Two days in

The last two days have seen Chris and I riding the Tbilisi Metro compulsively. Tokens - teeny tiny plastic checker pieces - cost 20 tetri (about 10 cents). The subways run way, WAY underground. The escalators are vertiginous. (Photos pending).

We've spent a lot of time trying to get C's cell phone to work and waiting for people (like our apartment-broker) to get in touch with us. (This was stymied somewhat by the dysfunctional phone).

It's really, really nice to be here. The weather is hot and dry, and we haven't had any of the highly anticipated muggings or pick-pocketings that the State Department orientations tend to emphasize. The only episodes of foreigner-harrasment that I've noticed have been getting overcharged for a pair of sunglasses, and a little tiny kid running up to me and pawing the mouthpiece of my Fanta soda. I think that he was trying to gross me out so I would give him the Fanta. (He was begging.). Little did he know of my eating habits. I eat food off of the floor. And I live with a boy, full-time. Cooties don't scare me!

And I didn't buy the sunglasses, so that doesn't really count.

Tomorrow we are leaving for a two-day trip (organized by the US Embassy, not specifically for Fulbrighters - more of a US-oriented cultural field trip) into Kakheti, to help harvest grapes, tour a wine factory, do a wine tasting, watch traditional bread-making, and eat a whole lot of good food. The trip is going to set us back about $100, but we'll be getting a hotel room, a bus ride into the countryside, two lunches and a big supra dinner, and all the other fun stuff in there. Plus, it seems we'll be on a bus with a crowd of other ex-pats for 6 hours. (Networking opportunity! Booya!)

No luck so far in locating an apartment. We were able to reach our apartment-broker today, she has indicated that she might have a few leads in the old part of Tbilisi. (This area has a lot of charm, a lot of decrepit buildings (charming decrepit buildings), and relatively few foreigners). The ex-pat-intensive areas are, apparently, crime-ridden (theft, mostly) as well as out of our price range. We are also hiring the friend of a friend to comb the Georgian classifieds for us to look for apartments that might not be on our apt-broker's radar. We also looked into a friend's old apartment. It is entirely charming, but the two toilets are mostly broken, and the shower base of the downstairs bathroom is cracked and leaking into neighboring apartments. It was a gorgeous place otherwise, and pretty cheap -- the current tenants are paying $350 a month!

Tonight we spend our second night at the home of a family affiliated with the US Embassy. The mother works on energy issues with the US Embassy, and the father is working part-time, as well as doing a lot of the legwork of raising their 10-year old daughter. The family is being very generous with their 3-floor, multi-bedroomed house. They have offered full-reign of their kitchen/fridge (whoooo!), and occasional use of their driver. Chris and I have a room with twin beds. Two Peace Corps Volunteers are here this evening - they are sleeping in the living room and in a spare bed. On Monday, some Village Harmony singers will join the mix -- my Mom among them, I think. (Small world).

The whole process of locating and starting rent on an apartment has taken a little longer than we had imagined. I mean, it's only Friday, and sure, we arrived on Thursday at 4 AM, but I was kind of hoping to have something by the end of the weekend. Of course, the reason why we won't have anything before Monday is largely due to my really, really wanting to go on this weekend excursion. (And why not? Our hosts have offered to put us up until we find a good apartment, and when else will we be able to go into the Georgian countryside for 48 hours of harvesting, vinting, wining and dining?).

I think it will be worth putting off the apartment for a little while. We are really, *really* lucky to have a place to stay for free. I am trying not to wear out my welcome, but I can't resist this little tangent into the countryside while our agent looks for places for us to rent.