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EESTI ELU reedel, 25. juunil 2021 — Friday, June 25, 2021
Nr. 25
How to keep everyone happy in a sauna Vincent Teetsov Ah, the sauna. Or should I say, saun. A pillar of the Estonian way of life. Considering their placement in gyms and spas, many North Americans would logically de termine sauna use as a personal wellness or fitness activity. Saun is indeed good for you. The steam cleanses your skin’s pores. You sweat out impurities. The heat eases the tension of muscles and joints. Blood circu lation is improved. Yet, the purpose of these hot wooden rooms is broader and more social. I don’t need to tell any Estonians how to do their saun. Still, the next time someone asks you what the deal is with Estonians and saunas, and you want to prepare them for a good Estonian sauna experience,
Estonia in top ten in innovation across European Union BNS/ERR, June 2021 Estonia falls in the top ten in a European Commission rank ing of member states’ innovation levels. Along with Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Lithuania, Estonia’s performance in the area has improved by more than 25 per centage points since 2014, BNS reports, with Belgium, Croatia, Finland and Sweden also seeing strong improvement. The latter is overall score board leader, with Finland, Denmark and Belgium occupy ing the next three spots. Estonia is in ninth place. The European Innovation Scoreboard, published by the European Commission, analyses performance not only within the EU, but also with states outside
don’t forget to mention some of these points. Hot, But Not Too Hot: For a classic sauna, it’s said that the ideal temperature range is between 60 and 70 degrees Celsius. In reality, Estonians will commence at 70 degrees: a starting point for a trip up to 100 degrees or more, depending on how intense one’s sauna pals are. 80 is a sweet spot, between wondering why you bothered to go inside at all and feeling like a dried apricot. This keeps it accessible for anyone with asthma or heart disease, too. A good sauna host will be mindful of their guests’ heat tolerance levels. Keep it Steamy: I don’t know about you, but I’ve never under stood a dry sauna, like the ones you’ll find in some gyms. If
the union, in the field of in novation performance and the relative strengths and weak nesses of national innovation systems. The 2021 scoreboard was published Monday, while an on going phenomenon sees most leaders in the field concentrated in northern and western Europe and the moderate and emerging performers to be found in southern and eastern Europe. Overall, the EU is continuing to improve in innovation, this year’s results found, with the average level being a little un der 13 percent since 2014, and also convergence noted between the lowest-performing states and the highest-performance, the commission’s representation in Estonia says. The EU also continues to outperform both developed countries such as Australia, the U.S. and Canada, and emerging ones such as Brazil, China and Russia, the union says of itself.
Seedrioru
65 Years, 65 White Birch trees! $65.00! Täname Teid! Thank you for your support in this fundrais er! Trees were planted on June 5th with caring volunteers who worked safely, moving throughout Seedrioru planting and watering these beautiful paper birches under sunny skies. Thank you to the team on the golf cart, thank you to the Seedrioru päkapikk (elf) that continues to water the trees. With the help of Mother Nature and time, they will greet you when you drive in, give you shade as you watch a volleyball game or swim in our beautiful pond! This is just the beginning of growing more roots… there will be more!! Thank you to Northern Birch Credit Union for your sponsorship of this initiative! Trees were purchased at St. Jacob’s Country Nursery. Elagu Seedrioru!
SEEDRIORU JUHATUS 2021
Have fun learning… (Continued from page 8)
Free Estonian language courses
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putting water on the hot stones isn’t allowed, you might as well just sit outside on a humid North American summer day! Once a desirable sauna tem perature has been reached, you can make steam, or leil. Whoever is sitting next to the bucket that’s been filled with water is the one in charge of scooping and splashing water onto the stones. If you decide to add some water independently, reach for the bucket and make eye con tact with all those around you, as though you were reaching for the last slice of a cake. If you see lots of furrowed eye brows, retreat back to your seated position. If faces are stoic, proceed. When you add water, just add a little bit at a time. Hydration: If you’re trying to keep it healthy, drink some crisp mineral water to replete what you sweat out. If the saun is being used during a celebra tion, beer will probably start floating around and the saun will become an additional party room. And if you really must drink Gatorade, do so when you get out of the sauna, sneaking clandestine sips when no one’s looking. Attire: Swim trunks or a bath ing suit might seem most suitable, but can start to feel uncomfortable as the tempera ture soars. If you want to cover up, a towel is probably a better choice. In fact, you’ll want a towel anyway, to sit on so that your skin doesn’t sear on the wooden surfaces and to keep things hygienic. Whether it’s a mixed or separate sauna depends on the place and the crowd, but be prepared for nudity – a sauna brings every one to the same point as human beings! On top of this, a saunamüts (“sauna hat”) made of wool or felt is recommended to keep your head cooler, especially when you’re on the higher perches of the saun. Elevation: Speaking of the high perches, shout out to all of the tough folks up on the top levels of the saun, while the rest of us are keeping it a bit cooler lower down. If you’re a sauna host, fortu nate enough to have a sauna of your own to share with friends, try not to be hard on the low benchers. Sitting lower down is actually a good way to be able to linger in the saun for longer, so you can simmer at a slower pace.
Timing: When it takes between 30 and 45 minutes to get a saun to the ideal 80 degrees, you may envision staying inside longer to make it all worth it. More likely, however, is a session of up to 10 minutes in length. If you want, you can go in a few times with breaks in be tween. When you come back in, don’t let the heat out, though, by hanging out with an open door! Otherwise, you’ll hear cries of anguish as the cold air rushes in and everyone tries to get their sweat on again. Get Out Your Aggression: Ok, not really. Please be gentle when you get to the stage of hitting people with vihad (those tied up bundles of birch or oak branches used for improving circulation and more) in a sauna! Let’s assume someone has brought some pre-prepared vihad. Before the sauna session starts, dip the leafy and woody parts of the viht in cold water for half an hour each. Then, soak the leafy part again in a vessel of warm or hot water while things heat up. Give everyone ample time to sweat, and towards the end of the session, you can shake off the water from the viht over the hot stones and start the ritual. Either for yourself or for a friend, use the viht to hit the skin on the back, front, legs, and arms a couple of times. Use a bit of oomph, but not too much. The Conversation: Most people would probably rather keep conversations light in a saun. If someone starts talking business or opens their heart to you, though, make the most of that candid, trusting moment. Above all, read the room. If it’s a low key sauna, it’s worth holding off on doing that elabo rate aufguss routine with towel twirling, essential oils, and the Hans Zimmer soundtrack. There are other venues for this type of performance. The Cool-Off Period: When all is said and done, hopefully there’s a lake, pond, or some snow to jump into, to relish in that feeling of being invincible against the cold. If not, enjoy a cool shower and head out for something to eat and drink. By bringing up these points and any others I might have missed, let us always serve as noble ambassadors of saun to our friends!
Anyone wishing to further their Estonian has the chance to enrol in courses starting in September at the A1, A2, B1, B2 and C1 levels. Registration is via the Integration Foundation website (from 25 August) or an advance consultation. https://www.integratsioon.ee/en/ estonian-language-cours es-adults Consultations Not sure which option is right for you? The Integration Foundation offers consultation services to adults who want to learn Estonian, helping them choose the option that is best suited to them. Our consultants help to analyse each person’s needs and experience, clarify their current language level and draw up a suitable languagelearning plan. They also share guidance and advice on other adaptation-related topics, in cluding services and support. To register for counselling, please contact us by e-mail info@integratsiooniinfo.ee or free of charge by phone 800 9999. You can also get initial answers about language learn ing opportunities and informa tion about living in Estonia via our counselling web (https://in t eg r a t s i o o n . e e / e n / c o u n s e l ling-web).
The thoughtful… (Algus lk. 9)
the site of Johannes Lorup’s former factory. Glasstone is based in Tallinn and the com pany pays tribute to their prede cessor through their products, some of which emulate the 1930s shapes and engravings of Lorup glassware. With dramatic back lighting, their product photography em phasizes subtle curvature, tex ture, dimples, delicacy, and finely engraved imagery in cer tain pieces, while remaining stable and practical. For in stance, the Johannes wine glass, with its long stem, assertive widening and narrowing from the bowl of the glass to the rim, and solid base. One of their most impressive pieces is a heavy glass bowl called “Kaali Meteorite Crater”, which has sides that “splash” up wildly and a bottom that is a sullen green colour. Glasstone are very inventive with the way they immerse bright colours into clear glass vessels. They make glassware that, even if it’s very decorative, is able to be enjoyed on the most ordinary of occasions for the atmosphere they create, rather than storing them away in a cupboard. Here, we find a valuable core aspect of Nordic design – deco ration, especially striking natu ralistic details, can lift up even the simple moments of life.
