It has been a very nice, active, tiring, and sometimes even annoying day. There was no clear agenda announced- neither on tv, nor among people! Very Caucasian, listen to your heart and maybe you will catch an event.
Day started for me with a running since Hayri had forgotten to take the car key with him to his relatives garage where we keep the car for safety purposes (it was robbed once and still has a broken window and a broken key talon (i hope this is the true word in English).
Than we went to meet with Diaspora members and returnees to put a flower at the War Martyrs Statue together. However, there were already tension between the returnees and the representatives of one group of the Diaspora- they are so much divided even it is getting harder for me to understand the divisions so I wont explain that here.
Than I got it in the neck- unnecessarily and I found out that it was all because I was carrying an Adyghe flag together with Abkhaz.
Last year, after loosing 2 flags I sticked my Adyghe and Abkhaz flag together. So it is now a combined flag representing for me many things but not for all. For many, that is a necessary division and should stay seperate. Though these people speak languages of same root, follow similar social structures (family, clan, ...), have similar traditions, customs and ethics, share a similar history-esp. in the Diaspora some reject their close connection. This true for both Adyghe and Abkhaz groups.
Anyway, than I walked to the front of the old Parliament with some friends to find out a prepariton for a baloon and paragliders. So where was to be the parade? A Canadian journalist said at 13:30 so after the gliders at 12:00. However, it turned out that it was earlier in the park that I left because of the tension. So I missed the most interesting national symbol related event for this year- the soldiers singing the NATIONAL ANTHYM. So whats so interesting you may think but I have not heard anyone singing the anthym except some chorus recordings. It was important for my paper on national symbols. :(
I managed to watch paragliders and the balloon. Take many portraits and realized many flags and green white strips representing the remembrance of the War Martyrs among the attendees.
We had some tea at Anna's Cafe (which turned out to be named Glitsinia meaning witsaria). I realized the blue white Nicaragua flag on the wall. :) Nice thinking.
Than we had long and tiring walks by the seaside. And found out about a children pavement painting contest.
Than I came accross a collegue- Toto as they call him here an international anthropologist, and than we together came accross another two anthropologist, one guest another local sitting together with a journalist from Wales and a valuable informant-as one put- from the Diaspora who is speaking the Sadz dialect of Abkhaz language.
Than there was a concert at 4 at the filarmonia however it was impossible to enter beacuase it was over crowded.
The day continued with a concert infront of the theater.
And at 6 something the people from the Diaspora and returnees came together to dance Apsua Koshara (Abkhaz dance) as they refer or the old Apsua Koshara as locallers say with wood and amyrzakan/mizika- a kind of accordion- to make the music. It was funny to see how local people wanted to take part in the dance but did not want to understand the traditions of this dancing. For example, a boy-man has to hit the wood with others before gaining a chance to dance. And a girl has to stand on the row with others and wait for own turn. The local Abkhaz on the other hand wanted to cut a girls or boys dance on the middle and dance when they liked - which was very phasharop (shamefull) for the others.
One boy who was not allowed to cut in brought local musicians and invaded the dance field so that all will enjoy to dance whenever they want and whoever they want with the Apsny Apsua Koshara (Abkhazia's Abkhaz Dance) as they call it in the Diaspora being played. The scene was amazing by hundreds of flags.
The dancing ended with Awrasha- a paganist style singing-dancing, where everyone is lined in a circle and somebody explains the purpose of being together, makes a pray for the country and the nation, thanks everyone and says goodbye as everyone responds him by shouting Awrasha.
Than we looked for a place to eat and I suggested we go home but they did not want to be inside. Which resulted in the sabotage of our cars tires at the back of the only restaurant we could find place and tea to drink (the annoying part of the day). And we had to buy some bakery from a shop since there was nothing left to eat.
And I found out that the real reason for my husband to be cross was an accident he saw during the day where 1 young Abkhaz boy died and 3 were heavily injured.
So I have to admit it was a typical Abkhazian day, with lack of planning and communication, with accidents where young boys suffer, with many interested international researchers and journalist visiting, with Diaspora not managing to come together even for the simplest event, with children enjoying themselves and showing their enthusiasm for their country by things they do, shops being closed, restaurants not serving choices, but independent and hopefull for the future -today and forever...
PS: It was the most sunniest day recently!!!
Photos available at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/abkhaziadiary/AYAYRAAMSHVICTORYDAY2009#
