This Is How We Go Out

While my host brother is visiting with his wife and cousin, my host sister and I go out with them to different parts of the nearby city at night. They meet up with their friends, buy snacks, play the guitar and sing songs. For anyone who has received my texts during this time, this is what I call the “sing-a-longs.” The first night we went to the town cultural center (theater) and hung out on the steps for a couple of hours. My host niece sometimes comes with us. Of course, she just dances to the music until she falls asleep. Last night we went to a monument park dedicated to a soldier who had fallen in battle while looking for his son.  The park included an amphitheater, where our groups’ singers and guitar players performed. Most of the songs are in English like pieces from Green Day, Adele, Johnny Cash, and a special rendition of Elvis Presley’s "Heartbreak Hotel." One Georgian song, called “You Are My Queen,” from a famous Georgian film, The Toy Soldiers Are Laughing is quite popular among the group.  It’s interesting to see just how many people there are out at night. It’s mostly young people hanging out with their friends around town.