Day 17: Getting Crafty with Clay, a Garlic Lover's Dream, and a Flash Flood

Tuesday was a day of stark contrasts—going from a peaceful, creative morning to an absolute culinary awakening, and finishing with a wild display of nature's power right on the city streets.

Here is what went down on an eventful Day 17:

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1. Hands-on at a Pottery Class

We started the day by tapping into Georgia's rich, centuries-old ceramic traditions with a local pottery workshop. There is something incredibly relaxing about sitting at a pottery wheel, feeling the wet clay take shape under your hands, and shaping your own custom bowl. It takes a lot more focus and wrist control than it looks, but it was an amazing, grounding creative break.

2. Discovering Shkmeruli: The Ultimate Garlic Chicken

After working up an appetite, I decided to switch things up and try a completely different Georgian restaurant. I ordered a traditional dish called Shkmeruli (sometimes spelled Chkmeruli).  

If you love garlic as much as I do, this dish is absolute heaven on a plate. It is crispy, pan-fried chicken completely submerged in a bubbling, creamy, intensely garlicky white sauce made with milk, butter, and tons of crushed garlic. It is served sizzling hot, and when you dip a piece of fresh Georgian bread into that garlic sauce, it is game over. It easily jumped right to the top of my favorite dishes list alongside Khachapuri.  

3. Nature's Waterworks: A Georgian Wettereinbruch 

The evening took a dramatic turn when a massive, sudden storm slammed into the city. Tbilisi is surrounded by steep hills, and when it rains heavily here, the geography creates quite a spectacle. It was absolutely fascinating to watch the roads literally turn into rushing rivers within just a few minutes.

But the real adventure started when the infrastructure gave out. Because of the heavy weather, the electricity cut out completely. It wasn't just our building—our entire district and the neighboring districts completely lost power.

Looking outside into the pitch black was utterly surreal. With the streetlights and apartments dark, you could see dozens of people stepping out onto their balconies, using their phone torches to peer into the storm and wave to neighbors. It felt less like a city and more like a scene out of a movie.

Student to Student Tip: If you see Shkmeruli on a menu, order it immediately—just maybe make sure you don't have a close-up presentation scheduled for the next morning, because the garlic level is no joke! Also, if the clouds look dark in Tbilisi, head inside quickly; the streets flood fast!