Welcome to Tbilisi, the city that loves you!

Friday, 10 June
I arrived in Tbilisi, smallest airport I've ever come across. A little interrogation from the passport control, supervisor was called cos OMG! THERE'S AN AFRICAN IN GEORGIA! Supervisor was like, so? Then I was let through. I couldn't find my luggage. I looked all over the show. Eventually found it with a huge red sticker on. There was aready a police guy standing by to ask me if I had anything I needed to declare. I was like, 'like what?'. He said 'anything you think we need to know about?'. I'm like ' well, here's my laptop, camera and...'. He said, 'no, here in your suitcase! What's in there?'. I said 'my clothes!'. He said, "ok,". And removed the sticker.
In my head, I'm like, why not just search the bag, and leave me alone dude! Gees! Anyway TLG was waiting for me at the entrance with 2other teachers who arrived in the same flight as myself. We all had a 7hr layover in Istanbul. But didn't see each other the whole time or something.

We were then whisked off to Bazaleti hotel in town. Had a shower and a meeting in like an hour and a half of arrival. Yup, they waste no time here! We got our work cellphones, and talked basic stuff. Got introduced to each other. We are one of the smallest if not the smallest group. 15 people. 4girls. This is the only group of people I've ever seen where there are more guys than girls. Ever!
Dinner at 8. We hung out after that. I went to bed around 11pm. My feet were sooooo swollen!
Saturday, 11 June.

Training started at 9, breakfast is every morning at 8. I have muesli and yoghurt every morning. They also serve dinner and lunch stuff every meal, like, they have pasta at breakfast, so yeah, it's different!
The food is like interestingly prepared. The potatoes are never cooked, just half way, and there's very little salt in the food. I noticed when I was in turkey that the salt was very weak, like almost salt-free. You can't add enough salt in the food cos it itself is so weak. You'd need to salt the salt first.
Other than that the food is not so bad. I'm looking forward to home cooked meals though. I think that's where the nice-ness will be.

So long SA, I'll miss you terribly!

A lot has happened since I last posted. To sum it up:

Monday, 6 June
While back home, I Uitenhage, I finally found someone to do my hair, we started Monday afternoon, four hours later, I got an email that my ticket's been booked for Thursday the 9th of June. I'd been previously been told to avail myself from the 10th onwards, which is why I was still in the Eastern Cape and not the Western Cape where I'd be flying out from.
The pressure was on! We did my hair at my aunt's until midnight. Fortunately the chick that did my hair's boyfriend didn't pick her up after she called him and ran out of airtime. So we were able to work until that hour. My sis and I helped a bit with the hair as well.

Tuesday, 7th June
We were up at 6am, and were back at work! I got a bus booking with Greyhound for 10pm in PE. Tha meant I'd have to leave latest, by 9pm for the bus. 8hands later (my hairstylist got her 2partners to come help) we finished doing my hair at 8pm. Not finished finished, I still had to finish twisting at at a later stage, I asked them to just plant the extension on, for the last bit.
Thulani, (an angel that used to date my niece and a friend of my bro's ) picked me up at the terminus, dropped me at mine, let me stuff my stuff in my bag, while he dashed to my bro's to pick my laptop up. We left Uitenhage at 8:23pm and arrived at the bus station at 9pm. Perfect timing!
The bus ride is a story for a whole another day!

Wednesday, 8th June
My bro-in-law picked me up, dropped me at my sis' and left for work, I dozed off on the couch for 2hrs, my bro came over to c me (needless I've got lots of bro's and sis'). We hung out until after 8pm, when the rest of the fam, ie my bro-in-law and sis were back. Sis cooked yummilicious pasta with viennas and chicken and I Lord knows what else, just thinking about it makes my mouth water! My sis, Pru and I hung out in my room for a bit, then she went to bed. We both had to be up early the next day.

Thursday 9th June
I finished packing, unpacked and left a few things behind, went and got $ at the mall, what a hassle it was! Internet cafe etc, left for the airport. The bro-in-law dropped me off, and rushed for work, it was already 1pm shame.
I had to call Georgia and ask them to book me a return ticket, urgently because this was a problem at the airport. They didn't want to allow me to leave the country on a one way ticket. Which is a good thing cos now I know I'll be coming back and that I'm not going to be kidnapped and sold to Europe for 50cents, thanks SA!
Got my ticket a few mins later, checked everything in, went and waited to board. Called the fam, to say bye, chocked half to death cos it was so hard. Dang, I remember everything everyone said cos in that moment, it's like watching your life pass you by. It's weird cos I always work away frm home, In a whole another province, but that's nothing compared to this!
I sat next to a nice guy called Angus frm CT, sweet man, he's going for a hike in Eastern Eurpoe somewhere.
I was the only black person in the flight to Joburg, Turkey and Tbilisi! I'm saying this because man did I get stared at on the way!

Welkom by Uitenhage

I arrived in Uitenhage at 9:00 am, called a cab, paid R20 (5GEL / $3) for a 1km ride. Mom was on her way out. Uncle was fast asleep. I chatted a bit with my mom, she gave me a jersey, a polo neck and a nice and warm Jacket. Of course, my bags are already packed for the final destination and I don't have space. Guess I'll have to re-pack. Cos I like what I got:) and I haven't packed enough warm clothes. Can you pack enough anything anyway? Smh!
I freshened up, stole mom's handbag, called my friends and hit the road, just after I munched on some fat cakes mom bought. I needed to walk!
I strolled to the taxi rank, went to Gunguluza to see an old friend from college. I met her 4kids, hung out at hers while she updated me on her life. My friend frm previous work, came by, we all chatted, another chick, popped in about 2hrs later, it was time for me to leave. It had begun getting dark. Friend #2 and I took jikeleza (local taxi much cheaper than cab) to the Spar, and another one to her aunt's to drop her baby!
By the time we got to taxi to town, it was like night time out! At around 6pm. I called a friend and asked him to pick me up in town. He did, got to mine, moms not back yet, uncle fast asleep, I asked him to drop me at my bro's. I got there after 6/before 7pm. THEY WERE FAST ASLEEP!
They let me in, we all sat and talked until around 11. That's when I went to bed. Apparently mom got home at 8:30pm.
This morning, Sunday, 5 June, I got up, had breakfas, left over chicken and bread, and hit the road.
Got home at 9:30am. I left my bro's at 8:23! Mom was busy off-loading the bakkie. She needed to use it to go to church. Apparently Joyous Celebration is in town! Church servise started at 9, she's still here at 9:30. She said it finishes at 11, she left at 10:50.
I fed my uncle, took an hour long bath. Now I'm nice and sleepy.
I've to meet a friend and my aunt's expecting me at 12. It's now 12:42 and my eyes are half closed.

Journey by bus

I finally left the city of Gold!
I took a bus, sat by myself, thankfully!
The bus was 30mins late. I had motion sickness frm the time we left Melville, if not before I even left the house, if that's possible. Hate it:(

Thursday night, I went to bed around 11 pm. Friday morning, I got out of bed at 11 am, see a trend? I had a bit of a slow down and eventually dragged myself out after the 10 o 'clock episode of the Tyra show. Cooked a full meal, I cooked paap, my niece fried pork, we munched away before we even started work. You've gotta love us!
12 o 'clock I started tying the loose ends, bath time around 2pm, my sis got home at 3:30 pm. I was still not done, she helped out, and saved the day as usual! Thanks Aaliyah!
We left the house just before 4. I drove!
My niece got to park station earlier from elsewhere and queued for us. So I was #2 in line. Good times!
I asked the driver if I can sit just behind him, you know the first, spacious seat that some drivers don't want us to occupy? Well, this one didn't mind. I stuffed my hand luggage above, and was ready to go, soon as I bad farewell to my fam.
As the bus was ready to leave, a short man, with a shiny face and pot belly (no offence to all those with all those, I do too!) Came and ordered me to find another seat! So much for being 2nd in line! I was the last one to find a seat! I tried to explain to him that the driver said I could sit there, he didn't care!
Tail inbetween legs, I made my way to the back of the bus (frm front to back!). I was lucky to find a vacant seat just before the back seat, aka the driver's bed.
Not long after I settled in, Shiny was back to check my ticket. I showed it to him, he made small talk, I noticed that his glasses were too small for his face (just saying). He moved right along.
Done with his ticket checking, me minding my business (read: reading celeb websites on blackberry) someone pops up, out of nowhere, 'hi!'. He takes my laptop, puts it on the luggage compartment thingy above me, makes himself comfortable and goes, 'is that a computer?'. (It's Shiny again!) I said, yeah, (no eye contact!). Oh, why is it on the seat then? 'Because it's valuable and I wouldn't want it to go missing!'. 'K, it's safe there!'.
his arm is restig over mine, and he's looking me deep in the eye as I totally ignore him, then he decides to start reading what I'm reading. I still pay no mind to him.
He goes, 'are you typing an sms (text) ?'.
Me: nope! (Like, dude! How? You're resting on my arm!)
He: oh, are you playing a game?
Me: no!
I mean really now! Dude is sitting right next to me and can see I'm doing no such thing!
He finally left promising to come back when I'm not busy.
He fell asleep right away, just behind me and snored until we arrived in PE more than 12hrs later.

The Funeral

A man was leaving a convenience store with his morning coffee when he noticed a most unusual funeral procession approaching the nearby cemetery. A black hearse was followed by a second black hearse about 50 feet behind the first one. Behind the second hearse was a solitary man walking a dog on a leash. Behind him, a short distance back, were about 200 men walking single file. 
 
The man couldn't stand the curiosity.  He respectfully approached the man walking the  dog and said, "I Am so sorry for  your loss, and this may be a bad time to disturb you, but I've never seen a funeral like this.
 
"Whose funeral is it?"
"My wife's."
'What happened to her?"  
"She yelled at me and my dog attacked and killed her."
"But who is in the second hearse?"
"My mother-in-law. She was trying to help my wife when the dog turned on her."
 
A very poignant and touching moment of brotherhood and silence passed between the two men."Can I borrow the dog?"The man replied, "Get in line

FNB shoot and missed connections.

Wednesday
I cleared my place, gave away stuff, sold stuff (for close to nothing), ate junk food, moved stuff to my sis' and left her place a complete mess!
By night time, my mind was too busy to fall asleep.
I had my friend's hard drive. She needed movies from me. PC acted up. Omg, you've no idea! It would stay on for a few minutes to an hour at a time and then die! Then it wouldn't switch on AT ALL. I stayed up until just before 1am. Hoping to fall asleep and copying movies.
I managed to copy a huge chunk, on and off, eventually I gave up. After all, I had more pressing things to concern myself with.
I met up with Asa who had taken my 2TB (terabyte. An equivalent of 2000 GiGs) hard drive to a friend of hers who was meant to fill it up for me. DID NOT HAPPEN. I got it back and was pressured by my sister to ask an old friend of mine who stays in the same complex. Things ended weird for us and I wasn't prepared to humble myself before him. After an hour's persuasion, I did! He said he'd do it the next day. But refused to keep the drive with him until then. RED FLAG!

Thursday, 1June.
No word from the old friend!
I rushed to town for my shoot. I got there 5minutes lates. My first time ever being late for a shoot. Fortunately it was still dinner time and we started shooting half an hour later. It was nice to see Royden there. We did the Renault shoot together, the Wimpy and the kalahari as well. so at least I knew someone there.
I met a nice lady, I hope to stay in touch with. I'm trying to hook her up with my sister, they're the same age, I hope they get along. Neither is gay (no offense to gays) but I'd like them to be friends. Get it? Good! Get your mind out of the gutter!
I wrapped up at 3:35 and went to bed an hour later.
Thursday 2 June
Four hours later, I was up. Body felt like crap and I just wanted to stay in bed FOREVER! And I did! I'm still in bed, haven't been to the bathroom, nothing!
Just kidding!
My niece had a driver's license test. I took her to the grounds to practise. We got back home 2hours later, I had to take a bath, book my bus, tie some loose ends up and be on my way in 3hours. A story for another day! All in all, I'm still here, loose ends and all.
I took everyone to Mc D's for Oreo Mc Flurry's, we had pasta for dinner and called it a day.