Great show, big thanks to Justin for spending his Sunday afternoon with us, and thanks to everyone who listened to the live show, there were a lot of you! We discussed Estonia’s progress since the fall of the Soviet Union, Bush’s recent visit to Estonia, Estonia & NATO, Estonia & EU, liberal taxation policies, immigration in Estonia, Estonians feelings towards Finns, Finns feelings towards Estonians, and a whole lot more. Here’s the podcast…

Download the show in MP3 format at 64kbps (29.1 MB - 62:25)
Download the show in AAC+ format at 24kbps (10.9 MB - 62:25)

This week we’re doing Radio Free Finland live on a special Sunday night at 21:00 Finnish Time (2pm EST). We’ll be joined by Justin Petrone, author of the “Itching for Eestimaa” blog. He’ll be on to discuss Estonia, Estonians, Estonian politics, Estonia and Finland, Estonia and the states, and a whole lot more.

I first came to Estonia in 2002 via Finland. I was one of two Americans selected to participate in Finland’s Foreign Correspondents’ Programme that year, but unfortunately (for them) I met an Estonian woman and defected to the other side of the gulf when the program was over.

I lived in Estonia in 2003 and 2004 and worked mostly as a freelance journalist writing stories for The Baltic Times. In more recent years I have also published articles in Postimees - one of Estonia’s largest dailies, and Eesti Elu and Vaba Eest Sõna, which are published in Canada and the US, respectively.

Since 2004 we have lived in New York, and I currently work for a biotech trade news company. I started my blog Itching for Eestimaa in May 2005, mainly to counter Russia’s state-owned newswires which I thought were
spreading inaccurate and disingenuous information, but it has developed into a general Estonia-centered blog.

Tune-in Sunday night for the live interview, all you need is Skype to listen-in and a microphone if you wish to participate. If you don’t want to ask your questions live, you can e-mail us (info >>AT>> radiofreefinland dot net) before the show or send a text chat to us during the show, and we’ll read your comments live on the air.

I’m planning on recording an impromptu interview with Swedish journalist Henrik Arnstad this afternoon, please please please send me any questions you may have for him and I’ll be sure ask them during the show.

Because I’m putting this interview together so quickly, I probably won’t be able to make this a live interview. And because his wife may go into labor at any second, there’s a chance it may not happen.

The interview is to be at 17.00 today and if all goes well, it’ll be online shortly thereafter.

UPDATE: Many thanks to Henrik for spending with some time with us this afternoon. And mega kudos to everyone who sent in questions, it was an enormous help! And here’s the podcast…

Download the show in MP3 format at 64kbps (15.7 MB - 33:37)
Download the show in AAC+ format at 24kbps (5.9 MB - 33:37)