Just Traveling Through

After the last somewhat gruesome entry, and considering that in a short amount of time (less than a week!) I will be arriving in the Land of the Free and the home of the Free Refills, I figured it would be a good time to talk about what happens when Americans come to Georgia.

During the summer, many PCVs have had the pleasure of welcoming a variety of guests for a taste of their own Georgia experience, and I was lucky enough to play host myself for a little while.

Needless to say, I was very excited to host both my friend Danny, a current PCV in Armenia, and later my friend Jeff, who lives and works in a little place called Washington, DC.

As Danny lives a few hours in a way in a small country somewhat similar to Georgia (where I have been twice now, thankyouverymuch), I have to give a special shout out to Jeff, who spent a good chunk of his well-earned vacation time to travel from his super-busy and important job in DC all the way to Georgia. I’m sure his parents will totally understand when it comes time for Christmas dinner and he has all of 2 days to spend with them. Good choice, Jeff! Seriously though, I would imagine he will be the only one daring enough to experience the adventure that is Georgia. A challenge to the rest of you!

Anyway, not only was it nice to get some visitors to liven up a slow and sometimes unbearably hot summer, but it was great to get a different perspective on the places, people, food, and culture I’ve grown accustomed to over the last year.

Here are a few of my observations based on things seen and done with the keen eyes of “fresh meat”:

• Man, Americans really hate riding the marshutkas
• Everyone gets sick once…all part of the fun of eating in a part of a developing country where sometimes you ask a question and the only one in the vicinity around you answers “Moooooooo”
• Food “quality control” is very, very relative
• People with real jobs like to stay in hotels with air conditioning and soft beds…go figure!
• Georgian wine can really mess you up if you play by the rules
• Potato khinkali > regular khinkali (as all Georgians now die of head explosion because BLASPHEMY!)
• I know enough Georgian to bring hapless Americans from one place to the other, in one piece, and also to sound like I know what I’m talking about to people who know no Georgian whatsoever.
• America is going to be AWESOME!

Can’t wait.