Village Life

My host father in Kheltubani (training village) standing beside his "antique" automobile. This car is the joke of the house (and village) as it always needs repairs and sounds like a rusty dumpster rolling down a hill. After taking this photo I explained that my friend Sean was curious about Russian cars, then I spent the next 10 minutes explaining that there was no way he wanted to buy this one.

The car consumed much of daily life at my house. Each morning I awoke to metal clanging as Tamazi attempted to fix this and that. Neighbors arrived with cardboard boxes full of loose nuts and spare parts in an attempt to fix it. It took a village, but now it sometimes runs, belches out thick smoke that fills the house and transports the family to their garden to harvest tomatoes and cucumbers. I'm not sure it's doing well now. When I dropped by a few weeks ago they were constructing a donkey cart.


Nicholas tying scraps of fabric to a wishing tree. As volunteers we selflessly just retied the wishes that had fallen off. There is no limit to our giving.


My host mother Lela cooking eggplant sauce for winter canning. She's laughing at the absurdity of taking a photo of someone cooking.


This is my host mother Lela and my host sister's daughter Mariami.