How Time Flies...

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?

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

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!

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?

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

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

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?

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

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!

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...