Estonia 🇪🇪

Denis, 24

Born in Tartu, Estonia

Came to Australia in April 2017

What is your occupation?

Back in Estonia, I was working at tourist attractions like science museums.

Here, I worked at Madame Tussauds as a tour guide but I was laid off as a result of COVID. In September 2020, I worked as an administrator at Aussizz Migration facilitating the admission of international students at Australian universities. I’m quitting next week as I didn’t feel like I was progressing professionally or improving at all. However, I’m still very grateful my connections helped me get that position as there were no jobs at all at that time.

Literally, one month ago, I started a position at Sydney Tower as a guide.

I’m currently studying a Bachelor of IT at Victoria University so hopefully, I get to work as a front-end developer in the future.

Why did you come to Australia?

Initially, I came to Australia on a working holiday visa and later, my friends suggested that I study at university here. The reason why I initially chose Australia was that I wanted to venture far from Europe and I’d already been to places like HK, Japan, the USA etc.

As Europeans, we’re exposed to so many opportunities. Therefore, I’m not going to lose any sleep if I don’t manage to qualify for PR (Permanent Residency) through the points-based system. If I do qualify, I’m more than happy to stay as I love Australia.

What do you like about Sydney?

Coming from a country where the capital Tallinn has around 400K people, it’s surreal to me that I’m even living in a world-class city like Sydney. This is one of the finest cities in the world and I’m proud to say that I live here. I don’t mind bragging about this to my mates back home.

I can’t speak highly enough about the beauty of Australia’s multiculturalism. Where Estonia is very homogenous, you get to enjoy authentic international cuisines from all around the world in Australia. I don’t know how I’m going to go back considering the lack of proper Japanese food in Estonia.

What don’t you like about Sydney?

Compared to places like Europe and Japan, public transport is definitely lacking. Australia is like America where it’s very much a vehicle-based society. How can a world-class city like Sydney afford trackwork every weekend? How come the tracks need to be repaired? It’s just a joke. I’m very interested in public transport so it’d be ideal if Sydney got its act together.

When I first came to Australia, it was shocking how many homeless people I saw in the CBD and on George Street. Another thing I wasn’t used to was how many people would approach me with flyers, vouchers and charity donation boxes. I prefer not being talked to during my commute.

So far in Australia, I find it much more difficult to land a job compared to Estonia. I get that my visa situation plays a massive part, but my point remains. Currently, I’m happy to say that it’s getting a lot easier as the COVID situation improves.

What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?

I would like to congratulate everyone for helping us tackle COVID so well. As far as I can see, most people abide by rules and regulations.

Sydney’s a great place to take a walk so please ensure you look after the natural environment.

What languages do you speak?

Estonian, Russian, English

My parents are Russian so I would consider Russian to be my native language. This is quite common, especially in Tallinn.

In high school, I wanted to learn Japanese because I was a huge anime fan. For Estonians, Japan is an extremely expensive place to study so I never ended up going through with it.

Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.

Mulle meeldib õlu

I like beer.

Estonians in general are huge consumers of alcohol.

What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?

In 2019, I voted in the Estonian parliamentary elections on the couch in Australia. I can also do my tax returns with one click. Estonia is huge on IT: it is known as the world’s most advanced digital society. Skype’s software for example was developed by Estonians and we also developed Bolt, a competitor to Uber.

We also were the first country in the world to offer e-residency. Barack Obama and Bill Gates are e-residents of Estonia! It’s great for budding entrepreneurs who want to gain a foothold in Europe.

Who is the most famous person in your native country?

Arvo Pärt

He is an Estonian composer of classical and religious music.

From 2011 to 2018, Pärt was the most performed living composer in the world, and the second most performed in 2019.

I’m not a big fan of classical music but any classical music connoisseur will know him. He’s that famous.

What is the best dish in your native country?

Mulgipuder

Mulgipuder is a rustic Estonian porridge consisting of mashed barley and potatoes. It often incorporates bacon and sautéed onions and is usually served as the main course, accompanied by sour cream and rye bread, or as a side dish complementing various roasted meat dishes. This is very Estonian: I've never seen it outside the country.

We also love herring. Herring and potatoes are something that doesn’t sound very appetising but when you haven’t had it in a while, you develop a craving.

Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.