Jamie Makes a Friend

After getting home from Kazbegi on Monday night, I was told we were going to my host mom's sister's house. My host mom was not there, because she was working at the poll booth in Badiauri, but the rest of us headed about 15 minutes down the highway to another village. A lot of family from my mom's side was there, most of whom I was meeting for the first time. It involved many instances of getting stared at by preteen girls while they whispered to each other behind their hands and giggled. Everyone else talked about me as if I weren't even there. They all thought I couldn't understand a word of Georgian, but they underestimate the power of living for a month in a family that doesn't speak English. You pick things up here and there.

They were also talking about one of the English teachers (TLG like me, I assumed) who lived in whatever village we were in. At one point when they were talking about her, someone got out their cell phone. I was thinking, "I really doubt they would put me on the phone with some random person I've never met." Next thing I know, a phone was shoved at me. Let me remind you, since they thought I know no Georgian, they gave me no sort of indication as to who I was supposed to be talking to and why. So if I could actually have understood no Georgian, as they thought, did they not realize this would be even more awkward?

Here's how the convo went:

Me: Hello?

Hello?

Who's this?

This is Liz....Who's this?

This is Jamie. I'm an English teacher, too. I was brought to some village to visit relatives. I'm not sure if it's the one you live in, and I guess my family decided we should talk because they just called you and handed me the phone.

[We talked about where we were living, when we arrived in the country, etc]

My Uncle Giorgi interrupts my phone call: Jane! [My name morphed from James to Jane at some point] We take... see...teacher?? Yes??

Me: Umm.....I think they're taking me to visit you. See you in a few, probably?

We got in the car and drove to her house. One of my mom's nieces goes to her school, so she knew where she lived. When we got there, they invited her to come back to my aunt's house, where we were eating. The night improved a lot, since I had someone to talk to, and someone to share half the stares with.

And now I know there's another American, only 15 minutes away!