A long strange year

Hey all,
Back when I started this silly exercise of inflated self-importance (the blog...), the whole point was to regale my friends, family, and whoever else stumbled upon this curious URL, with tales of saving/changing the world one supra at a time. But, as all of you know, things went awry and I am now back in a land of indoor plumbing, mircrobrews, a less corrupt government, and the inability to get a girlfriend (ok, some things really ARE universal!).

But, today is June 15th. One year ago, myself and 40-odd compatriots were somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on our way to Georgia by way of Munich. The initial prognosis was favorable as I was seated next to a beautiful French woman who was on her way back home. We talked a bit, I apologized for many of my countrymen and our government, we drank some wine, and just to strengthen ties with our oldest ally, I whipped out my laptop and we watched The Big Lebowski with French subtitles.

After the longest fucking day(s) of travel, we were in Georgia. Our (the G7's) adventures had begun. We slogged and sweated our way through training and off to our permenent sites. Some of us are back home now. Most are still playing Sisyphus to the Georgian boulder. The G6's will be heading back home very soon and the G8's are, as I write, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on their way to Georgia (full of idealistic hubris no doubt).

I've done a lot of soul searching since I've been back and have wondered what my experience in the PC had brought me. Vocationally...nothing. I was an employed teacher before and now I'm an unemployed teacher eyeing more university studies. Linguistically....the ability to cuss at people in a language they have never even heard and a budding friendship with an American singer of Georgian hymns named..I'm not making this up: Tamara. Also, people seem to love to see their name written in the Georgian script. Spiritually....high highs and low, low lows. Still seeking balance. Emtionally...again a roller coaster. My current world view...we're all pretty much fucked unless we stop giving 95% to the top 5%...there's way too much inequity. Friendship: 4 great ones in my group, some decent ones in the others, and the deepening of existing ones back here in the states.

To the G8 whose blog told of her getting lost in Philly, hailing her first cab (ever), and being afraid to walk the streets.....Sweetie, you are in for a treat when you get to Georgia!

There are people I miss in Georgia. And although I am glad to be back here in good old Stumptown, this 1 year anniversary has me kind of wishing that I was sitting at Amiran's table, drinking bad wine and worse tcha-tcha, listening to him play the guitar and sing, eating a kilo of fresh cherries, laughing our asses off despite (or because of) a common 50+ word vocabulary. And of course...sitting on the balcony with a cup of tea and a smoke, reveling in the twilight, my prayer flags flapping in the summer breeze as random gunshots from village supras punctuate the quiet evening life of Bebnisi in the Republic of Georgia.

Godspeed G8's. G7's; hang tough and remember to be extra bitter. G6's; Welcome Home. Maria (class by herself); can't wait to dance to Raspberry Beret with you in the jungle this winter (if you don't know, don't ask!)!