Hello, My Faithful Readers:
Blog: August 12, 2015
The first is the wood shed. There is even more wood stacked since I took the photo (exciting stuff, huh!). The next is the grape vines on the porch. I just sit and watch them grow. I really had no idea of the process but it has been very interesting to me. Next is "Wilber 2" our pig! He has grown so much since he first arrived. My internet is very slow so I would like to add more pictures but cannot. More Photographs in another blog.
I am back to blogging about my life here in Georgia
and to support it I’ve attached a photo of the “Wood Shed.” Although the heat
here is just unbelievable; we are starting to prepare for winter. The wood has
been arriving and it is being stacked in the “Wood Shed.” The family has doubled the amount of wood from last year. I think, because I brought a lot of the wood in to use, that possibly we used more than they allocated. Also, the grapes (see
attached) are growing and many of the leaves are turning brown and crumbling to
the ground. A sure sign that summer is coming to an end. It is sad in a way as
next August I won’t be here in Sagarejo; or, for that matter, in the Peace
Corps as I will close my service in July 2016
L
J
This coming weekend:
I will write more in the next blog – but on Friday I will be traveling
to Yerevan, Armenia. This has been a trip that I have been planning almost
since I arrived in Georgia. For one reason or another, I’ve not been able to go
until now. Of course, I will blog about it at the end of August – so stayed tuned!
The weather here has been HOT, HOT. The temperature
hovers above or around 100F during the day with humidity at or near 75. I don’t
know what that combination would give you in a “real feel” temperature; but, it
is hot. I remember it being hot last summer (my first here in Sagarejo);
however, I cannot remember being as uncomfortable as I am now.
I so miss air conditioning. This heat has made me
“out of sorts.” At times I just don’t know why I am feeling this way; other
than I am. I don’t know what to do with myself. I don’t want to sit, or walk or
even lay. Most of the time I am hungry, of course, (this seems to be a
permanent state of being here for me). It also seems that when I do get to have
food so that I feel filled and satisfied it just seems to make my hunger worse.
I just don’t understand that.
In addition to all this heat is the fact that we
have a new neighbor on the road that we live on. I am told that the man who
owns (or is building the house) is one of the richest men in Georgia. Who knows
if that is true; however, since last April there has been an army of workers
clearing the land and building the house. They placed a wall around the grounds
that must be ten feet high (or higher). They have been drilling and using power
equipment non-stop (it seems) from 8am to 8pm. It is like being in the dentist
chair. The army of men talk, no actually, they seem to scream at each other (I
guess to be heard over the power equipment). It is like chalk on a blackboard.
I keep hoping that since there are so many men working that the house will be
finished soon; but, it seems to go on endless.
I had the opportunity to go to Gori, Georgia. It is
about 100 miles or so to the west of Tbilisi. I went to visit another Peace
Corps Volunteer who has her own apartment in Gori. Wow, what a nice apartment.
It is on the 5th floor, so she does have a nice walk up the steps;
however, the apartment is lovely. It is a one bedroom and looks like it was
updated recently. Very cheerful once you get past the entrance to the apartment
building and you come out of the stairway. I don’t understand how the building
can look (from the outside) like it is going to fall down and yet when you open
the door to the apartment you feel like you are in another world. The stairway
is a nightmare. There are no lights so at night you need to use your phone to
light the way. It is dangerous as the steps are not aligned properly; so, some
are high and some are low. The hand rails shake and there are electric wire (or
some kind of wires) running all through and around the staircase. It is truly a
balancing act.
As part of the trip I got to see the Stalin Museum.
It is about a twenty minute walk from my friend’s house. The area is very nice;
set up for tourists. The museum information is listed in both Russian and
Georgian (with some information in English); however, English was rare. There
were so many paintings of Stalin. I wondered how much time he sat for the
artists. I don’t know much about this period in history; although, I am told
Stalin was a monster. So, having a museum dedicated to him seemed kind of odd!
Like having a museum dedicated to a serial killer.
I was also told that the mountains that I saw in
Gori were the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains.
I was also told, and did some research, the Gori was
bombed during the war of 2008. I’ve listed a link it you would care to get more
information.
I know I must have noticed this before; however, I
know I didn’t acknowledge it. That is, the women (or many women) speak in such
a high pitch. I just don’t understand this? It is almost like they are singing the pitch
is so high. At times these adult women sound like little girls their voices are
so high.
Another aspect of Georgian life that I won’t get
used to is when going to the MAC machine (maybe I am dating myself, but it’s
the automatic teller….in any event, people do not give you much, if any,
privacy when accessing the machine). Georgian people (both men and women) just
come up behind you (me) and peek (really they stare and make no bones to try
and hide their looking) over your shoulder; or, they stand right beside you
when you are putting your account information into the machine. They don’t try
and shield the fact that they are looking at what you are doing. Privacy always
seems to be in short order in this country.
I try and use my body as a shield; but, it does not work all the time. I
try and wait until I am alone with the machine; but, almost always people come
to watch what I am doing. I would get the hint if someone was trying to block
me when using the machine; however, that is not the case with Georgian people.
It is annoying and upsetting.
Last summer I really didn’t do a lot of traveling as
I was new to the area and quite frankly I think I was so overwhelmed that all I
wanted to do was stay put. So, since I didn’t travel around much last summer
this summer has been a real eye opener for me. First, the heat here on the
mountain is one thing; but, traveling in this heat is quite another. Being in
the marsh in this kind of heat is like being in an oven. While moving it down
the road it is OK as the breeze keeps the temperature down; however, while
waiting for the marsh to begin its journey is just awful. Sometimes you need to
wait up to 30minutes and you must stay in your seat otherwise you may lose it.
Another aspect of traveling is the body odor of
people. Now, it is a given that folks here (for one reason or another) they
don’t take a shower everyday; so, being in a marsh (or sometimes just standing
next to someone) can almost knock you over with the body odor coming from that
person. I don’t remember this from last
year but then I was fairly stationary here on my mountain.
I’ve listed the above link which will give you some
idea of “Didube” here in Tbilisi. This is the travel portal to the “west” here
in Georgia. All marshes and taxies and anything else that moves to the “west”
begins here in Didube. This area is just unbelievable. I have not been here in
over a year as Sagarejo is to the “east” so I don’t need to go to Didube. I had
forgotten just how chaotic this place is. The pictures do not do it justice. It
is really a small area and there are so many marshes and taxies going all
places “west”. There is a bazaar and all kinds of stores selling everything
from furniture to buckets. I really enjoy this place; however, there are land
mines everywhere. I mean holes in the pavements and roads; all kinds of wood
and rocks to step over and anything you can imagine. I cannot look and walk. I
need to stand still and observe. Also,
as usual, the cars and marshes pay no attention to people so as always if you
don’t want to get hurt you have to watch out.
The Panduri is an instrument I got to see up close
recently as a Peace Corps Volunteer was playing the instrument. She said that
she taught herself how to play and also use Utube to help in the process. She
was really good and I had a thought (but only for a minute) that maybe this was
something I would like to do. I gave up the notion as when I really got honest
with myself I realized I didn’t want to take that on. I enjoyed listening; but,
it felt like work to learn how to play.
A follow-up to my travels out west to Dezevir a
couple of weeks ago….there is one road in Georgia that spans the country east
to west. It is mostly a two lane road; however, when you are coming into or
leaving Tbilisi there is a four lane highway for about one-hundred miles. Other
than that, it is one lane going east and one lane going west. It is very slow
going on this road as all traffic must use this route. The drivers go so fast;
however, most of the time is spent trying to pass other cars and/or trucks and
tractor trailers. At times my knuckles are white watching how close the cars
and marshes come to each other and how very often they have to go onto the side
of the road in order to avoid a car that is trying to pass on the other side
and is still using part of your area of the road. I have visions of the marsh I
am in rolling down the side of the mountain. My heart is in my mouth much of
the time. I often just close my eyes as I really cannot do anything about it.
There are so many accidents here in Georgia because of the reckless driving and
poor road conditions; however, most accidents don’t get reported.
There have been lectures and petitions to change the
climate of “War on the Georgian Roads” – which, driving in Georgia seems to
feel like. Not sure how much progress will be made; but, sure is great that
there are plans to discuss the menace that is Georgian Driving.
Over the past fifteen months I’ve been to many towns
and villages here in Georgia and the thing that struck me the most is how
similar all of these places are. The buildings are constructed (both houses and
apartments) in the same configuration. The colors are basically the same. The
stores are the same from one town to the next and the items sold are absolutely
the same. If I didn’t know the location of where I was I would not know that I
was in a different area of Georgia. There are churches everywhere and they all
look the same. There are mountains everywhere; so, seeing mountains in the
distance sure does not make an area stand out. There is beauty in the distance,
so many open fields, hills and mountains; but, the towns and villages seem very
uniform.
We have a new Ambassador here in Georgia. Ian C.
Kelly has taken office, July 2015. A new chapter begins.
Also, Peace Corps Volunteers were just information
that our Country Director, Maura Fulton, has accepted a position as Country
Director in Burma (Myanmar) effective in September, 2015…so, lots of changes
here Leadership at the top. Stay tuned for ongoing developments.
I’ve decided not to do a summer camp here in
Sagarejo; however, I have been participating in camps that other Peace Corps
Volunteers have organized. Recently I joined the summer camp at the Youth House
here in Sagarejo. I basically just showed up to show my support. There were so
many children; may fifty. I was impressed that they were all at tables and
quietly working on drawings. It was very
nice to see. We also, the teachers, had tacos that were made from scratch by
one of the Peace Corps Volunteers. It was a nice end to the day and lots
of fun conversation.
I introduced the children to the “Banana Song.” I really cannot adequately describe it other
than the children (and me) just love it. It is very simple and it introduces a
couple English words….e.g., peel; cut; mash, stomp, throw and go. The “go”
really cracks the kids up as you really need to get into “go bananas”. I just
love it and they fall all over themselves seeing an adult acting like a kid (
I like to do that J.
At the summer camp I participated in a few weeks ago
I had some interesting thoughts as I sat watching this camp unfold. I was thinking about how different my Peace
Corps Experience would have been if I had been assigned to this location
(dzeveri) rather than where I am presently posted (Sagarejo). I then went on to think about, and have
conversations with other Peace Corps Volunteers, about whether the location of
service makes the volunteer experience or does the volunteer make the
experience in their location. Hum, deep thoughts….I just found this interesting
to think about and I am really not sure what the answer is.
Ok, getting ready to travel this weekend. Great to
be back home in Georgia!
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.
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