The following thoughts are based on interviews with a number of Canadian and English individuals who spend a significant part of the year in Estonia, or who have recently moved here.
A Belgian expat wrote a very good article in Estonian World Magazine setting out the pros and cons of living in Estonia. The number one negative point was the difficulty of making friends. If one hopes that locals will want to meet you or engage in small talk, one will be disappointed. Even the Estonian Government funded homepage "Work in Estonia" states that "Estonians are known for being silent and reserved." There are various strategies to deal with this, from being patient and waiting for friendships to develop, to being the first one to "break the ice" and getting to know Estonians through shared purpose (more on this latter strategy below).
"Estonians are known for being silent and reserved"
Work in Estonia (an Estonian government-funded website)
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