Sept. 17 - TGIF

Finally, Friday. Lessons today went well. K and I are working well. Our school has no computer paper, because the store was closed when they tried to buy it. It’s a little frustrating, because we can’t get enough copies of things for our whole class. But the kids are settling in and since the village is so small, everyone now knows that I am very strict.

On our break today, K and I went to the cafeteria, which is the size of a classroom with a cooler, a hot plate and 3 little tables. The cafeteria ladies are K’s aunt and cousin. A big social thing here is the drinking of Turkish coffe. It’s really strong and served in tiny little cups. Because of the way it is made, each cup ends up with grounds in it. You can read the grounds that are left in your cup, as a means of fortune telling. K’s aunt is one of the people who can do this and she offered to read mine. I find it really funny, but I’m still not going to tell anyone what she said, because then it might not come true.

Our last class of the day was grade 12. Since it was a beautiful day and no one takes attendance, we only had six of our 17 year olds in class. Of course, I live on the main street from the school, so all the students walk around me on my way to and from work.

I decided to go to Batumi when I finished, so after a quick change of clothes, I went out to wait for the bus. One of the teachers told me not to wait where I was, so I walked down the street with her. Then waited for a bus near the stop. I got tired of waiting, so I flagged down a cab, When we got to the bus station, I tried to pay him, but he wouldn’t let me, cuz I think he wasn’t actually a cab. Then a bunch of my grade 12 students were hanging out there and watched me while I was trying to flag down a marshrutka.

One finally approached me to tell me that there was a marshrutka waiting at the corner, which I knew, but I don’t like those ones, because you have to wait a long time. But I got sick of being stared at by my students, so I went over. I arranged things with the driver and went to get in. But he wouldn’t let me get into the back with everyone else, he made me sit up front, which was fine. When we got underway, we didn’t head toward Batumi, but back into Kobuletti. We did a circuit of the main road and came back to stop in exactly the same spot we started from. At this point, I’ve been on the marshrutka for a half hour and gotten nowhere. We finally got going (in the right direction) and the drunk guy next to me started asking me questions in Georgian. When I couldn’t answer satisfactorily, he started talking across me to the driver. At one point I think he asked me to marry him, of course it was in Georgian, so he couldd’ve been proposing something else all together. He got off partway and the rest of the ride was fine.

I met Alexis at the library, and finally got my card. The selection isn’t great, but I found a book of Stephen King short stories that’ll probably be good. I just miss holding a real book. From there we moved on to the Lit café (surprise, surprise).

S joined us, followed by W and A (lives in Chakvi). We ordered pizza (made with Georgian cheese, but sans mayo) and cake. The guys and S were going to a movie at the film festival, but A and I didn’t stay because it was pretty late. We made it home with no random transportation mishaps, though I missed the last bus up the mountain and had to take a taxi.

I wanted to escape upstairs when I got home because there are about 6 screaming kids running around here. Just after I got settled, HM arrived home with two of her sisters-in-law. Food was produced and I went down to eat. Trying to watch Gossip Girl was a trial, due to the aforementioned screaming children and the fact that one decided to play the piano in the room next to mine without shutting the door.

However, the children are gone now and things are peaceful once more.