Richard Parkin: I only promised to live here for one November

Richard, how long have you been in Estonia?

I have been here three years. We came to visit first for Laulupidu Estonian Song Festival (song festival) and then we moved here in October. It was surprisingly easy. My partner is Estonian, but we met in New Zealand. I moved to Europe for work at the same time when she was returning to Estonia. We originally planned to stay in England. I had a job at the time in London and we set up and tried to build a life in London and I kept finding a lot of challenges with visas, also many expenses. We came to Estonia just for a week, for Laulupidu Estonian Song Festival , for that experience. 
The week when we came, in the height of July, it was beautiful and sunny. I fell in love with the place, Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . Out of curiosity we looked into how hard it would be to get a visa, and the process was so simple. It made a huge difference to me because it made me feel like this was a country that wanted me to visit it, as opposed to a country that wanted to put barriers up to make it very hard for you to move there. So, my first experience was so very positive. I got myself a D-visa, and we moved here, and we never looked back.

How about getting used to everyday life in Estonia?

I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t know too much about Estonia, in Australia I had never met an Estonian person in my life until I met my partner. I knew a little bit about the country, obviously, the history and geographic location, but I didn’t know too much. I was most concerned about winter. Basically, someone very early on told me that November is really tough, so when we moved here, I didn’t promise to live here for years, I promised to live here for one November, I’ll have a look at it, and I’ll say how I feel about it. Yes, winter is long and tough, and it is the biggest difference from Australia. But what I love about Estonia is that you get to live four seasons that are very different. In Australia we have a great summer, but then the winter might still be 15-20 degrees. There is no sense that spring is something radically different whereas in Estonia you get to October and October is almost a magic month. You go to places like Viljandi Town in southern Estonia (pop.17,000). and you see the leaves start to change, the whole landscape changes and what I love the most about living in Estonia is that we have parks here we love to visit. You could go to Kalamaja Park in winter, and it is unrecognisable to Kalamaja Park in October or Kalamaja Park in the height of summer. So, I love the fact that you get the four seasons’ experience, that feels very special. That links to the sense that life has cycles and changes. I feel more connected to nature in a place like Estonia.

Was it easy to find a job here?

It was not too hard. I don’t speak Estonian, I came freelancing for workplaces in Australia and the UK, so when I first moved here, I didn’t need a job. But I decided I wanted to get a job to be more connected to not only the society but also to help with my security in terms of residency and things like that. But it meant that I was limited to only looking for places where I can speak English. I think because the tech sector and the start-up sector in particular are booming so much in Estonia, we are doing so well, that big companies like Wise Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a London-based financial technology company founded by Estonian businessmen Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus. , Bolt Bolt is an Estonian mobility company that offers vehicle for hire, micromobility, car-sharing, and food delivery services. and Starship, all these companies expanded rapidly and I think there are lots of opportunities, especially if you have a data or engineering background. It is amazing!

What background do you have?

My background is more in communications, so my job that I have now is for a start-up called Salv. We build anti-money laundering technology, it’s amazing, important work. My first job with this company was copywriter. I came here as an English language writer, and I progressed to be head of research. But before that I worked with Wise Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a London-based financial technology company founded by Estonian businessmen Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus. as an anti-fraud agent. So, I found it, I don’t want to say easy in a way, you know, it sounds arrogant, but it’s quite possible to find jobs here if you have English language skills or if you have specialist skills.

You have also worked for newspapers, like Guardian in Australia, writing news about Europe.

I spent ten years as a journalist, originally as a television journalist, and then I moved over to print. When I came to Europe, I had an opportunity to write some European news wraps mainly based on the time zones, because in Australia if somebody had to do this shift it would be 3 am till 6 am. It would not be a pleasant shift. So, I was over here, and I used the time zones to write some summaries of big stories coming out of Europe or sometimes the United States. When Australia woke up they had a morning news digest put together. It was a lot of fun as a job because it kept you across politics, big news developments, but also sports, culture and so on. It also made me first wonder what the stories from Estonia were that the Guardian would be interested in.

And what were these stories?

Actually, there were quite a few big Estonian stories that I didn’t know about, such as the MS Estonia MS Estonia  was a cruiseferry built in 1980 at the West German shipyard Meyer Werft in Papenburg. disaster but obviously it was a big international story that was picked up. The focus on Estonia has become more keen in the international audience because of the context of what's happening in Ukraine. There was a very nice feature in the Guardian a few weeks ago about the Russian community here in Narva City in the NE of Estonia (pop.54,000). , Ida-Virumaa and the challenges facing Estonian-born Russians, being caught between this conflict. But more generally just some very nice stories about the women of Kihnu – the ancient singers and traditional folklore. That has been covered a lot in the Guardian. I think that there is a lot of interest about Baltic crafts and skills, but also about the business, technology sector, interesting start-ups and digital Estonia.

For you, what would be the most memorable thing connected with Estonia?

When we first came to Estonia, my partner told me that there is a beautiful museum close to Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). about a very famous Estonian composer. I had heard the music a little bit, but I didn’t know much about it. It was a very quiet day in October, the autumn was just starting, a lot of museums were going to close, when we went to the Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Centre. It is a beautiful building, a really special experience, you put the audio guide on, and you are transposed by this beautiful music in your ears. As we walked around the centre, it seemed to be only us that day. We only saw one person, this old man, walking around the centre. And then I felt my partner grab my arm a bit tight. I kept walking on and then about five minutes later we passed the same old man and when we went to see a video and I learned the story about Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. , I’d realised we had already seen Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. . The old man was Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. ! And he was the only other person in the centre that day. That felt very, very special. Can you imagine, you go to this museum to meet one of the world’s most important, influential musicians. He was still minding his own business and gave us a gentle nod. That was it! It was a nice feeling.

What other interesting things have you discovered while living here?

It feels a bit nerdy, but I lived in Germany for some time, and I learned about the Hanseatic Trade League – this big trade empire that started at the 13th century and I didn’t really think about it, until I realised when I moved here that Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). is Reval. Then I realised Reval was quite an important town in this Hanseatic Trade League. So when I came to Estonia I thought yes there will be history and culture but I didn’t really know too much about it. But when you go to Haapsalu Town in the west of Estonia(pop.10,000). (Hapsal), there is this beautiful castle from the 14th century, you go to Viljandi Town in southern Estonia (pop.17,000). (Fellin), there is this beautiful castle. Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). or Dorpat – when you go to Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). and learn the rich history and importance of that town. That type of culture and history just blows me away! I found it so fascinating and interesting that these central towns in Estonia, not just in the modern context, but for almost a thousand years have been key trade centres. So, history is something that I am very interested in.

Usually, most foreigners prize the Estonian nature.

I think that nature here is quite beautiful. We’ve been to places like Lahemaa, Lihula Small town in west of Estonia. , Karula national park. For example, as an Australian, you would never imagine elk or moose, or you would never think there could be bears in these woods. We stayed in an Airbnb in Valgamaa for Christmas and the host showed us the video he had captured on the security camera. And there was a lynx, just walking out of the forest, straight past the house. I certainly never thought I would see a lynx in the wild. That was very beautiful. During the same trip at Christmas, I learned a lot about Sauna culture. This isn’t something we do in Australia where due to the temperature every day is pretty much already a sauna. The idea of the intimacy and close experience you have in the sauna with a few good friends, maybe with some beers and I love the idea of jumping into the water, you know 0 degrees, -5, or whatever it is. Out of the sauna, jump in, then back to the sauna very quickly. I think I spent 25 seconds in the water. But again, that’s the cultural experience which is completely different to Australia.

Do you miss anything from Australia here?

I would say beaches. I miss beaches with proper surf. I went to Võsu rand and it is a beautiful beach, but you walk maybe a kilometre and the water is still up to your knees. So, I miss beaches, and I miss the diversity of fauna. In Australia we have kangaroos, we have wombats, many beautiful animals. Also, lots of animals which are trying to kill you but that’s a different topic. Maybe that diversity of nature I miss. But in honesty, when it comes to lifestyle, I don’t miss much because Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). is a modern city where you have a high quality of life. 

We had to make a decision, because we had a child recently, where do you want your child to be born – in Australia or in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). , Estonia. We chose here because of things like free public transport for residents, it being a very central city where you get around everywhere in ten minutes, knowing that everything works – buses are reliable and the public amenities are very good here – the medical support, the digital structure. In Australia I can’t go to the doctors and then check my own results a day later on a portal. There you wait several weeks and then you have to ring the surgery, maybe they can tell you, and if they can’t tell you, you have to go in for another appointment just to get your results, but it’s quite expensive. There are many things Estonia gets right and that makes it a convenient and enjoyable place to live.

Can you remember anything funny while adapting here, or some experience you would like to share?

I think there are a lot of funny things which have come up around language. Obviously, when you are learning a new language, it can be quite challenging. Apart from the fact that I’ve lived here three years, I still can’t say certain words. My partner and her mother and grandmother are still trying to teach me to say hall (‘grey’), but I can’t say it right. I have had moments in restaurants where I try to speak Estonian. I tried to order lohe one time. They said that we don’t serve lohe (‘dragon’), but we serve lõhe (‘salmon’). I had also problems with moonirull. The difference with köögi (‘kitchen’) and koogi (’cake’). I walked into a restaurant once and asked: Kas teil on kööki? ('Do you have a kitchen?') And they looked at me, quite uncertain. Also, little things like driving on the left vs driving on the right can be confusing.

It is perhaps more of a political conversation, but I am interested about the changing nature of Estonia, in terms of what the tech sector and the younger generation can enjoy compared with the older generation. 

There are many people in Estonia who have been living here for years and do not know anything about the local politics.

It is one thing that interests me because I work in a start-up, I work in the tech sector. One thing that really struck me when I moved here  is that there is such optimism about the country here. In Australia we have historical issues that we’ve not come to terms with. In Estonia you go to Laulupidu Estonian Song Festival and see all the flags and you see this great spirit of nationalism, a really positive manifestation of it. I’ve been inspired by the optimism of Estonian companies that think we’re going to solve big problems, we’re going to fix it, and then suddenly they become massive global enterprises – like Wise Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a London-based financial technology company founded by Estonian businessmen Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus. and Bolt Bolt is an Estonian mobility company that offers vehicle for hire, micromobility, car-sharing, and food delivery services. . And that optimism and attitude of “we can do this” is so motivating, compared to the UK, Australia, and the US perhaps, where sometimes you are more caught up in the negativity of what your country can’t do, or what you, as an individual in that country can’t do. One thing that worries me about Estonia though is the generational gap. Once there is the younger generation that can earn good money in start-ups and tech sector, you can go to Balti jaama turg and buy 8–9-euro hamburgers and things like that, there is also a generation that might be on Soviet era pensions and the rise in the cost of living may exclude them from certain activities. I think it is a bigger concern and hopefully Estonia can reconcile this. Fast expansion and growth while also making sure that all of its citizens can come along and continue to maintain a high-quality life. Because if you look at places like the UK which have become more unequal, a lot of nasty things have started to come out, like opposition to foreigners or hostility to expats from overseas. I don’t want to see that in Estonia, because there is so much opportunity for so many people here.