50 Words or Less: Week of February 20

Monday: One third grade class plus an hour in the sun wrapped in a blanket plus tea with a student’s family and Sopo plus a failed attempt at Skype plus a delightful piece of cake is the perfect formula for a good day in Shashiani.

Tuesday: Got home from Gurjaani to the announcement that Nika was in the village. After starting a game of King, eating fried potatoes, hot dogs, and omelets and drinking wine, we spent the rest of the night cracking hazelnuts in our palms and eating shvindi compoti.

Wednesday: Today proves I’ve accustomed to life in Georgia; I stopped by Sopo, dressed her baby, drank tea, and bought a Sim card to call America cheaply. On my way home, I ran into Nika and his friend waiting for the marshutka and greeted the neighbors sitting outside in the sun.

Thursday: Apparently one of the 3^rd graders hit his classmate in the head with a book. As retribution, my co-teacher took the book from him, gave it to the kid he hit, and told him to hit him back. I learned a valuable lesson; punishing violence with equivalent violence is acceptable.

Friday: After learning that my co-teacher just wants me to talk in class, I left for my weekend (plus 3 days) in Tbilisi. Hello showers, real chai, heat, internet, and English; I’ve missed you.

Saturday: One bank card, a trip to the ATM, and two packages later, I’m one happy Georgian.

Sunday: Planned my eventual wedding, ate a box of cereal, drank tea, and listened to the same song over and over again. There’s nothing better than a day of relaxing without anyone sitting over your shoulder asking what you’re doing, in Georgian.

Hot Showers and Dry Underwear

Since when did my happiness depend on how many showers I have in one week, whether there’s homemade cheese for breakfast, and if I my underwear have dried after laundry day?

In the past few months, I have felt a shift in the things that I value: hot showers, good food, clean laundry. I live in a village where my family can’t find a way to get internet in the house, dryers don’t exist, and baking soda must be imported from Turkey.

I know this now; I don’t take advantage of the little things now, but it’s one of those things that I feel will quickly be forgotten when I get back to the States. In a world where grocery stores are open past dark, sugar can be bought in bulk, and free Wi-Fi is available at every street corner, how can I remember to take appreciate those things? I caught a glimpse of myself as I walked past the mirror – carrying a bucket of very cold, dripping clothes, in a black skirt, sweater, and slippers with 5-day-old hair – and I thought, “I could do this. I could live in a village.”

I think it’s a place that anyone who has traveled comes to…whether you’re living in another country or you’re on a week-long trip to a different culture…you realize that there are differences. But how do you reconcile your life at home with the new life you’ve encountered and immersed yourself in?

I realize that I’m not going back to the States for another 18 weeks (yes, I’m keeping track), but it’s something that I want to start preparing for now. I’m a stronger person as a result of this experience, and I don’t want that to change. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to insist on taking only one shower per week or hanging my laundry outside to dry in the winter, but I want to stay the person I have become, and I want to take pleasure in the simple things.

50 Words or Less: Feb 13

Monday: Greeted the sun on my way to school and watched as the feet of snow melted into one foot of snow, went to Telavi for the internet, and stayed up late enough to know I wouldn’t be watching the Grammy’s.

Tuesday: Who knew 5^th graders could care so much about one point, 1^st graders could be so cute, 2^nd graders could be so loud, and 3^rd graders could be so awful? And to make matters worse, it’s Valentine’s Day. Khachapuri for lunch and khinkali for dinner makes everything better, though.

Wednesday: Apparently when Niko checked the hot water in the shower and found it not running, he left it on; when I went to take a “bath” an hour later, the bathroom was filled with steam, I couldn’t see 6” in front of me, and good laundry water was being wasted.

Thursday: Went to school prepared to teach lessons alone; instead, I met the new co-teacher and left school at the end of the day with a migraine – exhausted and overwhelmed. For the first time, it wasn’t because of the students.

Friday: After looking up a word she needed to translate for me, Ani started skimming through my Georgian-English dictionary that uses out-of-date English at times. After asking me if I have a “lover” and calling me a chaffinch, she exclaimed, “Andrea…seriously?!” Apparently she’d reached the “s” page.

Saturday: Woke up to my best friend calling to tell me she’s engaged. I was excited with her, but eventually I had to face reality: take off the gloves I slept in, get an extra pair of leggings to walk to church, do laundry outside,learn how to make “Cake Nana”.

Sunday: Homemade cheese and hot bread for breakfast, cake for brunch, and my second hot shower in one week; I’m so happy that having to use my hairdryer to dry a pair of underwear because I washed them all yesterday and the cold froze them couldn’t even dampen my spirits.

50 Words or Less: January 30 and February 6

Week of January 30


Monday: Dancing to host dad’s ringtones, flicking ants off bread, putting gloves on to get ready for bed, walking 15 minutes each way to and from school in the middle of the day to teach one lesson, correcting Ani as she recites a Georgian poem – just another day in the village.


Tuesday: Went to the internet café in Gurjaani, stared back at a small Georgian boy, attempted to start the fire in the pechi, failed at starting the fire in the pechi, passed a fox (or a dog) on the way to school. Day 9 without consistent water.


Wednesday: I’m sorry; are you speaking English or have you made up an entirely new language as a result of not knowing English; it sounds like the latter. And there’s nothing better than cake for the birthday of a teacher’s daughter who is studying in Tbilisi; any excuse for a celebration.


Thursday: One of my first grade students turned to me during class and smiled – her mouth full of blood and a tooth in her hand. My teacher looked up, asked me what had happened, laughed, and turned back to the student she was helping. 


Friday: The best part about watching the illegally downloaded version of Troy with my host brothers is the English summary I get every few minutes; the movie was in English. 


Saturday: Bebia decided my socks were not warm enough and put her robe over my feet. She then gave me a pair of socks, a blanket, a cup of tea and the bowl of sugar, followed by a plate of bread and cheese, all the while muttering in Georgian. 


Sunday: An Idiot Abroad Season 2, Persuasion, chicken broth soup, a glass of wine, macaroni and cheese, peach compote, and sledding with Ani…all in all, a good day.




Week of February 6


Monday: Bought new, very warm, boots for the cold weather that forced me to chip away this morning at the urine-filled ice cube that formed overnight in the toilet bowl. 


Tuesday: The kid in the green ski mask with a baseball-cap-like bill that sounds like he’s having a meltdown whenever he speaks (and who actually has meltdowns often) is a bright spot in my day when my teacher decides to tell me I don’t do anything in class. 


Wednesday: After the first lesson of three I would apparently be teaching alone, we were sent home until Monday due to snow. 4 hours of being alone with Ani has made me understand why parents love sending their children back to school. We celebrated by eating one of Nana’s cakes. 


Thursday: Out of power for the entire day, we went to Gurjaani, where we encountered two boys who – instead of yelling, “Hello!” – greeted us with “f***” ten times. 


Friday: Cleaned the kitchen, worked on my craft, read Anna Karenina, and played cards while the power was out; somewhere between moving to Georgia and today, I turned into an old woman. That’s what happens when you live in a village. 


Saturday: Friendship toasted with a twelve-year-old today and finished off 2 ½ bottles of wine with a group of 5 12-year-olds, 1 9-year-old, and Nana. And I thought Ani was bad enough on her own…turns out when 5 more join the group and get drunk, it can get worse. 


Sunday: Played outside for 25 minutes with Ani, watched Tangled with Susan and Jenny, ate way more than I should have at dinner (khinkali, khachapuri, fried chicken, and cream puffs), and crafted on the couch while Ani did math homework: a successful day.