Abkhazians in Abkhazia use as their daily language, Abkhazian. The girls that I stay with talk - esp. when I am not around asking questions- in abkhazian. They make jokes, gossip, argue and even see their dreams in abkhazian. I am sure of that because they can not find in Russian dreams dictionaries what they have seen or talked or done....
This is really important since Abkhazian is one of those languages that has come to distinction....
In the outside world I try to catch pieces of conversations. In the bazaar (market) for ex. if both sides of a conversation are Abkhaz they ussually greet in Russian and continue with Abkhazian. Ofcourse the numbers come in Russian since most take basic mathematics in school- in Russian language.
In the university, my lectures go fine since our teachers try hard to not to mix our minds. I have started to respond many questions asked to me in Abkhazian besides I am even capable of giving a toast speech in Russian and reading a poem or singing a song in Abkhazian...
The arguments about the alphabet, whether it should be kept cyrillic or changed to latin is also in question here too. (It is argued in the diaspora too!!!)
By the way, there is a funny Abkhazian rap song!!! Abkhazians do not only make classical or ethnic music in Abkhazian but also pop, rap and children songs....That is another hope for the language...
All about the language issue for now. I still could not find a place so it is boring to write in corners of internet cafes... I hope to add more titles on religion, the city of sokhum, the market and bagrat sinkuba- the famous writer who is jubilee for the 90th birthday is currently taking place... as soon as possible...
