Blog, September 16^th, 2014

Hello My Faithful Readers:

Read on, Read on (often in Georgia they say things twice).

 The first photo is of course (me) in the vineyard (described below) and the second photo is the mountains surrounding the area. I don't know if the mountain picture will do it justice, it was just beautiful.

My host family has a vineyard someplace very close to Sagarejo. For the last couple of months I have been hearing about the vineyard and that we are all going to harvest the grapes at some point in September (they make their own wine). So, on Sunday I was told that we were all going to the vineyard. There must have been 14 people that included almost all members of the host family and extended family (with children) making the trek to harvest the grapes. We had three cars to accommodate all.  We were a sight so see!

We arrived at the vineyard and honestly, it is in such a remote area I could never find it again. Also, how they know what parcel of land belongs to them as there are many parcels with grapes growing. We were handed scissors and buckets and away we went. The barbed wire was tricky as that is how the vines are secured. I almost decapitated myself in my hurry to get to the grapes. They are little yellow grapes, almost like Champaign grapes. We went up and down the rows and collected bucket after bucket of grapes. It was a beautiful day to do it as it was a little overcast and there was a nice breeze. The surrounding mountains were just beautiful. I felt like a surgeon trying to get the vines away from the barbed wire. The family kept telling me to sit and rest but I was having too much fun to stop.

Eventually all the grapes were picked and secured in large plastic bags. At that point my host father started a fire. I was clueless as to what was happening. I thought maybe now that all the grapes were picked we needed to burn what was left of the vines; but, that was not the case. They brought out pork and began to put the pork on swords (you know what I mean).  They put the pork on a make shift hibachi and the cooking began. My mouth was watering as we all watched the men turning the pork and salting it down. They then brought about 10 loaves of bread. Really, 10 loaves along with plates, napkins, glasses, wine and cha-cha.  A table cloth was laid out on the ground and we started eating the tomatoes. It was a wonderful treat. 

This was a tradition that has been done many times before so they know the drill. As we were finishing up one of the family members was pushed to the ground and everybody started to make her roll along the area that we were sitting. Everyone was laughing and I didn’t know what to make of it; but, they said this was part of the tradition. One member of the group gets to do “the roll” which is supposed to be good luck. The rolling is to represent “rolling into the future for the next good harvest.”  I was so thankful that they didn’t pick me (HA!) for the roll!

It was a wonderful day and experience I won’t soon forget. I had thought about going to Tbilisi and would have missed it had I’d gone. They do things like this in Georgia, like don’t tell you in advance. I guess everyone knows (except I don’t). Which brings me to talking about life in Georgia….

Ah, Life in Georgia will/does take some time to get used to.

 Let me give you a couple of examples. One example is that most of the time you don’t know in advance what is going to happen or when (as evidenced by my almost missing the vineyard). Also, I was told by a number of people, and especially PCV’s, that the Georgian people think of some things as being “community property”. Everybody gets to use whatever anyone else has. Most times the item is used without asking if it is OK or not – it is just assumed that what is yours is also available to everyone.  One volunteer said that she had left some peanut butter out on her desk (that she received in a care package from home) and when she returned at the end of the day the peanut butter was completely gone. She had forgotten to store it away when she left to attend class for the day. The family didn’t have any hesitation in saying that they ate it. The item was in plain view, so available to the everyone. The family even said how wonderful it was; however, from that point on the PCV made sure that she didn’t forget to store it away again. She didn’t mind sharing; and didn’t like that she had to store things away. But, if she didn’t she would not have anything left and we do need snacks and such to keep up between meals. The same goes with anything left in the refrigerator. It does not matter if you tell everyone that you are putting some food in the frig for yourself for the next day. The next day it is gone. Mostly this seems to happen when things are left out in plain sight – so I guess the rule of thumb would be “put it out of sight” if you don’t want it to be considered “community property” J

Oh well, this is a custom that will require getting used to. The “community property” custom is in keeping with the limited amount of privacy one gets here in Georgia. I do have some privacy here; but people still just knock once and then walk into my room. I say “wait a minute”, but it does not work.  I am sure this happens in America; it is just that I’ve lived alone for so long in America I have not had to deal with situations like this in a long time. The PC has a rule that every volunteer must have a room with a lock. Although I don’t lock my room when I go out; however, I know (especially the grandmother) goes in to my room and looks around.  Also, it also does not matter if you are involved in a project or are on the phone, as if the family wants you to meet someone or come to the table you just have to stop what you are doing and go. It does take some getting used to. They do look at you odd if you say you can’t come right at that minute.

People here in Georgia do the “drop-in.” Now, I have not been party to the “drop-in” in decades. I remember the “drop-in” from my childhood.” That is when people just arrive un-announced. In addition (here in Georgia), they stay for hours and hours and sometimes even days as a result of the “drop-in.” One example is a relative who has two small children (ages 1 year and 4 years). She “drops-in” at 8:00am and stays, sometimes, all day. The children are wonderful, beautiful children; however, they are children and require lots of attention. They are also LOUD. In my old life, people don’t, or maybe rarely just “drop-in.” When the “drop-in” happens all your plans go out the window. And this would not be a bad thing, but sometimes the “drop-in” happens multiple times during the day/week.  This is the way they do things here and I am going to have to find ways to adjust to it.  As I told the PC recruiter when she interviewed me “If I wanted life to be the same I would stay in America.” My goal was to live in another culture and that is what is happening J

Dogs here in Georgia are a BIG problem. I thought that they need to have a “dog catcher” department; however, when I think of all that would need to be put in place to have that happen – well, I don’t think that will happen. The Georgian people need so many other things, like keeping the water and electricity flowing. In any event, the dogs just wander around the community. Most, if not all, limp in some fashion as if they have been hit with a car or something else. They look so skinny and always seem to be hunting for food. They also run in packs which scares me no end.  I have only seen one dog with a collar and I have actually seen a dog being walked on a leash (which is so unusual). The PC is always putting information in our weekly bulletins to tell us what to do in the event that we have a run in with a dog. Someone told me that if you do make eye contact with the dog (which is something you should never do), pick up a rock. Even by the act of just picking up a rock the dog will run away. The dogs seem to be conditioned to knowing what comes next after the rock is picked up.

 I know I wrote about this previously but now the problem has landed on my doorstep. The family has this dog which, I’ve been told, was inherited from a neighbor. This dog is fairly benign; but, he (I think it’s a he) barks like his limbs are being amputated. He barks at everything. The suddenness of his barking startles me to the point where I want to throw a bucket of water on the dog. It is very un-nerving.  What is happening is that this dog has brought home other dogs. At last count there were five dogs. These dogs range in size where the biggest is as tall as my hip. The property of my host family is not completely secure with fencing so the dogs know how to get in and out. At night, especially, the dogs fight. I hear with growling as well as the whimpering and crying. In the morning some of the planters are overturned. To me all this feels like chalk/fingernails on a blackboard and yet no one else seems to be distressed or upset about any of this. In fact most times the family just laughs and thinks It is funny when I tell them I am upset or afraid of these dogs sleeping on the top of steps that lead to where all the bedrooms are location.  At times they chase the dogs but they also keep feeding the dog they inherited, so it just goes around in circles. I keep asking “no food for the dog” (in Georgian) but it is not working.  The last time I saw the inherited dog (most dogs don’t have names) he was limping and was looking for anyplace he could find to lay down.

Well, enough about all that. I may have to get the Peace Corps involved. I was hoping that I could resolve this on my own; but it does not seem to be working. Up until now I have not had an issue this serious so I found other ways of resolving the any of the problems I have had.

The water situation is becoming critical. It seems that we have water in the morning (thank goodness), but as the day goes on the water stops flowing. Also the electricity seems to be going dark more often than it did over the summer. As a result of this, showers are now getting fewer and far between. Dishes are mostly left in the sink after dinner.  I was on a twice a week schedule and now, well it is not a full week in-between bathing, but close to it. In addition, there is so little water coming out of the shower head that we have to take bucket baths. Now, I just LOVE this. I was so surprised at how much better the bucket bath is compared to the shower.

The bucket needs to be heated on the stove. My host mom fills the bucket about half way and then adds cold water. Sometimes the hot water heater provides some hot water. The water is a little better than warm in the bucket and it is really nice. It is MORE of a production now to take a shower than it has been. Ah, the days of water running fully at my home in America (both hot and cold) were not fully appreciated. You cannot imagine the JOY I feel when, in the morning, when I can brush my teeth with spigot water rather than finding water in the bucket or having to run to the 2^nd floor to get water from my water filter.

My tutoring class has been going very well. I feel that I am learning a lot. I never had any doubt that I would make the required language level that the PC sets, and now I am absolutely certain.  My tutor is a good match for me. She wants to work more than an hour; however, I just cannot absorb more than what is given in the hour. I’ve begun to put small sentences together, it feels really good. During the PC training period we worked every day (except Sunday) four hours a day. It moved so fast I was nauseous at times. I felt incompetent and remedial during this period and I know I am neither. I always knew that I could attain a level of the language if only it was presented slower so that I could have more time to absorb and apply it. The tutoring I have now is my reward for my hanging in J.

My tutor speaks both English and Georgian. She is so interested in words like “YEAH” what does it mean? She is also amazed at the grammar of Georgian, because as a native speaker she just does not think about the grammar when speaking. The hour goes quickly and I look forward to the class (go-figure – HA).

She lives on the 5^th floor of an apartment building. Climbing 5 flights after walking down the mountain certainly keeps me alert! The apartment building is across the street from the school I will be teaching in, so that is a plus. Some PCV’s have to walk to other villages to have tutoring sessions. I have it fairly easy.

In addition to the homework I get from my tutor, the PC also sends me WEEKLY home work that needs to be done and submitted, electronically, each week. It takes me about five hours or so in total (spread throughout the week) to get it done. The PC then reviews what I submitted and makes corrections and sends back. There is still so much I don’t understand, but some of it is familiar. There are lots of corrections, but I also learn a lot.  I also need to figure out how to look up words in Georgian in the dictionary. Their dictionary is organized by the Georgian letter; however, I don’t know how to find a word within the section. That is on the to-do list.

The PC pays for my lessons. This is a wonderful benefit. I pay the tutor and then submit a form (of course) and then the PC reimburses me. They pay for tutors even if you make the required language level, so when I successfully pass my test I can still continue with the tutor if I want. I will wait see about that as the tutoring sessions and the homework take a LOT of time. We shall see as time goes forward.

I attended a meeting of the IWA (International Women’s Association) recently in Tbilisi. It was held at the Holiday Inn and I can’t begin to tell you what a treat that was. Ah, “Civilization!!”  The hotel is beautiful. While waiting for the meeting to start I noticed many buses pull up at the front of the hotel and bus load of tourist filed out. It is a very modern, fairly new. There were lots of WESTERN bathrooms and comfortable chairs.

I could not believe how many people attended the meeting. I bet there were 120-130 women, and they were bringing in more chairs during the meeting. This organization has been in existence for some time, so lots of members know each other. It was like a reunion. They had a spread of food including, REAL American coffee, tea, all kinds of pastry, sandwiches, fruit, nuts…ah, heaven could not be better J.  I sat with a group of women whose husbands work at the American Embassy. I could not have picked a better table. I made lots of great connections and had terrific conversations. Women from all over the world belong to the group and for one reason or another they have stayed in Georgia. Countries represented Korea, China, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, America, Canada and of course Georgia – to name a few. I’m told that for every non-Georgian that becomes a member a Georgian will get a free membership, as it costs 100Gel to join.

The little I know about the group tells me I want to belong; however, they meet during the week in Tbilisi and I may not be able to participate due to my school schedule. I am hopeful that I can arrange it so that I can make the meeting once a month. They have lots of clubs within the group; for example, lots, lots of language classes in so many different languages, book , food, crafts (as they have an annual charity event selling crafts), walking – I could go on. Also, they providing funding (grants) for ideas people want to see happen. It is a non-religious, political and governmental organization so none of those endeavors would be supported. I so want to involved in many of these activities; however, again living in Sagarejo may prove difficult to do this.  I so thoroughly enjoyed myself.

After the meeting I walked and walked in Tbilisi. I wanted to explore as I had not really been in this part of the city before. I was somewhat familiar as this area was on the marsh route that I traveled recently. There were so many stores. I found a couple of APPLE stores. Of course lots of clothing and shoes stores, book stores, cafes, etc., etc., It was terrific just walking in Tbilisi as usually I am on the metro and don’t get to see what it above ground. I ended up at the PC office as I had to pick up some items in my cubby. I got to connect with some of the PC staff and at that point I was ready to come home. 10 hours in Tbilisi is enough for me. I ended the day by getting a Schwarma (sp)? – it is a sandwich that I really like.

As I said before, I never think I am going to have enough to fill a couple of pages and yet here I am again writing a book. I just love sharing all these adventures and my thoughts about what is happening. I so appreciate your wanting to take your time and ride along with me.

Best to all, Catherine Lawrence, G14  - 9/16/14

Peace Corps Volunteer/Georgia

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