Dear Ex Qartulad - [updated]

I learned the words. But I never learned how to say goodbye in Georgian without it sounding like a door closing in a poem. Maybe that’s because there is no easy goodbye here. Just ნახვამდის — “until I see you again” — which is hope disguised as politeness.

Here’s a short, emotional blog post titled — written in English but infused with Georgian phrasing and sentiment. Dear Ex, qartulad I never thought I’d write to you again. But tonight, Tbilisi is wrapped in that familiar fog, and the lights on Mtatsminda blink like unspoken words. So here I am — speaking to you qartulad . dear ex qartulad

Dear ex — I don’t want you back. But I want you to know: I finally understand what you meant when you said, "ქართულად ლაპარაკი გული მტკივა" — speaking Georgian makes my heart hurt. I learned the words

Do you remember how you tried to teach me Georgian? "როგორ ხარ?" — How are you? "მიყვარხარ" — I love you (but literally: “You are whom I love” — the subject hiding, the object coming first, as if love always puts the other ahead). But tonight, Tbilisi is wrapped in that familiar