Samegrelo

A little bit about the village I'll be teaching in, Banza. I don't know anything about it. I googled it and couldn't find anything about it (it's not on google maps; therefore it must not exist, ki?). All I know is what Nino (my amazingly helpful and hilarious program coordinator) told me about it and that was that it has an unbelievable waterfall not far from the village. So I got that goin' for me.

What I can tell you is that the village won't be far from Martvili where there will be two other teachers including a Duquesne graduate (no worries he's from Wisconsin and therefore I am still the only 'Burgher I know of in Georgia). Martvili is a small town in the province of Samegrelo and they have a football team, FC Merani Martvili, in the top division of the Georgian league, which is money (amendment; they are not in the top division, but I will still expect Jogo Bonito).

From what I can gather, I'll be close to the mountains (if not actually in them) and there will be a breath taking monastery close by. This, I can live with. I'm actually relieved that I'm not in a bigger city or town. I may regret saying that, but I think the best way to really experience the culture is to release myself from any sort of familiar outlets (other English teachers/speakers, Walmarts, etc.) I'll probably be the only foreigner in my village, which is exactly the way I want it.

I'll know more when I get there on Monday, but it can't come soon enough.

I was planning on describing more about Kutaisi, my training, and my initial thoughts on Georgian people and culture, but I'm running short on time. So I'll leave you with another tease. Basically, a lot of our training has been us asking questions about Georgia and the people, and we discuss gender roles a lot. Yesterday, we were talking about dating and the accepted way to go about it. In Georgia, it's customary for the woman to decline several times before relenting to go on a date. Nino helped us understand with a nicely put joke:

If a diplomat says yes, it's maybe. If he says maybe, it's no. And if he says no, he's not a diplomat. In Georgia, if a woman says no, it's maybe. If she says maybe, it's yes. And if she says yes, she is not a woman.

Looking forward to that struggle.

More later, along with some pictures up on FB.

UPDATE: Here's a detailed map of the region. And apparently they speak Mingrelian in the region, which is totally different from the Georgian we've been learning the past six days. Nice.

Banza...

Is the name of the village I'll be in, near the town of Martvili. More later...

Training in Kutaisi

The bus ride back from Batumi was fairly uneventful, just absurdly humid on the inside. It was dark so we really couldn't see where we were going and I was also nodding off the entire trip. We got to our destination in Kutaisi at around midnight and the place resembled a college dorm.

Kutaisi was the location where all the cars were put together in the Soviet Union. Since the collapse, it's fallen into total destruction; hence me calling it the Detroit of Georgia (international sister city; Columbus, OH... don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing). Unemployement is high and there are tons of abandoned industrial buildings.

All the guys stay on the third floor with the women on the fourth floor, while all the training sessions are on the second floor, and the cafeteria is on the first floor. This building is in probably the most depressing area of Georgia. I haven't even seen much of Georgia, but this place resembles a post-Soviet wasteland. Farm animals everywhere even though it's an urban environment (I've seen a giant pig, many cows, roosters/chickens, and tons of stray dogs), concrete tenements that look like they have zero electricity, trash everywhere and nothing green (everything is concrete). This place is like a set for a Renny Harlin movie.

The livestock aspect along with the typical look of the Georgian people (somewhat dark and the men have heaps of body hair), really brings to mind Borat and Kazakhstan. But I have yet to meet anyone who hasn't been friendly or helpful during one of my morning runs (I've been jogging in the morning in order to see some of Georgia while also to make sure I don't blow up like a tic) I helped a guy restart his car that stalled; I felt just a little bit assimilated right then. Also, when you run in Georgia, people stare at you like you're crazy (as our program instructor Nino said, Georgians only run when they have a reason).

The overall orientation has been pretty boring. We've been getting a crash course in Georgian for three hours a day, and it's pretty interesting considering they have a completely different alphabet than us. I don't do well with foreign languages, and cramming a ton of it into seven days probably won't help, but I feel like I'm making a bit of progress. The other stuff is similar to the TEFL course I already took, but it's taught by Georgians and is crammed into much smaller spaces. Orientation kind of sucks.

But it will be over on Sunday and I think I find out where I'll be placed tomorrow. In the meantime, we did get to visit an ancient monastery this evening and I hope to go check out the actual older part of town sometime this week (we drove through it this evening on the way to the monastery and it seems somewhat interesting).

It really is quite beautiful when you get out of our neighborhood...

Nakhvamdis (Goodbye in Georgian)

(Picture: The caged bear on the grounds of the restaurant we ate at on the first day... he looked bored, but it didn't fool me)

Kutaisi: The Detroit of Georgia (UPDATE: Pictures)

So yesterday we spent almost the entire day on a bus, first travelling to Batumi, and then backtracking to Kutaisi, which is where I am right now. We did stop about halfway between Tbilisi and Batumi to eat at a neat outdoor restaurant. The best part: on the premises, they had a bear in a small cage. Bears! Number one threat to America according to Stephen Colbert, but I guess in Georgia they just keep them locked up in cages for shits n' gigs. I kind of felt bad for the bear, he just kept walking around in circles (he was not an ambi-turner). But then I remembered what had happened to this guy and had to restrain myself from kicking that bear's ass. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures up shortly.

But it took almost 7 hours by bus to get to Batumi. The roads got worse the farther away we got from Tbilisi (although apparently, five years ago they were barely paved and had pot holes the size of man holes), and the people drive like absolute madmen in Georgia (including our bus driver). I've been to Peru and Italy, where the drivers could be classified as insane, but here, they make Evil Knievel look like a school-boy bitch (might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but they're crazy nonetheless). Most of the highway was only two lanes, but everyone uses the passing lane at will and some use it as a cruising lane. It's insane; I couldn't even pay attention in fear of a head-on collision. Needless to say, if anyone is planning on visiting me, I would advise against renting a car unless you're up for a panic attack.


We got to Batumi, which looked lovely the closer you got to the old town (even farther out it looked amazing, like something out of South America). I really wish I could have been stationed closer to there, but I feel as if I'll have plenty of time to check it out over the next ten months. There is a ton of development going on in Batumi and they are really trying to spiff up the beach front.

Anyway, we were running late so we got a police escort the last 20 kilometers (although it's not like it mattered since there are zero rules on the road; in the words of George Costanza, "It's like Thunderdome out there!"). And we arrived at the venue where the President would address us.

I thought it would be a parliamentary building of some sort, or a giant venue packed to the brim with people. Nope. It was a beach side club that resembled something out of South Beach: lots of white upholstery, billowing sheets, DJ, chaise lounge chairs on the deck, and table service (don't get ahead of yourself, sparkling water and that was it). The only people in attendance were a few government workers, the TLG people, and all the teachers (which is my group and the other teachers that got here on August 1st; total of about 100).

President Saakashvili came in dressed in casual clothing, shaking hands (no, I did not get the honor), and basically enveloping the room with his charm. His speech focused on the progress Georgia has made in the last seven years (conveniently, the time he has been in power; although to be fair, the country has made leaps and bounds since he took over) citing certain polls that show Georgia to be low on corruption and crime, while one of the top places in the world to do business. And basically that is kind of what Saakashvili's Georgia has been; progressive reforms in government corruption and education, while creating a free market economy that makes it attractive to foreign and local investment.

It was a short but pertinent speech and he even took a few questions from us teachers (while dancing around a nifty question about environmental control). He was pretty much what I expected him to be; charming, confident bordering on arrogant, funny, informal, and very much a 21st century politician.

Here's a link to one of the English news reports on the "press conference." I have to hurry off to dinner, but all-in-all, it was a pretty ridiculous affair; as one of the other teachers said to me as we were walking up to the venue, "This is like if Obama held a press conference at the Jersey Shore."

More later on the bus ride back, my first day of training, and the wondeful town of Kutaisi: The Detroit of Georgia.

While you're all watching the Steelers game...

I can't sleep in Tbilisi (local time 5:41 a.m.).

I slept relatively well while on my planes from DC to Amsterdam (fantastic personal space and leg room on United international, although no free booze and the media options were lacking for an int. flight) and then from Amsterdam to Tbilisi (slept the whole flight time of 4:15).

Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport is easily the nicest airport I've ever been to. Very clean, tons of nice shops and bars, and comfortable spaces to relax between flights. The only problem (which is a continual issue in all European countries in my opinion) is the cost of Wi-Fi. It was something like eight euros for 60 minutes of internet access and eighteen euros for an entire day. I guess if people will pay it...

It was quite funny waiting near the gate in Amsterdam. There were tons of other English speakers around my age who had the same "I'm going to teach English in Georgia" type of vibe. It made me think of the first day of grade-school when we're all waiting for the yellow bus to pick us up. Thank God there was assigned seating, I was afraid I might get a cold Seat's Takin' whilst walking up the aisle.

We got into Tbilisi International Airport (quite nice for a developing country) and found our program directors. I got my bag somewhat soon while most everyone else was waiting on theirs. It ended up that all the people who flew from Chicago to Amsterdam had their bags lost to the perils of air travel (everyone blamed the short layover at Schiphol; only 40 minutes).

So half of the 40+teachers do not have their luggage (and still don't; hopefully will get them today).

We had dinner at the hotel (The Bazaleti Palace; close to the airport but as yinzers say, Real Noice) where we got to mingle a bit while also being introduced to the program directors and given our itinerary for the next day. We were originally supposed to be exploring Tbilisi, but plans changed and we are heading to the coast town of Batumi; where we will meet up with the other group of teachers (who arrived on August 1st and will be stationed in Batumi or close to it) and then go to a reception or grand opening of some sort where we will meet the President of Georgia.

Real Noice.

I ain't never met no president before. The President of Georgia is a pretty interesting guy named Misha Saakashvili. I had a flew links in the previous post about him, but he's a pretty polarizing fellow; some see him as a forward thinking leader of progressive Western ideas, others as an autocratic war criminal (this is mostly a Russian view-point, since they see him as responsible for killing Ossetians and Russian peace keepers in the conflict of August 2008).

He's paying my salary basically, and he also once replied to Putin's threat of hanging Saakashvili by the balls with saying, "He doesn't have rope long enough." So I like him.

It's a pretty interesting dynamic of teachers that are here. I haven't met everyone but it's your typical wide variety of English teachers; young, old (the older people tend to be very talkative and somewhat awkward), English, American, Canadian.

I'll have more to say later, but last night I hung out with two Americans at a near by bar (we each had 5 draft beers and the total bill came to 25 Lari [$14]... it was a good sign) which had a DJ playing loud Georgian music (I'm gonna wait a little bit to make a judgment on that) and Dogs roaming about (tons of stray Dogs in Georgia including two puppies that roam the parking lot of our hotel; too cute... I'll have pictures up soon).

But the entire night we (and by we, I mean the other two Americans) discussed European politics and USSR history. Another guy, my roommate the first night, just got his masters from Stanford on USSR history and politics. A little over my head, but I'd rather be surrounded by smart people than the boring type... Maybe I'll learn something.

Georgia Crash Course

So there's probably very little I can tell you about Georgia that you couldn't find out yourself, but just in case, I'll post up a few links if you're interested.

Georgia is a country, not a republic or a soviet state (hint: those don't exist anymore). If you don't have the energy to read up at Wikipedia, basically Georgia is known for being old, hospitable, and into wine. Really I can't do the country justice, just read up on it; it's got an amazing history.

National Geographic magazine recently published a story about a trade line they are building from Baku (capital of Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea) through Tbilisi (capital of Georgia) on to Turkey which will make Azerbaijan even richer while also plugging trade capital into Georgia all the while making Armenia feel more left out. It's an interesting look at the politics of the Caucasus (the region containing the Caucasus mountain range, that includes Georgia, Azerbiajan, and Armenia).

There was also this article from the New Yorker (sorry, subscriber only) a while back about the Georgian President, his struggle with Russia, and his goal of making Georgia the most Western thinking country in Eurasia.

And then there's this recent issue involving some racy photos taken of the new minister of economic development. The whole thing seems ridiculous and doesn't make Saakashvili's regime look any less of a banana republic.

Either way, lots of interesting stuff going on over there, and I'll be right in the thick of things in less than 24 hours. I am currently in DC waiting for my flight to Amsterdam, where I will catch my final flight to Tbilisi. I'll spend two nights in Tbilisi and then I go to Kutaisi for a seven day orientation, after which I'll find out where I'll be for the duration of my contract and will also meet my host family. Here's to hoping they cook as well as my last host family in Firenze.

If you're interest is peaked about Georgia, I am currently reading Stories I Stole by Wendell Stevenson, who spent two years living in Georgia from '98-00. I would recomend it to anyone trying to get a grasp on the culture over there, but probably not to anyone who might worry about me (Georgia was still very much a 3rd world country during that time, and is not made out to be all that accommodating).

Hopefully the next time I post I will be enjoying some ChaCha on the streets of Tbilisi.

Just found this neat opinion piece from the WSJ about the two year anniversary of the conflict between Russia and Georgia in the northern territory of South Ossetia. I'd like to be as optimistic as this author... And then here's another good look at the Caucasus Wall.

And then there's this writeup from the NYT on Tbilisi from 18 months ago...

So it's been a couple months...

And I blame the Steelers for not raping anyone. I mean really, what's a guy got to write about between the Pens bowing out, the World Cup ending, and the Pirates wallowing away the dog days of summer? At least training cup started, am I right? Am I right?

Well actually I don't care about training camp, and all of the things I stated before could still be talked about in length. But that's not what this post is about.

The blog is heading in a different direction...

Since no one really follows this blog, it's really not a big deal. But hopefully, people will start to read the blog more often (I'm looking at you, Grandma!). Either way, I'll still be posting about Pittsburgh Sports and random stuff. But I'll also be posting about my journey to Georgia. No, not the place where Ben played hide the salami in the bathroom, the actual country of Georgia. Or as my Aunt refers to it, The Former Soviet Republic of Georgia.

So in honor of the new content (and the new format, check it out, there's books! That means I'm smart...), I'll be posting a little bit before I fly off to Georgia on August 15th. Some of the posts will be about Georgia, some will be about the Pirates, Pitt Football, and maybe the Steelers, and maybe there will be a post about some other random event that I find amusing (USA/Brazil tomorrow night!).

But all I wanna say is... GNJB is back (yeah, I am too lazy to change the name and URL, deal with it).