1. Keep calm and follow the ‘‘Rules’’!
The key to fun and excitement is the discipline and the rules that are recognised and obeyed by everyone. Traveling Summer University “GandaGana” had its own codex of rules that were hung in the TSU house. To make them more memorable and enjoyable we styled them up in a classic “Keep Calm..” phrases and made them fun for the participants: ”Keep calm and wash your dishes”, ”Get excited and have a quick shower”, ”Get excited and clean up”. But the most demanding, an absolute “must-do”, the so called Golden Rules of the TSU were: ”Get excited and drink Chacha”, ”Get excited and have fun ” and ”Get excited and get excited!!! You are in Georgia!”.
These rules were never ever broken and were obeyed in the honest manner.
2. Get Excited and taste traditional food!
TSU GandaGana had its rules, one of them was ”Get excited and eat Khachapuri! ” (if you have never ever tasted it, just visit Georgia and have a bite). But that is not the main source of excitement. While traveling across Georgia, participants tasted all the food that is typical to the local regions. Participants took part in some food making workshops, best of which was the making of Churchkhela. In Kakheti they tried Mtsvadi and Chaqapuli, in Kazbegi the delicious Khinkali, after climbing the high mountains of Svanti they enjoyed Kubdari and after sun bathing in Adjaria they had the tasty Acharuli Khachapuri.
3. Get Excited and Drink!
Literally from the moment participants landed in the Georgia the first thing that they tasted was Georgian wine. While wearing the Georgian traditional hat (Papakhi) and holding a horn full of wine, participants made toasts for the TSU, coming to Georgia, having fun and creating friendships.
One of the golden rules of TSU was ”Get excited and drink Chacha’’, the basic firewater that really makes everyone excited. On one of the parties (the Vampire party) participants, dressed like vampires and sucked Georgian human blood for the first time – Chacha from the organisers (the mechanism of this motion is secret, visit AEGEE-Tbilisi and maybe someone will tell you). After this party participants got addicted to Georgian alcoholic drinks and had the chance to visit the traditional and contemporary wine-making factories and even Georgian families where wine is being produced.
After drinking Georgian wine or Chacha, hangovers are not as horrible as you think, so do not bother and just drink as much Georgian alcohol as you can to get more and more excited.
4. Get excited and enjoy Sufra!
Sufra is the place where all the revelry and enjoyment takes place. It is the place where one can eat and drink, make toasts and listen to others, sing traditional and contemporary songs, dance and simply have double the fun. Georgian Sufras connect people – no matter the nationality, culture, gender and beliefs! It is the Georgian version or fiesta – celebrating life, love, friendship, beliefs, homeland and all the things that are worthy in our lives.
TSU GandaGana participants enjoyed Suftras in almost every region and city of Georgia. There is not a slight doubt that Georgian Sufras make miracles.
5. Get excited and be a Tamada !
Full of excitement, Georgian Sufras are supervised by a Tamada – a person who makes outstanding toasts. During TSU GandaGana participants enjoyed the Sufra and some of them were even Tamadas of these Sufras – rather good ones actually. The art of making memorable toasts is the main task for Tamada and for other members of the Sufra. For all the places that were visited during this TSU, GandaGana people had their AEGEEan Tamadas. The most memorable and unforgettable toasts were made on closing party by the person who was nominated for the best drinker and then was holding the post of Tamada – Mr. Paul Smits (AEGEE-Enschede). All the participants behaved like the real Georgians during Sufra and absorbed Georgian culture and traditions.
6. Get excited and Party even in the bus!
One thing you get a lot on a TSUs is travelling, and when you travel with 50 other people the fun is guaranteed. During TSU GandaGana participants crossed Georgia from north to south, from east to west, so they spent a lot of time in the bus. But do not get confused; bus trips are the most unforgettable, and full of unexpected moments. If there was a problem with air conditioning, participants enjoyed it with a great fun of having a free sauna; when the engine problem popped up all the male participants and organizers had their own unique rescue plan and with team work they made ”miracles”. Even singing in the bus sounds better – because of the noise no one can hear how you try to sing ”Wonderwall” but it sounds like ”Yesterday”.
7. Get excited and Start Camping!
Can you imagine a TSU without tents and comfortable sleeping bags?
Of course not! That is why all TSU GandaGana participants and organizers were excited, they enjoyed camping.
In Svaneti, after seven hours of hiking and climbing the mountains, TSU GandaGana landed near the lake, and with the support of great team work, a little TSU camp city was build in 15 minutes. The hard work of participants and organizers, the team building and kissing games, the warmth of the campfire, stories, jokes and funny songs and visits of wild but friendly horses and baby bulls, that is what stuffs camping with excitement.
8. Get excited and build a team !
They say: “two is a company, three is a crowd and 50 people are the Excitement!”. During TSU GandaGana a real, undivided and strong team was built. No team building or ice breaking games can make people fancy each other or be a team. Mind-blowing excursions, weary climbing trips on the mountains, the overwhelming and racy rafting on the Kura River(Mtkvari), campfires that were set together, tents which were built, the weight boys carried for the girls and helpful participants enjoying every hard situation and the will to help each other – that is what builds the team. These moments make the trip unforgettable, strengthen the friendship, reinforce the AEGEE spirit and produce great excitement.
9. Get excited and dance GandaGana!
The Georgian national dance was the main theme of TSU GandaGana. Culture and arts as well as dances created by humans in the course of historical development go beyond the territorial borders of a country. GandaGana participants were enjoying one-hour dance workshops during the TSU. Step by step, participants managed to learn nearly all the moves from the Georgian traditional dance ”GandaGana” and they really became true Georgian spirited dancers, and every time they heard a Georgian folk songs it was hard to stop them from dancing. At the closing party participants made a great show for everyone in Batumi at public square Piazza.
Huge energy, dirty dance shoes (some motivated dancers even tore down the dance shoes during the dance workshops) and satisfaction on the faces of participants – this is what made GandaGana dance workshops absolutely magical and unforgettable for both the participants and organisers.
10. Get excited and save the best memories!
From 14th to 29th of July TSU GandaGana was a long, exciting, interesting, but a bit overwhelming trip across Georgia. This unforgettable travelling was overloaded with emotions, sweet memories and most of all by AEGEE spirit. Some participants may remember all days spent in Georgia, some will recall moments by looking at the photos and videos or by having a glance at their souvenir magnets on the fridge. But we would like to think that these two weeks actually played a significant role on the lives of our dear participants; that it was not just regular fun days of your lives, but important memories worthy of cherishing for the rest of your lives!
TSU organising team will always remember the time we spent together with participants and the song that participants wrote and performed for us on the closing party. With the great honor we would like to represent the extract from the song:
”We would like to drink a toast
For the time we have spent here
For the mountains, for Sufras
For Georgians, for Black Sea .
chorus
We love Georgia and
GandaGana dance X3 ”.
All the TSUs are unique and they all have their own manner of having fun and making an unforgettable summers, but if you follow the instructions made by AEGEE-Tbilisi, believe us these 10 tips will show you how to get really excited and have the best time and unforgettable moments in your life.
So next year, you should consider visiting Aegee-Tbilisi.
Written by Sali Ebanoidze and Ani Zakareishvili, AEGEE-Tbilisi