Blog, May 27^th, 2014

Hello – I forgot to mention in my last blog one of the GREAT moments of last weekend; and that was making Khachapuri. We were told a story about this food and it goes like this:

Khachapuri (Georgian: ხაჭაპური)

A village was preparing for the visit of a king and the village was so poor they didn’t know what to feed the King. So it was decided to offer bread and cheese and to combine the two ingredients.  So, they baked bread with cheese inside and the rest is history.  I don’t think I’ve been at any table that has not served Khachapuri. I cannot imagine the calories. In any event, our language coach arranged for us to have lunch at one of the homes in the village and they were prepared to let us make our own Khachapuri. The dough was already made (in one bowl) and the cheese (already prepared in another bowl). With flour and cameras ready, we took the dough and flattened it out – using our fingers and wrist (it seemed). After that, we placed the cheese in the middle and tied the dough together sort of like a dumpling. We then twisted it around and cut off the excess dough and then flattened it out again. Make a hole in the middle to let the air out, and then into the oven or into the frying pan. Once done, butter was smothered onto the top which gave it a shiney coat. Call in the cardiologist, please  J.  I usually don’t eat it as I don’t really care the kind of cheese that is used, but I did try mine since I made it. It was delicious (just had a little bite). It was a lot of fun and a pleasant break from language training.  I hope to have pictures and will send with the blog.

I want to give some news about the upcoming weekend, as I will be traveling to Balhvi in the Guria Region (going out west in Georgia).  So, the route is to get from Osiauri to Khashuri and take the “marshutka” to Kutaisi. It’s a two hour ride once I get to Khashuri until I arrive in Kutaisi. Once in Kutaisi I should get off at the end of the line, which actually stops as a McDonalds (if you can believe it). I am told that they have wonderful bathrooms at the McDonalds J. At that point, I need to go behind the McDonalds and get another “marshutka” to Ozurgeti, which is the closest big town (really) to Balhvi. This leg should also take about two hours. I am told the first 40 minutes is a flat ride; however, after that we go into the mountains and that it is a windy road. Some people have trouble with it as they get car sick. Well, I cannot wait for that (smiles). I’ve been on windy roads, so I am hoping that I am not in the car sick category or I am not seated next to someone who is! In any event, it should be an adventure. The house that I am staying in however, has indoor plumbing – Yeah!  I’m told they have (2) bathrooms indoor, so this should be a treat. I am not going to take my computer, so I won’t be able to blog until I get back home to Osiauri, but I plan to take notes and absorb every minute of the experience. I will be with two other volunteers and another volunteer, who actually lives in the village, will be our host and our guide. We will be shadowing her during her teaching and integrating into the community as best that we can in a couple of days. I was not looking forward to this, but maybe now I am feeling differently about it. I am still trying to find out what the mountain range is called. I should be able to blog about it when I get back. Onward and Upward!

It is fun walking through the village as the children, who know us from teaching or co-teaching their classes, call out to us in English. We, the volunteers, on the other hand call back to them in Georgian.  They run up to us or ride behind us on their bikes calling out “how are you?” and “I am good.” They are very proud of their English and we are proud of the little bit of Georgian that we can speak. I am in awe of the children riding bikes as I can barely walk with the rocks and stone on the dirt road; however, I am not complaining as the “dry” rocks, stones and dirt is a welcomed changed from my friend “mud” J.

We just heard that the Ministry of Education is going to close the schools again this week for the entire country. There was no explanation given, but grades 1-6 won’t have school again. The children miss so much school time, at least it seems that way to me. That also means my teaching schedule has once again been changed. I don’t know how the PC is going to make up the teaching time; but, that remains to be seen. I am really relieved that the schools were cancelled from a selfish point of view. I am not that thrilled with classroom teaching. Maybe it is because I teach a variety of grades and really don’t have a change to dig into the materials or get to know the children. I’m told it won’t be this way when I have my permanent assignment. I will have assigned grades and it will be on a consistent basis; so, the jumping around will stop. Also, I will be working with probably one Georgian English Teacher so we can develop lesson plans. As it stands now planning is done mostly the day before or the morning of, so it just adds more stress to insure that the classes are successful. Teachers are paid by the hour, so when the schools are closed they don’t get paid. I don’t believe they have a teachers union here.

Eating in the classroom is a BIG no-no here in Georgia. You can drink and have water on your desk, but there is absolutely no eating during class time. I am thinking about how this would go over in the US. I’ve been in classrooms that have students eating a full meal in addition to taking notes. It seems that some students even cook the food (of course not true), but what they bring to eat is often not just a sandwich. I like this policy of not eating during class; however, during the breaks you can eat but people usually leave the classroom to do it.

I noticed another throw back from my early, early days in South Philadelphia. I was walking down the road recently and heard a car horn, beep, beep, beep. I didn’t think anything of it but then I heard it again.  I stopped to look around and a few minutes later the mom or grand mom with the children came running out of the house. I then noticed that the father was sitting in the car and he was blowing the horn. This reminded me of the same kinds of situation with my parents. My mother would be running around trying to get the kids ready to leave the house, as well as getting the house ready (lock the door, etc.) while dad was in the car waiting. After awhile he would also blow the horn. My mother always complained, but it never changed. When I spoke to the other volunteers about it they are concurred that yes, they had seen this also. I thought it might be an Eastern European thing, but every felt it was more a MAN thing than anything else.

Fish for breakfast this morning, oh my. Their cold, dead eyes were looking at me. Although I have had fish for breakfast, I could not eat anything that early that was looking at me. My water filter system is leaking (boo). I need to carry that into Khashuri and then carry a new one home. There is a saying here “SOMA” and although the letters don’t match the feelings do…it goes “suck it up and move on”. There is no use complaining, things are as they are and this is life now, so SOMA. I was able to get some peanuts today, what a treat. I am having this craving for “crumb cake.”  It seems that other volunteers are craving stuff like that also. They have ice cream here (really cheap) but they only have it in the summer months. My cluster has actually bought out the ice cream supply of one of the smaller stores.

Ok, faithful readers…I must tell you that doing this blog keeps me going. All is well, Catherine, G14

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