It’s only been a week, but it’s already a struggle to decide what to write about. My week? What I’ve learned about Georgia? The funny way things work or don’t work here? I’ll try to mishmash them all. I still have yet to have class. I’m supposed to have class M, W, F at 12pm. Today it got moved to 4pm because the cops are all out in smaller villages right now. Last week, class was canceled for a few reasons. On Wednesday, my host dad came home at 12 (someone is supposed to take me to class even though it is maybe a 5 minute walk), so I thought I would have class. Then my host family told me there would be no class because they had to go to a nearby village to investigate. A woman had left a baby in a suitcase, something they assured me was very rare. While it was enough to cancel class, it was not actually a tragedy, as the suitcase turned out not to have a baby in it but just some trash. Don’t ask me how the two could be confused, as I don’t know. On Friday, I went with my host sisters to the village church for some unknown Orthodox holy day. I thought I would be able to get back to class on time, since we were going at 9 and staying for 2 hours. This is Georgian time, so we left after 9, walked slowly to the church, got there at 10am, and we stayed at the church (or really the church courtyard) until 2pm. I don’t know if I canceled class or it got canceled for another reason, but I didn’t go. The church is about 1500 years old (can you even fathom that?) and in a beautiful part of Manglisi. The views of the mountains are spectacular. I don’t know if I can go back to Illinois’s unending prairie after feasting my eyes on mountains for a year. I am beginning to love the drive to Tbilisi (even if it sometimes makes me nauseas) because the countryside is beautiful and countless animals are just grazing on the side of the road. Yesterday, on the drive back to Manglisi, it rained for a while, so I got to see the fog over the valleys, a gorgeous sight. I’ll have more pics up soon.
Since I haven’t been teaching, I have been filling my week with other adventures. I spend a lot of time at home but got out more this week. I went with my host mom to visit a friend and another day to visit relatives. Both were fun adventures where I saw a bit more of Manglisi and just got out, but they also served to remind me how limited my Georgian is, so I really need to work on it. Friday I walked to church, which tired me out. I’ve gone to our carnival/park a few times, as that is where my host sisters go most nights to hang out with their friends. I like walking there and it is fun to watch people, but since I’m not 16 and can’t speak Georgian, there’s only so much draw for me. Between the language issue and living in a Georgian host family, I do feel a little like I’m reliving my adolescence, as there is a constant struggle between feeling like a coddled child and remembering I’m a responsible adult. I’m not alone in that feeling at all; it comes with the territory. Sometimes I think the boys have it worse, as they can’t even do their own chores. Today I did my own laundry (we have a washing machine, so not too difficult) and sometimes can clear my own dishes. Georgians usually don’t let guests do much of anything, which is part of their famed hospitality.
While I try to get out of the house at least once a day, being home also is fun. My host family is good about giving me my privacy/alone time (not all Georgian families are since the culture is so much more collectivist), but I do enjoy hanging out with them. They love seeing my pictures, and my sisters have appreciated my internet. The whole family has been great about helping me learn Georgian. Neighbors also drop by somewhat regularly. One brought a delicious cake by one night and Friday night turned into an impromptu DVD watching party. One neighbor’s daughter had just gotten married so we watched the DVD, which was quite interesting to see Georgian traditions. The neighbor was also so nice and had apologized for not coming over earlier (I more than understand how weddings can take up your time) and told me to drop by anytime I want.
While I have enjoyed getting to know Georgians in my village (many of whom are simply taking a break from the heat of Tbilisi for the summer), I again decided to enjoy some expat (mostly American) company and headed to Tbilisi for the weekend. There was a basketball tournament (more competitive than I had expected) between the American Embassy, Peace Corps, Ministry of Science and Education, and TLG (my program). I went to watch, mostly because my friend in the Peace Corps was playing and I wanted to meet up with TLG friends. The rest of the day was spent mostly at restaurants spending the money I can’t spend in the village. It was a lot of fun catching up with friends from training and meeting new friends. I spent most of Sunday walking around Tbilisi, enjoying the exercise and starting to understand the city a bit better. For the second weekend, I ran into friends, which was great fun. Tbilisi has over a million people, but it really feels like a small town. Or maybe we all hang out on the same touristy streets. Regardless, I hope the trend continues.
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