Day 12 & 13: The end of our Georgian stay...

First of all, I want to say that I took over 800 pictures during my entire stay in the RofG, but somehow I managed to only take 3 pictures the last two days. Therefore, I will only have maybe one or two pictures on this post. I will probably follow up with a reflection post that will hit on all the many stories that I left out, or some of the most interesting pictures that I have not yet posted. 

We left early in the morning from Gavazi. Stephen and I, in the fashion we were most accustomed to, tried to get in the bed at a decent hour, and awoke to a breakfast of hard boiled eggs and buckwheat. Renee, who had the most plush living quarters from what she told us, arrived early to meet Stephen and I at our home stay house (the van was leaving Gavazi from our place...lucky). However, Dr. Williams and Heather arrived in an ever so jubilant mood; apparently they had a large time with the locals partying and dancing the night before. Plus their living conditions weren't as cozy as our so they made the best of the situation and took in some culture. And as soon as we departed on the 5-6 hour trip to Tblisi, Dr. Williams and Heather were out like a light. This would prove to be the longest early morning van ride yet. 

Our arrival back at the british house in Tblisi marked the 3rd and final time we checked in, and in a little over 14 hours we would be checking out and beginning our journey back to the states. Altogether, The British house was top notch: they had a restaurant, wireless internet (sometimes...), and TV. On the TV we picked up BBC, various and sundry other news stations, and World Cup Channels.  Futbol (Soccer) was not a sport that I paid much attention to before this experience, but it was almost unavoidable (especially when I was surrounded by high schoolers at the FFG Camp). Soccer was one of the many things that I learned to gain a greater appreciation for in the RofG, along with dramamine, water pressure in the shower, American soft drinks, toilet seats, and strangely enough - People. To be a stranger in a country 7000 miles from my own, and to be shown the kind of hospitality we were, almost makes me forget all the times in America where we are completely left out in the cold by our friends that our too busy to help us in times of need because they are pursuing their own agenda. In the RofG, the only agenda they have is to help one another prosper, even if that means putting business or priorities behind what they are consumed with at the moment. In America, we call that being confused; In Georgia, they call that showing love. Just a little bit different.

After a shower and packing all our bags up, Curt wanted us to experience the only restaurant that overlooked the river that bisected Tblisi. It was the last meal that we would share with Curt, our translators Teona & Sesili, and in the RofG. It was a good one. (The picture above is the Well that the restaurant was built around and me and Curt hanging around it). 

Our last night in the RofG was spent reflecting about the times we had during the past two weeks, the relationships we had built, and the road that we had laid for the FFG organization. Sadly enough we got in bed pretty early (10:30), because we had to be at the Airport in Tblisi at 3:15. Departure time was at 4:00.

We left at 4:45. Not, Good. We were scheduled to arrive at the "Charles" in Paris at 11:00. We arrived at 12:15. If you see were this is going, then you know it wasn't good. 

So we missed our connecter. Thankfully, we did manage to talk to some embassy people and work some tickets for the 2:30 flight to Atlanta. It was a frustrating time in Paris, and I have purposely chose to forget most of the events that transpired during the three hour layover. I will say one point of humor originated from a gentlemen who looked like Morris Day of the Time. He was a sport. 

We eventually got on our flight and before we knew it, were landing at the Hartsfield-Jackson Int'l Airport in Atlanta. 

After a few concourses and some customs check-thru's, we were reunited with our parents, who had been waiting patiently for us to arrive back some three hours ago. We shared hugs, words, web addresses, etc. This was an experience that we would never forget. One that we know had a great impact on those that we were focused on and maybe some we weren't. And for every bit of information that we learned about the RofG, we learned two bits about ourselves. We learned about pushing our own limits, stepping outside not just our comfort-zone - but outside our comfort-Area Code, and what our stomach could handle. 

My First meal back in the U.S. was when my parents and I stopped in Jonesboro at the Olive Garden - the Tour of Italy. Delicious. I slept all the way back to Tifton. 

Gogimarjos

Michael Pisciotta

Day 11: Kakheti

After a restful night a sleep & a buckwheat breakfast we were off to Kakheti for a school visit, some sightseeing, and a supra.  As you can see from this picture, there was a lot of heavy, slow-moving traffic that day (of the bovine variety). 

We eventually made it and were just in time for a school visit. Some of our favorite FFG Students would be getting to show us around today: George, Shota, and Data. Georg

e was an incredible dancer, Shota really liked american basketball, and Data was t

he National officer that was known for his public speaking abili

ties. So naturally we would be well taken care of.  The school in Kakheti was large

, and they had a badmint

on court, and a soccer/basketball court (not uncommon to many of the schools we traveled to). We had the opportunity to see their FFG chapter room, w

hich also doubled as there computer lab. Upon our arrival we saw that they had much American paraphernalia on the wall.... and dead in the center of the wall was something that struck Heather and I by surprise....

You Can't Hide That Gladiator Pride! Clarke Central High School! After Heather and I had traveled half way around the world the last thing we would think we would see would be a Clarke Central Spirit Flag! Apparently a Peace Corp Worker had left it at the school some time ago as a souvenir, and little did that Peace Corp Worker think that people that lived mere minutes away from Clarke Central would ever see it again! Truly Amazing (and ironic). 

After the school visit, we traveled to the birthplace of Ilia Chavchavadze, Georgian activist, poet, and "Founder of modern Georgia".http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilia_Chavchavadze.  His museum was impressive as was his wine cellar. The FFG students knew almost as much about Ilia as the tour guide, and I was impressed with how proud they were of their country's people and history. 

Our group then traveled to a monastery which was very amazing in its on right. The students took us up to to rooftops to check out the scenery. Sho

ta and I had some quality bonding time as well.

Following a day full of sight seeing and hanging out with the FFG students you would think that they would have a nice, quiet evening supra planned for us. But as you may have already got the picture from reading this blog, things are seldom as the seem in the Republic of Georgia. 

The food and drink was abundant, people young and old were playing the guitar & the piano, everyone had to sing and most everyone danced. By this time I had grown accustomed to the tradition Georgian dance and even tried my hand at it....

Embarrassing? Yes, I know. Fun? Most in the world. I found that no matter what language you speak laughter and love, along with sports, is universal. Many of the older male students that could speak english asked me a very simple question when I first got to know them, "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" You see, in the RofG the number of siblings you have correlate to how blessed you have been in life. When I responded with a "no", they still smiled from ear-to-ear and responded with "We are now your brothers!" This made my trip and I knew that this would give me a lot to think (and write about) on my way back to the U.S.A. Speaking of which, the return would commence in less than 48 hours. We would trek back to Tblisi, which could be regarded as the land of plenty, tomorrow but for now Stephen and I would relish the time we spent in Gavazi & Kakheti at Giga's home. It would be a journey from Gavazi to Tblisi, but hopefully the dirtroads might have found a box blade by now....or not.

Day 10: Home Stay in Gavazi

Gamar joba! After a journey from Buknari to Tbilisi and Tbilisi to Gavazi, we arrived in the mountainous region that we would call our home for the next two days. Gavazi was easily as rural as Chala was, except for the fact that people from Chala (as well as everyone else in the RofG) make fun of people from Gavazi, because they value the simplicity of life and have a glorious absence of refinement. In our country, most would call this being a "redneck". 

The house where we would be staying at (left) seemed very primitive compared to the hotels and hostels we frequented on our journey. However, Stephen and I had a real bed (Dr. Jen and Heather slept on boards with sheets on them), a furnace to heat water for hot showers ( Dr. Jen and Heather had pans w/ lukewarm water, ladles, and some assembly required), and each other (renee braved the home stay by her american lonesome). Therefore, we were very blessed. The son of the family we stayed with, Giga, was 15, tall, goofy, and loved american rock music. His favorites were The Doors, Bob Dylan, & The Who and in recompense for us listening to music on CD's at night with him he would show us the way to Gavazi's High school in the mo

rning. 

Stephen and I found out the house was equipped with a natural alarm clock as well - half a dozen roosters outside the house. After a breakfast of buckwheat, fruit, and a very cheese-grits-like substance, Giga, Stephen, and Myself hit the dirtroads en route to Gavazi's High school. In a semi-serious moment, we passed an military base equipped with soldiers pac

king up their jeeps for a days trip to the larger city of Kakheti, which we

 would be traveling to the following day. Many of them were smoking and burly in build, but as we passed they raised their hands and waved followed by an ambitious "Hello America!"  I found this to be a sign of reassurance that we would make it through the next two days. 

Gavazi's High school had a very rustic feel to it, but it did have a computer room, a wood shop, and  a full greenhouse/garden/vineyard/Beehives outside of the main building. The principal of the school was Paata- the father of the FFG's National President, Nino. Following the school visit we had a supra at a local restaurant and saw all of the hot spots, including a grist mill and this 3rd century church....

Stephen and I retired early as we would be visiting our friends in Kakheti, Shota and Gorgi, doing a school visit, seeing a monastery, doing a supra, and possibly some recreational activity. A big day ahead of us.