Blog, June 29, 2014

Hello, My Faithful Readers:

When I last left you, I had just arrived in Sagarejo with the Director of the School that I will be teaching in. We just loaded up the car with my luggage and started for the home of my new host family.

At we started up the mountain I was getting concerned as to the distance we were traveling up the mountain. I kept thinking about how far we were going away from the center of town and yet we kept going up the mountain. Finally, after maybe two or three minutes or so the car made a right hand turn onto another road, off the main road. A few seconds later the car stopped and I knew we had arrived.

My host family (grandmother, mother, sister and brother) came out to welcome me along with the dog, cat and chickens. My host father was working, so I would meet him later. Everyone was hugging and saying :

გამარჯობა (gamarjoba), which means “Hello”.  

My Director and her husband were saying good-by, and then I knew that I was really on my own.  I was then taken to my room, which was on the second floor. I don’t know why, but many houses in Georgia have the stairs to the second floor on the outside of the house.  We all took a piece of my luggage, and there was a lot of it. We Americans have a lot of stuff. My room is lovely. The walls and ceilings are in perfect condition. This is unusual as many of the homes I have been in have walls that appears to have been water soaked, as well as the ceilings appear the same way. My room has two windows; however, there are no screens. When I looked out the window I had a full view of the mountain. It felt like I could touch it. I fell in love immediately at what I was looking at. I thought that I should place my desk by the window but I don’t think I would get anything done.  I have a bed, table and a chair, a nightstand and a wardrobe. The floors are wood and the floor seems to slant down a little. Nothing that is too bad. The size of the room would allow me to get a comfortable chair and maybe another table so that I can put some of my “Stuff” on. The ceiling must be 12-15 feet high (nice to look at, but it may be hard to heat).  The bed was neatly made with brand new linens on it. Also, there was a comforter that matched the linens. It was so clean and bright. It felt very comfortable and welcoming.

We all headed back downstairs for tea. However, before that I was given my key and shown how to lock my room. It is PC policy that the bedroom of the volunteers is secured with a lock. This lock looks like a skeleton key and every time you open and close the door (with the key in the lock) the key falls out onto the floor. It is very funny. As I was taken through the house I noticed a hallway, a living room that had a flat screen TV and a computer setup, the grandmother’s room, the kitchen and another room  (I could see through the window) that they used as some kind of a storage area. It was set up sort of like a kitchen as I would think they make bread and the like on the big table.

Once we entered the kitchen we sat down at the table. There were no chairs at the table, only stools to sit on. They were not too bad, but they didn’t have a back to the stool to rest on. I learned during my stay that it would not matter, as not a lot of time is spent sitting at the table. In any event, as soon as I sat down I was just filled with so many emotions. I don’t know why but I started to cry. Maybe it was the culmination of the anticipation, or that I had finally arrived at where I would serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer for next two years. I have no idea, other than I was crying my eyes out. My host family, and remember we really could not communicate, was hugging me and holding my hand and I just had a sense about these people – I just knew everything was going to be OK. I was also happy that I didn’t feel bad crying; and so glad that my host family just let me get it out of my system rather than trying to hold it in.

After tea we went to see the bathroom. I do have indoor facilities; that is toilet and shower (with a hot water heater). However, the bathroom had a door inside the house and one that leads to the outside of the house. The outside door is not very secured. It has gaps around the door that won’t be a problem in the summer; however, I am concerned about what it will be in the winter. I bet it will be cold in that room unless the family has a plan to maybe close off the door someway. That remains to be seen.  The house does not have central heating; however, I am told that in my room there is an electric heater (have not seen it yet); and in the family room or living room there could be an electric heater. These are issues and concerns that will be handled as winter approaches and I am just going to have to find ways to overcome them. I’ve heard from other volunteers that during the winter the entire family lives in the living room. They close off the rest of the house and live in the living room. This room has the TV and computer. It also has a couple of sofas and chairs (comfortable ones) and something that looks like a day bed. The room looks really cozy and closed off, so I would imagine that this room could be very warm. It also has a dining table and chairs in the room, so I again imagine that everything (except cooking) is done here.  This all remains to be seen.

One the BEST parts of the house is the porch and the garden. Actually, I feel like I live in a forest. There are so many plants and trees and flowers all around and even above us. There is a trellis with, I am told, vines for grapes. There are red roses, white roses and other types of flowers that I have no idea what they are other than they are beautiful. It is just spectacular. As if that was not enough, when you shake some of the trees fruit falls out of them. Red cherries and white cherries and other types of fruit that I have no idea what kinds of fruit the tree has. All I know it that it is beautiful as well as delicious.

ლამაზი  -  lamazi  - "beautiful"

 As we sat in the garden to take a breath I noticed the mountain that was in my view. When I am in my room on the second floor it feels like I can reach out and touch it as it feels that close.  The mountain, as with everything around it, is green and vibrant. You can just feel the richness of it all. I was thinking of maybe buying a hammock as a welcome present (for the garden) but I would hate to disturb the trees. We shall see. The town of  Khashuri it known for its hammocks. There is a street in Khashuri that sells nothing but hammocks and sling back chairs.

The house is set back from the main road. There are a total of five houses, including the one I will live in, on this adjacent road. All of the families, except for my host family use the house as a summer home. All the other families either live in Tbilisi or some other surrounding areas. They then come on the weekends in the summer. So, the area is really quiet. 

During the course of the afternoon and early evening neighbors came to look at the American (me)!  It is really wonderful that the Georgian people exhibit such warmth with their welcome. I can say a couple words in Georgian, so I was a big hit. We sat outside and shook the trees and ate the cherries.

Vocabulary for you:

ბიჭი [bich'i] = SON

გოგო [gogo] = Girl

ქალი [kali] = Woman

I slept well that evening. I was surprised at that, but again I was exhausted. The next morning I connected to the G13 volunteer and the other G14 volunteer who are both in the town of  Sagarejo. We decided to meet at the round-about (in the center of the town) and do a little exploring. I also wanted to walk down this mountain to see how long it was going to take me. So, my host sister insisted that she come with me. I knew I would be fine and would have really rather gone on my own, but down we went together. It took up a good 20 minutes to walk down and we were walking not strolling. It is all downhill, so it was not that bad. Part of the road (when you first come out on the main road from my house) is dirt and stone, so Mr. MUD will still be with me; however, about 3-4 minutes, it turns into a paved road – so hopefully all will be smooth from that point on.

So, here is the kicker – what goes down must come up. I was thinking, as I was walking down, about coming back up to my host family house. Oh brother, this was not going to be pretty. After I spent the day in the town (I will give details soon) I wanted to start back up the mountain and time myself so I knew what I was dealing with. It took me way over an hour to come back up. I had to stop a couple of times to gather myself and wonder (seriously) what the heck I was doing here!  It is not that steep, but there is definitely an incline. I would think that I did pay to go to the gym and use the treadmill and the program to adjust the level of incline. Here, it was already built in for me. This is going to be a CARDIOVASCULAR training program.  I am going to have to go down at least five times a week; however, I made known that I will only do this once a day.  I can definitely do it, but it takes me time. I am just not in shape to do this kind of climbing/walking. I’ve been walking in Osiauri but it is all flat. The walking in Sagarejo is a different kettle of fish. The other concern about this walking is what will happen during ice and snow. These are all concerns that will need to be sorted out. The PC is very in tune with safety and security, so I will reach out to them to see how I can do this and be safe. There is a marsh that does up the mountain, but it is expensive and on my volunteer salary it is not going to be possible to do that every day.

Needless to say, when I reached the top I knew that I had some kind of a workout. It was also very hot that day, so the added heat didn’t help. I also thought that it is going to be difficult depending on how cold it gets. The plus side to all this is that I am going to get into the best shape. It always optional to go to the gym; however, getting home for food and bed is not optional.

The next day, down the mountain I went, and I met with my new School Director and two of the English teachers. I also was given a tour of the school. The good news is that the school is heated. They have heating units in all the classrooms, at least the classrooms that I got to see. The question now is how much heat do the units put out and is it enough to really warm the room? I won’t know that until winter comes, of course; however, it looks promising. The school is on two floors.

 The first floor is beautiful and has hardwood floors, newly painted walls in both the hallways and classrooms. The teachers have a bathroom on the first floor. It is a squat toilet a total of 3 stalls, but the stalls don’t have doors on them but there is a short wall in-between. It gives new meaning to becoming familiar. J  The toilets do have the capacity to flush (and that is a good thing). The students have an outhouse behind the school. I’ve been in school outhouses, and I am glad the teacher bathroom is indoors.

The second floor of the school does leave something to the imagination. I know eventually it will look nice, but at the moment it looks nothing like the 1^st floor. The floors are old and the wood is coming up. The walls desperately need painting, but at least there is no hole in the ceiling. There is a computer lab with about 20 computers, including printers. The school also has a library; however, it is not organized. Basically it’s a storage area and everyone stores their books in the room. There are books on the shelves, on the floor and on the desk. I don’t believe students can have access. As schools go, this one is not bad. It has the capacity for 330 or so students, grades 1-12.

Ah, there is just so much to say about the visit to my new town, Sagarejo; but I wanted to give you some updates on events that are going on and events that will take place in the next week. So, I found food that is not Georgian (Yeah!). It is called “Shawarma” and it is very good. I think I’ve had it before. I think It is Middle Eastern, but you can google to learn more.

JUNE 28^TH & 29^TH, Is the FIRST FULL weekend we have had since we arrived in April. Gosh, it feels good. I slept Saturday morning until 9:00 am. I then went into Khashuri to do a little shopping. It is fun exploring all the little shops in the town. Met a PC friend and we had a chance to have a conversation. It was really nice. On Tuesday, 7/1/14 we are going into Tbilisi. We have to travel on our own and find and take a tour of the PC office. We also have to have a meeting with one of the educational organizations that have HQ in Tbilisi. I am with a group that will meet with ETAG (English Teachers’ Association of Georgia). I also wanted to attend a meeting at the US Embassy, Public Affairs Section; however, the timing is just not going to work. I will have to do that after I move to Sagarejo. The trip to Tbilisi will also require a metro ride, and I already have two metro cards given to me by folks who are leaving Georgia. 

On Friday, 7/4/14 we have a 4^th of July Picnic. All the G14’s, staff and (2) members of our Host families participate. The Embassy staff will be in attendance and I understand that they bring the food. Good old AMERICAN picnic food – hot dogs, hamburgers etc. I am told that it is a kick watching the Georgian’s assemble their hot dogs at the picnic. We also have games of all sorts (American picnic games).  I volunteered to serve the food….purely selfish on my part J. Of course, we still continue with our language classes and other technical classes in-between all these great events, but wanted to give you a head-ups of the wonderful events that are before me.

I will sign off for now and again thank you for taking the time to share all this with me. If you want, post comments (good or bad) – HA, or email me. I love hearing from the “old country”

Best, Catherine Lawrence, G14 – 6/29/14

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

Blog, June 26^th, 2014

Hello, My Faithful Readers:

Today marks 2 months in-country, only 25 more to go!

I have so much to share and I hardly know where to begin. So, let me start with the most important happening of the last five days, and that is “I got my hair cut in Georgia.”  Of course, I am virtually “pulling your leg”, but it was a big deal to me, and to all the PCV – looking good J. To make this long story short “the saga of the hair cut” – it turned out GREAT (but could have been shorter) and it cost 5 GEL, which is equal to about $3.50 USD.  In Georgia the majority of the women have long hair, so my request for short hair is a strange thing in the Georgian hair salon. At another time I can give you the blow-by-blow of the event, but for now onto the events of the past days.

When I last left you I was getting ready to find out where I was going to be posted (permanent site) for the next two years (I still can’t get my head around that). The location is in the EAST, in the Kakheti Region. A town called “Sagarejo.”  I want to share with you how we (PCV’s) found out where we were going to go. The PC has a amazing ceremony to make the announcement. Because there are so many of us (57), we went outside to the courtyard and found a large map of Georgia on the ground. It was configured (outlined) with a red string of beads that outlined the shape of the country and inside the red beads were the names of the different regions on large white paper (anchored with rocks- as it was windy). The PCV’s had to stand outside of the red beads as “officially” we are not yet a part of PC Georgia. We had to be invited into the country during this ceremony.

Now, in additional to all the PCV, we had number of other people standing with us. These are the folks that have helped us get to this point. For example, our language and culture coaches, the education facilitators, the office administrative staff, Peace Corps Staff from Tbilisi and I am sure I am missing additional groups, but we were a cast of more than 100, I am sure. The ceremony begins with each volunteer selecting an envelope. We are not allowed to look at the name on the envelope that we select. At that point, one of the volunteers turns over the envelope and calls out the name on the envelope, which is of course the name of another volunteer. The envelope is opened and the name of the region, town or village, is called out and the volunteer is then invited into Georgia and takes his/her place on the name of the region inside the red beaded line. This continues until all (57) of us are placed into our regions within Georgia. It is very exciting waiting for your name to be called. Also, the anticipation as to finally knowing where you are going to be living for the next two years is overwhelming. As this map is 3D, we get to see other PCV’s who will also be living in our region or towns/villages. People are running around taking pictures, some are crying, hugging, laughing, high 5’s – even jumping up and down. I don’t know, maybe this took a couple of hours.  It was a memory that I won’t soon forget and I am so thankful that I was able to be part of this.

I don’t know how, but after all this excitement we all went out to a restaurant to eat lunch. All the while everyone was texting or calling folks backs home to let them know the outcome.  Going back to PC headquarters after lunch (as we still had a full afternoon of classes to attend), it seemed different. I think up until that point all the preparation over the last 8 or 9 weeks seemed to us like a goal that was far away; and yet faced with the reality of the name of your new home and the information on your new host family; well, reality was pushing in. We were now “officially” invited into Georgia. PCV always have so much to talk about, there is rarely a quiet moment; however, the level of conversation was higher than I’ve ever heard it. There are just so many of us it was hard to connect with everyone to find out their details. It was a day that I won’t soon forget. It will rank up there with other great moments of my life.

The day ended and we were all exhausted. I know many people didn’t sleep the night before anticipating the news. I could hardly sleep when we returned home as my mind was just filled with more questions and now with even more anticipation.  The next day, after Georgian class in the morning, we assembled our luggage and boarded the “Marsh” for the Supervisors Conference. It was suggested, that since we were going to spend some time with our new host family, after the Supervisors Conference, we should take any luggage (winter clothing) that would not be needed with us. This would make the final transition a little easier in mid-july. We then drove to the venue for the Supervisors Conference. This is where we were going to meet our Directors and or the folks we would be working with while teaching in Georgia.

We had a caravan of maybe 7 Marsh’s and a Marsh which just held the luggage. It was about a 90 minute ride to the venue. It was a beautiful hotel on a lake. A resort hotel that, now wait for it, had REAL showers J. Here is the URL – if you want to check it out www.bazaletilake.ge  Bazaleti Resort Lake Hotel.  I was roomed with three other female volunteers. At first, I was alarmed at this; however, the rooms were situated so that I had one other person in my room (a room within a room)  - so it was Ok. We had a kitchen, not that we needed it and a living room, balcony and two bathrooms (fully equipped).  I was so tired that I didn’t hear anyone, but it was a real treat to have a bathroom on the same floor and also nearby so I didn’t have to plan in advance when I needed to use the facilities.  Dinner was very American/European, but of course they also had Georgian type foods. It was nice to have a change. The weather was beautiful so that sitting outside on the terrace was joyful.

From Friday late afternoon until Saturday late afternoon we were in conference with our new Directors and/or counterparts from the regions we would be working in. The sessions were done in both English and Georgian, so it was a slow process. We had a little time to become acquainted, but the real purpose was to go over the documents that were completed by the folks we would be working with. They had prepared, in different categories what their needs were and also a wish list of what they were hoping to accomplish. It was a bit overwhelming, as my new Director spoke very little English and I spoke very little Georgian. We did have translation assistance, but planning out the next two years was a bit daunting.

One point that particularly un-nerved me was the fact that my new Director wanted me to organize a summer camp before classes started in September. As I would not be arriving in Sagarejo until July 19^th, or so, I was concerned as to when I was going to plan this? The Director wanted the camp to run for two weeks and be open for two hours each day. The students would be from the 6^th to 9^th grades. Ok, now I was really un-nerved.  I would have help, one of the other English teachers; however, since I didn’t know the students and having to entertain children in that age span, well – I hope you can understand my terror.  It was unclear how many students would attend, but possibly 30-35.  This all remains to be seen, as I am sure that with help and communication we will be able to structure some kind of program; but, wow and as Gleason once said “and away we go.”   I’ve found with the Peace Corps it is mostly “hitting the ground running.”  There is not much preliminary or easing in, you just get to jump in. Ok, again – I will do my best. The language will also be a factor – Ah, there will be so many factors but overall I feel that I am really needed and wanted here, so people are going to want the programs to work and be successful and they will find ways to help. I plan to once again “Be a needy person” and ask and request for help. This will be on-going so, My Faithful Readers, you will be hearing more about this.

The conference lasted from Friday afternoon and Saturday morning/early afternoon. More meetings and conversations, lunch and then we headed out to meet our host families. The PC arrange for BIG buses (like the tourist bus) to take us to where we could connect with the next leg of our journey. We all traveled with our Directors as they were heading to our new town. I got on the bus to Tbilisi with another volunteer and our Directors. We traveled to Tbilisi, but not into the city. I am told that Tbilisi is very big; so we arrived at the Marsh hub where Marsh’s were waiting for points East and Sagarejo is one of the points East. Don’t ask me how, but we did manage to get all luggage into the Marsh and away we went.

Initially I was told that Sagarejo was either a 10, 15, 20 or 40 minutes away from Tbilisi; however, in Georgia what is often said does not equate to reality. It was really a 45 minute ride to Sagarejo. Let me tell you that we were going very fast and there was no traffic, so it may end up being longer. No way of knowing until I can test all this out myself. However, travel to Tbilisi is a very do-able adventure for a day trip. It cost 3GEL, which is about $1.75 USD (one way).  As tired as I was, I can say that I was also exhilarated. The Marsh was packed as every seat and then some was taken, so I didn’t really have any privacy with my thoughts. We passed fruit stand after fruit stand with watermelons galore.  We passed some of the oddest architecture that I felt didn’t belong where it was. Always on a marsh you are stopping letting people on and off. It was a ride.

We finally arrived in Sagarejo and my Director pointed to her car. Her husband was waiting for us. We loaded the car with my luggage and started for the home of my new host family…..I will leave you here as I don’t want to over tax you with more than four pages of my adventures or mis-adentures J Over the weekend I will begin with travel and arrival at my new host family and Sagarejo!

All the Best, Catherine, G14 – 6/26/14

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

Blog, June 19^th, 2014:

Hello everyone…what an exciting day!  When I last left you J, I said that today would be the day I (the entire group) would find out where we were going to spend the next two years and the answer is:

I will be in the:

Region of: Kakheti

Town of: Sagarejo

This Town is in the EAST of Georgia – I will be only a 15 minute Marsh ride from Tbilisi. I am very excited about this for a number of reasons. First, I will be in a town and not a village (so long Mr. Mud). The town has a population of 13,000 people. Of course being so close to Tbilisi is a plus. Also, I am told that all my requests were accommodated so I will have indoor facilities, shower and a house that has heat….however, often times here in Georgia what is said is not always what is reality. Since I will be spending the next couple of days with my new family and the Principle of my school, I will see for myself.

The family consists of:

Host Brother, 15

Host Sister, 17

Host Mother, 38

Host Father, 48

Host Grandmother, 78

My host family did have a volunteer back in 2008, so they have had experience.

I am told this is a region where the people are very easy going (laid back). It is known for its vineyard and the wine culture is very rich and based on ancient traditions.

There will be another G14 is the town with me working in development and I believe there is another education volunteer, a G13, already in residence in the town. So, I won't be the lone American. 

I will be teaching in a school that has grades 1-12 and the total enrollment is 332 (students). There are (4) English teachers – so I will work with one or two of them. The commitment is 18 hours a week of instruction. 

Its Sagarejo Public School No. 2

I will write more when I return to Osiauri on Tuesday or Wednesday. It will be a whirlwind of meetings and of course meeting new people  like My School Principle  and my Host Family. I am not going to take my computer…although I am taking winter clothing that I won’t need until winter. I will store them with my new host family.

Another piece of news briefly….I have been MOVED to another language class group. This group works on a slower pace (at least they did for my first class) – so hopefully that will continue.  The facility that I take  the class in is much better as THERE ARE LIGHTS IN THE ROOM…Yipee. I don’t have to use my cell phone to see (HA). Also, a bathroom (indoor) that it right around the corner from the classroom.

Regardless, even if this group moves to fast for me I am just going to make the best of it as there are ONLY 4 weeks left of PST. I can do that standing on my head. We are on the downslide to completion.

Ok, Thanks for reading and sharing in my good news. WOW, I am just overwhelmed and loving it.

All the Best to my Faithful Readers J

Catherine Lawrence, G14 – 6/19/14

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

Blog, June 18, 2014

Hello My Faithful Readers:

Tomorrow, June 19^th, I will find out where I will be spending the next two years. We go where we are needed, but I must tell you that I am nervous with anticipation as to where the Peace Corps thinks I will be needed.  I’ve heard the decisions as to where we will be assigned have already been made, so (as they say on award shows) the winner is already in the envelope. I can’t wait to share on the blog. It dawned on me recently that when I go to my new region I will be totally alone with my new community and host family; as everyone in my cluster will be assigned to different regions. We American’s won’t be together and I won’t have my LCF (Language Coach). That is kind-a sobering as up until now I’ve had American’s around me and/or Georgian’s that have pretty excellent English. I think this experience will begin the REAL Peace Corps. J

We will be traveling on Friday to Bazaleti.  It is about an hour north of Tbilisi. This is the area where we did our initial training. At this location we will meet with the supervisors who we will be working with during our time of service, 2 years. These folks would be the people in charge, Directors or Heads of Schools. We may also meet at this time some of the teachers who will be our counter-parts in the schools we will be teaching in. I heard we will be staying at a hotel, and a really nice one with indoor plumbing.  Ah, one of the good things is that we will have a few days without Georgian classes…Yippee. On Sunday, we will then travel to the region and town/city/village that we will be living in starting in mid-July, when PST is over. We will also meet our new host families. We will be bringing with us half of our luggage. The PC recommends bringing all the clothes that won’t be needed until we officially move in late July. This is a good thing, as half is manageable. The other half comes with us when we permanently move. Believe it or not but we all have more stuff than when we arrived. As a note, I am not taking my computer so I won’t be emailing or blogging during this time – at least as far as I know. I will be living fully every minute as I cannot wait to share this latest adventure when I get back to Osiauri.

Georgia has some kind of a lottery or sorts and one of the prizes for the winner is a car. In a Bob Barker kind of way they scream “Manqana” on the TV show.  I always thought it meant car, as they show the car with flashing lights around it.  But I was told (as it evidenced below) that it means “machine.” Other types of machines, for example the washing machine are also called “Manqana.”  I would imagine that when the car was introduced into the Georgian culture it was a machine and the name must have stuck!

Machine  მანქანა (Manqana)

Speaking of Washing Machines, I’ve noticed that my host grandmother does not use the washing machine. My host sister and I wait in line to use it, but grandmother  - ბებია (Bebia) washes all her clothing by hand in the sink or in the tub. I would image that old habits die hard, at least I know they do for me.

I’ve noticed, now that summer is really here, that there is no shady side of the street (or road). Especially when I walk home from school I am looking around for shade as I have a good walk to get home. I suddenly realized that because the houses are either one or maybe two stories there are no large buildings to block the sun and make one side shady and the other sunny, like they do in the states (in the cities). The tallest building in the village is the school and it only has three floors. The school is not really near many houses and anyway, I am always walking away from the school when I am going home. I often see women using umbrellas as it is really hot walking on the dirt road.

I’ve also noticed now how many butterflies there are in the village. The butterflies are everywhere. They dance around your head, body and feet. You really cannot get away from them, but then it is a dance of such beauty that I don’t want to. At first you see a couple and then lots more appear. I wonder if they are attracted to the walking or maybe the body heat. I don’t know, but I do know that it gives a very joyous feel to walking home on the dirt road. I hope they stay around all summer.

I know I’ve spoke about not finding any (or many) comfortable chairs in Georgia, but I must expand on that. The chairs at the dining table at some of the homes I’ve been in, well, I can say that I have sat on softer rocks. In my host family house the chairs, in addition to being uncomfortable, they look so old. I cannot wait to get up from the table, and maybe that is a good thing – it could be an alternate diet plan J.

On Sunday there was an election here in Georgia. I was told the elections were municipality elections and we were told, as Peace Corps Volunteers, to stay away from polling places, schools and other state buildings. I don’t know who won, but I think they were voting for the Office of Mayor of the Cities and Office of Assistant Mayor of the Villages (I think). The various political parties plastered the faces and party numbers anywhere and everywhere they could find in both towns and villages. One party was # 41 and another party was #5. In a very clever play on words the party (I’ll bet #5) put a plus sign between the (4) and the (1) = (#41) – so it read 4+1=5. It was a very clever play on words.

I stopped smoking in 1990, as I was a heavy smoker back then. Off and on over the years I have craved a cigarette but nothing I could not handle – until now. I have had this overwhelming craving to smoke here in Georgia. I imagine I am looking at tobacco to help me through the ups, downs and stress as I cannot use food (not thrilled about the food).  I was worried before I came to Georgia as I heard it was a smoking country; however, I have not really found that people smoke in excess. My host father smokes but very infrequently and mostly he does not smoke in front of me. I am aware of this craving and I don’t want to go back to smoking (although I’ve heard they are very cheap here). This is all very odd for me. Need to find a replacement for food. I will keep you updated.

I’ve had some wine here in Georgia, but I am not a wine person so the wine was just so-so (for me). However, I’ve had some beer here and it is pretty good. I believe its Georgian Beer, but best of all it is COLD, but it really did taste good.  Even if I didn’t like beer I would drink it because it is COLD. The wine is room temperature, but maybe I would like that also if it was COLD; however, I don’t think so. The beer comes in a very tall bottle, at least the beer that I’ve seen. I am sure it is also sold in cans, but I have not seen them yet. (Ah, I miss ICE)

I was in a supermarket (or a supermarket according to Georgian Standards). It was wonderful to have aisles to walk down and rows and rows of products. It felt like the US for a moment. There were lots of canned goods, but no tuna fish and peanut butter. Oh well, but they do sell wine, beer and other types of alcohol in the supermarket. The only thing they didn’t sell was fruit and vegetables. Maybe that is because there are so many fruit and vegetable shops, I also went to a $1.00 store (I thought they only had those in the US). Just about every item in the store was A DOLLAR (or really the Georgian currency of  GEL).  I was able to buy some clothes pins (forgot to bring those), some steel wool pads (so I can really wash the tea stains out of the cups and a small lined copy book for my vocabulary. It is hard to find lined copy books here in Georgia. Most books that you write it look like graphing paper. I have no idea why. (real exciting stuff, huh)

Doing this blog has made me see my surroundings in a different way. I just never walk past something. I now look to see how it fits into the community and possibly why it is constructed and or placed in that way. There is only ONE traffic light in Khashuri. Maybe there are more as I’ve not been in every section of the town, but I’ve been in quite a few areas and no traffic lights. Along the side of the traffic light there is this BIG electronic sign that counts down (from 45) how many seconds you have to cross the street before the light changes. This electronic sign is LARGE and it rivals signs I’ve seen in New York. There are; however, bumps in the road that will make cars slow down as otherwise you are going to bang your head on the ceiling of the car going over them so fast. Everyone knows where the speed bumps are, so as we approach them the vehicle slows down. Initially I didn’t realize what was happening, but then it becomes clear that it is to slow down.

Here is a funny story…I heard second hand that one of the volunteers was asking where the closest dry cleaner was. Now, I don’t know if he/she was kidding or if it is even true; but, I cannot imagine in a country where some people need to chop wood in order to have hot water to wash clothes someone would bring clothing that needed to be dry clean. I think, if the story is true, they are out of luck.

Another curious item I was told was that everyone in Georgia knows how to take a blood pressure. I don’t know how or why they are taught, but in the schools teachers who are on break or lunch practice taking each other blood pressure. Now, most of the people in Georgia are not overweight; however, the diet consists of so much salt and carbs I wonder why more people are not overweight. Maybe all the walking or the life style of not sitting consistently has something to do with it. I just found it interesting.

I am really tired, Faithful Readers. It is not so much a physical tired; however I am exhausted most of the time – but it is more an emotional or maybe a mental tired. I think this is (maybe) week seven or eight (most times I don’t even know what day it is) and I just realized that I am trying to make sense of things based on what I know as a citizen of the United States; however, life here cannot totally fit into the what I know.

Just one more share….GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is an organization  (leadership camp for girls 14-17) that began three years ago as a Peace Corp project. An email was sent looking for G14’s (me) to apply and be part of this year long project. I am thinking about and gathering more information. It sounds like a terrific project. I will keep you posted.

All the Best, Catherine, G14 – 6/18/14

დიდი მადლობა - Thank you

didi madloba

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

Blog, June 14, 2014

Hello, it is Saturday!

I am posting today, instead of Sunday, as my internet service expires today. I am going to refill at one of the “pay boxes” in Khashuri and hopefully I will be able to accomplish this J, but just in case. The “pay boxes” are very cool. They are shaped like the old video arcade game housing and are located on the streets and in some stores.  You can refill text and phone balances as well as internet. I am sure there are other things you can do on the box, but that is all I know at the moment…..

The Blog begins….

This past week we (the trainees) participated in a lecture on the various regions within Georgia. It was presented by the women who are our language coaches as well as our overall culture guides in the villages and towns.  We are very fortunate, in that, each one of our coaches comes from one of the regions (listed below) that Peace Corps assigns volunteers into for the permanent two year assignment.  For all my geography friends out there, I will give you the locations so you can google.

Sheida Kartill  Region; Kverno Kartli Region;  Kakcheti Region; Mtskheta Mtianeti Region; Samtskhe Javakheti Region; Imereti Region;  Guria Region;  Samegrelo Region; Adjara Region and Racha Lechichumi Region.

I will be assigned into one of these regions. I could spend the entire blog talking about the regions and what they have to offer as each of the regions has its own unique flavor; however, I will just speak of the region on the Black Sea (Adjara Region.)  This area is known as a very popular tourist site and a lot of the G14’s (that is my group) have been biting at the bit to visit this area.  The two main areas are “Batumi” and “Kovoleti” (or at least these are most spoken of). There are (333) villages in this region, along with (2) cities and (1) town.  I’ve heard the beaches are wonderful. I seriously doubt if I will be assigned to this area, but as I said in previous blogs, I will know where I will be assigned on Thursday, June 19^th.

I miss my privacy and solitude. Back in the States I never took for granted my “alone time.” I don’t have much of that now. Although I do have some privacy (my own room that locks as PC policy states that all volunteers must have a room that locks), my host family (and the dog) often come to visit me. I do like that they come up to see me (I am on the second floor); but again, I cannot really be free anticipating someone coming up.

The mornings are challenging for my solitude, as first of all I don’t have coffee any longer. The instant coffee is just awful here so I have been drinking hot tea. The tea is OK, but I sure do miss a good cup of coffee in the morning.  When I come to breakfast in the morning the television is already on and the volume is up (the host grandmother is very hard of hearing), the dog is crying continuously for his breakfast and my host brother and sister are verbally fighting over something. If they are not then they are arguing with their father. Here in Georgia people talk loud and holler at lot.  Most of the time I have no idea what they are saying, but due to the high level of voice tone it sure seems important.  I often take my tea and go outside because up until I left the States the loudest noise I heard in the morning was my automatic coffee pot alerting me that it was done. Having people to interact with this early in the morning will take some time to get used to.

School ended this week and I think we were all happy about that. For the final 4^th grade class, we (the co-teachers and I) had a class outside on the grass. It was a beautiful day. Lots of sun and it was breezy. The mountains in the background always give the area around the school and the village overall a majestic feel. The children were over the moon about having a class outside and so were the teachers. We played a couple of games; for example, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Wolf, what time is it? I had never played the game before and I don’t want to go into a description (please google); but, in any event I got in line with the kids and played along. One of our teacher supervisors was on location to observe and she could not believe that I got in line, held the children’s hands and played right along.  As the game was re-set for another round, I became a wolf. The kids were running and screaming while all the while I was trying to eat them. It was great fun and there was no language barrier. We also played Simon Says and something called Red light, Green light. I love to play games with my favorite granddaughters back in the states J, so having the children to play with made me feel right at home with them.  We are going to have a three day summer camp in July, so there will be more opportunities to act like a silly ten year old.

More helicopters flying overhead here in Osiauri. I’m told they are doing some kind of testing, but it seems a bit odd to see and hear them in the sky. In the states it would seem odd not to see and hear them, but the village does not seem like an appropriate venue for the likes of the helicopter. I sometimes feel that way when cars come into the village. At times I feel pushed back into time living here in the village. When the satellite dishes, cars and helicopter intrude into the space of the village it brings me back to present time reality. Hum, time travel in the Peace Corps.

I wanted to share a couple of funny moments in language class, as there are not many (non-painful) moments to share so I want to focus on them when I can. The first is that there is no “orange color” in the language. If you want to refer to “orange” you say “Carrot Color.”  I thought that was funny.  Also, I’ve noticed that when trying to think of words or phrases to respond to the questions asked by the teacher we all “look to our eye lids” or “looking up at the ceiling” for answers, It is really funny watching this. As the weeks go on the teacher is speaking faster and faster. She also brought in another teacher to speak to us so that we could correspond to how someone else spoke the language.

The room that we take language class is in the school that we teach K-12 in. I know I’ve spoken of the kids, during the period of class change, use the hallways as a kind-of recess area. Noises that should be outside fill the halls inside. It is very hard to hear over the racket; as well as the students are so curious about us that they knock on our door or push notes under the door.  Now that school is finished I’ve asked our teacher about the possibility of moving to another room with better lighting. The room that we are currently in has four overhead fluorescent lights that each have two long blubs or tubes in them. In our language room only one of the overhead fixtures work and then only one of the two bulbs or tubes light. In addition, the bulb that does work clicks on and off at random. The light that works is near the white board so that is good, but when it clicks off it is difficult to see. I always have to sit by the window as I use the natural light to see; however, at times when it is raining or just generally not sunny I need the flashlight on my phone to help me see. I have noticed other rooms with working overhead lighting, so I am hoping now that school is out we can change rooms.

The houses in the village have many rooms and each of the rooms, including the kitchen, has at least one bed in it. In some houses there are even beds outside, that is if there is a overhead cover of some kind. This is to accommodate guests who come and visit. Some houses have their kitchen table outside. When it is not raining it is very pleasant to sit outside and eat. The living room, if there is one, is only used during formal times and for company. Most families use the kitchen as a gathering place and of course the kitchen also has the wood burning stove (pechi) so it is the warmest place. My host family does not have a (pechi), they have a gas heater. They also have a hot water heater (wonderful for hot showers). The gas heater is located in the kitchen/dining room area. We don’t have to go out and chop wood as most other families do in order to have heat or hot water. The Georgian people are very proud of their refrigerators. One of the first things my host family showed me when I arrived was their refrigerator. It is not big, by US standards; although it is about 5 feet tall.  I’ve not bought any food that would require refrigeration, so I have not used it. However, I don’t believe the host grandmother uses it a lot. Very often, in the mornings, I see food on the stove (in pots or pans) that were had for dinner the night before. Fried foods are also very popular here. The Georgian people eat a lot of salami type meats. Most times they just cut it up and serve it cold, but at other times it is fried. Chicken and fish are also fried, along with potatoes.  Potato - კარტოფილი - pronounced “kartopili.” 

Basically, the potato is the main staple of my diet here.

We recently had a seminar on “The Soviet Legacy here in Georgia.”  After many years of independence Georgia is still struggling to find its way. Many of the older generation are nostalgic about the Russian period and they still speak Russian.  The seminar was given to provide some explanation or understanding as to why Georgia is the way it is.

 The seminar talked about - During soviet times the government did everything for the people and the people didn’t have to think about much of anything. The people got used to this kind of lifestyle; however, it also fostered a lack of responsibility and also laziness within the culture. This lack of responsibility was encouraged and the people became very used to this way of life. There was no motivation to personally grow and really didn’t know how to take care of themselves. There was very little analysis, by the people, of what was happening and why. Pretty much, people just accepted what was given.  The people didn’t have the sense that they were responsible for themselves and their communities, as they were used to having someone else do it for them. These attitudes or life styles persist today and can be attributed to why Georgia is still struggling to find its way.  The idea of a pluralistic society is foreign to most. 

Entertaining the possibility of more than one idea at a time or questioning the status quo is uncomfortable and avoided. The Birzha is a remnant of the soviet legacy. That is the place where men go and hang out and basically do nothing except socialize. People pretty much stay “within the lines” here in Georgia, They keep to the same patterns without much deviation. Things are changing, but it is slow.

There are stores here in Georgia called “Goodwill.” Of course, when I heard this term I kept thinking of the stores in the states with the same name; however, here in Georgia “Goodwill” is a supermarket. It offers a range of products and high quality service which also includes many US products. There are only three of these stores here in Georgia. I need a car to get to one of the locations, so I won’t be going anytime soon; but, I am so hoping to buy some tuna fish when I am able to go also peanut butter. From the little that I’ve read on these stores it sounds almost like a “Whole Foods” market.

Friend - noun მეგობარი

The word is pronounced “Megobari” and it means friend. Previous volunteers have taken on a project that pairs in-coming volunteers with volunteers presently in-country. The Megobari system is just great. We begin speaking to our Megobari before we come into the country. They provide useful information to help in-coming volunteers with what to pack, etc. My Megobari is actually in the states, at the moment, so I won’t get to meet her as they schedule a picnic so everyone can meet.

So, I am off to my language test and hopefully to fill my internet stick. It is not raining presently and the weather is cool, 68 degrees.

Take care, My Faithful Readers, Catherine, G14

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

Blog, June 11, 2014

Hello My Faithful Readers:

All of the PC trainees went on a cultural day trip (here in Georgia) on Sunday; but, I chose not to go. As a result, my Sunday was very restful and productive. The PC gave suggestions as to locations nearby that travel and exploring could be done in a day for the cultural trip and everyone had to make their own travel arrangements. Many people went to “Sighnaghi” in the “Kakcheti” region of Georgia. This is the biggest region in Georgia -  East. I’m told it is called the “Town of Love.” I will write more about the regions at a later date. However, I am so glad I made the decision not to go on the cultural trip, as I was able to arrange a tutoring session with my teacher and take the “Marsh” into Khashuri to explore some on my own. It was great. Now, this is BIG news (for me), as I was able to find a lamp. And if that was not BIG enough, I was able to discuss price (in Georgian) and buy the lamp (with a bulb). I can now do my language homework without using the LL Bean headlamp to see, as the lighting in my room is very poor and my host family didn’t have a lamp to lend me. Also with the help of the PC doctors (on the phone), I was able to buy rubbing alcohol at the Pharmacy. This is not a common, on the shelf, pharmacy item here in Georgia so I needed help talking with the pharmacy staff so they knew what I wanted. I will let you know when I open it if I got rubbing alcohol. As an added bonus, I was able to get 3 bananas that cost almost 2 GEL. Each GEL is worth 1.75 USD, so I treasure my bananas, as well as eat them J. There will be plenty of time to explore Georgia during the two years of my service; right now I need to have a day to catch my breath and get myself ready for the marathon that I have to run each week.

I do have a story about the Pharmacy. I was so excited walking into the Pharmacy to see rows and rows of products. Everything from shampoo to baby items (and everything in-between); however, I was not able to just look around. I had two pharmacy staff people standing with me asking me I imagine (in Georgian) what I wanted. I really just wanted to look around for a bit, but they would not let me. I got the feeling just looking was not allowed. They kept asking “shampoo”; so that is when I called the doctor to help me with the rubbing alcohol issue. When they were busy with the phone conversation, I did have a bit of time to look. I was able to buy some “OFF” that will help with the summer bugs.

Everyone seems to have a backgammon game here in Georgia. Now, these are not new games. I mean that the box the game comes in looks very, very old. I was surprised to see that each home that I was at (in the village) had a similar type backgammon game. My host father and son play the game in the evening. I don’t know how to play, so maybe I will learn once I can speak enough Georgian to know what I am doing.

Speaking of host families, my host grandmother (who is actually 85 – I previously reported that she was 83), has a difficult time with hearing; however, she moves like the wind and blasts the TV. When we sit together for meals she does not eat with me or the family. I ask her to eat, but she just shakes her head. She will sit with us; however, the entire time she is just looking at me (really staring). It is a little un-nerving having someone watch you eat; especially when I am not that thrilled with the food but I don’t want to be dis-respectful so I eat a little bit of everything. This whole exercise of eating with a host family is so new to me; as I have lived alone for many years and for the most part took all or most of my meals alone. There are no restaurants in the village, or even café’s or coffee shops; so, I need to eat either with my host family or with the PC cluster that I do language and teaching sessions with everyday. This will take some getting used to, as I really do prefer to eat alone on the daily basis.  Eat -ჭამა (t’chama)

I wanted to talk a little about the lesson planning that the PC requires for every class that we teach. Given the fact that we have very little time to plan the lesson with the teacher (sometimes the day before or the day of the lesson), my thinking is that we (as we teach with other trainees) plan something uncomplicated and direct to fill a 30 minute session (the sessions are really 45 minutes, but since everyone arrives late and it takes time to settle the class) we get maybe 30-35 minutes. In any event, the trainees that I am working with have other ideas as to how to lesson plan. Honestly, the D-Day plans for invading Europe during WW11 were less complicated than some of the lesson plans. Of course, I am over the top in my assessment; but, I just feel like a deer in the head lights when I am involved in what needs to be done for the lesson. It just makes me so tired thinking about the amount of work that is being created by the other trainees; as often times most of the lesson cannot even be taught as we run out of time. Teaching English to Georgian students is difficult. The 10^th graders barely speak English any better than the 4^th graders.

 Another point that I am not thrilled about is that most lessons, even for the upper grades, need to be presented in the form of a game, e.g., winning points, team wins or something along those lines. I guess I am old school when I think that you don’t need to offer some kind of a reward (every time) for having students do what they need to do to learn. The thinking here is that you need to trick the students into learning. Some of that is valuable, I agree; but, having each lesson include “bells and whistles” of some kind just does not sit right with me. Given the resources and time that we have to prepare for these classes; sometimes it feels like making bricks without straw. The trainees that I am working with are very creative and most, if not all, have had a lot of background of teaching in a classroom; however, I don’t.  They are also a lot younger than me and it takes a great deal of energy to entertain children for any length of time.

I’ve noticed that most doorways have some type of a lip on the floor of the door frame. I have almost tripped a number of times forgetting about it. Now, when I walk in Georgia I cannot lift my head up. I need to constantly look down to manage the rocks and debris on the roads as well as watching how I step through a doorway.  Also in the town of Khushuri there are many steps (up and down) while walking the pavements. I don’t know what purpose they serve, maybe in time I will, but once again, I need to walk carefully so I don’t end up flat on my face.

Around the village I can still see the remains of the original wells that people used as a water source. They are made of stone and have the bucket on the crank wheel so that the water can be brought to the top. Some of the wells are covered with a piece of tin or something like that. It must be my risk management training that I worry about children falling into the wells that are not securely blocked (as most are not firmly covered). No one else seems to be concerned and I’ve not heard of any stories about people falling in.  I have been aware that at times my host brother does not go to school and I didn’t know why. It seems that at times children need to stay home in order to help with whatever the family needs. For example, in my host family’s case it is helping with the cows. I’ve seen young girls pushing wheel barrels filled with “whatever” and the grandmothers walking beside the wheel barrels. I would imagine that the grandmother could never have lifted or pushed it herself. I’ve seen young people using a pole type stick to move the cows off the road and into the shed. Once again, I am living memories of my youth; not that I moved cows or wheel barrels in South Philadelphia. However, back in the day (50+ years ago) I was kept home at times in order to help out either with younger siblings or help with something that needed to be done in the house. Children were also kept home at times to keep various family members company.  I remember not being happy about staying home; but one really didn’t have a choice. It is just the way it was done.  I wonder how the young children, here in the village, who are charged with the role of being a helper feel about it? I am also struck with how many memories of my childhood have been brought to the surface living here in this village. This is something I didn’t anticipate.

American -ამერიკელი

It is pronounced (Amerikeli). One of the great things about being in Georgia is the fact that “It is good to be an American in Georgia.” We are welcomed here and people make you feel so comfortable.  I feel very proud that I am American here. When we talk to the older students about travel we hear that most want to go to America. Some say Paris and also Jamaica but the place in the US that we hear most often is New Orleans. I don’t know why that location is selected; as when we ask the students some say their favorite movie star is from there and others just don’t know. When I walk through the village I often hear “Amerikeli”, as maybe saying that could explain the stranger (or my strangeness) that I am. I hear other words also but I have no idea what else they are saying. I can imagine though as when it is raining and I am walking with my white trash bag (poncho) – Upenn gave them out for graduation in the event of rain, I can imagine what they are saying as they can see me coming a mile away J

Helicopters are a strange sight here is Osiauri. Actually since I’ve been here I have not even heard a plane overhead let alone a helicopter. I often look into the sky as it is so clear and blue (when it is not raining), and there are nothing but birds in the sky. However, recently (I have no idea why) I’ve seen and heard a couple of helicopters flying overhead at different times. I would not even know who or what to ask as to why. Yes, readers…another question to ponder.

I will close for now. This weekend should be a little slow so I will write again. We are having our mid-evaluation with the Program Director. The PC does a lot of assessment and evaluation on-goingly. The staff is very good at reading what we write and they following-up if need be. There will also be a language oral examination this weekend as I’m sure it will factor into where we are placed in our permanent assignments. As always, I will do my best.

Permanent Assignment selection is scheduled for Thursday, June 19^th.

My Best to You All - Catherine, G14 

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