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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)