Some first impressions of the Republic of Georgia:

I
Getting out of the airport was pretty simple.  I got off the plane, stood in line for about 10 minutes, showed my passport and got it stamped, grabbed my baggage, which arrived very quickly, grabbed a trolley for all my heavy stuff, rolled through the “nothing to declare” gate at customs, and found my smiling host, holding a sign with my name on it.

II
I got out of the airport, and the air smelled clean and fragrant–not unlike the air in mid-Michigan in late June–green and floral.

III
On the cab ride to my host’s home, I couldn’t see much in the dark.  We did drive by some old, seemingly-abandoned industrial sites that reminded me of the old auto plants in Lansing, MI and of the old abandoned warehouses and factories on the southside of Chicago.

IV
The cab smelled familiar, too–like old stale cabs in Chicago, smelling of old stale tobacco and maybe a little body odor.

V
Dinner last night was a tasty and plentiful: cabbage and eggplant stuffed with ground pork and beef and rice, two kinds of Georgian cheeses, sweet lettuce and cucumber fresh from my host’s garden, tomato, green tea, a little fall apple from my host’s apple tree, white and red wine made by my host, and chacha (65 “degrees” of smooth fire that burned so good going down).

VI
Lunch was also a treat.  I slept clear through breakfast, and my, sleep, which was long and deep, came to an end when my host knocked on the window to inquire, concernedly, whether I was hungry.  I dragged myself out of bed at noon for a hot shower and then lunch, which consisted of a two-egg frittata with squash and fresh parsley from my host’s garden; a really interesting sour plum sauce–made in-house from the fruit trees in the garden; more of the squeaky salty Georgian cheese that had enjoyed the night before; a sweet cabbage, carrot, radish, tomato salad; walnuts and raisins; green tea; and a breakfast shot of chacha as a “disinfectant.”  I ate my fill, but my host was concerned, and asked “Why do you eat so little?”  Hahaha!  Apparently, I eat very light for a Georgian, perhaps, as my host suggested, because I don’t do physical labor.

VII
The sounds outside my door are interesting.  Right now, a dove is cooing loudly.  Earlier this morning, I heard birds chirp-chirp-chirping and tweeting.  Just a few minutes ago, a woman was calling out something, over and over again.  When I looked out the door, she was carrying long loaves of bread, so I’m guessing she’s the neighborhood bread lady.  I could be totally wrong, but that’s my first guess.  There is also some grinding/sawing coming from the backyard.  Turns out, my host’s husband is building a pool for his granddaughter who is coming for a visit this summer.  Like, building it from cement and tiles and stuff.  He’s also built most of the house I’m staying in for the next couple of days.

VIII
Oh, and it just started raining as steady spring rain that will water the big dry garden I toured earlier today.  This garden is filled with fruit trees (apple, plum, peach, nectarine, pear, sour cherry, apricot, pomegranate), veggies (lettuces, carrots, potatoes, greens, herbs, broccoli, eggplant, peppers, strawberries), and flowers (giant red, yellow, and pink roses, marigolds, and some flowers brought in by seed from the U.S.).

Stay tuned for more feisty first impressions!