Getting Sick in Georgia (And Playing Scrabble with Non-Native Speakers)

Well, I got a bit sick in the last couple days (it's bound to happen eventually when you enter a new country), and I can say from the experience that Georgians worry far too much.  The first thing Georgians will say if you tell them you're sick is "rat'om?" ("Why?"), which, unlike in English, means "What hurts?" or "What's wrong?"  Upon any explanations (regardless of how minor your illness may be), your host family will likely get medicine and want to take you immediately to the doctor--and may not understand why you may not be so worried as to do this.  Then they will probably want to bring you certain foods or juices (not that I doubt that some of these do legitimately help), and probably also what the Georgians seem to think is a cure-all--Borjomi, a natural mineral water (which they subsequently carbonate) bottled in Georgia.  They will bring this to you while putting your feet in hot water and (if one of your symptoms is a headache) possibly tying a bandana around your head (I'm not fully sure on the why of this one--it made my head hurt more).  It's a very odd (and sometimes more than a bit trying) method compared to the drink-your-fluids-and-go-get-some-sleep method I'm used to.  Calling TLG to them them you are sick and can't go to school results in the same:  "I will call the insurance company to get your doctor's information.  When should I tell him you're coming?"  Their philosophy is "Why wait when you can see the doctor and get medicine now?"; my philosophy is generally not to take medicine, and certainly not to bother going to the hospital, unless I really need it.  A slight clash in thinking, methinks.

Well, there's not a ton to report otherwise.  I introduced Scrabble to my host sister, who seemed to really enjoy it, though it was difficult for her.  She might know certain words she has available easily, but forming them on-the-spot with random letters was more difficult.  This being the case, when she found a spot to go on her own, without any of my help, she would often jump out of her chair, arms raised triumphantly.  It was also pretty hilarious when (especially in the beginning of the game) she tried to add her letters before and after each word on the board in the hopes that from my word "pig," "tpig" or "pigq" might mean something in English.  I think in the end I won something like 330 to 120, but it didn't pahse her much.  I'm sure we will be continuing to play it relatively often.

The only other thing is that I probably will be going to Tbilisi this weekend to go to the bank and the store and so forth; and, with any luck, to Sunday Liturgy at Sameba (where the patriarch serves and a glorious cathedral in and of itself).  Until then,

In Christ,

Teopile/Theophilos Porter