Grape Harvest in Ateni

Okay, first thing: Sorry about not keeping up with the blog. I actually have a few blogs written, but it takes time to insert pictures and I've been lazy. So, here is another late post from...A month ago? (oops).


Just finished another busy, but awesome weekend/week. I finally started to actually teach classes this week, which was good. I’m working with so many classes and teachers that it’s taken me nearly three weeks to meet all of them. And I still have a few to go. Making a schedule and planning lessons with the teachers has been frustrating but is slowly starting to work out. If my timing is correct, I should have things worked out by…sometime next semester. But that seems to be the case for everyone else, so I’m in good company.

Anyways, most of my kids are great and very eager to have an American in class. Which hopefully means they’ll pay attention – I am not above using my novelty status to knock a little English into their brains. I’m finding out what they want to learn and what types of activities work best for each group, so I am optimistic. Classes are always exhausting, but fun. We’ve had discussions about chewing gum made out of Christmas trees (yes, I’m serious), khinkali, wrestling, and some of my students even danced for me. Which was awesome! I was doing a lesson where the students had to discuss their strengths and weaknesses. One of the guys said he did traditional Georgian dancing. I made an offhanded comment about how much I like their dancing and the next thing I know, they’ve moved all the desks to the back of the room, someone has out their phone with a folk song blaring on it, and two of my students are at the front of the class dancing. Okay, so we didn’t exactly practice English, but it was a lot of fun and it helped everyone relax (they are still nervous to speak in front of a native speaker).

On Friday afternoon, I decided to join some of the other Fulbrighters in crashing a Peace Corps party in Rustavi (a city outside Tbilisi)/celebrating one of our friend’s birthday. I hop a marshrutka and make my way to Tbilisi. After finding Chase – which was an entertaining experience in and of itself – we wait for the other Fulbrighters to join us. After an hour or so, we finally figure out that we are at completely different metro stations. We finally find each other and head off for Rustavi. An hour later, after getting shushed by an old Georgian lady and ending up in the middle of nowhere – we find our way to the center for a makeshift dinner of khachipuri (why with all the khachipuri?!? Why?!?) before heading off to the party. Which was…fun? Interesting? So, as it turns out, Peace Corps parties are essentially the expat community’s equivalent of a frat party. Still, everyone was very nice and it was fun.

After the party, we head back to Tbilisi for the night and early the next morning I head back to Gori for…grape harvesting! Our adopted “family” here in Georgia owns a house in a small village called Ateni outside Gori. Everyone in Georgia – and I mean everyone – makes their own wine. Apparently, it’s almost shameful not to do so. So they have this large plot of land complete with an orchard, nut trees, and grape vines. We spent all of Saturday harvesting the grapes and showing the Georgians that, yes, Americans can work. It was an absolute blast. I haven’t worked with my hands since coming to Georgia and all this brain work gets tiring. The day was beautiful – a little cool but sunny. The village is situated right along the mountains and the view from the top of the grapes vines is stunning. I’ve said it before, but Georgia really is one of the most beautiful places in the world.






With a full day’s work behind us, they prepared a mini-supra complete with wine from last year’s harvest. We went home, exhausted but happy and ready to start the “fun” part of the harvest on Sunday. That morning, we went back to the village and went hunting for walnuts and hazelnuts while they guys finished up the last of the picking. (How cool is it that we can just go outside and pick all these different wild fruits and nuts? I spent the entire day eating persimmons, apples, grapes, pears, and nuts right off the trees and vines. Go Georgia!). There is an old superstition that if a woman stomps the grapes the next year’s harvest will be poor. But, well, there are a lot of superstitions that center on how women ruin everything. Mostly made up, I assume, by all the men smoking on the street corners all day while the women are at work. Plus, this year’s crop was the best they’ve had in years, apparently, and our “brother’s” girlfriend did the stomping last year. Myth debunked.

Anyways, grape stomping is just like how you imagine it. You get a big tub with a small hole in the bottom, throw in the grapes, and start stomping. Then, the leftovers go through a press to get the last of the juice out (which is delicious fresh, by the way). The leftover skins and stems are used to make chacha – Georgia’s version of moonshine, pretty much – a potent liquor which I have made a point to avoid like the plague. But it natural, which means it’s good for you! (At least, that’s what everyone tells me. I still think I’ll stay away, thank you very much.)
We spent most of the day stomping the grapes, with Corrie and I taking turns. It’s a great way to get some exercise and do some healthy anger management while having fun. In the end, we filled up a barrel bigger than me with about a dozen liters left over. We some of the leftovers they made tatara – this dessert made of boiled grape juice. Sooo good. And really easy to make, too. Afterwards, we had another mini-supra with shashliki made over the fire. So, all-in-all, perhaps the best weekend so far in Georgia. Tomorrow, it’s back to work. This Thursday is an annual holiday so we are going on a road trip. And this weekend – off on a excursion to Kutaisi with the chitlins!

Goroba!

Today (October 2nd) was Goroba – Gori’s first annual Gori Day festival! Now, usually Gori is not the most hopping town in Georgia. In fact, most residents (and guidebook writers) consider it depressingly boring. Everything’s still so new and exciting for me, so I don’t find it boring, but I’ll take their word for it. However, today was not a typical Gori day. It was Gori Day! See the difference? A capital letter and an exclamation point can make all the difference…

Now, most people I talked to hadn’t heard about Gori Day; there were rumors of free shashliki and of Saakasvilli visiting. As it turned out, one of those rumors was true. This meant free shashliki for me! Woohoo! Who cares about presidents when you have shashliki? Anyways, I role out of bed at 11:00 and head out of the house to explore the Gori Day festivities. As it happened, most of Stalin Avenue (the main street in Gori) was roped off. And all around the government square were people in costumes, vendors selling everything from homemade woolskin scarves to honey and paintings. There were kids running around in traditional folk dress and students with easels overlooking the mountains. A little farther down were small little huts constructed overnight with people barbequing shashliki and setting up Georgian table. There was folk dancing and singing and karate performances.

A little later on, Corrie and I met up with some of the people she works with and we headed up to Gori Stikhe – the fortress in the middle of town. Along the way were even more of these little shashliki huts with people sitting around and eating and drinking. As everyone knows everyone in Gori, we ran across some people Corrie’s co-workers know and got our free shashliki. Yum. At the top of the fortress was a large stage where performances soon commenced.

If you’ve never seen a Georgian folk dance, I strongly suggest you go to YouTube right now and take a look. Go ahead, we can wait. Traditional Georgian dance is one of the most beautiful and interesting things I have ever seen. The girls wear long flowing dresses and move like they are just gliding over the floor. The boys dress up with daggers and big fur hats and stomp and jump around stage. At one point, they even did a knife dance/faux-fight which was absolute favorite. Two guys have long daggers and face each other before literally attacking the other. They are flying around the stage, sparks flying from the daggers when they clash. It actually looks quite dangerous – turns out, it is. One of the dancers is a friend of a friend and he showed me the massive bruise and cut where his partner slipped and caught him with the dagger. Ouch!

My landlady’s daughters – Anano and Nini – danced in the festival as well. After they were done, we (our landlady, her brother who has become a great friend, and I) headed back down to the center of town. Along the way we saw lots of old pottery and tools the ethnography museum had set up along the back streets for the festival. I wish I had gotten more pictures, but my camera died after all the picture taking of the day. After reaching the center, we meandered around for a bit and met back up with Corrie who had gone off with her co-workers. Eventually, the concert started and this famous folk band started playing. We watched for a while and then our landlady invited us over for dinner.

Then the eating commenced. Georgian food is amazing and the people are known both for their generous hospitality and “Georgian table.” So even though it was just supposed to be a small dinner, the food just kept coming, and coming. And when you thought you were done? More food. Not that I’m complaining, of course. We had roasted chicken and this special cheese, salads, two types of khachipuri, roasted eggplants with hazelnuts, pickled vegetables, delicious bread, and, of course, homemade Georgian wine. I’ve had Georgian wine before, and it is quite delicious, but I had never had homemade Georgian wine. I can understand why people so often get drunk – it is amazing! Next week they are having a winemaking party, which should be a blast!

So we ate, and talked, and toasted, and drank some more, and had more toasts, and then ate some more. Two hours later, it looked like things were finally winding down. And then, dessert! Eight types of cakes and fresh fruit from the garden – 4 or 5 types of apples (which our landlord peeled for us) and grapes. And chai, of course. We looked at some old photos and just enjoyed each others’ company. That is one thing I really appreciate about Georgia. In America, everything is done quickly and on a schedule. When we want entertainment, we go somewhere and pay for someone else to entertain us, whether that be a movie or a sports game. In Georgia, they take time for people; entertainment is being with friends over good food and drink. Time is relaxed; relationships are more important than schedules. If there is one thing I love about Georgia, that’s it. And so, after ringing in the new day, we finally headed home for a much deserved rest. So, now, I will head to bed. Until next time, nakvamdis!

Sometimes...

Sometimes Georgia makes me happy – like when I can buy 2 pounds of figs for $.50.

Sometimes Georgia makes me sad – like when I see beautiful mountains and streams littered with trash.

Sometimes Georgia makes me laugh – like when my students finally get that “ah ha!” moment.

Sometimes Georgia makes me angry – when I can’t sit alone in a park without getting stared at and harassed because I’m a woman.

Sometimes Georgia makes me feel humble – like when you finally make it up to the top of that mountain you’ve been climbing and find yourself looking over an awe inspiring landscape.

It’s going through all the stages of culture shock – honeymoon, withdrawal, and adjustment – all in one day. Every day. But, hey, that’s what makes it fun. Right?

Gori Jvari or Our Hiking Adventure

Friday (October 1st) after work, Corrie and I were feeling a little stir crazy and decided to see if we could get to one of the mountains around Gori. I didn’t really know how to get their or how far away it actually was, just that we probably wouldn’t get in too much trouble as long as we didn’t turn right. In Gori, you never turn right lest you end up in South Ossetia. (Okay, so it’s not quite that dramatic.)

So, we headed out early afternoon for our little adventure. After walking through a village and getting stared at we, gasp, took a right. While it didn’t take us to South Ossetia, it did put us out on a highway outside of the city. With nothing really to do, we just kept walking. About 15 minutes later, we spied these two old ladies hiking up a hill off the highway. How they managed it, I’ll never know. Georgian babyshki are like Russian babyshki – they’re crazy fierce and you best not mess with them. Figuring that if they could do it, so could we, Corrie and I followed them up. About 10 minutes later, we were at the top, gasping for breath. Like I said, never take on a babyshka…

Anyways, we ended up in this old village at the top of the hill. It appears to have no electricity or running water, with women washing clothes in a big basin in the street. There are haystacks everywhere with donkeys and cows roaming the streets. A massive tank of kvas (a Russian soda) was the only sign of modernity. Of course.

We wandered around the village and found a small path that looked like it led up to this church at the top of the mountain we were trying to get to. We started up the path and spent about an hour hiking to the top. By the end, my legs were shaking and I was out of breath, but it was totally worth the view. Nobody was at the church, so we were able to walk around freely. From the top, we looked out over all of Gori and the surrounding villages, farms, mountains and rivers. What a view. This country is absolutely stunning. We spent about half and hour at the top and vowed to come back with a picnic one day. We set off back down and saw this lovely little road that apparently led down to the highway. 15 minutes later, we were back at the village. I’m still taking the small path next time; it’s part of the experience.







After that, we walked back home, bought some plums from the villagers, and took a much needed 10 hour nap.

To Tbilisi and Beyond!

Early Sunday morning (September 19th) Corrie and I met up with Sonya – a German woman Corrie’s been talking with who lives in Gori – to go to Tbilisi. We went to the bazroba and purchased tickets for the bus to the city (the marshrutkas are scary…). It ended up taking just a little over an hour to get into Tbilisi, which is great! I think Tbilisi trips will be quite frequent. We parted ways with Sonya on the metro – oh, metro, how I have missed thee – and meandered down Rustaveli (the main road) until we found an English-language bookshop. Everything was quite expensive, so we left and met up with Chase, who was in town, and two of the newly arrived Fulbrighters – Michaela and Ryan – for lunch. I had some random Georgian dish which ended up being essentially an entire chicken in broth (grease?). It was delicious in small quantities, but kind of overwhelming. We then found Sonya again, who showed all of us Goodwilli – one of the main supermarkets in Tbilisi – where we left the others before heading to an international church. The service was a lot of fun. People had Bibles in English, Georgian, Russian, Persian, and a number of other languages. We met some really great people and chatted for a bit before running to the bus station to catch the last bus back to Gori.

The next morning, I observed some classes at one of my schools before meeting up with some students and teachers to prepare for the Ambassador’s visit on Tuesday. The visit went very well, I believe. The kids were engaging and asked great questions. I was on TV, which was quite uncomfortable but funny, too.

Sophie and Saul, our embassy contacts, came with the ambassador. They brought us peanut butter, fig newtons, and contact solution – all things we had jokingly asked them to find for us. So, much love to them. Next time I am going to come up with some more outlandish request and see if they can get it for me… A turkey for Thanksgiving? A pet pygmy bunny named Waffle?

I spent the rest of the week observing classes and meeting with teachers. And then…our hiking adventure!

Old McDonald Had a Farm...

One of my classes is currently enamored with Old McDonald. Of all the children's songs to be excited about, I guess it's not the worst. If you are interested in learning how to say "duck" in English. But I find it quite fitting now. Every morning on my way to work, this old man walks across the main road through town, across the playground in front of my apartment and through the apartment complex with a herd of cows. And every night he heads back the other way with sheep and goats. He has a rucksack on his back and a stick he herds the the animals with. It's quite an unusual sight - an ages-old profession taking place through a busy, metropolitan area - but one which is quite fitting for Gori and Georgia. It's a strange mix of old and new. Old babooshkas peddling homegrown fruit from the village and talking on cell phones. Young people in traditional dress, dancing traditional dances to Lady Gaga and Vanilla Ice. Old men herding cows across the highway. I do like it here. I think Old McDonald's going on my ipod. In the spirit of old and new, of course.

Links

For those of you not on Facebook, here are the links to an article and a news story about different things going on in Georgia.

The first link is to a short article on the U.S. Embassy website about a reception the Charge d'Affaires hosted for the Fulbrighters and ELFs when we arrived in Tbilisi. http://georgia.usembassy.gov/programs-and-events/embassy-news-2010/charge-daffaires-logsdon-welcomes-english-language-fellows-september-13.html

The second link is to a news story that aired yesterday in Gori (it's all in Georgian, sorry!). The Ambassador came to one of the schools I am working at and met some of the students and teachers. They interviewed me for it and the interview talks a bit about both of our programs. I look kind of ill and really nervous, but, hey, what can you do? http://trialeti.ge/index.php?lang_id=GEO&sec_id=25&info_id=934

I'll post some more info. about my trip to Tbilisi and the Ambassador's visit later.

Onwards

What a busy few days! We woke up early (well, early by Georgian standards) Wednesday morning for our first day of school! I love first days… Anyways, we went to one of the schools I will be teaching at, and were in time for the school’s opening ceremony. It was so much fun! All the students – from first grade to twelfth – stood outside the school while some of the students performed. They sung, did some really neat Georgian dances, and recited poetry. All the kids were really excited and were dancing and swaying to the music. It felt like a rock concert, except that everyone there was about 7. Sophie introduced Corrie and I to the student body and then, after dumping a ton of balloons on the crowd, it was a beeline for the entrance. OK, I know I’m small, but it shouldn’t be possible for me to be run over by elementary schoolers…

After we finally found our way to the teacher lounge (a little worse for wear), we met the director and all of the teachers I will be working with. The director is this very elegant lady who seems very nice, though she doesn’t speak English. As Georgians absolutely love there cake, there was, of course, this massive cake shaped like a book. And as an accompaniment, this extremely strong homemade liquor. At 9am. In the teacher’s lounge. At school. We're not in Kansas anymore... :D

After we left the first school, we went to my second school – this fabulously pink building right across from Stalin’s Museum. We met up with one of the teachers I will be working with (who we had met in Tbilisi) and talked for a bit. I meet with her again today to work out my schedule.

Finally, Sophie took us to the American Corner –an American resource center – where I will probably be holding most of my clubs. It’s still being renovated and won’t be open until mid-October, so that will give me some time to get used to everything. Once again, everyone was extremely kind and gracious. Nobody speaks English there, so our conversations are an interesting mix of Russian, English and Georgian.
After finally deciding on an apartment (with the help of the trusty coin flip), Sophie left us to head back to Tbilisi. She was such a great help! With still a good part of the day left, Corrie and I decided to familiarize ourselves with Gori. We walked around and got lavashi (flat bread) and fruit for dinner. A grand total of $1 for both of us. Nice, no? All the Fulbrighters were right when they said we’ll never be able to eat fruit back home again…

The next day (Thursday), Corrie and I were woken up by one of the ladies at the hotel with a call for “bREak fest.” Georgians are serious about their breakfast. We decided to walk around the bazaar, which is awesome. It’s like a mini version of Izmailovo, but very cheap. I’m going to be so happy there.  After much trial and error, we found a little stand selling soup with kasha, bread, and lemonade (all fruit drinks are called lemonade) – a total of $2 for two of us. They were so excited that we are Americans and unabashedly stared at us the entire meal (that is becoming quite a common thing…) Then, after a quick rest, we went to one of the parks and got a dinner of stuffed lavashi, fruit, and tomatoes for $1.50. I like cheap, delicious food.

Our apartment is very nice. It's near the edge of the center of town (does that make any sense?) in a neighbor by the river. It has a playground and a little store and gardens all around it. Apparently, there is also a French person and an Italian somewhere in the complex as well.

Friday was a nice break. We woke up late, to another call of “bREak fast” and then walked around the city for a bit. I think I have now officially walked down every street in Gori. We stopped for lunch at this little shop by the bazaar and met this Turkish guy there. We talked for a long while (well, I mostly just listened – I’ve suddenly become shy) before heading off to meet our host family and move into our apartment! Yay! My room was very pink and has lots of stuffed toys around, so after a little doctoring, it’s finally starting to feel like home. Corrie and I went for a quick trip to Populi (the western style store in the city) and then made a delicious dinner of homemade kinkali and lavishi. OK, so we just boiled frozen kinkali and bought lavashi from the store, but still, I’m impressed with us. :)

Today (Saturday), we met with some of the teachers from one of my schools to ask questions and prepare for the ambassador’s visit. Oh, yeah, did I mention that the Ambassador’s coming? He’s coming this week for a quick visit. That’s fun to say. Even if there will be media. Ick. I am not all too fond of all the cameramen running around. Who can act natural with a camera stuck in their face? But still, come on, how many people can say that they hosted an Ambassador.

Normally, I don’t think Fulbrighters are quite this connected with the Embassy. In fact, I’ve never really heard of Fulbrighters doing anything with them before. However, Georgia is currently in the midst of a new initiative in which the Georgian government is trying to hire 1000 native English speakers to teach English in Georgian schools. It’s all in an effort to make English, not Russian, the second language. As FETA and ELFs, we are separate from this program and a way for the U.S. government to show that they support Georgia’s initiative and hope to be partners with them in the change. Hence, the media. Makes me feel nervous but, hey, I’m here on the government’s dime. They might as well use us, right?

Anyways, since Corrie and I are the only Americans in Gori, and since I am the only one working in the schools themselves, the teachers want me to do as many different groups as possible. So it looks like I will teach about 20 different classes/cohorts a week (in two school – 10 in each). That way, I will visit each particular cohort about once a month. Unfortunately, I will not have a lot of time with two or three groups, so I’m going to have to come up with some way to make those 45 minutes a month count. Any suggestions? I will be running a few clubs, but I’m afraid they might become too crowded very quickly. I guess we’ll see…

After the meeting, Bobby (our main contact at one of the schools) showed us the best places to buy salads, khachapuri, and cake in the city before heading home. Corrie and I then went to the market and did some more shopping. I’m really going to have to learn Georgian quickly in order to be able to bargain. My brain has been a sieve lately and I just can’t seem to grasp any words or concepts. Hopefully, once I get a bit more settled in and get over this cold (blech), I’ll be able to concentrate on learning the language. Corrie knows quite a bit more than me, so she’s been acting as my translator…and bodyguard… I’m her secretary and navigator, so together we make a halfway competent person. Urrah!

We arrive home, exhausted and just ready to take a nap. The neighbors had their door open, so we nodded a “gamargoba” (hello) and went ready to go inside. Next thing I know, I am ensconced at their kitchen table with a cup of Turkish q’ava (coffee), cake and k’ili (fruit). Neither our neighbor nor her husband speak English or Russian. Her brother speaks Russian and he was over for a visit, so we had another very interesting Russian-Georgian-English conversation. I really need to find a Georgian teacher…

Later, our landlady came by with her brother who speaks fluent English. We chatted for a bit over tea and cookies and they invited us to the grape harvest in their village later on in the month. That should be so much fun! Tomorrow, it’s off to Tbilisi for some fun, book shopping, and church. Then, preparing for the Ambassador! Until then, nakvamdis!

Gori at Last!

Wow, what a day! Woke up bright and early to say goodbye and head off to our respective cities. Corrie and U are very lucky in that Gori is only a 40 minute from Tbilisi. They also just renovated the highway on the way there, so the trip is very pleasant. Everyone else wasn’t so fortunate. Chase and Ben went to Kutaisi – a 2ish hour drive – while Caroline and Peg went to Zugdidi – a 4 hour drive. While that’s not all that bad, driving is different in Georgia. Apparently, the most dangerous thing about living in Georgia is the driving. Frankly, it’s terrifying. It’s even worse outside the cities since there is generally only a one-way road. And there are no rules of the road. Apparently, everyone saw about 4 accidents with 3 fatalities on the way there. So, we’re very very lucky.

On a brighter note, Gori is great! It’s old and quaint and has this wonderful small town feel to it. Apparently, you can walk the entire city in less than an hour. As soon as we got there, we dropped off our luggage and then were whisked away to the Education Resource Center (ERC) – Corrie’s home base – to meet some people.

Apparently, everyone is extremely excited to have us because the place was packed. Corrie and I were placed in the front of the room facing everyone while Sophie (our amazing Embassy escort – she’s absolutely fabulous) introduced us and our purpose. I’m a little nervous about the position, mostly because I am new to this experience and want to make a good impression with people who have been teaching for decades. So, I felt kind of like an exhibit in a museum, but everyone was extremely nice and gracious.

We then gave a little blurb about ourselves and then met the teachers. I’m going to be so busy! I am assigned to two schools, but everyone is so excited about us being here and want to learn about America. So it looks like I’m going to be going to all these schools, running tons of programs, and doing workshops all the time. Aaah, I’m not going to have time for everything! I understand what everyone was talking about when they said that sometimes you just need to say no.

After we left the ERC, we did some apartment hunting and had lunch where I attempted to eat some traditional meat dish (I’ve decided that I will at least try all their dishes even if they include meat) – yeah, I don’t like beef or pork, bad idea. After a little more apartment hunting, Sophie and David (our driver) took us outside the city to this lovely, 7th century cathedral in the mountains. It’s one of two of its kind left in the entire country. We went through this small little village – complete with little old ladies washing clothes in buckets outside, men pushing carts of hay, and donkeys and cows in the street. Apparently, Sophie is from that village (or very nearby)!

The cathedral was absolutely stunning. The US has helpd do some restoration and some of the original murals and frescos are still there (color, too!). All around this area are wild and cultivated fruits (that’s what that part of the region is known for). On our very short walk nto the church, there were fig, pears, blackberries, some other fruit trees I couldn’t identify, apples, grapes, and on and on. So, Corrie and I are planning to hike up there early one Sunday morning, go to one of the services in the church (it’s still active), and then have a picnic by the river at the church.

After we left,Sophie treated us to sweets and tea (yum) and we headed back to the hotel. After a little rest, we decided to meet up with this German girl Corrie’s been talking with who lives in Gori and see the city. We walked around for a bit and ran into an outdoor concert – a DJ and lights show. All in all, it was a overwhelming but exciting day. Tomorrow we go to the schools and the next day I start! Wish me luck!

I feel pretty, oh so pretty...

Well, today I’ve been on TV, been one of the guests of honor at a reception hosted by the Charges d’Affaires (the guy in charge of the embassy when the ambassador’s away), and mingled with governors and officials from the USA and Georgia. Why, you may ask? Because apparently, we are quite a big deal. Which I did not really know or expect until the 4-5 film crews came waltzing into our meeting. But let me start from the beginning.

Today was the first real day of the Fulbright. We left for the Embassy bright and early for a day of meetings and conferences. After going through the numerous security checkpoints and feeling like a criminal for carrying hand sanitizer, we had meetings about everything from security to health to exchange programs. We also were able to talk with the Charge since the Ambassador was out of town. And with the Charge can a news crew from every major TV station in Tbilisi. According to Saul, there were as many crews to meet us as there was at the Embassy’s massive 4th of July celebration. They filmed us for a bit and got us to speak to them about what we were doing (during which time I hid so I didn’t have to talk to them. Success!). Have you ever tried to have a productive, informative meeting with cameras in your face and film crews whispering amongst themselves about angles and lighting? Yeah, it’s hard.

You see, Georgia is currently doing a major initiative to make English the second language. They are planning to hire 1000 native English speakers to teach English in classrooms throughout Georgia. While the US cannot, in return, match those 1000 teachers, they can send Fulbrighters and ELFs (English Teaching Fellows) to support Georgian teachers, give workshops, teach teachers how to teach English (haha, that’s fun), and work in different centers around the country. That’s where my cohort and I come in. No pressure, right?

Anyways, after a generally exhausting day, we went to the Charge’s house for a reception in our honor. People came from all across Georgia to attend, including the Governor or Zugdidi (for those of you unfamiliar with Georgian geography, Zugdidi is on the other side of the country – about a 4+ hour drive). I was able to meet with some of the people I will be working with in Gori, which was wonderful.

I’ve always heard that Georgia is famous for its hospitality. They are so hospitable, in fact, many people refer to it as “hostile hospitality.” But you never quite understand what that means till you get there. People are bending over backwards to meet and talk with us. They have offered to host us whenever we travel; to take us skiing at a resort in the winter. It’s amazing. And they are so excited when you show an interest in their culture, history, language, etc. I’ve been warned that I will never be able to just sit at home because they will be inviting me to everything – I’m going to take them seriously this time.

So, that was today. Tomorrow, we leave for Gori bright and early to start our apartment search. And my bag’s still lost, so pajamas and leopard-print slippers it is!

Tbilisi: Day Two

(First off, sorry for the typos. I don’t have my contacts on.)

Well, another day in Tbilisi. I woke up at noon, so I didn’t get out as early as I wanted, but am finally recovered. Met with some of the other Fulbrighters and Fellows for breakfast and got to know some of the new arrivals. Now everyone is here, and it seems to be a great group. Met Corrie, the English Fellow going to Gori with me, and she is a blast. Very sweet and a lot of fun. So yay!

After breakfast, a few of us took off to see the city. We walked down Rustavali, the major street in Tbilisi, Got to see some of the sights and went to a small market. The mix of beautiful, dilapidated old buildings and structures (And I mean old) and newer, also kind of dilapidated buildings is actually quite charming. Everything’s very beautiful and elegant. I wish I had more time here!

We met another person from the embassy and went shopping for phones. We took a bus around the city and got to see a lot of things we haven’t made it to. There is a beautiful massive market in a park along the river, a massive memorial to soldiers killed in the wars, and an amusement park – completely with a smaller replica of the London Eye – up on top of the city near the old castle-thing.

We then met up with some other people from the embassy and went out for a traditional Georgian meal. We had the Georgian version of pelmini, pickled vegetables (including pickled burning nettles, which I hadn’t had before), khachipuri, a mixture of salads, and kebabs. Everything was Delicious We ate too much, of course, and then decided we should eat more. We went back to Old Town and ate gelato, running into quite a few embassy workers, all of whom were very nice. Then we ended the night with a night-cap at this chic little café at the end of Old Town. Overall, a really enjoyable day.

Now, we are headed off to the embassy for orientation and a reception. My bag is roaming the world somewhere and I am pretty much left with pajamas, so this is going to be interesting… Tomorrow, we head of too our respective cities and begin a new adventure!

Love at First Sight

I now believe in love at first sight. You see, I love Moscow. It will forever be one of my favorite cities. But I did not love it at first sight. I loved it at second sight. And third. And fourth. Tbilisi, however, is another story. I step off the plane after a decent flight. I met some great people, one of whom has lived in Georgia for the past nine years and was extremely helpful and full of useful information (He even let me use his address for my lost bag which is…somewhere.)

I meet up with the Embassy representative, get in the car, and off we go. I’m messing with my bag and my phone, etc. for a bit and then…then I look up. I have seen few things as beautiful as that first glimpse of Tbilisi. The city sits along a river and has multiple levels from where the water has worn away at the rocks. At the highest level is this old ruin and one of the oldest cathedrals in the world (Apparently it’s the oldest Orthodox one, or something.) We travel along the road – the river on one side, trees and old buildings on the other leading into Old Tbilisi. Which is old. Seriously.

It’s not perfect. Interspersed between the beautiful old buildings are random, worn-down, graffiti-laden Soviet building. Sidewalks are heaped with bits of brick and road so every step is a little leap of faith. But that’s what makes the city (what very, very little part of it I have seen) so fun. It has character. But it is beautiful enough that people don’t go running at first sight, as is often the case in, say, Moscow.

So we pull up to our hotel, and Caroline and Chase (the other Fulbrighters) are looking down at us from their balcony. I get my room and walk in to find a three room suite with a fireplace, Jacuzzi, and massive balcony. Not exactly some Soviet barracks. I drop my stuff off and we head to dinner. Along the way, we pass this beautiful cathedral where they just happen to be singing. We have a delicious dinner (Georgia’s version of “European” food) and then walk around the city for a bit. I took some pictures, which I will post. Be warned: it was dark and raining so they didn’t turn out all that well.

We then walked around for a while and, get this, people are Nice. Spooky, no? We went into a wine shop where they proceeded to let us taste every wine they had (yes, I exaggerate) and absolutely fawn over us because we can count to ten in Georgian. I’m not used to having people like me because I speak their language atrociously. I’m used to getting yelled at for not speaking it well enough. Oh! And we apparently went into this no trespassing area (they are building a crystal bridge – a la Moscow?) and got stopped by policemen. Who were nice! Cue scary music.

And now, we are back in my hotel room, drinking our fabulous Kakheti wine and listening to some people sing out on the street. I think I’m going to call it a night (36 hours awake, woohoo!) and see what tomorrow brings!

Ahem

I have a jacuzzi. In my hotel room. That is all.

Greetings!

Greetings, friends!

First things first:

FULBRIGHT DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are the not views and opinions of the Fulbright Program or the United States Department of State. The views presented here are my own and do not represent the United States of America.

Okay. Now that the formalities are finished, welcome to my Georgia blog! No, not that Georgia. The other Georgia – the real Georgia. Tbilisi, not Atlanta.

For those of you who may not know me, my name is Hannah. I am a recent graduate of Stetson University where I majored in Russian Studies, Political Science, and International Business. I am a soon to be PhD student at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. I am currently a Fulbright ETA (English Teaching Assistant) to Gori, Georgia. I will be living in the country for the next nine months teaching English to Georgian school children.

This blog is a record of my adventures and activities in the country and a way to keep in touch with friends and family while abroad. Hopefully, it may also be some use to those who are visiting Georgia and a helpful guide to future Fulbrighters. Whatever the reason you are here for, I hope you will enjoy the blog and join me in my journey!

First, a little about Georgia:

The Republic of Georgia is a small country about the size of, well, Georgia (the American one) and with a population of four million. It is located south of Russian and east of Turkey and is part of the Caucasus. The people speak…Georgian (which is nothing like Russian), although many people speak Russian as it was once a part of the Soviet Union.

Georgia has an extremely long and rich history – Noah’s son, Thargamos supposedly settled around this area. Georgia was conquered and ruled by various groups until the 18th century, when Russia became the major power in the region. After the Russian revolution of 1917, Georgia briefly gained independence, only to later become a Soviet republic (yes, this is extremely simplified – this is a very interesting time period, so check it out in you are so inclined). In February 1990, Georgia declared itself an annexed state. It finally gained its independence in April 1991. In the early 2000s, Georgia went through an exchange of power known as the Rose Revolution and Saakashvili came to power.

In 2008, Georgia experienced another crisis when Russia occupied South Ossetia (a separatist region north of Georgia). As a result, relations between the two countries have been….ah, less than civil, shall we say. However, Georgia has quite friendly relations with the U.S. – they even named one of the main highways in Tbilisi, the capital, G.W. Bush. Go figure.

I will be living and working in Gori, a smallish town about 1.5 hours from the capital known mainly for being the birthplace of Stalin. Until this past summer, it was home to the only standing Stalin statue, which they have since removed. The population is officially 62,000, though this estimate is quite high as many people left after it was occupied by the Russians in 2008. (Gori is 5km from South Ossetia.)
And that, my dears, is Georgia. Sorry for the brevity. I’m currently flying over the Atlantic and am quite tired at the moment. But, hey, maybe it was enough to get you interested enough to look into the country on your own? No? Oh, well, I tried…

I land in Tbilisi on September 11th for a few days of fun, friends and, le sigh, work before I head to Gori to begin my real stay!

I’ll keep y’all posted as often as possible. If this turns out anything like my Moscow blog, that will be more than any of you will be interested in. 