Blog, October 19^th, 2014

Hello, My Faithful Readers

I have included a photo of “me” in the garden at the home of my host family. I am wearing one of the outfits I found in the used clothing box at the Peace Corps Office. It feels good to have something on that does not need safety pins or is not three sizes too big (such problems!)J . The second photo is another view of the road that I walk home on (part of my exercise program)!

Last week we had two holidays here in Georgia. The first was Columbus Day which, of course, the Georgian people don’t celebrate. However, the PC office does celebrate Columbus Day. They celebrate by closing the PC office for both Georgian and American holidays. The next day was a Georgian holiday (Tuesday, 10/14/14).  The GOOD NEWS all the schools are CLOSED for the holiday. Yipee!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Svetitskhovloba-Day of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

Georgian national holiday

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Svetitskhovloba

My host family LOVES peanut butter.  I bought a jar for the family and everyone just looked at the label and gave me the question look. Trying to explain PB was useless, so I just opened up the jar and poked my spoon into it (they don’t have chunkey here, only smooth PB). Of course, I love PB also, so my eyes rolled and I smiled. They each grabbed a spoon  - კოვზი (kovzi) and dug in. I was so happy to see that they liked it also. They said “its American” when the host father asked what is was. The jar is almost gone, of course my spoon added to the jar’s demise!

http://www.americancouncils.ge/flex/

At the end of October I will be participating in the exam process for the FLEX program here in Tbilisi, Georgia. FLEX – Future Leaders Exchange Program.  An entire day is dedicated to the testing process for students who have applied for consideration into the program.  I will be proctoring the exam and I am sure I will be involved in other aspects of the program. I will be working with PCV’s Mary and Bear (I am sure there is a story involved in that name) to cover the event for the Peace Corps. I have been communicating with this husband and wife PC team via email, but we have never met. I am looking forward to meeting them and for the three of us to have dinner in Tbilisi after the day is over. 

As a reward, and also because the day ends too late to get the marsh back to our sites, we have arranged to stay over in Tbilisi. This will be my first sleep over, away from site, since I arrived here in Georgia. After Mary made arrangements for her and Bear she sent me the link so I could reserve a room for myself. I am SO LOOKING forward to this. I will have a double bed and a BATHROOM in my hotel room. I may never come out of the shower. J The room is a little pricey; but, heck I am worth it. The description also said I will have a balcony, but maybe it will be too cold to sit outside.  Ah, I will have WATER and not only that but HOT WATER. I dream about thisJ. Believe me, you will get a full blow-by-blow description when I return. Stay tuned!  http://www.hotelorion.ge/Tbilisi/

Speaking of water….here in Sagarejo the water situation is really getting old; and yet, I am only at the beginning of this challenge. All summer we had water without a problem. However, I am told that because so many families on the road that I live on pull up stakes for the winter and move elsewhere, the water flow is adjusted. That means very little or no water. I am so annoyed when I turn on the spigot and no water. At times, when there is water, it is brown and yuckey. I am thankful that the water does not smell; but, it is terrible to look at. I must remember to always bring my water bottle when going to brush my teeth. Forget about washing face and hands. In addition, when there is water it is COLD. I imagine the hot water heater cannot do its job with so little water available. 

The good news is (I always have to look of the good side) is that when I can wash my face (in cold water) I am shocked into being awake!  OMG, because nothing is insulated I wonder how the pipes don’t freeze (or maybe they do). The family always has big buckets of water around (obtained when there is water) so they can heat (the bucket) for the bucket shower and also to use to flush the toilet. Many members of the family use the outhouse; however, I don’t want to do that unless I have to. The good news is the time spent in the bathroom is critically limited. You do what you need to do and GET OUT. The bathroom door to the outside (outhouse) closes but you can see and feel the air pushing in. I now have a bag that I take to the bathroom and it consists of toilet paper (you never know when the roll ends up in the outhouse), water bottle, towel, toothbrush and paste. Sometimes during the day the water comes back on and you just never know when that will be – so, as the boy scouts say “Be Prepared” as the water may turn off if I go back to my room and pickup my bathroom bag.  Nothing is easy here!

November 2nd begins daylight savings time in the US. I don’t think they have DST here in Georgia; so, instead of being eight hours ahead of the USA I would be 7 hours ahead….need to check this out.

I recently had a nasty case of Montezuma revenge. I had to miss a day of school and ended up in bed for most of the weekend. I don’t know what brought it on. I do try and be careful with what I eat; however, maybe it was just something going around.  My family and many families here in Georgia don’t refrigerate food once it is cooked. If there is food left over it will either get put in the cabinet (keep away from the cats that just jump up on the table and help themselves) or on the window sill. I am ever vigilant of this so that I know I won’t eat it the second time around. No one else seems to have a problem with this practice. The PC did warn us about this and recommended that we tell the families to make sure they place left over food in the refrigerator. However old habits die hard and most times the families just go back and do what they always do. Also, the refrigerator is very small in my house; so, maybe the food won’t fit. 

I just read that the Peace Corps has an ALL VOLUNTEER conference the week before Thanksgiving. At that time I will have a language test to see if I have moved up in language ranking and also lots of training sessions (which will be outlined once I get the program). Also, there is a Thanksgiving dinner, I’m told. The volunteers take charge of this and the Peace Corps provides the beverages (soft) and the turkeys. I say plural turkey as there was be about 120 people sit down to celebrate Thanksgiving. I am a G14 (so everyone in that group) as well as the G13 (everyone in that group). The staff, tutors, coaches, etc., etc.,,,lots of folks. We were asked when we arrived back in April to bring with us items for the dinner. For example, powdered cheese, and vegetable soup mix and things like that. There is a big box at the Peace Corps Office to place Thanksgiving food items into. This should be a wonderful experience.

I remember back in 2006 (when I was in India) we were traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday period. We stayed at a small hotel so our group filled the entire hotel. As a result, we had the dining room to ourselves. On Thanksgiving night we pushed all the tables together and made one long table. We had Indian food for dinner that night. No turkey and all the trimmings; however, I still remember how wonderful it was to celebrate that holiday so far from home and the United States. I think it will be the same here in Georgia. I think that knowing what you are thankful for is important to remember on that holiday. 

Prospero’s Book shop in Tbilisi. http://www.prosperosbookshop.com/

I’ve been hearing about the book shop for months now and finally had to make a trip into Tbilisi to check it out. This bookstore specializes in books in English. They have a fairly decent selection and also a children section; however, most of the store is dedicated to coffee and related products.  It has been six months since I have been in a library or a bookstore; and I was having withdrawal symptoms. So, away I went to Prospero’s. It was the first time that I’ve been in the area that the bookstore is in. It is on Rustaveli Street, which is a very big street. I wanted to walk to explore the area and not take a bus or a marsh. In my travels on Rustaveli  I found the Marriott Hotel and lots of other shops (some high end and some bargain basement). It was a lot of fun. I just love exploring in this way. I finally arrived at the Bookstore and it was OK. As I said, lots of tables and chairs for people to sit and work of their computers and or socialize. I was hoping for a “cheap bin of books” to look through; but, not to be had. I don’t think I will make a trip back as the books were very expensive and I have other resources for my reading addiction. The PC has a library that would take me decades to get through (and more books are added every day).

The good news on Rustaveli Street was that there is a McDonalds near the metro stop. I have not had a McDonalds in (I bet) twenty years. So, I treated myself (breakfast) to a Big Mac. It was really good, or maybe I was really hungry. To be honest I could have eaten a few more; but, I did restrain myself.  The last couple of days there has not been a lot of food here in my host family house. There is always potatoes and bread on the table; but, as much as I love potatoes having the same thing everyday gets really old. It was great having a sandwich in my hands and it was an American burger….I can taste the difference J

My day in Tbilisi consisted of: McDonalds for Breakfast and a pizza for lunch. There is a GREAT pizza restaurant (Ronny’s) not too far from the PC Office. It is almost like being in America. I ordered the “medium” and didn’t realize how big it was. I got lots of funny looks from folks in the restaurant when they brought the pizza. “Is she really going to eat all that?”  Well, of course I didn’t but it was terrific having LOTS of food before me for the taking. Leftovers went home with me for dinner. It was a wonderful food day.

The National English Spelling Competition (NESC) is beginning here in Georgia. I have listed the FACEBOOK link which provides all the information. You DO NOT have to be a FACEBOOK member to obtain the information.  This is really exciting stuff here. This is the 3^rd year of the competition and it has been a BIG success in helping students with spelling English words. The FB site does have the words listed that the students will need to spell. They are broken down into two sets. The first set is for grades 8 and 9; and, the second set is for grades 10, 11 and 12. The Georgian people are very big on competition; so, this spelling competition has been a hit.

www.facebook.com/NESC.Georgia (ENG)

www.facebook.com/martlweris.konkursi (GEO)

I have started sessions with the students to work on learning the words.  Students actually showed up…that surprised me. Six students came the first day and seven students came the second day. We worked for an hour, as that is the ceiling for their attention span – these are 8^th graders.

Good News: Wanted to share good news with you and that is I've been published in an on-line newspaper (see link below). Initial I was asked to write from a political perspective here in Georgia; however, as a PCV I am not permitted to get involved in politics (on any level). So, the publisher agreed to print my piece in the Life-Arts section....a friend of a friend (based on my blog) thought that I would be a good match. 

I am going to write a series or chronicle or diary (not sure what and is there a difference between the three categories) - but they will be written by me from the perspective of an older volunteer up-rooting her life and beginning again. I think my next piece will be about the “marsh” – as this vehicle “the marsh” is such a BIG part of my life here in Georgia.  

Your article titled: My Second Act
has been accepted and is now published on the OpEdNews website at:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/My-Second-Act-by-Catherine-Lawrence-Hope_Peace_Retired_Second-City-141012-148.html

Dogs: All has been quiet here for me in Sagarejo as far as the dogs are concerned. For some reason I don’t feel afraid; however, I am ever vigilant walking. I connected with the Peace Corps Safety and Security Officer and she gave me the “dog zapper.”  You can hold this device in your hand and push a button to release a zap. I’ve not tried it yet. I have to see if it works on batteries…probably. Like I said in an earlier blog, sometimes it works and other times it does not – but, I will take my chances that it will work when I need it (don’t have a choice). I don’t have any hope that the country will take any action concerning the horrible state-of-affairs where the dogs are concerned. It is very sad.

Well, life is moving really fast here in Georgia. It is the middle of October and coming up on being in-country six months. Before I leave you, just a couple more shares….and this goes into the completely useless information file. When you hiccup in Georgia it means that someone is thinking of you….told you it was useless J. 

Also, I took my weekly shower at the Peace Corps office yesterday. It was dreamy. The shower gave me all the hot water that I could stand and for as long as I could stand it. I was the second person in line for the shower and after me other people were waiting. It seems that I am not the only person with water issues at their site. I didn’t even bring a change of clothes; but, heck – I was clean. On the day of my weekly shower I spend a lot of time just sniffing my arms. It feels so good to be clean. The PC office does supply the soap, shampoo, etc….so, the volunteers don’t have to cart that stuff with them. Heaven only knows whose towel I used, but it looked clean. Ah, the things we do when faced with no or little alternatives. I do feel a little better knowing that as the really cold weather descends on me I can go to a really warm place and have a hot shower. It means traveling to Tbilisi, but for me it will be worth it! 

My thanks to all sharing this wild ride with me.  

Best, Catherine Lawrence, G14 – 10/19/14

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.