Leaving Batumi and the friends we have made.

(This post was written last Thursday March 26, but due to travel, it  did not get posted then)

Today was my last morning in Batumi.  Following a quick breakfast in the beautiful dining room of Hotel Elegant (I highly recommend staying there if you are ever in the city), I decided to take one last stroll along the boardwalk and enjoy a finally sunny day.

Here some older men play volleyball in the park.

Monster and I found some public art to hang out with.  I love the fact that, despite the cultural bans against LGBT in Georgia, the figures are gender neutral.  They can and do represent everyone and their desire to love another human, such a central focus in Georgian culture. The fact that it is on a rocky beach where you can't see the other side of the water also gives it so much more meaning.  I love some public art!

Below is a picture is of one of the most unique things I found in Georgia.  Wine is so central to the culture that EVERYONE makes it, including apartment dwellers.  They root the vine on the street and train it to go up to the balconies of the apartments so that everyone can enjoy wine (although you can't enter it in wine competitions because apparently it is inferior--I didn't have any, but I can't believe Georgians make bad wine).  Also, I love these little chess pieces that line the street to protect buildings and pedestrians from the crazy drivers in this town.  I keep getting songs from the musical Chess going through my head when I see them.

 There is so much construction going on in Batumi--so much hope for the future.

If you look far enough this way, you can see Turkey.  It seems impossible to be this close to another country when you live in Nebraska, which is far away from any other country.

I love these translated instructions.  The words may be a little off, but the idea is certainly clear!

I have been invited back to Batumi to hang with my new friends.  I don't know what the future holds, but certainly Batumi and the people of this incredible city have a hold on my heart.  I would love to come back!

Last night, my friends hosted a dinner in our honor.  This was maybe 1/3 of the food.  As usual, Mama Shio was explaining an important concept to us all.  I wish I spoke more Georgian!

 This is my cohort, Pete Clark from California and Marina, the Georgian language teacher.  They are planning future adventures together.  Marina is an amazing teacher.  She certainly challenges her students and their thinking!

Pete, Nino's mom (who cooked for us), Nino, Marina, the neighbor from downstairs and Inez, the Russian teacher.  I haven't mentioned Inez before, but she was one of the most loving and funny people I met in Georgia.  She has the biggest heart and took us right into her family.  If I can be half of the person she is, I will be definitely on the right track.

I can't say enough about our host Nino.  She has dedicated her life to teaching and students.  Everything she does is focused towards education, from teaching at University, to making contacts at Teacher House, to finding new ways to enliven her teaching, she is an inspiration to teachers everywhere.  Her kindness, generosity of spirit, compassion for others and quest for knowledge are truly a blessing to me.  She is the kind of teacher everyone should have once in their lives, a spark that ignites the desire to learn and explore your world.  She has taught me so much that I can't even put into words at this point, some about teaching, but more about faith and humanity.  Her devotion to church and school are so passionate that it is almost contagious.  Thank you, Nino, for being so willing to open your home and heart to us!