Today, Valeri's recent purchases of cows arrived to be shipped off to his land on the way to Akhaltsikhe. We hope he'll make a profit when he sells them in November!



Later Teona visited with her mother and daughter, Keti.

Keti tried on the hat Gill made.

Later, Mako and Mike came! Tomorrow we shall all go on a hike to Marina's lake.

Bolo Zari (Last Bell)

Today was the last bell for the 12th. grade in both of our schools. The lower grades will have their end of term next month.

For the 12th. grade, it's their last day at school and it is a bitter-sweet day for most of them. Most of the girls dress up for the ceremonies earlier in the day. The boys mostly do not - wanting to appear cool in their normal clothes. Many of the girls at #4 school were dressed in black with a white apron. We believe that these are a hangover from communist days. They look, for all the world like a covention of French maids!


The girls at #6 school opted for white blouses, tartan skirts, matching tartan ties! They made the skirts and ties themselves.


At #6 school, the day started with all the 12th. grade congregating in the school yard for a ceremony. There were speeches and awards and pledges of allegiance (to Georgia, of course).

Ketino and Giorgi

Lali and Anna

We then trooped off to the little local theatre where the 12th. grade put on a show, with songs, speeches and sketches.

Anna led the procedings

Nino, tchkviani gogo.

Some junior children put on a show with folk dancing.

Later in the day, there were parties for the 12 grade, their parents and some staff. Luckily, the #4 and #6 schools held them on different days, so we could go to both. Georgians certainly know how to party. They love to dance and are very good at it. It is not considered "sissy" for a boy to dance. In fact, when, as needed for some Georgian dances, they dance "on point", real athleticism is needed.

#4 School Party

#6 School Party

Today was the Breast Cancer Walk and we were both volunteers assigned to the "Sponsors' Group". Our job was to set up their posters/"flags" and ensure that they had all they needed to set up their tables.

Getting organized at the beginning of the day.

Setting up BP's flag.


The t-shirts arrive!



The free mammogram van.

The A Team

The "American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee"(!) flag is installed.

Gill talks to some of the sponsors.

Registration

Setting up the stage

Sandra, the First Lady, arrives. The American ambassador also came, but I didn't get any pictures of him! The ambassador's wife does a lot of work for women's health and spoke at the benefit ballet last Friday

The Gori Women's Chamber Choir. They were good!

Lobio for the volunteers at the end of the day

Breast cancer is a serious problem in Georgia. It is a taboo subject and simply "not talked about". If a woman is diagnosed with it, it is usually in the late stages and so treatment is less successful than if it had been diagnosed earlier. Besides encouraging frequent mammograms and self-examination, an important objective is to make the subject one that can be discussed freely so that women can get support from their families and friends.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
We spent the day in Tbilisi. We had a few tasks to do but went to Rustaveli first to see what the opposition protesters were up to. The answer was nothing. Their "tents" were quiet. A few had some men playing cards or nadi, but, because there was no traffic, it was very, very quiet!

But first we had breakfast in "Entre" - a brief self-indulgence!

The stand where the opposition has its speeches.

Some of the "tents".

They say that the opposition is paying the men to stay here and we have heard sums of up to 50 GEL a day per person. That's good money by Georgian standards.

Rustaveli has sprouted some charming miniature statues recently and here are just a few.

Finally we went to our favorite Georgian restaurant and had dinner with Mako and Mike, who is over from Americato see Mako! Mako's friends Natia and Tatia joined us.

Natia, Tatia, Mako and Mike.

Today we went to Tbilisi to see the ballet being held as a benefit for Breast Cancer Screening for Georgian Women. The house was full and the we enjoyed the ballets tremendously - especially the latter two, Western Symphony and Marguerite and Armand.


My ignorance of ballet was clear when, after just a few minutes, I realized that Marguerite and Armand is the same story as La Traviata, ie. Dumas's novel La dame aux Camelias. Western Symphony was a lot of fun!