TALLINNA TEHNIKAGUMNAASIUM SCHOOL .. My connections in Estonia found a wall for me at the Tallinna Tehnikagumnaasium school in the capital. I planned a mural that combined a bit of Estonia's past with traditional dancers and the skyline of Old Town and the future with the capital's new skyline and technology. And finally, in the center was Tallinn, Estonia, carefully decorated in the colors of the national flag . . . or, so I thought.

MARTIN

I like to include traditional costumes, flags and maps whenever I can. Estonia was no exception. And, I remembered the colors of the flag because of a cocktail I saw at a restaurant. There was a blue liqueur at the bottom of the glass. In the middle was black coffee that was topped with whipped cream. It was so simple to remember the Estonian colors.

MARTIN

As the students painted "Estonia" in those patriotic colors, nobody thought to mention to me that the colors were in the wrong order. Unlike the drink, the actual colors of the flag from top to bottom were blue, black and then white. It was then that I realized in order to be a true Estonian, you had to sling your head back, tip that drink completely upside down, and then drink it like a real patriot.

MARTIN

Students at the school were prepared for the visit. They had already seen the cartoons on my website. They knew the "look" of the mural and had an idea of what to expect. However, nothing really prepares you for twelve meters of color on a previously bland wall.

The art teacher was an incredible resource. She sent groups of ten students to help in hourly shifts. My first question with every group was, "Do you speak English?" They all did, every one of them! Even the youngest kids in the grade school did. It eliminated a lot of confusion.

MARTIN

Yes, there was a second mural. Click here to continue on to page 2 but don't miss the newspaper write up too!

MARTIN