Almost one month has passed since I departed from O'Hare International Airport with an unknown place as my destination. Georgia was (and continues to be) so foreign to me that I don't even know what continent it's located in. Eastern Europe, Asia, Middle-East, Eurasia? Who knows. It was enough for me to know it borders the Black Sea, Turkey, Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Besides its official location, I was completely clueless (and still am) about the language, Georgian customs and way of life. During this month, I have definitely immersed myself completely into Georgian culture. The language learning, on the other hand, is in its infant stages. Interestingly enough, Georgian language is one of the 14 alphabets of the world and learning it is proving to be a mission in and of itself. For those that are interested, here is a very brief language lesson: hello is gamarjoba; good is kargad; goodbye is nakhvamdis; sorry is bodishi; thank you very much is didi madloba; eat is tchame and I don't know is ar vitsi, which I tend so say a lot. These words are almost half of my current vocab (with a slight exaggeration) but I am definitely working on improving.  |
| My awesome host family |
So besides its difficult language, I have to admit that the Georgians are as hospitable as they come. I had read about this before my trip and have now personally discovered how true this is. The family that I am living with treats me like a queen. Besides the fact that the food is delicious, they always make sure I eat and have everything else I need. They have a simple but beautiful home with lots of chickens, 2 big dogs: Jeksi & Lordi (who could probably eat Chicharito for breakfast) a cat, 2 pigs, several fruit trees, and its own vineyard with lots and lots of grapes. Besides its wonderful amenities, my family, who includes Lili and Paata, (my host parents), Giorgi (16), Elene (10) and the grandparents, is pretty wonderful too. Giorgi speaks a little English but the conversations are usually pretty challenging. I have actually learned to be okay with being clueless and confused about 90% of the time. I also learned that being welcomed and cared for doesn't require a common language.
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| Uk'imerioni Hill |
This constant confusion due to the language barrier has also made it extremely necessary to spend time with those with whom I do share a common language. I honestly feel that without this I would probably go insane. Thankfully, during our one week orientation, I met a great group of people that were here to do the same thing as me. We were all part of the government run program, Teach and Learn with Georgia, and were here to teach English and western values to the country's youth. It has been great to get to know some of the other volunteers and discover their reasons for being here. After training, everyone was spread out in the region of Imereti, some in Adjara and other regions close to the Russian border. Luckily, some of those I had established friendships with were placed very close to me (with a few exceptions). While I am absolutely loving every moment of my experience in Georgian culture, I still appreciate hanging out with those who I can have full English conversations in which I can use full sentences and slang and speak as fast as I want without anyone telling me to repeat myself. But it's especially great to have other people that I have grown to respect share this experience with me. |
| Motsameta Monastery |
So far, Georgia has not disappointed me at all. Everyday, I encounter challenges and surprises, but I am happy, comfortable, and thankful that I am here...
...Y
