To International Friendship...

I don't know how much you guys in America have been hearing about the Russia-Georgia conflict that just re-erupted last week... Basically Georgia arrested 4 Russian soldiers and accused them of spying. Then Russia, in typically Russian fashion, decided to retaliate by cutting off all air, sea, road, rail, and postal contacts to Georgia. And to top it off, they have been going on a huge rampage against Georgians living in Russia. Georgian-owned businesses are being shut down and raided, visas from Georgia to Russia obviously have stopped, and current Georgians in Russia are having their visas shortened. They are even considering outlawing bank transfers of money to Georgia. In short, Georgia and Georgians have been cut off from the country it depends on (but dislikes) the most.

The whole conflict hadn't really hit home until tonight. An American friend (we tend to run in packs) was holding a little party in his room, so he invited a bunch of Americans and the other foreigners we know over for some beers and vodka. A Georgian guy (whose name nobody ever remembers because it's so long and Georgian) was with us too, and we started talking in whispers about the poor guy. It's not enough that the Russian government has completely cut him off from his family- he can't leave Russia and go home because they won't let him go home. But yesterday, the militsa (police) searched his room. Because he was Georgian. I saw the militsa in the building yesterday, and I definitely thought it was weird at the time, but I figured it was for marijuana or something silly. I feel so awful and embarassed that I was in Russia. I'm not Russian but I wanted to apologize to him for the way people have been acting towards him. He seemed really downtrodden and silent tonight. Even during the toasts (which are a big deal for Russians, and taken even more seriously by Georgians) he didn't give one.

We did have an ethnic Russian there, and sadly he gave a nationalistic toast to Russia and Putin. We finished the first bottle of vodka (okay, there were like 10 of us there and the bottles were small, so we only had 2 rounds. Luckily they give the ladies "chut-chut" shots. Also, this vodka was high quality.) and then he got up and left. Everybody felt bad because he was so quiet and didn't toast. Then he showed up 15 minutes later with another bottle. This is the joke: he brought a bottle of "Putinka" vodka. As in, Little Putin's Vodka. We toasted to international friendship and drank Putinka.

(I guess it doesn't really translate very well, but it was a huge joke at the time)