Just when I started to reconcile myself to the fact that I didn't choose the most beautiful city in the world to settle down in for a year, I find myself surprised and delighted by it this evening. I arrived home from school later than usual this evening, due to a rather unfruitful trip to the civil registrars office. (Nothing wrong on my end, thankfully, but it does mean a second visit at a later date). Leftovers never tasted so good. Eka really is an amazing cook...if I continue to eat like this I'm going to need to book an extra seat for the flight back. Today, at school, one of the teachers asked if I like Georgian food. I raved about how good it is and told her how sorry I feel for poor Aka, Nino's oldest brother. I can't imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes, growing up on this and now having to live on a US college's cafeteria food. He must be dying.
But I digress...after dinner Tamaz was making a run downtown and offered to take Nino and I along. We went to what I can only deem the sketchiest and dirtiest part of town I have yet seen. We were there once before and I had never been so happy to leave a place. Now returning, I was less than pleased. Thankfully our trip was short-lived and on our way home we took in a breathtaking view of Tbilisi by night. I suppose it's because the night cloaks the generally unassuming monotone blandness of the city and the array of white lights outline and illuminate its most beautiful features, that are swallowed up in the daylight; but Tbilisi is nothing short of a sparkling gem at night. Seeing our delight in the views by the river, Tamaz took us on an impromptu detour through Old Tbilisi. Of course, my camera was in my other bag but I'm not sure if I could have captured it. I tried to find an image online to post here but none really did justice to what I saw. The tree lined cobblestone streets of Old Tbilisi were glowing in the lamplight and the traditional balconies with their iron scrollwork looked like something from a fairy tale. We stopped by grandma JuJu's house, which is located on one of the oldest streets in Tbilisi. The houses there are clumped into blocks called Italian Gardens, because there is a central shared courtyard with trees and plants growing up through all the balconies. Nino and I walked down a dark alley that opened up into JuJu's courtyard and I felt as though I had stepped back in time. I doubt that I would have been so in love with it all had I seen it first in the day, but suddenly I found myself treading more carefully as if to keep myself from disturbing it's peaceful beauty.
This city is a fascinating blend of old and new, east and west, filth and beauty; but tonight, it was simply wondrous.
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