So many days with no blogging!

I have been sooooo busy I can't even get my blog updated. I know I need to fill in a lot from the past 9 days, but just a quick post now as my teacher is waiting for me to begin today's lessons.

On Saturday we headed to the west of Georgia...it is so beautiful! Dzalian lamazi! (Very beautiful!) I achieved a long held goal to swim in the Black Sea and it was great. On Sunday we were hosted for lunch in Gonio fortress by the Prime Minister of Adjara. Adjara is the southwestern most region of Georgia and has its own strong 'national' identity. Not exactly a breakaway region like Abkhazia and South Ossetia, more a friendly brother that just wants his own bedroom. I also saw the grave (symbolic?) of the Apostle Matthias. This is the apostle that replaced St. Judas.

Ok, have to go but I'm having the most amazing time and this is a wonderful experience. Tomorrow we go for Japanese sushi for my birthday and next week I'll be recording with a musician here who has invited me to sing one of his songs! I think its going to be heavy metal...sure, why not!

May you walk under rainbows,

Thomas

"Sorry, I don't do verbs!"

First week of school is over and I've just about survived. 4 more to go. Seriously thought about dropping out this week as I'm the worst student on the course...I've never actually learned HOW to learn a language so I don't really know what I'm doing.

Anyway, the school are making some modifications for my 'special needs!' Ha ha ha!

I feel like I'm at an educational summer camp and not really having the vacation time I want...but I knew that didn't I?

Today we went to Mtsketa, the first and ancient capital of Georgia. Visited some important churches and monastaries.

Oh, and I had a visit from kuchis ashliloba this week...I won't go into the gorey details but I had to stay home from school on Thursday.

I'm off to bed now, sorry for the short post.

Going to see the band 33a tomorrow at Vakesparki! 4th row center!! Finally, some live music. The rock scene here shuts down for July and August and moves to Batumi, the seaside resort town. :-( I'm going with a friend from Facebook, Shota....he's a musician and I've played his songs on HOOTRadio.

More later.

Love from Tbilisi!

They killed a sheep?? FOR ME???

Sunday was an incredible day for me. I travelled to the outskirts of town to visit with my friend Z's family. Z is in Ireland and a dear friend. I arrived at the apartment block and was met by Z's brother who took me upstairs to meet the family. 5 GENERATIONS were there! Z's grandfather, his father and mother and aunt, his brother and his brother's wife and children, his sister, his daughter and her husband and child. I've never been in the same room with 5 generations of the same family in my life! It was amazing. We sat down for a proper Georgian supra and the food came flying out of the kitchen. The men at one end of the table eating, drinking and toasting and the women at the other, nibbling. The feminist in me struggles sometimes, but today I was the guest of honour and I sat in Z's chair between his father and brother. His brother told me they killed a sheep today for the dinner. Poor sheep. Z's dad was the tamada and when he toasted me I started crying...I didn't understand more than 5 words but he was so expressive I knew what he was saying and I was really touched by this. We hooked up the Skype and got Z and his family in Ireland on the cam. The family started singing in 17 part harmony or so it sounded like. I started crying my eyes out. I looked over to the computer and I could see Z was crying too...we all wished he could have been with us...but it was not to be...not now.

Monday, started school. Everyone is an academician (or seems to be) aside from me. I'm learning Georgian for personal reasons and as I've never learned a language before I don't know HOW to learn a language. I thought it was just vocabulary and spelling but its really all about the grammar and by Tuesday, the 2nd day, I had fallen behind and had to ask for special support. How embarrassing! I'm going to give this my best shot...but I'm a little depressed realizing I don't have a clue about what I'm doing.

Tonight we say goodbye to sweet George, the son of our host family. He has been so helpful and is a truly wonderful guy. He leaves tonight for a clinic in the Ukraine for some treatment for an injury sustained in a car accident. Your prayers, positive thoughts and meditations are most welcome for his well being and successful treatment. We will be gone when he comes home so it will be a while before I see him again. :-( What a day!

Tomorrow is day 3 in school of 25 days. Wish me luck...or wish me some smarts!

More later...

Oh, Katie Melua who I don't really like is in town but she's sold out so we can't see her. It would have been cool to see her in her native Georgia.

Third time's a charm???

Stupid computer/Internet!!!!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Just wasted an hour and my blogs aren't publishing...don't know why.

In a nutshell.

Sad to leave Armenia.
Got to Georgia safely.
Staying with a lovely family, Mzia and Zaal and their son George. Two nephews from next door helping everyday. Dato and Levani. They're great!!
8 students in the programme. 4 from Turkey, 1 from Poland, 1 from Japan, 1 from Wales and myself from USA/Ireland. 2 women, 6 men.
Sharing family with Russ from Wales and Pshemak from Poland.
Classes start tomorrow morning.
Oh, was interviewed by some news crew after going on a water ride at the amusement park.
Met with friends and family of friends. Food is great, weather is HOT.
Hoping this works this time. Otherwise, going to throw the blog out the window!

The lost blog entry...

Are you married? Vhy not?

Armenia changes my mind!

There is so much going on in my head about this country I don't know where to begin. Yerevan is a great city of crumbling beauty. Euro classicism, Soviet majesty, Thai poverty and American economic class divides all rolled up into one with its very own social norms about family, gender roles and friendship. I actually love their conservativism...its kind of romantic, though I'm sure the oppressed minorities here would disagree.

The Villa Delenda folks (remember in my last post I said I would tell you more about them) have been great and I highly recommend this B&B if you are interested in tourism for community development. A gorgeous historic house from Yerevan's 'Belle Epoque' period that hopefully will not be torn down to make a shopping mall! Did I spell Belle Epoque wrong?

Yesterday was a very important day. Started out visiting the Armenian Genocide Museum. Had to wait an hour outside in the hot sun before I could go in because the President of Cyprus was there with his wife and entourage. Got to see him and everything, that was cool. The museum was excellent with more documentation than anyone could ever need to verify the Ottoman Empire's crimes against the Armenians.

Then I visited the National Art Gallery and got to view some European and Russian classics by the masters Botecelli, Tintoretto and Chagall. Then there were 4 floors of Armenian art which were all wonderful!

I met with my friend Nasses and an English speaking friend of his named Roland. I met Nasses and his father Hamlet in Venice 2007 on a trip to the Island of San Lazzarro delgi Armeni. I texted them in April to say I was coming and would like to see them for a cup of coffee. Well, my friend...these Armenians have set a new standard for hospitality! We went for an iced coffee and then to meet Hamlet at his friend's art studio. His friend Armand hosted us for a traditional barbecue of khoravats which is barbecued pork. OH LORDY! This stuff is GOOD!!! Hamlet is member of Armenia's artistic elite. He has been commissioned by local authorities to sculpt Anton Chekov, the Catholicos, Lenin and many other important people as well as various symbolic art installations. The Italian government even commissioned him for a work! Ok, so we are eating and talking and laughing and they're drinking vodka and we started at 3pm and at 11 I finally left and we were all so sad!!! It was a rare opportunity for me to be in male only space but wonderful none the less! I was actually sat next to Hagop Hagopian, who has been designated by the state as The People's Artist. He's considered to be the greatest living Armenian painter. Many other artists came over to meet me during the evening and it was an absolutely amazing day!

Today, I left the capital to meet my sponsored child, Melik. It was such an amazing thing come face to face with this beautiful child after writing to him for almost 3 years. Of course, I started crying as soon as he smiled at me but after a few minutes I regained my composure and we had a great visit with his mother, father and sister. After two hours we said goodbye and again it was very emotional...for me! Ha ha ha! I had to explain through the interpreter that I wasn't sad.

Now, I am in the town of Dilijan and its like Colorado here.

Tomorrow, I arrive in Georgia and the vacation ends and the work begins!