Ex-pats, Russian, and Cheesy Bread.

Hello all! Guess what I've been doing for the past week? ...Living in TBILISI! Actually, I've been living in a hotel in Tbilisi, sitting through a lot of orientation meetings and learning as much Georgian Language as possible. BUT I've managed to make it out during our evenings off and have had the following memorable experiences:

1. Meeting up with an American friend of a relation living in the city, going out for a brief tour and a lovely dinner of Georgian food: Khinkali (Giant hand-held dumplings), Pkhali (spinach and walnut paté), and Khachipurri (Cheesy bread with an egg cracked on top)!


2. Speaking Russian! I knew that Georgia's second language was Russian during the Soviet Union, but I wasn't sure how my speaking Russian would be received... Our orientation made me feel as though my Russian might be useless here, but then I tried it out on some folks in the city. A woman at a cigarette counter, a taxi driver named Artur who gave us clementines and his phone number in case we wanted a taxi tour of the city, and some clerks and hotel staff who seem to have a good control over the language even though they are younger. The taxi driver was my favorite, he was sassy as I'll get out.


3. Placement! I just found out (literally, just now) where I'll be living and what my host family stuation. So, I'll be in a village in Imereti region (midwestern Georgia) where they have the best khachipurri (the cheesy bread, remember? YEAH). My family description says "Private house with Mother and Father, daughter and two children. Outdoor toilet, bathroom inside, no internet." I'm hoping that the outdoor toilet is a Turkish toilet. They're better for you, I swear. Ergonomic poops.


So, now that I know I won't have internet for a while, I'll try to write another post before I leave the hotel on Monday. Otherwise, this might be the last one for a while.... I'll try to figure something out. Peace, friends!

Love,
Sarah