Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Flats are not good for walking


Today was a lesson in footwear. I was going to the beach, where I REALLY didn't want to deal wet socks... so instead of wearing a layer between my flats and my feet (as I usually do and it really works well for me) I went without. BAD IDEA! First of all, why why WHY did I decide I didn't need to pack my flip-flops, and HOW do people go ANYWHERE in non-sandals footwear without socks!?
Before I continue with this story, I should explain that my flats and I were already on the outs. See, last night, I went out with Qristina, her boyfriend, and his cousin. I thought we were going somewhere indoors, you know a bar or something, so I took off my sneakers and put on my nicer looking flats. But no, we hung out for about two hours in the park, a very fun two hours, but all that time, mosquitoes were out IN FORCE. Well, of course I didn't notice until this morning, and my feet looked like they had chicken pox. Luckily, my Katz genes were also working and it didn't/doesn't itch. I just have these little dots covering my feet where they were exposed. I should not have forgiven my flats so soon!
I was going to go to the beach with Donna, but she ended up being unable to go. Since I was already on my way and the day was HOT, I decided to continue with my plans and spend the afternoon in the sea and sunbathing and reading. On the way, my feet started hurting, but I ignored it. My plan was to walk to the beach the same way I got there last time; from Donna's house. BAD IDEA. She lives WAY down the street, to the point where I had to sit down on the bench outside her house before I could keep walking, my feet hurt so much. But I had made it this far, I was not giving up now. I got to the sea and remembered that going all the way to Donna's was a BIG mistake. Because the coast closest to her house is all rocky, making for GREAT picture taking, but not comfortable lounging, as I was longing to do. So I had to walk down the coast in the direction I had come until I reached the beach, with sand. There I quickly stripped down to my bathing suit, and walked as fast as my feet could take it into the water.
OH, it was amazing. A small part of me was able to appreciate the sand as I went down to the water. It is black and so soft. Not good for sandcastles, but so, I guess luxurious feeling. Of course, most of my thoughts were geared toward getting off my feet, but the slope was so shallow it took forever to get out to my waist. There I had enough and just sat down to get off my feet and out of the heat. OH it felt good. After I had soaked enough, I went back to grab my nook, but it wasn't in my bag. I had stopped along the way in a store and was panicked that I had somehow taken it out of my backpack and left it there when I took out my wallet. I got back in to enjoy the water, but that little part of my brain that wont let me leave things alone was whispering that I had lost my nook. My nook that has been a HUGE part of why I have not gone insane from my slow learning of the Georgian language. My nook that is my friend when the internet is down, or just when I want to spend some time outside. I already had the plan that if my nook was lost, I would call home and BEG for a new one that I would pay for, I would pay for, as well as the shipping, I just REALLY NEED MY NOOK. (as my parents can already guess by the fact that they have not received a phone call, I found my nook, I left it at home) Anyway, my growing anxiety caused me to cut my swimming and relaxation short and I started heading back.
As I put my shoes back on, I realized that the water had only been a temporary solution. The pain was back, and getting worse. I already noticed a huge blister on my right heel, and by the feel of things, my left foot was not much better off. But I needed to get back, so off I went. To pass the time, and because I was curious, I called some of my TLG friends. A BIG thank you to Cindy, Danny, and especially Dan for keeping me distracted as I walked home. And thank you to Dan for listening as I realized that not only do my feet hurt, I have no idea where I am. I thought I was taking a short cut (HA!). I knew by now how to get home from the school that I might be teaching at, and since I still don't know the name of my street (yes, something very important to know) I asked people on the street for school one:“skola erti”. Well, it turns out they say first school, not school one, so the first people I talked to had no idea what I was talking about. Finally a father and daughter came bicycling by and I thought I would ask. The father spoke some English, the daughter none, but I think she might soon be one of Donna's students, since she goes to the school Donna works at. Anyway, he directed me to the school, which I found again pretty easily. That was when I remembered that I still had to walk home from there. A five minute walk on a normal day seemed like cruel and unusual torture today. About twenty minutes later, I hobbled up the stairs, told my host grandmother I was home, went into my room and collapsed on the bed.
NEVER again will I not bother with socks. They would have been annoying for the whole time it took to dry and brush the sand off my feet and then I would have been fine. Then I would have been able to check out the lake I guess I was walking toward when I was lost. But no, I thought it would be easier to go without socks. If things go the way I think they will (and at this point, there is just as good a chance they wont” I will be teaching the day after tomorrow and spending the whole day on my feet. This is going to be fun...

PS, I meant to make this post about Megruli, the regional language spoken here in Samagrelo, the region that Poti is in. Qristina and her friends have been trying to teach me Megruli and I have been resisting, because it is too hard trying to learn Georgian, without adding another language to the mix. But it turns out that most people around here can all speak Georgian and Megruli, a lot speak Russian, and many speak English. I am very intimidated, but I have decided to try to remember “hello”, and “how are you” in Megruli. After all, it is a special language here. I know a little something about special languages...

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