The Saga has come to an end

So I’ve returned state side, and figured that I would give one last blog post to wrap everything up.  The final week in my village, and the subsequent week traveling throughout Georgia were packed with final goodbyes, and reminiscing about the ‘glory days’ in the village.  At school my students said their heartfelt goodbyes, and the teachers threw me a small party to thank me for my service.  I feel honored to work with the teachers and get to know the school children.  It was refreshing to see that even in a foreign country a kid is a kid, and they spend their time like any other child (playing and laughing with each other).  I guess that we are not all that different after all.  Some of the kids didn’t want me to go, and the most memorable moment was when the entire first grade gave me one giant group hug at the end of the final Friday. 

At home my family was also sad to see me go.  They threw me one last Georgian feast, and reminded me that I was always their son.  I am moved by the fact that they didn’t know me four months prior, but now I am a permanent member of their family.  To express my thanks I gave them a family portrait of everyone that lived in the house (myself included).  It meant a lot to everyone, and Shaloua (dad) placed it in a spot of honor on the mantel.  Saturday morning rolled around and my host dad and a neighbor drove me to Chkhorotsku after hugs good bye to everyone in the household.  He placed me on the bus after a final hug, and I could see him tearing up.  I am thankful for everything that my host family did, and defiantly plan to return to visit them some day. 

The following week Cory, Zach, and I traveled around Georgia to Batumi, Telavi, Signagi, and Tbilisi.  We were able to visit friends and say our good byes, all hoping that we would see each other some time down the road.  The writing on the wall was clearly visible, and our trips were soon to come to an end.  There were good times and tough times, but all in all the experience is one that I was glad to be a part of.  It has made me realize how good I actually have it, and though people may look, speak, and dress differently they are all the same down inside. 

I thought my adventures would be over when I boarded the plane to Warsaw, but that would not be the case.  In the Toronto airport you clear customs to enter the United States.  As I filled out my customs forms I debated weather to just check no for every box and slide through, or to be honest with everything.  I chose the honest route, and admitted that I had spent significant time on a farm in a village.  That sent up red flags at customs, and led me to be privately searched in a separate room.

I was matched with a very serious customs agent who was determined to not let me bring in any contaminants.  I figured that they would be looking for food, but he was more worried that I would import agricultural diseases.  He berated me about having dirt on some clothes and shoes, and continued to ask me questions like, Do you know that there is agriculture in Ohio.  In this customs agent eyes I was bringing in dirt that would destroy American agriculture.  I was not pleased to say the least, and in the end he made me scrub my shoes with a brush (which sprayed mud everywhere, thus coating and contaminating the customs bathroom) and confiscated three pairs of pants, and a pair of shorts.  At the time I thought this was overkill, but he was the agent in charge and didn’t care for my opinion.  In hindsight all I lost was some clothes that are easily replaceable.  My mom met me at the airport, and drove me home to see my family that I had missed me so much.  It is good to be home, and get used to American culture again.  And with that, my adventure is over, but it will defiantly not be forgotten. 

Thoughts on Georgia part 3: Food

-->

Ok, so it’s been a while since I added to my thoughts on Georgia series.  Here is my analysis and my personal experience with Georgian cuisine.  It seems that in my host families household it is either feast or famine.  The majority of our meals consist of bread, cheese, pickled cabbage, and honey/jam (all home made of course).  For a time we were having tomatoes as well, but they have gone out of seasons, thus our tomato source dried up.  During the long stretches of eating just those items I have often resorted to picking a lot of local fruits off their trees and bushes.  For a while it was apples, then they went out of season leading me to pick the now ripening mandarin oranges.  Yes, It does seem to be a contradiction to be eating mandarin oranges in the mountain, but they seem to flourish in our backyard. 

There are many dishes that Georgia is renowned for, and on rare occasions (supras) I have had the chance to indulge in.  The most famous dish is kinkahli, a type of meat dumpling.  It consists of ground meat that is wrapped in a doughy outer layer.  They then boil it and eat them by hand.  It is said to be bad luck to eat the top, so you only eat the meaty part and the dough around it.  My family has only made this dish once during my stay here, but I have had it at other households and it is quite tasty.

Kinkahli, or the meat dumplings

The other dish that Georgia is know for is katchapuri.  It is a cheese bread that is as varied as each region of Georgia.  Every place believes that their personal recipe is the best recipe in the country.  My family makes megrulian katchapuri, that looks like regular bread but is filled with cheese.  In my slightly biased opinion it is the best.  Since I have shown my like for this bread my family has started making it more often. 

Katchapuri, the Georgian cheese bread. (pic borrowed from my friend zach's blog)

The third most common dish that we make at supras is ostri.  Ostri is boiled meat (usually lamb or beef) that has a spiced sauce added to the broth.  It is almost like a meat stew.  My family tends to make this dish if there is a large crowd (read Mancho’s wedding), as it is easy to make in bulk.  You are supposed to eat the meat, and then soak up the rest of the broth with your bread.  It is one of my favorite dishes in Georgia, but we only have it during big events.

Like I said before it is either feast or famine in my household.  We will go many days eating just bread and cheese, and then have a supra with lots of varied dishes.  I personally would like a more balanced diet, but that does not seem to be the Georgian way.  After spending time in this country I now understand why the men gorge themselves at supras like it is the last meal that they will ever eat.