Sunday, December 20, 2015
Blog, December 20, 2015
20
Months Served/7 Months Remaining
Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year, 2016!
Hello, My Faithful Readers:
Here I am writing my last blog of 2015. I imagine I
could write about all the happenings of this past year of Peace Corps Service;
but, I have already done that in my 2015 blogs. It has been a tremendous year;
actually one of my best. As hard and challenging as my life has been I would
not trade it. So, let me catch you up on what has been happening and what my
plans are to celebrate the holidays.
On December 23rd I will go to Tbilisi to
catch a flight to Zurich, Switzerland. Once in Switzerland I connect with the
River Boat cruise line that I sailed the Danube River last Christmas/NY and I
also sailed the Makong River this past summer. I so enjoy the river cruises as
I feel so taken care of traveling in this way. After four months of living in Sagarejo
and attending and teaching grades 1st to 12th; I really
need to be taken care of. J
I will spend time in Zurich, Lucerne and then travel
to Basel to pick-up the river boat for a sail on the Rhine River. We will
travel through France, Germany and end the tour in Amsterdam. I fly home to
Tbilisi at that point. I am very excited about this trip as I have never been
to any of the cities we will visit. I have posted a copy of the map so you can
see the route the tour will take. Of course, I will give an account of my
adventures when I return in January, 2016.
I’ve also connected with a few SERVAS members in
Zurich and Lucerne and I will be hosted for dinner on the 25th, 26th,
and 27th by different host families. This will be a terrific
experience for me. Not only Christmas in Switzerland (with sailing on Lake
Lucerne, a trip to Mt. Rigi “the Queen of the Swiss Mountains” and/or Mt.
Pilatus (which alleges the mountain is the resting place of Pontius Pilate) –
including views of the Alps (among other adventures); but getting to meet local
SERVAS folks in both Zurich and Lucerne. Life is good, sports fans’J.
All of this even before I board the river boat…..
Before I move onto life as it is at present; I must
say that I am a little sad with missing another Christmas in Philadelphia. I
miss my family as Christmas celebration is really a very special time. I will
survive; but I sure miss celebrating with everyone back home!
Ok, back to Georgia….As part of the new English
Cabinet SPA grant; the school wanted a map of the United States. I had to order
one from Amazon as I could not get one here in Tbilisi (which I thought was
kind of odd). In any event, it is a large map that is laminated so that it will
stand the test of time and students. The
students are always asking me questions about the map; so, I have started to
give little mini-lectures on various states. The students ask me to tell them
about Washington, DC., Philadelphia; LA; Chicago and so on…one-by-one I am
covering each of the states. I am thrilled with this as I feel that I have
their attention. They don’t talk around me or over me; they listen. It has
really been fun for me as I do the research on the States they want to know
about and then share it with the students.
I’ve also been giving mini-lecture on Idioms and
Slang words in English. This has also been lots of fun for both me and the
students. Again, for some reason I am holding their interest. Of course, the
sessions only last about fifteen minutes as the real lesson has to be
accomplished; but, I think in that time the students get a taste of something
new and unfamiliar.
Georgia is not on daylight savings time and that is
a problem for me. Reason being is that when I get up in the morning at 7:00am
or so; it feels like the middle of the night. It is not until almost 8:00am
that there is some light. I have to make my way down to the bathroom using my
flashlight; and towel, toothbrush/paste and of course my chamber pot. It is a
tricky path as trying to balance all this with the steps slippery from the frost
– well, just to say I wish they had daylight savings time. It is still like to
almost 6:00pm; but, what good does that do me.
The Georgian schools don’t have anything on the
order of parent/teacher meetings. I don’t know why I didn’t pick up on this
last year; but then last year I think I was so numb I didn’t realize a lot of
things. In any event, I’m told, that some parents have never stepped inside the
school. They have no idea what their child/children are or have done in the
classroom. The parents of the younger students often times stand around all day
waiting for their children to be finished with school. As with most ideas that I bring up to the
teachers; the idea of instituting parent/teacher night does not gain any
traction and then it just dies a natural death.
Hospitality it said to be a hallmark of Georgia. The
people of Georgia have overall prided themselves in the hospitality that they
offer; however, sometimes I am left to question just exactly what that means. Most
times when people visit hospitality is offered in the form of food or drink;
and that is nice. But, there have been times when I have been walking in the
rain/snow/slush/sunshine when I have seen neighbors and or extended family
members wave to me and ride by in their cars. When I arrive home I see their
cars very close by where I live – so, I question where the hospitality is in
those kinds of actions. I just scratch my head.
I have a new name at the school; as the English
Teachers now call me their angel. I know this is because of the grant and the
money it has provided; but, it is not my money. It is provided by the US
government; but, since I was the go-between I am getting the credit. The grant
was a lot of work and initially I was not very happy to dedicate the time and
energy to prepare it. I did complain a lot (to myself and my friends) and
probably would not have followed through on it if I had known it was not a
requirement of service. I spent almost two months writing and fine tuning the
requirements of the grant as well as working with the school to determine what
they wanted to spend the money on. The
bottom line in all this is that everyone in the school, teachers, students,
parents and me are just thrilled with how it all turned out. We are still
putting the finishing touches on it and many teachers are actually buying
little things to add to the room. In addition to English the Russian teacher is
now also using the room.
I do hope that the new equipment and new
configuration of the room will put to rest the “Broken Window” theory. Below is
a link that will provide information if you are not aware of it. As I Combat this theory in the English Room
it seems to be working. I realize that the desks, chairs and other items in the
room already have been vandalized; however, with my continuous attention of not
allowing further vandalism – the students seem to be avoiding making matters
worse than they already are. I am not sure if anyone has ever told the students
“no, don’t do that!” When I say it, they look at me like I have snakes crawling
out of my hair. Their faces are a mold of “why not?” I am continuously working
to combat this theory. The students pull the heating units away from the wall
and as a result some of the units don’t provide heat any longer. They pull the
black molding around the window away so that the windows don’t close properly.
I could go on; but I am hoping that the English Room will be an example as to
taking ownership of their school to make it the best possible.
We have received books from many donors and I bet we
have about 300 English books which focus on all grades. We also have CD’s and
DVD’s including “Pirates of the Caribbean.” One of the private schools in
Tbilisi has donated old used text books on topics that range from Chemistry to
Literature and everything in-between. PCV’s can take as many books as we can
carry back to our site; so, we now also have lots of reference books (all in
English). I can just sit and look at the books on the shelf. We do have to keep
them locked up as we are concerned that they may just walk away without our
knowledge.
The popup books are such a great hit with the
children. They don’t expect, when I turn the page, for a picture to come at
them in 3D. I don’t know if they have ever seen books like this. I can tell you
that even the older students, Grade 7, oohhh and ahhh as I bring the story to
life; however, the little guys are just frozen watching for what comes next in
the story. I just love being a part of this. Most times the students want me to
read it a second time and then to read it again the next day. It does not seem
to matter that they have read the story before. They love the 3D aspect (and so
do I).
I noticed that when the teacher returns the test
papers to the students the students do not get to keep their test papers. I’m
told that if a student requests to keep their test paper (and that is rare) the
teacher will Xerox a copy for them. Again, I didn’t pick up on this last year.
I’m told that the test papers are required so that the teacher can back up the
grade that she gives the student. But, I question all of this as there is so
much cheating going on I really don’t know what the value of the grade would
be? It makes me very sad watching the cheating and the students are not even
hiding it. They boldly take another student’s paper and copy verbatim what the
other student has written. The teacher usually has her head down doing
something else in the roll call book. I am watching; but, they don’t care. They
smile at me and just keep on cheating. The disrespect is horrible and this also
makes me sad. I sometimes think they don’t even realize that they are doing
something wrong by cheating.
It snowed for the first time in early December. The
ground was covered with a white coating that made me wonder what kind of winter
we will have. Last year it was cold and we had some snow; but, overall you would
consider the winter last year fairly mild. I hope that is the cast this year;
so we shall see.
Water, Water is another BIG topic in winter. I’ve
heard from some PCV’s that they don’t have water at their site. No one knows
really why that is or why it comes back on; it just does. Here at my site I
have water; however, it is SO COLD I can barely brush my teeth and wash my
face. It is like ICE. One day I just said “no way” I am just going to go to
school with a dirty face; just too cold to wash. It feels like ice coming out
of the spigot. I don’t know why the hot water heater is not working. I will ask
my host family but I don’t expect a comprehensive answer. Most times what I get
in response is “Georgia!” and they shrug their shoulders.
This will be my second winter here. I can say that
with the gas heater on the 2nd floor (where I sleep) and my little
electric heater I am in pretty good shape. Some PCV’s have to sleep on the
floor near the Pechie; so, I am grateful that I can sleep in my bed and be nice
and toasty. Although the temperature has not dipped down into the teens or
below; so, it all remains to be seen. However, everyday that I am warm is
something to write home about.
My back often is sore here (both at my home and the
school). I think that is because I always seem to be bending over as there is
not a lot of space to place stuff on that would be of waist height. Of course,
Georgian’s don’t have as much stuff as Americans; so for them it does not seem
to be an issue. What limited table top space there is just does not accommodate
packages; items needed for daily use – so I need to place these items on the
floor and then I am always bending over/down to get the item I need. I often
use Advil to combat this.
I was in Tbilisi to have some blood work done
(routine) and finally was able to get to the Chinese ”take-out” store. It is
called “Fire Wok”. I was in heaven….had
chicken and noodles and also rice and vegetables. It was served in the traditional
Chinese take-out box….(I could have also eaten the box) - J.
The downside to this is that I usually end up with a stomach ache as I am just
not used to eating large portions. As much as my eyes want to eat it; but
stomach is in revolt; but, since I can do this so irregularly I let my eyes
take the lead as I rarely look forward to eating the food here; so, when I am
drooling over what is being cooked in the wok; nothing will stand in my
way!!!!!!
Some news about Georgia:
Christmas Tree seeds now main export product from
Georgia. An artificial insemination laboratory for beekeeping has been opened
in Tbilisi. Georgia’s first “Crowne Plaza” hotel opened in Borjomi and new
regulations to promote road safety will come into force on January 1st,
2016.
The above are just some of the things
(non-political) happening here in Georgia. I’ve list the link below for the
source “Georgia Today” if you would like to read further on these and other
topics.
The IWA – International Women’s Association had a
terrific Christmas Bazaar at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Tbilisi - early
December. It was terrific to see so many handmade items by Georgians as well as
other nationalities that live here in Tbilisi. I did buy some English novels at
the American Corner as well as a little stained glass Christmas stocking that I
place in my window. When the sun hits it – well, it shines so bright. I hope
that Santa sees it and will bring me (or better yet) to continue to bring me
lots of good stuff….
2016 is right around the corner and with the new
coming year my service with the Peace Corps will end. I often feel that I have
been here a lifetime; and then at other times it feels like a blink of an eye.
I have many decisions to make in the New Year.
I have had a new thought recently about the possibility of continuing
with Peace Corps in their Response Program. This is a program for PCV’s who
have completed their initial service and still want to continue to serve. These
positions are for a shorter period than the initial 27 months. The Response
Program can include a 4, 8 or 12 months commitment. These positions are not
only in Georgia; they are all over the world and since this is what I want to
do (work and travel) this may be an option for me. We shall see……Stay tuned.
So, my final paragraph on 2015 will be a
confession….ready for this, I am In-Love. His name is George and he is in the 2nd
grade. I have been watching this little boy now since I arrived at the school.
I have felt so sad for this child for a number of reasons (that I won’t all go
into). But I have watched him sit in the back of room and purposely sit all by
himself. He never participated in any of the classroom activities, never wrote
in his copy book (not that he had one) and never opened his text book. I tried
on many occasions to sit him with other students; however, little George would
just end up by himself sometimes putting his head down on the desk.
I am not sure what changed or exactly when it
changed; but, little-by-little - me and
the classroom teacher started to see some life come into this child. Of course
he never had a copy book but when he looked like he wanted to write the
vocabulary words we gave him blank paper and he began writing the words. We
watched as he moved away from the back row and also purposely sat beside
another student. He has been sitting in
the front row and gets to the room early so that he can claim his seat. To me,
this is all a Christmas present. He is now reading out loud and participating
with the class. He goes to the black board and does the matching game. When I
see this transformation, I am just overwhelmed.
My counter-part teacher is very kind and says that
my attention to this child, along with giving a sticker for participation, has
given him what he needed to try and do the work. I give my attention to all the
children and give stickers to all the children, but little George is special. I
know that my presence in the classroom helps as the counter-parts teachers just
cannot do it all alone. The extra attention the children get is worth my being
here.
So, my Faithful Readers, I will close now for 2015.
It has been an amazing rollercoaster ride. I have so many ideas for 2016 and of
course will share and write about them as the New Year unfolds.
I wish everyone Happy Holidays and a terrific 2016!
Best,
Catherine Lawrence, G14
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.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Blog, November 23, 2015
Hello, My Faithful Readers: HAPPY
THANKSGIVING!
19
Months Served/8 Remaining*
*(I
will keep it at 8 months remaining; however, since I plan to COS (close of
service) at the end of June,2016 it is
really 7 months remaining – but who is counting (smiles).
Today is St. George’s Day here in Georgia; so, we
have a day off! Schools are closed and what a blessing that is. I’ve not had a
long weekend in sometime now; so, I am enjoying being home writing my blog.
My life here has worked into a routine. Hard to
believe, but it is true. As winter approaches and school is back in full bloom;
my days and nights are pretty much the same (day-by-day). Not much to share
with you, My Faithful Readers - so I will blog only once this month. Of course,
there is always something happening; but some of it you have heard before. My
challenges with the school and teaching; the never ending struggles with
getting enough food and taking a shower; the language; relationships with my host
family, and on and on – all in a day as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Some things have changed and I’ve written
about it within the blog.
However, I do want to say during this time of
Thanksgiving how much I have to be “Thankful” for. I am healthy and skinny J.
I have made some great friendships here in Georgia and my son and his family
are happy and healthy. I really do like it here in Georgia being a member of
the Peace Corps. The rollercoaster continues………
Time does seem to be moving faster. The holidays are
upon us and I will write more when I blog in December. I will be attending two different
Thanksgiving Celebrations that I’ve been invited to. I cannot wait; it will be
lots of fun! One celebration will be with about 25 PCV’s at a location in Gori,
Georgia. The second will be with some ex-pat friends in Tbilisi, Georgia. So, I
will be traveling on back-to-back weekends.
Three friends and I spent last Friday evening at the
sulphur baths in Tbilisi. This was a first for me and it was awesome. We rented
a private room so it did cost a little more than going into the public area;
but, it was worth it. The hot water was to die for. Hot water here in Sagarejo is limited
and most often tepid; but, it is better than no heat at all. We all soaked in
the hot sulphur bath and then dunked into the cold pool. We showered and washed
out hair countless time and then….the best part (although it was all pretty
terrific) we arranged to have a scrub.We could of also had a massage (again for 10 GEL) but my body could not take all that attention.
A Georgian woman came in with her scrub glove and
for 10-12 minutes she scrubbed me from head to ankles. She did not scrub face,
hair and feet; but that was OK. Having my back scrubbed was worth the 10Gel (I
think that is like $4USD.) I have not been this clean since I left the states
back in April, 2014.
After the bath experience my friends and I went out
for a beer/conversation as with all the water running in the bath house you
really cannot talk very well. The beer and having been in such a hot room made
for a sleeping experience that was peaceful and dreamy….I will do the baths
again!!!
The weather has been wonderful and also awful during
the past couple of weeks. I guess that is to be expected as we leave summer
behind and head into winter. The awful days are filled with rain and the rain
makes the temperature feel even colder. The heat has not been on in the school;
so, the floors and walls in the school are like ice. Actually, one day as I was
walking to school in the rain and it did feel like ice pelts hitting my
umbrella. I know that the heat will be turned on soon (usually mid-November) is
what I’ve been told. Some good news is that on occasion the teachers/parents
and some students actually close the doors when they come into the school. I
still do most of the closing of doors; but, other folks are also doing it. I
hope this continues as with the doors closed we can keep in any heat that is
already in the school. Really, every
little bit helps.
The good news is that my host family has been using
the gas heater on the second floor. This gas heater makes my bedroom so
comfortable. Of course I still need to wear layers of clothing; but I can be
comfortable in my bedroom without snuggling under the sleeping bag and
blankets/hot water bottle. The pechi has been installed in the family room on
the 1st floor. I am hoping that the family will still use the gas
heater on the 2nd floor now that the pechi is in operation. We shall
see. The only down side to the gas heater is that prior to its operation I was
the only occupant on the second floor sleeping. Now that there is heat the
family sleeps on the 2nd floor. The problem being that I go to sleep
early (say 10pm or so) and the family does not go to sleep until 1:00 am or so.
When they come up they talk like it’s the middle of the day. I think maybe they
forget that I am already asleep. Because we need to keep all the doors open so
that the heat circulates; there is no buffer to the noise. I do eventually go
back to sleep; but, this is a different experience than last year.
This past weekend I had to laugh at what a “Jet
Setter” – tongue and cheek here people – I am. On Friday, I woke up in
Sagarejo, On Saturday I woke up in Tbilisi and on Sunday I woke up in Gori and
Monday I woke up in Sagarejo…..It was lots of fun; but, I really have to keep
my wits about me as sometimes I really don’t know where I am…..no surprise
there!
I had a food experience recently that was a
surprise. As I was eating, what I thought was beef, I mistakenly asked what I
was eating as it was not familiar. My host mother smiled and said I was eating
the “heart of the pig.” Needless to say, I was a little taken-a-back. I had
already eaten a chunk of the meat and it was not that bad; but the thought of
eating the heart was not to my liking. The family smiled and said it was good
for me. Of course, it absolutely may be; but, it is not something that I look
forward to. I know people eat liver and other parts of the animal; but, not for
me.
I was recently home on a school day as I was having
stomach issues. It was a mild day (maybe in the 60’s degrees); and the sun was
shining. I was sleeping off and on and didn’t realize that my grandmother was
doing yard work. Now, this is something that is very foreign to me. That is, raking
leaves and cleaning out gutters, etc. When I saw the smoke coming past my
window I knew she was also burning the leaves. This is an event that I just
love. I don’t know what it is about the smell of burning leaves but to me this
is what the fall season is all about.
My
grandmother and I worked for a couple of hours gathering hundreds of leaves. We
piled them into little mounds and started the burn (this activity even made me
forget my stomach issues). I just love to watch this and the smell is so pleasing
to me. Ah, maybe I’ve become a country gal (I doubt it); but the end product is
just wonderful. When the walkways are clear of leaves it looks great. We can
sit on the porch and view our handwork with a cup of coffee. It was so great
that I was home to share this experience with my grandmother. Next year at this
time I won’t be here; so, this will be a memory that I will take with me.
I just don’t know what is living in the ceiling in
my bedroom. The last time I wrote I thought it was mice; however, I am told its
not mice. I still don’t know what it/they are; but, I do know they are getting
louder and bolder. One night they were so loud they once again woke me up. Then
the rolling started. I think they are bringing in walnuts from outside and then
rolling them around in the ceiling. I was up all night and as a result could
not go to school the next day.
I see on my ceiling stain marks where I believe
whatever has taken occupancy of my room maybe decomposing (that is after eating
the “mouse medicine” that my host father has left for them). I looked in the
other bedrooms on the 2nd floor and I don’t see any stain marks on
the ceiling; so, it is my luck that for some reason they have set up camp in my
room. The family does not seem to be bothered by all this. I imagine that
living here for decades they are used to these types of situations; but, I am
not. I lay in bed waiting for the noise that will surely come. I try and force
myself to go to sleep so I don’t have to be party to all these activities; and
yet, the harder I try to do that the more difficult it is.
I have asked that the family to secure the house as
I am sure that the “visitors” leave during the day to get food and whatever and
then return at night. They must have an access; however, I cannot find it. I am
upset about all this and as much as I don’t want to leave where I am living I
am struggling with the thought of dealing with this situation for the upcoming
months. I don’t remember this happening last year; but, maybe I was so shell
shocked my first winter that I was not fully tuned into what was happening.
Stay tuned…..
I read a book recently that spoke about food. Items
such as:
Home made Fettuccine Porcini – mushroom sauce; sole
in parsley lemon sauce, Italian rice. I could go on; however, even as I am
writing this my mouth is watering. Ordinarily I would have stopped reading this
book because visualizing these fabulous foods makes me so hungry and sad.
However, the book was too good to put down…but, did want to mention it here in
my blog. (I've lost a few more pounds - but then with the holidays coming; its OK).
So, my Faithful Readers I will close for now. All is good
and I am looking forward to my upcoming trip over Christmas and New Year. I
will write more about that when I blog in December.
All the Best,
Catherine Lawrence, G14
Peace Corps Volunteer/Georgia – 11/23/15
The
contents of this blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of
the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Hello, My Faithful Readers
Blog, October 29th, 2015
18
Months Served/9 Months Remaining
Here we are in countdown mode - with “T-9 Months”
remaining of my service. Honestly, at times I am ready to leave right now; and
then that passes and I know that I will complete my full term of service. It is
still a rollercoaster!
I had an accident recently that could have been very
serious. I was SO lucky, seriously – It could have ended my service here in
Georgia. In any event, I wrote an article about it and it is published with the
OpEdNews folks that I have been writing my series for. The article will give
you the “skinny” of events. The bottom line, “all is well”. Most of the damage
was superficial; but annoying none-the-less.
Your article titled A day in the life of a Peace Corps
Volunteer
has been accepted and is now published on the OpEdNews website at:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-day-in-the-life-of-a-Pea-by-Catherine-Lawrence-Life-Events-151015-711.html
has been accepted and is now published on the OpEdNews website at:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-day-in-the-life-of-a-Pea-by-Catherine-Lawrence-Life-Events-151015-711.html
All throughout my time here in Georgia I’ve been
hearing about this hotel (a boutique hotel) here in Tbilisi. Many families when
then come to visit stay here; however, what is more important is the “happy
hour” that happens every Friday evening from 6-8pm. The bar area is really
small; but the view is awesome. Drinks are half price, so beer is 2Gel. They
also put out hot food and we (PCV’s) take advantage of that. I was recently at
Betsy’s and they had rice, beans and meat – sort of like chili. It was
delicious and it was FREE. I had three plates of food and it was a wonderful
feeling to go to sleep that night feeling that my belly was full. Many ex-pats
here in Georgia frequent the place as well as hotel guests and of course,
PCV’s. So, I have done my due diligence
of going to the happy hour – so that notch in my belt is complete. However, I
cannot forget the feeling of being filled-up. If not for the food I would not
consider going back; but then, may I will!
I recently participated in a conference sponsored by
a NGO “Helping Hand.” I was part of a volunteer panel that allowed the panel
opportunity to answer questions about volunteering and to also share our
experience. I’ve listed the link below if you would like more information.
I am told that volunteering is a new/foreign concept
here in Georgia. People don’t understand why you would do something without
being paid for it. Although volunteerism does exist in Georgia the activity
fades in and out; Helping Hand is trying to gather momentum and stability where
volunteering is concerned and to promote it here in Georgia. Here in Georgia
Volunteering is not considered work and/or work experience. I know for myself;
many times when I volunteered it lead into full time paid activities; but,
Georgians don’t see it that way.
I was part of the panel and one of the most
important questions was the age of the volunteer. I was not asked by the
discussion leader what my age was; but, I did volunteer my age. The conference
members were surprised that someone my age (65) could volunteer. Also, the conference members were concerned
about the amount of time involved in volunteering. I spoke about how
volunteering could be a very small amount of time; for example, like
volunteering to help your neighbor shop or help around the house. Another
suggestion would be to possibly volunteer maybe an hour a week to help a child
with their reading or school work.
The panel members were both Peace Corps Volunteers
as well as Georgian’s who are participating with the Helping Hand organization.
Helping Hand began in 2009 so they are very new at this also. They are trying
to get the word out about volunteering beyond the capital city of Tbilisi; but,
all these things take time. The conference was a good start. I really enjoyed
myself.
Also listed below is a link to the venue for the
conference – the National Parlimentary Library of Georgia. I didn’t get to see
much of the building (tight security); but, what I saw was just lovely.
Here is something new to add to my experience and I
am not really happy about it. I believe there is something living in the
ceiling in my room. I know this because at night I can hear the scratching and
the running over my head. At first I thought I was dreaming; but, that is not
the case. I don’t know what it is, maybe a bird or a mouse (maybe). The
scratching makes me think it’s a mouse. Sometimes there is more than one of
whatever it is as they run back and forth. It is loud and the noise wakes me
up. I am thankful that there are not any holes in my ceiling so whatever it is
cannot come out; but, Dear Reader…..it is really creepy hearing the scratching
and the running.
I spoke to my host family and they say that yes,
they hear the noises in their bedrooms.
I don’t know why I have not heard this
before now. I’ve been here 18 months; so, it is confusing as to why this is
happening now. Maybe I’ve slept through the noises. It is also strange that
there are no noises during the day. This only happens at night. I don’t feel
that the family is going to do anything about this. I may just have to put up
with it. I don’t know if I can; we will have to see about this. Although, I just found out that the family
purchased “mouse medicine”, which I would think is poison. Hopefully it is a mouse, but who knows. In my
room all the moldings around the ceiling are secure; however, in the other
bedrooms there are many holes and gaps in the ceiling molding.
When I get into bed now I feel like I have to hurry
up and go to sleep; and that, dear friends, sometimes makes it harder to go to
sleep. I have been dealing with a cold or flu; so, I have not been sleeping
well. Maybe this is why I’ve heard the noises now. I am usually so tired from
all the exercise that when I lay down I almost immediately fall asleep. Ok,
enough. I’ve heard other people talk about noises such as I am hearing. The
houses here are just not secured; in that, the doors are always open (winter
and summer) and some of the windows are broken. I just don’t know but I am
hoping that possibly they will try and do something rather than just putting up
with it. Stay Tuned…..
We have not had any hot water now for a couple of
weeks. We can boil water with the electric pot and/or the gas stove; but, there
is no hot water to wash dishes or take a shower, wash hands/face or brush
teeth. The water is like ice. I have stopped taking showers here at the house
due to the lack of heat; but, it sure would be nice to have some tepid water to
wash face/hands and brush teeth. I wonder when we will be able to have hot
water once again.
The Tbilisi Marathon was held on Sunday, October 25th.
Of course I didn’t run, in fact I didn’t even go into the city – but it was a
success I heard. Many PCV’s ran the race more for the courage to do it rather
than to make a top finish time.
Clapping or applause is not something that is done
here in Georgia. I don’t know why and I am not sure how it even came up in
conversation; however, I heard this from Georgia citizens that it is a fact. I
wondered about this in the classroom as often I will clap after the class does
something really good. Most times I am clapping by myself. After a minute or
two and after the children look around to see who else is doing what, they
start to clap. I just wonder what that is about.
Once a year our Peace Corps Program Manager (PM)
comes to our sites to visit. The purpose is to check-in with, of course, the
volunteer; but, also to connect with the School Director’s and the counter-part
teachers. My site visit is scheduled for Friday, October 30th – so,
I will share events the next time I blog. After the visit I hope to catch a
ride back to Tbilisi with my PM and stay overnight at the Envoy Hostel. Food,
Friends and Beer…..on the menu J
Many PCV’s talk about going into a food coma when we
are away and have abundance of food available - and I can relate. I am hungry
most of the time here. Most days there is just one meal a day. I supplement
with my stock of food that I buy from the States; but, there is not much
variety in what I can purchase on line. My family believes there is an
abundance of food; but, sadly I don’t. I know I talk about this a lot in my
blog; but, that is because it’s a big piece of my service here.
Harvest time is here and there are so many grapes,
tomatoes and apples. We have a couple of apple trees in our garden and there
are hundreds of apples. It is funny, funny about what I will consider here in
Georgia that I would not consider back in the states (and I am not the only
one!). When I see a worm in the apple I just cut away the worm part and eat the
remainder of the apple. I cannot believe I wrote that admission as well as that
is what I do J.
I have no idea why because there are so many apples I could just get another
apple; however, maybe because so many of the apples have worms – why bother to
search further.
Some good news is that the family is using the gas
heater in the room next to my bedroom. This is a really good thing as when the
heater is on and the doors are kept open my room stays fairly warm and I don’t
have to use the electric heater. Gas is much cheaper to use than electricity;
so, keep my fingers crossed that they continue to use this heater. It heats the
entire 2nd floor…..
I recently participated in the FLEX testing (the 1st
round) in Tbilisi. During the course of the year there are 3 rounds. The 1st
round was an all day affair. Last year there were 750 students taking the test
and this year that number doubled. Because of the room size, only 50 students
can be tested at one time. It takes about an hour and then the next group of 50
arrives. The testing is done by the American Council (link below) and many,
many FLEX alumni and of course PCV’s.
I really enjoy being a part of this program; and I
hope to get more involved. Not sure how to do that yet; but I jokingly tell the
administrators that I want to do the FLEX program. Of course, that is
impossible; but, everyone laughs.
I’ve posted a picture of one of the bakeries I use
to buy bread at. At first glance you would think that it is really not a place
to buy food products; but, even though the outside looks pretty bad the bakers
take good care to insure that all is safe.
I always think when I start my blog about how I am
going to fill the pages; and yet, there is always so much to share about my
experience. For example; it dawned on me recently that I have learned more
about “English Grammar” than I can ever remember learning. The children really
like working with grammar; however, I don’t like it and never have. There is
not a sound in the room when they start working on grammar. It just boggles my
mind.
One of the 6th grade students asked me to
play “ping-pong” with him in the game room. There is a room on the lower level
that has been turned into a game room. There is a make-shift “ping-pong” table
that I think many of the upper class students spend more time in the game room
than they do in the classroom. The 6th grader and I played about a
10-minute game and then the older students took over. I was really sad that
they (the older students) would not leave the table to me and my student. I
just didn’t want to sit and watch these older guys play the game. They were
showing-off and I really didn’t have any interest in them. I hope that the
younger students and I can get the room without the older students. I will
enlist some other teachers to help as when I asked the older students to let us
play they just didn’t pay any attention to me. L
A final thought that makes me sad to write about.
Throughout my time in the school I always ask the teachers how they are doing.
They all mostly say “good” but their body language depicts anything but “good.”
I don’t know what to say to them; but I so see the conflict in their words and
their facial expressions and body language. They just don’t match.
As we head into November a group of PCV’s are
planning a Thanksgiving Celebration at the end of the month of November. Of
course I will write about that and I am very happy that I was invited to
attend. I will be going into Tbilisi for Halloween weekend; not for a party but
to meet up with a friend for dinner. I’ll be staying over at the Hostel (which
I really love).
I’ve not had a shower in two-weeks. That is because
I’ve just not had the strength to manage the travel. After my fall I got sick
with flu type symptoms. It just took the legs out from under me. Of course I’ve
used the wet-wipes; but I so miss just standing underneath the shower. So, my
Halloween treat will be to take at least two showers this weekend. Oh heavenly
joy!!!!! BOO!
Thank you, my Faithful Readers, for staying on this
rollercoaster with me. All is well. I am thankful for so many aspect of my life
here and feel very lucky to have the good and bad of every experience here in
the Peace Corps.
Best,
Catherine Lawrence – 10/28/15
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.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
to make Churchkhela.
Hello, My Faithful Readers
October 14th, 2015
I have been a little “down” and as a result I have
been watching television. Yes, http://imovies.ge
is a great resource for television series and movies of all types. Of course I
have to use my internet stick so my monthly minutes don’t last as long when I
am watching movies/TV; however, for the moment I just need to curl up and be
brain dead watching mindless Television. Of course, since it has turned cold
and there is very little or no heat as yet, curling up under the covers is
another way to keep warm watching television.
I am still on a rollercoaster here in Georgia. I
think maybe with winter approaching and school starting I am a little down. I
am sure it will turn around, it always does, but it the mean time I use
whatever I can to keep my spirits up.
So, back to television - In addition to my favorite
television: NCIS, The Good Wife and The Mentalist (among others) I found the
Sopranos at part of this web site. I just love watching the work done on this
program; however, I realized that as much as I like it I cannot watch because
they eat REAL food. My mouth is just hanging open watching them eat Baked Ziti
and especially the episodes when Carmella and Tony go to the Sushi restaurant.
It is just too painful for me to watch all this good food being eaten. Even
writing this my mouth is watering thinking about how much food is available
watching the program.
Ok, enough said about food…As part of the
mid-service milestone here in the Peace Corp; all volunteers have a physical
and dental examination (compliments of the US Government). I recently had my
appointments and ALL went very well. I have not lost any more weight; however,
I am holding my own (72 pounds to date). I was lucky that the flu vaccine
arrived a day or so before my visit so I was able to get my rabies shot and flu
shot at the same time. This saved me a trip back to Tbilisi.
I was a little apprehensive meeting with the
dentist. My dentist back in the States is the ONLY person I’ve seen in many
decades; so, having someone new to deal with dental matters was a bit
disconcerting. Anyway, I had nothing to fear. The dentist and technicians all
spoke English and made me feel very comfortable. Their equipment was
state-of-the-art and there were no dental problems to deal with.
The grape harvest is once again upon us. The entire
family, or most of us, set out recently on a Sunday morning to harvest the
grapes in the family vineyard. We piled into a couple of cars and away we went
with buckets, scissors, water and lots of food to eat after the grape picking
was done. It took many hours to gather all the grapes (which will be used to
make wine). It was a beautiful day; sunshine and mild temperatures. Being
outdoors with blue sky above and dry earth below made me appreciate nature in
ways that I have not prior to coming here to Georgia.
ON OCTOBER 14 GEORGIA CELEBRATES
THE GREAT FEAST OF SVETITSKHOVLOBA
Yipee, a day off from School! I am still trying to understand these types
of holidays; but I continue to learn. The link above will provide more
information if you would like to know more about this holiday.
After all the grapes were gathered we, or the men
folk, started the fire so that the meat could be roasted. On the menu was pork
cut in chunks and places on open flames. In addition, of course many, many
loaves of bread arrived at the picnic as well as an abundance of wine that was
still available from last year’s harvest. We all sat around on a plastic
blanket and ate until just about every drop of food was gone. There didn’t seem
to be any rush to leaving the vineyard. We were really lucky as the next day it
rained all day so our picnic would have been ruined. This will be my last
harvest as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I will miss this tradition. It is one of
the moments that I will treasure from my experience here in Sagarejo.
The exchange rate here in Georgia is not doing very
well. Recently the GEL exchange rate for the USD:
USD
– Bought at 2.37 GEL
USD – Sold at 2.54 GEL
Of course, these amounts go up and down; but, when I
arrived here in Georgia back in April 2014 it was 1.74 GEL for each USD.
I
read an article recently that talked about the top eight products that Georgia
exports. I was a little surprised at the list and therefore wanted to share the
information here in my blog. I have no idea what some of the items listed
consist of so I need to do additional research.
Ores
and Copper concentrates, Ferroalloys, Cars, Pharmaceuticals, Hazelnuts and
other nuts, Mineral fertilizer, Mineral water and Natural grape wines.
Did
you know, Dear Reader that Peanut Butter can be bought in powdered form?
I
have not tried it yet, but will in the near future and I will report in.
I
am going to write an article about my experience; but, in the meantime I want
to tell you of yet another adventure here in Georgia. I fell up, or rather,
tripped, up the steps going up to the 2nd floor to my bedroom. This
is not the first time it has happened; however, this time was more serious. The
steps here in Georgia are not proportioned the same for each step; so, on each
step I need to increase or decrease my stride in order to get up or down the
steps. I am aware of this and I am very focused on what I am doing; however, I
must have felt confident or was not thinking and “bang” down I went. In a
nutshell, I fell and hit my lip on the concrete steps. Wow, did that smart. I
was very lucky, very lucky (I will say it again) as I didn’t break anything and
didn’t damage my teeth; so, the black and blue will heal in a week or so. All is well and a fuller accounting, if you
should so desire to read it, will be published with my next article. Just
another day in the life J
My
host family once again made the Georgian dessert treat called “Churchkhela.”
This is a family affair undertaking. First, you string walnuts and then dip
them in a mixture of flour, wine and sugar. It is cooked over an open flame
(usually outside) and then hung on long sticks that are supported by chairs.
This is so the mixture will dry on the walnuts. The family eats the mixture
straight out of the pot; however, it is just too sweet for me. I have posted
some pictures of the event so you can see the final product. This is primarily a
grandmother directed event; but, everyone is involved. If not in the cooking,
than in the eating J
I
have found Sudoku, seriously. I have never played or closer to the truth is
that I have never taken the time to figure how to play. I am really enjoying
playing and in addition to paper copies I can also play on the internet. I
started out with a time of 26 minutes per game and now I am down to 12 minutes
per game (the computer times the game). I think I am going to be really good at
this as I like the process of elimination.
I’ve
opened a conversation with the teachers about why the students are arranged in
the classroom so far away from the blackboard. The chairs butt up against the
back wall of the room; so, that leave a tremendous amount of room in the front
of the room. No one seems to know why the room is arranged that way; so, I’ve
started talking about moving the chairs up closer to the blackboard which would
then leave most of the back of the room empty. I have successfully accomplished
this in one of the classrooms and it seems to be OK. Everyone looked a little
confused at first as it was different than what they were used to; but, to my
surprise no one moved the chairs back to their original configuration. We shall
see as the school year progresses how this goes.
BIG
NEWS – I got my hair cut. Yes, this is BIG NEWS as I finally found a
hairdresser who does a fairly good job of cutting my hair short. I feel so much better now with short hair. I
have posted a picture of the front of the hair salon.
AND,
I’ve also posted a picture of one of the “Marsh’s” that I take to Tbilisi. I
could never really do justice to the “marsh” hub here in Sagarejo; but, you can
get a sense of the marsh. I will at some point take a picture of me in the “Marsh”
– but, that is down-the-road.
I’ve
also given the teachers some pictures, from the internet, of various and
different ways to configure classroom. One example was having the teacher’s
desk not in the front of the classroom; but, placing the teacher’s desk on the
side of the room. Another was to remove the teacher’s desk all-together. I did
get some “looks” of confusion about this; but, let us see how the school year
progresses.
The
piano is a staple here in Sagarejo. I have found pianos in so many of the homes
that I’ve been to and there is also a piano here in the home that I live in. A
piano is also part of the school that I teach in. I can hear someone playing it
when I come into school in the mornings (and sometimes throughout the day). The piano was such a staple of my life growing
up in South Philadelphia. My grandmother bought me a piano and I took lessons
from the time I was seven until I left high school. I am told that many of the
children here in Sagarejo take piano lessons. Some children take lessons to
strengthen their hands and others to have a cultural experience and learn an
instrument (as well as be introduced to classical music).
I
will be part of the Second Annual Volunteer Conference which will be held at
the National Parliament Library of Georgia. This won’t happen until this
weekend, so I will write about the experience in my next blog. The above link
will give some background on the building that the conference will be held in.
My
counter-part teachers and I have been shopping for the various items that were approved
in the grant for the English Cabinet. It is has been lots of fun spending
money, especially when it is not your money (smiles). We have bought a printer,
projector, CD player, DVD player, speakers and lots of other items. We have a
couple of items left to buy; that is, digital camera, books, CD’s and DVD’s and
maps. When I put a call out to a Tbilisi list serve that I am on; I received an
email back from an American living in Georgia who offered to donate some books,
etc if I would come and pick them up. I was thrilled about this as not only can
we use the supplies; but, I am always happy to make a new friend in the city.
Of course, I will post pictures when all is complete in the English Cabinet. It
has been a long and time consuming process but I am glad that I will be leaving
my school with some tangible aspects of my experience here in Peace Corps
Georgia.
I
will close for now and write to you at the end of the month. Still dealing with many of the same
challenges; but, that is to be expected. Overall, I am having a good time and
thank you for riding this wild rollercoaster with me! J
Best,
Catherine Lawrence, G14
Peace
Corps Volunteer/Georgia – 10/14/15
The
contents of this blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of
the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.
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