Saturday, 24th Sept
One of my co-teachers invited me to the village the very first time we met. She was so excited to show me her in-law's place. She said it's so relaxing! What with the mountains and the river. All of Georgia is like that. But all Georgians will tell you the same. As if their village/town is different.
She and her hubby picked me up at 11. It was nice and cool outside. I had my overnight back with me as she had told me they'd bring me back Sunday. They bought dinner on our way. Y, my co-teacher said to excuse the fish smell, they bought me fish on the way to picking me up. AWKWARD! Don't you just love it when people invite you over, pick you up, then proceed to buy you things, dinner, breakfast stuff, one soft toilet roll, that you know is meant for you. Then fill up their gas (petrol) tank. All in. Your presence! It's like, see, how much we're spending for you! This is all for you! You're really special to us :D.
SUPER AWKWARD!
The village is 40mins outside the city (Batumi). On our way, Y asked if I brought my camera. Weird question, but ok! Then we stopped at their 'pool'. It's a huge fish pond. With edible fish that they sell. I don't know the name of that fish. It's very prevalent here. It's not hake, but it sort of looks like it. Maybe it is, I don't know! They're building a restaurant next to the pond, overlooking the river. It'll have a beautiful view when it's finished. She told me to get the camera, she'd take pictures of me near the pond and I could take pictures of the scenery as well. That made me not want to take pictures of anything. Just the fact that someone is telling me what to like and what not to like! I took one or two photos and I was done.
We drove to the house. It's just up the road from the pond. Nobody speaks English in the house, just Y. They told me I am beautiful. Wanted to know if I'm from America. And asked if I liked their village. Just as I got out of the car. The only thing I saw in the village, was the pond! I told them I liked what I'd seen up to that point.
I mean, really now! Y took me on a tour of the property. They have fruit and vegetable, cows and chickens. It's ok. I saw regular size pumpkins. They asked me if we have 'such big pumpkins' in my country. Of course we do!
'Do you have mandarins in your country?' Err yep! 'Oranges?' Yeah!
Ok!
Then she found a spot with a good view and made a huge sigh of relief and said 'wow! This is beautiful'. They're so desperate to have us like everything and to control us that they even speak for us! What she said is what she wanted me to say. But because she wanted me to say it so badly, I was resistant and just wouldn't get myself to say it for the sake of pleasing her.
She asked me if we have such beautiful villages in Africa. I told her we have villages, farms, townships, suburbs and city centres. We have it all. I'm sorry Y. You had to have brought me something different to get me excited and different questions. These standard Georgian questions don't do it for me. At all. I'm over them.
We went back to the house, we sat on the verandah, they brought me a box of chocolates. Darck chocolate. I don't like it, but I did have a few pieces. Then cookies, then fresh grapes. The grapes are really tiny here! They asked me if we have grapes in Africa. I told them we make wine in South Africa! And I went on to brag about out delicious huge seedless grapes. Just because!
Because I've the flu, they brought me fresh lemon and hot water. The lemon was delicious! I know! I know! It's lemon! But believe me! I love lemons, so I would know.
After that, they all asked me if I felt better. As soon as I swallowed the last sip of lemon water. I didn't know what to say! they then asked me that at approximately five minute intervals until I left the next day. Y suggested I go rest. This was around 4. There was nothing else to do, but sit amongst her in-laws while they discuss me in Georgian. I told her I'd stick around until everyone went to bed. She insisted I go rest. I asked if she wanted to take a nap, she's pregnant and she's Georgian, which means when she insists you do something, it's not necessarily for your own good, you have to figure it out. She admitted that it was her nap time. I went to bed and was on Facebook for a few hours. My room was between two bedrooms and the lounge. They have to go via my room to the lounge. So they passed over and over and over again. And whenever they did, they asked if I was ok 'now'.
Around 7, Y asked if I wanted some medication, I was game! They brought me something in a small containet that could've been anything. I chugged it. It tasted like a tablet that had been dissolved in water. This was while we were waiting for the cows to come home (literally) for them to make me milk and honey.
They boiled me milk, added honey, and gave me that to drink in a coffee mug. I can't stand warm milk! I drank it, it wasn't so bad. I soon felt sleepy and I was gone! Lala land!
I was up from 1am to 5am. Insomnia. I'm sure they were weirded out when they walked past my room with me sitting on the bed busy on the phone. When Y walked past, she did ask me how I was every time she passed there. Which was a lot because she's pregnant. I fell asleep again after 5am and at 8 Y brought me honey milk. This time it was sweeter than the night before and there was still lots of honey at the bottom. Which I found out the hard way. At least, I think it was honey. I chugged the milk down, and swallowed what felt like ugh! I don't know, phlegm? Bleh:( just thinking about it makes me want to puke! Y came to take the cup and asked how the milk was, if it wasn't too sweet this time. I felt like I was going to puke and looked it. But I still said no it was ok. Tired of complaining because they never do anything right and always want feedback, so if I'm going to be honest all the time, they will feel like I'm a unappreciative you-know-what. I ran to the bathroom with the hope that it would all come back up, automatically. It didn't. Not really.
Tail in between legs, I went back to bed.
It was pouring outside. Since I got there the day before. Everyone was hanging out in the lounge, speaking Georgian. It was either I go join them and be the topic of discussion, while everybody battles to make eye contact with me as they're talking about me right under my nose. Or I stay in bed peacefully. So of course, I did the right thing and went to the lounge to mingle. They started talking about me, the eyes started facing random places like the floor or their laps. I heard what they were saying. So I got over it, got up and went back to bed. I felt the stares and couldn't be bothered.
About two hours later, I'd fallen asleep, Y WOKE ME UP and told me to 'dinner' was ready. So I got up and went to join them for BREAKFAST. They talked about me, and everyone was looking away from me, but whenever my plate got empty, there was a contest as too who would pass me something random that I handnt eaten yet. I don't like that because I'm clearly not blind, and am old enough to decide what I want to eat when. So I don't like it when they make decisions for me. They decide for you what you have to do at home,like If I want to watch a movie, they will budge into my room and give me a rock and roll dvd of someone I'd never heard of and tell me to check it out. That guy's very good, then 6 more dvd's by other rock star of the same calibre. Because I'd planned the whole day, that when I get home I'm going to watch whatever, I stick to my plans and put the dvd's aside for when I'll feel like watching them. Then they'll come in later to hear if I liked them. And bring me some more. The next day, we'll talk about music and I'll mention that I loke Elvis Presley and have all his music. ALL OF IT! I'll say that while watching something on my computer. Then they'll lend me Elvis Presley's CD's and stand there with huge smiles on their faces waiting for me to stop whatever I'm doing and play the cd's. Uhm, didn't I just tell you I have all his music? Can you not see that I'm busy doing something else? What the heck are you doing in my room? Have I ever been to your room? Aren't you a 50 year old man? Why are you acting like a spoilt kid half the time?
After breakfast, I wanted to go shower, and was told not to because I've the flu. Just another decision made for me. I didn't, but was going to be returning to my 'home' that day and just showered there. Where I do what I want no matter what they try to make me do because I refuse to pay someone to make me uncomfortable in 'my' home. Y told me to get ready, we'd leave in 10. I made my bed and changed, sat in the living room with them. They talked about all sorts of things under the sun. She asked if I wasn't cold and offered me her scarf, it stank like nothing on earth. It's dark brown, so you can't tell if it's dirty, I've a feeling it's never been washed. I took it off and wrapped my night dress around my neck. They asked why I didn't keep the scarf on, I told them the night dress was warmer. Y's mom in law had a cool, comfy dress on the day before (and the next day). I complimented her on it and she said she'd give it to me the next day. Later on on Saturday, when I saw her, I told her how excited I was to be going to get a new dress. She smiled, and told Y what I just said. They always tell someone else what you said. Sometimes as you're saying it, as a result they end up discussing it with each other and get carried away, while you're standing there waiting for an answer. It can be anything! You can talk to a man, about something random, and have a full on conversation with them, the first person who walks through the door will be told what you just talked about. I don't care if it's a stranger, a hitch hiker that he just picked up on the side of the road! Anyway, the smile on Y's mom-in-laws face after my little remark about the dress gave me a feeling I wasn't getting the dress. I didn't!
10mins became 1hr. while sitting there aimlessly, bored out of my mind, Y asked me why I was angry. That made me angry! I asked her what made her think I was angry. She said because I wasn't talking. I asked her what I was supposed to talk about and to whom. She said to them, oh her, she would translate. I asked her why she wasn't talking to me if she wanted to talk to me. She translated everything to the gang. She called her husband, he was waiting for us at the pond, we left.
When I got home, I sent Y a courtesy sms (text) thanking her and her family for having me. She sid but you were in bed the whole time. Even though, she forced me to go to bed half the time. I couldn't respond to that.
I spent the rest of the day watching Millionaire Matchmaker.
One of my co-teachers invited me to the village the very first time we met. She was so excited to show me her in-law's place. She said it's so relaxing! What with the mountains and the river. All of Georgia is like that. But all Georgians will tell you the same. As if their village/town is different.
She and her hubby picked me up at 11. It was nice and cool outside. I had my overnight back with me as she had told me they'd bring me back Sunday. They bought dinner on our way. Y, my co-teacher said to excuse the fish smell, they bought me fish on the way to picking me up. AWKWARD! Don't you just love it when people invite you over, pick you up, then proceed to buy you things, dinner, breakfast stuff, one soft toilet roll, that you know is meant for you. Then fill up their gas (petrol) tank. All in. Your presence! It's like, see, how much we're spending for you! This is all for you! You're really special to us :D.
SUPER AWKWARD!
The village is 40mins outside the city (Batumi). On our way, Y asked if I brought my camera. Weird question, but ok! Then we stopped at their 'pool'. It's a huge fish pond. With edible fish that they sell. I don't know the name of that fish. It's very prevalent here. It's not hake, but it sort of looks like it. Maybe it is, I don't know! They're building a restaurant next to the pond, overlooking the river. It'll have a beautiful view when it's finished. She told me to get the camera, she'd take pictures of me near the pond and I could take pictures of the scenery as well. That made me not want to take pictures of anything. Just the fact that someone is telling me what to like and what not to like! I took one or two photos and I was done.
We drove to the house. It's just up the road from the pond. Nobody speaks English in the house, just Y. They told me I am beautiful. Wanted to know if I'm from America. And asked if I liked their village. Just as I got out of the car. The only thing I saw in the village, was the pond! I told them I liked what I'd seen up to that point.
I mean, really now! Y took me on a tour of the property. They have fruit and vegetable, cows and chickens. It's ok. I saw regular size pumpkins. They asked me if we have 'such big pumpkins' in my country. Of course we do!
'Do you have mandarins in your country?' Err yep! 'Oranges?' Yeah!
Ok!
Then she found a spot with a good view and made a huge sigh of relief and said 'wow! This is beautiful'. They're so desperate to have us like everything and to control us that they even speak for us! What she said is what she wanted me to say. But because she wanted me to say it so badly, I was resistant and just wouldn't get myself to say it for the sake of pleasing her.
She asked me if we have such beautiful villages in Africa. I told her we have villages, farms, townships, suburbs and city centres. We have it all. I'm sorry Y. You had to have brought me something different to get me excited and different questions. These standard Georgian questions don't do it for me. At all. I'm over them.
We went back to the house, we sat on the verandah, they brought me a box of chocolates. Darck chocolate. I don't like it, but I did have a few pieces. Then cookies, then fresh grapes. The grapes are really tiny here! They asked me if we have grapes in Africa. I told them we make wine in South Africa! And I went on to brag about out delicious huge seedless grapes. Just because!
Because I've the flu, they brought me fresh lemon and hot water. The lemon was delicious! I know! I know! It's lemon! But believe me! I love lemons, so I would know.
After that, they all asked me if I felt better. As soon as I swallowed the last sip of lemon water. I didn't know what to say! they then asked me that at approximately five minute intervals until I left the next day. Y suggested I go rest. This was around 4. There was nothing else to do, but sit amongst her in-laws while they discuss me in Georgian. I told her I'd stick around until everyone went to bed. She insisted I go rest. I asked if she wanted to take a nap, she's pregnant and she's Georgian, which means when she insists you do something, it's not necessarily for your own good, you have to figure it out. She admitted that it was her nap time. I went to bed and was on Facebook for a few hours. My room was between two bedrooms and the lounge. They have to go via my room to the lounge. So they passed over and over and over again. And whenever they did, they asked if I was ok 'now'.
Around 7, Y asked if I wanted some medication, I was game! They brought me something in a small containet that could've been anything. I chugged it. It tasted like a tablet that had been dissolved in water. This was while we were waiting for the cows to come home (literally) for them to make me milk and honey.
They boiled me milk, added honey, and gave me that to drink in a coffee mug. I can't stand warm milk! I drank it, it wasn't so bad. I soon felt sleepy and I was gone! Lala land!
I was up from 1am to 5am. Insomnia. I'm sure they were weirded out when they walked past my room with me sitting on the bed busy on the phone. When Y walked past, she did ask me how I was every time she passed there. Which was a lot because she's pregnant. I fell asleep again after 5am and at 8 Y brought me honey milk. This time it was sweeter than the night before and there was still lots of honey at the bottom. Which I found out the hard way. At least, I think it was honey. I chugged the milk down, and swallowed what felt like ugh! I don't know, phlegm? Bleh:( just thinking about it makes me want to puke! Y came to take the cup and asked how the milk was, if it wasn't too sweet this time. I felt like I was going to puke and looked it. But I still said no it was ok. Tired of complaining because they never do anything right and always want feedback, so if I'm going to be honest all the time, they will feel like I'm a unappreciative you-know-what. I ran to the bathroom with the hope that it would all come back up, automatically. It didn't. Not really.
Tail in between legs, I went back to bed.
It was pouring outside. Since I got there the day before. Everyone was hanging out in the lounge, speaking Georgian. It was either I go join them and be the topic of discussion, while everybody battles to make eye contact with me as they're talking about me right under my nose. Or I stay in bed peacefully. So of course, I did the right thing and went to the lounge to mingle. They started talking about me, the eyes started facing random places like the floor or their laps. I heard what they were saying. So I got over it, got up and went back to bed. I felt the stares and couldn't be bothered.
About two hours later, I'd fallen asleep, Y WOKE ME UP and told me to 'dinner' was ready. So I got up and went to join them for BREAKFAST. They talked about me, and everyone was looking away from me, but whenever my plate got empty, there was a contest as too who would pass me something random that I handnt eaten yet. I don't like that because I'm clearly not blind, and am old enough to decide what I want to eat when. So I don't like it when they make decisions for me. They decide for you what you have to do at home,like If I want to watch a movie, they will budge into my room and give me a rock and roll dvd of someone I'd never heard of and tell me to check it out. That guy's very good, then 6 more dvd's by other rock star of the same calibre. Because I'd planned the whole day, that when I get home I'm going to watch whatever, I stick to my plans and put the dvd's aside for when I'll feel like watching them. Then they'll come in later to hear if I liked them. And bring me some more. The next day, we'll talk about music and I'll mention that I loke Elvis Presley and have all his music. ALL OF IT! I'll say that while watching something on my computer. Then they'll lend me Elvis Presley's CD's and stand there with huge smiles on their faces waiting for me to stop whatever I'm doing and play the cd's. Uhm, didn't I just tell you I have all his music? Can you not see that I'm busy doing something else? What the heck are you doing in my room? Have I ever been to your room? Aren't you a 50 year old man? Why are you acting like a spoilt kid half the time?
After breakfast, I wanted to go shower, and was told not to because I've the flu. Just another decision made for me. I didn't, but was going to be returning to my 'home' that day and just showered there. Where I do what I want no matter what they try to make me do because I refuse to pay someone to make me uncomfortable in 'my' home. Y told me to get ready, we'd leave in 10. I made my bed and changed, sat in the living room with them. They talked about all sorts of things under the sun. She asked if I wasn't cold and offered me her scarf, it stank like nothing on earth. It's dark brown, so you can't tell if it's dirty, I've a feeling it's never been washed. I took it off and wrapped my night dress around my neck. They asked why I didn't keep the scarf on, I told them the night dress was warmer. Y's mom in law had a cool, comfy dress on the day before (and the next day). I complimented her on it and she said she'd give it to me the next day. Later on on Saturday, when I saw her, I told her how excited I was to be going to get a new dress. She smiled, and told Y what I just said. They always tell someone else what you said. Sometimes as you're saying it, as a result they end up discussing it with each other and get carried away, while you're standing there waiting for an answer. It can be anything! You can talk to a man, about something random, and have a full on conversation with them, the first person who walks through the door will be told what you just talked about. I don't care if it's a stranger, a hitch hiker that he just picked up on the side of the road! Anyway, the smile on Y's mom-in-laws face after my little remark about the dress gave me a feeling I wasn't getting the dress. I didn't!
10mins became 1hr. while sitting there aimlessly, bored out of my mind, Y asked me why I was angry. That made me angry! I asked her what made her think I was angry. She said because I wasn't talking. I asked her what I was supposed to talk about and to whom. She said to them, oh her, she would translate. I asked her why she wasn't talking to me if she wanted to talk to me. She translated everything to the gang. She called her husband, he was waiting for us at the pond, we left.
When I got home, I sent Y a courtesy sms (text) thanking her and her family for having me. She sid but you were in bed the whole time. Even though, she forced me to go to bed half the time. I couldn't respond to that.
I spent the rest of the day watching Millionaire Matchmaker.
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