Lasting impression
As my time here in Gurjaani comes to a close my heart is filled with sadness. I didn't think that it was possible to feel so welcome and part of a community in only one week. At the same time my heart is filled with joy and happiness for the lasting friendships I have made. My first impressions came as Josh and I visited the school for the first time. We were welcomed with lots of traditional singing and dancing. The students were so happy to share with us their rich culture. The talked about the history of Georgia and what it means to be Georgian. The teachers at School #4 shared some traditional food and drink with us with typical Georgian hospitality. The teachers and director were so kind to make sure that we felt like family. It reminded me a lot of my own school, Sky View.
Each morning we tried to arrive at the school 10-15 minutes early so we could welcome the students with a hello (gamarjobat) or a friendly good morning. The students and teachers we so great to welcome us each morning as we waited out front of the school in the cold. The children were so eager to meet us. We were able to spend time in several of the classrooms visiting with the students and teaching them a little english. One of the students favorite things to do is sing, so we taught them a couple of new songs. We taught them “If your happy and you know it...” and “Head, shoulders, knees and toes.” The children would laugh and sing along with us. I usually only get to interact with 10-12th grades, it was very different to teach 4-5th grades that are full of energy. The one thing that many Georgians should be proud of is their children. They will provide a bright future. They are so hungry to learn and seek for knowledge. I hope that as the new reforms are implemented in this country, that the teachers here in Georgia will be able to adapt and become better teachers to give the children what they need.
The teachers are who are entrusted with the future of this country. They will need to be trained to think and act like they never have before. The number of teachers here in Georgia are a dwindling resource. When students are asked what they want to study to become, almost no students want to be teachers. Teachers are paid a very low salary here in Georgia. They are not well trained at college and enter the profession without the proper skills to be successful. The Ministry of Education is working to reform teachers education and provide the professional development that is so desperately needed. They are proposing a substantial increase in salary for educators. I feel in my heart a desire to help provide some of this training for Georgian teachers. Even thought teachers may complain about the level and quality of training that we receive, we are so far ahead of where they are at in Georgia.
Nana, our host teacher, has been so gracious. She has invited us into her life to celebrate with her family and friends. She has opened her home to us and treated us like family. Nana has taken us to see the beauty of the Kakheti region of Georgia. Nana is a great english teacher. She is comfortable with her students. She continually is seeking the professional learning opportunities to make her a better teacher. She also works with other teachers at her school and with in the region to teach and train them to be better teachers. Nana is a hard worker all around.
As we leave Gurjaani and the Kakheti region, I'm aware the it's spring. The fruit trees are blooming, branches are starting to bud out, and the grape vineyards are coming to life. I see the same things in Georgia, in its people, in its teachers and in its students. Its time for them to wakeup, to bloom. To show the world who they are. For the first time in a very long time, Georgia has a generation of youth that knows nothing but freedom. What a great gift from God! Just as trees need to flower before they can produce fruit, Georgian teachers must flower before they can produce the fruit of a better country, a great nation and strong youth. Thank Gurjaani School #4 for opening your hearts.
Sunday morning Josh Hanna and I wondered off the beaten path and found an open air market full of local produce, spices, seeds and meats. I don't think that many of these people have ever seen an American yet alone two wide eyed camera wielding Americans. Smoke hung in the air from the small fires used to heat the hard working hands on a cool spring morning.
As we walked from meat stall to meat stall, the vendors eyes followed us asking the question what are you doing here? One butcher was more than eager to pose for a shot in front of his meat. There were meats of all varieties from pork to chicken to lamb. The meat was fresh and ready to take home for dinner.
There were some fresh caught fish from the local river. The butcher was cleaning them up to get ready to sale.
The deeper we wander into the market the meats gave way to fresh homemade goat cheese soaked in a salty brine to preserve it. You can buy the whole wheel of cheese or just a small slice to nibble on while you walk around.
As we worked our way back to the entrance I found myself at home surrounded by vegetables. It reminded me of my own farmers market back in Cache Valley. The spinach was fresh and bright green, while the radishes and onions looked liked like they had just been pulled. I'm surprised by how much flat leaf parsley they use in their cooking. They use it as a finely chopped garnish on most of their dishes. The produce that winters over nicely was for sale. Cabbage and potatoes along with a handful of carrots. The apples are a little soft after the winter but very sweet to eat.
I wanted to buy some fresh wild mushrooms but thought better of it since I don't know what variety they are.
It was like a one stop shopping center with ground spices and nuts to finish out the market. It made me miss home and the fresh veggies that we enjoy in the spring.
On the way out of the market we passed a Soviet LADA car with bread (puri) for sale on the back of it. What a great experience. If you ever get a chance to visit, this is a must see. There is no middle man, you are buying direct from the producer and if you would like you can even haggle over the price. You will find the food fresh, ready to take with you, not in a package or a box on the shelf in Gurjaani Georgia.
I have include a few LADA car jokes just for fun. Most of the taxi cabs are LADA cars
What's the difference between a Lada and a golf ball?
You can drive a golf ball 200 metres
What do you call a convertible Lada with twin exhausts?
A wheelbarrow
A man goes into a car accessory shop and says to the assistant, 'Can I have a hub cap for my Lada?'
The assistant thinks to himself for a moment and then replies, 'OK, it seems like a fair swap'
What do you call a Lada driver who says he has a speeding ticket?
A liar
A man buys a Lada but after only one day of ownership returns it to the garage.
'It's no good mate, the car's no good for me,' says the man to the car dealer.
'Why not?' asks the car dealer.
'Do you see that steep hill over there?' says the man, pointing. 'Well it will only get up to 75 up there'.
'That's not bad really sir, especially for a Lada. I can't see a problem with that'.
'Trouble is,' said the man, 'I live at 95'
How do two Lada drivers recognise each other?
It's easy... They already met at the garage this morning
What do you call a Lada at the top of a hill?
A miracle
What do you call several Ladas at the top of a hill?
A scrapheap
What do you call 100 Ladas at the top of a hill?
A car factory
Georgian food is a unique blend of spices from the many counties and cultures that surrounds it. In Georgia there are a few things that are guaranteed when you are invited to dine. The first is, that when you eat you will never eat alone. Georgian pride themselves on hospitality. Their food is meant to be shared with not only friends and family but with strangers as well. They have a saying here that “Strangers are a gift from god” and when you invite the strangers into eat you are inviting god. As I eating dinner with Josh Hanna and Nana Tatiashvili, the gentleman behind us bought us drinks to welcome us to his country. He proceeded to apologize for being so rude and sitting with his back to us. I was blown away by his sincerity and kindness.
When the food for the supra starts to be eaten you better bring a big appetite and I don't think that there is word in Georgian for no thank you I'm full. In Georgia when hosting guests or a party you must never run out of food. When invited to dinner you are not expected to bring food but a small gift for the host will be expected. When preparing food for a supra, the host will spend up to three days getting ready. Usually is the women who preparing and cooking the food, but even this turns into a family affair with mother, grandmother and children all helping out to make the supra a success.
When you sit down to break bread, Georgians will want to share their famous wine. The Khaheti region of Georgia if covered with vineyards used to grow the grapes to make wine. Many of the people here make their own wine to drink. So, if you are just visiting friends or are attending a supra don't expect the wine to come from a bottle. The grapes plants that grow here in Khaheti are some of the oldest ever found by scientist that scientist. For this reason, the Georgians say that Georgian is the birth place of wine. Special thanks to the Berozashvili family for continuing to carry on this tradition.
I have been impressed by the flavors and variety of the foods. In the short time that I have been here I would like to share just a few of my favorites.
Khachapuri is a cheese bread, the word coming from khacho (ხაჭო), for “cheese curd,” and puri (პური), for “bread.” Wherever you go in Georgia, you can be sure to eat it at least once a day, even for breakfast. Khachapuri can be small or large, eaten solo or shared, consumed as an appetizer or a whole meal, store-bought or home-made. Each region of Georgia has their own unique take on this food. Believe it or not those are my finger prints on that Khachapuri.
Badrijani (Georgian: ბადრიჯანი) also known as Nigvziani Badrijani is a Georgian dish made with fried eggplant stuffed with spiced walnut paste. This is one of my favorites. Surprisingly it gets better if you let it sit overnight in the fridge.
Khinkali is a dumpling which originated in Georgia. Khinkali is filled with various fillings, mostly spiced meat, herbs, and onions. Mushrooms, potatoes or cheese can be used instead of meat. You must be careful not to spill any juice from the inside of the Khinkali as you eat.
Mtsvadi is one of the Georgian traditional dishes. Some times it is called the dish of kings. it is a very popular dish is essentially a skewered shish kebab using lamb, pork, veal or sturgeon.
Mineral waters: Tarragon lemonade, pear lemonade and Borjomi.
I would like to thank Nana Tatiashvili for being such a wonderful host and guide.
I have see some wonderful things while here in Georgia, however, there is a dark side to the history. I discovered that on April 9th, 1989 there was a clash between an anti-soviet group and the Soviet army leaving 20 dead. The tragedy was caught on film and used in the trial of general Igor Rodionov. I wish that I could share the whole story but I can't, so I have added a like to the event. These pictures are of the areas where the dead bodies lay on April 9th to help future generation remember.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_9_tragedy
Georgia, a country rich in traditions of food, song and dance has once again has enchanted me. On March 17th I visited the Public School #165. They have a dance team that specializes in traditional Georgian dance. The student work hard to learn and practice their dances and spend may hours practicing outside of school. As I entered the dance room, I could help but notice the lack of adequate lighting, the rough and uneven wood floor and the faded paint that covered the walls. These children didn't seem to notice their surroundings because they have never known anything else. As they started to dance, the walls and floors began to faded away and I found myself clapping to the beat of the music and enjoying the heart and soul of Georgia. I forgotten where I was and just enjoyed the gift that these students were sharing with me. How blessed I am to share share in this moment. I know that that the students enjoy dancing. I want to thank Nino Sekhniashvili, an english teacher, for being a wonderful host today.
At at altitude of 37,000 ft over the Atlantic, I'm thinking about the wonder that Georgia holds. I'm reminded of an old Georgian tale that I recently read. When the world was first created, God called all his people together. He let them choose where they were to live. The Georgians, being a merry people, where busy with a feast of their own and arrived late, only to find that all the countries of the world had been claimed. In hopes of receiving even the smallest area for his people, a slightly inebriated Georgian stepped forward to see what could be done. He apologized for being late and proceeded to explain that it was because at their celebration, he had raised his cup to praise God, and of course as you know, if one Georgian gives praise, we all must take turn to raise up our cup in praise to you. This is the reason why we are late God. Being moved by his words, God started to think. Now when God had divide up the world, he had kept the most beautiful place for himself so as to have some place to come and visit. Moved by the word of the Georgian, God decided to give the Georgians the place he was keeping for himself, the most beautiful place on earth, Georgia. With that God descended into heaven leaving the Georgians a place to call home. There are some truly beautiful places in the world if we simply take the time to look.
I'm excited to have the opportunity to visit the T. Gurjaani G. Chilashvili Public School #4 in Gurjaani, Georgia March 19-25. I will be traveling with Joshua Hanna from Iowa and working with Nana Tatiashvili. Gurjaani is a small town of about 10,000 people and is located about 50 mi East of the Capital Tbilisi. This region of Georgia has a deep rooted history in wine making. Much of the surrounding areas are covered with vineyards to grow grapes used to make wine. The country of Georgia has a total land area of 69,700 sq km with a population of 4,935,880 as of July 2014. Compared with the State of Utah we have a total land area of 219,887 sq km and a population of 2,943,000 as of 2014.
While in Georgia, I hope to taste many of the foods that are unique to the Kakheti province. I'm interested to learn how culture of Georgia effects it's choice in foods and how food has left its mark on the culture of Georgia.
“This blog is not an official U.S. Department of State blog. The views and information presented are the grantee’s own and do not represent the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, or the U.S. Department of State.”