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FROM TOULOUSE TO RUSTAVI: MY FIRST STEP IN SAKARTVELO

Location: Rustavi, Georgia

Saghamo Mshvidabisa everyone. I am Oubayda Bounif, one of the new French volunteers in the Scout Centre team. 

Why did I decide to become a volunteer?

I think this is the first question/element I need to clarify before going any further. During my last year of college, I decided that I couldn’t just continue my life by getting on the job market. I need a unique experience that could give me something to believe in or something to remember and cherish. I was already thinking for a long time about doing an Erasmus year abroad with my university, involving myself in a local solidarity organization, but I never had the time or the courage to do so. So when a friend brought up the idea of doing a Civique service during a discussion, I decided that now was the moment. The next day I sent 13 applications and 3 months later I had a Zoom meeting with Aleks Metreveli. Overall, the purpose of this volunteering for me is to grow as a human being, bring joy and happiness around me, help others when I can, and get closer to the man I want to be. I know this sounds plain and empty so for the more cynical of us here’s the other dimension. A volunteering experience with the Service Civique agency is valuable on a resume. Working with the kids is a valuable experience for the future, since I want to become a teacher and life is cheap in Georgia …. But don’t think like that …. it’s ew.  That’s pretty much all for now. Let’s get into the Georgian stuff.


My journey in Georgia was a long and exhausting trip. I had to take an early morning bus from Toulouse to Marseille. I left at 7H and arrived at 16H. Then I had to wait for my plane that was going to take off at 22H. The wait was long, but the excitement was even bigger. After a 40-minute stopover in Vienna, I landed on Monday 14th at 3:55 in Tbilisi International Airport. My first moment in Georgia was kind of boring since it was night, nothing was really visible, plus the company I came with Austrian Airlines lost my biggest luggage with all my stuff. It went to Munich instead of Tbilisi. I was welcomed by Aleks Metreveli, the head of the Youth for Georgia Association, who is my hosting organization. The next day Lucie, the second French volunteer, arrived, and we met our roommate/coordinator/best friend Lia Eremadze. She showed us all the things we needed to know and to see, got us a sim card and everything.


My first week was a shock in all ways possible and imaginable. First, I’ve got to say that Georgia is an extremely beautiful country that reminds me of my (second) homeland, Algeria. Most of the people here are nice and enjoy talking with foreigners in English if they speak it, or in Georgian if you speak in it. The Georgian language is so unique, I am craving to learn it and speak in it. But I have to say I am kind of struggling to do so. I learned the alphabet in one week but since then I am falling behind in my learning deadlines. What about the culture, the food, the landscape…. There are so many things to say. 

The culture is cool. Once again, it reminds me of Algeria. The food is great. Here’s my official list: 

  • Nigvziani Badrijani 10/10
  • Kubdari 10/10
  • Lobiani 9/10
  • Khinkali 8/10
  • Adjari Khachapuri (8/10)
  • Khajapuri (potato) 6/10
  • Khajapuri (cheese) 5/10

And finally, as a French, I feel like I need to insist on that and give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, Georgian Bread IS INCREDIBLY GOOD. I am so happy to have landed in a friendly baguette country.


About the landscape. On my first week, I went for a little hike with Anias, to a big cross (there’s a lot of them, Georgians are quite religious) which overlooks the city. I went to Tbilisi 3 times. It’s such a beautiful city. Rustaveli and Vake are the best neighbourhoods I’ve been to. We went with the other volunteers on a day-long hike in Truso Valley in the Kazbegi region—an outstanding experience with an insane landscape. We even got near the border with Samatchamblo (there’s no such thing as Ossetia). 


As for social interaction, I am probably the happiest man in all of Georgia. We made an incredible friend the first day we arrived: Mariam and Natia. And from there my friend circle didn't stop growing. The first weeks we planned our first workshops and participated in our first too. Bracelet, Clay making, chess club, English conversation club, it was a remarkable October. It is such a growing experience to work with kids. They are so full of energy and happiness and joy, they just transfer it to you. So yeah. 

Yes, I know there are a lot of incredible things …. But I am feeling like that for real, so don’t judge me.

I’ll stop here for today's post. I’ll keep you guys updated…


საქართველოს დიდება 💓

Comments

  1. Anonymous11/30/2024 6:11 PM

    khachapuri is only with cheese, one with potato is gvezeli ღვეზელი

    ReplyDelete

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