Sibs and Nombulelo

Nombulela and Sibu decided to come visit me in Telavi on Saturday.  They had just planned on coming any old random day, but it turned out that there was quite a bit of activity in the city that day.  On my way to meet them at the marshrutka station, I ran into Gucha, who told me that Sakashvili would be in Telavi that afternoon.  The centre of the city was full of people scurrying around to finish all the construction projects before the Big Guy arrived.  It reminded me more than a bit of when The Suits would come to visit Kroger: everything looked very pretty when they walked through but would fall apart as soon as they left.  Turf was laid, balconies were painted, and all the trash was thrown behind the courtyard walls where it wouldn’t be  seen until after everyone left, like cleaning your room by throwing everything under the bed. 

Telavian construction workers, hard at ... uh... work.

This was all bare dirt a few minutes before.

We ran into Paul working on his movie at the USAid office, and he joined us for lunch at Limbo, a grocery store kind of like Ukrops without all the groceries.  (I know that doesn’t make much sense.  In Georgia, it makes perfect sense.)  With Paul in tow, we explored the Old Castle, which was finally open.  Maybe it wasn’t open, but the guard didn’t stop us from squeezing through the gate, which counts as open.  This castle has been closed for renovation since I came to Telavi, so I had never actually seen it. 

The castle and a statue of King David, all pretty for the festivities.

Inside the castle, where we probably shouldn't have been.

This tree is supposed to be eight hundred years old, which makes it magical.  We were told to hold hands and walk around it in a circle to make a wish.  The group of kids hanging around the tree were there for the sole purpose of holding hands with visitors and wishing.  According to the girl who seemed to be in charge of the operation, they are from a club sponsored by the government to foster leadership and patriotism.  It sounded a bit like the Young Pioneers to me.

Dear Magic Tree, please bring me a pony and some reliable electricity

Because of its geography and history, Georgia has a very homogenous population.  Almost everyone I’ve met here looks like cousins.  I get stared at all the time because I am taller and lighter than the Georgians, but it was nothing to what Nombulelo and Sibu faced when we walked through the random street festival.  People were pointing at them, taking pictures of them, even trying to touch them.  When Paul and I told some guy not to take their picture, he got very angry at us.  Even my host family was shocked when I brought these ladies home. 

Not pictured: Sibs and Nombulelo

Nombulelo had to catch the last marshrutka back to her village so she could make it to her host father’s birthday supra the next day.  It was very sad to see her leave us.  She called later and said she was standing outside her house and waiting for a marshrutka to fall from the sky to bring her back to Telavi.  I told her it probably wouldn’t work very well after falling from that height, but she was still hopeful. 

Still not pictured: Sibs and Nombulelo.  Actually, I have no idea what this is; these people were just wandering down the street and dancing.

Emma, a TLGer who has been in Telavi for a year, had a party at her flat for TLG teachers from all around Kakheti that evening.  We met lots of other English-speakers, including some from right here in Telavi.  I finally learned the name of the guy with the camera who is always hanging around the USAid office: Giorgi.  Honestly, I should have guessed as much; it seems half the male population in this country is named Giorgi.  The party was fun and bizarre, like they all seem to be.  I played drinking games with a bunch of Georgian guys who didn’t know enough English to understand the rules; I listened to a South African and an Australian debate their countries’ respective immigration policies; I heard a half-drunk Lithuanian and a completely drunk Georgian arguing about election transparency; and I now have a bunch of numbers in my phone with names I don’t recognize.

City Centre, the theatre, the library, and a bunch of random Georgians.  Emma's ideal location!

About halfway through the party, I noticed a bunch of people setting up instruments on the huge stage just outside Emma’s flat.  When the band came on and started playing, I thought they sounded awfully familiar.  It was the Gypsy Kings, playing in Telavi, right outside the window.  How did I miss that memo?!  Tarkhun, Gypsy Kings, and fireworks.  It was a good party.

None of my pictures from the evening turned out, so I invite you instead to enjoy this photo of Ursha and Kiki, the two puppies at my house.