Comments on: Georgia on my mind.

Georgia on my mind.

piratebowling — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:12:33 -0800

Update to this thread. So, after getting offered an assignment that I felt I couldn't take, I got contacted by the Peace Corps on Monday. They wanted to give me an invitation for an assignment in Easter Europe/the Cauaus that leaves mid June. I got the official assignment yesterday, and it's for Georgia. I'm grabbing it. So, thanks to everyone that wrote in that thread and/or has been in touch with me since then. It's been a strange trip that didn't turn out as I had planned, but I'm excited (and terrified!) and I feel for a large part, I have this community to thank for this whole situation.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:14:54 -0800

Very exciting, please send a postcard once you're there.

By: Greg Nog

Greg Nog — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:18:50 -0800

Hey, congrats! You should make sure to eat lots of boiled peanuts, I hear.

By: pjern

pjern — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:21:36 -0800

Good luck, and take lots of photos. Keep them. 30 years from now, they'll be incredibly important memories.

One of my biggest regrets in life is the 10,000 or so photographs that I had from my years in Thailand, Japan, and other places around the world from the early 1970's that were lost during a series of household moves. I'd literally give anything I owned to have them back.

By: nasreddin

nasreddin — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:23:06 -0800

Drink the wine. Enjoy the legendary Georgian hospitality, and especially try the "kharcho" (spicy lamb stew with rice), "suluguni" (fried goat (?) cheese), and definitely "satsivi" (a kind of magnificent roasted chicken in a special nut sauce, takes 24 hours to cook if done properly).Learn how to make a proper Georgian toast (often a half-hour-long parable). Get used to seeing watermelon everywhere. Ride a donkey through the mountains. Avoid being shot by separatists.

By: pjern

pjern — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:33:31 -0800

Avoid being shot by separatists.

Excellent advice, that.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:37:12 -0800

I'd guess it'd probably be smart to avoid being shot by anyone, anywhere. Then again, I guess I'm not entirely 100% up to date with the Peace Corps' long-term strategy, so maybe the shooting thing is a little more nuanced in the handbook? I say RTFM.

By: prefpara

prefpara — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:39:56 -0800

This is a song by Bulat Okudjava about the hospitality and awesomeness of the Georgian people.

It's in Russian, but the gist of what I'm trying to communicate is... how wonderful! Have fun!

By: cog_nate

cog_nate — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:47:33 -0800

I say RTFM.

And here it is.

Have fun, piratebowling!

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:09:50 -0800

I'd love to stay for an extended period in the Caucusus. Enjoy!

By: nasreddin

nasreddin — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:33:21 -0800

Oh, and read some Shota Rustaveli to get a feel for the culture.

By: EndsOfInvention

EndsOfInvention — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:46:19 -0800

That's cool. Easter Europe is way better than Christmas Europe.

By: deern the headlice

deern the headlice — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:57:28 -0800

Have fun, piratebowling! If you can make it down to Macon, there are some beautiful antebellum mansions to explore.

By: oneirodynia

oneirodynia — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:00:07 -0800

I have always wanted to go botanzing in the Caucausus. I hope you have a rewarding time on your assignment and meet some fun people.

By: Stynxno

Stynxno — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:23:11 -0800

w00t! good luck piratebowling!

By: found missing

found missing — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:24:20 -0800

Obama is doing well in the Caucuses!

By: allkindsoftime

allkindsoftime — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:24:31 -0800

Aw man, wish I hadn't missed the original questions so that I could have thrown my recently experienced hat in the ring for Africa - I'm so bummed that didn't work out for you.

But Eastern Europe will be great. Kudos on you for doing this - look forward to touching base back here at a meetup when you return and seeing how it went.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:29:45 -0800

I am enormously envious. Georgia! Enjoy it, and enjoy it a little bit for me.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:35:41 -0800

Drink the wine.

I was going to say that! Wine may have been invented in or around Georgia. Also, everything else nasreddin said. And try to learn at least a little Georgian (you can start with the greeting gamarjobat!, which is unusually easy to say for a Georgian word; 'thank you' is gmadlobt)—they'll really appreciate it.

Eastern Europe will be great.

Georgia is not in Eastern Europe. But the Caucasus is great too.

By: quin

quin — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:50:05 -0800

Very cool. Take pictures, have fun, and be safe (in whatever order you like).

By: Free word order!

Free word order! — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:21:25 -0800

Georgia is one platypus of a country. Insanely old, not in Asia and not in Europe and somewhat poisonous when irritated. Their language, ქართული ენა is very representative of the weirdness. Whatever happens, you will have stories to tell.

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:52:14 -0800

Remember, keep it clean, no hitting below the belt, and release on a tap out.

GO!

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:10:09 -0800

Be sure to eat a lot of yogurt.

By: Meatbomb

Meatbomb — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:43:53 -0800

Wow, excellent news sister! Inshallah I will see you there some day. Yes, the psychedellic squiggles you see on all the signs is actually a system of writing. :)

By: brujita

brujita — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:33:03 -0800

Congratulations!

By: k8t

k8t — Sat, 10 May 2008 07:14:43 -0800

I'm in Armenia right now. Congrats for going to Georgia. If you have any questions about the region, please email me.

By: grouse

grouse — Sun, 11 May 2008 07:10:15 -0800

That's great!

By: bettafish

bettafish — Sun, 11 May 2008 16:19:57 -0800

Yay! Best of luck, stay safe.