The journey from T’bilisi to Batumi was my first adventure on a Marshutka! For those of you who have no idea what a Marshutka is; it is basically a Minibus that many Georgians use to get around. It seats are 20 people at a time, 20 people who are sitting. I have heard that many Marshutka passengers often stand and they really pack them in. Thankfully, this Marshutka did not have standing passengers. I think that if they are city-Marshutkas, then standing would not be as bad. It took us about 8 and ½ hours to reach out destination of Batumi. Normally it takes about 6 hours, but we had to make several stops on the way to drop people off and there was a major accident when we reached the outskirts of the city. Traffic was completely stopped for about an hour or so. When we did begin moving again, we proceeded at a glacial pace. Luckily, this Marshutka was only for those of the TLG program and our luggage. Overall my first Marshutka ride was not as bad as I expected, but then again, I had help from my host father the entire time. Plus, I was surrounded by friends. It should be an entirely different story when I need to Marshutka by myself; something to look forward to. Ha!
When we reached Batumi, I began my stay as a member of the Tedoradze Family. The family is comprised of the father, Vajha, mother, Maya, 7-year-old son, Toka, and 5-year-old daughter, Sesili. I apologize to the family for misspelling the names because I am very confident that I have. I would say that the biggest difficulty that I am battling, besides the OBVIOUS language barrier, is the fact that I feel less independent that I wish I were. It’s different that living with my parents at home because I don’t even have my car or a set of keys to the house. I’m not saying that I wish I had keys or a car (there is no way I could drive in Georgia, it’s crazy here). The first week, I didn’t really go exploring very much. I spent a lot of time in the apartment and I became pretty stir crazy. The main reason I didn’t go exploring was because the host mom didn’t really understand “I want to go for a walk.” Also, there have already been a couple times when I’ve been coming home from school or back from exploring and there’s been no one home… And I don’t have a key… So then I have to call my host father and see where everyone is. Luckily, they’ve just been visiting the neighbors. So I didn’t have to wait that long for them to return. This is where knowing Georgian would be really useful to know when they’ll be home. Ha! I guess I have a lot of studying to do! J
During orientation, they warned us about the differences that we will come across in the Georgian homes. Let me tell you, it’s a bit more shocking than I imagined. They told us that Georgians speak very loudly and they were not kidding! It feels as if they are yelling at each other all the time, but they’re not… I think. I’m just going to tell myself that they are not yelling. I’m surprised I haven’t gotten a headache yet. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. They don’t yell enough to get a headache. Also, the Georgians that I have met so far hardly ever smile. For the first night and the next day, I felt as if the mother hated me. That was pretty awkward! It is so much better now. She and I have had several, limited conversations and she smiles at me a lot more. I feel less awkward around her now. My conversations with Maya (my host mother) are mainly comprised of things like, “Kristina, coffee?” or “Sugar. I do not like.” “I pick up Toka school. You come.” When I type the phrases that I hear, it sounds as if they speak like cavemen, but they actually know way more than they give themselves credit for! I give them a lot of credit because they are trying so hard to speak to me, but when I attempt Georgian, everything that I’ve learned goes flying out of my head. I want to try, if only I could relax and not worry so much. I just need to dive in!
I really only have one major complaint about my homestay and that I don’t have my own room. I am currently sharing a room with Toka, the little boy. The one thing that we were guaranteed is that we would be given our own room. I don’t think it’s that uncommon for TLG-ers to be placed in situations where they end up sharing a room. Those people that I’ve talked to have always ended up moving homestays. Technically, Toka only really sleeps in here and the rest of the time he’s not in here. I believe that I’m sleeping in Sesili’s bed, and she is currently sleeping in the parent’s room with them. So the mother is usually coming in and getting clothes and putting stuff away because I am technically in their room. It’s a little awkward. I’ve told people about my situation… I can’t really see myself with having a big enough problem with the situation where I would want to move host families. The future is unknown!
My homestay is overall a pretty good experience so far. Things that I am grateful for in my host house: indoor plumbing, a western toilet (VERY important for me), a few TV channels in English (mostly CNN and BBC), lots of bread, heaters (not central heating though), etc! J I’m still adjusting. I’m pretty sure that I’ve already gone through a little bit of culture shock after only 3 weeks. Yikes! That was sooner than I expected it to hit me. Oh well! It was bound to happen at some point. I know it’s getting easier to be away from what is familiar, and I am slowly getting more comfortable in my surroundings. It definitely helps to be really close to the Black Sea!
Until next time. Adventure is out there!
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