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EESTI ELU reedel, 7. augustil 2020 — Friday, August 7, 2020
Excelling in the Midst of Adversity (part nine): Adapting as a Strategy A collaboration between Chaordic Design and Estonian Life The ability to adapt one’s ideas, approaches, organiza tion and strategy to a changing environment is a key factor in innovation, and can also be applied in life. Bruce Lee famously said ‘Be like water, my friend…” be cause water fills any vessel, and takes its shape. Thus, water adapts joyously, and fully. Water can wear away stone, and run in unstoppable rivers. More importantly, water can change its state significantly, to be fluid at room temperature, mist under heat, or turn to ice when it is cold. We are called to consider the need for adaptation in our own environment; how can we be more like water, in the discomfort of change? The Benefits of Change: Since the only constant we can truly count on is change, it can benefit us to realize that change is most definitely com ing (it is only the time between now and change that varies), and therefore be prepared to act, react and adapt when it does. An easy way to welcome
change is to keep our eyes and ears out for it, so that we might detect early trends and signals – and stay ahead of the competi tion in business, and strategy. Times of change are also times of great opportunity, and those who are not fearful of change may use their adapt-ability to drive innovation for themselves, their organization, and their community. The Changing Environment: Tracking trends and signals of change is a constant art, and it can be helpful to track on a series of levels, both in our immediate environment, such as our marketspace or neighbour hood, as well as on a larger scale, such as the global impact sphere. Gathering your signals from various sources, like opposing magazines, news papers or media outlets is a fruitful idea, as these varied media will have different opinions, and you may get a clearer picture of the change. The Five Whys: Adapt-ability is most suc cessful when we are able to translate our current state – what we are currently doing, and how we are currently doing it – to our adapted state, by
ESTONIAN CULTURE LINKS by Vincent Teetsov
Estonian wedding traditions and games down the aisle. If following tradition, an Estonian wedding couple will walk together down the aisle, or the bride may walk alone, rather than being escorted by her father. Once the ceremony is com plete, the pulmaisa gets to work. The pulmaisa is not merely a master of ceremonies: they are a commissioner of games. A jokester. An executive peoloom (“party animal”). And so begins the pulma rong, a jubilant procession of the bridal party and guests from the location of the ceremony to the location of the party. At one point, this would have featured horse-drawn carriages. Now there are cars. Along the way, traps, games, and other stops will be put in the way of the pulmarong, where the bride and groom
Photo: pulmad.ee
As Canada has passed through phases of the pandemic and gradually eases lockdown re strictions, the wedding plans of many have been put into question. Some couples have chosen to cancel their ceremonies and receptions, others have postponed their dates, and in some cases, cele brations have been pared down in size. In light of this unique phe nomenon and moment in time, what are some traditions that define a traditional Estonian pulm (wedding)? Even without the proposals on horseback and silver dowries of days gone by, there are quite a few differences from the western European and English traditions that are commonly associated with weddings in Canada. It all starts with the walk
Jõekääru children’s suvekodu opening in 1953. Photo: Johannes Säägi
understanding the deep why of what we were doing in the first place. An innovation tool that is extremely useful to create this deep understanding is asking the “Five Whys.” It’s extremely simple, yet works very well. Ask yourself WHY you were doing your current action FIVE consecutive times, taking care to fully answer the question each time. Every time you answer, ask yourself WHY you answer in that way, until you get to the depth of the purpose, or true challenge. When you have achieved “deep why un derstanding”, you will have also increased your adapt-ability. In these ways, we can be like water, understanding the shape of a stone, and choosing our best path over it to reach our desired outcomes, and ultimately, change and grow. For as long as Estonians have lived outside of Estonia, they have tracked signals of change to bring and enjoy their
customs in host countries. Whether fleeing as refugees or immigrating in times of peace, in all corners of the globe, they’ve built communities that engage with local life, but where they can also hold onto the distinct experiences and memories of home.
must complete challenges. If they are merely stopped, some kind of vodka or other spirit can be given to pass through, like a toll, so the couple ought to be prepared. Following the pulmaisa’s lead, some variant of rock throwing could take place. The bride would write her maiden name on a rock and throw it in a river, symbolizing the changing of her name or the cleansing of sins. The groom may be required to take an axe and chop a log in half. The more blunt and unwieldy the axe, the better. The challenges vary, putting various domestic skills to the test. On a more quaint note, couples sometimes plant an oak tree together, as a symbol of their marriage’s strength and growth.
intricate rituals undertaken by the wedding guests.
While it may be taken for granted, part of adapting has included finding community locations that resemble the Estonian landscape. For exam ple, the exterior of the Chicago Estonian House is mottled with shimmering birch trees and sits on the easy bends and trickles of the Des Plaines River in Riverwoods, Illinois. At Jõe kääru Summer Camp in Udora, children can run and play in open, sunny fields and splash in creeks by day and stay in wooden cabins by night. On the grounds of Kotkajärve, near Huntsville, Metsaülikool (Forest University) attendees can spend time at a hiis (sacred grove),
In some weddings, the cover ing of the bride’s face was im portant, to protect her from evil beings and spirits. In Võrumaa, the pruutpaar may be sprinkled with grains, which has been compared to the Celtic tradition of throwing rice. Interestingly enough, that tradition was also started to distract jealous evil spirits. Estonia being a nation and people of songs, singing would accompany these rites. Songs encapsulated the ideas and poetic descriptions of these traditions. Like other weddings, dancing would take place, too.
When the clock strikes mid night at the reception, the groom puts on a hat and the bride puts on a flower crown. The couple then takes off and presents the headpieces to the couple who are presumed to be the next bride and groom. Finally, they married couple are in the clear!
The end of a more extensive three to four day Estonian wedding celebration would be evident based on a dwindling supply of meat for guests to eat, and capped off with the serving of a cabbage dish, such as kapsasupp (“cabbage soup”). After partying and imbibing for 72 hours or more, that soup would be well deserved.
Of course, depending on where you go in Estonia, and depending on what era a wedding took place, traditions like these are not definitive and could change quite a bit. For instance, a wedding on the island of Kihnu may position the pruutpaar (the bridge and groom) on the receiving end of
In a playful way, these tradi tions are like the “push off” of a rowboat from the shore into the water. The beginning of a journey. The suitability of both the bride and groom are tested, and the couple’s unity are im parted with a certain levity and humour, to make a marriage long and happy.
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just as is done in Estonia. Why? All of these places have brought visitors back to the experience of being at home in a particular outdoor environment, like generations before them. Adaptation is achieved else where through monitoring signals of change. Academic sororities, fraternities, and so cieties founded chapters and points of activity in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Sweden, the UK, the US, and Venezuela. Community members went to great lengths to contribute social vitality, sup port, and networking to student life. Sensing an opportunity, the demand for a student residence and hub of academic life for students of Estonian heritage was met with the construction of Tartu College on Bloor Street in Toronto, 50 years ago. Not long before, in the first half of the 20th century, these same s ororities and fraternities patiently observed the regula tions of overseeing student federations to come into exis tence in Estonia, allowing for students’ Estonian identity and language to be expressed more freely. These goals continue to this day. When cultural communities adapt with water-like flexibility and new, innovative ideas, they remain strong and alive. Next week, Kristina Põldre, a project manager and sorority leader, will speak from her own experiences about how adapta tion is employed in the present day.
Close to 400 people granted citizenship in first half of 2020 ER, August 2020 In the first six months of 2020, the state has granted Estonian citizenship to 391 people, of whom 273 previously had no determined citizen ship. As of July, citizenship has been refused for 33 persons. The largest proportaion of Estonian citizenship granted this year has been granted to people who were previously of undetermined citizenship. On 83 occasions, citizenship was granted to people who previous ly held Russian citizenship, and 10 were granted to Ukrainian citizens. Taking on Estonian citizenship requires surrender ing the previous citizenship. Seven people from Pakistan, three to formerly Belarusian citizens, three to from Latvia and also three from Armenia also received Estonian citizen ship. Two former U.S. citizens also became Estonians, along with two from Turkey and two Sri Lankans. In 2019, in addition to Estonians, people of 146 differ ent nationalities are registered as residing in the country.
ESTONIAN LIFE
