11, rue Payenne

It was a most eventful flight to Charles de Gaulle, followed by a just as eventful train ride to Châtelet, possible the ugliest and most inhospitable station in Europe. Actually it's a disgrace and I don't understand why somebody hasn't had it fixed yet. It's been like this for many years. The French never lacks money when it comes to grand gestures and big infrastructure spending. Come on, get on with it.

But Paris! Oh, Paris! I love it. You will never understand the feeling. The sense of complete and utter satisfaction and exhilaration I feel every time I arrive. Not at the airport, not at Châtelet, but when I leave the Métro station and place my foot on the pavement. Then it comes, the serendipitous feeling. Calm, assured, relieved, at ease, overjoyed.

Streets of Tbilisi

Back from Tbilisi. Long night of traveling. Planes, trains and automobiles. Here are a two photos, more will follow.

The lining

Driving fast in a taxi on the dark deserted roads of Tbilisi in the night. Pet Shop Boys on the stereo. I ask not for more. My last day of my visit to Georgia is coming to en end and it's been one hell of a week. How am I going to adjust to a regular life after this, when I'm no longer traveling the world as the government's good cultural shephard?

Well, it's up to me. I have to act, and continue to live my dream.

Oh, yet another power cut. The third so far this week. Good thing the hotel has an emergency generator.

I'm getting more and more sure about myself. I hope I won't get to full of myself as a consequence. Instead I hope it'll make me more at ease and, well, less in need to show off. Still not there.

Smoke

Took it easy today, too humid for any activities requiring use of muscles. But the screening was again sold out. And I wonder why the hotel lobby (where I am sitting this very minute) is so cigarette smoke infested? Been fine so far in Tbilisi, even though everybody smokes all the time, but here in the lobby it's too much and my eyes and nose revolt. Gotta go!

The Man Between

I think the best time here is the evening, at my hotel, when the temperature is more humane. The first night alone, sitting outside drinking a cup of tea and looking out over the city, talking to Emilia on the phone, and yesterday and today enjoying the hospitality of my new gentlemen friends, by the pool. (Although I'm afraid I disappointed them today because they wanted me to say all my favourite movie one liners and I fail utterly. Sorry chaps!)

But the days are just packed as well. Today I was at the Georgian National Film Center on a visit (I admire their work), followed by a stop at the embassy (well, technically it's not an embassy but let's not get in to that right now) and then a walking tour around the old town of Tbilisi. Tonight's screening was sold out again, and more so. People had to stand in the aisles because more tickets were sold than there were seats. Yeah, I'm still not sure how the managed to pull that one off.

While here I sometimes get the feeling that I'm in a Carol Reed film, it's the ambiance of the city which reminds me of the Vienna in The Third Man or the Berlin in The Man Between. Although it's hot here so maybe Our Man in Havana would be a more appropriate reference? 'We should all be clowns Milly.'

My life as an expat

Long, hot days in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. It's difficult to navigate around the keyboard, but otherwise I'm having one hell of a time. The city has all the decay and ambiance you could wish for, and my Georgian contacts are ever so lovely. I've also made some new friends, the pride of British judiciary. And with the embassy as my base camp I need not fear anything. Maybe just the sun, which has been unforgiving today.

I just read that Al Franken won the election as US senator from Minnesota. The election was last November so it was about time a winner was pronounced you might think. Franken is a comedian who, after writing Bush bashing books, decided to become a politician himself. As a Democrat naturally. I don't know how he will be as politician but as a comedian he can be very funny. My favourite Franken joke is from when he was a guest at David Letterman and talked about his new book tour. He said that he was doing it together with Bill O'Reilly (the right wing bully from Fox News). "I'm doing my book, and Bill his, Living With Herpes".

Now there's a thunderstorm over Tbilisi. I must go and watch.

Remembrances and trilogies

There never seems to be enough time, and I'm always thinking about all the things I want to do but never actually get around to. Like write an enchanting blog in English. But I just realized that since I actually already have one; albeit one I haven't written on for quite some time, why not continue the good work I once started.

So here I go again. Let's see for how long I manage to keep it up this time.

Tomorrow I'm going to the film festival in Gothenburg with my friend Lisa. It's a business trip but I'll try to see some films of my own choosing as well. The film festival is always one of the highlights of the year and I see no reason why this year should be different. It's also the first time me and Lisa go on a trip together and it'll be interesting to see if that pans out. The longest we've been alone together before is a couple of hours and now it's for four days.

I've just begun reading Unconditional Surrender, the last part of Sword of Honour, Evelyn Waugh's trilogy about the Second World War, or rather about Guy Crouchback's experiences during said war. The first two parts were amiable enough and I'm looking forward to finishing this one as well.

Snow White But Zero Dwarfs

It's been snowing for two days and everything is covered with a thick, soft, white layer of snow, and it's ever so pretty outside. It's a shame it'll soon turn grey or black, and just cause problems for pedestrians and drivers.

It's been a remarkably quiet weekend, and not only because the snow muffles the sounds outdoors. I haven't had any "musts", so I have been able to leisurely do whatever I have felt like. A as is so often the case, I felt like being with J. We spent the better part of Saturday watching the second season of Sex and the City, crawled up under a blanket, drinking tea, and keeping each other warm. What more could one possible ask for? Season three perhaps, which I hope we will get for next weekend.

I will probably be a bit short of cash this spring, because I will have a new job, and work less hours. I wonder what I will have to cut down on. Or maybe I should find some extra source of income, maybe try to get a few hours each month working as a substitute teacher. Oh, I don't know. Most of all I would just like to get away from it all for a month and get my strenght back, after the agonizingly stressful year of 2006. Apparently I will not be able to, but I will try to get a week at the very least. I think I need it, and what's more, I think I deserve it. I've been thinking about Spain, the southwest, around Cordoba and Seville. But since J. and I are planning a trip to Canada this summer, maybe I should save my money and just go visit a friend in a nearby city.

But first things first, now I will brush my teeth.