When I woke up it was past 2 p.m.
I slept for eleven hours. I meant to get up at 10, but apparently all the fatigue from last night hit me. I slept so deeply it surprised even me.
The Temptation of Garlic
Since I was already up, I decided to try the shkmeruli I’d seen on YouTube that had caught my attention. I headed to a local Georgian restaurant called Racha near Freedom Square.
I walked while listening to music through my earphones. There was also a Cardano summit today. I had a reservation, so I couldn't not go.
On the way, I passed the National Museum and thought I'd like to go, but it closes at 6 p.m. I'll go another day.
When I got to Racha it was less crowded than I expected. There were more locals than tourists. I'm always nervous going into restaurants, but I'm getting used to it.
A woman gave me a menu and I sat near the fireplace. It was really warm.
It was raining today. Rain is rare in Georgia. It wasn't worth opening an umbrella, but my hair got messy and my Chester coat got wet. Not a nice feeling.
On the menu they had shkmeruli. Apparently you order at the counter. It was 30 lari (≈1,500 JPY), the most expensive item on the menu.
A bit overpriced. But I wanted to try the authentic shkmeruli, so I ordered it.
The basement dining area had no 3G signal at all. While waiting, I wrote in my journal. At one point a man started grilling meat by the fireplace and white ash blew over, so I moved seats.
Thirty minutes later, the shkmeruli finally arrived.
It was loaded with garlic.
I was supposed to talk to people at the Cardano summit today. Imagining myself smelling like garlic, I thought, oh, I messed up.
But since I'd ordered it, there was nothing to do.
Shkmeruli was a dish of chicken baked with milk and garlic. The garlic smelled toasty and it was really delicious. The portion was about enough to try once, but the taste was excellent.
It took about thirty minutes to finish, and the sauce splattered everywhere. I wiped everything off properly with napkins.
Still, it was really garlicky. But awesome.
The Eight-Minute Stay Challenge
After finishing the shkmeruli I headed straight to Fabrika. On the way home the rain got heavier and my Chester coat was soaked.
I rested a bit at Fabrika and checked the Cardano summit schedule. There was an interesting talk at 7 p.m. The venue was about a 30-minute walk, so I decided to leave exactly 30 minutes beforehand.
Still sleepy. But I got ready and set off.
I thought about taking an umbrella, but no one else was using one and it didn't seem that heavy, so maybe I'd be fine.
Ten minutes into the walk it started pouring. I really messed up. I hurried and walked briskly.
The summit venue was a big high-rise that looked like a business hotel. My heart raced as I approached.
A 22-year-old kid who doesn't belong to any association and doesn't even properly understand blockchain was going into a venue full of businessmen.
On top of that, my glasses were soaking wet from the rain. I wiped them with a handkerchief, took a breath outside, and went in.
At reception I asked which floor the Cardano summit was on: the 17th.
I took a souvenir photo in the elevator using the mirror. I was really nervous, but I pretended to be fine.
When I reached the 17th floor there was a desk immediately with Cardano merchandise laid out—hats, T-shirts, things like that.
There was no receptionist, just an older man. He turned out to be a Cardano co-founder. I showed him my reservation screen on my phone and asked, 'Can I have this?'
I was so nervous I came off as totally lacking in confidence. The older man looked puzzled, and another person gave me two hats. I also got a tote bag and a participant badge to hang around my neck. I was so nervous I forgot to take a T-shirt.
It was a really small venue, and that co-founder was right next to the elevator. I felt like I had nowhere to be.
When I went around the back there was a bar-like space with a romantic night view. People drinking wine, eating dinner. Everyone was about thirty-something businessmen; there wasn't a single person alone.
I really had nowhere to belong. I was like ahhhh.
But I thought this kind of experience is important.
I ran to the restroom first. I even asked that co-founder, 'Where's the bathroom?' Of all things to talk to Cardano's co-founder about—'Where's the bathroom?'—it was kind of funny.
Five minutes in the bathroom. What should I do next? I had nowhere to go.
I went out into the hallway, fiddled with my phone, and asked a friend for help. The plan was to call, pretend an emergency happened, and get off the elevator. But the co-founder was right by the elevator, so I just kept hoping he'd go somewhere.
I called my friend April, a Ukrainian who lives in Latvia.
'Help! Everyone around me is dangerous and I don't know what to do! I went to the wrong place!'
At that moment the co-founder walked right past me. Opportunity. When I went to the reception side there was no one there. I immediately pressed the elevator's down button.
I'd pressed it before grabbing my coat, and to my surprise it opened right away. I shouted 'Wait!' grabbed my coat and jumped in.
The moment the doors closed, a wave of relief ran through me.
It had been awful. Really.
Record speed. I'm probably the fastest person to enter and leave the Cardano summit. My stay was only eight minutes—five of which were in the bathroom.
I was truly ashamed of myself. What a coward. I went because I wanted to make connections and get experience. I want to join crypto projects in the future; I have dreams. I came away with nothing but the experience.
But I did get something tangible: a Cardano tote bag and a hat. You can't get those without going to the venue. A precious souvenir of failure.
An Awkward Night
I walked back to Fabrika on the phone with April. Apparently the package I sent arrived in Latvia yesterday, and April was genuinely happy.
I asked, 'At least say congrats to me!' and April said, 'Congratulations!'
I decided to do laundry at Fabrika. I got coins and detergent and went to the laundry room.
First I messed up the sequence and lost a coin. I went back to reception to get another one.
Next I put the coin in and hit start—only it was the dryer. The washing machine was below. Ah, I did it again.
I went to reception again, explained, got another coin, and third time's the charm I finally used the washing machine. I'm so clumsy. I laughed at myself.
I went back to my room and wrote in my journal. A new guest had moved in today, and both neighbors on either side snored terribly. I couldn't sleep a wink.
Life is funny. Days full of mistakes are actually the most interesting. I laugh at myself—what am I even doing?
The sense of not belonging was intense. Everyone was serious businessmen in their thirties and I was 22. The receptionist saw my Burberry Chester coat—he didn't make fun of me, but he looked down on me. I could really feel it.
But this is the path everyone goes through. The path of those who try.
Someday I'll turn this into a funny story.
