Trick or Treat!

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....

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???

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

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...

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.

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

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

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.

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

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...