All Apologies

Sorry, fallen behind. Not too terribly much has happened, really. My editorial work has dried up because it appears that G&T's lawyer as other things to do than get me a contract to sign. No contract, no pay, and likely no more work. Furthermore, the academic source i had hasn't shown up to recieve the paper and pay me, which is something of a drag. Good news is, i finally got paid for my first full month at CAC. 1480 GEL, or rougly 1,000 dollars. Now I just need to set aside approx. half of that for my flight back home and i can start saving up to slay my outstanding debts and also my mediocre ones.

My health is good - i've started running with Kate, one of the Fulbrighters. This is good and bad - if i were a smoking man i could complain that i need to quit smoking when i'm doubled over trying to expel my left lung so's i don't have to carry as much weight when i run. I've got no stamina whatsoever, folks, and we run uphill. Kinda pathetic. Still, i'm getting better.

In three weeks i'll have residency in Georgia, finally, which is good because i'm pretty sure my 3 month "we love you america, thanks for coming" residency will probably run out in a day or so. It says something when corruption is so bad you have to pay your fees directly to the bank because the workers can't be trusted to not skim off the top. It was a beaureucratic nightmare but, well, we made it out in one piece. We went to the Ministry of Justice, which sounds downright intimidating, the bank of georgia (right next to G&T's offices, which was weird), back to the ministry, went to one counter, went to a different counter, went back to the first, and then just when i was about to bite down on my cyanide filled fake tooth we managed to get out without being volunteered for vile experiments.

Work is going fine. Its not the most fun thing in the world but, hell, i get by. Also apparently I'll be getting more hours my last two months which is good and bad. Good in that that means more money and i only have to work 5 days a week instead of 6 and bad because well that means i have to work five days a week. Still, more money. Right when I'll need it, too.

OH! Almost forgot, I've got a russian lesson in about 2 hours. I've decided to take up this craaazy language after waffling for so long over whether to take georgian or not. It'll be interesting at least. I've still got about 4 months here, so that'll be worthwhile.

Outside of that, applying for jobs. I've managed to cut down my expenses pretty wildly since my most expensive habits are either not available or can be downloaded without mr. RIAA really giving much of a hoot. I have, however, discovered that you can get a suit tailored for ludicrously cheap out here. Like, a good suit, and well tailored, out of good material. For 300 lari which, for those of us playing the home game, is a little over 200 bucks. If i'm going to pretend to be a grown up, i may as well look the part. I'm open to suggestions, as far as color and such. I was thinking a black and electric pink pinstripe suit with a huge hat and a feather coming out of it? Maybe with a matching cane? Or something out of velvet. Who knows.

Anyways, gotta get back to applying for jobs. Good to hear from people. Oh, and there's been some new pics on my Flickr for a couple days, link on the right over there. Sorry, haven't been as good about that since China as I don't have 20 free hours in the day anymore.

Keep Seeding!