Life is Pretty Damn Grand, Part the Second

So the host family has all-around been distinctly awesome, but my also awesome American friends have hardly taken a backseat! Julie's host family has been away on vacation, and last week she, Mark, and I got together to make a proper American summer dinner.

Appetizers of beer, watermelon, and Pringles

Covered in meaty deliciousness

Julie and Mark's trademarked potato salad, corn, cheeseburger.  Amazing!! 

Afterwards we watched a couple episodes of the Simpsons.  If not for the lack of AC, I could have been home.  Must do this again!

On Thursday, the three of us met up at Oscar's for some of their good food and well-priced Georgian beer.  And then on Friday night, we had dinner at Aragvi to say goodbye to Mark, who was leaving for two weeks because his family was coming to visit.  So.  Jealous.  He was planning to meet them in Tbilisi and then travel pretty much all over Georgia.  They'll make a stop in Poti in about a week, so looking forward to meeting the Mark Clan.

Julie and I have been hanging out even more than usual, with Mark gone and her host family still out of town.  I was suuuuper broke at the end of the month (see previous Kobuleti post!), but she very generously offered to buy me dinner at Oscar's (we go there a lot), and there we met Mustafa!

Mustafa is from Turkey, and is here in Poti doing some commercial diving work down at the port.  He's also really cool, really funny, and speaks excellent English.  He's so cool, in fact, that Julie and I have spent our last three evenings hanging out with him.

Last night we met up in the afternoon at a nice place down near the port that I like a lot, although I've never been able to find out the name.  And once again... we found the hours slipping by at breakneck speed and before I knew it, it was midnight.  Really good food and ice cream and company... plus a couple shots of vodka, because after all, this is Georgia.

Julie and Mustafa

Vodka shot!  Sucks my eyes are closed for this photo.

I finally left the party a little after midnight... Mustafa got me a taxi home and I taxied right into another party.  My host family and the neighbors were doing it up Proper in front of the house again.  Before I knew it I had another cup of beer in my hand and was laughing it up with my fantastic family.

Ucha, Nata, Me

With my beautiful host sisters!

Today... today is a quiet day.  I needed one of those!  Going to take my kindle out front and read for a little bit as the weather continues to be perfect.  Loving Georgia a lot these days!