Remember the video game "Frogger?"

In order to get to the office from my new apartment I have to cross a busy 4 lane road- and up to this point I have neglected to mention how insane the traffic is here. The rules are there are no rules. Pedestrians have the difficult challenge of hopping through traffic trying to avoid getting hit, street lights and walk signs are virtually non-existent. One travel book put it the best- it is exactly as though we are playing a gigantic game of frogger, with our lives! If you lack the requisite courage you could end up waiting on one side of the street for hours. Instead, local practice is to literally hop across one half of the road in between the zooming cars...And then stand at the middle white lines with the cars zooming in front and in back of you as you wait for another mini-opening in traffic so you can try to squeeze and shoot to the other end of the street. You are playing "Frogger," bopping and weaving through traffic. And there is absolutely no regard for pedestrians, no right of way, no slowing down. Its simply terrifying.

On another note, I have moved into my new apartment. Two nights ago, when we were finalizing things with the landlord Elza, I had a hilarious mini-adventure. Once we had settled things up in the apartment, I walked out with Elza so she could speak with the guards about me. After nearly 20 minutes with the guards and Elza speaking their vigorous Russian about me and the move (with no one there to translate so I was totally in the dark) we negotiated that I would move in the next day and provide documentation for the guards (passport information and employment). We then walked out, and she started walking with me - no discussion, no idea how it happened or what would happen next. We walked and walked, and she just wasn't saying goodbye. In fact, instead of saying goodbye she was talking up a storm! All of it in Russian of course, and very enthusiastically, excitedly. Soon I found she was taking me on an impromptu walking tour - the philharmonic, the museum, the best hair salon....and then all of a sudden she is taking me into the Moscow market - showing me what she thinks is Baku's best sausage. Since most of our conversation, taking place entirely in Russian, was largely one-sided - I decided not to try to convey that I was a vegetarian. I was just hoping she wouldn't BUY any and expect me to taste it! We walked and walked, past the Literature Museum and the Old City, and around Fountain Square and then we were approaching my old apartment (where I was going to spend my final night) and STILL we weren't parting ways. I was getting nervous, and sure enough as we approached the old apartment building she followed me in and as we started heading up the 4 story walk up I began to think about what I would do once she was in the apartment with me! I supposed I would offer her tea and show her the place. Then, all of a sudden and surprisingly at Apt #5 (my temporary place was Apt. #6) she said her goodbyes to me and we parted. It might not translate as funny and surreal as it was, but trust me- spending a full hour with a large funny severe Russian lady talking your ear off in a language you don't understand and nearly walking you all the way to bed is completely funny!

Tomorrow afternoon I am off to Tblisi, Georgia to observe the domestic violence conference there. I can't wait to see what Tblisi is like - its supposed to be beautiful.