EstoCast – Episode 47: Sten Mahov

Considering cultural integration with Sten Mahov

Listen to the Episode here or on your favourite streaming platform

Over the course of the year that journalist Sten Mahov has lived in Montréal, he’s faced certain challenges in getting set up. For example, finding work and a place to live. However, he has also observed that Canada is a fruitful place for the cultures of the world to interact.

As we continue to explore the celebration of the Cultural Diversity Year in Estonia in this episode, hear Sten’s perspective on:

🇨🇦language learning as a pathway to understanding and appreciating cultural diversity

🇪🇪the way living in Canada allowed him to connect with part of his family history

🇨🇦some key cultural similarities between Québec and Estonia

🇪🇪and much more!

Content, concepts, and people mentioned in this episode include:

-The 2024 Cultural Diversity Year in Estonia: https://integratsioon.ee/en/2024-cultural-diversity-year

-Minu aasta Kanadas column: https://eestielu.ca/minu-aasta-kanadas/

-Differences between the French language from Québec and French language from France: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=977P97RgCvc

-More about the 1944 Suur põgenemine (Great Escape) as described by the Estonian Archives in Australia: https://archives.eesti.org.au/exhibitions/the-great-escape-1944/

-The approach to personal space as practised in Nordic countries like Finland and Estonia: https://en.biginfinland.com/personal-space-finland-countries/

-More about the use of credit scores in Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/credit-reports-score/credit-report-score-basics.html

-How birch tapping works, for birch juice/water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHA1Z3qRIPk

-More about Québec language policy: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/quebec-language-policy

-Reactions to the “bonjour/hi” greeting in Québec: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/saq-reminds-employees-not-to-greet-customers-with-bonjour-hi

-The Montréal Estonian Society: https://www.facebook.com/montrealestoniansociety/

-Benny (Benny the Irish Polyglot) Lewis’ language learning blog: https://www.fluentin3months.com/