Christmas Concerts

I’m normally not scheduled to work on Fridays, but my director specifically requested that I come in on the last day of the term.  Apparently, they were planning something a bit out of the ordinary. 

Grades Two and Three

The festivities started at eleven, with the youngest kids’ concert.  Grade One sang songs in Georgian and English, all dressed up in their Christmas finery.  Grades Two and Three joined them for dancing and poetry recitals.  Grade Four put on a play about … well, I have no idea what it was about.  But Tovlis Babua showed up at the end of it! 

Tovlis Babua, cleverly disguised as a mild-mannered Mamuka

The director was late and showed up when it was all almost over.  So the kids did it all over again. 

A play about angels and gold from Fourth Grade

Georgian dancing from Fifth Grade

First Graders with fire!

And Rezzo flirting with the camera

After, we had a supra in the teacher’s lounge.  Kinkhali and k’ahde, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  they made me drink cognac, but it was the wine that nearly did me in.  Georgian wine is mostly homemade, which means it varies quite a bit from batch to batch.  This particular batch was so strong that it made my feet feel dizzy. 

Apparently, you can get kinkhali by the bucket-load!

There are three different kinds of alcohol on this table.  Can you spot them?

There were toasts and wishes for my good health and future happiness, since I’d be moving to teach in Tsinandali Village School in January.  The music teacher got everyone to sing Aelilo songs together, which got more enthusiastic as more wine was consumed. 

My co-teachers, Natia and Lamara

When it was all over, I grabbed my rucksack from my house and headed to the hospital.  Doctor Zurab took my cast off and told me not to lift anything heavy for several weeks.  I couldn’t bend or straighten my arm all the way, but that’ll come back with time and lots of painful stretching.  I went straight from the hospital to catch the marshrutka to Tbilisi, where I’d be meeting Arlie’s plane in time for Christmas Eve!