Horses jump - Hockey players spit.

Hockey afternoon in Estonia?

Man, was I excited as I got off the trolley bus and walked up to the Saku arena, I saw that the parking lot was full and many people was entering the arena. My first thought was - 'Wow, this is going to be great! They really do like their hockey over here! Yep - Canada and Estonia must have this bond of hockey - a bond that can't be broken, a shared passion that other countries envy and can't possibly understand'. As I walked up that stairs along side my new soulmates, into this beautiful arena, I noticed a sign - "Welcome to the Tallinn International Horse Show 2005".

A Horse Show?

My first thought was how the hell do the horses jump on ice?? I mean, that's dangerous, isn't it? Maybe it's one of those in-between period promotional things?? Oh - wait a minute - This isn't hockey. This is well groomed horses jumping over brightly flowered steeples while finely dressed folks clap politely. This reeks in culture. There is no hitting here. There are no Zambonis anywhere to be found here.

Betrayal.

My Estonian 'soulmates' love elegant show horses not sweaty hockey players.

Hiding my deep bitterness and disappointment, I found out from one of these finely dressed, horse-goers that the hockey game is actually next store in a smaller arena is called the Premia jäähallis. This was was not the arena I excitedly took a picture of last weekend. That picture was of the Saku Arena, where the rafters are full of people watching horses jump.

Man, the more I see - the less I understand.

Ok - I will not let this development bring me down. So I march over to the Premia jäähallis to watch my hockey game. Afterall, HC Panter (the local team) is playing Helsingi OKK, a team from Finland. This is, what they call, a division II hockey game. I figured it must be a great rivalry between these two international teams and the stands will be full of rabid fans from both nations. Afterall, national pride is at stake.

There were 28 people. - I counted them.

There was also a mascot. This guy in a bear suit. He just sits there and watches the game. Oh, once in awhile he does get up and jig to a song but seems to tire and sits down again. He never once looks at the fans.

The arena is small with limited seating. It looks like a newer arena and doesn't have much character. It actually looks like any suburban Toronto or Ottawa hockey arena where guys play pick up hockey...

As for the game itself, the calibre of play is somewhere between a late night pick up game with the guys, and a Jr B game like back home in Canada. Although the game did have it's moments, there just wasn't enough skill or speed to sustain 60 minutes of entertaining hockey. Mind you, it's still early in the season - so perhaps both teams are still getting their kinks out. I think I counted about 6 creative passes on the whole. I never saw any good slap shots - it seems like no one on either team had a good shot in their arsenal, even on the power play, which was a bit surprising and disappointing. The goaltending was ok but then again - neither goalie was really tested all the much. The team from Helsinki prevailed 6-3.

I guess my expectations were too high, I mean with the large International ice surface, I thought I see more speed and passing, but I guess division II is not the place to see that. I wonder if there are division I games here? Perhaps, I need to head to Finland or Russia or Latvia for that kind of hockey?

On my way out, I decided to check out the horse show next store in the beautiful Saku Arena and see what all the fuss was about. Afterall, one of the main reasons to live in another culture is to try different things, right? You know, growth is good and all that; to expand one's comfort zone and to test your old mode of thinking - risk some confusion over who you are, and who you're becoming, etc...

Well, I went in, payed my 150 Kroon, and found a seat. Yes, it was full of elegant, nice smelling people - mostly well dressed women and some men (in suits, of course).

Well, I ended up staying for 2 hours and thoroughly enjoyed it - much better than the hockey game. Huh?? Did I actually write that? My god, I did. Yes, this befuddles me to no end as well. I mean - I'm a damn Canadian! I love my hockey, beer and back bacon. I frequent sports bars, curl with real men and will wait patiently in a drive-thru for my Tim Horton's coffee. A horse show??? Show jumping??? That's for girlie men. That's for cultured people whose kaa kaa don't smell. Jesus - I guess this Estonian culture is affecting me waaay more than I could have ever imagined. I mean, this is only my first month, will I even be recognizable when I come back next June?

Jesus! What's next, opera? Classical music? A chamber quartet...????!?!?

H e l p

m e -

I ' m

l o s i n g

m y s e l f

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c u l t u r e....