Hillary comes to Tbilisi

As mentioned, our July 4th party was originally scheduled for July 5th, but then moved back to July 4th. The reason for this? Hillary Clinton's visit to Tbilisi on July 5th and an invitation from the U.S. Embassy in Georgia to PCVs to do a meet and greet with Secretary Clinton.

We all loaded into our marshutkas (mini-vans that serve as the primary means of transportation for most volunteers) and headed off to Tbilisi on Monday morning. We killed a little time at the PC office (Sam found the office copy of Trivial Pursuit and read off questions for the crowd), then headed to the Marriott for the reception. We were pretty hungry, hot, thirsty and tired by the time we got there, so the air conditioning was spectacular. It has been very hot in Tbilisi and eastern Georgia lately, and the 2.5 hour marshutka ride in was blistering. After gawking around the hotel's lobby for a bit, we were taken down to the conference room, where most of the Embassy staff were already gathered.

Then, we waited.

Secretary Clinton was supposed to be there in 40 minutes, we were told. Then it was an hour and a half. Then, any minute. All told, we waited over 4 hours in the Marriott in a room that was increasingly warm and uncomfortable, that had no chairs and which had seen its meager cookie platter and bottled water supply demolished within seconds of the room being occupied. The PCVs, being not professionals and used (by now) to fairly less-than-clean situations, camped out on the floor, taking off ties and dress shoes.

Secretary Clinton did finally show up and gave a nice, if short, speech, thanking the Embassy staff for their work and dedication to diplomacy. She went around the room and shook a few hands and pinched the cheeks of a few babies. I got to shake her hand, and we got a few fairly spectacular pictures, I think.

Secretary Clinton and US Ambassador to Georgia, Ambassador Bass


Ambassador Bass and Secretary Clinton


My favorite picture of the day


Just to prove that she didn't eat the baby


All in all, though, and as sad as it may sound, the trip to McDonalds after seeing Secretary Clinton was the highlight of the day. I got two different kinds of ice cream treat, I was so hungry (our wait at the hotel had put us on a weird schedule wherein we hadn't eaten for 9 hours; sadly our PC allowances wouldn't really allow us to purchase the $20 "Marriott Burger" at the hotel). Still, an experience!