Best Concert Ever!

I was on my way out the door to meet Marta. We were going to pick up Rachel’s cake for her birthday gathering later that night. I had my bag packed and everything. Just at that moment, the host dad knocks on my door and asks if I wanted to eat. “No, I’m going to a party.” He says surely I could spare a moment to eat first. … Okay. (I texted my friend to say I would be late.)

After dinner I ran to the agreed upon meeting place. When I arrived to the square I saw Marta on the steps of the Theatre. We had talked about going to a concert of Georgian dancers a couple of days ago. I when up to meet her. She said the concert was sold out as we had to buy tickets earlier.  …Okay.

But this man was grabbing at us and asked if we were foreigners. Yep. He then takes us by the hand and leads us through the crowd. He personally ushers us personally to the second row! On the way, it seemed like half of my school was already seated. They started yelling my name and saying Hello. I waved back and smiled at them. I also was pointing to the kids in the back rows, and giving personal waves and smiles them. I feel like a true celebrity! So fun!

The concert was beautiful and amazing. Measuring my dancing level of Georgian dance compared to them, I am at Level 2.

The costumes were of course traditional, but they were spectacular. The dresses of the ladies for first dance made my jaw drop.

There was one dance where they simulated swordplay. They were twisting and spinning and making sparks fly from the contact of the metal all at the same time!

Best concert ever!

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“I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve.” – Jane Austin, Pride and Prejudice.

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Just Dance

Without further ado…

 

 

 

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It’s like I’ve waited my whole life for this one night
It’s gonna be me you and the dance floor
’cause we’ve only got one night
Double your pleasure
Double your fun and dance
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever girl forever
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever (ever, ever)
Forever on the dance floor

Forever, Chris Brown

In Which Sanchezi Shakes His Booty

I like to dance. And I have been told I do it well. However…

A normal weekday here looks like this: Wake up, Go to school, come home and eat. Then lay on the couch and read, go use the Internet or blog, then eat again. Next, watch television or work on lessons. Then either read more, go to English club. Then come home and read, then tutor Nika. (or if its Wednesday go drink with friends). Then eat again and go get on Internet and /or watch a movie. Go to bed. Wake up. Repeat

Weekends (usually): Get on a Marshut’ka to another city, start drinking with friends and eat (maybe). Then wake up and eat and start looking around for cool stuff in city (or start drinking with friends). At night, eat and drink with friends. Go to sleep. Wake up, Get on Marshut’ka to go home. Start weekday.

As you can see there is very little to no cardio stimulation in that schedule.

Some Polish friends told me they were always late to Happy Hour Wednesday’s because they were taking a Georgian dance class. Fun!  So I went yesterday to check it out. The ‘dance studio’ is in the museum building or what used to be the museum. I walked there and sure enough one of the previously chained doors was open. But it was still ominously dark and empty inside. It didn’t look like a dance studio or a museum for that matter. I walked across an unfinished concrete floor headed in the direction of a naked light bulb dangling from the ceiling. In that corner was a dark staircase. Up on the empty second floor, I stopped to listen for sounds…  nothing. So I continued up to the third floor and it too was empty except for a sliver of light emitting from a door on the far opposite corner. Now, this could have been one of three things I imagined. One- a drug kingpin’s lair. Two- A brothel or Three- a Dance studio. I tiptoed up to the door as I have seen done in countless suspense movies. I peered in without being detected and saw my friends. Fortunately, it was a dance studio.

There were two male dancers plus the instructor and excluding the four polish girls only one Georgian female student. She seemed really interested in speaking to/ looking at me like she had something important to say. So I spoke to her in English and limited Georgian and she did the same thing back.  (Come to find out, she is a student in my school! She walked slowly by me today with hopes I would recognize her.)

They practice three times a week for an hour. The cost is 20 Lari a month. The instructor speaks limited English and some of the other guys speak limited English as well. But we managed, as is the case always. And thus my dance lessons commenced.

They said I caught on easy, but it was HARD to do! It’s a very technical and intricate dance. Which means I work and exercise parts of my legs that I didn’t know existed. But that’s good, reminding you of my weekly schedule, I NEED some cardio in my life!

Hopefully video and photos to follow shortly. But in the mean time, it kind of reminds me of:

This Video