Knowing that today is the last day in Tbilisi, I look back again.

Today, I woke up at 7:30 AM. Today is my last day in Tbilisi. It really feels like two months have been a long time. Today is just two months, but in just two months, I have really experienced so much in my life that I will never forget. Looking back, I really had no confidence. At first, I was nervous walking around town and scared to pay the bill at the supermarket. But now I am completely established and can converse in English and Russian.

Hostel kitchen. I miss it.

I am really proud of myself for that, and most of all for the fact that I had to fly to Georgia and live there for two months by myself, doing everything on my own. I had to summarize airline tickets, deal with problems, work, meet people, make plans, get sick, and deal with it all. I’ve definitely grown so much in the past two months. It’s really amazing that I’ve made it this far independently. I am proud of myself. I am convinced once again that I can do it. There are various difficulties and worries. But I can do it. I actually tested myself, and this is how I am doing it. Don’t ever give up. I can do it.

I’m going to do the case until Greg wakes up.

Well, I woke up early today and was supposed to go outside with Greg to take some snaps, but he didn’t wake up until 8:00 a.m. I ended up sleeping only 4 hours today. Since I am busy meeting with various people during the day, I can only work on projects at night and early in the morning. I make good use of that time to work on projects. Then, in the morning, I work on the last case of the year. It’s very tricky and annoying, but it’s also a trial, and I just enjoy it. I mean, I am really and truly proud and very happy and happy to be able to do that at my desk at the hostel. So that’s how I was until 10:00 in the morning, making headers and creating the internals of the website.

So when greg finally got up and it was about 10:30, we decided to go outside together to get some snaps. It was good timing, so I finished my case and got ready to go outside too. So we went outside together! Today is the day I’m going to take a lot of snaps! That’s what I thought. I was hungry, because I basically eat only one or two meals a day, so I would eat something simple at night and then go to bed. So I suggested that we go to Mapshalia for the last time, and we decided to go there together later.

Photography begins! From Freedom Square

First, we started walking toward Freedom Square. If there was a good photo spot, I would ask to take a snap there. Really, we enjoy each other’s company; Greg told me that he likes being photographed more than taking pictures, and I like being photographed more than taking pictures right now. So I practice all kinds of posing while I’m there. He would give me advice on posing from time to time.

Then he took pictures of me from many perspectives, with his camera lens as a fish-eye or a magnifying lens, and we went to Old Tbilisi, where he took pictures of me with the scenery, and I sat on a bench near Freedom Square and took pictures. Then they took portraits of me. It was really a new experience for me, and I was very excited because I had never had the experience of walking around town so much, modeling, and being photographed with photographers in different places. I was also very excited to be able to spend time together like this, even though only two days had passed since we met. I wonder if our lives are predetermined after all. In the first month, I didn’t have any good encounters at all, and I was very discouraged. But in the second half, I met a lot of people, and I really feel like there is a very strong force working with me.

Photo shoot at the bridge in Tbilisi

At the central station in Tbilisi

Walking in the Old City of Tbilisi

Well, aside from that, we really took a lot of pictures and videos. So, we were getting hungry by now and decided to head to Mapshalia. It was a crazy long way to get there, because it was like going back the other way and then the other way again. It was so far that it took us about an hour in total to get there. But I was looking forward to it because I felt so happy to eat ojaluri and soup there.

One dog followed us. He follows us all the time. He is cute.

When we were on our way there, there were many photo spots, such as art on the underground path, a beautiful park, and crossing a bridge, so I asked him to take pictures of me there every time. I was hoping to get some good shots. At the same time, I thought I might make my debut as a model and create another Instagram account.
Suddenly, one stray dog started to chasing us. He was a stray dog, but he seemed to like us and kept walking in front of us and seemed to be showing us the way. We wondered how far he would follow us, and he followed us for about 20 minutes, so it was as if we had an off-leash pet. It was really interesting scenery, so I asked Greg to take a video from behind.

Photographed with Greg!

The dog is very cute too. So, when there is another dog at the end of the sidewalk, he gets scared and shies away, but still comes back when we pass the dog’s spot. How cute, I thought. So on the way there, he ran into another stray dog, who apparently was sniffing his butt, so we knew he is a female. So we walked down the sidewalk, thinking how irresistible she really was, as she was being followed by three or four males the whole way. That’s where the old Tbilisi Street where I used to live, the flat I used to live in. We were talking like that and before I knew it, she were gone.

Finally, we went to our last Georgia restaurant. Talking with Greg about many topics.

So I finally arrived in Mapshalia. On the way, I withdrew some money and got some bills. So I ordered the customary Mapshalia chicken halachos, ojalli, and water. Greg ordered the Imelian Hachapuri and a salad. What a surprise, he doesn’t eat meat. He’s not vegan or vegetarian, he just doesn’t like meat. He stopped eating meat when he was 5 years old because he got sick one night after eating a lot of oily parts of pork.

My favorite dish

That’s right. And I don’t know if the meat in Kazakhstan tastes good, because they also eat raw meat. So, he didn’t like it. But he doesn’t remember for sure. We also talked about his background, like how he would like to go to Baikonur, Kazakhstan. He had been living and working in Turkey for about four months, but he was also studying online.

So he felt that it was difficult to get a job in Turkey continuously and he strongly wanted to work in a European country. So he is now preparing to look for a job in a European country. So now he is living in Georgia. He can stay in Georgia for a year without a visa, so he is working in a hostel. But his main job is video editor. So he is always busy. I guess that’s why he is half freelance.

Working at the hostel is not his main job, but just a hobby. He seems to be having a lot of fun. I’m sure it’s interesting because he get to meet a lot of people. I would like to do something other than my current job (web designer or web creator) and call it a “hobby” and do something new. Of course, it should be ok just to earn some money to be able to buy some snacks. Yes, that might be modeling or street photography. I got a Sony Alpha 6400 as a birthday present, but I really don’t know how to use it. So I thought it would be nice to put it to good use and become a street photographer. Besides, he was putting together a list of things to do in Japan. I told him about the cheap things I do in Japan (sign up for Adobe Complete Plan, iPhone, haircut…) and he was very excited to come to Japan. I really hope to see him in Japan or some other country someday.

Then I showed him my Japanese passport and he showed me his Kazakhstan personal card. He showed me his Kazakhstan personal card, which had his birthday written on it, March 11, 2000! I thought to myself, “We are so close!”

He shared with me his experience when he was in Turkey

He also told me about his experience in Turkey as a traveler. He came to Turkey as an exchange student and made friends with many Americans, and he said that Turkey is so much cheaper than Georgia, and you can eat for only about $6 a day. He said that it was really cheap. So, he always try to think in dollars because the currency can be confusing. I thought to myself, “I want to go to Turkey next summer or somewhere and eat a lot of delicious food.” Until then, I hope the Turkish lira will be in free fall lol.

And about his native Kazakhstan

It was also a story about Kazakhstan’s local meat dish. Besides, apparently, the former Soviet Union countries, including Kazakhstan, are not famous for their mental health issues, and the teaching or idea is that if you are mentally ill, you should endure such things, so there is no custom of going to hospitals, reading books, meditating, and so on to care about mental health. He is not in the habit of going to the hospital, reading books, meditating, etc.

So, he had a mental illness once, and he went to a hospital and is better now. He also told me that he had a sister and an older brother, but the older brother had a heart-related disease and died after doctors mistook it for a coronavirus and put him on medication. I told him such a sad story. I heard that in Kazakhstan, it is difficult to sue even if a person dies due to a doctor’s mistake in treatment. I felt really sorry for him.

So he ate most of the Imelian Khachapuri and some vegetables. But he said he was full, so I got a piece of Imelian hachapuri. And I had a salad. The tomatoes were not bad. But I told him that Japanese tomatoes are very different from those in other countries, and that Japanese tomatoes really don’t taste good. Then we shared our dislikes. I disliked mushrooms, tomatoes, and eggplant. He dislikes meat. He said he really dislikes the smell and taste of meat. I thought he was really strange lol.

But I also thought it was understandable, because childhood traumas and experiences are seared into our brains. So we talked about many things in Mapshalia. I told him about religion in Japan, which is 90% non-religious in Japan. I told him that 90% of Japanese are not religious, but they like to visit shrines and pay their respects. The rest are monks, who devote their entire lives to ascetic practice, and they are very peaceful and have no desires. I told him that because they always visits the shrine, they are protected by the gods and never gets sick or has any accidents.

He knew that Japan is a country of longevity, so I told him about that as well. He said that Japan has less salt and other harmful substances that tend to accumulate in the body, and that there is a wide variety of food, with many dishes served in small portions, so the nutritional balance is very good, which is probably why we live so long.

Go to my favorite wine cellar! There I drink a glass of orange wine.

After leaving Mapshalia, we went to my favorite wine cellar. Walking there, I finally got to drink some orange wine. It tasted really eccentric and different. There I played the piano and Greg also played the piano. I was surprised to see that the price of a liter of wine was 4 or 18 lari, so cheap indeed. It is really like a wine paradise, and I think it is wonderful. If it is bad, it is cheaper than water. How amazing!

My favorite wine

Wine description and price. Too cheap.

In the cellar basement of the wine cellar

We enjoyed the wine cellar as we talked about this. After the wine tasting, we went upstairs and had another wine tasting there. I particularly liked the white wine, which was made from grapes but had a peach aroma and taste. There was also brandy, tea, and numbered wines.

Next time I come, I want to bring my suitcase.

Write a one word message

There is also a piano in the basement where we play some songs.

There were really all kinds of wines, and the clerk there gave me a very detailed explanation. It was really interesting.

It was getting close to our flight time, so we decided to go to the hostel and say bye-bye to Greg!

After enjoying the wine cellar, we decided to walk back to the hostel as it was almost 16:00. But on the way back, I remembered that I had left my ring on the piano bench, so I hurried back to the hostel. Fortunately, I found the ring, which was a relief. So we returned to the hostel. It was already almost 17:00. Greg had taken 700 photos yesterday and today alone. I told him that I had no choice but to create another Instagram account.

My business card will be attached as a commemorative gift.

After arriving at the hostel, I packed my luggage and took a short rest. Finally, I wrote a message on the hostel board in Japanese and left my business card. Then I hugged Greg and promised him that I would see him again. I made a strong promise that we would definitely see each other again in the future. Then we said bye-bye. I am used to Japanese style of saying bye-bye, so I felt awkward at the end. I put on my shoes, turned around, and when I looked back, he was already gone, so I said a final “bye-bye” in my heart and left the hostel.

I’m going to see David for the last time to say hello.

I took a cab to meet David’s mother, who gave me a robiani and a chocolate candy. I was full at the time, so I didn’t want to eat anything, but I ate the last of the robiani. It was very tasty. This was the last Georgian food. I was very happy that his mother praised me so much, saying I am a good person and a nice person.

For me, it is a very nostalgic place

I bowed several times and told her in Russian that if you had not spoken to me, I would not be here today, and that I was very grateful. Then the cab arrived, so we finished eating and all went outside. We put our luggage in the cab, gave David’s mother one last hug and kiss on the cheek, and said goodbye. Then we headed to the airport.

To Tbilisi International Airport, David came with me.

On the way to the airport, David and I talked about many things. “Did you meet anyone you didn’t like during your time in Tbilisi?” I told him about my time in Tbilisi, I met 4 people on Tinder and they were all nice people, and I became friends with three of them. I also told him about my recent trip to the Digital Museum. He said he was surprised at how expensive it really was.

He also told me that he had to pay back the $6,000 scholarship he received when he was studying in Italy, and that he had to pay back about 40,000 yen every month. I was surprised to hear that he had to pay back that much. I also shared with him that I had borrowed 2.4 million yen from my university and had to pay it back. While we were talking about this, we gradually approached the airport and finally arrived!

I was afraid of the weight when I checked in, so I asked him to keep the heavy stuff for me.

I had David carry my Macbook pro, mobile battery, and all the heavy stuff, and I checked in after I had lightened the load. That’s why I invited David to the airport lol. Of course, I gave him a cab stand for the return trip. I was hoping that when I checked in, I would be within 8 kilometers of the airport. But fortunately, they didn’t ask me anything, and didn’t even weigh me. What the heck lol. It was really loose.

So I completed the check-in and received my ticket. After that, I gave some Japanese yen to David. A 100 yen coin with Sakura on it, and a 5 yen coin that had a connection meaning with him. And just like that, we were on our way to where the baggage check was. But the escalator goes up to the baggage check, so David and I say bye-bye there. We give a long hug at the end, and David says take care and have the best of luck on your future travels. See you again in the future, either in Japan or Georgia or somewhere else! And that was that. I really love David’s humanity.

I gave him one last hug, walked up the escalator, and gave David one last wave goodbye.

Then, we went to the baggage check. The baggage check was quite strict, and some people had to take off their shoes. After the baggage check, I went through a very light passport control. I told them that my final destination was Liga, had them stamp my passport, and passed through. I had some time before my arrival time, so I spent about 30 minutes making a header in my client website. Then it was time to board, so I went, but had to wait about 30 minutes. I was tired of carrying my heavy 10 kg bag, so I put it on the floor and waited while listening to music. And finally! Boarding the plane!

In Latvia, I’m scheduled to arrive at 22:50. April will be picking me up at the airport. She and I met in tandem about this summer, and as we continued to communicate from there, we hit it off and I decided to go to Latvia to spend Christmas together.

If I had not met April, I would still be in Georgia. There I had another way to go. But I went to Latvia and lived another life. It’s a really strange feeling. April said she didn’t want to go to the airport because of her period, but if she didn’t come to the airport, how could I go to the flat? And they don’t sell SIM cards because it’s late at night.

So I managed to convince her to come even though she has menstrual cramps. Thank you. So I’m writing this diary in the sky. No one is next to me, so it’s great. The city of Turkey is by the window. I am flying to Latvia, because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prevented me from taking the shortest route, so what would normally take me 3 hours to get there took 5 hours, passing over the Black Sea, Romania, Hungary, and Poland. But this is when I really get excited. I felt like I was really traveling. My life is just a momentary blink of a firefly, so I decided to enjoy it. I am still flying with Baltic Air.