Blog, June 11, 2014

Hello My Faithful Readers:

All of the PC trainees went on a cultural day trip (here in Georgia) on Sunday; but, I chose not to go. As a result, my Sunday was very restful and productive. The PC gave suggestions as to locations nearby that travel and exploring could be done in a day for the cultural trip and everyone had to make their own travel arrangements. Many people went to “Sighnaghi” in the “Kakcheti” region of Georgia. This is the biggest region in Georgia -  East. I’m told it is called the “Town of Love.” I will write more about the regions at a later date. However, I am so glad I made the decision not to go on the cultural trip, as I was able to arrange a tutoring session with my teacher and take the “Marsh” into Khashuri to explore some on my own. It was great. Now, this is BIG news (for me), as I was able to find a lamp. And if that was not BIG enough, I was able to discuss price (in Georgian) and buy the lamp (with a bulb). I can now do my language homework without using the LL Bean headlamp to see, as the lighting in my room is very poor and my host family didn’t have a lamp to lend me. Also with the help of the PC doctors (on the phone), I was able to buy rubbing alcohol at the Pharmacy. This is not a common, on the shelf, pharmacy item here in Georgia so I needed help talking with the pharmacy staff so they knew what I wanted. I will let you know when I open it if I got rubbing alcohol. As an added bonus, I was able to get 3 bananas that cost almost 2 GEL. Each GEL is worth 1.75 USD, so I treasure my bananas, as well as eat them J. There will be plenty of time to explore Georgia during the two years of my service; right now I need to have a day to catch my breath and get myself ready for the marathon that I have to run each week.

I do have a story about the Pharmacy. I was so excited walking into the Pharmacy to see rows and rows of products. Everything from shampoo to baby items (and everything in-between); however, I was not able to just look around. I had two pharmacy staff people standing with me asking me I imagine (in Georgian) what I wanted. I really just wanted to look around for a bit, but they would not let me. I got the feeling just looking was not allowed. They kept asking “shampoo”; so that is when I called the doctor to help me with the rubbing alcohol issue. When they were busy with the phone conversation, I did have a bit of time to look. I was able to buy some “OFF” that will help with the summer bugs.

Everyone seems to have a backgammon game here in Georgia. Now, these are not new games. I mean that the box the game comes in looks very, very old. I was surprised to see that each home that I was at (in the village) had a similar type backgammon game. My host father and son play the game in the evening. I don’t know how to play, so maybe I will learn once I can speak enough Georgian to know what I am doing.

Speaking of host families, my host grandmother (who is actually 85 – I previously reported that she was 83), has a difficult time with hearing; however, she moves like the wind and blasts the TV. When we sit together for meals she does not eat with me or the family. I ask her to eat, but she just shakes her head. She will sit with us; however, the entire time she is just looking at me (really staring). It is a little un-nerving having someone watch you eat; especially when I am not that thrilled with the food but I don’t want to be dis-respectful so I eat a little bit of everything. This whole exercise of eating with a host family is so new to me; as I have lived alone for many years and for the most part took all or most of my meals alone. There are no restaurants in the village, or even café’s or coffee shops; so, I need to eat either with my host family or with the PC cluster that I do language and teaching sessions with everyday. This will take some getting used to, as I really do prefer to eat alone on the daily basis.  Eat -ჭამა (t’chama)

I wanted to talk a little about the lesson planning that the PC requires for every class that we teach. Given the fact that we have very little time to plan the lesson with the teacher (sometimes the day before or the day of the lesson), my thinking is that we (as we teach with other trainees) plan something uncomplicated and direct to fill a 30 minute session (the sessions are really 45 minutes, but since everyone arrives late and it takes time to settle the class) we get maybe 30-35 minutes. In any event, the trainees that I am working with have other ideas as to how to lesson plan. Honestly, the D-Day plans for invading Europe during WW11 were less complicated than some of the lesson plans. Of course, I am over the top in my assessment; but, I just feel like a deer in the head lights when I am involved in what needs to be done for the lesson. It just makes me so tired thinking about the amount of work that is being created by the other trainees; as often times most of the lesson cannot even be taught as we run out of time. Teaching English to Georgian students is difficult. The 10^th graders barely speak English any better than the 4^th graders.

 Another point that I am not thrilled about is that most lessons, even for the upper grades, need to be presented in the form of a game, e.g., winning points, team wins or something along those lines. I guess I am old school when I think that you don’t need to offer some kind of a reward (every time) for having students do what they need to do to learn. The thinking here is that you need to trick the students into learning. Some of that is valuable, I agree; but, having each lesson include “bells and whistles” of some kind just does not sit right with me. Given the resources and time that we have to prepare for these classes; sometimes it feels like making bricks without straw. The trainees that I am working with are very creative and most, if not all, have had a lot of background of teaching in a classroom; however, I don’t.  They are also a lot younger than me and it takes a great deal of energy to entertain children for any length of time.

I’ve noticed that most doorways have some type of a lip on the floor of the door frame. I have almost tripped a number of times forgetting about it. Now, when I walk in Georgia I cannot lift my head up. I need to constantly look down to manage the rocks and debris on the roads as well as watching how I step through a doorway.  Also in the town of Khushuri there are many steps (up and down) while walking the pavements. I don’t know what purpose they serve, maybe in time I will, but once again, I need to walk carefully so I don’t end up flat on my face.

Around the village I can still see the remains of the original wells that people used as a water source. They are made of stone and have the bucket on the crank wheel so that the water can be brought to the top. Some of the wells are covered with a piece of tin or something like that. It must be my risk management training that I worry about children falling into the wells that are not securely blocked (as most are not firmly covered). No one else seems to be concerned and I’ve not heard of any stories about people falling in.  I have been aware that at times my host brother does not go to school and I didn’t know why. It seems that at times children need to stay home in order to help with whatever the family needs. For example, in my host family’s case it is helping with the cows. I’ve seen young girls pushing wheel barrels filled with “whatever” and the grandmothers walking beside the wheel barrels. I would imagine that the grandmother could never have lifted or pushed it herself. I’ve seen young people using a pole type stick to move the cows off the road and into the shed. Once again, I am living memories of my youth; not that I moved cows or wheel barrels in South Philadelphia. However, back in the day (50+ years ago) I was kept home at times in order to help out either with younger siblings or help with something that needed to be done in the house. Children were also kept home at times to keep various family members company.  I remember not being happy about staying home; but one really didn’t have a choice. It is just the way it was done.  I wonder how the young children, here in the village, who are charged with the role of being a helper feel about it? I am also struck with how many memories of my childhood have been brought to the surface living here in this village. This is something I didn’t anticipate.

American -ამერიკელი

It is pronounced (Amerikeli). One of the great things about being in Georgia is the fact that “It is good to be an American in Georgia.” We are welcomed here and people make you feel so comfortable.  I feel very proud that I am American here. When we talk to the older students about travel we hear that most want to go to America. Some say Paris and also Jamaica but the place in the US that we hear most often is New Orleans. I don’t know why that location is selected; as when we ask the students some say their favorite movie star is from there and others just don’t know. When I walk through the village I often hear “Amerikeli”, as maybe saying that could explain the stranger (or my strangeness) that I am. I hear other words also but I have no idea what else they are saying. I can imagine though as when it is raining and I am walking with my white trash bag (poncho) – Upenn gave them out for graduation in the event of rain, I can imagine what they are saying as they can see me coming a mile away J

Helicopters are a strange sight here is Osiauri. Actually since I’ve been here I have not even heard a plane overhead let alone a helicopter. I often look into the sky as it is so clear and blue (when it is not raining), and there are nothing but birds in the sky. However, recently (I have no idea why) I’ve seen and heard a couple of helicopters flying overhead at different times. I would not even know who or what to ask as to why. Yes, readers…another question to ponder.

I will close for now. This weekend should be a little slow so I will write again. We are having our mid-evaluation with the Program Director. The PC does a lot of assessment and evaluation on-goingly. The staff is very good at reading what we write and they following-up if need be. There will also be a language oral examination this weekend as I’m sure it will factor into where we are placed in our permanent assignments. As always, I will do my best.

Permanent Assignment selection is scheduled for Thursday, June 19^th.

My Best to You All - Catherine, G14 

Note: The contents of the blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.