"I didn't come here to play cards!"

The weekend was good.  On Friday night I stayed local with a fellow group 24er Nikhil and showed him around Rustavi a little. A very little seeing as it is freezing outside.  Saturday I went into Tbilisi to check out Duncan’s new apartment and got to officially meet his roommates.  I got to meet some new people from TLG —most of whom aren’t worth mentioning except for the only other SANE Canadian I have meet here named Kiyoshi from Vancouver! Nothing too interesting happened except for a game of Kings that resulted in a lap dance I am still trying to forget *UPDATE: a lap dance that I received*. Duncan decided to fall asleep at midnight thus leaving me to rot and die as I went out with the rest of the gang to a "club" named Art Galleria. “This place is the suckiest, suck that ever sucked.” Sunday consisted of a nice Tbilisi family breakfast and talking to loved ones via Skype.

("sideways E, little b with a visor, backwards N")

So I thought I would be smart and take advantage of my free health insurance and get an eye examine here in Georgia.  I figured why the heck not get a free eye exam and possibly free stylish glasses so I decided to call up my insurance provider and see what I had to do to get this big ol’ ball of free rolling.  She ends up making a doctor’s appointment for me the same day I called which I thought was a wonderful idea until it was time for me to leave and I wanted to do everything in my power to reschedule.  But instead I got dressed and figured I would be back in an hour tops.  I got the address to the Rustavi hospital and headed over via taxi.  So I get there and I realize I really should have stayed home.  That hospital was made of childhood nightmares but at least no one was smoking.  AT LEAST. After about 15 minutes of completely useless wondering I call the rep and say I am in the lobby.  She then informs me that the doctor will be right down to get me.  10 minutes pass and still nothing.  The rep calls me and asks where I am—since I have ZERO clue where I am—I pass the phone to a “hospital” personal and it turns out I am not only in the wrong hospital, but also the wrong part of the city.

With that, I leave the hospital, find a taxi, get in it and make the driver talk to the rep, who then tells me to take the number 15 marshutka and it will take me where I need to go.  So I start walking, and walking, and walking and realize I have ZERO clue where I am.  During the walk, all I could think about was A. why did I decide to wear a leather jacket and vest and not my winter jacket B. why didn’t I just stay home C. where the devil am i? and D. why am I so damn cheap?! So I finally figure out where I am, hop on a marsh and get myself to the medical building.  I call the rep and tell her I have arrived. *sigh* Another 15 minutes of waiting results with the phone ringing in the lobby, the building personal picking it up, looking at me, saying something in Georgian and then gesturing for me to talk to the person on the phone.  I legit felt like I was in one of those “go to this location, wait for the phone to ring in the phone booth and I will tell you the rest of the instructions then” movies.  It was the doctor I was supposed to meet—she was again NOT in the building I was in but at least I was getting closer.

So I march myself up a steep hill and finally find the Rustavi Clinic. *cue heavenly choir* I go in and I tell them I want an eye exam—they then keep asking me what is wrong with my eyes. I tell them I don’t know but one seems to be weaker than the other one.  I then get an “exam”, am told there is nothing wrong with my eyes but I should rest them if I am tired. Did you hear that everyone?! A doctor told me to sleep if I want!! Long story short, this whole DEB-acle resulted in me getting prescribed eye drops.  Totally worth the hypothermia and searching for the clinic of Narnia.