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.
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