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EESTI ELU reedel, 19. märtsil 2021 — Friday, March 19, 2021
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Language Lounge: Estonian sign language Vincent Teetsov Like many people probably, I used to have the false under standing that Deaf communi ties around the world commu nicate with one sign language that is clearly understood everywhere. In reality, there are many different sign lan guages, just as there are many different spoken languages. Eesti viipekeel (EVK, or Estonian Sign Language) is one of these. According to Merilin Miljan, of the Institute of the Estonian Language, EVK is “the first language of about 2,000 deaf people living in Estonia”, in addition to there being a number of Estonians who communicate with Russian Sign Language. This doesn’t include deaf people who communicate verbally and use lip reading. In the academic journal Sign Language Studies, Estonian linguist Kadri Hein-Loik writes of how the first Deaf school in Estonia was founded in Vändra, Pärnu County by a pastor named Ernst Sokolovski. This was in 1866, when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire. Along with minimal research comparing EVK to other sign languages like Finnish Sign Language, and also due to the high percentage of similar signs between EVK and Russian Sign Language, linguists have reached the conclusion that EVK is linked to Russian Sign Language in its origins. By extension, this would connect EVK to the French Sign Language Family, and going back far enough, to signs used by monks in the Medieval era. Conversely, Finnish Sign Language comes from Swedish
Sign Language. Outside of Québec, deaf people in Canada commonly use American Sign Language, which also originated from French Sign Language. EVK has taken on variations across regions and over time. The signs that are used can change, as can the rhythm in which they flow. Across the world, there are approximately 300 different signed languages, and if verbal languages are shared between two countries, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the same sign language is used in both countries. For instance, Argentine Sign Language and Spanish Sign Language are dif ferent and wouldn’t be declared “mutually intelligible.” Like wise, a signed language in one particular nation can have very different grammar from its ver bal counterpart. There is a rich culture behind each signed language. Though, it has often not been regarded that way. At the 2nd International Congress on Edu cation of the Deaf, taking place in Milan in 1880, educators passed resolutions to ban the use of sign language in schools, based on what they deemed to be the “incontestable superiority of articulation”, or oral commu nication. These resolutions were addressed at the 1980 Congress in Hamburg and apologized for at the 2010 Congress in Van couver, British Columbia. This recognition initiates a path to action and respect. With the Language Act in 2007, EVK received official status as a language in Estonia. Most recently, Eesti Viipekeele Selts (the Estonian Sign Lan guage Society) was founded in November 2020, with the aim to “popularize Estonian Sign
ESTONIAN CULTURE LINKS by Vincent Teetsov
Ken Valvur’s Sake and Sushi mission Vincent Teetsov Estonia and Japan have more in common than you might expect. A reverence for nature is mutual. “Forest bathing” is a cultural phenomenon in both places, as practitioners
seek a calming physiological effect by being surrounded by trees. There is an awareness of transience in life, as demonstrated by the seasons. In Japan, that awareness is called aware, and is rein forced by the yearly growth and release of cherry blos soms. In Estonia, sunlight is transient. In summer, it’s bountiful. In winter, it is scarce. BBC reported that 50 percent of Estonians “believe in a spirit or life force.” That belief may connect to nature or our ances tors. In the Shinto faith of Japan, kami are the spirits of aspects of nature and sometimes those who are deceased.
Photo: Ontario Spring Water Sake Company
Then, Estonians and Japanese also both enjoy fresh fish and a nice drink to fill our bellies and wind down. Beer is popular, but for harder stuff, there’s vodka in Estonia, and sake in Japan. In North America, Estonian-
Still from Jari Pärgma’s “Oh, What A World” video.
Language and contribute to its development.” The educational system is becoming more informed, moving away from the time before the 90s when, as Kadri Hein-Loik describes, deaf children were considered to have mental disabilities due to challenges in speech acquisi tion. Beyond the educational system and academic studies, one can’t ignore the power of interpersonal communication and multimedia across Deaf communities. YouTuber Jari Pärgma performs Estonian Sign Language translations of songs like Kacey Musgraves’ “Oh, What A World” and Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next.” The shapes made by his hands are a conduit for the emotion of the lyrics. Love. Wonder. Confi dence and toughness for the latter song. And in case we don’t know Estonian Sign Language, we can see it in his facial expressions. We think so much about how to communicate the Estonian language verbally, but there is much for us to learn with re gard to sign languages, so that communication can take place between everyone. Commu ni cation, after all, is a cornerstone for meaningful relationships with our peers.
Canadian Ken Valvur has leaped fully into the Japanese side of things. In fact, you could consider him a diplomat of Japanese cuisine. Valvur started small, opening a sushi takeout operation in Toronto in 1996, after working in finance for several years in Tokyo. This grew into Bento Sushi, a brand that rode on the wave of Japanese food’s in creased popularity outside of Japan. It’s now frequently named “North America’s se cond-largest sushi-brand”, and definitely is the biggest in Canada. You’ve probably seen Bento Sushi all over the Greater Toronto Area and other parts of Canada, including in grocery stores such as Real Canadian Superstore. In 2007, Valvur sold Bento Sushi. Brewing sake became his next target, leading him to found Ontario Spring Water Sake Company (or Izumi Sake Brewery) in 2011. A few points underscore sake production at Ontario Spring Water Sake Company. The sake is unpasteurized, to be served and sold to customers fresh. It is made with soft
New Digital Marketing Strategist hired As the International Estonian Centre project continues to grow and take shape in downtown Toronto, a new Digital Marketing Strategist has been hired. Emily Baillie is a Digital Marketing Consultant & Professor with 15 years of experience in the marketing industry and on a part-time basis, Emily will lead the go-tomarket planning and execution of a digital communications strategy for the project. Heili Toome, International Estonian Centre Inc. board chair noted that many excellent and qualified candidates applied for the position. “In Emily is a winning combination of being a seasoned marketing professional and many connections to Estonian culture”, said Heili, “Emily brings core competencies, experience, and a fresh perspective to the project. We’re simply delighted that she is joining the team!” Emily is similarly enthusiastic, saying “I am thrilled to be part of a dynamic team that is working hard to shape the future of the Estonian community in Toronto, for Estonians in North America and further afield.This project will elevate all things Estonian to a new leveld, and I look forward to applying my marketing expertise to help the centre achieve its goals.” Emily laughs about the seeming secret club that being Estonian brings with it: “It was an Estonian neighbour of my mother’s who connected me with the posting for this position. Estonians may be small in number,
but the tentacles reach wide!” Emily is married to Kristian Puhvel who is a proud Estonian-Canadian from Mont real. Emily has travelled to Estonia and is very impressed with the depth and breadth of the cultural heritage and the digital-first society. Emily and Kristian live in Horseshoe Valley (located one hour north of Toronto) with their young daughter Lucy. She teaches marketing courses at McMaster University and Humber College. Through her consulting business Compass Content Marketing she has provided content and social media marketing services to a range of clients including MasterCard, Northern Ontario Travel, GlaxoSmithKline, Tourism Toronto and more. She is a member of the Canadian Marketing Association. Please mark March 24, 2021 at 1900h ET in your calendar for our next Community Engagement Session where we’ll have some exciting news to share and provide updates on project progress, we’ll post the Zoom details to estoniancentre.ca site!
ater, painstakingly brought in w from the best sources in Ontario. Junmai rice and koji fungus (aspergillus oryzae) are used in the brewing process. Don’t worry, though, it’s not too different than using starter for your rye bread. The sake is based on longstanding tradition: the Miyasaka Brewing Company, which has been around in the city of Nagano for approximately 400 years, assisted Valvur when he began making the sake. Expert advice and equipment was brought in from Japan to the brewery’s location in Toronto’s Distillery District, where Gooderham & Worts whisky distillery once stood. In its place, Ontario Spring Water Sake Company brews 20,000 litres of sake each year, both to be tasted at its wooden tables and long bar, or from bottles sold at LCBO locations. In autumn 2017, Valvur
joined the Board for British brand YO! Sushi, who pur chased Bento Sushi for 100 million Canadian dollars. QSR magazine has identified YO! Sushi as “the first restaurant in the U.K. to deliver sushi via conveyor belt.” With this pur chase, both companies intended to cooperate and expand further across North America. More recently, the brewery has started to offer sake fla voured with lime; or even sake apple cider with hints of ginger and maple syrup – sake that’s respectful to Japanese practices, but is a truly Canadian fusion. The sake has become a trusted brand by izakaya taverns in Toronto, rounding out their welcoming and hearty am biance. In this way, the initial food and drink missions have united, with an Estonian at the helm, continuing to make it an unstoppable force on the food scene.
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