A Tale of Two Cities

In the past two weeks I have been to two capital cities, swam in an ancient lake in the middle of the night, drank Churchill’s favorite cognac, explored countless monasteries, scaled a medieval cave town, visited Stalin’s birthplace, and watched my father give a talk at a university in Tbilisi.  And that’s the abbreviated version.  I’ve had quite the adventure since I arrived in this region back in January, but these past two weeks were particularly action-packed.  A couple of weeks ago, a few friends and I decided we would take a week off of teaching to visit Yerevan, the captivating capital of Armenia.  When I made the decision to do this, I forgot that my father would be visiting Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, the following week.  There was no way I was going to miss my chance to visit Armenia, and it would have been absurd not to spend time with my father (and stepmother) after he traveled 6000 miles to the country in which I am currently residing.  But, I was still reluctant to tell my co-teachers and director (principal) I would be missing 2 weeks of school.  Nonetheless, it had to be done.  So I went into school with a guilty look on my face, and told them what was going down.  Instead of getting angry they called me a “good boy” in Georgian and told me to have a great adventure.  They were excited I was going to explore the region more and were very happy my father was coming to their country.  This is the best job ever.  Not only do they not get angry when you ask for half a month off of work, they congratulate you!

Thus, I packed my bags for a two-week excursion and I was on my way.  Before I headed to Yerevan, I backtracked a bit to the Georgian city of Zugdidi (Zugdidi is in the opposite direction of Tbilisi, from which I would depart for Yerevan), where a lot of my close friends live.  We planned it out that we would do one night in Zugdidi, and then ride the overnight train to Tbilisi the next day, arriving in the early morning to head to Armenia (most of the buses for Armenia leave from Tbilisi).  We spent that night celebrating the birthdays of two friends at the local American themed bar, Amerikidan.  A guy who was also in the TLG program opened Amerikidan a year or two back.  His name is Damon; he’s a scholar and gentleman.  He decided to make Georgia his home, marrying a Georgian woman and opening up a business which has now become a safe haven for travel weary American’s (and anyone else who happens to wander in, Amerikidan does not discriminate) in the Republic of Georgia.  They have pizza, chicken fingers, and among other things, Jagermeister – which to my great dismay can’t be found anywhere in this part of the world (turn away your judgmental eyes, yeah it taste like regurgitated gasoline but I happen to like it).  Long story short, Amerikidan never fails to show one a good time.

After a blurry evening at Amerikidan we awoke to a beautiful sunny day in Zugdidi, and I remember rejoicing in the fact that spring had arrived and was here to stay (after surviving winter in a developing country with no central heating you have no idea how excited I was for sunshine).  We had time to relax, as our overnight train did not depart until 10 pm.  It was a very laidback day.  Before heading to the train, we picked up all of the necessities for a 10 hour overnight train ride: vodka, Fanta, Snickers, Twix, Peanut M & M’s, and of course, Pringles (Sour Cream and Onion, obviously).  I wasn’t really sure what to expect in terms of the condition of the train, travel in this region is always full of surprises.  What I got was something I can only describe as the Hogwarts Express, Soviet Edition.  The train was decidedly Soviet, looking as if no work had been done on it since the 1970’s.  All of the signs on the train were in faded Russian, and the toilet was made out of steel, which at this point was more of a rusty bucket.  I dubbed it the Stalin pot.  Our compartment was cozy, with two beds on each side, stacked one above the other, and barely any room to move – and unfortunately there was no cart coming by with chocolate frogs or Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.  At first it was only me, my buddy Brennan, and my Canadian comrade James in the compartment, but a toothless old Georgian lady joined us after about an hour or two.  I had a nice conversation in Georgian with her before heading to “bed.”  She asked the general questions, where are we from, what do we do, etc.  And we found out she was a German teacher – most schools here teach Georgian, English, Russian, and German.  She then insisted that we should all find Georgian wives before we leave the country – I assured he we would do our very best.  She was very nice, I only wish someone had taught her about dental hygiene in her early life.

While by car or marshutka Zugdidi is only about 5 hours away from Tbilisi, by train it is closer to 10 hours.  One could honestly run faster than the overnight train to Tbilisi, but unless you are superhuman, or Kenyan perhaps, then you might tire before reaching your destination.  Nonetheless, we arrived around 8 am, found our marshutka to Yerevan, and after a nearly two-hour delay we were on our way.  Crossing the border to Armenia was uneventful, but the proceeding drive was a bit rocky, literally.  The first road you encounter after crossing the border is an uneven dirt path winding through a small village next to a heavily polluted river.  After about an hour you find yourself deep in the mountains, the marshutka going about 80 mph’s, swerving back and forth as you wind your way through the Armenian highlands.  The kicker of this ride was my chair was not securely connected to the vehicle; one or two of the bolts were loose, so my chair swerved back and forth every time the marshutka went one way or the other.  What ensued can be compared to a four-hour amusement park ride, which was very entertaining to the Georgian ladies sitting in front of me.  I must have fallen out of my chair at least a dozen times.  Lets just say that if you are prone to motion sickness – don’t ride a marshutka from Tbilisi to Yerevan.  Thankfully I have never gotten carsick in my life and despite the fact that I was thrown all over the place during the ride I really enjoyed the beauty and splendor of the scenery.  Armenia and Georgia both share the epic natural beauty characteristic of the South Caucasus region.  For miles one will encounter highlands, mountains, rivers, and plains.  This region is absolutely stunning.  People have been writing about the Caucasus and their beauty for thousands of years, and if you are lucky enough to gaze upon them you will soon understand why.

When we finally got to Yerevan I was happy for a number of reasons.  Number one, I was ecstatic to be in Armenia.  Number two, I was pumped to be out of that ridiculous marshutka.  Number three, the women in Armenia are absolutely heavenly.  I had heard they were beautiful, but I was not prepared for what I encountered.  Georgian women are beautiful too, but there was definitely something different about the females in Somkheti (Georgian for Armenia).  Thus, I nicknamed the Armenian women “Jasmine,” as a lot of them literally looked like Princess Jasmine from the Disney film Aladdin.  Yes, there is a danger in generalization there, but I meant it as a compliment.  Moreover, I renamed the main street of Yerevan, Mashtots, where I encountered the highest frequency of Jasmines, Agrabah Avenue.  Yes, I am immature, and yes I should probably seek therapy, but go to Yerevan and perhaps you will understand.

While I was in Armenia it was hard not to compare it to Georgia, and, specifically, it was difficult not to compare Yerevan with Tbilisi.  The two countries share a lot of history, whether they like to admit it or not (there is a bit of a playful rivalry between the two countries), thus they share a lot of similarities as well.  Geographically this is quite unavoidable as they are both located in the mountainous region of the Caucasus.  Yet, ethnically and culturally they are also quite similar.  This is not so surprising, as they are right next to one another and due to the fact that they had persistent relations throughout history.  The present-day boundaries of Georgia and Armenia are more of a product of World War I and the Soviet Union, before that there was frequent contact between Armenians, Georgians, and Azerbaijanis, all of whom resided all over the South Caucasus region for thousands of years (not just in their ancestral homelands).  In fact, at one point in history, the Armenian merchant class virtually ruled over Tbilisi.  The nationalistic tendencies of both countries are a relatively recent development, largely a product of the rough treatment they received over the course of the 20^th century.  Not surprisingly, countries that were once under the yoke of powerful entities such as the Russian Empire, the Persian Empires, the Ottoman Empire, and the Soviet Union now fight hard to prove what makes them unique, even if there are perhaps many things that make them similar.  I will say that Armenians did look slightly different than Georgians, which is probably due to the large Persian influence in the region – Yerevan’s population was majority Muslim and Persian until WWI, which changed the entire make-up of the Caucasus (There was also a strong Persian influence in Georgia, but even today Armenia still has strong Persian ties).  Yet both countries do have similar religions (both are derived from Orthodox Christianity, but they broke away from one another as the Georgian church leaned towards Byzantium and the Armenian church remained separate, which is part of the reason for the rivalry between the two countries), table manners/rituals, and concepts of hospitality.  Both Armenia and Georgia possess a fervent pride in the fact that they were the first two Christian nations, and Christianity is an inseparable aspect of their identity – nonetheless, both nations will insist upon their differences (this does not mean they are unfriendly with one another, they just have a lot of individual pride).

The Caucasus in general, however, is a region that is very difficult to make comprehensive conclusions about.  There is so much about this place that remains puzzling to me, which is likely a product of its complex history.  Sadly, the Caucasus is region that is often forgotten in the West, despite its strategic importance and rich history.  This is the bridge between Europe and Asia, Russia and the Middle East; yet many people couldn’t name the three capital cities of Georgia (Tbilisi), Armenia (Yerevan), and Azerbaijan (Baku).  It often seems that people (governments) come and go to this region at their own convenience, using it as they please.  At the moment, Georgia feels a lot like an American outpost.  Tbilisi is full of American soldiers, and apparently we have given the government significant funding since the 2008 war with Russia.  Georgia might be the only country in the world that actually likes George W. Bush.   In fact, they named a street after him in Tbilisi.  When Georgians “gaumarjos” (cheers) to him at supras I always say no, and try my best to explain why he is despised by virtually everyone with half a brain in my country and everywhere else for that matter.  Georgia is a very militarized nation despite a very tiny population.  I think America has had a lot to do with this, and hopes to use Georgia as a thorn in Russia’s side, and as a strategic base between Russia and the Middle East.  This is not to say we will necessarily have a large number of troops stationed here, but by providing funding for airbases and other military endeavors we have acquired a useful ally in the middle of a tumultuous region.  I just hope we don’t lead Georgia into any conflicts they do not deserve to be in.  Recently, the Georgian president visited our troops in Afghanistan, and I hear the Georgian military will soon be a presence there.  Even Georgia’s military commercials are identical to ours, just as corny and full of mindless propaganda (soldier arrives at airport and everyone gets up and claps – as if those in the military ever get the recognition they truly deserve).  I am not anti-military, and I support the brave men and women in our armed forces, I just don’t agree with unnecessary conflict – that includes influencing those who have no business in a particular conflict to join.

While none of the above has anything to do with the specifics of my trip to Yerevan, it was hard not to think about, particularly after my visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial.  I couldn’t help but think about the tumultuous past of this region, and the complex array of forces that constantly converge upon it.  I am currently reading what is supposed to be one of the more comprehensive and objective histories of the Caucasus, perhaps when I am finished I will have a better understand of this place and its troubled past.

In a lot of ways, Yerevan seemed a lot more happening than Tbilisi.  Both capitals are very international; you can encounter people from anywhere in the world within the two respective cities.  Yet, Tbilisi seems keener on holding on to its Georgian essence than Yerevan does to its Armenian character.  Yerevan had more international restaurants, bars, etc… while Tbilisi is full of Georgian restaurants, and maybe one or two pizza joints, along with two McDonalds (to Georgia’s credit, there are only 3 McDonalds in the entire country).  I think there are several reasons for this.  Number one, Georgia is very sensitive about its national traditions.  Many of them were almost wiped out during the Soviet years, and as a result they have held on to their customs with a defiant ferocity.  Between the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, Georgia was part of Russia for so long they likely feared they would be considered Russian rather than Georgian (after all, they share the same religion, and many Georgians share physical similarities to Russians).  Thus, their cuisine and wine have become important symbols of their nationality – they are what make them distinct and unique from Russians.  Hence, why bring American, Italian, Chinese, Persian, or French food to Georgia?  Armenia on the other hand, has had an enormous diaspora throughout the world – a large result of World War I and the Armenian Genocide.  The majority of Armenians outside of Armenia reside in California, while others live in France, Russia, and Iran among other places.  Not surprisingly, there seems to be more of an international influence in Yerevan.  I ate American food (KFC and Pizza Hut, oh yeah), Mexican food, Armenian food, Persian food, Lebanese food, and I could have had French and Chinese food but we ran out of time.  From what I was told, many Armenians that reside outside of their ancestral home send significant portions of their income to their families back home, or they move back and open up international restaurants such as the ones I ate in (one of my first jobs was at a soccer supplies store owned by Armenians, and they were very proud of their heritage).  Yerevan was also a very Persian city for centuries, which might also explain the different vibe I got while I was there.  While Armenia has one of the weakest economies in the world it was definitely not reflected in the condition of the capital, which was clean, beautiful, and full of parks, statues, and monuments.  Like Georgia, a large fraction of the populace lives in the Armenian capital – around 3.2 million people in Armenia, around 1.2 million in Yerevan; around 4.4 million people in Georgia, around 1.2 million in Tbilisi.

So, there were a lot of similarities and differences between the two cities/countries, which I continue to think about.  One thing that struck me about Armenians was they have a much friendlier disposition than Georgians.  Georgians rarely smile at strangers.  If you smile at a person walking down the street in Georgia they will likely be thinking, “what the hell is wrong with that guy?”  And if they aren’t thinking that, they are at least giving you a look that makes you think they’re thinking that.  Armenians smile a lot more, and glare a lot less.  Glaring is a national pastime in Georgia, they love to stare.  It’s not considered rude, it’s a cultural thing, but it’s hard to remember that sometimes when the same old lady has been looking at you for 20 minutes.  Both cultures, however, are extremely hospitable and go above and beyond for guests in their countries.

In all, I really enjoyed Armenia.  I spent the majority of my time in Yerevan, but I was able to travel all over.  I was traveling with 4 other people, 5 in total, which was a perfect number.  I have found that traveling in large groups really sucks.  For one thing, you are bound to find at least one or two people in a large group that you will likely have dreams about killing after spending long amounts of time with them in a confined space.  For another, it slows things down and people always disagree on stuff – it also makes everything really expensive and people try to hustle you.  Anyways, now that I have revealed that I am a grumpy traveler in large groups, I will go into the details of my Armenian adventure.  We accomplished a lot in a short time.  We went to an ancient Greek temple to the sun god at Garni, which satisfied the history nerd in me.  The next day we visited Lake Sevan, the largest lake in Armenia.  I think we were a little optimistic about this place.  We had heard it was like a resort town, but had made the mistake of forgetting that it was not summer yet, so when we arrived it was a little more like a ghost town post-Mongolian invasion.  We had heard that they had converted former cargo crates into private hotel rooms and of course that sounded really cool to us.  Turns out they were not so cool – they were moldy, had no running water, toilets that didn’t flush and no other option for bathroom or water.  Honestly, it really didn’t matter to me; I have become immune to such comforts.  I’m used to not having a toilet, and I lived without running water at my host family’s house for almost 3 weeks (and yes, I smelled FANTASTIC by the time I was able to shower again).  Overall, and I enjoyed the whole experience and it’s novelty – can you say that you’ve voluntarily slept in a cargo crate AND paid for it?  I think not.  The lake was beautiful, along with the monastery (Sevan Monastery) we climbed up to which gave us a spectacular view.  We spent the night drinking cognac in a tiny room with the caretaker, who spoke no English.  We played music on my iPod and tiny portable speakers, dancing like the Western idiots we are.  I ended the night by jumping into the lake, which was quite frigid thank you very much.  And I’ll end it at that.

For the rest of the week we explored Yerevan along with a few other sites.  We luckily had the guidance of the wonderful Kush, a dude from India who moved to Armenia about 10 years ago and is now a doctor.  While I stayed in a hostel with my buddy Jimbo, a few of my friends couch surfed at Kush’s place.  He was a very generous and fun-loving host, showing us all the best spots for the nightlife in Yerevan.  We ended up seeing a lot of live music with this guy, eating excellent food (both home-cooked Indian and at local restaurants), and we learned quite a bit about Yerevan and Armenia from a dude who can now call himself a local.  Most interesting to me was the fact that 8 mafia families basically run the country.  In fact, I took a tour of a cognac factory, the Ararat factory, which is apparently owned by the mafia.

One of my favorite sites in Armenia was Khor Virap.  Khor Virap can basically be credited as the birthplace of Christianity in Armenia.  It is the monastery where Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint of Armenia, was imprisoned for 13 years before being freed and facilitating the conversion.  It also offers the best view of Mt. Ararat, the holiest mountain for Armenians – which currently resides in Turkey as a result of events during and after WWI.  The monastery is awesome, and you can even climb down into the pit where Gregory was held.  I highly recommend a visit there if you ever get the chance.

Armenia was a blast, and although I was exhausted from the fun, I was bound for another week of amusement in Tbilisi with chemi megobari (my friend) Brennan, my father, and my stepmother.  It was great to have them in Georgia, and even though it was a condensed visit, and we were in the city the majority of the time, I’m glad they at least got to have a taste of what I’m experiencing over here.  I often wonder how I will explain what I’ve seen and done over here.  It’s not as if I’ve been to war (although a supra is much like a war against your liver), but if you’ve never lived in or seen a developing country you really have no idea what it’s like.  Word’s cannot always accurately capture experiences.  At this point most of it has become normal and commonplace to me, but when I first got here I couldn’t help but think “What in God’s name have I gotten myself into?”  It’s hard not to develop a thicker skin and become more tolerant while you’re here, because if you don’t, you simply won’t survive.  You kind of just have to laugh at the things that make you uncomfortable.  I also have to remind myself – my host family and the majority of this country lives like this all the time, and I’m only here for half a year.  I was talking with a few Armenian girls in Yerevan about my experience here in Georgia.  They were city girls and had no idea what it was like to be in a village.  I explained we typically eat the same thing for 3 or 4 days at a time and I’m lucky to get 2 or 3 showers a week.  They thought it was disgusting that sometimes I can only shower once a week, and perhaps it is, but I’m used to it, and it’s a tiny aspect of my existence here.  I noticed that among other things, life in the villages seems to be quite comparable in both Armenia and Georgia – from what I’ve heard at least.

I remember when I first arrived in Georgia, I wasn’t sure whether I would rather have been put in a village with minimal comforts, or a city equipped with modern amenities.  Honestly, I am so grateful I was placed in a small village, because I don’t believe you can truly experience Georgia by living in a city here.  Tbilisi is a different world than the rest of Georgia, even smaller cities like Kutaisi and Zugdidi are not representative of what it is like in the rest of the country.  I’m sure one can say the same of most countries.  I remember when I worked at a summer camp in West Virginia with a few guys from the United Kingdom; they asked me one night “Is this what America is really like?”  We were in a small West Virginian town of about 1100 people, in which many of the locals lived up to the states stereotype – I looked at them, reminded them I was American, and asked them to think about the question they just asked me; they quickly realized that their inquiry had been a little ridiculous.  Its true that city life is always markedly different from rural existence, but I think it is more exaggerated in Georgia.

A few weeks back I met a fellow volunteer in a bar in Tbilisi.  I asked her were she was stationed, and she immediately replied, “Tbilisi, I really lucked out.”  I responded, in a skeptical tone, “I’m not so sure about that, I don’t really feel like this is the real Georgia.”  I didn’t mean for it to be insulting, but she took it that way at first, so I clarified myself.  I told her how I live in the village – losing power frequently, inconsistent running water at times, excessive alcohol intake at numerous supras, no internet, an unvaried diet, a spring bed from 19^th century, a family that speaks no English, had no heat in the winter etc.  This is not to convey that I think I’m better than her because I “suffered” more, but that I am very grateful for the perspective I have gained as a result of living in this environment.  Moreover, who’s to say that Western standards of living are better than those here?  My host family seems to be very happy with what they have and I really respect them for that.   Is this an instance where you can’t miss what you’ve never had?  Maybe, but regardless, they are happy and enjoying their lives, and I think that’s what matters the most.  I think she understood what I meant, but laughed and said she was still thankful that she got placed in Tbilisi.  For some people, the little comforts really do matter, and I say to that – to each their own.

Despite what I said above, my week in Tbilisi was particularly awesome for one reason – I stayed in a real hotel.  I had a real bed, a real toilet, a real sink and a real shower.  Not to mention, scrambled eggs for breakfast with orange juice.  That’s the life people.  Most of all, it was just nice to have my father and stepmother in Georgia – it was a nice break from my present reality.  We had a lot of fun together.  It was great introducing them to Georgian cuisine, which I think (and hope) they enjoyed despite the fact that it takes ones stomach a few days to adjust to it, and I think they found Georgia to be a very fascinating place.  We spent the majority of our time exploring Tbilisi, which was nice, because I honestly hadn’t seen that much of it yet.  We also took a day trip to Gori – Stalin’s birthplace.  Along the way, we visited a few epically beautiful monasteries, as well as a medieval cave town, Uplistsikhe.  Uplistsikhe was a history nerds dream, and even if you don’t enjoy the stories of our past it was visually captivating as well.  Four thousand people had once dwelled in that massive cave town, and it was a lot of fun running up and down the cave walls and viewing the ruins.

After Uplistsikhe, we visited the Stalin museum, which apparently, due to criticism, is to be renamed the Museum of Stalinism.  Evidently, the museum was accused of portraying Stalin in too positive a light, even in recent years.  Initially, the museum was established by one of Stalin’s henchmen in 1937, as a major piece of Stalinist propaganda/the cult of personality surrounding him.  The museum was literally built overtop the house that Stalin was born in.  I’m not sure how many people realize that Stalin was not born in Russia, but in Georgia, and in fact, Stalin is not even his real name (his real name is Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili).  When we arrived in the museum, we encountered a sign that explained that the museum was not there to glorify the memory of Stalin, but stood as a testament to the terrible atrocities that he and the Soviet Union committed.  It was hard not to read this with skepticism (and apparently the sign had only been placed there two weeks prior to my visit).  Stalin has a complex legacy in this country.  My own co-teacher credited him with basically single-handedly winning WWII for Russia (a conflict that Georgians fought in on behalf of the Soviet Union).  I’ve heard many people here call him a strong and brilliant man, and I wonder if that’s a result of the education they received whilst Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union.  Then again, after his death, Stalin was renounced by his successor, Khrushchev, during what is known as the de-Stalinization of the Soviet Union.  Thus, I would assume his legacy would have been tarnished in the schools as well.  Perhaps for Georgians, who constantly struggle to appear significant, having such a powerful historical figure come from their nation might be a point of pride.  Apparently, there were riots in Tbilisi in 1956 at the onset of de-Stalinization, so there were many people who loved him.  For those more educated on the atrocities he is responsible for, I think he is a shameful figure.  General education in Georgia is inconsistent, and while I do not mean to be insulting when I say this I feel it is important to acknowledge.  Nonetheless, it was very interesting to visit the museum, if for nothing else but it’s historical significance as a primary source of Stalinist propaganda.  I also stepped foot into the house in which Stalin was born in, which was quite surreal.

The day before Uplistsikhe my father gave a talk at the Free University in Tbilisi.  The name is a little misleading, the university is not free, and according to my co-teachers it is the best university in Georgia.  I have seen my father give presentations on his work before (he is an economist), but I must admit this was particularly interesting for me as he lectured in the foreign country I am currently living in.  It was a very interesting talk on job creation and destruction in relation to global developments in the job market, with specific focus on American developments but also in comparison to international statistics.  At the end of his talk, as at most academic lectures, there were a number of questions raised.  Not surprisingly, several questions were asked about the recession in the United States and how we (the people) let the government screw things up so bad.  My Dad kind of laughed, as if he was being held responsible for the economic crisis in our country, and did his best to describe what happened (economists will be debating over this crisis for decades, no one really understands what happened).  This is a question I have encountered over and over again while abroad.  “How could you let the government do that?”  It seems that a lot of people have the misconception that we have a much greater hold over the government in America than we really do.  In an earlier post, I claimed that many foreigners love America but dislike our government.  That may be true, but they also place a lot of the blame on us for our government’s decisions.  Honestly, it’s very logical.  We live in a federal constitutional republic, in which our elected officials are supposed to enact policies that reflect the people’s hopes and desires for the countries future (and in which our governments power over the people is intended to be limited).  Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work this way.  But perhaps we should take a lesson from this, and stop blaming the government entirely for all of our problems – I think I am often very guilty of this.  We have a role to play in our countries actions as well, and we must also take responsibility for Americas achievements and its failures.  Complaining brings light to an issue, but it doesn’t solve one.  American’s are often accused of discussing politics more than anyone else in the world (a fact that has been brought up by more than one of my Canadian friends in Georgia), and we can define “discussing” as an argument in which whoever is speaking loudest is obviously winning.  Perhaps we need to stop discussing and actually do (props to the people who were involved in the Occupy movement across America, take to the streets and be heard my friends).  Just a thought.

After two weeks of traveling, I finally returned to my village.  I had lived a somewhat pampered existence for two weeks (I got to shower everyday), so I was a little reluctant to go back to the village lifestyle.  But, all of that quickly dissipated when I walked through the gate at my host family’s house and the entire family ran out of the house to greet me.  My host sisters jumped on me and refused to let go.  The prodigal son returns.  Furthermore, within ten minutes I was dragged to a supra with my host father Aleko and I realized just how lucky I am to be in this part of the world as I drank homemade wine at a small outdoor table with a perfect view of the Caucasus mountains.