Petrones Estonia

At first I have to say that I didn’t like the book at all. I didn’t like it because it was full of clichés, and not the good ones either.  I don’t see Estonians and the Estonia the way Petrone does.

Though, I found myself thinking why. Why I found myself thinking that Petrones stereotypes and conclusions are really bad and childish. It was simply because, how he described sauna? Finnish sauna night. Of course I know that the New York is multi-cultural city. But to be surprised about the sauna night is little bit … .

He was a New York guy and almost every gym in New York has a sauna or saunas. So why it happened to surprise him?  Is this really how you need to see, and can see Estonia or any country?  Through the sauna and naked man sitting next to each other and skinny dipping? It’s very simple minded point of view of something that important as culture.

Also I can’t accept the way he describes and sees Estonians and Epp’s family.

If they don’t hug, it’s weird and not common. Again, Why? I know a lot of Estonians who hug and kiss when they see each other, and I also know New Yorkers who do not.

Or how he describes his trips from Tallinn to Tartu. No villages no nothing. Only wasteland. Hey man! Take a bus trip from New York to Montreal on route 87 or just go to Texas.

My thoughts are that Petrone hasn’t got the idea of Estonia and Estonians the time he wrote that book. It’s too superficial and subjective. I thing that the foreign culture cannot be taken that lightly by one person.

Ok. So I’m done with the Petrones Estonia, and I don’t agree with his thoughts.  Yes, Estonians like to take sauna. So what? Americans like to take sauna also - and skinny dipping. Yes, every Estonian don’t hug every time. But does every New Yorker or American hug each other, when they see? I don’t think so. So, Petrone, my suggession for you is, to go deeper next time. 

Though there was one important thing about reading the Petrones. And it was, that I started thinking about My Estonia. What is my point of view? And I’m going to thank Petrones book for that. It is very long time, since I had some thoughts about My Estonia.