The year of *their* discontent and "Unspoken Georgian"

Its been a long time since my last entry...and the cosmic dance continues to spin and swirl, the Ballad of Thomas (the renegade social worker) and Georgia (the renegade nation) is still being written. It has been a rather difficult year in regards to my relationship with Georgia. Some dear friends were deported from Ireland. Without having time to grieve this loss, I quickly found myself at the centre of a witch hunt and labelled a secret agent by most of the community (the Georgian diaspora in Ireland) that I have been serving for the past six years. This process is still in full swing so there is no resolution yet, though I hope to be able to report differently in my next blog. (There is hope, but there is no chance!) In time, I will have to write the whole sordid mess out for my own healing and understanding as the people who told me over and over again "You are my family. No one has done such good things for my family as you. We love you." have now stopped talking to me and have completely shut me out because of the reckless unfounded allegations by a 22 year old man-child fraudster with a hatred of the police who believes that 'No one gets deported without someone ratting on them.' As if Police Science is an imaginary game. More on that situation later... This past year I have had the pleasure of getting to know a fellow blogger and she has given me some incredible insight by putting into words the strange feelings I've had about the role of men, women, culture, traditions, gay people, the church and the politics of Georgia. Sarah Cobham's blog, UNSPOKEN GEORGIAN is a new voice for feminists and progressives who love Georgia, but struggle with the doublespeak and secrecy which seems to be a shared experience of most non-Georgians that are engaged with Georgian culture. The confusion of the welcoming, but 'only so far thank you.' Sarah has been an incredible supporter of Georgian Traditional Singing circles both in Georgia and in the UK. Sarah's co-contributor is Richard Aslan, a fellow Queer writer, thinker and activist who documents his own experience as a man dealing with Georgia's aggressively celebrated hetero-supremeacy. There are only three brief entries so far, but the writing is quite engaging and curious questions are raised for both Georgian and non-Georgian friends of Sakartvelo. Take a look, its very, very interesting for anyone wanting to understand Georgia from a more modern perspective. http://sarahcobham1.blogspot.co.uk Enjoy!

My mother thinks this is interesting...

Thus, she has asked me to send it to my family and friends with a brief explanation. She said everyone asks her what I'm up to and that this would be a nice way to fill some folks in on my life abroad. Apologies to those of you who may have received this last night. I was falling asleep but so excited and I wanted to send it to a few folks right away.

As many of you know, in 2007 I was introduced to Georgian culture through some clients at work. What began as learning a few words to help me communicate with my clients, turned into a serious undertaking - at the age of 40 - to finally learn a foreign language. I began an independent study of Georgian language which eventually led me to my big trip to Georgia in 2009 so I could attend the International Summer School in Kartelology (Georgian Studies) at Ivane Javakashvili Tbilisi State University. That summer brought about incredible personal development for me and the changes were some of the most significant I've experienced in my adulthood. Over the next 18 months I would make the three-flights and twelve-hour journey three more times to feed my insatiable desire for experience and learning, to immerse myself in Georgian culture and most of all to be with the Georgian people who touched my heart with their hospitality, friendship and kindness.

I know it is hard for some of my beloved friends and family to hear me talk about a place that is 12 hours past Dublin, Ireland. The idea that I might 'up and move' to Georgia someday scares me too. However, I am remaining open to life's possibilities and trying to 'listen to the river'. The older I get, the more seriously I realize the gift that is 'everyday.' It seems beautifully tragic that our learning and our experiences go away with us when we die. Simultaneously both for selfish and for sharing reasons, I want to grab life with as much gusto as I can, while I can. No plans are in place for anything
right now and I still have my good solid employment in Ireland to protect, I'm just saying...and maybe daydreaming a little too.

As I prepare to make my fifth visit to Georgia within two years this coming July, my relationship with the Georgian diaspora in Ireland has also become a primary focus in my life. I am now living with only Georgian housemates and my language is improving daily! I have been told that it is quite likely I am the only non-Georgian person in Ireland that speaks 'Kartuliena,' the language of Sakartvelo (Georgia). I don't know if this is true, it may or may not be, but with this thought and my new Irish naturalization and citizenship, I realized that I would love nothing more than to someday become Ireland's first ambassador to Georgia. Wouldn't that be a great job for me? I think so!

As it happens, Georgia has finally opened an embassy in Ireland. Ambassador Irakli Koplatadze heard about me from some members in the Georgian community here. He invited me to meet with him, which of course was a great and exciting honour. We met for about two hours and it was a lovely visit. Last month, I received another invitation from Mr. Koplatadze AND the Lord Mayor of Dublin Gerry Breen to attend a reception in Dublin's City Hall to celebrate for the first time in Dublin, Georgia's National Day on the 26th of May. I put on my glad rags and attended with my friend Eka Peikrishvili. (You should have seen her shoes!)

The attached image is of us with the Ambassador and his wife Irene Giviashvili (also born on the 28th of July).



Thanks for reading THIS far!! :-)


Thomas

The Changing...and constantly...

Oh my God, I don't even know where to begin this blog entry. I simply cannot believe it has been almost a whole year since I last wrote. In the time since my last post, I've been back to Georgia for two more fantastic visits. I was there for 3 weeks in the summer (August 2010 was the hottest month I've ever lived through!) and more recently for 3 weeks over the New Year holidays. So that was 4 trips to Georgia in a year and half. I'll be going again this July so that will be 5 trips within the space of two years!

As you can imagine, the experiences of my last two trips (totaling 6 weeks - which was more than I had spent on my first trip with the Summer School) are going to be nary impossible to write about...but I've just got too. There were so many amazing things that happened.

I stayed with Shota and his family who, for reasons I will NEVER understand, gave me the master bedroom to myself instead of making me sleep on the floor, which is where I would have put me!

In the summer, we went to two villages, Dzegvi and Babili. Shota's maternal grandparents live in Dzegvi and his paternal grandmother, the widow Angelina, lives in Babili which is in the mountain region of Lower Svaneti. I kinda fell in love with Angelina. I've never met anyone like her. She literally doesn't pay attention to time and dates...she is in such synch with the Earth that she doesn't need a diary. I played her some of Shota's songs that I love...the instrumentals Rainonme and we had such a good cry. She had never heard any of his gorgeous compositions before and she was just blown away...and of course heartbroken that her husband (Shota's beloved grandfather and namesake) was no longer with us to hear such accomplished musicianship and beauty. (This reminds me, I need to burn a CD for her and pick up a CD walkman player for her!)

While visiting her, Shota and I bathed and swam in a river...I'm not sure of the name right now, but I think it was called something like Shavitskhali River (the Black Water River)...or Tskhalitskali River....but it can't be that because that just means the Water Water River! I promise, I will find out and report back to you. I mostly just mention it here because I think it was my favorite day of the whole summer trip...two friends playing in a mountain river and laughing. Yeah, it was THAT great!

I promised Angelina I'd come back to see her on my next trip, but we couldn't get there at New Year's so we're definitely going to visit Babili Village again this coming summer in July 2011.

Another very exciting thing that happened for me during the summer trip was that I was invited back by the Summer School to participate in an excursion with the NEW group of Summer School students. It was fantastic and I was able to join them for their visit to Khaketi which included Telavi, Irkele's House (where Sopho and I found the entries in the guest book from my class in 2009). A very exciting thing that happened on this excursion was that I got to sing, quite extemporaneously with my Georgian wife and sister, the divine Sopho Guliashvili and a Scotman named David Tugwell. The three of us sang Tsinskaro, one of my top 5 favorite Georgian pieces of music which most of the world heard when it was incorporated into Kate Bush's song HELLO EARTH from one of her masterpieces The Hounds of Love album. I have a recording of his somewhere here and will try to post it for you. :-)

I guess the other two most significant things that happened were the wedding of Mariami and Arni and then also the recording my vocals on top of Thomas Negovan's instrumental The Trouble With Cinderella.

I really need to start linking photos and files into my blog posts...let me work on that.

In part two of the The Changing...and constantly, I'll discuss the visit over the winter of 2010/2011. Note to self: recording, holidays, photo-shoot, motseva klavs.

I'll write the second part soon...I promise.

Much love to everyone who made the Summer of 2010 such a gentle visit for me...yes, I was looking for the Summer of 2009, but the heart of Georgia is so big, it just gave me a whole new batch of wonderful experiences to take away with me.

Mmmmmm.......YES!

Rogor xar? (How are you?) or I'd like you to meet Mama & Deda

August 13th feels like a lifetime ago. So much has happened in my life, just over the past 9 to 10 months. In May of 2009, I met my friends "Mama and Deda" for the first time. They had known about me for a long time through a mutual friend and they had heard only good things about me - which was probably more generous than accurate. They told me they knew of my love for Georgia and particularly, my love of Georgians in Ireland - some of whom were their own cherished family members.

I don't know why I wanted to start this blog entry with 'Mama and Deda,' but there is something important about bringing them into my 'above-ground reality.' Mama and Deda are living in Ireland as undocumented migrants. They are struggling to make ends meet and provide for their children. Yet, their generosity and hospitality is classically Georgian. When I first started to visit them, Mama would insist I take his slippers for my comfort. They are real people in my life, they are my friends, I love them, we share things...and I don't get to talk about them with anyone for fear they may be exposed to the authorities.

I won't turn this blog entry into a rant about selfish and fearful borders created by men on God's border-less paradise, but there is a sense of suffocation I feel for these people I love so much. Not just Mama and Deda here in Ireland, but my friends in Georgia in general. There is something akin to being in prison when you need a visa to go anywhere in the world. When I Skype my friends in Georgia, it is very different than when I Skype my friends in the U.S. or Australia. I have enjoyed the absolute luxury and education of travel around the world...and my friends in Georgia can't seem to go anywhere. Its as if they have to sneak out (like Mama and Deda) and the Skype camera is a window on visiting days at the jail.

This post is uncomfortable. I hope it doesn't reek of class privilege. I actually want to get back to writing about my ongoing experiences with Georgian culture, but I had to take care of this first. I would love for you to meet Mama and Deda, they are the most wonderful people...but I doubt you ever will. Still...as with all of my friends and family and the love they give me; I hope I can somehow share it with you.

Sad aris Thomasi?

That means, where is Thomas?...but my brain in English reads it as Sad Is Thomas... I'm sad writing this blog today because it will likely be the last blog I'll write from Georgia. I'll try to do a follow up when I get back to Dublin, but life may grab me by the collar and not let go for a while.

Georgia has been one of the most profound experiences of my life. In complete honesty, I do not want to leave. I love it here. The people (even the grumpy ones) are wonderful. Georgian hospitality is unrivaled anywhere in the world. The language, the food, the music, the amazing scenery and most importantly the friends I've made here. My classmates and teachers who just let me be Thomas. Shota, my friend who has walked with me almost everyday for the last 4 weeks translating and taking care of me. I will miss him the most. We recorded two songs...we're still mixing but they should be ready by Sunday when I fly. The rock and roll number is great fun and the heavy metal track is also something I'm really proud of.

I can't say goodbye right now, because I still have 3 more days...and things are swirling around my head so fast I can't really concentrate.

I could list the places I've been like St. George's White Monestary but that probably won't mean a lot to too many of you reading this...instead, I'll tell you that I have fallen even more in love with Georgia than I was when I arrived. I will be back, and very soon. Hopefully in September of 2010. I was the worst student in language class, but I suspect I've learned the most.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you've enjoyed it.

Gaumarjos Sakartvelo! Didi madlobaht qualaperi tvees. Shen gkakvs chemi ghuli.


Thomasi

Blogging is HARD!

I don't remember what I've written last or when. Time on the internet is a precious commodity so I can't spend too much time looking at old posts - but maybe I should so I don't repeat myself.

A few important items of note. We went to the Mt. Kazbegi region, stopping in the village of Ananuri on our way where I was able to dip my toes in the lake. Our neighbor friend Levani was there and he came to meet us which was really nice. Nothing like a mountain lake on a hot summer day...really wanted to swim but we didn't have time.

My friend Shota gave us a bottle of cha cha which is kind of like a homemade Georgian vodka and everyone was going to have just a taste but it was so good they all got locked on it! The next morning we woke at 5:45am to get a good view of Mt. Kazbegi which is usually covered in clouds. Its a good thing we did because we saw this GIANT of a mountain covered in snow and it was breathtaking. Speaking of breathtaking, we hiked up to Gorecki Cathedral which was one of the hardest climbs I've ever done...not to imply that I've done a lot of climbs! But it was HARD! This church was built in the 10th century as a pagan site and then in the 14th century it became a Christian church. This GORGEOUS church has stood on top of this mountain for 1000 years! That is crazy.

On the way home I bought a papakhi on the road side...you'll just have to wait for the photos but it matches my hair!

On Tuesday Shota and I went into the studio to record one of his rock and roll songs...its so rock and roll its actually called Rock And Roll. It turned out really good and he's mixing down the vocals now. It will be included on his second album but I'm hoping to also release it on line as a Tom Dunning & Your Boyfriend's song. We're going back into the studio on Friday or Saturday to record the heavy metal song Crazy Girl. He want's me to sing like Ozzy. I don't even know what that means!! Ha ha ha! Shota has been the best friend to me here...everyday we are hanging out and he's taking me to all the different places I want to go in Tbilisi. I will miss him a lot when I go back to Dublin. Its only 11 days now so I want to stretch it out as long as I can...I really don't want to leave and I'm already planning a return visit. My language hasn't come on as well as I'd like, but I've chosen other educational experiences here in Georgia so I'm not dissatisfied at all.

Oh, last thing...saw BRUNO at the cinema last night. Now, Sean and I saw it in Dublin and I found it hilarious and brave filmmaking. It was just as good in RUSSIAN(wtf???) with no subtitles! Laughed a lot and still found it very insightful to the phenomena of homo-hatred.

This weekend, our last excursion is to Khaketi...we'll visit Tsinandali, Telavi, Signagni and Bodbe.

Will definitely try to get at least one more blog post up before the end of the trip!

Be well,

Thomas

I'm mixing up the days...only 2 & 1/2 weeks left!

Ok, this one isn't too chronological...but here goes. Went to Batumi, Kutaisi, Gonio, Vani and some other places I don't remember. Many churches and monasteries. Saw the grave of David the Builder and jumped over it...twice. He was a massive man over two meters tall and his grave is big so you're supposed to jump over it. Swam in the Black Sea...think I told you that already...

Monday night, I went to the sulpher baths here...they were why Tbilisi was built. I took a hot spring bath in pool from the 14th century!! It was HOT!

Yesterday was mybirthday, thanks for all the good wishes. Started the day meeting my friend Shota to get my tattoo. Its beautiful...it says SIKETA ARIS SISLIERE or something like that...it means KINDNESS IS STRENGTH and its in Georgian letters around my ankle. I love it!! All my tattoos were done on special days. The first one was on my mother's 60th birthday. The second one was on the last day of my 20's and the third was on my 42nd birthday in Tbilisi!

After the tattoo, the skies opened up for the biggest thunder storm I've seen in years. The shop started to flood, the electricity went out and I couldn't get out of the shop. I was running late for school but when I got there, the department got me a cake and the staff and the other international students all sang happy birthday to me in Georgian. After cake we had a brilliant lecture on Traditional Georgian Folk Music. Then we had study time as we do everyday from about 4 - 6pm. I often skip it because I am a very bad student. Anyway, I stayed and afterwards, we all went for Japanese sushi for my birthday dinner followed by a few hours in an American-styled pub with a live band that had a penchant for Hotel California by the Eagles. Love it, but three times is a bit much.

Today I met up with my friends Salome and Buka for dinner. We had traditional khachapuri, kababi and khinkhali. I really love Georgian food and its starting to show! Yikes!!!