delicious memories!

About two months ago a friend of mine serving with me in Georgia, John, was forced to quit his service early because he broke Peace Corps policy. Initially I was really upset about this fact, but seeing as he forfeited his free ticket back to the states and stuck around Georgia for the past two months, his parting has been a bit easier to bear.
This past weekend I ventured to Batumi, on the black sea coast, in order to partake in a goodbye supra for John. The food at the supra was delicious…as was the company. And I don’t jest. Georgians often describe good things as “gamreli” or delicious. For example a toast that would surely win you applause at a supra would be the phrase:
“Gamreli memgonabebs gaumarjos!” (Cheers to delicious memories!)
It’s a fabulous language—really.
John’s departure is upsetting because he is leaving about five months or so before the rest of us (Kinahara! Let’s hope no one else gets sent home before then!). He won’t close his service with us or be able to stick around for Georgian summer, which is truly the most beautiful—if not delicious—time to be in Sakartvelo. I was prepared for a somber supra on John’s behalf. But then something happened that changed my whole outlook on John’s exodus.
While I was watching TV at the intourist hotel where I was staying (thanks bill and ann laurie!) I heard a startling report. It seems last week famed buxom beauty, Anna Nicole Smith, died. She was a mere 39 years old, the same age as John. Coincidence? I think not!
I realize that John isn’t actually being sent before a firing squad, or having his head chopped off at the guillotine (comme la comité de salut public), he is going back to America. It’s not such a terrible punishment. He doesn’t even live in the real America. He is going home to the San Francisco bay area where people don’t consider fried pork tenderloin to be a delicacy (not that it isn’t gamreli in it’s own right). John is going back to one of the most desirable places to live, not only in America, but in the entire world. There, he will have a flushing toilet, water 24 hours a day, heat, a washing machine, loose gender roles, and cable TV. With all that at his fingertips one can only assume that he is not going to be found dead in a luxury hotel anytime soon—unless he dies of sheer contentment.
Nevertheless, is going before your time such a bad thing? Anna Nicole’s early death has immortalized her forever. In the same vein, so will john’s early exit from peace corps Georiga. He won’t get annoying, bitter, depressed, or fat, symptoms that seem to plague peace corps volunteers here in Georgia. He will stay as he always has been to those volunteers sticking out their last few months of service. Plus his parting is all the more special because he is leaving when no one else is. When I leave this summer (again, kinahara) my send-off will be one dozens. Not so special, not so memorable, not before my time. So, gemreli memgonabebs John and Anna Nicole! You will be remembered deliciously.