Speaking Lithuanian in Estonia

The sun was shining brightly early morning in Tallinn for day two (read about day 1 here). The sun’s rays were coming in through the windows and the drapes, it woke us up from our deep slumber at about seven in the morning. We stayed in bed for a few more minutes until we finally had enough energy and willingness to get up and start the day.

French breakfast at Caffeine because why not

A quick coffee fix at Caffeine, a familiar café which also has its branches in Lithuania and Latvia, was a few strides away from behind our apartment building. It was a quiet morning. People came and went, probably heading for work. B and I were the only ones who stayed over for our breakfast. While enjoying a quiet breakfast together, the weather started to change from sunny to cloudy. And in no time, it started to drizzle.

Oh man, how this would spoil our free walking tour for the day.

We joined the free tour from the old town and climbed up and down its streets. I don’t suppose it was too memorable as I cannot recall any significant information from that tour as I write this entry. Although, I can recall how frustrated I felt because of the weather which spoiled the fun. This was probably the reason I wasn’t too receptive to the information even if I was paying close attention (especially since I needed to translate for B).

We had lunch in the center and did not really think about what and where to eat. Just to settle comfortably as we await the next Communism free tour that would be starting in an hour.

We met our group not so far from the restaurant. Details from that tour at this point of writing are quite vague. I just remember gruesome stories from the Soviet era and how Estonia was left to the Germans, then back to the Soviets, then a brief moment of independence, then back again to the Germans and then the Soviets. I remember there was confusion from the Estonians at one point - are they free, do they adhere to the Germans who seem to abandon them or to the Soviets who do not seem to take any interest? Such confusing times.

What I do remember from this trip is meeting Martinas. Martinas is a solo Lithuanian traveler from our group. The guide would always refer to him for details when it came to the Baltic efforts and forces against the Soviets. At one point, Martinas was standing right beside me and so I took the courage and talked to him in Lithuanian. He looked stunned and confused, later, amused, that an Asian like me was speaking to him in his native tongue. He indulged my questions (albeit personal) by answering in Lithuanian. As if he couldn’t help himself, he asked why and how on earth I spoke Lithuanian. We found ourselves having our own little bubble as we moved along the tour.

“Labas !” Hi

[Young, tall, Lithuanian man, stunned, reluctantly replied] “Labas ?” Hi ?

“Kaip sekasi ?” How are you?

“Gerai, ačiū. O tu ?” Good, thanks, and you?

“Gerai, ačiū. Koks tavo vardas ?” Good, thanks. What’s your name?

“Aš Martinas, o tu ?” I’m Martin. You?

“Aš Leni. Malonu, Martinas ! Kur gyveni ?” I’m Leni. Nice to meet you, Martin. Where are you from?

“Gyvenu Kaunė. O tu ?” I’m from Kaunas. You?

“Dabar, gyvenu Klaipėdoje bet aš iš Filipinų. Studijuoju lietuviškai Klaipėdoje. Kalbu truputi lietuviškai.” Right now, I’m living in Klaipėda but i’m from the Philippines. I’m studying Lithuanian in Klaipėda. I speak only a little Lithuanian though.

“Gerai. Why are you learning Lithuanian?” I see…

“Why not? For fun.”

“I suppose it’s hard?”

“Taip, labai sunku. But I like it.” Yes, it’s very hard…

From time to time, we broke off and found each other at proximity again, trying to get into small talks. At that point, I remember how I enjoyed being alone in trips like these because I get to have the most wonderful encounters. Then I remember I was with B. And I couldn’t possibly just jump into chatting without getting him involved. I don’t know if it bothered him though in hindsight, I don’t think he even noticed.

Towards the end of the tour, as our group left the old town to the port of Tallinn, with Helsinki on the horizon, I asked Martinas what his plans were after the trip. He said he didn’t know. I felt he wanted to join me (us) and have a little chat but was timid and shy to do so. I was still hesitant because I didn’t know how B would feel about it so I reluctantly and politely bid Martinas goodbye and wished him luck for his next trip.

I wish I got his contact details. It wouldn’t hurt to have kept his contact. I don’t know why it felt “wrong” but not keeping in touch was one thing I regretted most. It would bother me for days. Quite frankly, it still bothers me now.

They say we regret things we didn’t do than the [wrong] things we did do.

Moving on, that night, B and I had a private sauna reserved in a hotel. Saunas are a big thing in the Nordic countries so we wouldn’t want to pass up this opportunity. It was what we needed after days of non-stop walking, and definitely what I needed after my delayed flights from which I have not yet recovered from.

The following day, we left Hanna’s flat just before noon. B and I bought and loaded up our Tallinn Ühiskaart Transport Card as our travel souvenir, and what would take us to the bus station for a connecting bus from Riga, back to Klaipėda.

That’s it for our little spontaneous adventure in Tallinn! And with that, we made it to all Baltic states! Achievement unlocked!