Tbilisi is Awesome

I signed up to take the LSAT exam in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, in June. I live in a region of Azerbaijan that is relatively close to Georgia; not including the time spent at border control, it takes about 3 hours to get there by car.

I heard from other PCV's here in Azerbaijan that Tbilisi was the land of milk and honey, were the roads were paved with pork and xacapuri (a cheesy bread dish common on Georgia) and the rivers were flowing with beer and Georgian wine. I took the marshrutka from Zaqatala to Tbilisi and I pretty much instantly fell in love with the city. It's gorgeous. The place is nestled in between hills and is divided by the Kür river (which also flows through Azerbaijan and ends up in the Caspian Sea).

(btdubs this picture was taken from the ferris wheel at the top of the mountain overlooking the city)

I only spent a few days in Tbilisi, most of which were divided between meeting/hanging out with new people, studying for the LSATs, and then finding the test location to take the friggin test. (In retrospect, I should not have combined my first trip to Tbilisi with taking such an important exam (Distraction FAIL!))

One of the first things I noticed as I was walking around the city was that there was a giant ferris wheel at the top of the hill in the city. I thought it would be similar to the one we have in our Heydar Park in Zaqatala... I thought wrong. It turned out to be just one ride of many in an amusement park that was built on top of the mountain. The ferris wheel had enclosed cabins WITH AIR CONDITIONING from which you could see the entire city below, it was such a wonderful view. I love amusement parks in America (I've always wanted to be a roller coaster tester...those people whose job it is to ride the coasters and then judge their awesomeness). But it wasn't until I was in the Mtatsminda Park that I realized how much I missed amusement parks. Summers in the US for me are filled with trips to Six Flags or to the beach or to a water park...all of which I didn't really know was missing until I went to this park in Tbilisi. I was so in awe of the rides that I didn't even get on any of them, I just walked around the park in shock that it existed. I did get a chance to take a few awesome pictures like this one though:


I only spent 3 days in Tbilisi and I can't wait until I go back. The food is delicious and cheap, the people are friendly, and the culture is really interesting. I had never heard of the city before I came to Azerbaijan and learned more about this part of the world, but I am so glad I did. If anyone reading this blog post is thinking about making a trip to Tbilisi, let me make that decision for you: GO! (And if you do go, make sure to try the lobiani!)

Son Zəng

The last day of the school year here in Azerbaijan, May 31st, is called "Son Zəng" or last bell. For everyone not graduating, it is just a day to celebrate the year ending. For those in 11th grade, (schools here go from first to eleventh grades) it is a commencement/graduation ceremony filled with joy and sadness.

It is a time of happiness for the obvious reasons... who doesn't love getting a diploma? Here in Azerbaijan students stay in the same class with the same people for pretty much their entire school careers. This means that Fulano and Fulana from your first grade class are also in your 2nd, 3rd, 4th... and 11th grade classes. Unless you move schools or have some other issue, you're stuck with the same classmates for 11 years. Since the classes are around 15 kids each, this means that students here tend to get really close with their classmates. It wasn't until recently that I began to understand that the sinif yoldaşı relationship is a deep one and not just a superficial "we were in the same algebra class in 5th grade" type deal. So graduating in the 11th grade, especially if you will be leaving your town to go to university, is a big time of change for the students who have formed such close friendships and bonds.

Last year I did not attend any Son Zəng ceremonies because I was traveling in another part of Azerbaijan on May 31st. This year however I made sure to stay in Zaqatala, especially since I knew so many 11th graders who would be graduating. I attended the Russian School's Son Zəng with my friend Könül, and we had a blast. We got there a bit late but I don't think we missed too much since we were still there for another two hours. The ceremony was held in the backyard of the school, and each graduating class took turns going on the stage and singing songs they dedicated to their teachers and classmates. Then some teachers made some speeches, some students made speeches, some kids got diplomas, everyone started dancing, and finally a little girl in the first grade went around (on the shoulders of an 11th grader) ringing a bell. There were tons of flowers and giant stuffed animals, as well as confetti. I congratulated all the students I knew and took pictures with them so I would remember the day.

Below are two examples of my favorite part of the ceremony: the classes coordinated their outfits so they would all match! Check out these lovely ladies dresses and this boy band next to them: