Had another really weird, long day. This morning, we had to be in Kobuleti at 11 to catch a marshrutka. Where were we going? Your guess is as good as mine. None of us had any information, other than it was a holiday called Mariam Noba. So 8 teachers pile into this marshrutka, with no official TLG representatives and get driven into a village up in the mountains somewhere.
We ended up at a huge building (with a stage set up out front), near a church and a school, but otherwise in the middle of nowhere. People kept talking to K, the only one of us who speaks Russian, but even she couldn’t figure out what the hell we were doing there.
The show started with some traditional Georgian singers and dancers, all dressed up in the traditional costumes. Then there were some speeches (all in Georgian) then more singing and dancing and talking. There were small children performing and older children speaking. And none of us could understand a word.
Of course, all of this is outside, and I’d forgotten my sunscreen. So E, A, W and I kept shuffling around, trying to stay in the shade, which was diminishing with each passing minute. We ended up huddled into a tiny speck of shade with about a million Georgian people.
Since K had been asked to give a short speech, as well, we were trying to pay attention, but it’s really hard when you can’t understand anything that’s being said. Eventually, A and I went in search of a bathroom. Wes tagged along for something to do. In broken Georgian we asked three different people where to go. We ended up at the church, and in the cemetery where we saw a priest do some ritual at a grave.
We finally found the "tualet’i" and almost died. It was a gross, smelly, hole in the ground. It wasn’t even nice enough to be considered a squat toilet. It was literally a hole in the ground. Luckily, I always carry tissues and I had my soap compact with me, so it wasn’t too gross, once we got out of the smell.
Sadly, our hunt for the toilet meant that we missed K’s speech. When we found her afterwards, we were all ready to leave. Our original marshrutka driver had left, so we found a different one headed to Kobuleti and arranged for him to take us back. Except for K, because her school director was there and took her home personally.
Back in town, we all decided that we needed to relax a bit, before going home, so we went to a café on the beach. Everyone order a drink and some people ordered food. We learned that what our phrase book called spinach is really mushrooms. I’m glad that I didn’t order it. The others said that they were really good.
I came home from there and withstood the inquisition. But it’s really hard to tell people what happened, when you have no idea and they speak another language. But I muddled through and then snuck upstairs for a nap. Thank God for the nap.
When I woke up, around 6:30, my family was preparing to go celebrate the baptism of one of HD’s friend’s kids. Apparently it’s really common to baptize your kids on holidays. So, I changed and we headed out to a restaurant in the park in Kobuleti.
On our arrival, introductions were made all around. I remembered no names, and everyone else played ‘lets stare at the foreigner’. It was super fun. The only Georgian I really recognize are the phrases that my HM uses when she’s telling other people about me. "She’s from Toronto. Is vegetarian, but eats chicken and fish. She’s 27, no husband. She’s an English
teacher.’ It’s the same things every time.
At about 7:15 (the event was supposed to start at 6pm) we were all ushered over to a u-shaped table. The men sat down one arm and the women sat down the other and the host was seated at the top (or bottom?) of the U. There is so much food at one of these celebrations, that I would like to list the dishes that I remember; whole grilled fish, fish soup, chicken salad, tomato and cucumber salad (it’s a staple here), bread, Georgian cheese, khajapuri (Georgian national dish of bread stuffed with cheese), cakes, garlic chicken and eggplant rolls. I’m sure there was more, but I can’t remember it all. The other thing in abundance at a supra is wine. White or red, it flows very freely.
One of the ladies decided that it was her job to keep everyone’s glass full. Whether or not they wanted it filled. Mine was topped up constantly, in spite of the fact that I was only taking minuscule sips. I’ve learned at my house that if my glass stays full, they eventually leave me alone. That did not work this time. It was only when I’d emptied my glass that she left me alone. Luckily I’d realized that before I was too far gone, but I did end up a little tipsy.
For entertainment, there was a dj and a group of singers. The guys sang Georgian music, which is polyphonic. This particular group had four, so they were like a barbershop quartet, Georgian-style. There was also a group of professional dancers. They performed bits and pieces of the traditional dances, but without costumes or props. The dj played music for the crowd to dance to as well, between sets. Since everyone has to learn traditional dance for at least 7 years in school, they all know the steps and I was so out of place. It got better for me later, when the dancing had degenerated to step-to-the-beat. The dj also played some western music. We heard MJ’s Billy Jean and Shakira’s Time for Africa (twice). There was also a weird remix of Wavin' Flag that I'd never heard before.
Other random things that happened. Because the restaurant is in the middle of Kobuleti park, which is full of rides and carnival-type booths, the kids were going crazy. Constantly back and forth from the park to their parents for money. It was both cute and annoying. Especially when several children came back with whistles, which they were permitted to blow at full volume, sometimes in time with the music, and sometimes not.
Also at the restaurant that night, was a famous Georgian actor. He stars in the sitcom that is the Georgian version of friends. HB2 got a picture taken with him. It was really cute, but then, so is HB2.
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