Blog, January 20th, 2015
Hello, My Faithful Readers
I have included two photographs (embedded in the blog at some point). The first is my host grandmother, mother and sister and they are wearing the hats that I bought them while I was in Budapest. I also bought myself a hat but I think I was asleep when the photo was taken (Love the hat!). The second is ME in Vienna on New Years Eve. Since it was so cold most of the photos outside have me in the same outfit (coat, scarf, gloves, hat)....not sexy, but very warm.
Here we are at almost the end of January. I am
approaching the 9th month anniversary of my arrival in Georgia and the
beginning of my Peace Corps experience. That celebration will happen on January
26th.
Christmas here in Georgia is still happening; but,
it is almost over. My family still has the Christmas decorations up. There are
Christmas commercials still happening on television. There is this one
commercial that plays over and over and the tune is the first 30 seconds of the
“Jingle Bell Rock.” It is driving me crazy. Santa still appears on television
and the news programs still have decorated Christmas trees in the background
when they broadcast the news. When will
this end? Christmas here in Georgia is celebrated on January 7th - My
family didn’t even put up the tree until the very end of December; so, I guess
celebrating into the end of January is not that unusual.
The Georgian people also have a custom around New
Years. Of course, January 1st is the beginning of the New Year;
however, they also celebrate something called “Old New Year.” I don’t understand this holiday, so I’ve
listed a link below if you want to read more. I’m told that the celebration is
around, of course, family coming to visit and lots and lots of sweets for the
table. The sweets mean that the New Year will be sweet for you. Lots of family
did come to visit my host family and of course they stayed over as there was
lots of drinking - wine and cha-cha. There were fireworks and guns being fired
into the air. I just didn’t understand this custom and not much was said about
it; so, I went to bed. Well, at 11:45pm they woke me up to come and celebrate
the “Old New Year.” This all happens on
the 14th day of the New Year.
Next year I will know better.
The day I returned from my Danube River Cruise,
January 7th, was Christmas Day. When I arrived home (around 9:00pm)
my family was waiting for me and had dinner all prepared. It was very sweet of
them to wait for me. I was texting them as I arrived at the airport so they
would know when I would arrive. Well, hugs and kisses abound from everyone
(even my host father) J. I know they missed me as I certainly
missed them. We had dinner in the “Pechi room” – (it’s the one room that is
heated). This was very special as we usually eat in the kitchen (which is not
heated). The “pechi” room was all warm and cozy with the Christmas tree all lit
up and lots of sweets and food that was prepared for the celebration already on
the table.
There was lots of pork to eat as when I was away the
pig went to meet his maker. During dinner I had to find out how the pig met his
end and I was told that one of the cousins shot the pig in the head. That is
the way the pig is killed and then there are many men around who butcher the
pig. Now, I know I’ve eaten pork before but I never really gotten to know (up
close and personal) the main course like I did with this pig. The family brought out (cut up – thank
goodness) the head of the pig. I tried not to see the remains of the pig’s
face; but, they all dug in so fast to each take a piece that I didn’t have that
much time to ponder what was in front of me. Of course, I declined to take a
piece of the head of the pig. It is considered a delicacy here; highly valued.
Not for me, thank you J
Orthodox Epiphany in Georgia – January 19th,
2015
The traditional date for
the feast is January 6. However, since 1970, the celebration is held in some
countries on the Sunday after January 1.Eastern Churches following the Julian Calendar observe the Theophany feast on what for most
countries is January 19[9] because of the 13-day difference today between
that calendar and the generally used Gregorian
calendar.[10]
As a Christian I’ve only know the Epiphany
celebrated on January 6th. The reason is - that is when we took down
all the Christmas decoration. The link above will provide lots of information
on many different traditions if you would like to pursue. All the schools are closed; however, I don’t
see any other celebrations happening here on my mountain. (I think this will mark the end of the
Christmas season here in Georgia!)
The weather here has not been that bad (so far). It
has been cold and there has been snow; however, it is not as bad as I thought
it was going to be. However, I must remember that we are not through winter
yet. There is still a lot of time before spring arrives, so I am not exhaling
yet (as I feel like I’ve been holding my breath anticipating the stories that
I’ve heard about winter). My room has a small space heat that if I put it close
to my bed and I use my sleeping bag, my heavy blanket from my family, wear my
sweatshirt/hoodie
One of the things that I’ve noticed is that I cannot
spend too much time in the “pechi” room. This is the one room in the house that
is heated and the family - they all sleep in this room. Of course, there is a big heating system on
the 2nd floor (where all the bedrooms are); however, the family does
not put the heater on – so, it’s the “pechi” room or my room to get warm. In the “pechi” room the family has the
television on at least 15-18 hours a day. The family does not go to bed until
after mid-night and when there is no school usually no one gets up before noon
time. So, at night when I go to get warm in the “pechi” room I am bombarded
with what is on television. They watch Turkish Soap operas and some type of
Middle Eastern Soap opera as well as an soap opera from India. Geezes, they are
all the same..cry a little, kiss a little – over and over again. The one thing
going for them is that the locations that the soap operas take place in are
just beautiful. The family is just glued to the TV screen – most times you
cannot hear a pin drop. Nobody moves a muscle until the commercial comes on. For
myself, I want it quiet; but, that is not going to happen. I can truly
appreciate that this is the kind of entertainment that gets the family through
the dark days of winter. No one reads or plays games; they all just watch the
tube. In addition to the soap operas they put the news on and so it goes back
and forth between soap operas and news. At times the teenagers in the family
will put on music videos.
The commercials keep repeating over and over. I
think there are maybe five different commercials that they preview in-between
the soap operas. I can play a part in the commercials; the dialogue, the
jingles…it really drives me mad. So, I need to go to my room where it is
kinda-a-quiet. My room is over the “pechi” room so I can still hear some of
what is happening on the television and also hear the family as they talk
in-between the opera. At times the
teenagers in the house are doing homework during all this. I just don’t know
how they can concentrate as they are working and doing homework at the same
time. I guess they are used to doing it. And then we must keep in mind that the
“pechi” room is the warm room – so, if I want to be warm without all the layers
of covers and clothes I need to live like the family does. I keep looking out
my bedroom window so see if the BIG tree outside my window is showing any sign
of life. Not yet, but I keep looking.
I had a treat recently as the family had on TLC (The
Learning Channel) and a DISCOVERY program. Wow, what a treat that was. Of
course it was in English; however, it was dubbed over in Georgian. The program featured
was “How did they do that.” Programming on Monster trucks and cars, motorcycle
racing – it was wonderful to watch. There was also a program on “Bacon.” My mouth is still watering looking at all the
ways that “BACON” can be used. I think it was filmed in St. Louis as I could
see the Gateway to the West arch! I wonder why the family has never tuned into
this channel before now?
Because it is usually not really warm in my room the
clothes in my closet are cold. When I put something on I usually get the chills
as the clothes are cold. I had an idea that works fairly well; and that is, I
take the hair dryer and spend a minute or two warming up the clothes that I am
going to put on. It does the trick!
I have some good news about my reading. For the
first time in many, many months I am reading a book that is (what I call) a
book of substance. Up until recently I have not really been able to concentrate
on anything other than a Mary Higgins Clark or James Patterson. Now, don’t get
me wrong they both write really well and I like their books; however, I’ve read
so many of that type in my life that at times I think I could write one. So, at
the moment I am reading “The Museum of Innocence” author, Orhan Pamuk. A friend
shared this book with me as the back drop of the story takes place in Istanbul.
So, that drew my attention. The book talks about many of the wonderful places
in Istanbul that I am planning to see when I travel to Turkey – so, I feel like
it is also serving as a preview of new adventures. As always, a good book to me
make me feel lots of emotions and this book fits the bill. It is an usual book
that at times I am loving and at times I am annoyed….so, it is a good read J. Maybe my dry spell has ended.
In the Pamuk book there was this paragraph on
smoking and cigarettes that I found to be an interesting way to look at
cigarettes. The passage says:
“Love of cigarettes owns nothing to the
nicotine and everything to their ability to fill the meaningless void and offer
a way of feeling as if we are doing something purposeful.”
I cannot debate the addiction of the nicotine in
cigarettes; however, I do know what he means about the cigarette offering a way
to fill a void as if we are doing something. I know, for myself, that back when
I smoked (a million years ago) I would be bored or just wanting something to do
with my hands so I would light a cigarette. I didn’t really want a cigarette
but I just wanted to do something. I wanted to feel like I was doing something.
It rings true for me; but, I have never
heard anyone articulate this before. Maybe
one of the reasons for my smoking 3+ packs of cigarettes a day. (I am so glad
that period in my life is over for the past 25 years).
My family, and most of Georgia from what I hear,
spends a LOT of time on Facebook. I am in dis-belief at how many hours are
spent scrolling up and down on FB. Also, how often the cover photo is changed.
Sometimes it is changed once or twice in the same day. Since there is only one
computer in the house, my host family takes turns on the FB page. Not a minute
is lost as one exit the chair and another fills in to begin the scroll. They
are posting and commenting on just about everything that is posted.
If not on FB,
then they are looking at old photographs that are on the computer. Again, for
hours and hours they sit and make “oooing” sounds remembering the event that
the picture is previewing. Now, I can understand doing this once in a while;
however, most times this is done on daily basis. I have tried to lead them to
web sites that would help them with their English or other web sites that would
help them learn about any number of topics (TED Talks, for one); but, they
always go back to FB and the photographs.
So, I want to share one more item with you before I
sign off. As you will have read in my previous blog I ended up (unexpectedly)
spending the night in Istanbul because my flight was late landing due to
weather. What I didn’t tell you was that I got hurt in Istanbul as I was
leaving the hotel. I didn’t even realize I was hurt until I got on the flight
back to Tbilisi many, many hours later.
I will say up front that I am recovering and have had medical treatment –
so, all’s well that is ending well. The diagnosis is – I have a linear fracture
of my 9th rib on the right side. The good news is that I was told it
did not impact anything of real value in my body; however, it still hurt and it
still needed attention. I have written an article about the experience and will
post the link to OpEdNews.com as soon as it is finalized (probably the next
time I post). But rest assured, my Faithful Readers that I am fully on the road
to recovery.
I will close for now and won’t be with you again
until February at some point. We have a training scheduled at the end of
January at the Bazaleti Lake Hotel
(Traveling on the 26th and training on the 27th
& 28th of January). We return to Tbilisi on January 29th.
I am so looking forward to this as once again we will have REAL bathrooms,
showers, toilets, and FOOD (lots of variety). Of course we will work as it is
IST (In-Service Training).
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.
