Õnnelik Iseseisvuspäev

Happy Estonian Independence Day!

Mahopin Eesti Kiilt (not the proper spelling).
Translation: I am learning Estonian.

This day in history in 1918, the good and oppressed people of Estonia took up arms in a brave battle against the Russian overlords of their land, and reached out in an attempt to obtain freedom from subjugation under the tyrannical rule of czars and Bolsheviks. An attempt, which was successful.

Well… for about twenty years before being invaded by Nazis, then being “liberated” only to re-gobbled up by Russians.

Now, if I was in Australia for 4th of July, I know I would have a longing for home, and want to do something American to celebrate my own homeland’s struggle for Independence.

So, I went out to the bottle shop, got some vodka, printed out some pictures, got a toy gun, got some Styrofoam, and set up a bit of a game for my new friends. We went to the store, bought the ingredients for pizza (not because it’s such an Estonian thing, but because that’s what we happened to be in the mood for) went back to the apartment to make our pizzas and while they were in the oven we started up a game of shoot the Russian!



For the history impaired…

From left to right: Lenin, Stalin, Brezhnev, Yeltsin, and (most recently) Putin.

When I announced that the winner gets a bottle of vodka, the competition intensified to take out the most Russians. The rules where simple. Best of three rounds cumulative points, five shots each per round, and don’t pass a certain line when you fire.

Marty led off.



Followed by Markus.



And then Richard.



Why the huge celebration on Richard’s part?

He was the first one to take out Putin:



An even greater accomplishment than Richard being the first to take out Putin, was Marty in the 3rd round taking out an impressive 4 out of 5 Russians (leaving on Brezhnev standing after a misfire).



This of course led to the final score:



Marty the winner of the vodka, and Markus & Richard left to take out the disappointment of their loss on the Russians.



And so, a good night was had by all!



Then of course there was even a 92nd birthday cake for Estonia.



I wrote using the very little bit of Eesti (Estonian) that I know:

“Kai Victu Venemaa”

That is to say, “F^<% you Russia”.

And then there was more laughter at the expense of communism:






Happy Estonian Independence everyone!