A bad week all round

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Ok, I’m going to warn you in advance that this is going to be a fairly whiney post. I don’t mean for it to be, I just had a bit of a rubbish week. A combination of no electricity (and therefore no shower), no sleep and being ill (albeit only a little bit) just conspired to make it a bit miserable. I’m up and off to school with the kids on Monday morning but the marshrutka doesn’t stop for us so we have to walk and we’re about ten minutes late. If I had my way we’d walk every day, partly for the exercise and partly because if the marshrutka fails to turn up or is full then by that time it’s way too late to walk to school in time. Mari and I have the first lesson together so we both slope into the classroom late. Once the first lesson is over I’m sat down in the Director’s outer office next to the heater and I tell Maia all about my weekend. Our Director asks when I’m leaving and Maia tells me she doesn’t want me to go. They’re getting a new volunteer after I leave and they don’t seem very keen on the idea but I remind them how much they liked Jason and how they probably weren’t very keen on the idea of me replacing him to start with. I teach my fifth grade class which is always the highlight of my school day. Today’s particular favourite is, ‘A helicopter is smaller than a helicopter.’ After drinking coffee with Maia and the other teachers I wander home in the rain. When I get back the house is quiet and as I walk in I see Gala and Eka curled up dozing together on the sofa. They jump up as soon as I arrive and I feel terrible for disturbing them and wish I’d stayed at school longer. Sooner or later Gala goes out in the car to pick Mari up from school on account of the rain. I guess he didn’t shut the gate properly because I’m sitting reading in my chair and all of a sudden Eka comes tearing out of their bedroom and runs outside shouting something about cows. I pull my shoes on and follow her out but by the time I do she’s already shooing the neighbour’s cows out of the garden. Over lunch I make the mistake of coughing in front of Gala and out comes the vodka. Eka tells me that drinking three glasses, be it wine or vodka, is actually traditional and for once actually has one herself. Later I help Mari with her homework and then try to practice some reading with her. She’s actually getting pretty good so I’d brought home the next level text book from school to try to practice some more advanced texts with her but they prove a bit too advanced. Still, she’s a whole lot better than when I arrived so I can take comfort in that at least.



On Tuesday I am once again sitting in the Director’s office by the fire. It’s been a really cold week and I’m starting to feel the effects. For some reason my body seems to be boycotting sleep so I’m feeling pretty run down. I’m hoping a couple of well-timed coughs in front of the Director will get me sent home but it’s not to be. She does, however, stand beside me and stroke my head like I’m a cat. She says something to Maia and Maia laughs and says, ‘Ah, she love you very much.’ After my usual lessons I have my own lesson with the Abhazian kids which is fun. Afterwards they ask if they can have another lesson tomorrow so I figure they’re enjoying it. I tell them fine, as long as I’m not sick cos I’m feeling worse with every passing hour. When I get home there’s no electricity. This is hardly unusual but what I don’t realise at this point is that it’s the start of what will turn out to be a three-day stretch. Given no electricity means no hot water and the last time I showered was Sunday you can imagine how distraught I am by the end of the week! Gala is in a funny mood and is singing and dancing around the house. Over lunch we break with tradition and drink five glasses of wine in order to finish the jug. Fuck it; I’m just glad it’s not vodka!



When I come out of my bedroom on Wednesday morning Eka tells me to stay at home for the day. She says that Mari is staying home too and that school is very cold because they have no electricity either. For once I don’t argue and climb back into bed. I have a blissful lie in and Gala wakes me up for breakfast at 10am. I quickly realise that, if it weren’t for Eka, Gala would be dead of a heart attack before he hit forty. We have fried cheese for breakfast with cold slices of corn mixture from the day before. It’s actually fantastic but I can almost hear my arteries crying out for mercy! I have a nice relaxing day at home and later Eka calls and asks if I want to go to Zugdidi with her and Gala. I double check with DHL but they say my parcel won’t arrive til Thursday so, knowing I’ll have to go in the following day anyway, I decline. Of course I don’t realise they’re going to be gone half the evening. Unfortunately, the lack of electricity means the kids have to entertain themselves as best they can and, because by this point I haven’t slept for three days and have a bit of a cold I’m particularly irritable. Gio sorts out lunch for us and Mari thanks him by signing, ‘Gio gogo, Gio gogo’ (Gio girl, Gio girl) non-stop for half an hour until I finally tell her to shut up. By the time Eka and Gala return I’m ready to kill them. While they’re out though I take the opportunity to wash my hair in cold water – something I would never get away with if Eka were around. The water’s like ice and gives me one hell of a headache but at least I feel marginally cleaner. It actually starts to snow in the afternoon but sadly it’s far too wet for it to settle.



On Thursday I bravely struggle back into school. We’re teaching the fifth grade class about different jobs and Maia has an exchange with one of the boys that goes something like, ‘What can a carpenter do?’ ‘Build things.’ ‘What can he build?’ ‘A coffin!’ After school I go into Zugdidi to collect my package and do some shopping. I’m very excited! I’m actually expecting there to be a problem when I pick it up but all I have to do it sign for it and it’s mine! I conduct some shopping in the pharmacy through the lost art of mime and then go to the American bar to inspect my spoils. Finally I have a new lip ring so I feel entirely whole again and I’m thrilled to have some new books too. I also finally have a camera! What I don’t realise is that it needs batteries and a memory card so I’m still not able to use it but I’m one step closer! Another reason I came into Zugdidi was to charge my laptop and phone since no electricity at home all week means they’re both dead. Unfortunately I bump into Sam in the bar so I spend some time catching up with him and five minutes after he leaves and I finally plug my laptop in and turn it on the electricity goes out in the bar. I’m starting to think it might be me! I head to the bus station in time to catch the 4.30pm marshrutka home but when I go to the window to buy a ticket the woman says there isn’t one until 6pm. As usual I have no idea why but it’s not worth walking back into town so I sit in the freezing cold for an hour and a half waiting for the last bus home. At least I have my new book and I kill some time on the phone with Jane making plans for the weekend. It’s Ally’s birthday and we’re going skiing in Bakoriami – I can’t fucking wait! It’s been over 15 years since I last went skiing and I’ve been looking forward to it since I first found out you could ski in Georgia. Mari is on the bus home with me and we get off about 200 yards away from the house. As we walk home we peer anxiously through the trees, waiting to see if the lights are on. And they are! Finally the electricity is back on after three days! When we reach the gate though one of the neighbour’s dogs is waiting just inside and Mari’s too scared to go in. I try to tell her it will be fine but she won’t let me go through. We stand there shouting for Eka until Gio finally comes out and chases it off. When we get in Eka tells me the electricity’s only been on for ten minutes so there’s still no hot water. It’s ok though cos I bought a big packet of baby wipes in Zugdidi! I go to bed thinking surely tonight I must sleep. I’m still thinking the same thing at 4am.

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