Belgium and Norway to Estonia September 2013
 

Day 1
We had to wake up really early to get our plane. Some of us were able to get a nap on the first plane to Helsinki. After that we had a shorter flight on a very small plane, which was pretty scary. But we all survived and when we landed in Tartu we immediately met our host family. They showed us their home/apartment and later that evening we met the Norwegian delegation. We visited a pub and we had a walk while the Estonian students showed us their city. Our first impression is very positive!
(Lisa Lagaert)

Day 2
Today was our first day at the school, we first got a tour and what really stood out was that is was very clean. It had no papers on the ground and everything was bright and shiny. But what I think was quite weird is that the Estonian students didn't have any place outside where they can sit, there is no 'playground' ,not that they play that many games. The school bell was really cool as well because it wasn't an ordinary 'Triiing' but a song with classical music from Vivaldi.
Afterwards, around 9h30, we started to do some ice-breaking games in the school´s gym to get to know each other. After about an hour playing games and sometimes making a fool of ourselves, we went to the computer room and quickly filled in a questionaire and learned something about the Estonian history. Then we went to eat in the cafeteria. In the afternoon we started with the project work about climate change and global warming. Luckily we didn´t have to make a rather boring presentation with a powerpoint but instead we had to make a digital story. The Norwegians showed two short films about their hometown and their school and later we, the Belgians, had to present our own school, which I thought was pretty stressful.
Around 16 o'clock, we went laser shooting in Megazone and I personally think that that was the coolest activity of the day because we got to shoot people without really getting hurt. We also had a lot of pizza there, but really a lot (around 16 huge pizzas for 27 people). Afterwards we decided to go shopping in the mall, but not many of us have actually bought something. We finished off in the local pub 'Illegaard' and had a drink before I went home with Kaisa, my exchange student.
(Lotte Pollet)

Day 3
Today, it was a really nice day. For my breakfast I ate an egg and a sandwich and then we took the bus and went to school. This morning we did some project work about global warming. Working together with people of other countries, Norway and Estonia, is very nice, you can share ideas. Then we ate lasagne at school. In the afternoon we went for a beautiful walk in the nature of Estonia. It was wonderful! We got a beautiful view from a tower. Then we ate some wild currants, I didn't like them, too sour! After the walk we made a long boat trip, it took 5 hours! The boat was a wooden barge, built after a model from the Hansa times. It was very relaxing and all the students sat together. We were eating and drinking some hot tea and soup on the boat, because it was really cold! My exchange student and I are good friends.
(Elise Devolder)

Day 4
Today was the day we were all looking forward to, because after working hard we could finally present our project work about global warming. It wasn´t a normal PPT as we are used to in Belgium. We had to make a digital story with music in the background and talking with voice over. After presenting them we went to a typical Italian restaurant with all the teachers where we ate pizza until everybody was satisfied. While the teachers went to a coffeebar, we went pooling in a bar. We did a couple of games: Belgians against the Estonians. At the end of the evening some students went to a typical bar to taste the special drinks of the region, but I went home to try the typical dessert: Kohuke. It´s a curd with caramel around it. Tomorrow we go to an Estonian sauna and we will visit a science museum.
(Maarten Bauters)


Day 5
Friday, 4th of October, or the day we laughed with jokes we didn't understand, the day Elise caught fire or the day Belgium lost an interland against Estonia.
It's amazing that we've already been in Estonia for 5 days now!
Maybe it's because evening falls way earlier or perhaps it's just because we're having a lot of fun...
The day started with attending some real lessons. It was pretty hard because we couldn't understand what the teachers were saying, but we still laughed with the jokes they made.
It was a special day too. All across Estonia students celebrated Teachers Day. It's a day to thank them for their hard work and to, for example, give them flowers. After lunch we even had a ceremony to honour all of the teachers.
After that we had the opportunity to work on an article for Glossy Magazine about the exchange. It wasn't really difficult because we had a lot to write about after four days of beautiful and exciting Tartu.
Later that day we went to the science center, which looked a lot like the Technopolis in Mechelen. It's a really nice way to discover science and we felt like little children in a toystore. There was a live show too. Elise was brave enough to be a volunteer and they actually set her hands on fire!
When we returned to school, it was already 6'o clock. We went straight to the gym to start with a couple of games of floorball. The last game even was a battle between Estonia and Belgium. Unfortunatly they won but we still have a whole week in Waregem to take revenge.
After the game we hit the school's sauna. Everybody loved it and it felt like we were reborn!
Finally, after a short dinner and a long day, we decided to end with watching an Estonian comedy at Kaisa's house (Lotte's exchange student). It was the perfect end for yet another perfect day in Tartu.
Tervitused,
(Stanny Deweer)

Day 6
On this family day we all had a different programme, some of us went to Tallinn to discover the beautiful sites in the capital (with its medieval old town that’s protected as Unesco world heritage) but my host had prepared an outing with the family.
We had already gone to Birgit's home on Friday so I could meet her parents. We slept there because then we could start from her house to do a tour in Estonia. In the morning I had a really big breakfast so I was ready for the busy day. I ate pancakes, black bread, kohuke and kama. I liked all of it! After that we got ready and we started our tour. First we saw the Peipus Lake, which almost looks like the sea because it is 50 km wide. We also saw sandrocks, they are very common over here. Then we went to a shop that sells things made of wood, mostly oak. I bought socks with the flower of Estonia on them. After that we drove about an hour. Then we arrived at Rakvere Castle, a fort with different rooms, for example the torture room. I also met a girl who did an exchange with Belgium for one year, so it was cool that I could speak Dutch with an Estonian girl. Then we climbed on an ash mountain, hat was quite adventurous. Afterwards we went to see a waterfall. But the day wasn't over yet so we went back to the house of my exchange student to celebrate her father’s birthday. The whole family was there and we ate a lot, again. To end our day we went home and met the whole group in the pub, to be together for the last time. It was a beautiful end of a great week!
(Margot Balcaen)
 

Day 7
Today most of us slept until noon probably. In the afternoon, some went to the cinema, others bought some souvenirs for their parents or their friends. After that, we ate our last meal in Estonia and packed our last things. We met at the airport in Tartu at 4 o’clock. There it was time to say goodbye to our amazing hosts. After a big hug with all of them and a picture of the group we all went to the gate, it was an emotional moment. After our first flight to Helsinki, we had to wait for an hour and a half before taking the plane back to Brussels. At 21.25 Belgian time, we arrived in Brussels. We’ve had a great time that we will never forget. We are looking forward to seeing our Estonian friends back in April.
(Siemen Deseyn)
Foto's: Cato Pluym

Results:

Belgians and Norwegians arrive in Tartu: Expectations and Reality

Students’ Meeting in Tartu 30 September - 6 October 2013 - Reports and videos