Kaplah!

Okay, yeah, so that's Klingon and not Georgian, but it's the word that best encapsulates my achievement.

Sick beyond all patience of this truly awful hotel food, I announced my intention to eat lunch today outside of the cafe.  Originally I wanted to take a taxi (gulp) into the city proper, but a couple of things cut into my break time so I didn't think I'd be able to take that much of an adventure.  Instead I went across the street to a very local cafe.  I'd intended to go by myself but at the last minute my roommate Suzanne went with me, and it turned out to be just awesome.

We spoke in Georgian!  There was no menu, just four different choices of stew-type stuff simmering on a stove.  We chose something that sounded like "karakali," (I don't think I'm remembering right though).  I ordered erti ludi,  "one beer," and Suzanne got a coke.  Ramdeni is "how much," and I successfully communicated that I was only paying for my stew and beer.  We sat outside!  (And got ushered in when it began to pour, oh well.)

We ate and chatted and just had the best damn time, reveling in our international food-ordering capability and the fact that what we were eating was actually delicious rather than making me feel like I wanted to retch.  After lunch we wandered down the street a little and I was successful in purchasing a Snickers bar.  Which is funny because I would pretty much never buy or eat a Snickers bar in the States.  But that was one damn good dessert today.  For reals.

We have two hours of "Intercultural Training" this afternoon, which I am now three minutes late for.  Whatevs.  I kind of hate these sessions, in a monumental fashion.  I feel like I got so much more out of my 45 minutes out communicating with Georgians and eating their food and walking around their city than I do from hours upon hours in the reviled Airless Windowless Room.  My annoyance is not in the least bit calmed by the fact that I can't shake this feeling that these sessions are as much to keep us off the streets as they are to educate us.  Ugh.  Well, I'm off.  Hopefully photos of the gardens and tower tonight!