Getting caught up!

My goal on this post is to get caught up on the days I was either too tired or too tired (LOL, sorry) to post while I was in Tbilisi. I've posted about our adventure on Monday and now on to the rest of the week. Tuesday started with a meeting the purpose of which was to explain the Georgian system of education. In a nutshell, they have a fairly centralized education system where the Ministry of Education and Science has the final say in all important decisions as well as some mid-level decisions. (*note - I have since found out that principals do have a certain degree of autonomy in their schools) 

We left this meeting and went to visit our first school. This was Tbilisi Public School #165. It serves grades 1 - 12 in one building. As we entered the school we were greeted by this pair. Little did we know how important they were going to be to our day!!

We went throughout the school, observing classes in every grade. As we entered each room the students stood and, in their finest English, said "Good Morning" and "Welcome". Delightful! After a while we went into a meeting room where we were able to visit with some of the grade 10, 11 and 12 students who were eager to answer our questions about the school and ask questions of their own. 

After a while of visiting with the students we were directed down to the school's small stage. We actually sat on the stage because the performance we were about to see needed the extra floor space. Boy - were we in for a treat! The PS #165 is home to a very well known traditional dance troop that performs all over Georgia and the region. They had just returned from a performance in Egypt and were back in time to treat us to their talent. 

These are super talented young people and one of the other teachers recorded portions of their dances. You can see the traditional wedding dance here: https://vimeo.com/122453805  and you can see the other traditional men's dance here: https://vimeo.com/122482849  Both videos are simply wonderful, so please take the time to show them in class!

Afterward I got to visit with students in the 11th and 12th grade English classes. They had all sorts of wonderful questions about American schools. I was so impressed with how well they all speak English and how much they practice with each other. 

When I showed them the class photos I took of you guys before I left they all smiled and said, basically - "WOW, your students look just like us!" 

We left the school and were off to a panel discussion with Georgian educators at the American Corner office nearest to us. This meeting was quite informative and they answered all our questions freely about the positive and negative aspects of the Georgian education system and some of the plans the Ministry has for the future.

On Wednesday morning we were off early to visit a private school. It is the Georgian - British School and it's interesting. The Georgian students who attend are on one track and the British and other foreign nationals are on the British track. This school is also serves grades 1 - 12 and we saw some really cute classes. At the end of our visit I had the BEST conversation with 4 young ladies in the 6th grade. Their English is so good and they are so poised and confident, I was impressed and delighted to spend time with them.

After the school we were off to the US Embassy where we met with the folks who promote teaching English in the schools, offer exchange programs and other types of activities. We got a surprise visit from Ambassador Nolan, who congratulated us on being in Georgia and who reminded us that we were better Ambassadors than him because we would be making memories with Georgian people. 

After the embassy we had a quick lunch and then we were off to the Ministry of Education and Science for a meeting to update us on future plans that have been developed for continued progress within the Georgian education system. After that, one last presentation and last round of questions before our travel day on Thursday.

I really have only a few photos from Thursday. After we arrived in Kutaisi we were led on a brief tour of the area where we're staying. It was a simply beautiful afternoon; sunny and cool - perfect for a nice, long walk.

The local fellow above was very nice to let me sit beside him for a photo - LOL. That's all until tomorrow!

Evening feast - it's called a supra

Before the evening feast, or supra, we went on a walking tour of the Old Town part of Tbilisi. It was raining. It was cold. It was almost miserable. LOL, but hey - no one wanted to waste any of our precious time here, so off we went. In the rain. And cold. OK - enough of that. The first thing we learned when we got out of the van was that you do not have to cross the street at a cross walk. It simply doesn't matter - they will run over you anyway. Consequently - people just cross where they want and there seens to be a great deal of "one-finger saluting" going on.  LOL - anyway, we arrived in Old Town and were greeted by these lovely textiles.

Textiles, I think rugs, in Old Town Tbilisi.

Signs in Old Town, Tbilisi

Just across the street from this was the most curious domed building. I was suprised and delighted to find out they are bath houses. The area is famous for the hot sulpher springs and these are still used today, I believe that's what our guide said. 

Right beside the little bath houses is this little space with a statue of a falcon. There is a legend that goes along with the falcon that is so much like the legend of the eagle on the cactus in Mexico that I was instantly struck by the story. The story goes like this: The founder of Tbilisi, the king at that time, was out hunting with his falcon one day and it disappeared. When he tracked it down it was in this beautiful place by the side of a river. However, the falcon and it's prey were both dead, boiled in the hot water. Nonetheless, the king was so struck by the beauty of the place that he built a palace here and later on called it his capital. This little statue is dedicated to that falcon.

We continued along our path, beside a stream, and the guide was telling us that all along the top of the ridge ahead and on the other side was the botanical gardens of Tbilisi. They are known for several sulpher springs that form waterfalls and we were headed to see the nicest of them. So, as we're walking I keep seeing these locks on the railings of the bridges we keep crossing. 

The story is actually quite charming: When couples decided that they are together for the long run they go to their favorite bridge and put a lock on the railing then throw the key into the river or stream. This symbolizes being together forever. Some of the locks are engraved with dates, initials, or names.

Then, we got to the waterfall and it was quite lovely. However, we were all getting quite wet and cold by this time so I don't think any of the group really appreciated how pretty it really was. 

We walked on around and down another street until we came to this friendly fellow.

Of course, there is a story behind this. At the Georgian feast, called a supra, there is one man who acts as a "Master of Ceremonies". His job is to keep the toasts, storys, drinks and food flowing. This man is known as the Tamada. This is the Tamada Man statue, with his never empty drinking horn. 

Finally, we made it to the restaurant for our own supra and our Georgian guide, who had kept us entertained, in the rain and cold all afternoon, acted as Tamada. The food looked wonderful and tasted oh so good. 

The appitizers - first of about 6 courses of food. 

Tarragon flavored lemonade. No, really - it's lemonade!!!

Georgian food is on FIRE!!!! LOL

That's all for now. Tomorrow is mostly meetings and a visit to one of the public schools in town. I'll write more and get caught up later. 

SQUEEEEE!!!! I'm so excited! OK - take a breath and start from the beginning. You already know that I'm going to the Republic of Georgia to visit and interact with schools in the country. For the first few days of our trip all 12 of the Georgian TGC fellows will be together in the capital city of Tbilisi.

Tbilisi - the capital of Georgia

Another view of Tbilisi

After the time in Tbilisi another fellow, Kellie Carter, and I will travel to the second largest city in Georgia - Kutaisi. Kutaisi is at least 3,000 years old and, from my research, seems to be both beautiful and fascinating.

Kutaisi looks to be a really lovely city with some pretty remarkable sites to see within the city and near by.

While Kutaisi is not the capital city, it is the home of the Georgian Parliament. The Parliament building is  ultra-modern and is one of the highlights of visiting the city.

While in Kutaisi I will be visiting St. Nino's School #3, hosted by Tina Kutivadze, an English teacher there.

Just outside Kutaisi one finds the beautiful Bagrati Cathedral. I'm super excited to visit there and take my own photos.

Also near Kutaisi is the Sataplia protected wildlife area. There one finds caves and one of those really scary glass walks that sticks out over a gorge. Not sure I'm going to be able to make that walk. My stomach is rolling just thinking about it.

It's unbelievable that I am leaving in just four more days! WOW - what an adventure I'm going to have!!!

Getting more excited!

I'm getting more and more excited now that I have actually seen the itinerary for the trip. It appears that all of the teachers going to Georgia will be traveling together from Washington, DC. Better yet - we have a day time layover of about 12 hours in Munich, Germany and I, for one, am planning a city tour on one of the hop-on, hop-off tour buses they have available. I'm so excited for this!! 

Munich: How much can I see in about 8 hours?

A New Adventure: Getting Started

Welcome to my travel adventure blog. During the past summer I was notified that I had been selected to participate in a really competitive fellowship that is sponsored by the US Department of State and administered by IREX / Teachers for Global Classrooms. (IREX / TGC) After filling out a great deal of paper work and signing many releases the group of teachers became acquainted with each other on Blackboard as we participated in a class about global education and learning. The class started in October and culminated in December with a big lesson plan unit and a presentation for us to deliver to our district if we wanted or needed to do so. As we reached the end of the class work we were all notified of which country we would be traveling to and I'm going to the Republic of Georgia.

Known as the 5-Cross flag, this symbol of Georgia dates back to the 5th Century.

Since finding out in December I have been reading about Georgian culture and have set up a Pinterest board for photos and information. I'm also trying to learn a few words of Georgian so I can at least greet my hosts in their own language!

Map of the Caucasus region

On February 3 I will get more information via a webinar that will begin to prepare me for my specific needs while traveling in Georgia. I am also attending a weekend symposia with my fellow travelers in February 19 - 21 in Washington DC. I'm quite excited about going back to DC, but I'm sure my time is going to be much more limited for this visit. Then, on March 14 I fly!! I will be with about a dozen other teachers. We will be visiting a variety of places in Georgia including Tbilisi, the capitol, and other points of interest. We will be visiting schools and meeting educators and building relationships that we can bring back home with us. 

Tbilisi, the capitol of Georgia. It's so beautiful!

The Republic of Georgia is one of the former Soviet Republics and has enjoyed tremendous growth since their independence. From the CIA World Fact Book: 

    "The region of present day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence  in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991."

More information about the Republic of Georgia will be coming soon. I'm so excited to learn more about this fascinating country!!

sanam momavali dro

(until next time)