Madis expounds regularly about Esonia’s people. They are cold, closed and hard to get close to. He contrasts this with culture in Spain, where, as I have experienced both in my previous life in San Sebastian and in my current life in Cihuri, extroversion pervades. I am welcomed. I am pampered. I am endlessly given favours I never thought to even ask for. In Estonia, this was only true among those I called close friends (Tiit, Grisha?).
During our radiotracking week, Kairi told me she was all for gene sharing, ie, the interbreeding of different cultures. She, however, loves to travel, but always needs to return and spend most of her life in her home. A slight contradiction in her thoughts was her need to stay with an Estonian mate. All of this is in contrast to Maribel. Our conversation yesterday brought to light her fascination with living abroad, with learning parts of new cultures. She spoke of the peasant mentality (though she did not use that exact word) of humans who grow up, for example, in La Rioja and stay forever with no will to explore farther (further). This echoes a discussion I had with Christopher Bender decades ago concerning rooted and rootless people.
