November lifea

I can't remember what I posted last so I'll just write and see what happens.

Two weekends ago we had a long weekend because of St. George's Day.  This holiday is to celebrate the anniversary of the Rose Revolution in Georgia.  I was also celebrating my village manager's birthday with they normal group of Georgians that I hang out with.  The only one of them that speak English is my English teacher from school and sometimes she is not there so it can be somewhat quite for me.

We drove to Kutaisi because we were wanting to visit at place called Sataplia.  At Sataplia there are footprints from both herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs.  Unfortunately it was closed, so we just drove back to Zugdidi.  When we got to town we went to a restaurant to have a supra in celebration of my village managers birthday.  (His name is Papuna and if you didn't already know he is the one who wants to marry me.  He tells me a few times a week that he loves me.  I have argued with him about this several times but it still does not seem to change things).  He left the restaurant around midnight and drove home to Didinedzi.

Then last weekend I went to my first Georgian wedding.  (I have been to two funerals since being in Georgia and I have seen two dead bodies at those funerals so, I think it is only fitting that I see a better part of Georgian culture).  I had a really great time at the wedding, even though I was with people who do not speak English.  There was tons of food and a groups of 3 guys singing Georgian music.  People were dancing the traditional Georgian dances and I, of course, was forced to participate.  When I wasn't dancing the Georgian dances, I was dancing with Papuna.  He really likes to dance and, I think, he just wants to be close to me.  Every time another guy asked me to dance, Papuna would cut in.  All the guys are afraid of him so he always won.  It was pretty funny.  But don't worry he is very, I mean extremely, respectful of me.
At the wedding my host dad was the Tamada (or supra leader), which means he starts all the toast and gets completely pissed.  He was really great to watch in all of his glory.  I have some video to prove it.
We finally left around 5:30 in the morning.  The band was still singing and I wasn't ready to go home but things were starting to die down.

Then this past Monday, a few guys came over for dinner.  (I guess as Tamada at the wedding my host dad received a cow head (brains being the most important)).  I was deemed Tamada of our mini supra.  So what does that mean? I got completely pissed.  And on a Monday night!  Yesterday was rough to say the very least.

I don't know what I am going to be doing this weekend but I think I'm going to get out of town.  I have been in the village for two weekends in a row and my body needs some descent food.  After that I will be in my village for another two weeks.  I am going to leave my host family's house on Dec 17 and go to Tbilisi for a few days before we all fly home.  Most of the flights are on Dec 20, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

home

For everyone who does not already know. I am coming home at the end of December. I do not know when my flight will be but I will keep you all posted.

Borjomi Weekend

11/17

                So last weekend I went with 16 other volunteer English teachers to the city of Borjomi.  Borjomi is a destination city in Georgia not only because it used to be the resort town during the Soviet era but also because it is where the famous Borjomi water comes from.  The water that comes from Borjomi is a natural mineral water.  It is believed to be very healthy and regardless of your sickness everyone says to drink the mineral water.  I personally would account for this.  Every time I have a stomach problem (which is every week or so) I drink one of the mineral waters (Borjomi, Nabeghlavi, or my favorite Likani) and my stomach does feel better.

                Anyway, we ended up leaving Zugdidi early Saturday morning and driving to Borjomi, finding our hotel then driving on past Borjomi to Vardzia.  Vardzia is a city carved out of the mountain side.  From the outside to you can see large openings in the rock, which lead you into tunnels in the mountain far from the reaches of daylight.  We spent two hours exploring the caves there.  In Vardzia there is also the Sapara Monastery.  The church was closed but the monks opened it for our group. (That, among other things, are the advantages of working for a well publicized government program).

`               After the caves we made the drive back to Borjomi.  We were all so hungry because we hadn’t eaten all day and we had been drinking wine out of huge barrels during the drive to Borjomi.  (Again, one of the benefits of living in a developing country, there are no open container laws… I think.  Plus, they don’t even count wine as alcohol).  We arrived at some restaurant in Borjomi, where we proceeded to order 7, count them, 7 courses.  While we are waiting for our food, some drunken Georgians from another table spontaneously started dancing the traditional Georgian Folk Dance.  It was really entertaining.  One of the guys asked me to dance with them right when we got our first course.  I looked at him like he was crazy to ask me.  If I hadn’t have been so hungry I probably would have joined them.  (One of my English teachers has been trying to teach me the traditional Georgian Folk dance in our off periods recently so I do kind of know what I am doing).

                After dinner we went to our horrible hotel and climbed into the most horrific beds I have ever seen in my entire life.  We are all still alive and without disease so I think it’s fine.  The following morning we woke up, went to a place for tea and coffee and then we made our way to the famous park in Borjomi.

                In the park there is a fountain where you can fill containers with the natural spring water, a fitness center, and a special part of the park called Fairy Land.  We actually spent most of our time in Fairy Land.  There were all sorts of interesting play structures that we were all climbing on, in and through.  There were also a few slides but no one was able to actually slide down them.  Ironic, right?  We spent maybe 2 hours there and then we got back into our beloved Marshrutka and headed back to Zugdidi.

                We ended up getting back to Zugdidi late so a few of us were not able to make our buses to our villages so I caught a bus to the next village over from mine and decided to figure out how to get home when I got there.  Keep in mind my house is 4km from the village where I got off the bus.  So I ended up walking the first third because I was waiting for my host dad to meet me.  I figured I would just start walking in that direction even though it was dark and somewhat not safe.  Mom and Grammy, I am sorry for this next part.  BUT, I was walking along when a car pulled up next to me.  The guy driving started speaking Megruli to me so I asked him to speak Georgian, and the he asked me where I was going. I told him and he seemed to know where my house was so I got in the back seat.  I could not believe that this was my first time hitch-hiking.  When I got in the car I saw another man in the front seat and I got a little nervous but I felt better because I was in the back seat and I had my knife in my hand. (I had been walking with it in my hand the whole time anyway).  So this guy starts asking me questions and I’m trying to answer them with the best of my ability and I am asking him questions as well but I was having the hardest time understanding him.  Then I learned he was drunk.  So not only had I hitch-hiked, I had gotten into a car with a drunk driver.  But we were on a dirt road and going ridiculously slow so I figured it was ok.  Finally, I saw another car headed the other direction and I asked the man to stop; I got out and lucky enough it was my host dad.  I had recognized his headlights (Passat).  (I guess learning the headlights for different cars in high school has finally paid off in another way rather than identifying police cars).

So I made it home ok so don’t worry about anything.  I won’t be doing anymore traveling in the near future so this won’t be happening again, so don’t worry.

Just Life

11/17

                I can’t say there are really any new huge developments in my life.  It is pretty much the same old same old.  The weather has gotten nice again so it’s not freezing in my school.  (For those who missed it, my school or my house for that matter is heated).  It does not get that cold here in Samegrelo because we are so close to the Black Sea but it does get colder at night.  And no heating really does make a difference. 

                I am still conducting English Club after school on Mondays and Thursdays.  It has been a challenge to keep my students focused on using English rather than trying to teach me Megruli (the non-written language that is spoken in the Samegrelo region of Saqartvelo (Georgia)).  They think it’s just hilarious to hear me says words in Kartuli (Georgian) and Megruli.  I think it’s funny to because I know I can’t make certain sounds but that door swings both ways so we have a good time trying to teach each other.

                My family is still amazing! I love talking and hanging out with my sister.  She is so motivated to learn English and I can’t be more proud of her.  She used to not say anything when she didn’t understand something but now she stops me mid-sentence and asks me to define a word.

                My brother is learning more and more English as time goes on.  He has been writing my name and a few other words in English and giving them to me.  I have been gluing them in my journal so I can show them off when I get home. 

                School is about the same.  I am trying to participate more in my classes but it’s not really happening.  I have yet to work out with my English teachers how they can actually use me in the classroom rather than just for reading something aloud or working on word pronunciation.  The kids are still enthusiastic so that makes me happy.

Don't worry I'm still alive

I will post when I have written something.  I hope all is well with the very few people who actually read this.

random thoughts and quotes

11/6

Just some random thoughts I have had while being here.

• Who needs a lawn mower when you have cows?
• Why buy a vacuum when you have chickens?
• Georgians never heard the Greeks when they said everything in moderation (I’m talking mostly about alcohol).
• What goes through your head when you see a road sign over the highway near Tbilisi saying Tehran 800km?
• I tried to wipe the mud from my shoes on the grass in the yard but the cows ate it all.
• Did the Russians really have to bomb all the bridges near Gori? It really makes it hard to travel to Tbilisi.  (Of course as far as military tactics go, I guess it makes sense).  Russia I shake my fist at you.
• Why do the mice in my house have to pick 2 a.m. to play soccer with the walnuts?
• We lost power because it rained so much that the power line could no longer be supported by the ground it had been placed in.

Quotes

• “I feel like I’m the bun and you’re my hot dog and I am bunning you” -Carla (introducing Carlaisims)
• “Oh my god I am a fire breathing dragon. Is anything coming out? –Carla
• Maybe the Minister (of Education) can come to Zugdidi and we can voice our complaints to him directly” –Carla  “With bricks” –Yevgeniy   This was a response to the Ministry breaking our contract (again) and adding or changing things.
• “Memoirs of a Geisha reminds me of my life here” –Ilana “Because of the gender roles and all” –Carla “No, because of the captivity” –Ilana 
• “You would never be able to get this close to a cow in the U.S.” –Ilana  Talking to my sister about the difference between cows in the U.S. and cows in Georgia.

the battle of epic proportions

11/6

                There is a constant battle in my house; it’s between my bother and the rest of the family.  My host brother is out of control hysterical.  Every day he does something to make me laugh.  He is eight years old and makes the strangest noises.  Everyone will be sitting at the table in near silence and he will bust out in these strange noises and hand movements.  He knows he is doing it so it’s not like a medical condition or anything; he is just an eight year old boy who only has an older sister to pick on.  But that’s not the battle part.  We also have this dog, Puska.  My brother, Andro, loves Puska.  So does the rest of the family but everyone else seems to love him from a distance.  Andro always wants Puska around.  When it is getting close to dinner time yelling always breaks out.  This is how I know when to come down for dinner.  I walk in to everyone yelling at my brother and the dog.  They are trying to get the dog out the dining room and he is trying to keep him in.  Andro and his sister, Ani, are always on either side of the door; one trying to close it and the other trying to open it.  At this point my brother tends to lose because everyone, including my sister is stronger than him.

                What is really great is when it’s between my host grandma and Andro.  I’m laughing as I’m writing this but I just cannot convey the noises that everyone makes when this is going on. I’ll have to record it or something.  But, her voice get really high pitch (like and octave higher) and she is yelling and stomping at the dog and trying to hold back Andro.  She is bent over at 90 degrees so her center of gravity is a little off so he can usually win.  He almost taunts her.  Then again there is the element of the table in the center of the room.  You can imagine how this plays into it.  Puska is running around and under the table, my brother is perpetuating the excitement in the room and my grandma is trying to hold him back.  I really wish I could explain this better but it is just so funny.  I stand in the corner laughing almost every day.  We also, usually, go through this twice a day, once at breakfast and again at dinner. 

                I always wondered how life would be having a little brother and now I know.  Although he does not pick on me as much as he picks on Ani, I get it.  I don’t know what I am going to do for my daily dose of entertainment when I leave here.