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!