Christmas!

Here is a traditional Georgian Chirstmas tree,
surround by my collection of Georgian jee-jaws.
The tree is shave wood, at the top there is an apple and some holly.

Winter Solstice/Burrito Party

Like a good Cahill woman I got themed napkins!


That's Fred's head, Ryan, George(my History prof.), Lasha (Khatia's bro.), Khatia, and a little bit of Heather (Peace Corp. volunteer)


Sour cream, rice, pinto beans, cheese, cabbage, and salsa! Just like the one's I make myself at Taco Del Sol!!


With thanks to my ladies at the Taco shop I was able to get tortillas that could actually roll into a burrito!
Thanks ladies. Everyone loved them and the American's were very happy to have some Americana in their bellies! ..and the Georgians didn't think they were half bad!

Random Tbilisi

These are just some random shots that I have collected in the last weeks.


This is a boat in my apartment complex. I think it needs some lovin'


Christmas decorations at the Parliment Bldg.


We weren't sure what was going on here, either a fashion show or a music video. But this is a building that is from one of my first posts


This is a Lada Niva 4x4...I want one.

Lovely Ladies!

That's Thea, my Georgian language teacher, on the left and Tsimari, my student, in the middle. Thea and I were invited, last Sunday, to her home to interview some family members.
I got three interviews done that day!! Her mother fixed us a proper Georgian meal (check out the table!) and served up some fantastic family wine!

A Day in Signakhi

A lovely view of Signakhi with the Caucasus Range in the background.

Ninotsminda, Bodbe

This is the chapel were St. Nino (see older posts) who brought Christianity to Georgia, is buried. Today it is a nunnery, which in Soviet times where used as a hospital.


Beautifully carved door


Foreground is the little chapel (4th c.) and background is the bell tower, which has been renovated


Not St. Nino's grave, but nice no less. St. Nino's tomb is inside with a primative, but beautiful fresco,
lots of gold work, and enamel...sorry no photos


Lovely grounds surrounding the chapel. As we were leaving I noticed the bells in the trees.

Niko Pirosmani

The reason why we went to Signakhi was to see this portion of the National Museum. Below are the works of Pirosmani:

Niko Pirosmanashvili also known as Niko Pirosmani is a late 19th-early 20th century primitivist painter. He paints mainly animals, people dining, and people serving food (typical Georgian scenes). He was born in the Georgian village of Mirzaani to a peasant family in the Kakheti province, where the museum is located. He was orphaned as a child and put in the care of his two elder sisters. He moved with them toTbilisi in 1870. In 1872 he worked as a servant for wealthy families and learned to read and write Russian and Georgian. In 1876 he returned to Mirzaani and worked as a herdsman. He gradually learned painting. Pirosmani is also known for a romantic encounter with a French actress who visited his town; Pirosmanashvili was deeply in love with her, and to show his love, bought her enough flowers to fill the square in front of her hotel window (allegedly driving himself bankrupt).


the deer


Classic Georgian supra scene


Doctor on the donkey


the Lion

A (class) room with a view

These are just some shots from the Montana Room/Center for American Studies (my classroom) at my Institute on the 6th floor.

Beautiful snowy peaks with Soviet block apartments in the foreground.
A common view in Georgia.


I love these trees. They look like they are from Narnia.
Can you tell it gets really windy here?


I see this pair quite often from my classroom window, flying between the Narina trees and this one. But I didn't notice the nest until the leaves began to fall. I wish I was here in the Spring to see the babies.


Here is a close up. I love the grey and black.
They are about the same size has a large crow or medium-sized raven.

Don't forget the Graffiti

Wow! I found the real stuff...and not too bad.
They actually did it in both English and Georgian, Kork
Who said graffiti kids were uneducated...


One of my favorite stencils.


This is actually a giant sticker...cool huh?
and that's the Georgian letter "P" or "puh"


VOTE! Remember November 7th

Free Media! No violence!

On November 7th, the government used unnecessary force to end a 4 day long peaceful protest against the government’s decision to change the date of the parliamentary elections.

See: http://www.civil.ge/

Independent media were taken off the air in Georgia when President Mikhail Saakashvili declared a state of emergency (11.7) in response to mass anti-government demonstrations in Tbilisi. Until it was forced off the air, Imedi TV was rated Georgia's most popular television station. Today, Imedi, which means "Hope" in the Georgian language, is out of business - no broadcasts, no advertising revenue. To this day, the station is still not on the air.

"Viewers are smart enough, astute enough, to recognize Imedi portrays one view, Rustavi Two portrays another view," said Matthew Bryza, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. "You have to have all of those views out there in the marketplace of ideas, or you cannot argue you have a vibrant democracy. So, all broadcasts need to be resumed."

So the people decided it was time to mobilize to inform the government that a democracy does not shut down media, even when they are reporting the other side.

They marched in the opposite direction from which the military and riot police has pushed protesters on Nov. 7th, from Rika Square to the Parliament building. The 10,000 to 15, 000 met for maybe 20 to 30 minutes voiced their concern and then dispersed peacefully. They showed Saakashvili’s government that they were capable of a peaceful and organized protest.

I joined just as they turned from Freedom Square on Rustaveli St. At first we didn't think aything was happening, then we noticed that traffic had thinned and then disappeared all together, then we saw this...



Loads of people clapping and chanting Sakartevelo!


The banner says "Media Freedom! No Violence"


Yep, I'm really there. Actually standing on the double lines of Rustaveli, with the parliament building behind.


Of course, the police were in full force...but the are standing around eating sunflower seeds.
That's good boys.

Mandarini Mania!

My friend Khatia (see birthday blog) is from Batumi and she invited me to go visit her family. I was excited to get out of the city and chill out for a couple of days. It proved to be a very relaxing and wonderful weekend. The weather was sunny and so much warmer than Tbilisi in the last couple of weeks. It was a nice change, to be in the quiet country.

Batumi is known for its mandrians and most families, including Khatia's have many trees which they pick in hopes of gaining a little bit more money to support the household.

This is the view from their orchard just below the house.

Nini, Khatia's daughter, and I went pickin' crazy.


Look at me! Trying to find the perfect fruit.

Ahhh...Move over Sunkist!
Since their are no chemicals used to force-ripen the fruit many of the ones we picked and you can buy on the streets are greenish, but taste fantastic...way better than we can get in the States...I'm serious. We, along with everyone else on the train, brought a large duffel bag full of mandarini! I now have appox. 3lbs of 'em sitting on my balconey... I dread when they will be gone..I could easily eat 3 back to back.

View from the top

We hiked to the top of the hill they live on. There once was a church here, 6 months ago the government destroyed it in the hopes of building a hotel with water park...sigh.


Towards Turkey!


See that white line..those are the Caucasus mountains and Abkhazia.


Downtown Batumi, on the left is the ferriswheel, from my previous blog of Batumi


Gotta love outhouses with great views!

Turkey in 5 mins.

Well I had to renew my 90-day visa for Georgia and the best way to do this is to leave the country and pop back in. Turkey is only 20 miles from Batumi and it was a nice day for a drive. I just told them I wanted to take pictures of Turkey, so I paid my $20 for the visa, was stamped out of Georgia and into Turkey. I got a lot of "an American!", "Honolulu, huh?", "Hey Chic-ago, gangsters"...

The long march into Turkey, still in between the border. Note the trail of trucks waiting to come into Georgia. Yes, the easiest way is to do this on foot. My friends waited for me on the Georgia side while I went in....


Took photos for 5 mins...
The road into Turkey again note the line of trucks. This stip of the coast was once part of Georgia. Many families were spilt up when the Soviet Union established itself in Georgia.


Looking back into beautiful Georgia.
Then...


Walked back in! I breathed a sigh of relief when they gave me the entry stamp!