So after the craziness that was me living in Tbilisi for two weeks, things have settled down again, and I’m adjusting to my new host family. I have a host mom, dad, brother (about 12 years old I think) and a little sister who’s three. Her name is Eleni, and she is adorable. As my country director said at swearing in, “you can converse as well as a five year old” i.e. Eleni and I are best friends. We talk about dancing, drawing, what food we like, the weather, dresses and how this global economic crisis will be fixed. She’s a very smart three year old. Mainly, however, she comes into my room, locks the door so no one may disturb our alone time, and I had her some paper and colored pencils and we draw together, or she draws and I read. It is wonderful. When Eleni and I are not spending time together I tend to take trips to the nearby city of Kutaisi to meet with other volunteers and chill. In fact I’m going to meet with Brittany, Caitlin, Goodloe and possibly Denise tomorrow!
This past weekend was Goodloe’s Birthday so a few of us went to Batumi to celebrate. Goodloe decided to get a room at the Sheraton (the nicest hotel in Batumi) as a birthday gift to himself, the rest of us tagged along for a party. Also I got to take a shower in the Sheraton. I wish I could possibly explain how wonderful that shower was. First of all the water came from above. There was no need to hold the shower handle above your head, and then have your arm go numb, and switch arms and then get out of the shower and realize that you still have soap all over a quarter of your body. It was a real shower. With real water pressure. AND I took two showers in two days. This is unheard of in Georgia. It was magical. Happy Birthday to me! I mean Goodloe!
The festivities were lots of fun as well. We got to chill with some locals, and even though it was raining we still went and heard some live music and danced in the rain. It was wonderfully freeing, and reminded me that I can still have lots and lots of good fun here. All of that had gotten a bit lost in the two weeks in Tbilisi.
Just like when I was travelling I’ve decided that in order to make my time here as productive as possible I need to divide it up into months. So far here’s what I’ve got.
August: Sheraton will tide me over for the month
September: Jana’s camp, Dviri Trip (my PST site), The beginning of school!
October: My Birthday! Parents come to Georgia! Woo Hoo!
November: All Volunteer Conference, THANKSGIVING
December: Winter!! Christmas!!
January: Lots of Georgian Holidays.
February: Stinks in Every Country.
March:…..
April: One year anniversary of being in Georgia.
So far I think that’s pretty good! I’ve posted some pictures from my camp that I held in the hills behind Zestaponi about three weeks ago. It was lots of good fun, and a perfect opportunity to meet some of my new students! I enjoyed it immensely, and it’s really fun to see some of their faces around town. Anyway, that’s all for now. Hope everyone back home is enjoying the summer, I know I am!
Our make shift table.
The kids constructed this for camp!
Tamuna and Keti playing a matching game.
Drawing the Egyptian Flags! Giorgi and Miriam
Goodloe, Me, Jana and Ariana at a riverside bonfire in Zestaponi
Brittany and Goodloe dancing in the rain in Batumi.
Goodloe, making full use of his Sheraton robe.
How you dry your clothes in Georgia when it is raining...
When one of the loves of my life came to visit Georiga!
Shley, Me, Caspar, Shorena, Ariana, Beguna, Adam and Brittany!
Dviri Cluster on Swearing In Day! Goodloe, Jana, Dali, (Our LCF) Me and Colin.
This is how excited you get when someone has purchased Tostitos and you have pre-lobiani beans to eat with them. Last night in Dviri.
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