Best Things About Living in Tbilisi

Apparently, my last post on the "5 Worst Things About Tbilisi" aroused some anger on the part of people, Georgians and expats alike, who thought I was being unfairly critical of the city. The point of that post was to express an alternate and more complete picture of a place I have almost exclusively gushed positively about on this blog. In my attempt to provide some balance, however, I may have gone too far the other direction. So, here is a new list of my personal  favorite things about living in Tbilisi.

1. it's not shiny 

Abanotubani

Tbilisi is old and honest and authentic. It's a crumbling monarch, fading yet still gorgeous. It's not overcrowded with soulless corporate office buildings or sky scraper apartments. Corners are soft and muted, small gardens and parks are whispering and sweet, and the dominant vibe from bustling Pekini Street to romantic Leselidze is self-confidence. Tbilisi does not put on airs, does not force you to be someone else, does not try too hard.

My hope is that the government works harder on preserving the cultural and historical treasures, improves some of the roadways, and doesn't pull too hard towards western modernity (cough, cough Rike Park)

 

New architecture:
The presidential palace and theater/exhibition hall

2.the people
Tbilisi is often referred to as a big village. Like all city folk, Tbilisebi are a bit faster, pushier, and more aloof than their country-dwelling counterparts- but not by much. The famous Georgian hospitality is alive and well here, seen through my neighbors in impromptu supras in the yard and lazy Sunday evenings at the dacha. My new favorite past time is giving big, American smiles to the security guards on my street and watching them progress over time from worried, to confused, to shy reciprocation. 

I don't know what this is, but it looks fun

3. the background
Tbilisi is surrounded by lovely green hills, and without tall buildings compressing the city inwards, Old Tbilisi simply sighs out into the surrounding suburbs and villages toward the hills. From almost every part of the city you can catch a glimpse of some famous landmark- Kartlis Deda, the tv tower, the Mtatsminda ferris wheel, the St George Statue, or Narikala- making the city seem constantly familiar.

view of TV tower from my front yard

4. accessibility to the rest of the country/region
One word: Didube. 
Georgia is located at an ancient crossroads, opening the way to Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Black Sea region, and the Middle East. I live in a constant state of romantic fantasy, thinking that any time I could get swept away onto the Silk Road (and the 15th century), and knowing that I can actually head to the Didube transport hub and find a ride to anywhere in Georgia, and many cities in Russia, Armenia, Turkey, or Azerbaijan. Poor road and weather conditions often block off some sections of the country, mostly high mountain passes, but for the most part you can get anywhere your heart desires, and it's always an adventure!

Didube: metro, marshrutka,
bus, and taxi station, and market

5. it's endlessly diverting

This city is never boring. Packed full of secret courtyards, artisan fountains, and unexpected bursts of color in paint flaking off shutters and trees heavy with scented blossoms. Tbilisi is surprising and captivating, driving me from street to street scanning every inch like a hidden-picture puzzle. There are so many eclectic neighborhoods and cool cafes, I try to explore a new area or two a week!


6. the river
The Kura/Mt'k'vari River is one of the most important features of Tbilisi. In my opinion, a city without water is dead. I need that lifeblood flowing, and Tbilisi is blessed by having its river in the center, flanked by dramatic cliffs where old pastel buildings cling. While the water quality is unfortunately declining and the murky, muddy current is not exactly refreshing, its simple presence is so soothing to me, and I love living just a 15 minute walk from the water!

7. it's diverse
Tbilisi isn't New York, or even St. Petersburg, but there is a lot of diversity here if you look a bit below the surface. Racial diversity is more subtle- the vast majority of people are some variation of "white," but the sub-ethnic groups are incredibly rich, and it continues to surprise me that every Georgian knows his or her ancestral roots! There is a diversity in languages, you often hear Georgian, Russian, and English in combination, and a diversity in experiences. Tbilisi has both natives and immigrants, everyone with a unique story to tell.

8. the weather
While my last post mentioned the heat (and mainly the lack of air conditioning in homes and public spaces to combat it), I generally love the weather here. The past week we have had a series of storms that left gorgeous patterns in the clouds, lit up the sky with sparks of lightening for half the night, and played several long seconds of rolling thunder. Some of the most beautiful moments are in the early morning when the fog from the mountains has not yet burned off and the sun reflects golden through the misty alleys of my neighborhood. 
In general, the temperature range is very comfortable, we get all four seasons, and storms are breathtaking.

9. it's affordable 
I almost didn't want to mention this because it's such a base thing, and I want to feel like my life here is enriched by the intangible,  not the extra laris in my pocket. The favorable exchange rate from dollars and low prices from groceries to transportation, however, cannot be ignored. For those living on a salary in GEL and paying credit and interest in dollars, it's certainly not easy, but for most expats, whose salaries are still in USD, Tbilisi is a very budget-friendly city. 

Now you've seen the good and the bad. 

I think the good in Tbilisi far outweighs the frustrations. This city has so much to offer any visitor from a backpacker looking for hostels, to a young couple looking for a romantic getaway, to luxury resorts and more- Tbilisi has something for everyone. Come see for yourself, and don't forget to let me know your thoughts on what you consider the best things about the city!

5 Worst Things About Tbilisi

Disclaimer: This list is not in any ranked order, it is written by me, an "amateurish traveler and writer," and thus reflects only my observations, opinions, and some gathered viewpoints from others. If you disagree, don't take it personally; this is about preferences and everyone's preferences are different. 

(Alternatively: The Best Things About Living in Tbilisi)

1. Walking
Tbilisi could be a very walkable city. It's not too big, it's packed with character-filled buildings and people on every street and corner, and there are lots of sidewalks! 

In reality, however, Tbilisi is a city suited more to cars than people. 
Public transportation is very cheap (about 35 cents for a metro ride), but not very good. Buses are ancient, dirty, and crowded beyond belief, which is almost unbearable in the summer heat (particularly considering the infamous Eastern European nonchalant attitude towards rancid body odor). 
The metro is manageably small, but there are no maps, and the few directional signs are confusing and often faded or broken. The trains are pretty slow, and the stations are not in the style of Soviet grandeur that you see in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and even Tashkent! Even putting advertisements in the empty spaces on the grey, concrete walls of the Tbilisi metro escalator tunnels would be an interesting diversion.

Walking is difficult for three main reasons

obstacle course on the way to work

1. The city is hilly as all get out.
   Prepare to be out of breath hobbling up and down cobblestone lanes. Many women still manage to rock the post-Soviet 'heels everyday, everywhere' mentality, but I can't suffer quite as stoically. 
2. The sidewalks are sad. Did I say sidewalks? Sorry, I meant parking lots. Sidewalks are very poorly maintained, filled with gaping potholes, chasms, tree roots, construction work, and exposed pipes. In Saint Petersburg, cars occasionally park on the sidewalk, and I always found it rather amusing, but here, it's sometimes literally easier to walk in the middle of the road than on the sidewalks. Where there aren't cars, there is probably a pothole, or a group of people shuffling idly, or the sidewalk might unexpectedly end, or there is a geyser shooting out of a public water fountain (seriously, it's been 3 days and the fountain right outside the MAIN GOVERNMENT BUILDING still is running constantly...).
3. Crossing streets is scary and dangerous.
   Cars have the right of way, not pedestrians. Local pedestrians are so brave. The best tactic is to find a local, preferably an older person, and stick to them like a human shield when they cross the roaring lanes of traffic. There aren't enough crosswalks, the few crosswalks on side streets are ignored, and the main avenue is a 6-lane highway that only has two inconveniently-placed underpasses, so people mostly just scamper across traffic. I've actually gotten quite good at it, it's an adrenaline rush- "will I get hit today? Who knows!" 

(This article further discusses the issue)

2. Smoking 
While this is (very) slowly improving with time, as more restaurants realize patrons would prefer not to sit in a cloud of tobacco smoke, and the health risks of smoking start to be taken seriously, smoking is still a major problem in Georgia. Most women don't smoke (in public), but according to World Bank data from 2011, 55% of Georgian men over age 15 use tobacco. There are very few regulations on smoking- people smoke inside restaurants and bars (nearly unavoidable), although some cafes have been starting to restrict smoking to certain sections or ban it altogether. People smoke copiously on the street, blowing clouds into your face as you walk. People smoke in cars, in homes, at university...it's grim. If you have respiratory problems, it is very hard to go out and be social in such an environment. Cigarette packages are printed with health warnings, so people know they're killers, but they don't seem to care, and I have seen absolutely no concern for the way smoke affects other people. In the US, smokers generally try to angle their toxic plumes away from non-smokers, and are often a bit sheepish about their habit, but in Georgia I've had people exhale directly into my face...lovely. 
A couple ideas about the lingering popularity of smoking here:

1. in Soviet times, everyone smoked (in the US too), and the brand of cigarettes were a status symbol- if you could get western brands smuggled in, you clearly had money and connections. There are probably still some residual status-related elements to smoking now.   
2. smoking is extremely social. I've met several expats who picked up smoking when they first came to Georgia in order to meet people and participate in social situations. 
3. unemployment in Georgia is at 13.7% (2014), led by middle-aged men. The Soviet system equipped workers with a certain type of capital, capital which is largely irrelevant in today's economy. The jobs available to men without adequate education, experiences, or connections include mainly things like shopkeeper, taxi/marshrutka driver, construction worker- jobs that mean a lot of sitting around idly, and thus create a perfect environment for picking up a tobacco habit.

*Update: July 2017 stricter smoking laws will take effect!

3. Air Quality
Tbilisi has tragically poor air quality. Despite the verdant hills surrounding the city, fresh air is hard to come by, polluted by a combination of tobacco smoke, car exhaust, or dust from crumbling sidewalks and half-demolished buildings. Yesterday, waiting at a light to cross Pekini St. (one of the few actual above-ground road crossings), there was so much dust and diesel exhaust in the air that I started to choke and my eyes were watering violently- and I have absolutely zero allergies or respiratory issues, so I can only imagine how it would have affected a less healthy person.
(Compared to major industrial cities/metropolitan areas, the air here is wonderful, and I think on the whole the quality is not bad, but at mouth-level on the street, it's something I notice and that bothers me)


4. Heat
"Tbilisi has a humid subtropical climate with warm to hot summers and relatively cold winters. The city's climate is influenced both by dry (Central Asian/Siberian) air masses from the east and oceanic (Atlantic/Black Sea) air masses from the west. Because the city is bounded on most sides by mountain ranges, the close proximity to large bodies of water (Black and Caspian Seas) and the fact that the Greater Caucasus Mountains Range (further to the north) blocks the intrusion of cold air masses from Russia, Tbilisi has a relatively mild microclimate compared to other cities that possess a similar continental climate along the same latitudes." -thanks, Wikipedia

"asphalt-melting, earth-parching,
brain-scrambling heat of midsummer"
-Justyna Mielnikiewicz for The New York Times

What this means, basically, is that winters are lightly snowy, not too far below freezing usually, and summers are hot as balls. You might look at average summer temps: hovering in the high 70s to high 80s, and think "that's not so bad," and you'd be right...EXCEPT- there is no  infrastructure to deal with heat. Winters are much more tolerable, because everyone has heaters in their homes, but almost no dwellings have central air, and few even have window units. Included in this problem is: un-temperature controlled public transport, no AC in most mini-markets/produkty, no bug-screens on windows (so choose either sweating to death with no air circulation, or sweating to death with warm air and moths and mosquitoes circulating), the general public's lack of body-odor awareness/concern, lack of personal space, (only my?) tendency to walk most places, and the inappropriateness of certain heat-friendly clothing (shorts on men, barely-there dresses)...so yes, now it's clear why those who can afford it skip town for most of August and head to mountain-dachas or seaside resorts, and no work gets done.

5. Complex Social Norms and Expectations 
I don't want to get into this too much... it's a sensitive issue that I can't do justice in this small space. If you live here, you know what I'm talking about. If not, consider Georgians' violent aggression towards gay rights and homosexuality in general, relatively high rate of hymen-reconstruction surgery for young women before marriage to maintain the necessary illusion of virginity, or the incredulity of male-female friendships and the lingering taboo in some places (mostly in the countryside/mountains) on any sort of unchaperoned male-female interactions. 
Some Georgian social norms are awesome- supras, hospitality, culture of relaxation, etc., but sometimes it feels like I'm floating in a sea of judgmental neighbors and too scared to reach out for a life raft because it might be culturally unacceptable...mostly it's fine, but I think I have scandalized a few people through cultural missteps (sorry, 5 am-shift security guard on my street).

Scared yet?
Honestly, Tbilisi is a great place to live. I was going to make this a 10-worst-things list, but couldn't come up with anything else.
People complain about lots of things, including: copious Roma beggars (one of them literally stole food off my friend's plate the other day), "laid-back" (super slow) service in restaurants, lack of access to certain Western goods/brands, the communication barrier, Georgians' frequent inability to form a polite line, etc, but I don't think those are sufficiently bad/inconvenient/frustrating to make this list.

Think I missed anything? Misrepresented something? 

Let me know in the comments!

My next post will be the 10 best things!

Just Caucasus Things

as my gym membership card is called

for the record, her shirt said "screw you. pay me." and "trust me, love me, pay me"

PART II IS HERE

Notes from Kazbegi

I: Driving 

Called one of the 40 deadliest highways in the world, and one of the most dangerous roads in the world (by these two websites with seemingly no sources or fact-based qualification systems), the Georgian Military Highway is the only route to Kazbegi from Tbilisi and is always fabulously interesting. The scenery is gorgeous, fellow passengers full of character (and probably body odor), and plenty of hair-raising vehicle leap frogging. On my latest trip up the road, I encountered a sign that said simply 

"We apologize for the inconvenience- 

Roads Department of Georgia"

Describing, apparently, construction that was going on making a windy, narrow, barely two-lane stretch of mountain road into a windy, narrow barely one-lane stretch of moutain road, also filled with huge potholes and pieces of missing guard rail. One of the more glaring "inconveniences" was in this tunnel:

where there was a grate (probably for snow drainage) stretching across the roadway, but a piece on the side had broken, leaving a gaping hole in the ground. This was marked off by a little caution tape, forcing cars (and 18-wheelers) to maneuvere around it in the darkness, veering into the other lane with a small warning honk to get around the hole. 

II: Things that could have had Parasites but Didn't

Sooooo I put some things in my mouth that definitely could have given me parasites, but since this was a week ago and I feel fine, I think I'm in the clear. Isn't nature grand?  ;)

-drinking from Arsha waterfall
-drinking from pipe spraying water into a little stream occupied by cows and horses

Arsha waterfall up ahead

-riding a dirty, sweaty horse until the creases in my palms were black, and then eating meat with those hands...meat that was sitting on a tarp on the ground in the forest

-drinking buckets of homemade wine

-eating sulguni cheese and bologna that was sitting on the table outside for hours with flies and stuff visiting

-eating macaroni that sat half-covered on the stove for 2 days

the pipe is right behind this dzrokha

that big pitcher is wine- refilled 4 times

There are probably other things I've just become desensitized to thinking are unsanitary. BUT I still won't sit on my bed in street clothes- Soviet health logic.

III: Notes from the tamada: Mito Edition

-the most important things in life are, in order of toasts given- health, good neighbors, and children. Without health, you have nothing. Without good neighbors you just drink alone and that's bad. Without children you leave nothing. 

-In Sweden, the social hierarchy from top to bottom goes: women, kids, dogs, men. In Georgia, men are the highest, and that's the proper way

-if you don't finish the whole cup of "wine" (probably the size of 3 shot glasses) in one drink at each toast, you're not doing it right and get tsk-ed at

-a bunch of stuff in Georgo-Russian with mouth completely stuffed, pieces of tarkhun sticking out

PS: I am apparently a bad tamada and my toasts are so weak they need re-dos before people will drink 

IV: Social Commentary?

Dato can't do dishes because he's a boy.

man's work

Nata works all day, then comes home and works on the house because only women can do housework, and she is expected to serve Mito while he plays computer games and online slots, sits with friends, and drinks. He would work if he could, but there's no work, only at the school, hospital, and kindergarten- and those are mostly women's jobs. The men half-work in tourism, which is really only in the summer, and there are like 15 taxi drivers in a town with 5-10 tourists a day in the shoulder season, maybe 30 a day in the summer, and the town can be well covered on foot...

school's out for summer

what is this "sponge" you speak of?

If Nata could have one thing in the house, it would be a dishwasher/newly renovated kitchen. It's very hard to do dishes so often- since she's almost constantly feeding everyone, dishes are also a constant, and because she doesn't have daughters, the only help she gets is from her 13 year old niece who lives next door.

First Week in Georgia/ Going Home to Kazbegi

My first post from Tbilisi shares my experience coming into the country, my apartment, and my neighbors. 
I don't start work until tomorrow (Memorial Day, actually), so I basically had a free week. There are so many places I want to travel, and I'm here for such a short time, that I couldn't waste the opportunity. So, I went north to Kazbegi to visit some friends. When I was in Georgia with my friend Kaley last April, we stayed at a guesthouse (basically just a family with extra rooms in their house) run by an amazing family who I kept in touch with over Facebook. I wrote about that wonderful experience here.  
Although through Facebook messages the family seemed excited to see me, I was very nervous. 

• would they really remember me?
• would it be (bad) different without Kaley?
• would the novelty of being new and American have worn off?
• would my fantasies of just hanging out and being with these amazing people give way to being treated just like a regular tourist passing through?

It turns out my fears were unfounded. 
I was greeted off the marshrutka by a smiling Dato, the oldest son, and swept into a car where I realized that in fact I was the one who forgot people! Little cousin/neighbor Sopo (she's not that little, 8th grade) and I rekindled our friendship and quickly became BFFs. Tamazi, uncle and all around fun guy, was driving the car and he remembered meeting me and Kaley at the marshrutka the year before! 

Marshrutka to Kazbegi

They took SUCH good care of me. Always delicious food (80% bread and cheese, but perfect for a few days), chai, and great company and conversation. 

Day 1: arrived at night, Nata fed me dinner, and turned in fairly early

Day 2: Mito (dad) came back from getting the car repaired in Tbilisi, and it was a religious holiday, so the kids didn't have school. Mito instructed Sopo and I to prepare a little supra table, so I played the role of good Georgian housewife and chopped up vegetables, set out snack foods, and set up the table. People came and went, but there were usually about 6 or 7 of us gathered around the table, throwing back shots of homemade gold-colored wine and chatting in Georgian, Russian, and English. Later that night, a bunch of the kids and I went to the little local church in the foothills, Ilya, on horseback. On the way home, we came across another little party in the woods, where they shared their "bear meat" (I'm 50/50 as to whether it was actually bear) and more wine and I gave a (admittedly quite poor) toast from horseback, and everyone wanted to take a picture with me and ask about America- so it was my little celebrity moment   ;)

me at Gveleti waterfall

Mito on the way to Gveleti waterfall

Day 3: In the morning, I'm sitting outside drinking tea with Mito and two other neighbors. They're chatting in Georgian and suddenly Mito looks at me, "put on your shoes, let's go"...apparently some plans were made in Georgian and not shared with me! But I ran in and grabbed my shoes, and it turned out we went to the Gveleti waterfall! A really beautiful setting, delicious  ice cold glacier water, and a short, easy hike. Mito also drove me to the border with North Ossetia (Russia) so I could see it. We saw the border, the Dariali Gorge (really important trans-Caucasian transportation route where there was a bad landslide last year), and the big castle-like new monastery. When we got back, I laid in the yard for about two hours listening to music and drinking limonad while Dato washed the car. Later, the young men decided to do some horse racing and were riding these beautiful horses bareback through the narrow streets. 15 year old Shalva led the pack, taming a really wild mare and whooping and shouting as he passed our little cluster of spectators, hooves pounding on the dirt. I have a video- I'll upload it here if I can figure out how. That evening, Dato and I went to the neighboring village of Sno, where we climbed up the 16th century Sno Fortress!

sketchy-ass ladder/stairs inside

the fortress

Church at the Museum

Day 4:  In the morning I went to the town museum where I hatched my brilliant plan to translate everything to English (still waiting on a reply from the museum). Sopo and I walked out to the edge of town where there is a big field for cows to graze and we picked wildflowers and played with a frog. Then we came back to town and bought 6 ice creams for 3 lari (about a dollar!), and shared with everyone and everyone was very happy. We just chatted and relaxed- all I ate literally all day was dairy and bread. 

Day 5: Cold and rainy, I left Kazbegi to head back to Tblisi, which felt sadder and lonelier than ever.

Georgian Names

Georgian names are hard. They're not like names in Western Europe, that are often just different spellings and pronunciations of names we're used to in America. The names here are completely foreign. In fact, it's like when you're learning a new language (because you are), and all the words are so foreign that they're just jumbles of sounds that are very hard to remember.

When I get introduced to new people I hear their name maybe 2 or 3 times, but 30 seconds later – I've totally forgotten it. I thought having been to Georgia before, and having lived in Russia, I would be a little bit ahead of the game, but I was wrong.

my favorite place

There are definitely some Russian names here that I'm familiar with (Misha, Alexander), and there are some Georgian versions of American names (mostly religious names, like Mary--> Meri, George--> Giorgi). But, most names are not familiar to me, and every day I hear several new names. The most common names are VERY common- Nino, Giorgi/Gio/Gia/Goga/Giga/Gigi (still not sure which of those are actual names and which are nicknames of each other...), Daviti/Dato. People in Georgia are creative with naming overall, though- lots of names I've been told are unique or very rare- Mindia, Shalva. I love that Georgians are still named after ancient Queens- Tamar, Ketavan, and kings- Daviti, Vakhtang.

Here are some names I remember from people in my yard: Rusiko, Goga, Zuka, Anni, Malkhaz

Names I remember from people at work: Tamuna, Tamara, Nino, Lika 

Names from Kazbegi: Shalva, Dato, Sopo, Nata, Mito, Tamazi, Mindia, Giorgi, Gia, Zviadi, Bichiko, Nini, Rita, Dodo, Maia, Qeti, etc. 

Also- almost all Georgian names (actually I think all Georgian words in the nominative case) end in a vowel. 

You get the idea. Georgian names are hard.

First Day in Tbilisi

Welcome to Georgia!

Wooooooooo so excitinggggggg

But anyway, someone from my work had agreed to pick me up from the airport at 6 am,  but due to some struggles, I landed at 3 am (the next day) and didn't want her to have to suffer for my mistake so I just told her to come at 6. So I waited 3 hours in the airport, and let me tell you it was not fun. 

she had a fan club. and balloons

That moment when you walk out of customs and those automatic doors slide open and there are like 50 people waiting there with signs and balloons all smiles and hugs, and you know there's no one waiting for you...kind of sucks. And as you walk through the crowd, you keep you eyes down but you know every person waiting is searching you, at least for a brief second, long enough to determine you're not the one they're waiting for. 

After I made my way through that mess, I went and sat down on one of the lovely, ergonomic, traveler-approved, small metal benches! (*sarcasm*) This alerted all the taxi drivers to my alone-ness and every few minutes someone would come up and ask me if I needed a taxi. About 2 and a half hours in, these guys started really bugging me, like "hey, you look so tired (yeah, been traveling for 3 days, no duh), you should rest (I'm  trying, but you won't shut up), I can drive you to a hotel, come on, you need a taxi, there's a good hotel near here, blah blah blah." Finally 6 am arrived and my savior, Nino, appeared backlight by the sunrise like a Georgian angel of sleeeeeep. I was a bit delirious.

the airport had an Oculus virtual reality thing

So Nino and her friend with a car, Luka, took me to my new home. Nino is tall, gorgeous, speaks good English, 23, and hopefully my new best friend...haha I think she's kind of my supervisor, but I'm not really sure yet
Luka drove an old Mercedes, and when I went to buckle up, both of them immediately yelled, "no! no, you don't need that here, only the people in the front have to wear it"
I really wanted to wear it because Georgian drivers are crazy, but they seemed to be offended when I suggested it might be a good idea just for safety (I also suspect the clasp thing was broken).
   








My house is awesome. Tiny, but awesome. I don't think I'll be doing a lot of entertaining, it's bigger than my dorm but not by much. I have a little baby kitchen, a nice bathroom/laundry room, and an all-purpose room with a loveseat, bed, coffee table, TV, and two huge closets. The house is brand spanking new, no one else has ever lived there! It's kind of weird, because it's on the ground floor of a kind of apartment building, but it's not in the building. I have my own front door (even with a mini stoop and porch light!), so I'm calling it a house, not an apartment. The best thing about it is the location- awesome place in the city center, on a quiet street but just steps away from the main avenue and lots of cool shops and restaurants. My neighbors/landlords/new family are the absolute best. My apartment came with:

view from kitchen window

• Sick views
• Bar of soap
• Bed sheets/duvet/pillow
• Ash tray and lighter (lol)
• Curtains on all the windows
• Toilet paper
• Couch, bed, TV, coffee table, washing machine
• Heater (which I'm tempted to turn on, my place is freezing)
• Fridge/freezer
• Kitchen stuff

o   Trashcan and trash bags

o   A few tea bags

o   Instant coffee

o   Some utensils

o   Knife block with 6 colorful steak knives

o   Wooden spoon, spatula, slotted spatula, and tongs

o   Two glass tea cups and saucers

o   Salt and sugar

o   Small tuperware

o   11 small porcelain plates, 3 slightly bigger plates, 2 bowls

o   A bunch of other glass cups

o   Turkish coffee maker (I think that's what this thing is?)

o   Small frying pan

o   Pot

o   Sponge

o   Paper towels

o   Dish towel

o   Dish soap

o   “sponge cloth”

o   Clothes pins

o   Metal fruit/bread basket

o   Chainik

My landlords are a couple, I guess in their early 40s, with three kids. Also, the dad is kind of famous, apparently he's the 'voice of Georgia' because he does a lot of dubbing for TV and movies, and he acts on TV and in theater. His oldest daughter is also a budding superstar. I think Ani is a year younger than me, and she was on the Georgian Voice and has just been accepted to X-Factor! Their son, Luka, is maybe 15, shy, and speaks English but got so flustered when he met me, he forgot the word for "mom" haha and their youngest, Natali, is freaking adorable and already loves me (she told me so). 

I learned all this about the family on my first night, when I was unpacking, watching TV,  and around midnight music starts to come from outside. I peeked out my window and saw like 15 people gathered around a little table in the yard, and they had pulled a car up and played the radio loud with the windows down for a sound system. At about 12:30, they sang happy birthday to someone, and then a woman started singing some pop songs in English (I later found out that was Ani). Around 1 am I got a knock on my door. I answer, barefoot, and a man in his mid-40s comes into my house, smiling, introduces himself in English and literally pulls me out the door. He was so excited that he didn't notice I wasn't wearing shoes, and I was trying to tell him but he thought I was just resisting coming to the party, until someone yelled at him in Georgian and he let go of my arm so I could go slip some shoes on haha
This character is Malkhaz. He speaks pretty good English, and is hilarious. He owns some kind of construction company, and has a big 3 story house with a pool in some outskirt of Tbilisi that I got vaguely invited to, and owns two apartments in the building- one in which lives only his pet rottweiler. He also has an adorable little daughter and a son Luka's age who fell off a quad bike a few days ago and basically broke his whole face...so he was wearing a mask like Bane from Batman.
There were lots of other characters, only two of which (Malkhaz, and a cool woman whose name I forget) spoke English, but once I revealed that I spoke Russian, they all go so excited and animated, like, "oh my gosh! how come you didn't tell us? we've been struggling with English this whole time! Russian! My darling, Russian! Of course!" and a bunch of stuff like that. I never like saying "I speak Russian" because I don't want people to think I actually speak fluently and then get disappointed when I can't understand them or forget words or make 10 million grammar mistakes. The man there with the strongest Georgian accent and most broken Russian kept telling me I need to practice my grammar, so that was fun...
But the whole night was honestly awesome. They gave me beer, and toasted to me with some kind of cool Georgian chanting toast. They had apparently made bets as to what I would be like. All they knew is that I was American and working for Parliament, so Malkhaz bet that I would be fat and boring with glasses, Goga (landlord) bet that I would be awesome (he won the bet), the "jokey donkey" (nickname from Malkhaz) from Kakheti bet that I would have long legs (also won), and another guy bet I would be black. hahhahaa 
They said the whole courtyard is like a family, that they have parties like that all the time when the weather is nice, and that I'm always invited! I'm so lucky that I ended up in this cool place, with these people who are so welcoming, funny, and kind.
I can't wait to see what other adventures are in store!

one of the many fancy cars in my yard (Mercedes)

Government building I can see from my window

My yard

My front door is the white one on the left!

my room))

Yard kitten- she let me pet her!