Saturday, October 27, 2012

Nice to meet you...

Typical introductory conversation in Georgia goes like this:

Random Georgian: Hi, I'm Nino (or Giorgi/Tamuna/Mari).  What's your name?
Me: I'm Liza.
RG: Where are you from?
Me: I'm from America.
RG: Are you married?
Me: No.
RG: How do you like Georgian men?  Do you want to marry a Georgian man and stay in Georgia?  My son/brother/cousin/I am also not married.
Me: Uhhh...nice to meet you?

Friday, October 26, 2012

Preaching the Gospel.


It seems that in every country I visit, I end up making a pizza at the request of my new friends/host family.  To them it is very American (apparently), and as an American, I should know how to do it the "right" way.  I take this as an opportunity to spread the gospel that it is NOT okay to put mayonnaise on pizza (which is a huge shock to most Eastern Europeans, especially Russians, who put mayonnaise on just about everything).  When I told my host sister that we really didn't need to bust out the mayo, she was like, "Oh, okay...I guess we can use tomato sauce instead," which made me feel very victorious and patriotic until we were eating and she said, "This is really good, but I think it would be a lot better with some mayonnaise." And then I died a little inside and realized that I may be fighting a losing battle. 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The view from here.

What I wake up to every morning...loving the village life.

Host family.


There’s nothing like those first moments of being with your host family.  The moments when you will no doubt be greeted with hugs and kisses and warm words.  The moments when although you may have arrived at midnight after a ten hours’ journey, they will still prepare a huge table of food and force you to eat even though you aren’t hungry.  When they will pour drinks and make toasts to you and your country and friendship and will continue to smile and hug on you and hold your hand just because they are glad you are there.  So many words will be said, and while few of these words will be familiar, everything will be understood because love has its own language.  There is nothing like the undeniable realization that people are good everywhere, and that no matter where you go in the world, you will find good people who welcome you into their lives with love and kindness and friendship.  There’s nothing like feeling at home in a foreign country.  

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Drum roll, please...

I am proud to announce that after lots of waiting and wondering, I finally have my placement for the semester!  I will be teaching in the village of Zemo Tkhilnari in the Khelvachauri District, Adjara Region, which means that I am Black Sea bound!  I'll be living a little ways outside of Batumi, the third largest city in Georgia, meaning that I am just a few kilometers from the Black Sea and from the Turkish border.  Needless to say, my wish to spend more time exploring to Turkey will be granted.  I'm headed that way today, so the real details will come later when I am settled and (hopefully) have internet.  So the adventure continues...

Tbilisi.

Seven days have come and gone since I arrived in Georgia.  As always, it feels like it has been not so long and also forever.  In this time I have been squeezing in my first glimpses of Tbilisi amongst the busy schedule we have kept during training.  Upon arriving at the hotel at 5:30 am after 36-straight hours of traveling, we hit the ground running and have been busy with Georgian, teaching methodology, and intercultural classes, as well as informational sessions on logistical issues such as banking and health insurance.  It is amazing how much information can be crammed into such a short period of time, but somehow the TLG coordinators manage to make the process almost seamless.  I am super impressed by TLG as an organization.  It is very obvious that they have developed tremendously since their foundation, and I already see how their work is making a difference in Georgia.  I am proud to be associated with them and working as a part of their inititative to help my kids learn English.

From the second I stepped off the airplane I began comparing Georgia with Russia.  I guess I can't help it because I don't really know anything else, but all the same I'm trying to restrain my judgment a bit so that this country can impress itself on me in its own terms.  Georgia is no doubt post-Soviet, but for every similarity with Russia, there are just as many differences and peculiarities of its own.  Georgia has a ridiculously long and rich history, and its time under Soviet rule, as recent its fall and as lingering the effects may be, is only a tiny portion of the history in whole.  Making sense of the Soviet Union's impact on Georgian society and it's role in the current trajectory of the country will keep me busy, for sure.  Most of the other volunteers have no connection to the FSU (only 2-3 out of 109 are Russian speakers), so I love seeing the reactions of other volunteers to things that I long ago deemed normal (riding in a marshutka, being stared at on the street, getting hit on by older men, etc).  Since we barely know any Georgian, and English is not very common, I am constantly forced to take the lead when we are out and about to negotiate cabs, order food, and ask directions in Russian.  Even though it strange for me to be in a country where I can barely read street signs and don't understand the conversations of those around me, I already see how very valuable my Russian will be over the course of my time here.  All the same, I hope to learn Georgian and use it as much as I can.  It truly is a fascinating language both linguistically and historically, though I doubt I will be able to string all those consonants together or pronounce the sound 'qkh' any time soon (or ever).  

Tbilisi is a gorgeous city that is just as beautiful in the daylight as it is lit up at night.  Walking into the city-center for the first time was magical.  The juxtaposition of buildings that are centuries and centuries old with modern architecture and the majesty of the mountains towering nearby perfectly illustrates the overall feel of the city and the country.  It is so old and rooted in tradition, but at the same time things are changing very rapidly as a new generation looks forward, innovating a new future.  One highlight of the week was Tbilisoba, a festival celebrating Tbilisi, which was celebrated over the weekend.  Even though we were busy with training, we still got out in the evenings to enjoy a little bit of the festivities.  Nothing is better than strolling around a city with crowds of locals who are out doing the same.  Tbilisi is just the jumping off point for this adventure, but I'm glad to take it in before heading on to the next place, wherever that may be.  

Old Tbilisi.
Old meets new. 
Inner-city vineyard.
Election leftovers.
Georgian Dreams.


Friday, October 5, 2012

Istanbul (Not Constantinople).

My trip to Georgia was long.  36 hours from point A to point B kind of long.  4 flights kind of long.  16 hours of layovers long.  Like I said...it was long.  All I can say is "Thank God for Turkish Airline's free onboard wifi and movie selection".  I really cannot believe that they pay for the rights to all those movies (actually, they probably don't).  I was so overwhelmed by the many choices that I ended up watching Grease...twice (confession time).  I did however, meet some really cool people on each flight that helped pass the time.  Even the guy on my first flight, who thought I was fourteen but proceeded to chat me up anyway and ended our conversation by saying that he was glad that I was not actually fourteen because I was very interesting, was alright.  Kinda creepy but alright.  

My transatlantic flight left me with a seven and a half hour layover in Istanbul.  After spending four hours each in the Atlanta and JFK airports, the thought of sitting in an airport any longer was unbearable, leaving me know choice but to go out into the city (logical, right?).  As I deplaned, I casually stalked anyone around me who looked remotely like someone who might be going to teach English in Georgia.  My little reconnaissance mission did not result in any TLG travel buddies (though it did score me some interesting conversation), so I decided to take on the city solo.  I waited in line with the rest of the foreigners to get a Turkish visa.  I was amazed at the simplicity of giving a visa officer my passport + 20 bucks to receive in exchange for a visa sticker in my passport without so much as a glance at me or any of my information (though this was still not as baffling as coming into Georgia without a visa and receiving a stamp in my passport + a bottle of wine--Russia has made me resent anything involving the word visa or passport, and I no longer thought such things were possible).  After this little task was completed, I stepped out into the wide world of Turkey and Istanbul.

Since my time for exploration was limited, I decided to head to the Sultanahmet area where the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, two of Istanbul's most iconic buildings, are located.  The metro/tram ride to get into town was in itself really enjoyable.  The metro is above ground, so I was able to look out the window and see more of the city as I went along.  For anyone considering a trip to Istanbul, the public transportation is really simple and easy to use even with zero knowledge of Turkish.  Before arriving in Istanbul I knew the stop at which I needed to transfer and the stop at which I wanted to end, but really it was all quite intuitive, and I did not even need to ask anyone for directions.  After about 45 minutes, I arrived at my destination and began wandering around the area alongside a few too many tourists for my taste.  The architecture, street vendors, and people were all very bold and engaging.  It was easy to wander aimlessly and snap photos without a map because everything and everywhere was worth exploring.  The 'east meets west' and 'old meets new' feel of the city was very apparent.  In some ways, it was a sign of what was to come because I definitely feel the same thing in Tbilisi (Kazan also had a similar east/west, old/new feeling but in a very different way that I really don't know how to explain).  To be honest, I was there for such a short time that it feels unfair to share my impressions about Istanbul because they are founded on nothing but a few hours.  I barely scratched the surface.  I will, however, say that I found Istanbul to be quite beautiful and mystical, and it definitely has a place on the list of places that I want to explore more, especially after ending my night with some really delicious doner and baklava.  Gotta have more of that stuff!

For sale.
Corn.
Courtyard in the Blue Mosque
Inside the Blue Mosque
Pomegranate juice: street style.
Blue Mosque exterior. 
Hagia Sophia.
Rugs.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Welcome to Sakartvelo.

No visa and a bottle of wine at passport control?  

I think I can get used to this, Georgia.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Stateside (but Georgia's on m-m-m-m-my mind).

After spending two glorious months in Kazan, I'm back in the States.  Actually, I've been back for about six weeks now, but who's counting?  As I've been reminded by my mother, I don't do a very good job of tying up loose ends on my blog when I leave a place.  I get caught up in the busyness that ensues from trying to suck every last bit of goodness and adventure out of a place before I must leave, saying my see-you-later's to new friends, and hastily packing the belongings I've magically accrued over the summer.  I'll blame busyness, but the real culprit is the fact that I find it extremely difficult to sum up an experience with a few short words in any way that feels meaningful or worthy of what was. The week leading up to my departure from Kazan, I was overwhelmed with a deep sadness that I had to leave Russia again.  I by no means want to give up my life in America for a forever-life in Russia, but Russianess is so deeply ingrained in who I am that I don't think I will ever be able to escape it.  For better or worse.

Kazan surprised me in a lot of ways.  I didn't expect to live in such a beautiful, cultured, and developing city.  I didn't expect to find such a cool and harmonious blend of Christianity and Islam.  I didn't expect to make true friends in such a short period of time, let alone good ones.  I didn't expect to feel like I left a little piece of me behind.  I didn't expect to fall in love with that place.

Because I am a normal (read: completely insane) person, I have decided to quench my post-Soviet yearnings by a jaunt through the Caucuses.  I was recently accepted into a program called Teach and Learn with Georgia to become an ESL teacher for school aged children in the Republic of Georgia, and I am leaving TODAY to make the long trek eastward.  The answer to any further question you might ask me about this will inevitably be "I don't know" (as my parents have quickly learned failed to learn), as my placement, length of stay, and exact role is still yet to be determined.  BUT in a few short hours or days or a week (?) I will soon be able to answer all the where's, why's, and when's after my week-long training in Tbilisi.  Stay tuned for tales from my 36-hour journey and a possible adventure into Istanbul.

To quote the Beatles yet again, Georgia's always on m-m-m-m-my mind!