I've decided to just start posting random pictures that have nothing to do with one another. Here they go:

Snow in Dimi a few days before Christmas. It had been so long since I'd seen snow, I got pretty excited and a little snap-happy, naturally. Those are persimmons rotting on that tree, the last few still hanging on from fall. There are persimmon trees everywhere here in the fall. But in this picture you can't tell that they're rotting fruit and they look quite pretty in the white snow. It also snowed on Christmas morning, something I'd never experienced in my life. White Christmas' are freak accidents in Texas, so again I got kinda giddy when I woke up to snow falling on Christmas morning.


This is my 5th form class, my favorite class, the only class I do not occasionally want to strangle. They're just awesome, really smart, motivated, active... At least for the next 2 years or so until they become to cool for school like all the older kids. But, for now, they're the best thing about my school.
Front: Gvadi, Delmari, Aliko, Ana, Barbara, Salime, Mary.
Back:Nino, Giorgi, Vasiko, Ana
This was the day I taught them Santa Clause Is Coming To Town... And discovered that, like you Katie Ree, I have the kindergarten teacher gene. It was really cute and fun.



My host sisters-Ana, 11 and Nata, 13. They are also both my students and speak English pretty well, which makes things easy at home. They're standing in our petchi room, the only warm room in the house, where we spend all of our time. ALL OF OUR TIME. I find myself going to bed later and later just to stay in the warm room... These girls are really cool, smart, fun... They are always asking me to write down the words to American pop songs for them and against my better judgement, I oblige...



My host mom, Ia, teaching me how to make lobiani for Barbaroba, St. Barbara's Day. Georgians eat beans on Barbaroba, and lobiani is basically a bean pie. I didn't know this was a religious holiday, I was just under the impression that it was Georgian Bean Appreciation Day or something. All my host mom said was, "Paige, on Sunday, we will eat many beans! Everyone eats beans!"





Just a very pretty picture of a village, Dimi. I have an infinite collection of such scenery pictures of the various landscapes of Georgia. I also seem to find it neccessary to take about 5 of the same picture whenever I take such a shot. But I especially liked this one for some reason.





This was taken way back in September at Jeff's birthday supra in his village. That's Ryan, Ian, Jeff, Lyssa, Jen, and myself standing in Jeff's family's vineyard. We stood around talking and picking and eating grapes from the vines that day...that seems like a long time ago. It was a cool time though, as I recall...



Here I am looking slightly goofy and awkward "interviewing" the US Ambassador to Georgia at the breast cancer walk in Kutaisi. Considering my extensive journalism experience, I was asked to play reporter for the day. That's our country director, Kathleen, behind me. I tried to interview him as we were actually in the midst of the walk...very professional.