Colors of a typical day
A typical day begins with bright sunshine on the bright turquoise of a single wall on a building or a yellow bird in a courtyard cage that I pass while enjoying a walk around the neighborhood in the cool morning air. Maybe it's because it's summertime, but Tbilisi has bright colors wherever you look, day or night, from flowers on a cafe table, to laundry drying on a line, or the massive TV tower overlooking the city. For such a dry climate with little rain, there are a surprising number of leafy trees and lush, tropical plants.
After a morning walk or hike up the steep hill, and fresh eggs, fruit and nuts for breakfast, there are poems to read and critique for the morning workshop. Then two or more hours of discussion in the workshop, a stop at a hole-in-the-wall bakery and a sidewalk fruit and vegetable stand for something for lunch and a midday break as the day starts to heat up. In the afternoon, a guided tour of historic buildings or a museum, writing exercises outdoors in a park or square, or a lecture on some aspect of the city and culture. Another break for dinner and some social time with other seminar participants, followed by the evening program of readings by the faculty or local authors and an excursion to a cafe or other place to enjoy the local wine and watch the nightlife.
The city fully wakes up at night when temperatures cool off, with whole families, including toddlers and babies, out walking, driving, filling the streets and parks with the sounds of music and talk. The garbage trucks collect the trash from big communal bins, construction work picks up, cafes and restaurants are packed. I haven't yet figured out when children sleep, but I think the afternoon is siesta time for many people, and there are fewer cars on the streets.
