I'd like to start off this post with some bad news, then move on to the good.
First of all, there is a serious black mold problem in this house, both in the newly renovated grandparents' bedroom and the kitchen. I'm not quite sure what to do. These next two weeks I have off, so I'm going to try a plan of action that may involve:
a) talking to my family (who is probably not aware of the dangers, as I was not exactly aware until I did some research).
b) lemon juice? bleach?
c) buying a dehumidifier or two.
d) calling... someone at staff?
I don't know if they'd buy it or not, as the renovations were cut short due to a secretarial mix-up in the dad's paycheck, ending up with the family PAYING BACK hundreds of lari that he was overpaid the entire year. Bull. Really, secretary?
Secondly, Christmas was great. It was def a much needed respite after a week of going to class and not delivering the lessons we'd planned because not enough students showed up.
At least it gave me some extra time to prep for my trip this weekend-- beautiful Kazbegi/Stepantsminda!
I woke up Christmas day really wishing I could have raced Ange to the tree, sit the way my dad and I used to sit when we were both bawshwebi (it's killer on your legs, though), and revel in everyone's joy as we exchange cool/stupid things with one another and then set into the preparation of some interesting, nontraditional meal. At least I got to hang out with awesome people.
And the interesting, nontraditional meal part was preserved. Every night this weekend something new and different.
One night was spaghetti with light-on-the-tomatoness sauce and homemade cutout cookies with icing. I made the cookies, overcoming lack of cookie cutters with a knife, lack of powdered sugar with a coffee grinder, and lack of food coloring with a packet of German kool-aid, cherry flavored.
Another night was pasta with tomatoey-carrotey sauce, toffee peanuts, helva, and interesting contributions by David: meranguey cookies and stories of his life that defy classification or description. Let's just say he's been everywhere. And is a good philosophical ambler, too.
Also, the pasta served us the next morning as breakfast. Because Georgians don't wake up early, and thus maghazias were still closed when we wanted to go hiking. Thus, Brian fried up the pasta and we had mush with black pepper. Delish.
The next night we were lucky to get dinner of frozen kababi, carrots-in-kababi juice, and peas. All the maghazias were closed but one far away, and we got a police escort to it. Why, you may ask?
Let's just say that ice is not kind to downward hiking, and the police were worried that someone was pushed, so we had to assure them with help of a translator that no one was at fault.
The translator was largely unnecessary, because Cara's and my skills in Georgian are pretty serviceable. But her English was amazing. If she gets one more hour, she'll be at the minimum required hours of English to host a volunteer, for whom she also said she'd look for housing for. Motivation? It seems that way, so I hope that's the case (because that's a trait that a volunteer can actually work with), and I hope she'll get her wish.
Well, we had a wonderful time, regardless. We got exercise (!) on our hike to the monastery. Mt. Kazbegi is simply stunning. I'll get photos of the sunrise on the mountain from Cara and David. And the stars at night twinkled like I've never seen stars twinkle before.
And the policeman who gave us a ride to the store bought us a chocolate bar.
And the "real" holiday here in Sakartvelo is yet to come. Today I've been invited to a pig roast for New Year's (basically Christmas--see Saint Facetious' blog) at the aunt's place (the one who cuts my hair).
Host dad is at work and probably won't be home for New Year's, but maybe there will be some Chri-er, New Year's magic. And I'll make plenty of nom nom squares (aka cookies and maybe some babovka) in the weeks to come.
Perhaps I'll do a post sometime this week finishing up my thankful list from Thanksgiving, as well as a Festivus airing of grievances.
Until then, stay cool! And, if you're in Georgia and are always cold, stay warm!
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