“Vabandust, aga ma ei tea!”
By João Lopes Marques ( Eesti keeles ) “Ma ei tea...” When I think about the first syllables of an Estonian baby I can imagine “Ma ei tea”... Not “Mama”, let alone “Papa”... Simply “Ma ei tea”. I explain: not to understand a language can be as annoying as entertaining. Since I can’t follow the full meaning of most conversations around my attention turns selective. I’m always waiting for a sentence I’m able to grab with both hands and process in my mind... That’s how I noticed Estonians just love to say “Ma ei tea!”. They repeat it over and over, especially women. It seems to me the most natural and spontaneous phrase an average Estonian can pronounce. Still remember when my friend Krista told me her English language teacher had forbidden all students to use “Ma ei tea!” in the classroom. A national addiction? I myself embraced the epystemology of “Ma ei tea!” as a personal cause. A tough job, I must admit. Yet, after years of random observation, I feel finally prepared to s
