only one publication this week

When the Turkish Ambassador requested to change the interview date, I was left with nothing to give to our editor, Anthony. My Human Rights column was on Turkey as well, and was supposed to be an addition to the interview. So, I rushed home, and took a topic, I thought about several weeks ago, when I first met the mentioned there banana seller.

He was a very skinny, old man, and was so happy to have somebody to talk to. He showed me pictures of his mother and father, he had in his pocket… with the rare white long hair around the bony face, he was like a late dandelion. At the times of the Soviet Union he travelled the world as a football player; was in Tashkent, too. But those days are long gone now.

Human Rights Weekly 
Georgians, Go Home!?   
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=1929# 

they live their lives!

   You just have to sit and make your inner editor to munch on sweets. Then it gets easy! The characters start acting by themselves – they give out expensive presents, talk to themselves, and make sarcastic comments. I just have to write it down! 

with his wife

Today I was scheduled to have an interview with His Excellency Mr. Ertan Tezgor, Turkey Ambassador to Georgia. He needed some preparation before answering my questions, and we changed the interview date for the next week, and just talked about life. 

He told me about his wife; and this is a perfect “other side” to my story on Skype-Life. His wife is French, and works in archeology. She has been following Mr. Tezgor to his assignments to Russia, China, Greece and many others. 

“She works when we are at home, in Turkey” said the Ambassador “and she takes a long leave and accompanies me when I am on a duty for several years in another country. This is the only way a family can live. This is the only way to stay together. Otherwise, it is like having one arm – which is work – and not having anything else. The family is very important.” 

I so agree with what he said.  

Are all Turkish men such family-oriented?  And I am talking here about men, because I grew up in Central Asia, and I do believe, that a woman will be happy to hear, that she is needed for a home, for her husband, and that he really needs her to be around and make home. Which does not mean, that she cannot work. But there sooo many mobile possibilities for a woman nowadays! If she wants the home and career, even moving from country to country, she can have it.

It is not easy, though…

gypsy

On Rustaveli Avenue a gypsy caught me on the sleeve: “Beautiful let me tell you your future!” I have NO wish to know my future from anybody. Once I read that there are many treads in the Universe, and a fortune-teller sees one and tells it, thus tightening it to you. This is an explanation, why their words come true so often. Of course, there always are theories that the program sits in our subconscious and rules from there.

“You will leave soon, beautiful! Let me tell you more!” – I should have offered her money to NOT tell me more. But I just fastened my pace and dragged my sleeve from her hand, walking away.

I grew to love Georgia. Even though I do not trust any words from gypsies, these made me think of going to somewhere else soon. But I do not want to leave so quickly. Unfortunately, quite often events depend on our wishes not.     

drawing mountains

“Oh-huh, poor O’Brian” said the old professor, the first she had heard to give a boring talk. “This awkward Pawaskar always is a trouble. I remember three or four years ago, we gathered in
Ukraine…”   

“It was five years ago, Professor Nathanson.” said a middle-aged woman with black hair pushed high up her head.   “Oh, doesn’t matter, don’t interrupt me, mercy…. So… what was I telling you, friends? Ah, yes, in Ukraine, Pawaskar decided to start a little romance with the secretary of the host of the conference – and she was a beautiful girl, blond, and her body was so beautiful, too, you know, that sand-glass figure, with full breasts…” The people on the bus smiled and winked to each other. This was the only topic, sounded interesting in Professor’s performance. “Anyway, so the girl lost the rest of her little brains and attention, and into each of 143 folders prepared for the closing meeting of the participants, along with the summary, she put a copy of his love letter, a gratitude for the great time she awarded him with during coffee breaks! And we were wondering, what bug he had in his tummy, spending all the time in the rest-room!”    The men were laughing, amused, and the woman asked:   “Do you know what happened to the girl?”   “Why, she was fired, of course! It was a great scandal!” said professor Nathanson.   “Poor creature” signed the woman. “Always troubles from you, men. And this Indian still enjoys himself in his
Caucasus.” 

2006 participant

That’s my icon! The number of words written increasing, but today it was 10,182 total.

Outline REALLY helps! )

this week’s publications

It’s nice that Georgia Today has a website, I can hop there early Friday morning, and check, that all the articles I have subscribe are there, published, and I can start sending out the links – mostly, to the people I wrote about.   

10th
Tbilisi International GIFT Festival ends – till next Autumn
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=1918#   

In this article is the interview with Rustam Ibragimbekov, I was so excited about last week.   

Human Rights Weekly
Human Trafficking – The supply born by demand
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=1899&version=330   

Dealing with Illegal Migration and Human Trafficking
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=1916    

It was an interesting conference, and I hope for the future cooperation with its organizers – NGO People’s Harmonious Development Society.   

I still have not invited any of my friends to my blog – though I had a visitor! He is from NaNoWriMo, no better – he is from Georgia, even better – he is from
TBILISI!!!!!! Isn’t it cool?    

By the way, I already have 6,294 words. I am gonna win Actually, it is not that difficult, just takes a lot of discipline. I have to make me sit and write. Since I have outline (even though, not fully completed yet) I always have what to write about, and when I finished one scene, I don’t have to wonder in distress – I look into my outline, and start typing a new scene immediately. That sure helps a lot!   

OK, I have to hit 7,000 today, and it’s already 1pm. I better get moving/typing! 

yellow spiral note pad

So, the NaNoWriMo has begun today! http://www.nanowrimo.org

I wrote 2,198 words, thanks God I have an outline – it was not painful. I was thinking, may be I should a pitch a column on my adventure to my newspaper, huh? Just for this month. It’s like burning all the bridges… I will have to reach the 50K then, it’s like ‘the whole country is watching!’

Funny, how story started making the turns on its own.  Or may be it’s a different pattern – the ideas accumulate and involve my everyday activities into the plot of the novel, I am thinking about.

Just two days before the NaNoWriMo began, I was on a bike in the gym, reading the great book First Draft in 30 Days. A thought of a twist in my story suddenly appeared, it was so shy and unsure if it would fit into my literary fiction. Well, I don’t really know what style I was writing. It was clear though, that ‘fit’ it would not. With adopting it, my somehow border free narrative would be defined as a criminal suspense/psychological drama.

But, along with changing the pace, the idea made my story 3D, adult, meaningful, mature, REAL. (way too mane adjectives!) I was so excited; I left the bike, and dropped on my tummy, writing the thoughts vigorously into my bright yellow spiral note pad. I adore yellow spiral note pads.

Wow, with adopting of that used to be shy idea, it’s even going to be a sequel to the original book! And for the original book, the idea united all the threads I was supposed to tighten and explain at the end of the book, and gave meaning to the behavior of the heroes.

And yes, I am not sharing what life experience caused me to make an additional layer on my plot. I will only say, that I had spent that whole day at a conference on Human Trafficking.

Right now, by the way, I am editing an article on it… going to print tomorrow.

Ok, gotta go to bed. It’s 1:30am………..

unfinished interview

Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to talk to the famous writer/and so on Rustam Ibragimbekov last morning. He was busy, and was leaving. I do hope to see him again either in Moscow (when Georgians aircrafts will be able to cross in there!) or in Baku. And ask him all the questions on writing I have!

During our talk, he already gave me some practical, useful advices. When I do a transcription of the interview, I will put it into here, in a separate box.

Yesterday I spent the morning at the human trafficking conference. Got acquainted with many representatives from the countries of the former Soviet Union, and Turkey. I was kinda going to spend there the whole day today, too, but… was well-distracted, quite pleasantly, and – skipped!

But I will go to the press conference tomorrow, and write Human Rights Weekly as an opinion on trafficking, and the article on it, too.

On Tuesday, will deal with Gift interviews.

Also, NaNoWriMo is about to begin!!!!! I worked on the summary outline this morning, got about 2,000 words written, but am n the middle! Though the middle is floating, I am not quite sure what and in what order is happening. But it was so useful for me to realize a seemingly simple thing: the stories are generally written as story of a time period, in details. I.e., there is action, and relationship, but these 300 pages – everyday life.

Wrote an outline for a pancake scene during 30 min. on a gym bike.

This nice day ended the tiring, but an extremely productive and interesting week.  I am sleepy, but will stay up and read what the net has on human trafficking.

four publications this week

In this week’s issue of Georgia Today I have four articles published. Though I am very tired, it is SO satisfying to see them. I really hope that at least somebody read them… Though, I do know that people, to whom I send the links via e-mail, do. 

Funny, I have not sent a link to this blog to anybody yet. May be I should, and then I will have comments posted here…   

Anyway, here are the articles:   

On Democracy, UN Activities and Personal Matters
Interview with UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=1873   

The most funny and interesting, in my mind, part of the article, telling about Mr. Watkins private life, habits, interests, etc. was cut off. I think, it’s because the piece was too long – 3,000 words. But I will ask to print it late, as a separate interview.  

He Is a Human, He Is One of Us
Reflections on a tragicomedy Is He Human This Man?
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=1891# 

I especially enjoy this piece, because it is my first theatric review. It was published with no changes at all. 

Human Rights Weekly:
The Direction of Good
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=1866  

This is quite an opinion-full, just the way I like it.  No changes wewre made to it, too. Well, usually my pieces go with very little or no changes, so may be I shall not mention it at all. 

Loop’ A Magazine: hip, modern, and bilingual
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=1892#

The founder of the magazine had promised to send me a photo, and I was waiting till 5pm, but she never did. Well, I like the article though, and it tells about Lena Milosevic, the British Council Georgia director, so I shall send a copy of the paper for her, and see her when she’s back from vacation. 

Next week, the NaNoWriMo starts. I am scared and excited, and sure in my success all at the same time. I think, I should take the first week easy, and not take more than two pieces to write, though there are already three on the horizon: Human Rights Weekly, Gift Festival, an interview with the Turkish Ambassador, following the Independence Day reception early next week…