Blogging Lessons

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I'm wanting to learn more about blogging, so figured I'd give this a whirl!!

Day Six - Goodbye to Georgia, Hello Georgia

Day 6 – Friday –

Today we go home. Awoke at 0100 Tbilisi time. V picked us up at 0200 and we were to the airport, checked in and through security by 0300. Now awaiting our flight. The journey lies long before us, but the memories of our Georgian experience will last for years to come.

We have partaken of nation building and relations development at a most fundamental level. We have been honored by our hosts and treated exceptionally well. We have interfaced with military professionals from this small country so far away from our homes, but they wish to further establish relationships with us.

I have been touched by the hospitality, warmth and genuineness of the Georgians. Each of us has those poignant moments in our lives when we realize that something extraordinary has occurred. This was a week of such moments in my life.

We arrived home by about 5:30 pm Friday. It is always good to get home.

Day Five, Special Invitations

Day 5:- Thursday

Day 5 dawned early and began as usual. I’m feeling a little under the weather, sore throat, some body aches, stuffiness. Bought some local vitamin C yesterday and I think it’s helping, also some cold pills. We knew this would be a long day as the Lt from Gori invited to visit his city after class this day.

First, we concluded our presentations and then discussed the items listed above for future and follow up. Then, we conducted a little role playing on two guys at a squadron bar and one “coins” the other. This was a prelude to presenting coins to the entire class.

Meanwhile, V and N were working on arrangements for our trip to Gori. E, another Georgian, fluent in Geogian, Russian and English was to travel with us. At first I didn’t think this necessary, but later I would understand why.

E is a very interesting person. She is about 32 years old and appeared to come from a wealthy family. She revealed later on that she had a Russian nanny growing up, so R was actually her first language. She has (to me) an aristocratic air and I later learned that she was a classical pianist, but has had to let her piano go. Her father has passed away and she is responsible for herself and her Mother. We talked about “life getting in the way”

She has worked in embassy for about six years, translating for an Apache Indian group touring Georgia and for classical musicians. She wishes to continue her linguist pursuits with a study of Italian next.

She told me on the way to Gori that she has absolutely no respect for Stalin. She understands that her parents do respect him and that the people of Gori consider him a hero. She does not nor does she think she ever will.

We arrived in Gori, a relatively small Georgian town that seems quite poor. The Stalin museum in near the center of town. It is in only fair shape, needing cleaning and refurbishing. It costs 15 Lary to take the tour. Because Eka was with us, we went with a Georgian guide. There is much of historical interest in the museum and I finally got to see a copy of ISKRA by Lenin. After the museum, the tour takes you outside to go in Stalin’s personal train car. It is preserved exactly as it was when he used it. I sat at the desk that Joseph Stalin worked at in his bedroom!! It was very HOT outside and even more so in the car. Lastly, the house of Stalin’s birth is on this site. His family rented one room from the owners of the house (who lived in the other room). His dad worked as a cobbler in the basement.

Stalin was training as a priest in his junior high and high school years. He was a very accomplished writer and poet. His life changed after he read Marx and Engels works.

Our host for the day, Lt S, was very proud to have us visit his town. He pointed out that his high school was immediately across the street from the museum.

After the museum, we went to Gori castle. It is a very impressive structure, sitting high atop a hill in the center of town, very near a bend in the river.. One can see a long way in all directions, but particularly see avenues of approach up the mountain valleys an enemy would use. The Lt pointed out his Army HQs buildings to the NW of us on the road to Tskhinvali. He focused our gaze on some smoke rising in that direction and said that is where the Russian gate guards are and it is NOT a good idea for us to go there. I kept kiddingly saying that I wanted to go (kind of did, but now it would be a huge mess!).

E described an experience with a new driver from the embassy and some US military personnel. The driver didn’t know where he was going and before anyone realized where they were, they were approaching the Russian checkpoint. They quickly turned around and avoided an incident.

This is a good time to mention V. V is tremendously respected by US and Georgian personnel. If V says that’s the way it is, that IS the way it is. He is a very quiet and low profile man, but full of information and likes to talk once he gets to know you a little. He won’t usually start conversations, but he will engage when asked. We were heading back to the hotel one day and he turned down a side street. This street ended at a T intersection and a sign indicating it was a one way to the right. V looks at me and says, “that sign is for everyone but V” and he turned the opposite direction. They do this fairly regularly in Georgia. When we reached a narrow part of the street, one other driver (going the right way) blinked his lights at V. I commented that he obviously didn’t know the sign didn’t pertain to V. We laughed.

Now back to Gori: Then is was time for some refreshments (which means wine) and food. We were invited to a roadside restaurant on the way to Tskhinvali. At the closest point we were only 22-24 KMs from the Russian territory. The Russians say that the personnel in Ossetia and Abkhazia are only peacekeepers. The Georgians state they are no kidding Russians troops and the Georgians don’t like the fact that they are there.

As we drove along this road this day, I was amazed at where I was and what I was doing. Here I was, closer to Russian territory than I have EVER been. Everywhere we went we were noticed. I’m sure it was a huge event of pride for our Lt to bring the Americans to his town. The Georgian countryside had small fields opening on the left and right sides of the road. We came to a grove of trees and the restaurant was situated in amongst the trees. The mountains surrounding the valley Gori sits in stand majestically off on all sides.

He had it all arranged. A private room with his friend Katiya as our wait person. Initially it was only the Lt, Hector, E and myself. We were later joined by two LTCs, two Major, BTN deputy CC, G2, S2, etc. They were older; I thought closer to my age, but I think I was ten years senior to the oldest. This get together is very common and special for the Georgians. It is a time of careful words and sharing of thoughts and ideas on a level we do not achieve day to day, particularly in the US. A toastmaster will begin a series of toasts. They go on rather at length, then, there is much clinking of glasses and statements of Amen. There are certain toasts and a certain order to them. One does not have to drink the wine. I told them I had made a promise to God to not drink anymore and that was very much respected. It was important that my wine glass be filled and that I lift it up for the toasts. The food keeps coming the entire time. It is common and acceptable to have your full plate replaced with a clean one. There is/can be a lot of wasted food, but it is important to the experience.

It does not take one long to realize the importance, the significance of the supra. This is a tradition laid deep in the foundations of who these people are. Lt S made the first toasts until the other gentlemen arrived. He spoke of it now being possible for us to say we have good friends in Gori, Georgia and if we ever need to visit, to east, to drink, to hunt, to fish, it will all be taken care of.

When the other gentlemen arrived, Lt S passed the toasting responsibilities to the eldest man. He spoke eloquently of the friendships being formed, of hope for the future, of hope that Georgians have that their friendship with the United States will continue to develop. We shared comments of faith and family and talked of how the US has much to offer Georgia, but because their society and culture are so long-standing we have many things to learn from them.

There was concern that we had to leave early…we did, to another event. A supra can last into the early morning hours. We commented this day that this short period of time we had today would help to open the heavy doors to a prosperous and beneficial future for us all. It was really a tremendously rewarding and meaningful experience!

All of the talk and toasts and discussion was translated excellently by E. I then understood why it was so important to have her with us.

As we departed this day, there was a lingering in the entryway and in the parking lot. It’s incredible the sense of bonding I felt with these people already. I will always remember this time and think fondly of the Georgians and the day I participated in a supra with them, some 13 miles from a Russian checkpoint.

We shook hands and touched cheeks as is the Georgian custom. I was amazed that we had already achieved this level of familiarity; amazed and honored.

V won the race back to Tbilisi and we attended a going away reception for Matt’s wife that evening. He finishes his tour next month and she and Matt’s Mom are returning to the states next week. There were many military and embassy personnel in attendance, lots of languages being used. I’m wondering if we will be in Georgia within a couple of years?

As the evening passed, I realized that V and his daughter (age 13) and were in attendance at this event simply because we were. I further realized that it was up to me to determine when we had all had enough. It had been a very long day and everyone was tired. But the Georgians (and I’m sure part of this is duty to job and part of it is hospitality to us), would never think of complaining or leaving until we were ready to go. It’s honestly a little bit of a daunting realization. I circulated quickly amongst our group and determined everyone was very ready to go, so we said our good-byes and left.

They dropped us at the hotel. We bid farewell to E and V and his daughter and agreed to see V at 0200 for our ride to the airport.

Day Four, More Classroom Adventures

Day 4 – Wednesday

Each day began with breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The fare was incredible, eggs anyway you wanted, meats of different kinds, fruit, yogurt, waffles, crepes, They played pleasant “European” music and generally made for a very pleasant start to the day. If you stay longer than a couple of days and exhibit some friendliness, I think the wait staff will engage you in conversation about their country. It happened to us.

At class that morning we began the day with discussion of Georgia/Russian relations. Talked about R’s intentions in Ossetia and Abkhazia, how this relates to Georgia. We talked about the recent Russina overflight of Georgian airspace. The Russians do it to say, “this is our part of the world and we can as we like!” Their thought is that the flights are not specifically against Georgia, but rather to show the world that they, Russia, can do as they please in this part of the world. I think they are right.

Moved into discussion of JSTARS, showed unclass brief and received much interest on J. Want to rent one.

Day Three in Tbilisi - Work at the Ministry of Defense

Day 3 – Tuesday

This day would present our first interface with the Georgian military. We were both a little nervous as we left the hotel with V at 0930 and headed to the Ministry of Defense compound across town. We were greeted by several staff members at the BAO office, the one who was to become the most important was Nina, our translator. We went to the conference room to set up and there were already about 12 Georgian Army personnel in the room. They all stood up when I walked in.

The format had us using the briefings we had sent ahead which had been translated. We sat at one end of the table and the Army folks were scattered around the table. We began, obviously with introductions and they did the same. We would speak a sentence or two, or an idea and then Nina would translate. She is very skilled. Several of our briefings were not particularly useful and we tended to breeze through them or skipped entirely. We had a unique opportunity to discuss Georgian affairs as they relate to their big (and much disliked) neighbor Russia. I received an English newspaper each morning at the hotel and the main story was always Georgian/Russian/English relations and tensions. It was a very unique situation.

The Georgians are ready to fight the Russians if they have to. They want R to leave them alone, but think some confrontation is inevitable. The Georgians will not give up! Their country and culture is too important to them. I gained an insight from Eka (another translator) later in the week that a Communist was never elected in Georgia during the Soviet days!

The day progressed well and we concluded our sessions by about 1230. The Army personnel departed for the day and Nina took us to the MOD lunchroom to eat. It was yet another poignant moment to be sitting in the Georgian MoD lunchroom, in uniform, looking out on the MKvari River and the Tbilisi skyline!!! Wow!!!

V picked us up later and we returned to the hotel. We decided to practice some McDonald’s diplomacy and caught a cab to the McD’s on Rustavelli Street. McD’s in downtown Tabilisi is incredibly clean and vibrant and a very positive experience. We were welcomed by two very smartly dressed and very pretty young ladies. At the counter, three counter personnel helped us. They speak passable English for the most part…of course, double cheeseburger sounds about the same no matter what language. We went upstairs to eat. The restaurant was very crowded with many, many young people. McD’s knows what they are doing with their marketing. These young people will become the moms and dads of tomorrow’s Georgia. The staff are continually cleaning tables, sweeping, mopping…it is a very positive experience.

We walked back to the hotel along Rustavelli, enjoying the sights and sounds and the experience of where we were.

We endeavored to cross the street a couple of times and we quickly realized that it is not for the faint of heart, nor for the slow of stride! I almost got hit once. Then, I realized that there were stairways along the sidewalks and I further realized that the stairways led to tunnels under the streets!! Duh!!

Day Two

Day 2 Monday

Breakfasted at the hotel and anticipating a day of sights and sounds of Georgia. V, our driver from the US Embassy, picked us up at 0930. We drove to the embassy where V business. We enjoyed conversation on and off that day with V. He is a 47 year old Georgian with at least a 13 year old daughter. He works for the US Embassy and the Bi-lateral Affairs Office. He served in the Soviet Army in earlier years, being stationed in Ulan Batur, Mongolia. He told of a Russiaa Colonel who was assigning him duties. Vano told the man he had a driver’s license and should be used as a driver. The man asked how many sheep he had sold to get his driver’s license; implying the derogatory impression the Russians had/have of the Georgians. V (and most Georgians) do not like the Russians at all. They will admit there having been benefits of the Soviet presence (infrastructure, construction, etc) in Georgia, but for the most part it was not a good experience. V used the word “idiot” a lot when he was speaking of the Russians.

After leaving the embassy, we went north out of town and into the countryside. We took a backroad over some hills and began to climb. We arrived a church which sits high atop a hill overlooking Mshketa, Georgia, the ancient capital. This church was originally built on this spot in the 5^th century. It has been re-built in the 9^th and 13^th centuries. Thirteen monks from Assyria journeyed into Georgia in the 4^th century. This church and 12 others were built by each of the monks to spread Christianity into Georgia. From the balcony of the church, we looked down about 500 feet to the convergence of the two rivers, the Mkvari and another river. V showed me where the old Soviet base was along the highway. There is little left, some foundations, a drill pad and some deteriorating housing units. Apparently, the Soviets mined many areas of Georgia and did not map the areas. There are still many unlocated mines in Georgia, a significant hazard to the Georgians and certain areas are just off limits.

We then visited the cathedral in Mshketa, reportedly the shroud of Christ is buried in this church. We took a potty break in some lady’s house (Vo knew her) and she only spoke Russian. V then took us to lunch at a very unique restaurant. All bamboo construction. A covered walkway led to individual dining rooms, seating about 6-8 people. V ordered more food that six people should have eatern; cheese bread, tsenkali, dumplings, BBQ pork and beef. A unique part was the “salad”. Onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and tarragon sprouts. The tarragon is a very unique spice and quite tasty.

We then headed back into Tbilisi. Monday evening Matt picked us up for dinner. He took us to the “the Old House” on the river. What a fantastic experience. We enter from the main street through an impressive double gate into a courtyard. There are small dining rooms set about the yard (like the other place we were at). We turned right into the main building and crossed an open floor to an upper platform where we were seated. After ordering, Matt took us outside to tour the rest of the facility. Outdoor cooking facilities, tables by the river, a beautiful evening and us wondering how we can be so blessed to be experiencing this!!

Dinner was marvelous, more traditional Georgian food. A male quartet played and sang for the dinner guests while we ate. One of the men played a very excellent flute/recorder.

Our sleep/wake schedules are all screwed up and we find ourselves sleeping for a couple of hours and then waking. I did not sleep but about 1 ½ hours this night.

Day One in Tblisi

The Georgians are an open and hospitable people and this robust temperament is contagious when you visit their country.

Tbilisi is the “Pearl of Caucasus” and is rich in history and culture. The capital stands as one of the most ancient cities in the Caucasus, situated on both sides of the Mtkvari River and surrounded by mountains on three sides. Tbilisi has been home to many visitors and conquerors through the ages. It was in the 4^th century that Tbilisi was first shown on a map made by the Roman cartographer Castorius.

Tbilisi was famous for its thermal healing water and legend says that King Vakhtank Gorgassali once wounded a pheasant on a hunting trip. The pheasant fell in one of the hot springs and when the king went to retrieve the game, he discovered the water was warm and that is when he decided to build the city on that place. The name Tbilisi means warm (tbili) in Georgian.

Day 1 – Sunday

Arrived in country about 0400 and to hotel by 0530. Hotel is Marriott Tbilisi. It is a very beautiful and historic hotel.

History of the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel:

The Tbilisi Marriott was first envisioned in 1910. The goal was to build a European standard hotel in Tbilisi and construction started in 1911. In 1915, construction was completed and the hotel was called the Majestic. The architecture project that is the hotel won a gold medal at an international exhibition in 1916. In 1917, the hotel was used as a hospital for WWI.

In 1921, the ownership of the hotel was transferred to the Soviet Labor’s Committee of Georgia following the invasion by the Red Army. In 1936, the Soviets refurbished the hotel and it was opened in 1939 as the Hotel Tbilisi. It was listed as one of the top ten hotels in the entire USSR. In 1990, the hotel was used as a military stronghold for the opposition during the Civil War and arms fire dramatically damaged it. One of the wait staff in the restaurant told us one morning that he was 20 years old at that time and he remembered standing across the street from where we were sitting. He said the hotel was devastated and it was a very frightening time in his country. The hotel was refurbished again in 2002 and now stands as the beauty and pride of Tbilisi.

When God first divided the earth amongst different peoples, the Georgians were late to arrive as they were having a party (supra). God was disappointed initially and told them everything was gone, until the Georgians told him that their party had been in his honor. God was so pleased that he gave the Georgians the very part of earth that he had set aside for himself.

We immediately fell into bed but knew we would need to wake soon to begin our transition to the time change. I tried to wake at 1000, but fell asleep again until noon.

We set out that day walking about. We found the “dry bridge” market, the Tbilisi answer to Smiley’s, only with lots cooler stuff. I talked with a gentleman about my age who knew English very well. He is a botanist, but sells maps and books at the market. He sold me a book and map of Georgia for 10 Lary, about $8.50. We rested that afternoon at the “ladies” fountain and spoke with Matt Shannon for the first time. We were also approached by beggars for the first time. It became obvious quickly that Hector is a unique individual in this country. We were to see only three other black men the entire week.

We ate dinner at the hotel that evening (way too expensive!!!), but convenient. Then we walked a bunch more. We went to Freedom Square and then down backstreets to the old NATO building (??). The backstreets of Tbilisi are, for the most part, in pretty poor shape repair wise. There are broken sidewalks and rundown buildings everywhere. The architecture has a definite “Soviet” look to it and for the most part is quite drab, in need of pressure washing and painting, and lots of windows replaced.

As we passed one building there was a woman bending over to a basement window. As we passed I noticed she was buying bread from a baker in the basement of the building. As we walked by and I turned to look back, he was leaning out his window, looking quite typically European of a small shopkeeper waiting for his next customer.

We returned to the hotel in anticipation of trying to adjust our bodies to the significant time changes; we are eight hours ahead of our home time. We weren’t really successful, but managed to get some rest.