Day 9: Getting Into a Work Routine and Discovering a New Favorite Fruit

Monday marked the official start of our second week in Tbilisi, and it was back to a normal work routine at the school. After a weekend packed with intensive city history tours and sightseeing, it felt good to settle into our daily duties.

But even on a completely standard work day, Tbilisi still managed to surprise us with something new.

1. Settling Into the Work Groove

We spent the day at the school tackling the tasks and projects we had planned out with the teachers. The initial "new student" chaos has officially worn off, and we are starting to feel a lot more comfortable navigating the building and working alongside the local staff. It was a productive, steady day of getting things done.

2. A Second Trip to the Dezerter Bazaar

Once our duties wrapped up for the afternoon, we decided to head back to the Dezerter Bazaar. We had briefly visited it on Day 3, but it's so massive that we wanted to explore it a bit more carefully this time.

Now that we know our way around a little better, it’s much easier to spot the interesting stands. It really is the best place to pick up healthy, cheap snacks after a long day of school work.

3. Discovering Loquats (Japanische Wollmispeln)

While checking out the fruit stalls, we stumbled upon something we had never noticed in a German supermarket before: Japanische Wollmispeln (known in English as Loquats or Japanese Medlars).

They are small, round, yellowish-orange fruits that look a bit like tiny apricots, but the taste is entirely unique. They are incredibly juicy and have this amazing sweet-and-sour flavor that reminds you of a mix between a peach, citrus fruit, and a mild mango.

I bought a big bag of them to try, and I absolutely fell in love with eating them! Finding hidden gems like this is easily one of the best parts of shopping at the local markets here.

Student to Student Tip: When you go to the local bazaars, look for fruits you don't recognize. Because of Georgia’s climate, they can grow a ton of unique produce that never makes it to Germany. Loquats are a perfect example—definitely grab a handful if you see them in season!