Blog, May 18^th, 2014

Today ends the 3^rd week of Peace Corps Pre-Service Training. As I begin my 4^th week I still don’t feel that I am fully here. I guess that is to be expected; however, without any background in this type of adventure, I don’t know what is normal or expected. I still go up and down with feelings about being here/not being here. However, the feelings of doubt go away or fade and then I am so busy I don’t have time for uncertainty.  One things, It’s not dull or the same old – same old.

Next week I will be teaching an English class, or two, with a Georgian Teacher. My schedule is 4^t, 8^th and 10^th grades. School supplies are so limited here. The classrooms have stand alone white boards; however, the markers for the white boards are mostly so out of ink you can hardly see what is written on the board. Sometimes I will teach alone with a Georgian Teacher and other times I will teach with one of the volunteers and the Georgian Teacher. We are expected to develop lesson plans based on the input of the Georgian Teacher. It’s a lot of work preparing for a 45 minute session. We have help from so many sources; but, I am out of practice. My Master’s is exactly two years old today.  It does come back; but, since I was really only working with adult students previously, I’m challenged to transfer into teaching K-12 students. I think that makes, let’s see…the 15^h challenge so far J

I may have mentioned that I belong to a cluster of volunteers here in Osiauri. There are six of us, including me. All the volunteers are younger than my son, so I found myself with yet another challenge. The cluster is great; however, I was beginning to feel a little isolated with all the people I associate with on a daily basis being so young. Even our Language coach is in the same category; however, she is Georgian and for some reason seems to be older. So, I reached out to the PC and they (of course) said that this was not the first time they experienced something like this. Older volunteers only make up 7-8% of the total population. Most volunteers are in their twenties with some in-between thirty and sixty. Anyway, the PC arranged a get-together for me with some older volunteers who are in Khashuri and work in the development field rather than education. It was a great evening. The PC sent a van (mashutka (sp?) for me to bring to the café and had it wait to take me back home. We talked for hours and I have emails and phones to connect when I need to be with more “seasoned” folk!   I am impressed with the PC as not much, if anything so far, falls between the cracks.  I believe if anything did it would not be intentional. They just make things happen.

We are told to be careful about what you say here In Georgia as news travels very fast. Everybody talks to everybody, and lots of folks are related…so, if you tell something in one village, you can count on being told in village, after village, after town…etc. Case in point, someone asked me if I knew there was a “serial killer” in Osiauri! What, are you kidding?  Of course it is not true, but this is how it goes. Someone started a rumor that Osiauri has a serial killer. I heard this story in Khashuri and it was told by someone in another village. Apparently, the rumor started in the school. The rumors go like in a pinball machine. News just bounces around.  Everyone was told that the rumor was false; however, the police became involve to investigate that if there were any missing people or body parts around (oh brother). Well, when the police went into the school to say that is was false everyone took that as confirmation that it was true. What a bru-ha-ha developed.  There is no Serial Killer here, but it made me think about Netflix. I miss my Law and Order and SVU television.

Georgian runs on Georgian time. When they say school starts or something or other starts at 9:00am; well, it could be anytime between 9-10am. Everyone knows this and everyone just operates on that timetable. I go into class that should start at 9am and no one is there. Eventually the students come in and sometimes the teacher has to go out and fetch them.  There are no clocks in the school, but there is a bell; so, students know when they should get to class. However, sometimes the bell does not work to mark beginning or end of class.  The teachers do try to reinforce being on time, but it does not always work as they operate on Georgian time!

My “Babo” (grandmother) and I are having fun together even thought we cannot speak each other language. She is 83 and so active. She carries these pots filled with stuff (pot is covered). When I ask to help she just “shoos” me away and hollar’s  (in a playful voice) . She does most of the cooking and cleaning up. In the morning before I go to school she makes me breakfast – fish, cheese, bread and sometimes candy. She knows I only take coffee, so she wraps up an apple and bread for me to take with me. She drills me in the Georgian numbers and point to items on the table and room and gives me the translation. She is a hard task master (smiles).  I am getting braver with her. When she hollers that I should not help, I holler back (playfully) that I am going to help. We make faces at each other and then she kisses and hugs me and then I can help.  It brings back such memories of my grandmother. Maybe its my hearing but it seems that my grandmother hollered in the same way. My grandmother was Polish so maybe it’s the Eastern European thing. My “Babo” sometimes walks me to the end of the street to see me off. I turn and blow her kisses and tell her that “I am off to storm the castle.” Of course, she has no idea what I am talking about, but its fun. The dog also gets involved. I am not a dog person, but he also comes to see me off. At times I fear I am going to fall over him. Its like a parade, no wonder the locals look at me point and giggle.

Sunday is my day off, so I do laundry, take a shower and organize myself for the week. Also, lots of language homework and lesson planning. However, I don’t have to leave the house which is really nice. I so treasure the free time that I have. I love doing this journal and love just watching the mountain. My view faces the north, so I don’t have the sun. I miss that, as my condo window faces the east and I miss seeing the sun come up every morning. In a couple of weeks we begin talking about where I would like to be placed in July when the permanent site selections are made. I’ve been thinking about that. I can make a request to continue with another host family or request a place of my own (of course depending on availability). I have mixed feelings about both, as I like this feeling of being taken care of by the host family; and yet, I miss my solitude and having control over what I eat or plan to eat. All of this will be an on-going conversation.

The cell phone is a treasure. All calls local are free, so we can use as much air time as we like. After 30 minutes, the phone cuts you off, so then you have to call back. Texting costs something, not sure; but working on finding out. My son would so proud of me as to what I can do with this phone and it has features that I am not sure about . I am in awe of myself (smiles), of course, I’ve had lots of help finding out how to do this stuff so I cannot take all the credit.  The cows are moo..ing, so time to stop writing. I could write for hours..

Thank you, my faithful readers – Catherine – 5/18/14

Note:  The contents of this blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.