Visiting Georgia (the country) for the first time has been the highlight of my week. From the moment I arrived, it felt strikingly different from Cyprus, from its rugged landscape to its tempting new foods to its unfamiliar language to its unique society influenced by numerous other cultures, including German, Persian, French, Turkish, and Russian. Now that Cyprus has begun to feel familiar and my routines there more predictable, it’s been refreshing and exhilarating experiencing a new place this week. I know I’ll return to Cyprus with new perspectives and new appreciation for both cultures!
Since arriving in Georgia, I have found it difficult not to speak to people in Greek when saying simple things like, “hello" (γεια σας), “Good morning!” (Καλημέρα), “How are you?” (Τι κάνεις;), “yes” (ναι), “no” (όχι), “please” (παρακαλώ), and “thank you” (ευχαριστώ). It’s amazing how quickly the mind adjusts to a new “normal”! Let's see how quickly my mind can adjust to yet another new normal. Check out the photo at the right to see what new Georgian words I'll be striving to learn this week!
