Dr Murks is an horisontal organiser

Dr Murks went to a bar with an old friend he had not seen since 1.5 years. A geologist Mr Puura who is just the most positive research fellow Dr Murks knows. Mr Puura is this round and happy person you can talk-talk-talk about anything and about everything. During the conversation Dr Murks and Mr Puura found out their common habits. Both are "horisontal organisers" and also taking up "structural procrastination".
Easy, isn't it?

Dr Murks in trouble with the time

Everything takes time.
Everything takes too much time.
Thinking takes time - but if you never think it does not take time?
Talking takes time - but if you never talk it does not take time?
Writing takes time - but if you never write it does not take time?
Deciding takes time - but if you never decide it does not take time?
Crying takes time - but if you never cry it does not take time?
Laughing takes time - but if you never laugh it does not take time?
Cleaning takes time - but if you never clean it does not take time?
Living takes time - but if you never live it does not take time?
Finishing takes time - but if you never finish it does not take time?
Who knows?

Dr Murks is smoking

Not. Dr Murks is not smoking. It is just the cold weather that makes smoke-clouds when you breath out. It feels like smoking only when it is warm. when Dr murks was once in Spain it felt often like smoking It is just that everybody was smoking and the smell of cigarettes was attempting. But still, Dr Murks did not smoke even there, only once some "happy people". And cigars. This is something different. Cigars and pipes. Only with good company when the mood is suitable.

Dr Murks is listening voices

A music box is playing in the corner. The headphones are on. Mr Seal is calling from the kitchen.
One plays music: "que te caliente el sol"
One plays interviews made in autumn. Dr Murks does not recognize his own voice. It seems that was the sister of Dr Murks who made the talking - sounds so different from the voice Dr Murks normally has in his head. The situations are coming back in mind and Dr Murks is silently laughing at the jokes on tape and smiling to the people who made these days.
One calls from the kitchen: "Murks, would you care for boiled, fried or baked fish?"

Dr Murks makes deductions

... because somebody told that the Earth's oscillation frequency is changing.

+ the mind is specially in confusion
+ all the friends should wear 24h position system and maybe a small web camera that the others could always know where they are and how they feel
+ it is specially good to eat food that somebody else has been cooking
+ it is good to share a flat with other people - just to hear them dealing with their everyday hobbies
+ talking, talking, talking, talking, talking is good
+ making jokes is good, laughing is good, crying is good
+ when red trousers and white blouse is but together to the washing machine the blouse will become pink
+ physical contact is good
+ physical activity is good
+ Cuban son is a great music
+ drinking, drinking, drinking together with friends is good

Still, one thing confuses..
Are the soul and the body different things? Can they be separated if one gets enough? Why?

Dr Murk is homesick

Dr Murks is back. Not back to home, as a good friend was philosophizing, because there is really hard to say where is the home for Dr Murks. By the homesickness, Dr Murks sometimes feels, it could be in Siberian taiga, on the tip of the mountain Roman-Kosh, on the streets of Rome (looking for a bit of drinking water and buying a huge ice-cream instead), in a normal taxi from Bamenda to Santa with 4 people on front seat and 5 in the back, 12m underwater celebrating Hannamaranhanna's birthday, looking the lightning in Turda canyon... The list is long. Dr Murks is back but not at home. Somewhere..

Dr Murks has "Tartu day"

What are the Tartu days? The days full of surprises, the days you wake up but you have no idea what it will be like and in the evening you do not remember what you did in the morning because it seems ages away. Or you go out for an half an hour to fulfill one idea and reach home 7 hour later having been in 7 different places all over the town meeting 7 (or more) Tartu-people.
Today it was one of these days.
Dr Murks went out to make a language test in the morning, finish a small report by noon and come home start backing for the trip. At noon it started to turn into one of these Tartu days... A office-mate showed his pictures from Azerbaijan and Georgia - an hour left, Dr Murks went home, ate, and some friends came by for coffee. Later Dr Murks went for a small visit to the library for some books, got an idea to step by a second-hand shop and found excellent shirt for the travel, met Mdm Tea on the way home, who gave him a small parcel for trip-surprise (can not write what it really is..) and invited to visit another friend, some cups of tea and some snaps there and on the way sending Mdm Tea home meeting Mr Kaido on the streets who was just on the way to sauna, without much thinking quick decision to join the sauna and here we go.. At the end at home by midnight to finally start packing for The TRIP. Sleeping in the morning.
The time in Tartu.

Dr Murks is a mamber of Fan-Fun Glub

The third from the left side is the Superman

Dr Murks smells the winter

Dr Murks went outdoors. From the window the weather seemed nice. The weather was nice. But there was something different than yesterday. Something different. It smelled different. Yesterday it was just this moisture-rich autumn, everything falling - the leaves, the rain, the mood.. Today it smelled as there were small ice-cubes in the air. It smelled like winter, winter was already opening the door.
Dr Murks feels the need to leave. To migrate to the south. To take the stock to the south where the grass is greener, the sun gives more energy and the milk will be more nutritious. The time is near when Dr Murks leaves all active projects unfinished, half-eaten bread to the table and half-drunk beer next to it, half-knitted socks uncompleted... Dr Murks takes the rucksack and walks away.
"And Dr Murks would just feel joy,
when you sometimes see the Moon and wonder
that only the Devil knows, how Dr Murks is doing..."

Dr Murks is dancing on an autumn ball

Dr Murks went to see the movie. Sügisball, an Estonian film that was screened in Venice film festival. The profiles of the people living in Lasnamäe, one of the creepiest city region in Tallinn. And the profiles were even more creepy. People absorbing the outside world, not understanding it but trying to make a face that everything is in the best order and they really planned it this way. Scared when they felt real emotions, from inside. Easy life. But it is everywhere. Living a bright, outstanding life without any real emotions.
Like the guy, to whom Dr Murks gave a lift the other day.
A: "I need to go and support Koit Toome in a TV show "Strictly Come Dancing"" (Koit Toome is a young singer)
DM: "Why? Is he your friend?"
A: "Not really a friend. But I need to keep the contact with him and show my interest because I want him to come to sing at my sisters' wedding"
DM: "Does your sister likes his music?"
A: "Not really"
DM: "Do you like his music?"
A: "Not really. But, you know, it is just to make a good show and have a surprise on the wedding. This famous guy in coming - it is something to impress the guests."
DM: "Hmm, interesting. When will the wedding be? In some weeks?"
A: "No, next year in August"
Dr Murks was a bit shocked. First, there is somebody planning a big party a year in advance. What if they break up meanwhile, what if they do not feel like dancing at this day after a year, what if.. And the party already seems boring for the participants point of view with a famous singer whose songs nobody really likes. But that is how it supposed to be. Long-organized parties with celebrates, people come, smile their iron smiles, say greetings and compliments and leave..
Dr Murks feels like a nerd.

Dr Murks is sleeping in hey

Weekend. It is 6am and the phone rings. "Where are you? Take your energy and come downstairs!" Mr Aadam is calling. It is still dark, but they are heading to Jäneda. To a autumn-fair. For selling sheep-skins, wool-pillows and -quilts. It is Michaels' day. By folklore it means all the autumn-works are ended, potatoes, carrots and other stuff is picked up and the cold days may come. It is enormously nice weather, the sun is rising when they are over speeding on a narrow roads to catch good selling-place on the fair.
The people are passing by. Some are asking about the wool. Some are buying the things. "What is the price? How can I wash it? Where do you curry the skins? Where could I use these?" There are so many standard questions that Dr Murks and Mr Aadam have already standard answers to all. Few people can surprise with their weird questions. The time is passing quickly. For the last hour they lower skin-prices for 50% as the new batch will arrive soon. The fair ends and they count the money. Not the best fair but not the worst. Now quickly to Lilac-farm and to village-sauna in Ardu.
The times are separated according to the sex. Dr Murks sits alone in the sauna as the village-people are not coming. Alone in a huge hot-heated room with the biggest heating-place Dr Murks has ever seen, in the best sauna ever. Weird to feel that the sauna-man has heated it only for Dr Murks.
Later in Lilac-farm the autumn-food needs to be eaten. Potatoes and mushrooms, mushrooms and potatoes. After sitting and chatting with the family in the kitchen some sheep-skins are taken to the barn and nice nests to sleep are ready. What a beauty to wake up when the sun is shining from the open door.
After breakfast to the apple-yard to pick the fruits to the juice, to sheep range for changing the area, to carrot field to pick the carrots to take with, to the trees to sledge down with funicular etc, etc. Real busy-lazy Sunday. And in the afternoon to find the most colorful road to drive back to Tartu. Hmmm
Dr Murks in describing-mood.

Dr Murks has jumping mood

The mood is jumping. Up'n'down, up'n'down, up'n'down, up'n'down. Many times a day. A crash from one side is compensated by a good smile from another side and then from the third side a big wave of problems are coming over and then from the forth side somebody is passing a towel... During a day just so many different emotions, different moments that it seems the morning was already centuries ago. That's how Dr Murks gets old. He was born in the morning after a messy dream and lyes to rest in the evening to born again the next day. One life and one day. Tomorrow will be different than today and and today is different from yesterday.
Bul-bul-bul-bul-bul-bul-bul-bul, as Sveta sometimes says...
Tomorrow, for example, Dr Murks will born as a confident, patient and sharp sighted moderator for the series of group-interviews he has been preparing for several days. Few would recognize that this is just the good, lazy and a bit shy Dr Murks.

Dr Murks is picking mushrooms

It is autumn.
The trees are red. The leaves are falling. The wind is cold. The sun is still warm. The sun is still warm when it shines on Dr Murks' nose. Dr Murks is walking in the forest and the nose is bended downwards looking for mushrooms hidden in moss or under fallen leaves. The nose is dripping because it got a little cold. Soon Dr Murks will go back to the house and will prepare a huge pan of mushroom-sauce. With potatoes. And a big teakettle will be fulfilled. A cup of tea with honey to everyone! And a little vodka.
Dr Murks saw a brightest rainbow ever. Red-yellow-blue. It was so bright that it could have set the fores in fire. So burning. So clear.
Dr Murks went on a autumn-fair to sell home-made bread. The fairground was full of people. The bread finished quickly and the pear-juce. They made an exhibition of biggest vegetables farmers grew this season. The heaviest bumpkin was 42kg.
It is autumn.

Dr Murks and the key-souls

A Samoyed Juri Vella told once that there is a certain amount of animals a person can hunt in life. If he hunts more he will get ill and his souls of dead animals will come to hunt him.
How many keys a person can lose in life? There should be limit.
Dr Murks started losing keys in the early days. Dr Murks could lose a key just from a pocket, from a small hole in the pocket, to a small crass, to a sewage, to a compost dumping ground, to a toilet bowl etc. Dr Murks can not even remember all the places where keys could get lost. Even when a key was bound on a ribbon and hanged over the neck - it still got lost.
After many years Dr Murks again lost keys. Now the helpful bike is standing locked in town and Dr Murks is sad as the lock is too good to open easily without the key. What to do?
Dr Murks hopes that the souls of the keys are not coming to get Dr Murks lost.
:S

Dr Murks has a regional plan

On a train. To a small village or settlement to visit friends or relatives who have moved to live out of town. Uuu, there are really many like this. Dr Murks could spend whole year to visit old friends all over the country in their country-residents. Some also have a flat in town but many are permanently moved to country-side. To built their home and live happily ever after. Dr Murks loves to hang around in forests or by the river-banks, picking mushrooms and eating foxberries. But it feels really creepy to listen Mdm Liisi, who recently bought the piece of land, describing where they will built a house, where they dig a pond, where they establish their fruit-garden... There are really people who look around in the country-sides and want to call some peaces of land as their OWN. Their home. Their own home. To make plans for the future. How beautiful it will be here and how nice and how great and.... Life in the country-side.
Dr Murks has also plans with the country sides. Dr Murks takes a train, or bike, or both, or goes by hitchhiking, or asks sb come along with a car. Dr Murks looks around. Dr Murks goes in every shop on the road-sides in small villages and buys at least one item (ice-cream, beer, postcard...). Dr Murks enjoys the scenery.

Dr Murks has a pet

No, it is not a cat.
No, it is not a dog.
No, it is not even a horse.
It is a fly. Fly called The Fly (Kärbes).

Dr Murks met the fly first two mornings ago, when the fly was walking on an arm and waking him up. Annoying. Go away stupid fly and let me sleep. But the fly did not go. The fly had found the master and Dr Murks can't do nothing about it. First of all the fly was really annoying and Dr Murks looked for a moment to smash it with a newspaper. But the fly was too quick. Escaped.
The fly stays at home. When Dr Murks is sitting in the armchair and reading, the fly sits on the legs begging for caress. When Dr Murks lays on the floor and draws, the fly walks happily on the back - massaging. And when Dr Murks does not pay enough attention to the fly, the fly even tries to walk into Dr Murks' nose or eyes. After some time Dr Murks got used to the fly and looks for the fly every time Dr Murks reaches home. Is the fly still here or left? So far the fly is there :).
That is how they comfort each other in the beginning of cold autumn days.

Dr Murks in a woolen pile

It is suddenly autumn. The witchcraft told "MUTABOR" and the cold wind, the driving rain, the thunder were here in one second. All the light dresses were quickly hidden in the bottom of the cloths chest. And warm sweaters were cleaned from the dust.
Dr Murks put on woolen socks, warm trousers, woolen cardigan, scarf, hat, gloves and thick jacket. The equipment needed to be resistant to the weather conditions. The metal-bottle was taken from the shelf and filled with rum and put to the pocket. That was all.
It gets dark already at 9pm, the time Dr Murks left home. Dr Murks walked on dim-lighted streets towards the city center. The big-big-big screen was put up there. They showed films. They showed films for anybody who teared to come to the town hall square for the cold evening. And there were many. There were a huge pile of woolen people, wearing woolen sweaters and holding woolen blankets around. They were sitting, watching, laughing and crying as the film developed. The huge pile of woolen people on the first days of falls.

Dr Murks gives a lift

Dr Murks went by bus from Tartu to Tallinn, the main highway, 180km, much traffic and high speed. A middle-aged man started to talk to Dr Murks. Odd enough as hardly ever any stranger starts a conversation to anybody else in a bus in this reserved country. But even more odd, as the man was using a bus for this direction for the first in his life. Confirmed driver. He was really exited. He was really discovering a new thing. He was really happy. Dr Murks was happy to spend 2,5h more qualitatively than ordinary reading, thinking and sleeping. The time went quickly. The man did not find the bus-drive as boring, slow and inconvenient as he was expecting. He told that sometimes he spends 2,5h on driving 10km from work to home at peak hours in Tallinn. At the same time he still prefer to go by car as there is no direct public transportation line from the region he lives to the region he works. The bus would take the same time. Unfortunately, it was true.
Some months later, last weekend Dr Murks was driving the first time the same highway. Driving as a driver. The speed limit was 110. Despite the limit, angry flows of cars passed quickly the small red transporter. The road was curvy and Dr Murks breath freely after every curve. The only pleasure was to pick up all hitchhikers from the road side, fortunately there was room for every. By the end of the trip Dr Murks was still convinced that it is no pleasure or convenience to drive a car when there is a possibility to take a bus or train. Even if it takes more time and needs more planning.
For conclusion. It is really hard to change somebodies everyday practices. People are the slaves of their hobbies, customs. The man is not making easy decision when going on a bus and Dr Murks sits on a drivers place with doubts.

Dr Murks in the kitchen

Dr Murks woke up in the morning and sat by the kitchen table to read. Mr Seal came from his room and started to prepare breakfast. They changed some morning greetings and drank coffee. Read and talk. After a while Mdm Tsipe and Mdm Marichhen woke up, the birthday cake was taken from the fridge and more coffee and more chat. The cake was too sweet and some vegetable-wok was prepared. "Hmmm, would like to do something creative," told Mdm Marichhen, who was just visiting Tartu for the long weekend. Dr Murks and Marichhen went to explore the attic as neither of them had never been there. They found some useful stuff and decided to make some changes in the kitchen, the big Roundtable had waited for its place in the kitchen already since the beginning of the summer. It was the time to clean the room from useless furniture and make the space for this massive table. Siu-siu-siu-siu-siu. Mdm Kusta and Mdm Ave entered the flat to see the final construction-work. The lunch time was about to begin. In the morning Mr Seal had started the project of melting and cleaning the fridge. It means all the pelmenies, jam, fish, meat, butter, milk etc had to be eaten. Cook and chat and eat and eat and eat.

Dr Murks in a city machine

On Sunday Dr Murks found some bright spots in the city of Tallinn.
Living in Southern Estonia brainwashes everybody with the visions of arrogant, busy, capitalistic, ugly, stupid, etc Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Some years ago Dr Murks did not visit the capital for many months, although the family and many friends lived there.. Then the city become as a field of study and Dr Murks started to see it as a functioning region, as flows of people, as a field for planners and architects to fulfill their (crazy) ideas. From this moment on, the city started to be much more interesting, much more inspiring... But still - the people seemed like part of the system, the events were supposed to happen due to the city as a big machine where everybody is just playing the part others expect..
On Sunday Dr Murks had a role as a living book in the Living Library. Whoever was interested on the topic could lend the book and listen, ask questions, comment, discuss.. Big success, big success. Dr Murks was loaned by quite cool people. And, as a good book supposed to, the discussions turned the opposite direction and the Book found out much more about the readers than probable the readers about the Book :). Hmmm, a girl from Udmurtia learning Estonian language and literature, a mother and a tougher who happened to be a mother and a sister of somebody Dr Murks knows and the talk turned around to discuss how he is doing, how is his life going etc.
And later Dr Murks visited a White Nights Film Festival. The films were projected on an electricity box by the street in the burgh named "The New World". It is not a new city district, built probable in the beginning of 20th century, but the streets names are: Planet, Comet, Little America, Dawn etc.Dr Murks ancestries used to live there in the 50s. Now the local community tries to enliven their region and signs on the streets ask everybody to join the Film Nights... All together maybe 20 people come, sit on a grass and listens Regina from Citylab to explain the content of the films. Chill, chill. Three films. Finally at midnight Dr Murks sits on a bike and rides back to the suburbs where the family is living. Empty streets, rare cars, rare walkers, rare street-cleaners, dark night.
The city machine turned to function much more interestingly than seen from the South.

Dr Murks makes 23h walk

Start at 6am and end at 5am the next day. Through the thick forest, swamps and rivers, along gravel roads... To find the points marked on the map, to fulfill the tasks... Conquering the midday sun and 30 degrees heat, looking through the thick darkness at night blundering on sods, stumps and boles. Sleepwalking on straight and endless road. And finally - when the feet are so tender that only small-small steps are allowed - to see the moon stripe in the sky and the dawn light that is taking over. Uhuuuuuuuuu

Dr Murks on a jumping ball

There are too many children! The world is changing to a child-earth. At least in Tartu. It seams that on average once a week Dr Murks hears a news of somebodies pregnancy or birth. On the events with friends there are often more children than grown-ups :S. The children are taking over!
All girls in the world in the minority of "baby-less", unite in the fate of NOT having children. Keep your identity! To not let anybody to teach you the words - beestings, diapers, playsuit etc. To not let them grab you into the club of parents. Though, the pressure is high, the pressure is high.

Hmm, at the same time. Dr Murks really likes to jump on a jumping ball and play horsemen and knights, lay and play on fresh-cut grass, hear and tell the fairy-tales... on these child-rich events. Maybe it is not even too bad that some people are called mothers...

Dr Murks is a handybilly

Dr Murks is sitting on sofa and lets his imagination fly to a wet trip in Karelia, on the other side of the arctic circle.

The team is: Svetka, Masha, Ljoha, Ksusha, Zhenja and Lena. The whole trip can be described with one sentence: "To plan or not to plan? - there is no question as in the end everything will anyway solve smoothly".
There should be a map for not getting lost on the lakes and rivers. In the case Ljoha did not think about it before there is also a change to make pictures of the maps of other tourists in the train. If Svetka makes face enough sad they finally feel pity and give the map as a present.

Everybody should make sure that байдарка (kayak) is in one peace and does not have дырки (holes).









Specially Masha and Svetka must needle and glue the one carefully before using it as the canvas is old and with the sun is shining through it.







Zenja and Ljoha and Svetka and... are happily making plans where to go. Specially because they found out that the original ideas include a 5km river with all together 80m downfall and stream to the opposite direction :S. The planning will take ages and it is never-ending as the no plan is finally fulfilled. There are always some surprises and keep the brain and mood fresh. Everybody is happily making new and new plans.

Meanwhile just relax and грести (oar). Collect the paper for penalty fare because nobody knew and could not imagine that the байдарка has to be registered :S. And милиция (police) can also wait on 10m² islands. As least Lena knows that the fine will be expired in half a year and all are willing to wait for these 6 months.

Nevertheless, oaring is opened when the sun is up and also at 2am when the sunlight is still there.









At midnight there is a time to make a stop for обед (lunch) to stew some грибок (mushrooms) with гречка (buckwheat).






In addition to lake-oaring the crew has to cover some distance between the острый камень (sharp stones).








As on-going planning did not succeed arranging train tickets back to the City the hitchhiking trip is leading Svetka and Masha to a bigger town.




And later to a small wooden village Kovda by White Sea to meet the other members of the pack. Due to a different reasons they reach 8h earlier than the others. Much time to examine the village. It turns out that Kovda is a mecca of intelligence. On the picture the intelligence can be seen - a programmer, a philologist, a самовар (a type of teapot), Svetka and a geologist. As the Sea is famous for its high biodiversity - there was also a biology center on the other side of the river.

White Sea is full of different seaweed, shells, starfish, mammals... It is easy to get friends with the rock-star Camilla and her band.







Finally, not to undervalue the importance of a fire-place during a water-rich travel.

Dr Murks is wearing Red Belt

Just like that. Amazing how just small details give so much confidence. Everything is musical!

Tomorrow :) will Dr Murks tell you about a famous rock-star Camilla and her band - Edmond, Edward, Edgar..

Dr Murks wishes to speak all languages

Communication is so difficult. It is easy to listen. It is easy to listen but it is annoying not to get everything that is said. It is hard to listen when half of the text is disappearing. But it is even harder to find the way to reply and be understood. It takes just ages to chose the correct words, not to make mistakes and finally say them out. It is just terrifying to see from the partners face that nothing is understood and the words are just fallen down to the ground or gone by the wind... But tomorrow will be everything made clear. Tomorrow, tomorrow, there is always tomorrow. Or not?

Dr Murks goes for Nordic Walking

Dr Murks was cleaning the room. The room Mr Nephew called the junk room. Dr Murks own room. In the corner there was standing a pare of sticks. Dr Murks took them and hold them in the hand for a second. Suddenly Dr Murks remembered what they are for. For Nordic Walking. Mdm Havanna Maran had even once showed Dr Murks how to use them properly. Dr Murks left the room for small practice.
The activity turned into a good time for reflecting a day. And although the day was not too busy Dr Murks found quite many points that were worth to think of.
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Some scientists found a huge sweet water body under Darfur region and they say it will end the war, violence, presumed genocide, hunger... in this region. Hmm, what a small thing is needed to end a misery - fresh water source. It sounds a bit unbelievable that it is really there where it is the most shortage. Like a fairy-tale. Just 1,000 new wells and the war is over. Life is so easy and though it is made so complicated.
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In Paris they but up a cool city-bike-system and when a reporter asked from the chief of the traffic police - Villu Vane - if the same system would work as well in Tartu or Tallinn or Pärnu he answered: " Maybe, but first we would need good technical network for bikers." Dr Murks would happily take this sentence and throw to the faces of Tartu city government. To the ones that are always monkey wrenches in the works for biking facilities in Tartu.
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Dr Murks was reading a wanderers book by Hendrik Relve. He wrote that he can never buy any second hand clothes anymore because in nganassaan culture in North Siberia they personalize the things so much that if somebody dies they leave all his stuff with dead body. Although they leave the body and the things just somewhere in taiga, nobody desecrates the final rest place as they thing in the things stays a portion of the persons spirit. If anybody would take even a small thing the spirit will come and haunt in his house - something bad will happen for sure.
Dr Murks was a bit looking around in his room and thinking how many different people in this sense are living together with him in the room. Quite a nice and diverse company. But for Dr Murks it seemed nice to be here with all these people who had once also used these madrases from old dormitory, Mother in her sawing machine, Liisi and her carpets, Tea and the desk, Birks and some bags... There are quite few things being belonged only to Dr Murks. The things have their story and the story is going on. Of course the things are made by somebody and for somebody and the maker buts a part of him in the thing. But even for your own old things, the things made by Dr Murks, it is just so great to see that they are not left alone and useful for somebody else as well. It is quite special feeling to see your piece of art hanging on somebodies wall or the cardigan or a cap knitted by yourself (the you lent to somebody and the one forgot to give back and lent again to somebody and...) being in use by people you do not even know. It is like the feeling as you could be in totally different places at the same time. In this sense Dr Murks likes the idea of having a part of the soul in your belongins. The different perspectives of materialism.
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Tomorrow the Collins family will pay a visit to Dr Murks. The Collins family is a crazy family. They just came to spent the summer in Estonia as any summer recently, 5/6 of them have never visited Tartu. Only Kaie has - the mother and Dr Murks cousin. The other time of the year they are living in England, even Simon for now (the father) - before he was working as an accountant at the same time in Nigeria and Kazakhstan :S. The parents of Simon are lived most of their life in Zimbabwe doing partly developing work. There are also two children. Dr Murks is looking forward to hear some good English again and thinking up the most interesting tours for the gang.

Dr Murks and blueberry

Dr Murks is fidgety. Is he forgotten something? Something made him really anxious. There was something missing. What was the thing he had lost or simply did not remember?
Of cause! It is already the blueberry time but he had not eaten any! Had not been in the pine forest in Vigala and had not been picking any of the berries for eating, making jam, cakes or juice. Dr Murks suddenly felt like a small hedgehog in a hurry to prepare for long autumn and winter. The fingers started to move quickly as they were removing the small easily breakable berries from the bush. So, the stuff in mind and the stuff in action. The blueberries had conquered the whole forest. Dr Murks took a troop of picker with and was just sitting on a sod filling the bucket. When the company finally left the blanket of woods everybody were camouflaged with blueberry colors - hard to recognize who is who. A Blueberry family.

Dr Murks is oaring to North-East

First of all it sounds unrealistic, irrational, then it becomes funny and picaresque. It feels just so great to make decisions and later start think about what and how and why and who and ... :) With Dr Murks it happened recently on Sunday night when he was visiting an old friend, Mdm Svetka. Talking and chatting and suddenly Mdm Svetka asks:
- "Do you know how long it takes to make Russian visa?"
- "About 2 weeks. Why do you ask?"
- "Some old friends of mine invited me to a kayak trip in Karelia in the end of July and I wondered if you would like to join us"
- "Hmmm, you are totally correct - I would!"
After 12 hours Dr Murks already gave the passport and pictures and signature for the visa. For now it is just two weeks to get a bit prepared for... What a kayak looks like? What is the theory to use the paddles? Where to get hermetic bag, helmet and life vest, maybe some more useful stuff..? How to speak Russian? What would be the good songs to sing by the campfire?
To get prepared to be surprised :) and wet.

Dr Murks is mutable

There is a need to change. It started probable already more than a month ago when Dr Murks went up to the Institute and got acquaint with overwhelming muttering in the staircase. Then the defense of Bachelor degrees when the board was acting like a can of worms. A visit to psychologist. The tragic death of Dr Murks course mate and his mother.... still do not have the power to write about it. The many angels Dr Murks met on a trip to and from the fjørds. Meeting Mdm Early Bird at midnight on the crossroad in Soup Town and having a little scary discussion about people who give and take the energy from others. The 2h cake-eating noon in the library where the librarian celebrated her farewell party without anybody of us knowing it before - just felt the need to leave after 19 years and 3 months, the brightest person in the Institute. Mdm Anchka going to work in Tallinn for a change. Worry about so many people who look miserable recently.
At the same time, Dr Murks has the feeling that everything will solve soon in its best. Nothing is obligatory. Life is borrowed just for a short time and everybody has an opportunity to make best use of it. There is no need to force into something that seems wrong and waste the time for that. Newer know when you see the other people last - use the best time with them.
Hmmm, why these last sentences sound so superficial? How to express them that they would not? Maybe just not to say them out but hide them in the actions... Concurrently, it is hard to put something into words anyway, specially the feelings. Still, if one is not able to then it is just a source for stupid misunderstandings and sometimes even anger. Dr Murks reached now the chaos in his thoughts - will quickly end.
But resent news from Cam say: "Mangoes and other fruits are the order of the day"; and the wind of changes is blowing irrespective of the chaos.

Dr Murks talks about waste during the Singing Festival

The Estonian famous Singing Festival took place on the weekend. For many Estonians it is not even a question if you should go there or not. You just go there because it is the Singing Festival. No further comments. This year they estimated 100,000 participants. Of course majority of them were not singers but just people coming to listen, having picnic, meeting friends, standing in a queue for ice cream or barbecue. Just having quality time.
As Mdm Sister needs to finish her thesis by August the Knife family had special assignment for the Festival. To question people about their waste management, focusing on how much they separate the different types of waste. So, the Knife-sisters were walking around the Festival ground and surprised people with their unusual questions. The idea was good that as there are so many people in the festival the interviewer can get quite broad sample but they did not take into account that as there are also many friends and acquaintances that you will meet and have to speak to and for not "wasting the time" they will for sure help you and answer the questionnaire.. So, what happens with the broad and nice sample... Mdm Sister needs to write in her thesis "the sample consisted of the acquaintances and of the people queuing for ice cream or barbecue as they had the most time to answer" :S. Nice work!
But the Singing Festival. Dr Murks thought he had already long time ago lost these patriotic feelings about Estonia as the one and only home. But still, with all these people together, singing all these old and new songs - the cold vibes were just running down along the back bone. Powerful.

Dr Murs is driving a car

The rain. The rain is really annoying. The rain and the wind together are like huuuuuuuuu. Dr Murks and his colleague Mdm Eye had planned to spend nice days on the island, the days for making fieldwork on bikes, picking strawberries, swimming and spending fishy time with the Seals family. Two days were almost fine. Mdm Eye counted 120km by bike on the country roads per one day... But the rain, but the wind. On a third day the clouds were pouring water from a bucket. Mdm Eye and Dr Murks decided that on this day they should not bike. They should take a car for the field trip. Difficult decision as one was worse driver than the other. But the work needed to be done and biking with this weather sounded only unhealthy. Brrrrr, the decision was made that Dr Murks will be the driver as the car happened to be with automatic transmission and Mdm Eye had never been driving this kind of car.. Dr Murks some years ago did for about 10km :S. Anyway, in the end the car was perfect as they needed to drive slow between the villages fast on the main roads and make many U-turns in dead ends. Juhuuu, finally they had driven about 300km when they gave their "nice small box" back to the car rental guy who was so cutely speaking in the local dialect. Dr Murks was really proud of his driving skills been improved and Mdm Eye even told that she never had any fear while driving.
Still, nothing was supposed to end as happily as they hoped. Mr Local Dialect found a huge dent at the bumper, really huge... Dr Murks and Mdm Eye had no glue where and when it happened but if taken into account the quality of all the roads they were using - it might have really happened. So, they had to leave a small fortune for the "nice small box" to be repaired. Even Mr Local Dialect felt bitty for them. "Shit happens," he told with red eyes.
So, find a dent on the picture. Not difficult.
Will there be a time when Dr Murks dares to drive a car for the next time?

Dr Murks on a ladder

Dr Murks went to a conference. A scientific conference. To see the people alive from whom Dr Murks has only read of heard about. Most of the names Dr Murks did not know before.
The conference had really boring title - "Meeting the Waves of Globalization". Could it be more superficial? At the same time - one can make a speech about anything under this topic. No problem to relate to anything and this fact makes it even more boring and bla-la-la. In addition to the topic of "globalization" Dr Murks noticed that there are many other phrases that can be a roof-concepts to anything: "mobility", "neo-liberalism", "landscape", "sustainability", "transformation", etc, etc.
By the way, when one needs to be seen as a real educated person, a simple rule is to use in speech: "etc, etc". Really impressive and high-educated expression!

Reporter: Dr Murks, can you please explain us what was the main impression of the event?
Dr Murks: Hmm, that is an interesting question. There were many ideas and the atmosphere was very inspiring for me. Somehow it was great to see that all these people were just people and nobody seemed to be on higher level than the others. Maybe they were, but it did not look like it. There was, indeed, very friendly atmosphere. The biggest surprise for me was the fact how much the social science is related to geography in these Nordic countries. Many times I had to question the real outcome of the projects some people had made... At the same time it was something totally different and quite much more interesting than all this quantitative frameworks done in UT. At the same time all this not-so-professional just gave so much energy to see that there are more people looking for ladder to climb out from the hole they have just fallen during their research project. For me it seemed that I found the bars and tools to built one and climb out. And of course I hope to keep the contacts that I made with some nice and interesting researchers.
Reporter: Thank you very much for the answer!
Dr Murks: Any time. No problem.

Dr Murks is a gatherer

It seems the thoughts are place-located. The ideas are lazy to move around and sometimes they are hidden - have to be really cleaver and even brave to find them. Dr Murks made a weekly trip in medium speed to pick up some of them. So, where did he find the thoughts?
The ideas were
- in the foaming water after a ship,
- on a hand hold by gypsy foreteller,
- in snow blocks by the road,
- in the snowstorm,
- in summetine,
- in pizza with French fries,
- in the settlement of urban type,
- in diviloopment,
- in fish market,
- in sleeping man during boring presentation, in sleeping man during hyperactive presentation,
- in bossanova music from the open window,
- in neo-liberalism,
- in jokes that sound old even you hear them firs time,
- in butterflies that fly through the chest and stomach when...,
- in rational planner vs rational user,
- in mindscapes, in landscapes,
- in geography that links,
- in an elderly professor who smiles you so widely every time he passes and finally reveals "what a pity that we did not talk earlier. you can always write me if you want",
- in second homes,
- in chocolate,
- on Karl Marx
- in toes that are playing with another toes,
- in woman with pink classes,
- in the screw that drives himself happily into the soft rubber,
- in coffee,
- in the backseat of a bike,
- in...
Maybe also in the tears of a small girl who was crying so badly in the metro.

Dr Murks is a teenager

It seems that nobody should ever tell anybody what the one does not know or is incompetent in. The person should discover it by own or there will be no change. Otherwise the person starts to blame oneself in it and do not see the possibilities or reasons to gain different knowledge, act differently. The person thinks: "This is what I am and you have to accept."

Dr Murks sings Shallallallaaa!

And it is not an example of figurative language. Dr Murks was really singing "Shallallallaaa!" on a concert in the botanical gardens together with the other members from the Choir. "Beautiful, excellent, grandiose..." as the audience commented afterwards. Surprisingly it really felt so good to sing to all these people who specially game to listen US. There were not only birds and exotic plants. There were real people, real friends... Thank you all so much for coming! (Although some songs probable sounded in U-major - hmmm, in English sounds better J-major)... :) :)

Dr Murks sends old man to the West

An old man goes first time to the west. And during his life he has been traveling almost everywhere in former Soviet Countries. Hiking in the mountains, deserts... Skying over the hills and lakes, boating on the rivers. So fun to read the old diaries by the hiking-groups. Even Dr Murks remembers him coming home all over hairy and sunburned bringing weird stones and snail-shells, once he even brought us a scorpion that we kept long time in a 3 liter bin and Jaan was skilled caching living flies for it. In the end when the scorpion got dead we made a nice coffin for it out of matchbox. And once the man brought turtles from the desert. They lived in a special small fold in our garden but their destiny was not the brightest one - better not write it here. It really seems that the old man is to blame for Dr Murks interest in foreign countries, in places far away, in hiking, in nature, in...
The old man has always dreamed of going to the western countries. To see the difference of the nature, of culture, of places. But there have always been distractions on the way. His knees reminded the cold nights spent in a tent during his youth and did not let him make long walking trips anymore, specially on the mountains.. There was that and this and years went by. But tomorrow he will make it. He will make his first steps in central and western Europe. Hope he will bring some weird souvenirs as he is used to. This will be a surprise..
Have a nice trip, dear father! Take care of yourself!

Dr Murks is smelling the Betulas

It is Pentecost today. In old Estonian tradition it is called Birch-day, people took young birches to their houses as we do now with spruce at Christmas. The day was full of joy and dance and swinging on huge swings in the center of the villages.
Dr Murks had forgotten the meaning of the day. But the birches reminded. They were just so strongly smelling by the path that one could not leave without noticing. Dr Murks did not want to break them and bring them home because the birches looked so bright, tender and at the same time powerful standing there. Just take some hanging branches with leaves into palm, but the nose in it and take a deeeeeeeeeeeeep breath. Dr Murks could inhale it for hours. The smell is energetic, the smell is so bright, the smell is mmmmmmm

Dr Murks, videos, music and apples

On Friday Dr Murks went to Tartu Art School to see a friend mixing videos for the background of the music.. Or was the musician mixing for the back of videos? Anyway, the music was great and the visual art was even better, or was music better... or videos... or music... Dr Murks just can not decide.
The Art School is situated in Karlova. One of the best living districts in Tartu. Wooden houses and gardens. So, the walk afterwards in Karlova was like many carrots in the soup! So great! ...or was it music or the mixed videos... The apple trees were blooming like never before. The apple trees were blooming...

Dr Murks is moving the toes...

When the Sun comes out the Legs get impatient. They need to go out, need to move on the streets need to discover all the streets and paths and curves in or out of the town. For now they already know by heart the small track upstream by the river. Sometimes the Hands can hardly crab the keys before the Legs are already out from the door. In this case the Head is a bit upset because the door has a "snepper" lock that closes automatically. The Head forces the Legs to go behind the house and try the back-door - "Uh, luckily it was opened this time". Now the Hands find the keys and in additionally takes a book with. There are joggers, bikers, walkers, "stick-walkers", fishers on the track. Now there is also Dr Murks reading a book because the Legs to not need the Head anymore for leading the way.

Dr Murks is whining

There is no worse occupation than bank tellers. They are always willing to smile you with their red lips, blink their long black eyelashes and play with their silicone nails on the table. Whenever one dares to ask a question or help with some bank transfers or services they just say with their dolly voice "Of course I can help you... But I see that you do not have a credit card. How come? You know that you can use credit card wherever! You can pay anywhere with credit card! You can do everything with it! What do you normally use then when you are traveling!? And maybe you would also want to have a phone service for your internet bank? You can call from anywhere free of charge and just tell your internet-bank codes and ask them to pay your bills. It is so easy then, you know. And I also see that you have your retirement account in another bank... Maybe you could like to transfer it to your Home-Bank where you have your account. It would be so much easier to check the amount of money you already have there. And.."
Urrrrr! Dr Murks just needs to solve this small problem with the transfer and no new services! Why more new services when even bank teller can not give the service and help with this small misunderstanding with bank account number! Besides, one can NOT pay everywhere with credit card. There is no need to call free of chards to some stranger and tell the bank details - can call to some friends by net if needed! And why to care about the amount of money one can not use before 40 years? Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Good day for you as well!

Dr Murks pulls Mdm Rain's leg

...or was it vice a versa? It was totally raining today. Dr Murks was attending die Deutschestunde and there Mdm Rain was dancing on the roof so loud that we needed to scream in the end of the lesson to hear each other. After lecture Dr Murks had to comfort the Bike that had to bare the dance steps of Mdm Rain on its saddle whole this long time... Now Dr Murks and the Bike were together and they started the fight against the crazy rain-dance, the variety of puddles and the huge number of cars on the way from work to home. Mdm Rain continued the dance at the back. The cars were carefully making the way for Dr Murks and the Bike (they saw themselves as losers in this struggle - there is no special way for bikes and the two mads were confidently using the car-roads). The most difficult was to fight against water-puddles as they totally covered the holes and small slopes in the asphalt, so that the Bike had to make sometimes curves even to the wrong side of the road. Finally at home, finally at dry, the Bike drips in the staircase, the hair fells into towel, the trousers and jacket are hanging on the string. Dr Murks drinks hot tea and looks out of the window, reads a newspaper and listens Mdm Rain's ongoing dance-steps on the roof.

Dr Murks makes Fish-Face

People are violating on the streets. It newer happens in Estonia that people are violating on the streets. But it still happened or is happening. Did not see them. Saw only on TV, newspapers, heard from radio. People just braking the display windows of shops, entering and taking all the stuff they can carry. A man with wide smile holding lemonade, chocolate and hygienic bandages or young couple from flower shop holding bouquets on their hands. Haa, what makes him to do so? It is the silliest thing ever - just to rob for robbing. Some kind of protest against consumption, against capitalism... NO, the original reason is different.
They say it is the statue in the city center that symbolizes the end of the Second World War, remembers the soldiers died in the War, remembers the soldiers fighting against fascism, symbolizes the defeat of fascism, symbolizes the victory of communism, the victory of Soviet Union, the start of Soviet occupation in Estonia... So, for Estonians it was the end of one bad and start of another. The anger towards Soviet Union is deeply rooted in Estonians, our grandparents, politicians, authorities, cultural heads were killed or deported to Siberia; our farms, animals, homes were taken from us and they were made to nobodies; all public newspapers, books were deeply controlled and censored before published...
I remember an issue of children magazine that was collected from the stores because they managed to publish a poetry about a badger whose home was taken violently by raccoon dog and as referee was one slow and lazy bear the badger could not get the home back . It was just a funny children poetry - why the kids could not read it? - but as it so clearly described the Soviet OCCUPATION in Estonia the issue was quickly removed by... (knowingly by who)

Dr Murks is making Fish-Face. Dr Murks was for the weekend in Southern Estonia having an international seminar on "Creativity in Global Action". Meaning how to become a good Global Citizen, how to make other people aware of the fact that we all live in the one World and depend highly on each other. There were people from Latin-America, Southern Europe and Baltic States. In a simulation game of spreading the money and power around the world a Spanish girl almost started to cry explaining that the money is not the most important. At the same time nobody was really eager to talk about the issue just happening in Estonia. Everybody was just talking so broadly and unrealistic about the problems in the global world and about the activities we can do to make situation better. Once we brought it up there were few questions and after 5 minutes the people were happily dancing Catalonia dances. Dr Murks felt the atmosphere really weird. At one point Dr Murks was talking about it to a Belgian girl lived in Estonia already 2 years and she said quite wisely: "People here do not see how worried you are, how much it hurts you or what it means to you. You are also taking part all the activities and not discussing or talking about it. If you would cry in the corner everybody would come to ask and would like to know more and understand more. Nobody sees your concern course you are happy and smiling and making jokes all the time." True. It is so hard to explain something that is so obvious to one, at the same time explaining ones reasons, discussing and finding solutions together is the most important thing in every kind of good relations. Fish-Face with no emotions, no explanations brings no understanding.

Dr Murks looks for Coffee Recipes

Tomorrow Dr Murks has to make plenty coffee. There is organized a whole day event to celebrate the beginning of the bicycle season. Tartu is just a good size being a cyclists town but there are still little facilities for it. So, plenty coffee and plenty facilities... Hope it could be so easy. No-no. There is a temporary parking place with professional guard on the Town Hall square for people coming to work by bike for that day and from 7am to 9am they will be offered a cup of morning coffee. Dr Murks has to prepare it, Dr Murks has to make it. How many people will there be? 10, 50, 100...

Coffee, coffee, coffee. Hope there will be at least 100, otherwise Dr Murks has to drink all this coffee. At least Dr Murks is not alone. There is also the guard and other people from the Association Bicycle Town Tartu. If plenty bikers are not coming for this plenty coffee, we will drink our next week doses as well...
The day is called "Rattad tööle" meaning "Wheels to Work" meaning that people should use their bikes and as well that bikes should be taken to their workplace every day. In addition to coffee there are many exhibitions put up and there is a competition for the THE-THE .... Bike - depends on the categories made up during the day; and city is explaining their bicycle-roads strategy and the police is coming to explain the safety of riding and the new sticker with a sign "One Car Less" is spread for the people. Hopefully will be fun.The symbol of the day is made by Mdm Svetka

Dr Murks and 5 new cars

For a weekend a family visited the flat. "Why your room is so messy?" asked Sanna (5 years). "Because I am messy and need all my papers close at hand," Dr Murks had to answer. "Why do not you have any small cars models to play to?" asked Siim (3 years). "Hmmmm," Dr Murks had nothing to answer. But Siim took a piece of firewood by the oven and draw wheels and lights and windshield on it - a car was there. Soon Dr Murks had 5 brand-new cars. Hmmmmmm, not bad.

Dr Murks is the Conqueror

There is/was a discussion in TU Geographers mailing list about pidgin language. A student sent by accident the letter (meant for her peers to revise for an exam) to "The big" list referring to an old academic who discussed that Estonian language can also be seen as pidgin ( for now of course already creole) course it was combined from different dialects - mostly norther Estonian dialect - and many people had to learn it in the beginning like foreign language.
This statement turned on many professors and lecturers. All of them, of course, mostly objecting to it. Many, including Dr Murks, sent some examples from their travels about pidgin they or somebody else had heard. But...
Dr Murks is from the North and never had (m)any problems with proper language. At the same time Dr Murks has been pulled into discussions and Dr Murks has been blamed by Southern fellows in dominating with the language and being conqueror on the land. Hey! It was already some centuries ago!!
Once on the market of Lindora that is held every autumn in the very South-East of Estonia an elderly woman told to Dr Murks: "You really should learn seto dialect! How can you live your life without knowing it." And really, beforehand the same woman asked Dr Murks something in the local dialect and Dr Murks did not get any word. So, again some professors from the south were revealing to sentences in Southern dialect that are really-really different from what we use every day in proper language...

Dr Murks and short wisdom

Revealing to velocity
the snail did not sleep last night.

Dr Murks is talking to Mdm Egg

Dr Murks asks the Egg:
"Are you alive or you are dead?"
The Egg asks back:
"Is there a difference?
I am both -
the same for you
there is no distinction between the Two.
What means a life?
What means the Death?
The terms are just parts of existence
like taking bath or having sister.
It is sad to lose a thing or friend
it does not mean they really END.
You wrapped me up in onion peelings
that I could get the colored feeling.
Being golden, fun and happy egg
is all I need and you as well.
The time together -
life or death
can't be the question for the jiff."

Dedicated to Mr Easter...

Dr Murks is working on Gender Equality

"In Eastern European countries as well as in Estonia the paid workers class is more equally divided between men and women than it is in Western Europe (Järve, 2003). In Estonia the share of women among jobholders is 50%, which is much higher than EU average (44%) (Eurostat 2007). Only 11% of Estonian women have part-time jobs (in EU 33%). In Estonia 80-87% of workers in the sectors of social welfare, medicine, hotel management and food are women. Estonian women working days are longer than in Europe, Estonian men spend less time on workplace than European average. On average Estonian men work 4h 55min per day, women 4h 9min, Finnish men work 5h 24min and women 4h 7min. Norwegian women spend the least time on paid work - 3h 39min (Järve 2003). Within Europe the difference between the salaries for men and women is the biggest in Estonia, 25% (Eurostat 2007)."

Dr Murks is sitting by the computer on Good Friday and working..

Dr Murks in Global Action

Big words, big actions. Uniques change, unique campaign, great success, great achievement, great contribution, global responsibility, global issues, global development, development education, development aid, development cooperation, different perspectives, young engaged committed people, dedicated, creative, enriching, mutual inspiration, urgently need to spread knowledge, public awareness... UN Millennium Development Goals...
Dr Murks head is full of these concepts. The problem is that the meaning is still foggy and often unknown the need on these even after a year in global education network... All of these people can use these words, combinations, but seems that most of them do not really know what the concepts mean... At least Dr Murks meets difficulties to give definitions. And for now again got enough of these topics. Luckily (or not?) here in Tartu people do not care much ab Global Whatever - Dr Murks can peacefully take a small brake in intensive thinking and discussing about these so-so broad theories.
Shallalllaaa!

Dr Murks on a way

..hitchhiking to the South. Yesterdays rehearsal - hitchhiking to the North was a total disaster (after 2,5h by the road waving to all passersby) in terms of hitching a lift. But at the same time - nice weather, nice company by Kusta, nice songs on the tongue and - the most important - nice friends coming to pick us up in the end taking to the destination. The way to the South will be more easy because Dr Murks long experiences show that the paradigm of induction is not proper for the good luck in hitchhiking - there are too many totally different examples.

Anyway, the weather seems to be great either for sitting hours by the road or making drivers happy to take you on. So, Dr Murks and Ms Tiu are soon on a way to:

Dr Murks is the Cuckoo

"Change yourself and you will change the world - not much but still your own small portion. Stay yourself and again something is changing - the world is transmuting but your share is standing still..." like Jäääär is singing.
In the wedding that more appeared to be a reunion. Old classmates, two of them getting married to each other. Most of them Dr Murks have not seen for several years but majority of them still the best friends to each. Feels like turning back time for 6 years or more... It is known exactly what kind of jokes people are doing, what are their most interesting topics to discuss, body-language, what complexes one have, even their dress-code is not changed. Creepy but fun at the same time.
According to Estonian wedding tradition most of the guests get professions. Dr Murks had a nice profession in the wedding. Every time Dr Murks said "cuckoo" the others had to start with their assignments. The time teller told the time, the kisser kissed, the "crouchers" hunkered down (they were the most dutiful), the dancers took somebody to dance, the clapper made and applause and so on. Dr Murks was like a leader of the pack :).

Dr Murks is jumping on the skin of cow

It came so quickly. Dr Murks could not even close eyes and count till three when the Sun of spring already pinched from the cheeks and birds started to sing so loud that he just had to open the eyes again and look up to the trees and in the pushes to see these loudly crowd. The air smells like melting snow the ground looks like the skin of cows - white spots of melting snow are varying with black muddy soil. The water brakes throw everything. Galanthus is blooming already in the gardens of Soup Town!

Dr Murks in da Summer Cottage

Dr Murks was four days on a fieldwork evaluating summer cottage districts in the metropolitan area of Tallinn. Ooo, what a wonderful/"wonderful" architecture and living standards for many.
Rounds and round windows have been totally popular for summer cottage districts. Even new built living houses use the same decoration. Only one of the pictures does not have this garnish...

Dr Murks drowned in a political discourse

The elections are coming. The elections to the parliament. There has never been so intensive discussions before the elections about who, why and how to elect. First time in Estonian history the society seems to be more interested in parties programs than their beautiful shibboleths and faces with lots of make-up.
There are many visions in the air about the future of Estonia. First of all the programs by the parties but as well by the columnists, professors, local philosophers, aunt Maalis in the country side... The best new solution is to make Estonia into multi-e-country. Already known e-country of Estonia by many internet-opportunities, -solutions as well the e-elections. You can make everything in the net! But why not to make this e- in the beginning of country meaning ECO as well? Would be nice to live in eco-country, ecologically friendly, balanced and sustainable life in Est. Dr Murks would love it.

Yellow-Hellow, Dr Murks!

Yellow is totally amazing color. Yellow carpet, Yellow lamp, Yellow dress, yellow painting, Yellow window, yellow snow, Yellow ball, Yellow bicycle, Yellow lecture room... Yellow irritates Dr Murks' mind in the way he can not stay neutral, can not stay unhappy, can not stay positively untouched by some giggling feeling. Somehow all the things painted Yellow are a bit silly, belonging to a small child or... But if you really notice the philosophy of the thing it can not belong to a child but maybe to some old-school uncle or to high-positioned authority newer-ever could suspect to have Yellow things. And in a Yellow lecture room where PhD students are learning teaching techniques somehow feeling themselves well and opened and communicative and willing to try everything the facilitator offers. Most probable due to the Yellow walls, happy falls, funny falls, reflecting-only-positive-emotions walls.
Like Mr Alliksaar wrote in his most beautiful poem "...do not hurt the child who lives in your soul" and he did not even mention Yellow. He mentions many other important things, but jeee... impossible to translate - would just destroy the beauty. Lets stick to Yellow! :) Mmmmmmmmm, Yellow, Yellow, Yellow, Yellow dreams.

Dr Murks is walking on the holy water

The waterway goes throw the town. Somebody swimming there, oaring in boat, kayak, canoe, rubber boat, raft... Somebody driving in high speed in motorboat, sitting in riverboat "Pegasus" or in lodi "Jõmmu", listening folk music and hearing old people talking about their childhood by the water. Somebody sitting in the hot-water barrel drifting downstream... And fishermen, many fishermen standing on the river bank and throwing their fishing hook as far as possible, sometimes caching fat fish to prepare soup in the evening at home.
Dr Murks went to the market. Meat and carrot and spices for soup, flour and seeds for making bread, cottage cheese just for pleasure... were written in the list. The quickest way is the waterway. And hops (!) town from the riverbank right on the water. "Watch out! There are many holes in the water!" is shouting Mr Fisherman sitting on his comfortable bench. "Thank you!" and Dr Murks is careful walking on the holy water.

He was walkin on the ice, whooo, he was walkin on the ice....

Dr Murks is the Handicraftsman

Uhuu, besides building furniture yesterday night that ended in totalmurks (like Germans probable would say) or total chaos after drilling the head of the screw into unrecognizable shape; besides knitting gloves with pattern from Pankjavitsa that should be finished by next evening... describes the handicraftsman side of Dr Murks also the fact that he has to but thousands of figures 74500, 101000, 123000 in Excel program into the form of time BY HAND!!! Auuuu! It is like: 74500=7:45, 101000=10:10.... Or by the other hand - let them be in this ugly shape and why not make all the calculations with this miserable form. What a bitty to be a researcher when making things beautiful takes too much precious time...

Dr Murks is waving to Mr Njume

How does it feel like? How does it feel like to lose your father? How does it feel like to lose the mentor of yourself, your brothers, your sisters, your aunts, uncles, their children... the mentor of the whole extended family... ? But still most of all just a guy who has been always there, who was there when you were just a small child looking with eyes full of curiosity, everything was new... And he was the one you could ask: "Husay? Weti? Wich taym? Ha? Hu? Way? Wich kayn? Hus?" Hmm, and maybe when time passing looking up to him and wanting to become the same in the future... And then realizing that there are more truths than your father have been telling you and sometimes start arguing with him, sometimes just not accepting that he has been drinking too much, too many bottles of palm vine or beer and not communicating to him many days... But in secret still looking up to him and thinking that he is the most powerful and most kind man you can ever get to know...How many times Dr Murks has waken up in the morning after bad dream seeing his father falling down from the ladder while picking up apples or cutting the branches of tree. "What happened!? What happened?!" Dr Murks screams in his dream and wakes up full of fare that... But hearing somebody smacking his lips in the kitchen like his father is used to do he relaxes and falls into dreams again... Uh. It is probable Dr Murks' greatest fear. Someday it will happen but so far Dr Murks can just be happy that there is somebody agitating Dr Murks to make more sports, to take care of himself, not fall into a power of diseases and just showing with simple shy humble way how much he cares... He is just always there, you do not even have to speak to him that often... you just know that he is there. The prototype of an interesting and funny man.

Leslie, I think you got a lot from him. I never got a change to meet him, but you knew him many years, he was there for you, you were there for him. He was probable a great man as he had a son like you... If you have the same tradition as they had in Santa, I wish you could send an huge amount of gunpowder to the air to kill the death... My respect to this kind man. It is hard to imagine what will your life look like now with all this responsibility I will not say "Ashia" , as it sounds like "sorry, but I can not help"... but I will think of you, pray for you and I know you can manage, you brave young stubborn and (most of all) doughty man.
As you are used to say there: "We are together!"
W e a r e t o g e t h e r !

Dr Murks belongs to a group of GOOFs

In Riga. Three days on the conference in the purpose of comparing Regional Development in the Baltic States. Scientists, geographers coming from Baltic countries presenting and introducing their work. As there has not been many contacts so far then it was a good possibility to find partners and think up some projects together.
As Dr Murks did not have to make any presentation, managed to shift this responsibility to Mdm Siiri then most of the time the conference was just like "glee and flowers party" as Estonians like to say about not so stressful events. Some participants were a lot of fun, was nice to chat about many topics, drink some vine, beer and brandy together... Hmmm, for example one guy from Gdansk really sounded like Mr Georg from Chemnitz :). He had exactly the same accent like he has, only Mr Georg speaks a little slower... Maybe it is some kind of Central European thing to sound like this, anyway it was fun to listen. He even told about his many foreign girlfriends as also Mr Georg have had... Deja vou... :)
Dr Murks has to tell the secrets. There were two really embarrassing things... Firstly, that Dr Murks drank too much at Friday night that he needed to sneak out from the auditorium during the second Panel-session on Saturday and free himself from still existing poisons in the body. Really embarrassing, hopefully nobody noticed Dr Murks' green face that by the inner feeling stayed green the whole day... Anyway, the Friday evening with interesting people was probable worth it. But next time Dr Murks should not forgot home his friend in the pocket who could tell when to stop drinking alcohol!The second embarrassment was not really up to Dr Murks but somehow he still feels responsible. The working-group from Tartu leaded by the professor of human geography really acted like a group of goofs. It was really sad to see how Dr Murks' working-group did not have any civility feeling towards the other participants... They probable did not speak to anyone there, maybe only answered shortly as somebody asked a question and then run away to stay with other impolite Estonians. They reached to the tip of the cake as just stood up in the middle of concluding session and left the place without saying any goodbye to anyone... Just left for Estonia... Dr Murks can not still believe that this last thing really happened. It was like shouting to organisers face that it is just a crap that you are talking about here!
Dr Murks has to admit that the level of science is quite different in the Baltic States and seemingly Tartu and Tallinn are on the highest level, but the question arises: HOW CAN THEY BE AS THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY SKILLS FOR COMMUNICATION????? Just another bunch of arrogant Estonians. Dr Murks feels embarrassing to be a part of this group... Sad.

Dr Murks lives in the SnowWorld

A picture from window. The temperature should be approximately -11 degrees. Oven to heat, lot of fat and hot stuff to eat, warm cloths on and first round on skis will be booked at 11 am. Let the tears come from eyes when you sledge downhill and let then frees into ice cubes right away! Superb!

Dr Murks is in Boiler

Have you ever felt this feeling? Being in the boiler? It is like you see all the bubbles going towards the surface in the boiling water, everyone of them carrying a message or an idea or... and you just see them quickly passing by. You only see how many bright and different ideas there are but as you want to see them more close they already disappear to the air and become just a part of this huge gray gas-body. There are so-so many possibilities to live your life, to base your ideas on, to create something nice and interesting but you just see the flashes of the ideas but before you can sit on one bubble it is disappeared. You can not catch them course you are not able to decide early enough. This is how Dr Murks feels recent times. Do many thoughts to pick up the ones to carry on.

And then it makes Dr Murks so jealous when he sees people with concrete and bright ideas. For example Mr Chiaradia from London who was to Estonians Art Academy to talk about a method measuring the connectivity of the parts of the cities. He was so convinced and convincing that it was just amazing. Whatever stupid or not stupid question anybody asked he just could explain you everything. Dr Murks had before only hears some septic opinions about the method he introduced and read some badly-written articles where it sounded as new religion not a method. But after meeting Mr Chiaradia he really saw how important are personal relationships between scientists. You can read as many articles and write as many but if you are reclusive and not willing to communicate, cooperate and... you are just an empty place. And by the way, it is very interesting and constructive to see some other scientists making their work then just your own professor who is just asking you much without even basic politeness.
Anyway as a result of last two weeks seminars Dr Murks found some inspiration to start work again in more patient mood. He will systematically look throw the bubbles from the boiler and pick up the Chosen Ones. The results how it will work out will be commented soon on these pages.