Day 13: Church service, fish and onions, and departure

Our last day started with the visit to the actual church service with Osip, which he promised us a few days back. Unlike in Kasepää, where Father Andrej didn't want us to film in the church, Osip in Raja doesn't seem to have any problem with this - well, it's natural and also beautiful that everyone has an own approach to these sort of things, and we of course respect their views.

The celebration in Raja was amazing, colorful, interesting, and breathtaking. The celebration was about the opening of the apple eating season, so a basket of apples was blessed. The visitors of the service were friendly and apparently didn't feel disturbed by our presence; actually at the end of the service, an elderly lady came to us and said that she had expected us to be disturbing, and that she was very happy that we were behaving so considerate. Very nice indeed, since of course we're there to observe, and not to go on people's nerves or to make them feel uncomfortable in something that for them certainly is a very intimate moment.

We spent the last few hours filming a few more scenes outdoors, after the service, eating the remaining fish and onions, and getting ready to leave the region until we will return in October. We said goodbye to some of the people we met (those we could contact or find in this day). As melancholic to leave the region as we somewhat are, we are also happy at the same time that we are visibly welcome, we are not perceived as intruders, but are treated very friendly and open, and we even believe to see that many of the people we met repeatedly are indeed happy to see us, interested to talk with us, to share their views, to have a conversation. So after 13 days, we think we're on a good way, we have collected some very intense and very interesting footage and statements and views, and are optimistic about this project and what will come out of it.

So this blog will take a break as well, while all of us are traveling back home and will get busy with other projects and with planning the next steps in this one. We'll be back in October. Back here on this blog, and back at the lake.