Still Weird And American

The days really fly by here. I think today was the first time I've laid in bed and slept to try and use up an ample amount of time. Anyway, my point is...I'm sorry for the lack of blogging (for those of you who read this). I will try and get a routine going and at least make up something that sounds relatively interesting to string along some posts.

Me Skola (my school) has been OK thus far. On Thursday, I kicked around the football with some of the kids. It was of course better than sitting in the cold, cement building, hoping to help teach them something and inadvertently allowed me to gain a bit of trust with some of the older ones.

One of my students, Georgi (gor-gi), always approaches me in the hallway now to say hello. He never really pays attention in the classroom or gets any attention from his primary English teacher, so maybe I'll be able to help him at some point down the line.

My deida has been terribly ill the past few days and has not moved much from the living room. According to Goga (my English go-to source for information in the family), the doctor told her she'd be fine in a few days. I'm not sure if she caught some type of 15th-century plague or her immune system is shot, but I'm trying to get my distance.

Yesterday, I went into Kutaisi (K'ut'aisi) since it is just a short marshutka (mini-bus) ride up the highway and promised new sights and sounds outside of my gloomy, trash-laden home of Zestaponi.

I could blab about the cobblestone old town, pristine waterfront and statues of people I've never heard of, but the truth is...I relished in the beauty of its McDonald's.

Yup. McDonald's.

At home I rarely ever eat the fast-food burger chain, but after more weeks of living of non-American food, it looked like a piece of heaven in a piece of cardboard. Cheers to being a fat American!

Speaking of food, tonight I ate some very good bean soup, barley and some type of meat dish. Of course, a side of bread was a must. It was the first time in a few days (outside of my McDonald's stint) that I really was hungry. I guess a 4-mile run around the city (looking like a crazy man) and nabbing only an orange and apple from a street vendor for lunch can build that type of food craze.

I'll blog later this week about my new fruit stand business.

Over and Out,

-SCB