The Whole American continent , the North and South : can we get closer ? 30 cm is too far from each other 😂😂
Canadians and Americans also need personal space haha. I think ur thinking of Latin America
Estonians, bare minimum, more than reach of stretched out limb...
And only if absolutely necessary...
- thank god for telegrams, phones (preferably SMS), email, social networks, ...
Finland is not a nordic country
@@Yalbou Finland is full member of Nordic council (meanwhile, Estonia isn't).
Finland is also very much northern Europe (geographically, culturally, etc - also, the given affinity is meant when people speak about „nordic Estonia“)
What Finland is not, is Scandinavian (geographically, also excludes Iceland for example) and North-Germanic - here its Finnic (unrelated language - linguistic similarities between Scandinavian languages and Finnish is kind of like attempting to compare Greek
and Turkish).
@@KohaAlbert nordic is a race and to an extent culture. Finnish people are not racially nordic
Last week I spent my holiday in Estonia. And to be honest, I found it rough. In my own country (the Netherlands), I'm being considered an introvert. In Estonia I felt like the most extrovert person in the world. Every time I said "hi" to people they either ignored me or looked at me like they saw a ghost. I went out one evening and I didn't manage to even get one decent conversation. Every time I tried to have a conversation they answered my questions and nothing more. I really had to pull it out. So, I experienced the Estonian people as extremely closed and almost terrified of strangers. Of course I had read about it but I totally underestimated how extreme it was. It's sad, but because of this the chance that I will ever return is very small. On the other hand, we also went a few days to Helsinki and we experienced the people over there as much friendlier and open. Shy but very approachable.
it's the ussr past, everything the russians touched or anywhere they went the just ruined it, it's a fact. Anyone who didn't experience it they just won't understand it.
I was born in Poland in the '70s. Poland wasn't even part of the ussr but until the end of '80 the spying authoritarian state was present everywhere, that's why all central Eastern Europeans are like that, diffident, simple as.
It is changing though especially with young generations being born after that VERY bleak era, but it's a generational change.
I wonder if the the sparser town more north of Finland are more like Estonia. I'm not surprised too much by what you said about Helsinki as large cities seem to be much more socially relaxed and outgoing.
This depends more on the culture. I think that we would agree that Spaniards are more extrovert than Dutch people but we don’t feel the urge to say hi to random people on the street. Of course, if you say hi we are going to reply and in other instances, we are going to strike up a conversation.
@@jrast7407 In my experience, if you say hi, you'll be completely ignored.
They still struggle with their past and the Baltic depression..and it shows. I feel ya.
This series is fantastic!!!!
I would definitely love to travel to Estonia.
I like history and how they still have it.
Good video and Info.
people from warmer climates tend to be more friendlier quicker because you're outside more often in the year than the colder climate countries. It's like that here in Canada as well when trying to get to know people. One thing though is we aren't shy to say hello and speak to people. I can easily tell Eastern Europeans and Nordic people apart from Westerners. The way they walk look so closed off. It's their normal behavior but I couldn't imagine that being apart of my culture. It's amazing how cultures differ even in passing by.
i think it depends where you are in canada. for example i find that large cities like ottawa and vancouver, but also small conservative towns, are not big on saying hello to strangers; while smaller cities like kingston and victoria tend to be much friendlier. context matters too. buses are a place where canadians will be "coconuts" like russians or finns.
Yes even Newfoundlanders & most other maritimer province people tend to be friendly. And mind you they get very cool weather. Cooler than in Ontario where i live.
We are constructed that way to be able walk on the ice in winter, and since we are native it is in our genes.
@@ahkkariq7406 lol this has nothing at all to being friendlier dude!! 🤣
@@flyby3079 No, of course not. It's only about keeping your legs together like a penguin, so you want slip on the ice.
I love my country Estonia
Awesome video
I learned a lot just now. Thank You!
i have a little question for Estioninas about your nordic connections: I am Danish have seen in danish documentarty that Tallinn really means "danish town" due to the Danish Crusaders back in the middle ages coming to the city. Is this true or its just danish propagana so to speak? :D
also at 11:59 with the people dancing in the street in medival clothing where the sign says "soldans" thats a very clearly a danish word for sun dance :)
its true and Dannebrog is from here. I remember the 800th anniversary celebrations. We had a lot of Danes here then. And 800 years ago.
Taani= Denmark, Linn= City.
Turning interwar era period Estonian nationalists wanted to turn Tartu into capital city, since Tallinn is considered as foreign made, but then WW2 and Soviet Union happened.
Northern Estonia belonged to Denmark until the mid 14th century. So yes, "Tallinn" is basically a "City of Denmark", however the name first appeared in written text around 16th century, long after danish were gone. The city itself had an official german name Reval for centuries. Estonians changed it to Tallinn after 1918 after they gained independence to distance themselves from the then hated german rulers.
@@ademoxBut the name didn't come from nowhere. Germans called it Reval and Estonians called it Tallinn most probably at the same time.
danish flag is from Tallinn, according to a legend.
I'm from Brazil, and (if I don't royally screw it up) moving to Tallinn when the winter ends.
> anything except for marrying and divorcing is done online
Buying and selling land. Unless they changed this from the last time I read about Estonian bureaucracies, they also directly record and manage land ownership.
Estonia is a very modern (introverted) country, so I wouldn't be surprised. It has great cybersecurity. You can't even access your bank without your ID card or SSN
This video only needs 1.4 million views to exceed the population of Estonia.
Let's do it! 😁
I’m impressed at seeing the men on the streets with bouquets of flowers lol! I find it very sweet and would absolutely love such a gift from my guy. 💐
Honestly, flowers are more of a special occasion kind of thing here in Estonia. In my personal experience, younger men (30 and under) aren't very romantic.
@@carolin9876as Estonian guy. It's true. We only give flowers when it's a special occasion. Never with no reason.
Estonians would not come infront of the camera and give comments :D.. so we saw mostly newer generation or very open minded people there :P
And Russians instead of Estonians.
Great video! interviewees were fun to hear
I really love this series that you have made please make it on more countries
I'm Canadian, and Canadians can also be quiet and reserved. I myself am that way. I can become more extroverted if I feel comfortable with the people I'm with, though. It can take a while to make friendships in Canada because people are often quite circumspect about who they get involved with. This is especially true of English-speaking Canadians whose ancestry is British.
That's not to say Canadians aren't friendly.. We can and do talk to strangers in the street, but we're not intrusive about it. We don't have a problem smiling at others. And like Estonians, we like to be a comfortable distance away from people when talking to them.
So the upshot of what I'm saying is that I can understand where the Estonians are coming from.
I am starting to believe cold climates breed more reserved cultures
Disclaimer: No Estonian men were harmed by doing those interviews.
Been to Tallin, very beautiful city. Kisses from Indonesia❤
Interesting! Estonians should visit in my warm country 🇰🇪Kenya for a week, they will return extroverted 😅.
I would love to see a video of what Estonian men think about Estonian dating culture and dating foreign girls. 🙂
That would be nice, but most of them declined the invite to participate in the video :)
As much as I've talked to Estonian guys, they prefer Estonian girls. But honestly I think in general they would take anyone who shows interest in them😃
im estonian and we are scared of women hahahahah many times women have been toxic or salty so we are scared now
I think all the Nordic countries have the feeling of being shut off with strangers, but warm with their close ones. So much more love and attention to give, when you don't have to engage in meaningless interactions throughout the day.
Maybe it's much to do with history and harsh conditions of the nordic coutries. There wasn't time for any extra socialising with strange people of no help. I'm from Finland, so I understand that.
"Meaningless interactions"
It's called being human.
How good are Estonian's English in Tallinn? Like it seems that foreigners visiting won't have too much trouble just speaking English with the locals?
They are pretty good
I've heard that the older generations know more Russian whereas the younger generations know more English.
Most Estonians are fluent in English (Source; I'm Estonian)
@@OverTheVoidsdefinitely. Bring Google Translate with you 😅
tolerable for tourism - but can be restraining for socializing, which can become isolative and exhausting to settle without learning the local lingua.
My man Manan!!!! Great job, he’s becoming famous!! This was a very interesting video.
Love Estonia from the Philippines.
6:09 this is due to the Russian influence. Estonia was conquered and occupied by Russia quite often and for a long time. People are used to suffer without complaining. They take everything with a stoic calm.
🤖
I had an Estonian friend, cool memes, music and chill vibes
This thing about not helping when you fall is so true! 5:22
when I fell on ice in the winter I felt so embarrassed when a man tried to help me😀 I would have prefered him to ignore me lol. If you need help, ask for it. If you dont ask, people assume you can manage by yourself
I have visited the 3 Baltic States a total amount of 8 times, the coldest people I have met are Latvians by far, not even Estonians, even when I went to Latvia the I experienced a few times that not even the room clerk would say a simple "hi" which is not a hard thing to do, its just a "education" thing, not bowing your head down to any stranger. After a few times traveling there (love the history of those 3 countries, architecture, etc...) you just gets used to it. 😂😂😂
I am Estonian. go to Riga regularly because I have to for a specific reason. And I hate it there. I have been verbally attacked in a really aggressive way for no reason at all for so many times I have lost count. The last example is from last time when I had some time in Riga before the bus back to Tallinn. I saw a university, a Latvian university or sth like that, definitely a state run university, right in the city centre and I thought I will go and have a look inside. In Estonia, all state run universities are public places, everyone is welcome and you really feel welcome in Estonian universities, esp in their libraries. Because they are funded from public funds, that means that i am paying for the as a taxpayer. And it only makes sense that I can go on their campuses and just be there. (i am not talking about stepping into anyone's office) So I thought in Latvia it was the same and it would be ok to go have a look to the building for 5 minutes. It was a beautiful classicist building after all. There were no signs anywhere forbidding entrance for outsiders either. The door was full open.
Jesus, the moment I stepped in I was attacked, almost physically, by an old/middle aged crazywoman (do not know if she was Russian in Latvian, but I have learned that in Latvia there is not much difference. In Estonia that would make huge difference, Estonians and Russians have a very different idea of what is polite). The only word she knew in English was "LEAVE" and she kept shouting it at me literally as if I was a bomb that was about to explode. She was in complete panic that I had entered and just kept yelling like crazy. Actually, it was a good experience, because it made be appreciate so much more how normal and nice and respectful my own country is. So far i had taken it for granted that universities and places like that allow anyone in. That crazywoman in Riga made me feel really good about my own country. But why yell like that, why such an attack? You would think that even if a university, probably the most important one in the country (if it is named after the country) would have the decency to at least hire a respectful and polite guard who manages at least a few words also in English.
I have been attacked like this in Riga many times. Most of the times I cannot even understand why. A year ago I asked in a market in Riga if i can try the strawberries they were selling (in estonia, a normal thing to do n a market, even some shops). The person selling them got REALLY angry and accused me of coming there all the time to eat stuff for free. Well, how is that even possible as it was the first and last time I was ever at any market in Latvia). He could have just refused, peacefully. Just said no. But no, this was a real attack. Again, cannot tell if it was a Russian or Latvian, would not make much difference unfortunately because the Latvians have embraced Russian "politeness standards", the worst of them.
A lot of people in Riga seem to be on edge, really nervous and suspicious. Even in pharmacies, they behave as if i was doing something wrong.
The drivers of the Tallinn-Riga buses, if they are Latvians, are also so full of themselves it is ridiculous. They behave as if they were captains of a huge military ship.
So, I completely believe what you are saying. Estonians would never attack anyone like this. We may be reserved and not so very nice, but at least we will be polite, we do not start screaming at people out of the blue. It is also surprising how militarily minded the Latvians are. There is so much security everywhere. To enter the national library in Riga, there are 3 secirity gates, cards, all stuff has to be put in a special cupboard. In Estonia in our national library nobody cares who you are, what you take with you or if you are drinking coffee inside. Absolutely no security at all, not even basic security gates. And no guards. (In theory they have a contract with a security firm but I have never even seen a guard in any of our libraries, and no cameras) Also in Latvia, they have 4 police!!! guarding their freedom statue (which is really just a statue, and even that is dominated by the guards). Riga Airport has herds of security walking around asking everyone to present documents and boarding passes, and in a pretty disrespectful way. I have never seen anything like that in any other airport in the world, and I travel a lot. Not even in airports that actually do have high security risks.
In Riga, there is security everywhere and that shows how edgy the entire society is that they feel a need for all this. In Estonia I cannot even remember where we would have such security. Definitely not public places or universities or libraries. Just a few lonely guards in supermarkets, and not in all of them. The only thing we are afraid of, apparently, is shoplifters.
So, the happiest moments of my life almost are a few minutes before my bus is leaving Riga towards Tallinn. I always feel that I am going straight to heaven from there. Ig I survive the bus station which is really ugly and annoying. Never mind that
@@HelenGolovina-y9h Russians are a bit rough but much kinder than any Baltic person ,you are polar opposite,very very cold compared to Russians ,I love Russians cause of Orthodox Christianity,it truly made them better humans
It's amazing how so many people in the world(even in US and Europe) have never heard of Estonia... God forbid! This country is a member of the European Union and NATO since 2004! It also uses the Euro as its currency! Estonia has a lot of nature, beautiful women and smart children! There is one bad thing though: Russia is a neighbor....................
True and we had the Estonian kroon before the euro
Probably because of how small the country is.
A lot of people are ignorant of many countries unfortunately. Also, in a lot of public schools in America, kids don’t learn geography of the world. I never learned all of the countries as a kid in school-I learned them on my own as I grew up.
I think it's a good thing that they have Russia as a neighbor. Two people have a long history in the area from before communism. Am I now being ignorant?
@@renekauts8323 I like Russia ,their Orthodox Christian churches are stunning
I am from Mexico and Estonian men approached me a lot and not only in clubs or bars but in the university, malls, stores. It is the first time in my life that I feel that popular :)
Estonian men tend to like latinos
Sounds like type of country (im Swedish). I dont like hyperactive latinas or overly loud americans
That’s sort of rude mate
As an American Latina you are making huge generalizations 🙄
Thanks for video❤pls do Slovakia or Czechia next❤pleeeaaaseee❤
Have an awesome Thursday, Marina!
Btw, now in Estonia you can get married online as well. Just digitally sign the documents in 5 mins.. And the presence of the 2nd person is optional:)
What, really?
@@DarjaSafronovayes, really. 👏
Having lived in Estonia years ago, I have to say that they are quite distant but not as distant as Finns. Alcohol helps with both Finns and Estonians to open them up.
Finland's alcohol consumption is not so high. Watch the statistics in the video " Country alcohol consumption comparison. "
Finland's alcohol consumption is in the middle of Europe. Estonia 's alcohol consumption is higher.
@@cinderellaandstepsisters In the old days I saw many Finns passed out around the Olympia Hotel and staggering around in the streets. The ferries between Tallinn and Helsinki were so unbearable for me, that I would spend the voyages on the outdoor decks to avoid the loud drunken Finns inside. Estonians on the other hand are quiet drunks which I much prefer.
@@davidpritchard604 Finland's alcohol consumption has gone drastically down in 10 years anyway. Also everyone in Finland does not drink.
@@davidpritchard604 Finnish people go to ferries to drink.. that's the wrong place to form an opinion of Finns. You know Finland is only 106 years old country, there's still a lot of "trauma leftovers" from wars. I think that's a part of why Finns drink and can't talk deeply without a drink (for most people). We do have our flaws just like any other country.
@@lamppuu1 I know what you mean about war trauma, years ago an old drunken man started yelling at me on a trolley traveling north on Manerheimintie. He was screaming Saksa at me. According to other passangers, he was from Lappland and was still angry at the Germans and thought that I was one of them.
Good. It's all accurate. It's us.
Come to Sweden next time to Skåne, Helsingborg my dear, and i'll change the boring perspective. Stockholm is what we in Skåne says, ultra boring. I love your videos abroad. Hugs! ^^
YEAAAH Finaly i can see this video!!!
I don't understand when foreigners come to another country that the culture and customs of that country should be the same... not ofc everyone think so.
I'm Estonian from mostly Russian town, so my mindset and mentality is mixed. I LOVE being alone but at the same time I love people and long conversations. That's why I'm travelling a lot and speaks with everybody when I'm somewhere outside Estonia. You can get very lonely in Estonia.
🥹
6:10 He said it like it would be a bad thing that nobody start yelling and cursing. Are there really people who prefer the yelling "culture" to the quiet one???
I think it wasn't expressed as a bad thing, it was "cultural shock" and not negative one. But indeed many people see anything outside from their own box to be just wrong at first.
We have. There is great Russian population here and their manner of behavior is often different.
@@zasmirko100 I love Russians ,much kinder than others in Baltics ,as a Serb they suit me more 😊
@@Limpi43 yes ,it's normal to yell during some tragedy
@@Србомбоница86 What tragedy? He was talking about a minor traffic accident when they must took another bus.
This video focused on the historic Old Town area which is very interesting as the most preserved city center from the 13thcentury which i different from that tourist'centric Old Town. I am an American who lives in St Petersburg Russia over 2 decades and regularly visit Tallinn since it is so close. Compared to most of Scandinavia or Finland Estonia is friendlier and far easier to meet people, particularly girls. My most recent trip was last week and since the end of tourist season ended a month ago, Old Town was not crowded at all.
Generally prices are low, about 1/2 of Finland, and a lot more variety. I met and went out with 3 girls, casual activities since I was over twice their age.
Tallinn is my favorite Baltic Sea city, after St Petersburg which is more open and much more cultured with a wider range people from all over the world. One of the traits those I met were attracted to was living in such a great city, one a lot younger than Tallinn. The people of Estonia are friendly to Russians but the government is not.
The sauna culture is not as universal as in Finland. The cafes bars and restaurants in Old Town have staff who speak Estonian, Finnish, Russian and English for the most part. Small countries almost always have multicultural trade and languages. The city is very clean, more so than European or UK cities and certainly cleaner and safer. Walking around after midnight requires no added caution, like St Petersburg. Smaller towns are more difficult to communicate unless you know Estonian in the north or Russian in the south.
Warning ,take very comfortable walking shoes,, Old Town has its vast area entirely with cobblestone so your feet can really get bruised in leather or light walking shoes.
Well yeah, if the guy asks the girl on the date, then he is paying.
If a girl comes up to a guy and asks if he will join her for a coffee down the road, then she's paying.
The invitation is key.
Not all Estonians are like that, you chose wrong people to interview, to be honest.
You can register marriage online starting this year.
I just discovered this video, but my ideas about this all:
- Estonians don't panic or make any noise and are quiet all the time
This is connected to the fact that we have always been under other countries/regimes, and through all of this, we have grown to handle any situation in quiet and peace. In Estonia, you really don't see any demonstrations or anything against the government, even though people are not happy about what is happening at this level.
- Estonians don't help you if you are in trouble
Actually the same reason. People have been educated not to make any fuss about what's going around. The mentality is that everybody can take care of their sh*t.
-...
Actually, all this comes down to the same reason. Our history has influenced our parents, grandparents, etc so much that this all is in our DNA.
But as the video said - people are changing more friendlier etc.. Just need to give time - the last time we were under a foreign regime was 1991 - so 33 years ago.
It is a very short time - people still remember the horror of that all. But slowly give us time (and independence) and we will grow into more trusting and open people.
Thats my thoughts - I might be wrong...
But I don't thin I am 😂
Seems to be a great place in Europe in terms of digitalization. Otherwise it is very similar to Western Europe and Scandinavia in terms of the societal norms i.e. reserved people, wary of strangers, excessive compliments are frowned upon etc.
@@nevojae511 no no ,Estonians and Latvians are horrific ,much much worse than any closed westerner ,it doesn't even compare ,their coldness should be studied 😂
Estonia is a Scandinavian country really, Tallin sure is part of Scandinavia at least (I should visit more of Estionia, it is not far from Stockholm).
after 2 mins in erm... i have an Estonian friend and she has a sense of hummer we ga for drinks i ask if she's Suomi yet (drunk)
i live in estonia
Yes those countries has been like mystry to me total mystry like when christoph colobus found new land . Estonia and the nearby countries
NAH THIS IS SO FUNNY
THAT BUS SAID
"THIS BUS IS GREEN"
XDDDDD
5:55
Sa pole ainuke, kes selle üle naernud on ;D
I am expat in Medellin Colombia. Love it here for now (5yrs). But want to continue my travels and watch tons of videos about other places sort of like yours. But you by far the best in the way you ask questions it gives us a better idea of culture and if we would be good with that or not. Thanks keep up the good work. There is a guy from S. America doing videos like yours but mostly just showing all the beautiful women. I think beautiful women are everywhere. It's the culture that is important to me and I know that not every single person will fit into that stereotype but most will. I could not live in Estonia if they let a female who broke her foot just lie there without helping her. Here in Colombia, I was hit by a car the first week I moved here. There were about 7 [arking meter people who saw it and did nothing. I remember I saw stars it hit me from behind so I didn't see it coming at all. Only scrapped my elbow and lost all of my groceries. So I was lying down in the road got up quickly put a huge dent in the side of the car ran around to the Driver and it was a young girl. Lucky bcs I was planning on yanking out of the car. But the parking meter people did nothing. Here it was not bcs they dont want to get involved. They dont want to get involved with gringo in complicated situations bcs they dont understand English. Sometimes here that works for you too. Police having random stops for motos will have you drive through bcs they dont speak English either. Your twist on all of this is very interesting keep it up!
i bet most people watching this video are estonians that wanna know what the foreigners think of ef em as a country...
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.
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like me...
Manan must be the most famous estonian person by now 😅
I lived in Sweden years ago but am American. Estonians seem Nordic in termperment and attitudes. I knod of know what it would feel like there even without going to visit.
Country of introverts! Interesting!!
I visited Estonia and lived in Pärnu during the USSR (I live in St. Petersburg)
Do you happen to know why so many Russians like remembering that god-awful USSR? Nostalgia for their youth or the totalitarian regime?
@@uzstiklo7141 You are old enough to remember the USSR? Or just going by western propaganda? I spent time in Leningrad in the middle 70s and it and Moscow were rather middle class, and offered unmatched access to culture, and education. In the 80s it declined until end of the USSR, a choice by a president who is hated now because it created forced privatization to criminal groups, a process created by USA "advisors". The 90s were terrible for all but the criminals by by 1999 the corner was turned and the new president started the continuous increase in quality of life that continues today. Older Russians look back on the USSR as a time of security and stability for families, with very good education, leisure time pursuits, access to culture unmatched by any country, long vacations etc. They looked at pride as the only country that could and did defeat the nazis, and absorbed by far the greatest loss of life. 1/2 of the US population would see a dramatic improvement in quality of life if they had the services of USSR of the 70s. Now it is the widest open direct democracy in Europe or the Americas.
@@stanspb763 Yes, I'm old enough to remember those times, unfortunately. Sorry but only deeply traumatised people may talk about 'stability and security' along all the other 'perks' of the Soviet system. Following this logic, prison life isn't that bad, either. North Korea seems to be quite stable, too.
Amazing life with no human rights, widespread poverty and 'long vacations' behind the Iron Curtain:) Why go to Paris or New York when you could enjoy 'culture unmatched by any country':) Long queues and smelly half-empty shops built your character. Military style marches around a school hall and obligatory marches in the street to celebrate occupiers' holidays were a dream:) People didn't have to make choices -- things were decided for them. Vielikaja dierzhava, indeed. Brrr.
In this place, on November 20, 1945, Jonas Neifalta-Lakūnas, the commander of the partisan platoon of the Dzūkija region (later Dainava district), died in the battles with the Chekists.
@@kalebind1 Argi Jonas Neifalta-Lakūnas nežuvo Kalniškių miške?
I am a Bangladeshi I want to go to your country. Will someone take me to your country Estonia?😊
What it looks like i returned in time to medivel era
Estonia is not the Sillicon Valley of Europe.
That place is reserved to London, judging by the numbers of startups.
Yes Estonia is a digital friendly country, but it doesn't even come close at the number of startups compared to London.
Oh, wait sec, you're saying that a country with 1.3M people has fewer companies than a city with 9M people? Shocking... who would have guessed
Almost half of the people are Russian speakers in Estonia and Latvia, capital's!
You don't have to lie. 69.72% of the permanent residents of Estonia were Estonians. There were 25.2% Russians, 1.74% Ukrainians, 0.97% Belarusians, 0.59% Finns, 0.15% Tatars, 0.15% Jews, 0.14% Latvians, 0.13% Lithuanians and Poles. 0.13%.
@@karilamp558 i mean, in 2011 in Tallinn and Riga, almost! And I'm NOT pro Putin's Rússia! Catalonia have similar problem like Estonia and Latvia, not with Russians but with Zpanish!!!
👋, to my ancestors.
I have been to a lot of dates with Estonian men. When it comes to who's paying for the date, it has always been the guy. I don't really know if they actually want to pay but they still do it. I sometimes insist to split the bill, but only when I really don't like the guy and can't wait to get away from him😀
When I invite a woman to an event, opera, club, dinner, drama, bicycle trip etc, I always pay in any of the 92 countries I have dated in. I never turn down a home cooked meal however if they want to reciprocate. If they want to pay, they should organize their own activity and invite me. That might seem old fashion but it is part of the selection process to weed out closet masculine women. Being from the US, I left decades ago because the culture got so crazy and 67 genders were too difficult to navigate, being cancelled or attacked for not knowing which of dozens of pronouns one adopted. By insisting to pay, it diminishes the effort to plan a memorable activity.
@@stanspb763 if you have had dates in 92 countries then you must be either some kind of addict or very desperate
If i'm dating..womens pays the bill. and they are happy to do it :))
"It's cheap if they don't pay..." So she admits to being cheap? Or maybe it was all said in jest?
As a guy from California, I would be an absolute alien here lol
I am here ladies
The more I learn about other cultures the more I love being Brazilian ❤🇧🇷
Not surprise at all. Brazil is mainly known for few things: criminal, football, overrated carnivals and maybe videos like "2 girls 1 cup" 🤮 Be proud, be proud... 👍🏼
@@sashal7123 Hey wise man. There is a difference between a country and its people. Where did you get the pride thing? I never said I'm proud of that country. Read my comment again, duh..
As an extroverted Singaporean, if and ever I go to Estonia, I think I will be really really surprised 😅
I like Estonia 🇪🇪 but I think is interesting adventure ❤ good luck
Had a couple of dates with an Estonian woman years ago. Her brutal honesty was just too much for me. It came across to me as arrogance and demeaning. And this was after I dated a German woman, so that is saying something!
Yeah estonian women are shy and reserved. But they forget about that when a really attractive men appears ;)
Of course they will; they're human beings.
doesn't sound that different from canada. a country of introverts is the first thing i think about when i hop on a bus here.
A lot fewer, if any, Nazis in Estonia.
Actually now you can get married online as well
Only the north half of estonia including hiiumaa is nordic culturally.
Wow you can park online in Estonia? They are running some racket there!😂
All these videos about Estonia are awesome, but they only talk about Tallinn. Get out of Tallinn and find out. In Estonia, the saying is a country within a country. The people of the country side have to collect money to go to Tallinn for a vacation, a concert, a museum...
I'm not from Tallinn and find this quite an exaggeration. Do not know anybody who has difficulties finding 10 euros for a bus ticket or 30-40 euros for a museum, or restaurant. Most drive cars anyway and EE is so small you can get anywhere very quickly.
@@kriimdriim yeah, props from Viimsi or Kiili ;)
Allah bless you all please all day and night please ❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊❤❤❤
Finland----->Estonia----->Latin Countries-> 😊
Close enough. Somewhat like Finland, but more old-fashion (especially the Russian minority), and yet much more independent women than in Finland.
This is a dated view of the whole population but okay.
@@TheTerkzzz You mean it hurts your fEeLiNgS
@@Sa7biUK It is just not what is the whole truth..
Make India Great!
A place for quiet Americans.
Sorry becoming someones friend should not have to require massive effort.This sounds like a big drain on someone and I can see why people just don't bother.
They meant it just takes little bit time to win theyr trust not like you have to bring moon and stars for them or smth. If you win theyr trust eventually, its much more rewarding cause you can be sure that they truly like you and like spending time with you
As an Estonian who lived in Australia for a year, it was so weird how ppl were so “friendly”, “nice” and etc. It was tiring for me cause it seemed soooo fake. Sure, several ppl werent fake and actually were nice but this learned fake friendliness gives me trust issues cause I dont understand is the person genuine with me or not
And no, I think that becoming someones friend requires effort. Friends are more than just people with who you meet time to time and do things together. Its much more deeper and you should ‘work hard’ to become friends with someone
You are confusing friends with acquaintances. People tend to have a few friends and a lot of acquintances. Becoming someone's friend should always require work.
@@He_l_en I don’t know what type of friends you have but I never had to work to have friends it’s something that just happens you don’t plan it and you can’t make it happen either the whole idea that you have to basically make someone like you or make someone have something in common with you it’s not friendship I don’t know what it is but it’s not friendshipI’ve never had to work at being someone’s friend.
@@He_l_en Win someone over? That’s not friendship. You can’t make friendship happen it just happens naturally if you have to play games and do silly little things like that then I can see why people in the country don’t have friends.
Thanks for taking Manan out of the closet. He looks nice from a distance.