For any geographically inclined individual, such as myself, locating any type of Euro-Asian (comprised of those two continents whose countries and cultures form a continual blur somewhere in the middle) capitol, or country for that matter, would be a formidable
For any geographically inclined individual, such as myself, locating any type of Euro-Asian (comprised of those two continents whose countries and cultures form a continual blur somewhere in the middle) capitol, or country for that matter, would be a formidable and seemingly insurmountable task, involving a lot of head scratching and an eventual fervent, livid and possibly perilous tossing of a magnifying glass — not a pretty picture.
To avoid any serious harm to any entity in the line of fire (of the magnifying glass) we have two options: a) invest in the costly and time-consuming alternative known as “anger management;” or b) enlist an atlas, map, or better yet, a native of the particular country in question to enrich our limited knowledge of our vast global community.
For any interested Kaua‘i High School student on a quest to indulge themselves in “everything Georgia (Republic of),” option b) is now available, thanks to Elene “Leka” Pasurashvili.
“Leka,” as she is known, hails from the independent country located south of Russia, and is spending 10 months of her junior year at Kaua‘i High School with her host, senior Windsor Flynn.
Being the nosy and inquisitive person that I am, I decided to seize the opportunity to learn more about Georgia Republic (besides its name and location) and its people. Recently, I got a chance to sit down and chat with the 16 year old about her life back home, and her life in Hawai‘i.
Taren Fujimoto: What is your country like? Leka Pasurashvili: My country, and my hometown especially, is known to some as the “city of contrast,” because there are some parts of it that are so beautiful and lush, but yet there are remnants of destroyed buildings, a result of 10 or 12 years of war.
We are progressing, and it has come a long way.
TF: After doing some research on your country, I’ve noticed that a great deal of middle-aged people in your country are farmers.
Are your parents farmers? LP: Oh no (laughs). Farmers live in villages, and I live in the city, so my parents are not farmers.
My mother is a journalist.
She works at a radio station, and my father is an English translator.
TF: Could you describe to me in general what your family and friends are like? LP: Well, I have a loving family made up of my father George, my mother Irine, my 14-year-old brother Nick, and my grandmother Nazee. As for describing my friends back home, that seems kind of hard, but I can tell you what the differences are between my friends back home and my friends here. The girls in Georgia are very conservative compared to American girls.
They are also very shy, unlike the girls here.
TF: What types of activities or jobs were you involved with in Georgia? LP: Most teen-agers do not work. They rely on their parents financially, so there is no need to work until they are older. As far as activities go, we do what normal teen-agers in America do: go to the movies, hang out and have fun. In Georgia, there are designated parks or yards within each neighborhood where teen-agers usually hang out with their schoolmates. On certain occasions, we even go out of town and spend time at our country houses, where we light a fire and mingle.
TF: What type of hobbies or activities are you in to as of this moment? LP: I love to write and paint, but unfortunately it’s been a while since I’ve picked up a paintbrush because I do not have an art class at school. I also am into music because it is very common in my country to be educated in music. Every kid goes to music school, and we each have a seven-year music course in a different area of music, whether instrumental, vocal, and so on. I spend a lot of time playing the piano, and it has a great influence on me.
TF: Do you play any other instrument besides the piano? LP: (Laughs) No, but I really wish I could.
TF: How is school in Georgia different from school in Hawai‘i? LP: They are totally different.
In Georgia, we do not have selective subjects, where we can choose our own courses. Our government and school dictates what types of subjects students will take throughout all of their years in school. We also have the same class from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., but sometimes we’ll change rooms, like to a biology room, but kids do not switch classes.
The same kids are in the same classes together.
TF: How heavily are you involved in politics and/or aware of the political issues of your country? LP: I am very aware and involved in political issues in my country, as is everyone else. I have met a lot of Americans who are not interested at all in politics, but it is different for me.
Everyone in Georgia has to know about politics, because lots of wars occur, like the one that happened 12 years ago. We are still developing, and we just now started to communicate with other countries. A good example of this is my exchange program.
This student exchange program allows kids from the former Soviet Union countries to experience 10 months as an American, to build relationships with American kids.
TF: What do you think about your host sister? LP: She’s just like my sister already.
In the short time that I have been here (since Aug. 11), we have grown really close, and I consider her my sister.
TF: So far, have you been keeping in close contact with your family and friends? LP: I try to as much as possible, but my program does not recommend any exchange student to stay in close contact with their family, because I have to adjust to things here, be independent, solve any problems, and make my own decisions instead of relying on them. I do talk to them about once every five days, or once a week. I don’t bore them with every single detail about my life here, but I do tell them how excited I am and how much I love it here.
TF: Were they reluctant or worried to let you travel to Hawai‘i and live here for 10 months, or were they eager to let you go? LP: I asked them to not make a big deal out of it, because otherwise I would get very nervous myself. They tried their best to act indifferent to the whole ordeal, but I found out from my neighbor that my mother was really nervous for me, and she started crying, but she wouldn’t let me know.
TF: How did you feel before coming to Hawai‘i? Were you a bag of nerves, or were you totally excited? LP: I don’t even remember if I was excited or nervous, because I was just anxious to get here, and all of my emotions were mixed up.
TF: While on your looooong plane ride over here, what did you do to occupy yourself? LP: I slept a lot, read, looked out the window a million times, and tried not to be bored. I wanted to watch movies, but I didn’t know how to work the controls (laughs). When I slept, I dreamt of what Kaua‘i would be like, and I had good dreams.
TF: Before you reached Lihu‘e Airport, did you stop over some place on the Mainland, for more than a day? LP: I had to travel 24 hours on the airplane, and I stopped over at Washington, D.C. for a little while. Then I landed in Virginia, where I stayed at a hotel overnight, so I wasn’t able to go sightseeing. I told my friends that I visited Washington, D.C., but I really didn’t.
TF: When you first stepped off the plane after landing at Lihu‘e Airport, was there anything in particular that came as a surprise, or was unexpected? LP: The first thing that I noticed was a heavy smell of grass and plants. It was a little difficult to breathe because of the humidity, which I was not used to. I even had a fever trying to adjust to the different climate. Most of all, I was really shocked when I saw white, stork-looking birds (egrets) walking around in the grassy areas. I only saw them in zoos and on television, so when I saw them, I had to ask what they were. Even though the birds (egrets) kind of scared me, I love Kaua‘i and its exotic nature.
TF: Are there any Hawaiian customs or traditions that you particularly like or do not like? LP: Since I have not been here for a very long time, I do not know a lot of Hawaiian customs or traditions, but I am sure that when I do learn them I will love them. Everything here is so colorful and everyone is so friendly, which is something that I love.
However, I do not like it when people say things seriously as a joke, and I believe them. Like the other day, I wanted to throw away my plastic bottle at a store, and I asked them if I could throw my bottle away, and they told me I could, as long as I paid 25 cents. So I took out my money, thinking that it was the law here, but the person behind the counter was laughing because they had said that as a joke. My friends (on Kaua‘i) always try to trick me too, and I always believe it. I think people try to trick me because I look foreign.
TF: Are you going to learn how to surf within the time that you are here? LP: I am going to try, but I need to learn how to swim yet.
Well, if I do learn how to swim and have the courage to stand up on the board, then I will try my hardest to learn how! I do go to the beach really often, and when I go, I just wade in the water and stay on the shore.
TF: How else are you planning to spend your time here in Hawai‘i? LP: Well, I want to volunteer at the A-plus after school program.
I like kids, and I like volunteering.
I also am interested in joining the Key Club, KPAC (Kauai Performing Arts Center), and even cross country. Since I can’t really get a worker’s permit here, I’ll try other activities instead.
It is a good way for me to get involved and meet new people and learn more about them while doing the things that I like to do.
TF: Where do you see yourself and what do you see yourself doing, five years from now? LP: I am not exactly sure where my life will lead me, but I know that I would love to be a director and attend a theatrical university. I am intrigued by Georgian culture, especially the theatrical aspect of it, so that is something I definitely want to be the focal point of my career.
TF: Is there anything that you would like to tell the people of Kaua‘i? LP: Yes! Georgia is not only a state, it is a country. I just want people to know more about my country.
