No, the Other Georgia...

Architecture Nouveau

2011-07-03T06:38:00.001-04:00

This is the new walking bridge here in town. In contrast to the older Soviet style buildings, it stands out. Because of its shape, it has been graced with many nicknames: The Always Bridge and Sandra's (the president's wife) Maxi Pad are among a few.

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

2011-07-02T14:59:00.000-04:00

Apartments are crazy here in Tbilisi. From the outside, they look sketchy. The outside doors are often plastered with advertisements, the hallways covered in graffiti, and many times the stench is too much to handle (for example, today I went to my friend's house and had to jump over a huge puddle of pee to get to the stairs). However, once inside, the actual apartments are magnificent.

Some people blame it on the Soviet mentality....never show your wealth. You wouldn't want others knowing that you are able to afford nice things. It is a way to keep thieves at bay.

Others explain that the common areas are not owned by the tenants, but rather the city. I guess people from the city don't come out too often to paint over the graffiti.

I am not sure what the answer is, but I think it's a shame. I wish there was a little more pride in property ownership.

This is the outside door of a friend's apartment building.

This is the hallway inside the building.

I guess some people didn't like the advertisements!

This is the outside building of another friend's apartment.

Not sure if the single lightbulb's eerie feeling is truly captured here.

One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

2011-07-01T01:14:00.000-04:00

We moved out of our apartment yesterday and I am once again reminded of how crazy our landlady is. I won't tell you about how she calls every day to "remind" us to do things (like wash the curtains). She is just completely and utterly over the top.

Last August, when we were negotiating our move in, she was obsessive about showing us every little detail of her house and making sure we knew exactly what condition it was in. I understand it is hard to let go if you love your house, but if you are committed to renting, then at some point, you just gotta let go. One of her demands was that we hire her cleaning lady. We explained that we have a nanny who is wonderful and also helps with the cleaning. That was not good enough for her. We went back and forth for what seemed like forever because she didn't feel like just anyone could clean her place. She almost didn't rent to us. Finally, she agreed and then created a list of all the special products she wanted us to buy for cleaning. She went shopping with Tamriko and spent hundreds of our Lari on sponges, soaps, rags, and brooms. She then spent the next hour giving special instructions on how to clean each item in her kitchen, which rag to use when, etc. Honestly, she was exhausting.

But the best part was when she left. Aidan showed me his feet and I just had to start laughing.

For someone who had just put us through the wringer about cleaning her apartment ALL AFTERNOON, she sure didn't care about cleaning her floors!

Giji. That's what they would call her in Georgian. Giji gogo.

They say it is SO easy...but it's not. Believe Me.

2011-06-23T08:49:00.000-04:00

I was once told that the term Turkish toilet is not politically correct. So I tried squat toilet. Nope, didn't work either. I found out that eastern style toilet is the most appropriate way to say it. Well, whether you call it Turkish, squat, or eastern, they are a lot of work and very messy.

It has been almost a year since I moved here. I love so many things about Georgia, but their non-western toilets don't rank high on my list (see original post about my toileting issues). I thought by now I would have built strong thigh muscles, been able to pee anywhere, and most importantly, not get soaked in the process. When I walk into a bathroom dry and come out with a wet pant leg, everyone can see through my cool demeanor. Now that it is shorts season, it's just bad news all around.

In October, I was close to purchasing the Go-Girl because I couldn't stand the pressure of having to pee standing up/squatting. However, I would like to alter their motto a bit from: Because life's greatest adventure shouldn't be finding a bathroom. To: Because life's greatest adventure shouldn't be finding a bathroom where you can pee worry-free. Alas, I didn't order it because at the time I couldn't figure out how to get anything shipped here.

I have managed to mostly avoid the Turkish toilets, and my skill level has increased a bit. There was one time I came out dry. Yes, one time.

I guess I have to stick to showcasing my strengths. Sadly, peeing in a squat toilet is not one of them.

Pullin' the Old Switcharoo

2011-06-06T02:27:00.003-04:00

Since I live in a country where most people don't speak English and my level of Georgian is stuck at the taxi cab level, I consistently frequent stores where I have found at least a small level of success. This is especially true when I am not in the mood for a game of charades (you should have seen the hand motions when I tried to buy condoms!).

The problem is...many stores are here today, gone tomorrow. One day you go into a store and have a wonderful experience, purchasing everything you need with ease. Two days later you go back to the same store because you knew you should have bought the dandruff shampoo when you were there two days ago, but you didn't feel like lugging it home. You round the corner and low and behold- the store is boarded up and empty. Sometimes the signs are torn down, but many times they stay up for awhile.

Here in Georgia, bank loans are hard to come by. If you are able to get a loan, it is at a very high interest rate (not sure exactly what it is for businesses, but for homes it is about 18%). So many people save their money, borrow what they can, and open their dream shop. They stay open as long as they can with the savings they have. There is no wiggle room. No one is floating them for a few months. They can't afford to lose money and can't afford to borrow from a bank, so they close if they are not breaking even or making a profit.

This is used to be our favorite shawarma place.
Now it sells hot dogs and other meats.

Now the good news in all of this is that, if you're lucky, a pretty decent pizza joint might open directly across the street from your house. Hopefully it will be here at least another month.

Opposition on the Move in Georgia

2011-05-24T13:36:00.001-04:00

There has been a lot going on this past week....and possibly more to come. Check it out here.

**OK, got in a bit of trouble for this post. I guess I should have started off by saying we are safe! We have not seen much of anything with the exception of being rerouted one night on the way to dinner because the road by the Parliament was closed. Other than that, all is good. I just find the situation very interesting and wanted to share. Sorry if I scared anyone!

Tie a Yellow Ribbon...

2011-05-21T13:26:00.002-04:00

If you hike along a path or drive out of the city, you are likely to come across a tree that looks like this:

At first, I didn't know what to make of this tree. Although littering is a huge problem in Georgia, I couldn't believe that people would take the time to throw the trash into the tree. As I was spouting off one day about how much nicer Tbilisi would be if people just cared enough to throw out their garbage, I was informed that this tree wasn't actually a fancy rubbish bin (as they like to call it), but instead a tree that grants wishes.

Legend has it that if you make a wish while tying a small piece of cloth onto a branch of a Wishing Tree, your wish will come true. Although no one knows how a specific tree actually becomes a Wishing Tree, those that are covered in fabric have been thought to have granted wishes. These lucky people then spread the word and folks come from all over to tie a cloth on this now famous tree.

The appropriate protocol is to tie a piece of cloth onto a branch while making a wish. However, many times you will see whole shirts, plastic bags, or other odd assortments of "stuff" tied to the tree. People are resourceful...they use what they have, so they don't get left out of fulfilling their dreams.

I will not, however, break protocol and leave my wish making to chance. So to ensure that I am properly prepared when I come across a Wishing Tree, I have cut up a few pairs of Emet's underwear and tucked them safely in my backpack. Hope he doesn't mind.

Kissing Jessica Stein

2011-05-14T04:14:00.001-04:00

Upon greeting someone in America, you are either a hugger or a cheek kisser (unless you really know them). Possibly, at times, a simple hello will do. However, when you first meet someone, a hand shake is appropriate. Many times, it depends on the background of who you are greeting. On my dad's side of the family we are all cheek kissers, my friends from high school are huggers, and many of my friends from Northern Virginia are more comfortable with the simple hello--no contact needed.

I have learned the rules. I know who to kiss, when to hug, and when to keep my distance. Well, as with most things that were turned upside by moving to Georgia, all of these rules were thrown out the window.

Put on your ChapStick ladies and gentlemen for the rules of greeting people in Georgia are different.

1. In social settings, you kiss everyone hello and goodbye--even if you are meeting them for the first time.

2. Women kiss both women and men.

3. Men also kiss both women and men.

The tricky part for me wasn't the kissing because I am all about kissing. Instead, it was the technique that messed me up. Really, it boiled down to knowing which cheek to aim for. In America, I always go left. My goal is to brush the right cheek of my target. That is what I have always done and what I think others do too. It is a general understanding that is followed by all so as not to cause any broken noses or face dancing while trying to say hello. But in Georgia, everyone goes to the right. The person's left cheek is what you are aiming for.

When I first moved here, I could not remember to go right. I created many awkward moments with virtual strangers as they tried to understand why we were awkwardly moving our heads back and forth like two people meeting in a narrow hallway trying to get around each other.

My all time low was in a bar, meeting a colleague of Emet's for the first time. As our faces approached each other, I once again forgot to go right while she confidently did the Georgian-appropriate move and aimed for my left cheek. Instead of engaging in my familiar face dancing routines of the past, I panicked and we ended up locking lips.

Yup, that's right. I kissed Emet's colleague, directly on the mouth while in a bar.

As an educator, I know everyone learns better by doing and sometimes complete and utter failure can help raise one’s skill level. You can believe that since that night I always go right. I don't need a repeat of that incident and all the embarrassing hoopla to remind me which cheek to aim for. I always go right.

Now, when I return to America, let's hope I can return to my left going ways. Otherwise, I am bound to end up kissing another person on the lips. This time they might not be as understanding as Emet’s colleague was of a culturally unadjusted American… especially in my own country.

Treading with Trepidation

2011-05-06T14:27:00.002-04:00

There are very few things of which I am afraid (let's see how well you know me). Although I am not as petrified of dogs as I am of m-i-c-e or r-a-t-s, hanging around strange dogs will never be how I chose to spend my free time. In fact, I may actually walk in the opposite direction of any said dogs. I have owned a few dogs in my time and this is where my fear stems from. I could stretch out on the couch and tell you all about the struggles of my past dog ownerships, but I won't. Because, let's be real, that won't assuage my fear.

So I bring all this up because in Georgia it is a bit of problem to be afraid of dogs. They sit on every corner, walk the streets at all hours, gather in packs at times, and just plain petrify me! For the most part, they are used to living alongside people and therefore leave us, for the most part, alone. But really, it only takes one time for a hound to chomp down on my leg for me to be convinced that I will never get over my fear of dogs.

I admit this malnourished pup does not look intimidating. But don't be fooled. What if you were in between it and some food?

So, I will continue, upon everyone's suggestion, to quietly hide a rock in my pocket (but really, would I ever use it? Wouldn't I just piss the dog off more if I hit it with a rock?). I will also continue to cross the street every time I see a stray dog, making sure to avoid all eye contact, exuding a no fear vibe (they can sense fear, you know?) and trying to convince myself that no one else can hear the deafening pounding that is my heart.

I didn't even touch on the fact that with an abundance of stray dogs comes....you guessed it, poop! Piles of poop sit on the sidewalk waiting for someone's shoe to squish into it. Gross.

Armenian Genocide

2011-05-03T03:39:00.001-04:00

Over the years, I have been fortunate to be able to travel to some amazing places. Some of them I appreciated for their sheer beauty (New Zealand), while others were much more emotionally charged (Auschwitz). My trip to Armenia combined a little of both.

While in Armenia we were invited to participate in day of remembrance for the lives lost in the Armenian Genocide. Every year on April 24th, people from all over the country of Armenia gather at the Genocide Memorial to place flowers, pay their respects for lost lives, and make sure no one ever forgets this horrific event.

I am utterly ashamed to say that I knew nothing about the Armenian Genocide until we were on our way to the memorial. In case anyone is as ignorant as I was, here is the very basic information that I learned from my Armenian friends: During and just after WWI (beginning in 1915), the Ottoman Empire systematically killed at least one to one and half million Armenians. It is thought to be one of the first major genocides and the second most studied genocide, after the Holocaust. However, to this day, the Republic of Turkey (formerly the Ottoman Empire), denies that it was a genocide. They claim that the deportations of the Armenian people was necessary since they had become allies of the Russian army.

Needless to say, the tragedy remains.

We were fortunate enough to be invited to walk with our Armenian friends on this day. As we walked, our friend told the story of the genocide and how his grandmother walked for 500 km to safety. The number of men, women, and children walking the path created a powerful yet somber feeling. It took about one hour to walk to the memorial. People carried signs, flowers, and family crests. The emotion in the air was heavy and the walk was long.

As were were approaching the memorial, there were many trees that lined the path. Next to each tree was a plaque naming the country or leader who planted it in remembrance.

This tall structure represents the national rebirth of Armenia. The separation down its length symbolizes the past split between eastern and western Armenia.

This is the actual memorial. It sits upon a hill overlooking the city of Yerevan. These twelve columns which are arranged in a circle represent the twelve lost Armenian provinces. When you walk inside this memorial, an eternal flame is surrounded by mountains of flowers.

I cried from the moment I rounded the corner and saw the monument. There is no way that a blog post can do this experience justice. Watching families supporting one another, ensuring grandparents and small children alike were able to place a flower near the eternal flame, will always be etched in my heart.

Caravan to Yerevan

2011-05-01T07:33:00.000-04:00

We had a long weekend for Easter (Friday and Monday off from school...yahoo!) and decided to go with friends to Yerevan, Armenia. We made a few stops on the way, so in total it took about 6 hours to get there.

Lake Sevan seemed to be endless. It was especially foggy on this day, so I kept waiting to see if the Loch Ness Monster or maybe even Jason Voorhees would emerge from the steamy water. I looked up the measurements of the lake and decided I wouldn't bore you with the exact km squared and billion cubic meters. So let's just say that is HUGE!

In recent years people lowered the water level of the lake (a much simplified explanation). As a result, this peninsula was created. It used to be an island that tourists visited by boat.

We also tried to go down this one road, only to discover it was no longer driveable. We drove through the fields and ended up on another highway. Gotta love it!

The city of Yerevan was beautiful. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect. Since it has been raining for the last five weeks in Tbilisi, this may have colored my view of this magnificent city. My favorite part was Republic Square. The buildings were tall enough to be impressive, but not so tall as to be oppressive. The streets were wide and clean and people happily walked all over town.

These are pictures from Republic Square.

This was a bazaar that was about 2 blocks behind our apartment. I was amazed at all of the handmade items from authentic Armenian artists. We bought a really cool clock for our house!

This was the view from our apartment. Doesn't that mountain look fake? It's not.

The ride back home was a bit brutal. Going up and down the mountains on winding roads caused both A & L to throw up in the backseat. Now that is what I call a fun time...simultaneous puking! The fog was also unbelievable. I tried to take some pictures when it was not too foggy.

People stopped alongside the highway and got water from this barrel.

Can you see the guard rail? This was the crazy fog! I don't know how Giorgi managed to see the road while driving.

Since two of the friends we traveled with are Armenian, they took us to all of the hot spots. We ate fantastic food, saw amazing sites, and just hung out with good friends.

Yerevan has made it on my list of top 5 favorite places.

It's raining, it's pouring...

2011-04-21T23:13:00.000-04:00

When I was backpacking through Europe after college, my friends and I ended up traveling with an Australian guy named Aaron for a couple of weeks. I remember a few snippets from my time with him (I learned what Vegemite was and that I never wanted to eat it again). However, the one thing that stuck with me was his commentary on Istanbul. As we planned this trip, circling in my mind were Aaron's words, if you go to Istanbul, bring your own toilet paper. Hmmmmm, what implications does this have for our trip? How much toilet paper should I pack?

Aaron's warning quickly left my mind this past January. On my way to India, I had a long layover in Istanbul, so I actually left the airport, took a taxi to the happening part of town and walked around for about 5 hours. I LOVED it! In a nutshell, it was lush, green, quaint, and friendly. So when we decided to spend one glorious day touring Istanbul after our trip to Antalya, I was so excited. I should have realized that grass does not become lush and green without copious amounts of water!

It rained the entire time we were walking around the city. The great packer that I am forgot to bring jackets, rain coats, hats, or umbrellas. My kids were troopers. We were absolutely soaked, but we still managed to see a few things in Istanbul!

I had NO idea that Istanbul was the only city that
spreads over two continents-Europe and Asia!
We were driving by this sign on the bridge and I couldn't
really ask the driver to pull over so I could get a better picture.
Although I admit, I was tempted.

Massive traffic jams at
every turn in Istanbul

Turkish dude taking advantage
of the traffic jam. Just trying to make a livin'.

View of one of the many bridges

There were so many mosques.
They were all beautiful!

We went to a delicious Turkish kitchen for dinner one night.
The hostess asked us our nationality when we entered and then
plopped these flags on our table. We were the only people in the entire
restaurant with flags on our table!

Want an appetizer? In Istanbul you don't order them
from a menu, you grab them from a man pushing a cart.

Hagia Sophia: basilica, mosque, and now a museum...

The Cistern in Istanbul: we walked underground and explored this magical cavern. The columns were illuminated and created an eerie almost mystical feeling.

So full circle back to the toilet paper issue. Let's visit the restrooms of Istanbul.

I thought it was important for you to see
these mothballs in the sink area. I was hoping
you could actually smell them. Little did I know, that
a Turkish woman would begin hitting me repeatedly
in the arm for taking pictures. I continued to snap photos
and walked away with an earful and a bruised arm.
So please enjoy this picture.

This sign was inside the bathroom stall.
Solid waste?
There are no trash cans in the stalls,
so I guess you are supposed to
scoop your poop out of the toilet and
carry it to the sink area and throw it out
in the garbage can with the paper towels.
Eeewwwww!

Antalya, Turkey

2011-04-16T01:55:00.001-04:00

We went to Antalya, Turkey for almost a week. We rested on the beach, played in the indoor pool, and ate way too much. The boys learned the fine art of Foosball, our hope being that they will be fully prepared for college life. For me, the highlight was losing repeatedly to Emet in ping pong.

We did rent a car for a day and explore the city life. We found quickly that there wasn't much city and not a lot of life. We did notice that every building's roof had water barrels. We assume this is where their hot water comes from.

We walked around Old City and took in the sights.

We ended up buying some combination of these that
makes a flavored all natural tea.

A man hand sewing a carpet.

There were blankets strewn over everything.

Love the spelling!

Yes Officer, I do have my helmet.
It's right here in my hand.

Plug Me In. Hook Me Up.

2011-04-14T09:15:00.000-04:00

I hear you whispering. I know what you're saying. Did she even go to Turkey? ... or maybe She must have gotten herself into a snafu and ended up being detained at the airport for the last week... or better yet ...Monica probably pulled a stupid stunt and is now sitting in a Turkish prison for the long haul.

Well, rest easy. The answer isn't as fun as any of those.

Food poisoning, virus, fungus, bacteria, amoebas and parasites. Not sure which one it was, but I was attacked. I will save you from the details of my intestinal tract for the last 8 days, but let me reassure you. It hasn't been pretty. And it definitely does not smell of roses.

Here is a picture of the IV I was hooked up to in the Emergency Room (I needed 3 bags!). Luckily, I am on the mend. Not my usual sunshiny self, but so much better.

Hopefully, now the rumors can stop.

Gobble, Gobble

2011-03-24T06:12:00.001-04:00

After the current events in Egypt, we decided to cancel our trip (we got a full refund less $100, not bad for 6 airline tickets!) and try somewhere new. We struggled with where to go...we wanted somewhere warm, not too far from Tbilisi, and not overly expensive. I felt strongly about wanting to go somewhere we have never been and somewhere we probably will never go once we return to the states. So Turkey it is.

We will be going to Istanbul and Antalya. It is not going to be warm enough to sunbathe on the beach, but it will be warm enough to enjoy being outdoors. We are going with Emet's parents (who just arrived from Michigan last night!).

I am excited about going to the spice bazaar in Istanbul, sitting on the beaches near the Mediterranean Sea (maybe wearing a sweatshirt), and just chillin' with family. I am not, however, excited about leaving for the airport at 4 a.m.

Hopefully, I will have some good stories when I return.

Please note the fancy arrows I inserted
so you could easily find where we are going.
Can you see us?

Wanna ride, little girl?

2011-03-18T06:08:00.002-04:00

Before the president's wife, Sandra, brought big yellow city buses to Tbilisi, the marshrutka ruled the road. This mini-bus could carry travelers, haul goods, and deliver packages in one fell swoop. They would easily maneuver the streets, going along their designated routes. However, since the arrival of the city buses, marshrutkas are no longer allowed along the main avenues. Even with this semi-new rule, they are still the main form of transportation all over the city for Georgians.

Besides the one I take to and from school each day (which picks us up and drops us off directly outside of our apartment and waits for us if we happen to be running a few minutes late), I have not braved traveling in true Georgian style because I simply can't read the sign on the front of the marshrutka to figure out where it is going.

If you can read the sign or figure out where the mini-bus is going, it is simple enough to use: you open the sliding door, climb over the other passengers, squeeze into a seat that may be rear facing, and pay the driver 50 tetri (about 30 cents) at some point along your journey. When you are ready to jump off, you catch the driver's attention and begin crawling over the passengers to ready yourself for a speedy exit. It's as easy as that!

Marshrutkas come in all colors. It was a challenge to get good pictures because they were either speeding past me or I was standing in the middle of the road aiming my camera at the oncoming vehicle. Crazy foreigner.

If you want it badly enough...

2011-03-17T06:10:00.004-04:00

Remember the post when I told you there were no mailboxes in Tbilisi? For the longest time, I had no idea how people paid their bills (luckily our landlady takes care of ours for us).

Well, here's the scoop. These blue and yellow contraptions are outside most buildings and around every corner. The touch screen asks you to select from many different companies, you type in your account number or street address, and then push your cash through the slot. Voila, your bills are paid!

However, I do have to put minutes on my cell phone. And, once again, this glorious blue and yellow machine is where you do it. Be prepared to be impressed with my skills....I learned how to add minutes to my cell phone using only this screen!

What's it say, you ask? I have no idea! Yes, it is all in Georgian. I try to add enough minutes so that I rarely have to attempt this. I honestly don't remember from one time to the next which buttons to touch. Somehow I just get through it. I admit that I always hesitate before shoving my money in the slot. Maybe I am paying for an entirely different service?

The good news is that, so far, I have managed to get it right each time. I have no idea how though.

XX is in da House!

2011-03-08T06:42:00.002-05:00

Last week was Mother's Day, a national holiday. Most schools and businesses were closed.

Today is Women's Day. A day to celebrate all women, even young girls. So now, just 5 days after Mother's Day, it is another celebration for women--with many schools and businesses closed again.

Talk about Girl Power!

When Georgia was still under Soviet rule, this holiday was celebrated annually. After they declared their independence, many Georgians no longer wanted to honor this "Soviet" holiday. Thus, Mother's Day was created. However, after a few years, Georgians brought back March 8th, Women's Day, as a national holiday. Now they celebrate both.

It is a pretty big deal around here in the beginning of March. People have congratulated me all day long on being a woman (I have put a great deal of work into this whole woman thing, if I do say so myself).

The city is littered with beautiful flowers.

Selling flowers outside the Metro

A street corner filled with flowers

These bouquets are directly across the street
from the picture above

Where's Waldoshvili? Can you spot the man within
all of the flowers?

This is usually the lady who sells us our lemons.
Today, she is making the most of the holiday.

If you are a woman...Georgia is where its at.

Georgian Snickers

2011-03-06T02:59:00.004-05:00

If you are in Georgia and begin to crave a mouthwatering milk chocolate bar consisting of peanut nougat, roasted peanuts, and caramel, you are in luck. Well, sort of.

Georgians have a treat they fondly refer to as the Georgian Snickers. They say the word with such pride, it is worth the 1 Lari and 50 Tetri just to see them smile. When sellers are not trying to lure non-Georgians, they refer to it by its real name: Churchkhela.

To make this traditional Georgian candy, you start by stringing walnuts on a thread and allowing them to dry out (to avoid them from getting moldy). The walnuts are then dipped repeatedly in a mixture of grape juice (not the kind from Giant) and flour. They are then hung upside on a beam to dry. This is the much simplified version because there are about 10 steps you must do just to get the juice from the grape and ready it for the walnut dipping. But since I don't think you will be trying this recipe at home, I thought it was OK to give the short version.

You can buy churchkhela in most places, but the best place to get them is on the side of the road in rural areas. These are said to be the freshest and most authentic. We stopped and bought some from this woman on our way home from Signagi.

Like most Georgian food, I didn't like it all when I first tried it. Since then, I have tried it a few more times and it isn't half bad. However, since there is no peanut nougat, roasted peanuts, caramel, or chocolate, I think they need a new slogan for their famous candy. It is nothing like a Snickers bar.

Butter Me Up

2011-03-01T21:10:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite things about living abroad is experiencing a different culture. I love hearing what others believe and comparing that to what I grew up learning about. I could probably write a book about the differences between Georgia and America, but I will just start with a few:

1. If you put butter on a bruise it will make it better. Tamriko convinced Emet to try this theory.

2. In old-fashioned, traditional Georgian families, the man is not supposed to touch his child before he/she turns 3 years old. In the first 6-9 months of the child's life, all caregiving is the responsibility of the mother's mother.

3. You should never sit on the cold pavement, it will damage your reproductive organs.

4. If you leave a window open, your back will catch a cold (which means you will pull a muscle in your back and be rendered motionless).

5. Everything is about a person's blood pressure. The change in weather warrants a 30 minute conversation about how each person's blood pressure has fluctuated due solely to the changing weather (therefore making them feel terrible from either too high or too low blood pressure). Students come to school with their own blood pressure cuffs just in case we need to get an emergency blood pressure reading.

6. If you drink or eat anything cold, you will catch a cold. Have I mentioned I am having ice cube withdrawal? Or that I went into a convenient store the other day to purchase a drink and the refrigerators were all shut off, so the drinks were warm. It is winter, so why would you want a cold drink? They also wanted to save on electricity costs, but that is another topic entirely. I tucked my 2 Lari back in my pocket and walked out of the store, thirsty.

7. There is a great fear of getting sick. Many kids were sick in my school about a month ago. Many more kids stayed home from school because their parents were afraid their child might get sick. If you walk the hallways of my school, you see kids and teachers wearing surgical masks like the one below. Kids are also wearing necklaces made of garlic or onions to keep the "sick germs" away. The aroma in the classrooms and hallways is breathtaking!

8. Eating soup at least once a day keeps you regular. When I finally confessed that I don't love to eat soup every day, I was immediately asked about my daily bathroom habits. There was a great deal of concern for my well being.

And my favorite so far is (drum roll please)...

9. If you are a woman and have high blood pressure, you have not had enough sex. It is important to get that "injection"(wink, wink) of hormones to lower your blood pressure.

P.S.

In no way am I poking fun of these Georgian beliefs...I am sure when people to come to America and learn of some of the crazy things we do, they post them on their blogs as well.

P.P.S.
There was no change in Emet's bruise after the butter was applied. We were robbed.

Sticks and Stones...

2011-02-22T08:15:00.000-05:00

Looking back on my trip to India a few "funny" things happened. At the time, I was a bit uncomfortable or one might even say worried, but now I can sit back in the comfort of my own home and chuckle.

Incident #1
In my last post, I talked briefly about the people who were blocking the main road from Agra to Jaipur. As a result, we had to wind through villages to find our way to our destination. At one point on these back roads, we were blocked by a group of young men. There was one, in particular, who did not want to let us pass. Mr. Khan got out of the car and tried talking with him, asking him to move his moped from the middle of the road. The group of men refused to move, but many of them were laughing (which can either be reassuring or more frightening if the laugh is that crazy, sadistic kind...you know the one I mean.). Beth and I sat in the back of the car trying to figure out what was going on. It came down to this: the man wanted us to pay him for the use of the road. He figured since the main road was blocked, he might as well benefit as well. There was no budging him and we weren't going to pay--Mr. Khan was adamant about that. Then out of nowhere, a little old lady approached the group of young men and began hitting the leader with the stick she was carrying. She was yelling that she was going to march down to his house and tell his father what he was doing and that he better get a move on!

I wish so badly that I could have captured the old woman hitting the man with her stick, but I wasn't that brave at the time. Instead, I got the leader driving away on his moped.

We drove down the road a short distance talking about what had just happened, when we came to the second plot to charge us money to travel on the road. This one, however, was being executed by children and was not complete yet...we were lucky :) I think they were planning on building a wall of rocks so no cars could pass.

Incident #2
Beth and I were trying to find the perfect stores in which to shop. What we had seen so far had either been touristy with lots of really inexpensive items (aka cheap looking things that will break easily and are just plain ugly) or stores that carried massively expensive items (and what I considered to still be ugly). So we had been hopping in and out of the car and running into stores for a while now. At one of the last stores we visited, we got back into the car after checking out the store for a only a few minutes, when a man with a very large gun approached the car. He and Mr. Khan began arguing and Beth and I didn't utter a word. We could not figure out what they were fighting about...but it was clear they were fighting. At one point, the man with the very large gun reached into the car and yanked the key from the ignition, breaking the key. When his hands started grabbing the wheel, Beth and I froze. Finally, the man with the very large gun seemed to back off a bit. Mr. Khan took this opportunity and wrangled the key back from the gun man and was able to insert it into the ignition and off we drove. Beth and I couldn't get the words out quickly enough, trying to figure out what had happened. Mr. Khan, looking bored, explained that he wanted money since we parked in front of the store. Mr. Khan told the man with the very large gun (did I mention that his gun was very large?) that he was not the parking police and he refused to pay. I don't think I would last a minute alone in India! I apologize for not taking a picture of the man with the very large gun, but felt it was better to return safely to my husband and children instead.

The People of India

2011-02-20T19:30:00.002-05:00

This is a post with lots of pictures....I had such a hard time narrowing it down. But considering there are approximately 1,155,347,678 people living in India, I don't think I did too bad posting only 28 pictures!

Part I
Seems appropriate that I start this post with a picture of Mr. Khan, our driver. In case you are unsure, he is the one on the left.

The afternoon we left, Mr. Khan invited us to his
house for lunch with his family.

While at Mr. Khan's we spent time on his roof.
Kids were getting ready for the upcoming kite flying festival.
There were also many families and kids on each roof of the surrounding buildings.
I felt like a character in The Kite Runner (if only it had taken place in India).

People selling goods outside of various monuments or just along the side of the road.

Some sights from the road

This guy is sitting on top of a huge truck while driving down the road

Why ride your bike when your friend will give you a lift on his moped?

All kinds of transportation were allowed in every lane:
walking, bikes, mopeds, cars...

Not sure if you can tell, but there is actually a van under all of these people.
There are only 10 seats available inside the van,
but hold on tight and you can catch a ride on this highway too!

Haircut and a shave on the side of the road

I am mesmerized by this man. Don't know why, I just am.

Man, snake...it doesn't matter. Beth can charm them all!

We were greeted by friendly faces

at each hotel

Part II
We were set to depart on our 5 hour journey from Agra to Jaipur with Mr. Khan. I was not thrilled about being in the car for so long, but was excited to get to the Pink City. We quickly found out that the one major road leading from Agra to Jaipur was blocked. In a much simplified explanation: people were protesting and refused to allow cars to pass through. Our 5 hour journey, we were told, was about to become 10 hours.

For those of you that have had the pleasure of sitting in meetings with me or pulling all nighters, I am sure you will remember my inability to sit in one place for long periods of time...although I can do it, it is a challenge for me! I was DREADING this car ride. We were told we would have take back roads and go through tiny villages in order to avoid the blocked road. The pictures below are from our journey through the villages.

It is amazing that something I dreaded so much turned out to be my favorite part of the trip. I don't even know how many hours it took to get from Agra to Jaipur because I was so caught up in seeing all of the people and how they lived. Their reaction to the chain of cars parading through their villages made it quite evident that they usually didn't get a great deal of traffic. This was a big event for them. But honestly, I think it was a bigger event for me.

Cows and Camels and Peacocks, Oh My!

2011-02-18T21:01:00.006-05:00

One of my favorite aspects of India was all of the animals (not sure what this says about me?!). I loved sharing the road with so many different creatures! At one point, our driver, Mr. Khan, had to get out of his car to move a cow that decided to take a snooze in the middle of the road. Cows are considered sacred in India, so it was fascinating to learn about the differences between the "free" cows that roam around without a care in the world and those that were tethered and obviously had an owner. I tried to photograph all of the animals we saw, but many times we were in the car. I did the best I could while whizzing by.

Baby elephant...mom was close by!

Baby camel enjoying some lunch.

We were driving behind this elephant waiting
patiently for him to get a move on!

Camel as a tourist trap...wanna ride, little girl?

I could have taken pictures of cows all day long.

Just out for a stroll... with my goats!

A few friends out on the town scrounging for food.

No luck in getting this peacock to open his feathers

It seems that if we weren't looking at cows,
we were surrounded by birds

Remember when I was a vegetarian?
This might have sent me back to my old ways.

We went to a place called Galwar Bagh to see the monkeys. There were hundreds and hundreds of them roaming the grounds. Most of them were friendly and were just anxious to eat the food we were offering. There were a few moments when the alpha male decided a particular monkey should not eat and he made it known. I didn't know monkeys could squawk so loudly!

A monkey's version of a spa day

The weight of the world is resting on my shoulders.
No one understands the kind of pressure I am under.

Glad to See You

2011-02-13T11:39:00.000-05:00

I get emails from people commenting on my blog who are not listed as a "follower". This made me wonder if there are others out there who are reading in secret. I would love to know who my audience is...this will help me to not embarrass myself when I tell stories (or try not to at least!).

So if you are reading this and haven't done so yet, please click on Follow to the right of this post!

I can't wait to see you!

The Taj Mahal Deserves its own Post, Don't You Think?

2011-02-12T09:35:00.052-05:00

We crawled out of our beds in New Delhi at 4:45 am and took a taxi to the train station. If we were not awake before arriving at the station, we soon were WIDE awake and clutching our bags. People came from everywhere trying to "help" us with our bags. We kept walking and repeating the word "no" all the while trying not to trip over the hundreds of people sleeping on the train station's floor. It was really cold, so they were covered in blankets, flattened out cardboard boxes, and pashminas. It was easy to misstep in the chaos of it all and inadvertently step on someone. We were unsure exactly how to get on to the platform, but as two savvy city girls we knew that we could not look as if we were unsure.

We made it on the train and settled in for our 2 hour train ride. We called the hotel and asked them for an early check in. Arriving in Agra at 8 am would be perfect! We would have time to eat breakfast, shower, and check out the town. Well, 5 hours later we were still on the train and did not have the faintest idea why we kept stopping. We later found out it was due to fog, but 5 hours is a long time to avoid using the train toilets! We finally arrived 6 hours after our departure time and we were excited to get off the train and stretch our legs. Since we were so late, the driver we had hired was nowhere to be seen. Once again, we were surrounded by men who wanted to show us the town for a "very cheap price". Luckily, Beth had a cell phone and called the company we booked with. Shortly after, we connected with our driver, Mr. Khan, and were on our way to explore AGRA!

We went to the Taj Mahal and could only drive so far. They no longer allow cars (or anything with exhaust fumes) near the building. Once close enough, we took an electric car and walked the remainder of the way. We ended up spending a few hours just walking around the grounds, sitting on benches, and just enjoying the Taj Mahal's quiet beauty. It ended up being a great day.

This is called The Great Gate (gateway into the Taj Mahal)

This is the mosque on the grounds of the Taj Mahal.

And....finally, the structure that was built as a symbol of eternal love.

They are working hard to preserve the grounds. All non-Indian guests had to wear little red booties (they charged us a lot more for these little booties!). Indian visitors went bare foot...and it was freezing! Can you see Beth's booties?

Having only seen pictures of the Taj Mahal, I had no idea about the intricate details. It was stunning, breathtaking, and amazing all rolled into one. I am not sure the pictures do it justice. So many gemstones that reflect in the light, calligraphy from the Koran, and geometric designs that I wasn't sure what to admire first.

It was foggy the day we visited, but this is the view from the back of the Taj Mahal. I love the man in the boat. Can you imagine if the Taj Mahal was your scenery each day?

This was a view from another building on the grounds.

We were told that it was not safe to go out in Agra past 7:30 p.m., so after our day of exploring we headed back to our hotel and hung out there for the rest of the night. With such an amazing attraction, one would think they would build up Agra a bit and benefit from its many visitors. Besides the Taj Mahal, I am sad to say I was disappointed with this city.

Buildings of India

2011-02-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

After almost 17 hours of traveling, I finally landed in New Delhi, India! HIP, HIP, HOORAY! I found the pre-paid taxi stand and climbed into the craziest "taxi" I have ever seen. The incense burning on the passenger seat was enough to push me over the edge after such a long journey. However, the incense quickly became a non-issue since I was actually afraid I may fall out of the taxi since the door didn't close or latch. Luckily, I arrived at the hotel in one piece. I learned that many of the hotels in India (and all of the ones in which we stayed) have guards who check your cars for bombs before they even let you through the first gate. Once you pass the first inspection, you are allowed out of the taxi. You must then put your luggage on a conveyor belt so they can scan it for dangerous paraphernalia. Next, you must walk through the metal detector and only then may you finally enter the hotel.

Thanks to Beth's many hotel points, we were able to stay in very fancy schmancy places! I think this made all the difference in my trip to India. After being surrounded by honking horns, a variety of animals, and commotion all day, it was wonderful to be able to escape into a world of serenity each night. So maybe it wasn't the authentic Indian experience, but it worked for me!

During our time in India, we toured Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. For most of the time we were traveling, it was cold....so cold that they closed schools! There was also a lot of fog, as you will see, unfortunately, in many of my pictures.

Fatehpur Sikri

The Red Fort in Delhi constructed by Shah Jahan

Indian Gate in Delhi
A monument for the unknown soldiers of WWII.
There were so many "hawkers" outside trying to sell us trinkets that it
was difficult to really enjoy this visit.

Along this street are all of the buildings
for the President and his peeps.

Agra Fort in Agra, India.
Back in the day, the country was governed from this site.
Once inside, it resembles a city with walls.

Not sure if you can see these bright green birds,
but they were everywhere!

We saw this hut while driving through a village
on our way from Agra to Jaipur.

Another stop along our way from Agra to Jaipur.
This entire structure has steps built into the walls.
Many, many years ago people held competitions to see who could run the entire
building the fastest. Although it may not be evident in this picture, these steps are very steep and there are no railings!
I was scared to climb down them...it was a long fall to the bottom!

The City Palace in Jaipur. This is where royalty used to live.
Once inside it was almost like a mini-city with beautiful gardens.

Jal Mahal Palace is located in the middle of Man
Sagar Lake near Jaipur. Back in the day, it was considered a
"pleasure palace" but now stands empty. However, rumor
has it that a rich business man bought the property and is opening
it is a restaurant.

Next up: Taj Mahal!

India, Take One.

2011-01-31T11:28:00.002-05:00

Many of you know that I turned 40 this year. I am not sure how this happened since I was just 18, but it did. In order to properly celebrate turning 40, my friend Beth (whose b-day is in January) and I decided to take a trip. We couldn't decide where to go for the longest time. We settled on India and Beth did all of the research (thank goodness!). I, on the other hand, spent countless hours sweating, literally, about getting my visa. No longer can you get your visa at the airport in India. You must get it from the Indian Embassy in your home country. OK, doesn't seem like a big deal until you are an American living in Georgia and the closest Indian Embassy is in Armenia.

I finally found a travel agent who could arrange for me to get my visa. I went to him in October and he told me it was too soon and I should return mid November. I showed up on his doorstep on November 15th and he was surprised to see me. I forked over way too much money and hesitantly handed him my passport. Not a copy of my passport, but my actual passport. Since I had done my fair share of emailing with the American and Indian Embassies, I could attest to the fact that this was a tricky adventure. So I asked him how he would manage to get my visa. His response was, "I shouldn't tell you because it is not really legal." I laughed because I thought for sure he was kidding. Since he didn't offer any further explanation, I am not so sure how much of a joke it really was.

After many phone calls, unexpected forms to fill out, and additional money deliveries, I received my visa and passport late in the afternoon on Friday December 17th. I was leaving that Sunday and the travel agency was closed on Saturday. I was so frustrated that I was determined to tell this man what I thought of his services. I waited until I had the goods in hand and positioned myself for an easy exit and then proceeded to tell him how his lackadaisical attitude and business dealings almost caused me to have a bleeding ulcer. He shrugged his shoulders as if he could care less. Then it dawned on me. He didn't care. AAAAHHHHHHH! UGGGGHHHHHHHH! OK, I am harboring a few remnants of anger from this situation, but I am really trying to let it go. Can't you tell?

Lesson: Never go to a country that requires a visa. Unless you can get it at the airport.

On to happier topics- the actual trip!
I have been struggling with how to organize my post for India. There is so much to say... so many pictures I want to share. Since I finally realized that I have poetic license to organize this any way I see fit, I decided to break up my posts into three sections: Buildings, People, and Noteworthy Events. Hopefully, I can come up with better titles than this, but if not, then at least there will be no question as to what you will be reading about.

Stay tuned....

Off to Prague We Go!

2011-01-29T13:26:00.000-05:00

The last thing I remember about Prague was getting off the bus and staying at some random man's apartment for a day or two. We ate amazing crepes from a street vendor and walked the Charles Bridge at night. Wait, that was 20 years ago. I am no longer touring with my friend Michele, lugging our backpacks around Europe, and engaging in activities that I can't share with most people....

I will focus on the present. At least in this blog post.

This visit involved a large bearded man and two small children...and sadly, no crepes. We did, however, take the bus from Vienna to Prague. Once in this amazingly beautiful city, we took a tour, walked the Christmas markets, and took a funicular up to Petrin Hill.

By far, my favorite activity was to walk around the cobblestone streets, people watch, and peek into the shops.

Gargoyles such as these warded off evil spirits around Prague's Castle. If you ask me, they look evil themselves!

I love when buildings use light to accentuate their beauty.

Charles Bridge--even 20 years later this is still my favorite part of Prague. Artists gather along this walking bridge to sell their artwork, jewelery, and other crafts.

A water wheel alongside the Charles Bridge

A view of Prague from Charles Bridge

Old Town Square

It is amazing how the same city can seem so vastly different a month after college graduation and then again when you are, cough, um, ugh, a bit older. Two totally different experiences. And the best part is...I wouldn't trade either one of them.

Beach or Bust

2011-01-26T22:15:00.011-05:00

Part of the reason I have not finished posting about my excursions over winter break was because we have been furiously planning our spring break trip!

We just booked our flights and we will be going to Istanbul, Cairo, and Sharm el Sheikh. I was so excited until I started hearing the news. Think we can get a refund on our flights?

Riots in Cairo

la para copt Inglisurad?

2011-01-25T22:53:00.006-05:00

Everywhere I go people ask me if I am an English teacher. When I first moved here, I tried to explain I was a teacher, but not one of the many teachers they recruited for this special program...but that got too confusing. So depending on the day, I either say yes or no.

Pretty cool article--make sure to click on the links within the article too!

Still Fighting Russia, This Time With Words

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens

2011-01-23T08:52:00.017-05:00

OK, I know The Sound of Music does not take place in Vienna...but it is still Austria!

We spent about a week with my aunt, cousin, and my cousin's son. My brother came for a few days after Christmas also. There was so much to do and to see! Here are a few highlights.

We visited Schonbrunn Palace, one of Austria's most important cultural monuments. It was stunning, especially as a backdrop to the magnificent Christmas tree and Christmas market!

While in the palace, we were able to dress as royalty. I think these pictures speak for themselves. My children should each be referred to as "Your Majesty" from now on.

This is a formal declaration of some sort.

There were many Christmas markets (which were outside....brrrr!) where vendors set up shop and sold various items. They sold a lot of mulled wine (probably because of the freezing temperatures). They gave you an actual mug that you could either keep for a small fee or return when you finished your warm drink.

This is my Tante Biggi toasting with Emet.

Everywhere you look the buildings are amazing. They look old, but strong. They have character.

This is the Vienna Opera House. My grandfather played violin in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, so he played here on many occasions.

Emet, my Tante Biggi, my cousin Karin, AL and Karin's son, N, who is also five. My boys and N proved during this trip that Spider-man and dinosaurs are part of a universal language.

They had the most amazing 8 story aquarium! These jellyfish were mesmerizing.

On New Year's Eve, which they call Silvester, we went down to the city square. I imagine it was a little like going to Times Square in NYC for NYE. It was packed with people and decorations. My favorite part was that an entire area of the square was dedicated to people waltzing! I am not sure if you can tell from this picture, but they are all dancing.

We went to a few bars that night and even in the techno disco (that had a laser light show, I might add), when the clock struck 12, everyone began to waltz! This is when it became clearly evident that I did not grow up in Austria. Mom, you must bow your head in shame. I can't waltz.

A Thing of the Past?

2011-01-17T23:49:00.003-05:00

Anyone who knew me when AL were small, can probably recall the number of ear infections they both had. I lost count once they reached the double digits. As a result, both boys had tubes put in their ears and Emet and I thought it was a miracle....no more ear infections!!!!

The down side of tubes is that kids can't get their ears wet (washing hair was a JOY!)...so no swimming. AL refused to wear ear plugs and honestly we were not willing to risk having any issues with the tubes.

L's tubes fell out last summer (well, actually one got impacted and grew into the side of his ear and he had to have it surgically removed, but that's just semantics), so he has been swimming for a while now. They have swimming once a week at school and he loves it.

A has been going to the preschool class during the hour and half swimming lesson because he was not allowed to swim.

THIS IS ALL IN THE PAST NOW! Aidan lost his last tube while we were in Austria. We took him to the Dr. on Saturday to make sure all was sealed up inside his ear. The Dr. gave Aidan the green light to go swimming. If I could have bottled A's excitement, I probably could have motivated a 1,000 people to climb Mt. Everest.

A came home and wrote a letter to the preschool teacher since he won't be going to her class anymore.

It says, "Thanks for having me"- The large person with the hat is A and the much smaller one is a preschool student! A is throwing a snowball at the little kid.

L being the always protective older brother (by 25 minutes) is very worried about A's success in swimming. He said he would be the one to teach him how to swim (please recall that L only started swimming very recently). So L wrote a letter to the swimming teacher.

It says, "Aidan will go to swimming today. Aidan never learned how to swim, but he didn't just sit there. He went in the pool."

Wonder how the swimming teacher will respond...she doesn't speak a word of English!

PS-blog posts about our three week excursion will be posted in the next day or so. Thanks for being so patient (Michelle).

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...

2010-12-19T00:36:00.002-05:00

...but I do know that I will be back again.

We are leaving today for our winter vacation! We are going to Austria to visit my aunt and cousins. We will also be going to the Czech Republic and Hungary. Emet and AL are then returning to Tbilisi...while I meet my friend Beth in India!

I will be gone for three weeks. Hopefully, I will have cool things to tell you about upon my return.

Talk to you soon.

Am I Imagining This...?

2010-12-17T04:15:00.003-05:00

...or is there a similarity?

Emet as a kid

Lucas now (5 1/2)

Cheers!

2010-12-15T06:30:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite things about Georgia is the people. It is evident that hospitality is an art that is cultivated through the generations. I have been fortunate enough to be able to attend a few Supras and it will never allow me to eat dinner with friends in the same way (watch out)!

When I first arrived in Georgia, I thought a Supra was just a dinner. I was so wrong. Yes, it is a place to eat (and eat and eat and eat), but it is also a time to celebrate friends and family, culture and traditions, and take time to be thankful for all we have. These are all things I know I do not spend enough time doing in the states.

So...after quizzing multiple guests at each Supra I attended, here is what I learned (with a few of my observations thrown in, of course):

A Supra is a traditional Georgian feast. The amount of food and drinks that are available during a Supra is unbelievable. The food is literally piled high on a table that seems to have no end. Guests sit for hours eating and drinking. It is not uncommon for a Supra to last until the wee hours of the morning. People may end up playing games, dancing, or in our case, listening to Emet play guitar (yeah!).

Each Supra is led by a Tamada or toastmaster. On large occasions, such as a wedding, the Tamada is chosen by the guests in advance. If the Supra is more intimate, say 20 people in someone's home, the host may take on the role. The Tamada must be an eloquent speaker, able to command the attention of the guests, and hold his liquor. Each Tamada has a "second". This man's responsibility is to add to or enhance the toast. He is never to initiate a toast without the Tamada's permission. When the Tamada begins a toast, the men stand. From my observation, they have a hefty amount of alcohol at each toast! Imagine the size of a juice glass filled with wine or liquor and downing it with each toast. It is considered a "sin", whether man or woman, to be at the table during a toast with an empty glass. As you can imagine, the night gets fun pretty quickly.

The few Supras I have attended, the Tamada toasted many, many times throughout the night. By the end of the evening, they had toasted each guest, people who have passed away, and Georgian historical events and even the beauty of the language. I have learned a great deal about the people who are with us at the Supras and about Georgia!

The last Supra we attended was at one of Emet's co-worker's dacha (thanks Jeff for helping me with the spelling!). A dacha is a second home away from the city. It is a place to get away for the weekends or the summer and avoid the heat and smog of Tbilisi. Georgians are big on clean air. My crazy idea is that if everyone stopped smoking, the air would be much cleaner in Tbilisi. But once again, I digress.

This dacha was adorable! It had a fireplace, an open oven (literally) in the kitchen where shashlik was cooking, a wine cellar/house out back, and was on the edge of a river. It was gorgeous!

These are some of Emet's colleagues. I don't know if you can see how much food was left on the table, but this was hours after everyone had finished eating.

So get those wine glasses ready and think of wonderful things to say...we may not do it completely Georgian style (I can't just sit all night and listen to my man talk!), but I am excited about having Supras in Virginia!

Conflict of Interest

2010-12-14T04:12:00.001-05:00

So we went to a friend's house for dinner the other night and they ordered pizza from a place called Fantastiko. Now I don't want to mislead you. Being a Jersey girl who lived in NYC for a few years, this really isn't my idea of pizza. However, I was once told by a good friend that pizza is pizza and bad pizza is still good and better than no pizza.

Anyway, when the delivery man showed up he told us that we shouldn't order from Fantastiko anymore and he shoved a menu for another pizza place at us.

The next day, Emet said the same thing happened at his office. This delivery guy has got a deal going on! Wonder what he gets for selling out Fantastiko and giving the new place props? Free pizza, I guess.

Pass the Khachapuri, Please

2010-12-07T12:30:00.001-05:00

I took some pictures of typical Georgian food for your viewing pleasure! When I first moved here, I did not care for any of it. The longer I live here, I find that there are a few things I like. By the time we leave Georgia, I may have developed actual cravings....hmmm, we'll see.

Every meal starts with Puri (bread)

Khinkali: dumpling with meat, cheese, potato, or mushrooms inside. There is a certain amount of skill involved in eating these. You are supposed to hold it by the stubby end, take a bite and at the same time suck out all of the juices. After all of the juice is sucked out, then you can actually eat it. Unfortunately, no one told me this when I first tried it and I ended up with juice running down my chin and all over my shirt. It is fun to see this dish being brought out by the dozens to large tables of men drinking heavily. Many people believe that Khinkali and alcohol go hand and hand.

Kabob: a flour-like tortilla (called levash) wrapped around semi-fried beef in the shape of a long rod. Not your momma's kabob.

Khachapuri: This is a Georgian staple. It is a pastry-like dough filled with melted Georgian cheese (called sulguni). There are so many different ways of making this, so it is different at every restaurant. There are also different versions based on the region of the country.

This is Adjarian Khachapuri: the bread is made into a boat shape and then filled with cheese and baked multiple times. Right before they bring it to your table, they put a raw egg and a pat of butter on top. The proper procedure for eating this kind of khachapuri is to stir it immediately upon arrival so that the egg cooks...that is how extremely hot it is!

Lobio: The word for beans in Georgian is lobio. When you order lobio in restaurants, these kidney beans come stewed in a clay pot. People eat it plain or with their puri. They use some different spices and it is pretty tasty.

M'tsvadi (Shashlik in Russian): This is what we think of as shish kabob in America. You can get chicken, pork, beef, or veal. You can often see people BBQing this on the street as well. It is customary to remove the meat from the skewers with one piece of bread. This bread then has all of the juices from the meat and therefore considered a delicacy.

Water: Not as simple as one might think. There is water with gas and without gas. Within the 'gas family' of water, there are three kinds: Nabeghlavi, Likani, and Borjomi. The difference between these three waters is their level of saltiness.

Salate Kitri da Pomadori Nicoisi: Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Walnut Paste. Yummy!

Badrijani: Grilled Eggplant stuffed with walnut paste (there are a few versions of how this is prepared, but usually have similar ingredients). Eggplant is used in many dishes...too bad I don't like it.

Georgian Lemonade: The best part about ordering lemonade is when the server asks, "what flavor?" There is pear, tarragon, and lemon. The lemon tastes like 7 up on a sugar high. The tarragon resembles a radioactive by-product, so I refuse to drink it.

Lemon Flavor:

Tarragon Flavor:

So although I may be beginning to like some of the Georgian food, the one thing I will not get used to is the smoke filled restaurants. When I come home from a dinner out, I smell my clothes and hair and am reminded of my many nights spent in bars (does this sound bad?). I rush to take a shower and hang my clothes outside to air out (my old trick of putting all my clothes in the dryer with a dryer sheet does not work since we don't have a dryer!). However, if you go out early enough, you can avoid some of the smoke.

I tried to capture the smoke lingering in the air...not sure if you can see it, but believe me, it was there.

How Long Do Vibes Last?

2010-12-04T09:29:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, Emet's friend Jonathan came to visit--such fun! While he was here, we went on a day trip to Stalin's birth place. Traveling to Gori did not take very long, but we got to see beautiful landscape and lots of animals along the way. Not really being a history buff (this is a bit of an understatement, as my father-in-law might say), I walked around the Stalin museum wondering how someone's life ends up the way his did.

Stalin's Death Mask

We saw the train he used to travel the country.

This was Stalin's house when he was a child. His entire family lived in this small room.

As Lucas laid on the bed where Stalin slept, I became a bit unnerved. Are Stalin's vibes still there? Will they seep into Lucas' skin, penetrating his soul? OK, maybe a bit dramatic, but really these were the thoughts that ran through my mind as I hurried Lucas off the bed.

Before we continued our journey, we stopped for lunch. I love going to restaurants outside of Tbilisi...you never know what kind of experience you will have. Being a former vegetarian, I tried my best to ignore all of the animals on display.

Just a little down time, before our food arrived.

We then drove about 15 minutes to Uplistsikhe. This is considered one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia.

We paid our entrance fee and hired a guide. He spoke a bit of English, but I had a very hard time understanding him. It was obvious he had created a "script" because if we asked a question, he would get all flustered as if we disrupted his place in the script and was unsure if he would be able to find his place again. We were able to put together some information from our guide and he charged us much less than other tour guides because he told us that he didn't have "60 Lari English only 40 Lari English".

It was fascinating to see how people built their homes on the edge of these cliffs. They had sewer streets, a well, pagan temples, a theater....

This is the temple at the top of the hill.

Doesn't this look like a face (profile)?

Since my return to Tbilisi, I learned about a legend that the slaves who built the town were given an axe of gold, with an iron end. The harder they worked, carving the buildings out of the sandstone rocks, the earlier they were left with a piece of pure gold. Disclaimer: I have no idea if this is true or not.

Click it or Ticket

2010-12-01T13:14:00.005-05:00

I may have mentioned in previous posts about the crazy, zig-zag, make you dizzy way of driving here. I know I told you all about the fact that the white lines on the roads are optional. Did I also happen to mention that NO ONE wears a seat belt?

Beliefs about seat belts, as told by Georgians:

1. If you put on a seat belt, you are drawing attention to yourself. Obviously, you must be drunk or impaired in some other way. Don't do it, you will just get in trouble with the police.

2. If you are a passenger in a car and reach for your seat belt, you have just insulted the driver. You are insinuating that the driver is unfit to drive. You might as well just get out of the car if you make the mistake of reaching for your seat belt. It won't be a pleasant ride.

Well, as of today, December 1st, all people in the front seats of cars must wear their seat belts. If they are pulled over and not wearing one, it is a 40 Lari fine.

Hooray! I have tried to teach some of my Georgian friends the phrase "click it or ticket"...I don't think they get it though. They do, however, get a laugh from watching me attempt to act it out.

Next step: No more babies between the driver's legs.

Care to Join Me for a Night Out?

2010-11-16T22:54:00.002-05:00

In the entire country of Georgia, there are only two McDonald's.

I will pause for a minute, so you can catch your breath.

Yes, only 2. In the entire country.

It is actually one of the things I love about Georgia. It is not littered by fast food chains and Starbucks coffee shops. But I digress.

Both McDonald's are located in Tbilisi...which is a far drive for a Georgian who is living outside the city limits and craving a Big Mac. Since it is considered a nice restaurant, people dress up while they dine on their burgers and fries. It is also relatively expensive!

Ronald McDonald speaks everyone's language.

If I ate McDonald's everyday, would I look as beautiful and seductive as she does? I think not.

A bit racy for a tray liner, huh?

Trick or Treat!

2010-11-14T10:12:00.001-05:00

I love yearly traditions. I love routines. So, as you can guess, moving across the world kinda threw off all of my carefully constructed routines a bit.

Every Halloween for the last few years, we sat outside with our neighbors and had a big feast while we passed out candy. We brought out chairs, coffee tables, etc....and snuggled in for a night of chatting and commenting on little kid's costumes.

In Georgia, people don't celebrate Halloween. In fact, it is considered sacrilegious by most. At school, we could not do anything Halloween related. Although not the same as our Sweethorn bash, we went to the US Embassy to trick or treat around the offices and play a few games in the lobby. On the actual day of Halloween, we went to a friend of AL's for a party. The kids had a blast.

Here is one of the rooms from the party....they used black light!

Lucas has worn the same Spider-man costume for 2 years now. Not for Halloween, mind you, but just so he could fight all of the evil lurking around our house. The costume started off way too big for him two years ago. Now he doesn't wear anything underneath it in order for it to still fit. I use the term fit loosely...really it is bordering on inappropriate. So when my mom came to visit, she brought another Spider-Man costume. Yeah! So Lucas was a comfortable Spidey for Halloween.

This opened the door for Aidan, who was never allowed to wear the Spider-Man costume. He has a Batman costume, but really, is it as exciting as the Spider-Man costume his brother has been saving the world with for the last two years? Luckily, it fit Aidan and he decided to dress as Spider-Bat. He wore the Spider-Man costume, the Batman cape, and one Spider-Man sock and one Batman sock. The best part about it was his level of pride and confidence as people tried to guess what he was!

Yes, She Saw My....

2010-11-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

Day 2 Dr. Visit:

Remember the L-O-N-G conversation about what time I should arrive for my appointment? Remember in the end I was told to come at 9:30? Yeah, well, I should have known better.

The Dr. walked into the clinic at 10:14 -no mention of the time or being late (Georgians are notorious for not keeping to a scheduled time). I walked into the exam room and the first thing she said to me was, "OK, I want to see your cervix."

We have moved up in the world!

I looked around for a gown, and saw nothin'. I waited a few seconds thinking she might leave the room. Instead, she just stood there with this disgusted look on her face as if I was wasting her time by not getting undressed. She finally led me to a bed and handed me feet coverings. I asked her what I should take off and she said everything from the bottom down, but not my socks. So as she watched me, I undressed. I started laughing hysterically when I put on the blue booties because now I had to walk across the room to the exam table half naked, with these ridiculous looking blue booties covering my socks. It struck me as so funny that she insisted I wear booties, but could care less if all else was exposed for "everyone" to see.

I climbed up on the table, still laughing. The Dr. then began to laugh. At one point she shook her head and mumbled something. I think she thought I was crazy. My laughter was quickly silenced when I realized that this exam table was different than American ones. As many of us so fondly know, the stirrups are where we place our feet. Here in Georgia, however, the stirrups go behind the back of your knee. As a result, your tush is completely elevated off of the table. I tried not to be self conscious as the Dr. continued to laugh.

Is that a Diet Coke on the exam tray?

Once that was complete, the Dr. chatted with me as I got dressed (a bit awkward, I might add) and then walked me to the ultrasound room (she decided she wanted an ultrasound of my thyroid).

I entered the ultrasound room and there were 2 women in there. One of them looked at me and said, "strip." Silly me, glanced around for a gown and automatically waited again for them to leave the room. No one made a move, so I just started taking off clothes. Once I was undressed, one of the women moved me around the bed about 100 times. The tech then emptied about half a tube of the ultrasound gel all over my chest and neck. As she was working her magic with the wand, I heard the door open and a man walked in. At this point my back was to him, so I was only a bit flustered. He then walked towards me and stood in front of me, talking to the ultrasound tech.

Really?

Since I was half naked, I tried to cover up with my arms, but just ended up getting cold gel everywhere! I think I uttered something in a panicked state and the man just looked at me blankly and muttered, "It is OK, I am a Dr." He continued the conversation with the tech and then walked out. Oh, how I wished I had a gown. At least then I could have used it to wipe up all of the blue goop that was now on my chest, neck, face, and arms. Ugh.

Luckily, nothing exciting happened at the blood draw. It has been five days and I am still waiting on my results. When I called the Dr. on Tuesday, she told me I should come in to see her. When I asked if she had my results yet, she said no. Did she just want to have lunch with me? Maybe see my uterus? I didn't negotiate, argue, or try to understand...I just told her that I would wait to see her until she had all of my blood tests back.

Wonder how long that will take? If it goes past 2 weeks, I may try to bribe her. A peek at my fallopian tubes for my test results. Think it will work?

You'll See My What Tomorrow???

2010-11-05T23:52:00.023-04:00

PARENTAL ADVISORY: The post you are about to read contains mature content that may not be suitable for all audiences. You must be at least 18 years of age to continue reading and you must agree that you are not offended by mature content. If you enjoy mature content, keep reading!

The other day was the first time I visited a Dr. here in Tbilisi....I wanted some lab tests done because I think my thyroid meds need to be adjusted. Little did I know what was in store for me!

I entered the clinic, which was a beautiful center. I walked over to the reception counter and told one of the three women sitting behind the big desk I was here for my appointment. She did some fancy moves on her computer and took my ID. She told me to step to the woman to her left, so I slid my stuff down the counter and waited while this new receptionist wrote up a receipt for me. This new woman then told me to go to the woman at the far end of the counter to pay. I wanted so badly to comment on how they could streamline this process, but I didn't. Instead, I quietly paid my 50 Lari ($28) for my consultation.

This was the reception desk--you can see how silly I probably looked shuffling back and forth between these three women.

After about a five minute wait, the doctor (gyn.) came out to greet me. She took me to her office which has a desk and all of the accoutrements of an exam room.

When I scheduled my appointment, I asked for an English speaking doctor, so luckily her English was pretty good. She began by asking me about my history...all of the normal stuff-- age, how many pregnancies, etc... Then the conversation took an interesting turn. Here is how it went:

Dr.: What sexually transmitted diseases have you had (positive assumptions!)?

Me: None.

Dr: None? (please note the shocked tone) What about ____________ or ______________ (I had never even heard of these, so I can't even remember their names)

Me: I shake my head and say none (again).

Dr: Not even chlamydia?

Me: (now I am starting to doubt myself...can she see something I don't know about? Do I have some special mark just under my left eye that all Georgian doctors understand means your stricken with chlamydia?) I find myself stammering...um, no....nothing.....I think...I mean.....

Dr: Are you sure?

Me: Yes? I think I'm sure.

Dr: Wow.

Me: Wow?

Dr: Yes.

I feel a little off kilter by this conversation, but am ready to continue. All I want is lab work done, so I can tweak my medication if necessary. She then proceeds to tell me she needs to do an ultrasound of my vagina. I am here for my thyroid. How in the world will an ultrasound of my vagina give her the information we need? We go round and round...although she speaks English it is not the same as speaking to someone who is a native English speaker.

Finally, I agree to the examination. Sometimes it is just easier to get a pelvic exam than to continue a conversation. She tells me to get undressed. I ask to use the restroom before she begins. She looks at me and says, "Maybe you should come back tomorrow." I tell her I can go to the bathroom quickly and really it is in her best interest to allow me these few minutes. She shakes her head and our conversation continues:

Dr: Well, you should just come tomorrow and then we can do your blood work too. It is better to do it in the morning.

Me: So, I should be fasting?

Dr: Yes, I think that would be better. Do you have time tomorrow?

Me: (running through all that I would rather be doing tomorrow) sure, I can come tomorrow.

Dr: OK, how about 9 or 10?

Me: 9 would be great. I wake up around 6, so the earlier the better.

Dr: Or maybe 10?

Me: Oh, OK do you need me to come at 10?

Dr: Or you could come at 9.

Me: OK, I will come at 9.

Dr: OK, so you will come at 9 or 10 tomorrow.

Me: (in my head: AAAAHHHH!) Would you like me to come at 9 or 1o?

Dr: I think it doesn't matter- 9 or 10.

Me: Then I will come at 9.

The Dr. then walked me back to the reception desk and said, "So you will come at 9:30 tomorrow." I just nodded, completely dumbfounded, hoping that our interaction the next day would be less confusing. Then, instead of a standard handshake and goodbye, the Dr. nonchalantly said, "OK, I will see your vagina tomorrow." I am not sure what the appropriate response to that is--somehow "I will see your vagina tomorrow" just didn't feel right. I looked at her and then glanced at the 3 other people sitting within ear shot and nodded again.

Hanging Out with Omi

2010-11-02T20:21:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures from when my mom was here last week! We were in Vake Park, which is about 2 blocks from our apartment.

Susi, you are not in Kansas anymore...

2010-10-31T01:57:00.006-04:00

My mom came to visit (yeah!) and I took her to the Bazroba one afternoon. I posted awhile back about all the different shopping venues here, but thought I would finally add some pictures!

Fish in a box or a bucket...take your pick.

My mom thought these chickens were like the fake desserts some restaurants put on display. I tried to explain that there was nothing fake about these. She didn't want to believe me.

Lots of spices, flour, sugar, beans, and pasta

Eggs anyone?

I didn't take too many pictures of the other parts of the Bazroba due to the evil looks I was receiving each time I snapped a photo, but there are many places to buy clothing, housewares, shoes, toys....

I Now Understand.

2010-10-27T01:12:00.008-04:00

I teach 5th grade at the same school my kids attend Kindergarten. I take the school bus (not the American idea of a school bus!) with my kids in the morning. Most afternoons, I take the school bus home with them too. This is very different than my 10-11 hour days as an assistant principal! We leave the house at 8:45 am - so nice after years of leaving the house by 6:45 am!

Teachers are hoarders. People joke, but real teachers see an item and ponder how they could use it in their classrooms. "Oh, you are not going to throw out that piece of lint, are you? I could use that to teach about the phases of the moon!"

I now understand why we get that rap.

I find myself saving everything, hoarding, and re-using constantly. For instance, the little yarn that another teacher lent me so I could prop my window open during the hot days of August is now the same yarn that is binding a book that one of my students wrote. Not sure what I will do when it is hot again--I guess I can steal one of Emet's shoe laces to hold open my window. When you don't have much, you use what you have. I imagine this is what it used to be like way back when. I guess, sadly, it is still like this in America in many school districts. I worked in such school districts most of my career, however, I could just run to Target to get what I needed for my classroom. The difference here...there is no Target (gasp!).

Here are a few shots of my classroom. I wish I had taken "before" pictures. Most of what is in my classroom, I brought from my attic. I brought over a 1000 books. I am excited to donate them to the school when we leave Georgia.

Every day, from 10:45 - 11:-00 the school stops for a break and a snack. Teachers and kids can come to this cafe to buy cakes, teas, and other delicacies.

At 12:30 every day, the entire English department and some of the Georgian department come together in this canteen to eat lunch. All students are given a hot homemade meal each day. The teachers eat lunch with their classes.

Flags from around the world are at the entrance of our school.

A view of the city from our school grounds.

There is a fish pond and a grassy area where kids can play at break time and at recess. It is beautiful!

A Castle with a View

2010-10-22T10:41:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago we went to Ananuri with some friends. In total, there were 8 kids (an 11 month old, six 5 year olds, and an 8 year old!) and 8 adults. Should I mention that we fit into two cars? Let's just say that legs and arms were intertwined by the time we got there. A bit awkward when I thought it was my leg I was scratching. Oops.

We climbed the castle and peeked in each and every room...even if there weren't any floors.

Amazing views seem to be the trend in Georgia.

Here is a view from inside the church.

After our tour of the grounds, we went down to the water and the kids (and the guys) enjoyed skimming (uh hum, throwing) rocks.

Lucas is pondering the big questions in life.

We left Ananuri and found a little place to eat lunch. As we all fell out of the cars, we saw a dog get hit by a speeding car. The awful noise the puppy made as it hobbled into the woods has not been forgotten. Anyway, I digress. This place was great because the kids could play in the fish pond and stay entertained while the adults chatted the afternoon away. They didn't even care that it was raining!

And the chickens roamed freely. I dare to ask...pets or lunch?

Here was the kitchen. At first, I was a bit worried...but I shouldn't have been. The food was delicious (except for the mushrooms. But they are never good. Anywhere.).

Nosy Neighbors

2010-10-14T23:28:00.005-04:00

We don't have a mailbox. I have heard there is a post office somewhere in the city....but I have no idea where. When you get a bill, it mysteriously appears on the ledge near the elevator. They don't bother with envelopes, so if you ever wondered how much your neighbor's gas bill is...you can just peek!

My Lane is Your Lane.

2010-10-09T11:07:00.008-04:00

There are many things that don't make much sense around here. For instance, there really aren't many rules of the road. There are white lines to delineate lanes, but no one uses them. Cars just drive where they please and honk their horns when they get too close to another car. You can imagine the symphony of horns that fills the air on any given day.

However, they do have one really good feature on the roads in Tbilisi. At most lights, there is a "countdown" so you know exactly how long you have until the light changes color. If you are smart, you can calculate how long you have to put on your make up, text a friend, or read the newspaper while you wait for the light to change. When the light is red, it counts down from 60 and then when the light turns yellow, it counts down from 3 (although most cars begin to drive when the light turns yellow). When the light is green it also has a countdown.

No more second guessing if you should speed up, slow down, or slam on your brakes....you know exactly how long you have until the light changes color! Brilliant.

Finding Family in a Far Away Land

2010-10-01T23:24:00.013-04:00

One of the hard things about moving overseas is leaving family and friends behind. However, as with anything there are always trade offs. Living in Georgia we can live a lifestyle we could not otherwise afford in Virginia. We live in "the city" and have a full-time nanny/housekeeper, Tamriko. The title of nanny/housekeeper does not seem to do justice for Tamriko. She has so quickly become part of our family and has adopted us into hers! Besides the fact that she does everything to make our lives better (clean our house, do all of our wash, make us dinner each night....all while taking our kids on hikes in the mountains when they are home from school), she is a genuinely kind and loving person. She loves AL and affectionately calls them, "her angels" or "little hooligans".

Did I mention that Tamriko also cuts hair?

The third day we were in Georgia, with my head still spinning, Tamriko whisked in with her two children (Giorgi, age 19 and Anna, age 21) and took AL to the zoo. I never thought that I would have felt comfortable enough to send my kids with three strangers on an afternoon outing after being in a country for three days...but I did. 'Nuf said?

Her kids are amazing also. Giorgi drives us places when we need a ride (and he happily learned how to use the car seats!). He also will accompany us into stores and help us translate or search for items we must have at that moment (and never makes fun of us). Anna will come over just to spend time with AL and keep her mom company while she works.

One day a few weeks ago, Giorgi and Anna took AL and I to Mtsminda Park. Although the power went out at the park and we couldn't go on any rides, we had a great time.

Aidan and Lucas love rough housing with Giorgi.

This is Anna with AL

Who needs rides when you have a water fountain?

After leaving the park, a bit disappointed, we went on a small city tour. Anna has a job as a tour guide, so she had a lot of information to share!

This is the Holy Trinity Cathedral (also known as Sameba--which is Georgian for Trinity). This is the main Georgian Orthodox Christian cathedral and it was only built a few years ago (between 1995-2004). It is the largest religious building in all of Georgia.

Inside the church, people light candles and say prayers

Sitting under an olive tree with Anna outside of the church...

Freecycling Bread

2010-09-29T23:23:00.004-04:00

In Georgia, the bread is very inexpensive. A loaf costs about 70 Tetri - 1 Lari (about $0.38 - $.055). I think the reason it is so cheap is because they don't add any preservatives or artificial junk. This also means that it lasts only a few days before getting moldy. But since it is so inexpensive, I am OK if we aren't able to eat a whole loaf in two days...we can buy another one!

However, in Georgia people believe that if you throw out your old bread, God will never provide you with bread in the future (or the ability to buy it). So people put their old bread in plastic bags and hang them on the sides of the trash cans. The bread on the trash cans is free game...farmers take it to use with their chickens, people less fortunate use it to feed their families, etc...

On any given day, you can see bread hanging from the trash cans.

And You Thought Walking Home Wasn't Exercise....

2010-09-23T12:26:00.005-04:00

"They" are in the process of digging up every inch of the sidewalks near our house. It is a bit of a challenge to walk to and from our apartment. Will there be huge holes? Exposed wires? Long cables? Piles of gravel? You never know what you will find. If I am by myself, I just walk in the narrow street and hope the cars whizzing by have good enough drivers that they won't hit me. The trouble is, I am rarely alone. Walking with AL is a little trickier. They seem to love walking this path...but I do worry they may fall in a hole, etc...

Well, they'll be finished digging soon, right? Right...

Here are some pictures of our street.

Did I mention the picture above is our bus stop?

The House with 24 Chairs

2010-09-21T22:57:00.007-04:00

Tbilisi is a big city that is separated into "neighborhoods"--we live in Vake, which is kind of like the Manhattan of NYC (without the good bagels and pizza).

Our apartment is great (except for the fact that we don't have a dryer, dishwasher, or garbage disposal...minor details)! I think it might be bigger than our townhouse in Fairfax.

We live on the 6th floor. There is only one other apartment on our floor. When you first walk into our place, this is the hallway--it is huge. Often, it turns into a raceway for matchbox cars. If you turn left, there is the kitchen. If you turn right, you can go into the bedrooms. If you go straight through the double doors, you will be in our living room.

Here is our kitchen. The whole wall is windows and doors. Fantastic sunlight--which is very rare in Georgian apartments, so we are lucky!

While eating at the table, this is my view. I love looking out at the mountain!

When you round the corner of the kitchen, this is our formal dining room. The door slides open to close off the living room...but we never use it. You can also see AL's "teaching area" with their couch, big books, book bins, and alphabet charts.

A view of our living room from the dining room.

I am standing in the living room taking a shot of our computer area and a distant view of our dining room.

This is the hallway bathroom, better known as The Man Throne. Emet named it the first day we moved in and AL really think that is what it is called.

Hallway to the bedrooms:

Here is AL's room:

This is the bathroom in the master bedroom:

This is the master bedroom. I was going to make some funny comment about what goes on in here, but then remembered my mom reads this blog.

Here is the guest room. Look how empty and lonely it looks....COME VISIT!

Every bedroom has a balcony. We really only use it to dry our laundry though.

The guest bathroom/AL and Emet's bathroom:

One of the first mornings we were in our new apartment, I woke up and shuffled to the bathroom and was thrown back by the stench that came from somewhere within. It was beyond awful! It was a cross between rotten eggs and a large sewer plant. We called our landlord and quickly learned all about sewer gas and the piping system in Georgian apartments. There are drains on the floor of every bathroom. Some people close them off because the smell is so bad. We were told to add water to the drain every day. If we forget for one day, we are back to the cocktail of rotten eggs and sewer plants.

Stuff Happens.

2010-09-17T09:41:00.005-04:00

We went out to breakfast last weekend at this little bakery called Entree. The best part of the whole meal was when we went downstairs to use the restroom. We came upon this door...

For some reason, I found it so funny. Stuff Only. What else would you put in the closet? I am appreciative that so many places try and incorporate English on their signs, menus, etc...but I always get a chuckle when they spell things incorrectly. It is always funny though when they make a word they were never intending to use. I wonder if the workers at Entree think they are called Stuff Members?

On the way back, we saw this neat little garage!

How Time Flies...

2010-09-14T23:14:00.009-04:00

Did I ever mention that Lucas weighed 6 lbs. 3 oz when he was born? Did you know that Aidan weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz when he entered the world?

And now....weighing a few more pounds, my little tiny babies are in Kindergarten!

The first few days, we took a taxi to and from school because the school didn't have the buses sorted out yet.

Here is the entrance to New School. It is an international school with most of the students being instructed in Georgian and about 100 students taught in English. Although Aidan and Lucas are part of the English side, I think they are the only students who only speak English. All of the other students speak at least 2-3 languages ...if not more!

This is the building that houses the Kindergarten classroom. In this building, you will find the English and Georgian Kindergarten, the English 1st grade, and the English Preschool.

Here is their classroom!

Aidan and Lucas with Ms. Christine, their teacher

Where Do We Buy Our Groceries, You Ask?

2010-09-14T12:18:00.009-04:00

Many of you have asked where we buy our groceries. Here is the scoop:

If we need something quick and just want to run out and go around the corner, we go to Populi (pronounced Po-Puh-Lee). This is kind of like a 7-11. Things are a bit more expensive, but the convenience is sometimes worth it.

To buy any of our fruits or veggies, we buy at the local stands. I use the term stands lightly, but we get amazing stuff and for really cheap! The tomatoes here are the most delicious I have EVER eaten. I literally eat tomatoes for lunch and dinner every day. Here is an example of one of the many vendors in the city. On any city block, we can find at least 3-4 fruit/veggie sellers. It took me a few weeks to get over the food being in bins on the sidewalk and the condition of the buildings they were attached to....but I am over it now.

Here are some fruits and veggies I bought the other day. I bought all of this for about 11 Lari (which is about $6)

Now to do our BIG shopping trip, we go to a place called Good Will (ha!). This is like a regular supermarket. They have a deli counter (even though I can't tell you what half of the stuff is behind the glass) and aisles and aisles of food. Many of the items they sell are German, which usually means they are much more expensive than the Georgian alternative.

I also have been going to the Bazroba on the weekends to buy our rice, oatmeal and pasta. The Bazroba is an open air market with shops and vendors winding in and out of every crevasse in this one area of town. I can get 1 kilogram of rice, oatmeal or pasta for 1 Lari and 80 Tetri (this is about $1). In Good Will, 500 grams of rice (1/2 a kilo) cost anywhere from 8 - 12 Lari ($4.40-$6.60). So look at the savings! And really it is a fun place to go and people watch. I will have to take my camera next time and snap a few photos.

The last thing that is important to know about shopping in Tbilisi is VAT (value added tax). They add VAT to anything you buy--like sales tax. However, VAT in Tbilisi is 18%. Luckily, we each have a diplomat card that exempts us from paying VAT. We can use the card in grocery stores, restaurants, etc....The bad news is that we can't use it with the fruit and veggie guy down the street or at the Bazroba. Bummer. The good news is that Aidan and Lucas each have their own card, so they can go on shopping sprees and never have to pay VAT. Thank goodness.

A Good Samaritan

2010-09-03T14:48:00.006-04:00

Being a good samaritan isn't all it's cracked up to be.

We met this nice woman and her two girls on our flight back from Italy. We chatted with them for a while and the kids compared stories about starting Kindergarten. When we were in the airport, Emet took AL to the bathroom and I waited by the escalator with our luggage. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that one of the little girls we were just talking to was reaching in between the two escalator's handrails (there was an up escalator on the right and a down escalator on the left--see photo below).

It was obvious that she was frustrated. I walked over to see if I could help. Her stickers had fallen in between the two escalators (where the two sets of handles came together). Ok, easy enough. I mean, they were her stickers...I couldn't leave them there! I reached in between the handrails and that is when hell broke loose. I quickly realized that I was actually moving up the escalator on the handrail with one side of my body. Yet, the other side of my body was being pushed down by the handrail of the down escalator. I remember some man yelling, "OH MY GOD!" as he tried to grab my leg and pull me off this insane ride I was on. Somehow I threw my body over the edge of the up escalator onto the down escalator, loosing a shoe in the process.

Good news: I got the stickers.

Moral of the story: Stickers are not important...leave them if they fall between escalator handrails.

Here is what a being a good samaritan looks like about 2 hours after you do your good deed.

Sun, Sand, and Surf...It Doesn't Get Any Better!

2010-08-29T00:35:00.009-04:00

Emet suggested the last part of our Italy vacation be spent on the beach! Yippeee! We took a short train ride over to Viareggio, a beach town on the Italian Riveria. We stayed in Hotel Eden (pronounced Aidan!) where if all four of us were standing up at the same time in the room, there wasn't really enough room for us to turn around. However, since we spent most of our time on the beach, it was all good.

Being a Jersey girl, I thought I had mastered the art of going down the shore. Before each summer, I scoured the stores for the perfect beach chair. It had to recline in just the right positions, be a certain height from the sand....I know you probably don't believe me, but I had a lot of criteria for my beach chair. Once we got to the beach, it was important to find the perfect location to set up for the day. Now that I have kids, the definition of the "perfect location" has changed a bit. Now, it is essential for me to be close to the water so that my kids can play and I can sit comfortably and watch them. I don't go in the water. It skeeves me out.

Our first day on the beach was a bit of a surprise. I was excited to see that we could rent a chair, a beach bed (aka lounge chair), or an umbrella. However, I noticed quickly that all of the chairs and umbrellas were in completely straight lines along the beach. It didn't look like there was any choice at all to location. After some hyperventilating, we rented two beach beds because they were closest to the water. We set up our toys, drinks, and snacks and tried to move our beds closer to the water. Big mistake. It was as if an alarm went off. The lifeguard came running over and moved our chairs back. He even flipped the back of the chair back up that was in front of us, so we could not see beyond it. I guess he didn't care if we watched AL in the water. That is what he gets paid for, I think? That and ensuring the chairs and beds are all in perfect order.

The first day we were on the beach, we were approached by many people selling different items. Toys, jewelry, towels, massages. Emet couldn't resist. He got a full-body 50 minute massage while relaxing on his beach bed. He said it was one of the best massages he has gotten! She then proceeded to come back daily asking if he wanted another one.

The other thing that struck me was people's comfort levels with their bodies. No matter their shape, size, or sagginess 97% of women wore bikinis...no matter their age. On our second day, I was surprised to see someone in a one piece bathing suit. As she passed me, I could hear snippets of her conversation with her friend. And I could understand her. That explained it. There were a fair amount of women who were topless as well. This doesn't bother me in the least--I understand the desire for no tan lines! I think it is funny though that AL didn't even notice! (I will make no comment of Emet here). The part that I thought was interesting was the kind of activities these women took part in while sunbathing topless. My favorite by far was the 60+ woman who sat upright on her beach bed plucking her chin hairs.

We spent 4 days on the beach. Some days, Emet took AL back to the room because Operation No Nap is still not 100% successful. Some days, Aidan fell asleep on the beach bed. The last day before we left there was massive flooding due to all of the rain. We hung out in our peanut sized room and got out to walk around when we could. We also ate a fair amount of gelato during this entire vacation (ok, probably every day). That is a very good thing.

Tell me again, how many steps to the top?

2010-08-27T22:58:00.011-04:00

Our next stop in Italy was Cinque Terre, which is part of the coast of the Italian Riveria. It is made up of 5 villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore). Over centuries, people have built terraces on the steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. There are paths connecting the villages, but you can also take trains and boats to each one.

We stayed in Corniglia, which is the only village that is not directly adjacent to the sea (however, the picture below was a view from our balcony!).

Staying in Corniglia takes some planning. Since it is not located next to the sea, there are 33 flights of stairs one must climb to get to the village. I don't know about you, but that does not sound like a fun way to get home after a day of exploring the other villages. There is a bus that runs, but it is important to try to coordinate times coming in from the train to make sure you catch it. Otherwise, you might be up all night rubbing IcyHot on your calves.

The real reason we went to Cinque Terre was because Julene (my SIL) was getting married! It was the perfect location....quaint, beautiful, amazing food. Julene and Raymond looked so happy. They hosted many events that weekend (one of which included Lucas puking over the side of a boat). I was finally able to meet Emet's cousin, Tim, who lives in Italy. We also met some of Raymond's family and Aidan and Lucas got to spend time with their cousin, Kara! It was too short and we didn't want to leave. Below are some pictures of the wedding weekend.

Taking vows while overlooking the sea. Most of the villagers came to the wedding and surprised us by throwing rice at the end!

They promised not to shove the cake into each other's faces. No fun.

Once in the village, these narrow corridors are lined with houses, shops, and cafes.

Waiting for the train....AL, Kara, Emet, Raymond's sister's family, cousin Tim and his girlfriend.

It is all about the angles

2010-08-23T10:06:00.007-04:00

My kids didn't believe me that The Leaning Tower of Pisa was located in Pisa, Italy. They insisted that it was in Rome. It didn't matter what we said. I even checked out a book from the local library and read it to them every night for a week at bedtime. My mom, having climbed the 296 steps, tried telling them it was in Pisa. No luck. According to my children, it was in Rome. So what did we do? We took them to Pisa and made them walk around The Tower in 104 degree weather and then rubbed their noses in it. It felt great.

I have to admit that at first I was disappointed in the "leaning" of the tower. I thought it would be much more noticeable. We tried to take the famous picture where you hold up the tower with your hands, but because "the lean" was barely noticeable the pictures were not that impressive. The tower was also much smaller than I anticipated. I imagined it being a massive structure. It is more squat than massive.

Since it was so hot, everyone was thirsty and tired. Aidan sat on the lawn near The Tower and refused to move. He also refused to have his picture taken. Nancy (my MIL) and I dumped the boys at a cafe and decided to go shopping. We walked along souvenir row, and I cursed myself for not bringing some sort of rag to mop the massive amount of sweat from my face. At one point, I happened to look back at The Tower and this time it was really leaning! We spent all of our time standing too close to it to really see it lean! Damn. Lesson Learned.

Monica Ingalls Wilder

2010-08-18T04:06:00.006-04:00

For the last six years, my mornings always started the same way. I woke up entirely too early, stumbled to the bathroom, and then climbed back into bed with my BlackBerry. I then spent the next 20 or so minutes scrolling through and reading all of my emails. For me, it was not only an addiction, but also a serene way to start each day.

Then I moved to Tbilisi.

I was stripped of my BlackBerry when I left Virginia (understandably since it was given to me through my work). The first morning without it was rough. I sat shakily in bed wondering how to start my day. I needed my immediate fix....what emails did I receive, what was happening around the world, what about all of sites I subscribe to? My connection to others was lost. In the spirit of multi-tasking (waking up and reading emails), I had not a clue as to what to do. I had to maximize my time! I can't just lie in bed and ....wake up slowly! Needless to say, I walked the two feet to the living room and booted up Emet's laptop so that I could connect with the world. But it just didn't feel the same.

That was back in July. We then went to Italy for a few weeks where we did not have Internet. When we returned to Tbilisi, we moved apartments and have not had Internet since we moved on August 5th. Over the last two weeks, the withdrawal symptoms have worsened--chills, sweats, sleeplessness, nausea. Luckily, our Internet was restored late yesterday (after many, many visits from the telephone company, Internet company, and our landlord's son). Magically my symptoms have disappeared!

I have rejoined the world. It might not be from the comfort of my bed while cradling my BlackBerry, but I am here. Ready to post about life in Tbilisi.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

2010-07-21T03:49:00.004-04:00

So we are sitting in the Munich Airport waiting for our flight to Pisa. We left home at 2:00 am, hopped on a 4:00 am flight from Tbilisi to Munich, landed at 5:55 am (Munich time), and will depart at 10:40 am. I think I am really starting to get the hang of traveling with kids! Right now we are monopolizing a corner with all of our belongings spread out across the floor. All is good.

I can't believe it has only been a little over a week since we moved to Georgia! Here are a few things I have learned:
1. Always go to the bathroom before you leave the house. You never know if there will be a toilet or how strong the stench will be....so better to be safe than sorry (did I mention that Lucas pooped outside at the park the other day? I won't even go into it...)
2. If you go out to eat early enough, no one else is in the restaurant. Literally, no one.
3. When you move (or maybe even visit) a foreign country, it could take one's stomach a few days or even weeks to adjust.
4. The water can shut off at any given time for an undetermined amount of time. Please refer to number 3 and you can imagine how quickly this situation could turn into a nightmare.
5. In order to do well in a foreign country, you must be a good mathematician. Celsius/Farenheit, 24 hour clock/12 hour clock, Lari/Dollar... I am working on a little cheat sheet to carry around with me. I can't do that much thinking in one day.

Our plane is about to board, and I am excited to see my sister in law marry the man she loves this weekend. I will post more when I return to Tiflis (Tbilisi in European speak).

A Peek Into My Chaos

2010-07-18T15:52:00.003-04:00

Just in case you didn't get to see the mess that I called my house the last month before I left, here are a few shots....but really these don't do it justice.

Imagine having to split all of your belongings into 3 piles: storage, air shipment, and luggage to take on the plane. Sounds easy peasy, right? WRONG. The hardest part was determining what we would need right away in Georgia (air shipment is not scheduled to come until weeks after we arrived in Georgia), what we wouldn't need for a year and could be put in storage (we really don't need that stainless steel ice crusher, right?), and what we thought we could use while living overseas (no negotiating, the triple layer cupcake holder is coming). Throw in a wedding in Italy and a beach vacation before getting our air shipment and that all equals too many decisions for one person to make. But I made them. I have no idea what ended up in each pile, or which piles the movers actually put in storage or in the air, but looking back now....I am pretty sure we'll be OK no matter what pile we receive in a few weeks.

...and she's BACK!

2010-07-18T14:14:00.006-04:00

As promised, here I am! I know it has been rough for the 3 of you to be kept waiting, so I apologize. I just needed a mental health week after the last 10 months....and I have enjoyed every... last... lazy... minute!

So to recap for you, just in case my being away this last week made my whining a forgotten memory, here it goes: Emet moved to Tbilisi, Georgia in August of 2009. He still works for Chemonics, but is now a USAID contractor. USAID is a US government organization (part of the state department) based in Washington D.C. When people ask me why we are moving to Georgia my response is, "my husband is engaged in some really cool stuff to help make Georgian schools better."

If you are interested in a more technical response please see below. However, if you think my answer cuts the mustard, you can skip all the red text!

USAID’s Georgia Education Management Project is a three-year activity that aims at better management capacity and improved policy in the education sector by establishing an education management program for administrators supported by necessary financial and administrative policy reforms.

Objectives:

• Improve the long-term capacity of Georgian institutions to better manage the education system and lead its transformation; and

• Ensure the effectiveness of education policies on management, finance, and accreditation by supporting the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES), MoES educational agencies, and Education Resource Centers (ERCs).

So, we made the flight thanks to my friend Sarah who so calmly jammed all 14 suitcases into her car. She then stood in 3 different lines with us to check our bags while my kids wrestled on the floor. In anticipation of the L-O-N-G flight, I let them wrestle. Right there in line. At one point, I did ask Sarah if she thought it was OK....but really what is she going to say? I was teetering on the edge of a breakdown. She did great holding me together! I have to say checking our luggage was the most stressful part of the whole trip. Once we boarded the plane, we hung out, drew some pictures, used some paint (oops, the tray tables may have gotten a smidge of paint on them!) and then AL went to sleep. I can never sleep on flights, but since the kids were asleep the world was a happy place. I had to wake them up to land. We met the nicest man while traveling and he kind of adopted us. He told my kids when to walk faster, directed us where to go to get our boarding pass in Munich, and carried some of our luggage up and down the stairs. I was very happy to meet him! He claims to be a Georgian celebrity of sorts, so I look forward to seeing him on TV. Anyway, we only had 1 hour before our next plane boarded and then just a 3 1/2 hour flight before landing in Tbilisi! Where was this flight in March???!!!???

All in all, I am thrilled to be a family in one place again. Seeing my 3 men smiling because we are all together made the last 10 months seem a little farther in the distance...

Silence, Please!

2010-04-17T15:32:00.003-04:00

There is something to be said for understanding how to work with 4 year olds. I am not saying I could do it...for even 20 minutes (in a row, that is). However, if you sign up to coach, it might be nice if one of the questions they ask is, "have you ever been in contact with anyone under the age of 7?"

Today at T ball, there was a substitute coach. I give him a lot of credit. 10 four year olds can be rough. He quickly realized that he would be wasting a lot of time by waiting for kids to move to their places in the "field" (aka: gym) So instead he took matters into his own hands. He just began picking the kids up and moving them to exactly where he wanted them!

In 45 minutes, he taught them how to throw the ball and hit the ball. He also taught them important ball player qualities such as: how to stay silent for most of the 45 minutes and how to run laps as "punishment". For instance, the coach asked if the kids wanted to attempt batting one more time. About half of the kids said no. That answer cost every kid 2 laps. But like all good coaches, when his players outplayed him, he dropped and gave them 10. The hysterical part was that his challenge was so above their heads, most of them dropped and tried to do push ups with him.

Really, it was kind of funny. I am not sure he thought it was funny though. I imagine he went home and had a few shots of tequila.

My Life in a Nutshell

2010-04-10T16:08:00.003-04:00

Today was a typical day in my life. It was the first day of T-ball for AL. I had gotten them each a pair of baseball pants at my last consignment sale, and had gone out yesterday to buy them baseball gloves. After one of my parents at school gave me the lesson on how to buy a baseball glove (which I had no idea!), I headed to the store. I stood in the aisle forever. There were so many of them! Some of them were SO expensive! Would they even like baseball? Finally, I picked out two that I thought would fit. I had no idea there were so many sizes.

Of course they did not fit. So this morning we had to the go the store once again to try and find gloves that worked. However, leaving the house was not so easy. A only wanted to watch TV and L's shirt was "too crunchy" and his socks "tickeled" (which means massive melt down). We finally got out of the house (with L wearing the same shirt and socks, by the way) and rushed to the store. We tried on various gloves, all of which were "uncomfortable" and I paid way too much money for each one. We had 10 minutes to get to a place that was 18 minutes away. Oh well.

We pulled up to the school and I parked near the baseball field. There was one other mom there with her little girl. No one else. So we chatted and our kids ran around the bases, but it was so disappointing. After 20 minutes or so, we headed over to the playground. A gentleman saw our gloves and asked us if we are here for t-ball....if so, it is in the gym.

Now I ask you--who in their right mind plays t-ball in a gym? It is a beautiful day and they want to be in the gym? By the time we get there, we have about 6 minutes left in class. AL didn't get to bat this time, but they fielded. Well, I should say they tried to field. No matter where the ball was hit, they ran towards it. As L got closer to the ball, he would dive for it. If he was alone this might be perceived as athletic. However, the five other 4 year olds did not anticipate that he would be diving each time he came within 10 feet of the ball, so they usually tripped over him. It usually ended in a big pile of kids.

By the last few minutes of class, both AL wised up. Since they would be on the floor once the ball was hit anyway, why not get closer to start. Really, it is much less work!

Wake up, Mommy....We Need to Get Our Shoes On!

2010-04-10T15:54:00.003-04:00

This is how I woke up last Sunday morning, two days after traveling around the globe. Jetlagged and not really sure what time it was (5:48 am I quickly realized), I glanced at L and was trying to imagine why we needed to get our shoes on.

"The Easter bunny always hides eggs. We have to find them!" How in the world did he remember that from last year? I mean really, he can't remember to hang up his coat, but he can remember that one year ago the Easter bunny hid plastic eggs for him to find? Oh, to be 4 again.

I had to explain to AL that the Easter bunny had to deliver many baskets, all over the world so he did not have time to hide our eggs yet. In reality, we were waiting for Kim to have our egg hunt! When she arrived, we ate chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and she took them outside to play while I did "wash" (aka hid the eggs).

Here is the letter the Easter bunny left for AL

AL and Charlotte, Kim's new puppy, resting in the grass. I am not sure why Charlotte is so tired...she didn't even find any eggs!

Everyone Needs a "Kim" in their Lives

2010-04-10T15:25:00.003-04:00

After 27 hours of traveling, and A losing his mind in the customs line because he had to have milk, we were greeted by our good friend, Kim! She drove from Alexandria, stopped at my house to get our car seats (but really. do we even need these anymore?), and waited at the airport for us. Grabbing the luggage cart from L before he crashed once again into an unsuspecting traveler, she found a corner to chat with my boys while I searched for milk. I was so relieved to finally have another adult who could be responsible for my kids, even if for just two minutes.

We walked outside, stripped off a few layers (man, was it HOT!) and loaded the zillion bags into her jeep. AL were in a trance-like state and were not saying much at all. When we pulled into our driveway, Kim quietly whispered that the Easter bunny had paid a visit to our house. THE EASTER BUNNY! In all my worry about traveling and leaving Emet, I had completly forgotten!

On the kitchen table were two baskets, filled with chocolate and toys. My kids were thrilled! They couldn't believe the Easter bunny had come to our house while we were away. As they munched on chocolate Easter eggs, Kim showed me the bag she left for the next day. It was filled with Easter eggs chocked full of jelly beans. The mismatched eggs even had money in them. Oh, does she know my kids!

As much as Emet travels, Kim has been a part of so many firsts for AL. I probably couldn't name them all. She drives to my house in the middle of the night when I have to take one of them to the ER, she didn't say a word the first year (ok, maybe longer) when my house was a complete disaster, she understands when I just need time to get things done and she goes with Emet and AL to museums in DC, she knows my kitchen better than I do, and she ALWAYS just makes life a little easier.

I am so happy that it was Kim I cut in front of while waiting to move into our freshman dorm at GWU.

Uh Oh.

2010-04-04T21:25:00.003-04:00

We walked into the bathroom at the amusement park and Lucas said, "Mommy, we need to find you another bathroom. Girls can't pee in here." I reassured him and then made Emet come in to the woman's bathroom and explain to me the best way to handle this. Really, there was no good way. So I locked myself in the stall and took off my pants and underwear. I slung them over the door and prayed that no one would come in....another example of a silly American! This post is embarrasing enough...I won't tell you how it turned out. I will tell you, though, that 4 year olds are extremly smart.

It's Better Than Disney World!

2010-04-04T21:10:00.006-04:00

No lines whatsoever! Very inexpensive! Bumper cars for 4 year olds....what more can you ask for in an amusement park?

Those are not all clouds in the background....they are snow covered mountains! This was from the overlook of the amusement park--the whole city of Tbilisi is below.

This is what happens when Emet doesn't put his socks in the hamper. Needless to say, I have had to have one of these installed in our house. He spends many hours in here.

Aidan's first driving experience!

Lucas was so happy to ride even these dinky little rides!

Walking, Climbing, Walking....

2010-04-04T20:57:00.002-04:00

It seems like everywhere you look in Georgia there are stairs. I loved walking everywhere--it was so much better than having to get into a car! When we first arrived, Aidan hated walking...he complained with each step he took. Lucas loved it! He took every single step he could find and climbed each big rock he encountered. By the time we left, Aidan had changed his mind and was tackling all of the stairs as well!

*This picture was taken when we were walking back from Vake park on our way to dinner.

Nice People All Around...

2010-03-31T12:38:00.003-04:00

I have learned SO many things in the past two weeks. One notion I will carry back with me is that Georgians are REALLY NICE people. Plainly put, but true. They go out of their way to help carry your luggage, come to your rescue when in dire need of plastic forks, and help you practice a Georgian last name numerous times prior to an interview!

The most amazing thing to me is this....they love all kids, not just the ones they know. Complete strangers stare at AL. They reach over and tousle their hair. At first, we all pulled back in shock, but now we realize that kids are held in high regard (especially boys!). Today, we were walking through a bodega and a man reached over and tousled Lucas' hair and then grinned at Aidan. I think my kids will be spoiled when we return to the states!

Since we have been here we have hosted a party for all of the people that work with Emet, had an all day brunch with 2 American families that have lived in Tbilisi for many years, and spent a great deal of time with Misha, Emet's driver from work. Leaving here tomorrow, I am excited to return in July!

These are all of the people from Emet's work (plus their kids and AL).

Emet's Work

2010-03-31T01:07:00.006-04:00

The wonderful thing about living in Tbilisi is Emet can walk to work. No more commuting to D.C.! We walked with him to work yesterday and it took about 12 minutes. Keep in mind, we had AL with us, so it is probably faster alone!

Here is Emet in his office, behind his desk!

This is the view from one of the many balconies in Emet's office! What a great city view!

Every office has a picture and title of the person working in the office. How great is that? I think I am going to do that for the teachers at my school! Wouldn't that be cool!?

When you first walk into Emet's building, the USAID sign is right there!

It's Decided....We Have to Buy a Car

2010-03-30T00:39:00.002-04:00

So, our plan was to not have a car while living overseas. We were going to live close enough to Emet's work that he could walk each day. Most of the schools have transportation that pick up the kids at their houses and drop them off again. It is easy enough to catch a taxi if you need to go somewhere that is too far to walk. Employing a driver is also an option--not as expensive as it may sound. However, yesterday solidified for us that we have to buy a car.

Let's start at the beginning:
When we first got off the airplane, I unpacked the suitcases in the airport to get out the car seats for AL (short for Aidan and Lucas). We quickly realized that we can not all fit in a car if we use the car seats. So after the ride home from the airport, when I was basically sitting on the driver's lap, the car seats have been sitting in Emet's closet. We were left with seatbelting AL in the backseat with my arms across their chests, just in case. We have been taking Misha, Emet's driver from work, everywhere we go so far. He is a very cautious driver, so although I hate the no car seat deal, I at least feel like he is a safe driver. It is all the other drivers we need to worry about.

Yesterday everything changed. We were on the way down to the dry bridge to check out the artwork, so we hailed a cab. Before I could even buckle AL in, the cabbie was off. (^I must pause to mention that when I say "the cabbie was off" please create the mental image of a car zipping quickly into traffic. This image will be important later in the story). We tried telling him to stop, but he didn't listen. I then quickly realized that there were NO seat belts. When I asked, he tutted at me and wagged his finger and uttered something that sounded like "no, you don't need them."--only in Georgian. If I had an ulcer from not using car seats, no seat belts almost forced me into full on internal bleeding. I sat in between AL and securely fastened my arms across them. I am not sure what exactly that would do if we got into an accident, but it made me feel as if I could keep my vomit in the back of my throat instead of all over the seat. Thankfully, we arrived safely.

The ride back home is when we decided we would be buying a car, even if we used it only for small weekend excursions or to go to the "good" grocery store. Aidan got into the cab first. I told Lucas to wait, so I could get in next (I wanted to be in between them so I could employ my well-tested seat belt method). With the cab door still open, and Lucas half way in the car, the cab took off (^ please see note above regarding cabbies' approaches to re-entering traffic after picking up passengers). I screamed! Emet screamed! I held on to Lucas for dear life. The car was lunging into traffic and Lucas was not in the car! The car door slammed against Lucas' leg. Finally, the cab screeched to a halt when he realized what was going on. He felt really bad, but I honestly don't care. Enough. We need a car, so we can use car seats and seat belts and I don't have to be taken to the hospital for a bleeding ulcer.

Anyone know of anyone selling a car in Georgia?

**Clearly, this is not an instance where Lucas will re-enact the event just to get a picture for the blog. Sorry folks.

The Traffic Rules are Just Not the Same...

2010-03-28T03:12:00.002-04:00

This is the sidewalk where we are strolling. Not only do cars park on the sidewalk, they regularly jump the curb and drive down the sidewalk. Although they are careful of pedestrians, it is a new kind of awareness that is needed when going for a walk.

How to Easily Spot an American Living in Georgia

2010-03-28T03:05:00.003-04:00

1. On this day, it was about 65-70 degrees. We were wearing thin long sleeve shirts and pants--no jackets. We were really comfortable. I was amazed at how the Georgians dress on such a beautiful day! They wear their winter coats, hats, scarves....can you tell this little girl is wearing a down winter coat?

2. The second way to tell we are Americans is that we don't chain smoke. I am sure by the time I leave Georgia next year, this topic will have received its own posting...it is that bad.

3. As my kids happily run down the street, yelling and laughing, I glance around. Georgian children, of all ages, hold their parents' hands, walking silently next to them. Wow. Yes, we are LOUD Americans!

Emet's Building

2010-03-28T02:57:00.003-04:00

When you first walk into Emet's building, you see the guard post. Don't know if it means anything that the doorman sits in an enclosed box? I think they need a little help with decorating their lobby--empty concrete does not give off the feeling of warmth or welcoming.

This is Emet's front door....on the 6th floor....my tush better be great by the time I leave since the electricty seems to go out often (hence no elevator). Please don't be fooled by the light, it doesn't work. However, the exposed wires are a theme throughout Emet's apartment!

A Room with a View

2010-03-28T02:40:00.002-04:00

Here are some shots from Emet's apartment:

This is from the window in Emet's living room. Since we have no T.V., we sit on the couch and look out at the beautiful mountains.

**If you believe that, you don't really know us that well. :)

This view is from Emet's bedroom. I was trying to capture the hanging laundry. If you look out from his window, every balcony has a clothes lines and at different times in the day, there is hanging laundry out to dry.

There are many houses like this around Georgia. They are owned by the government and IDPs (Internally Displaced People) live in these houses. They are really run down and, in most cases, look vacant.

I Married a Man that Lived in a Mud Hut

2010-03-25T09:32:00.005-04:00

I admit that lack of sleep can really interfere with your sensibility. However, there are a few things that I know I need to really be able to function in the world. They are: appliances that have English writing, sheets that fit our bed, a dishwasher, and a clothes dryer. Here are some pictures from Emet's apartment. I am not even going to discuss the towel issue. It wouldn't be right to put it on the web for all to read.

The sheets are not fitting length-wise, so there are two sheets that are covering the width of the bed. They barely overlap, which means in the middle of the night you are sleeping on bare mattress. Or in this case--weird, hard, multi-colored mattress pad. That blue and gold thing is not a blanket. It is a slab of something intended to make the mattress more comfortable.

I am still not sure if I am washing the clothes correctly. They smell ok though once they come out.

Here is how we have to dry the clothes. The apartment is not very big, but we are luckily able to fit these two huge drying racks. I know now why the washer can only fit one shirt and one pair of underwear at a time....so you have enough room to dry everything!

Please note: I was unable to post a picture of the dishwasher because THERE ISN'T ONE!