Blog, July 9^th, 2014

Hello My Faithful Readers:

I finally figured out how to download from my camera to the computer, so I am posting a photograph that was taken from my bedroom window. I’ve been asking but no one seems to know the name of the mountain. Also, the second photo is in Osiarui. It is one of roads that I have to walk in order to get home! I think they loaded at the bottom of the blog! Enjoy.

I had my first ride in a marsh while “standing”. I am a seasoned bus rider. I don’t have a car so either I walk or I take the bus. Standing on a bus in the United States is a little uncomfortable at times, but not that bad. I can “stand my ground on a bus, no problem.” However, I cannot say the same for the “standing” experience in a marsh. Up until this point when I’ve gotten on the marsh and there were no seats someone, either a nice gentleman or one of the children (usually from the school and they recognize me) they get up and give me their seat. Georgian’s are wonderful like that. However, this marsh was filled with mostly women coming back from shopping at the bazaar. In addition to people, the marsh was filled with bags and bags of fruits, vegetables, clothes, etc. When I got on I barely had a place to stand let alone sit.

The marsh is really not made for standing as there is nothing to hold onto except the back of the seats. Also, you cannot stand up straight in the marsh (like you can on a bus).  The ceiling is low because the marsh is really a “van” so you have to bend a little in order to get yourself in. I was trying to balance my bag of goodies and hold on at the same time. One woman took pity on me and grabbed my bag which left my hands free to push against the walls and/or ceiling to anchor myself. That was not working either.

 There are many turns and twists on the ride home, so I was back and forth against other folks who were standing – apologizing, but it was either that or I was going to fall on them (which would not have been pretty). The roads are also bumpy with deep pot holes, so the driver is always zigging and zagging to try and avoid them. It was a heck of a ride. If all that was not enough, the marsh has few open windows and of course no air conditioning, so it was boiling inside. I almost got out half way home to walk the remainder of the way. It’s a 20-minute ride from start to finish and when I got out of the marsh I felt like I had been inside a washing machine.  Just to think, I am going to have 2-years of this joy! A former PC volunteer told me that on a marsh ride in the dead of summer she fainted from the heat and found herself waking up on the ground outside of the marsh with all the riders looking down on her. I can’t wait J

I remembered something about the recent 4^th of July picnic that I wanted to share. All my American friends out there can back me up on this; but, when Americans go to a picnic (not always, but mostly) we dress very casual. Shorts, tank tops, jeans, flip flops – really just knock around clothes. However, the Georgian folks who came to the picnic were dressed like they were going to a really fancy dinner party. High heels, long dresses, beautiful blouses, makeup and jewelry. Some of the PC Georgian staff who had been at last year’s picnic knew the drill so they (or some) came casual, but the host families didn’t. They really put us American’s to shame that they were so dressed up and most of us looked like beach bums (good beach bums) J. One final point that I failed to mention about the picnic was that my host brother (11) and sister (14) attended with me. It was GREAT to share the experience with them. They threw water balloons and got wet. They were thrilled about that – it seemed like a new experience for them J. They kept running into the pavilion (which was where I was out of the sun) to show me how wet they were, or a new painting on their face or a balloon hat someone had made for them. They were just having the best time!

I want to share something that I am really looking forward to. I want to do some traveling in the region around Georgia, but I also want to explore Georgia. The PC volunteers (both current and former) are such wonderful resources. I received information about guest houses on or near the Black Sea (which is definitely a destination at some point). In any event, rather than go into Batumi (on the Black Sea) the volunteer chose to go to Kobuleti, which is I understand, also on or near the Black Sea. There are two places she recommended. The first guesthouse is near the center of town in Kobuleti. The cost is 10 Lari/night. The second guesthouse is RIGHT ON THE SEA – but it is remote and not near the center. It is called the Hotel Miragi and it is 15 Lari/night or 25 that includes meals. I hope to check these places out as both come highly recommended. For me, I would have to travel basically the entire country from East to West. Probably a 5+ hour marsh ride. It is something to consider. I will keep you posted.

I am really lucky to have a family that has a washing machine, but I miss having bleach added to the washing cycle. All my white clothes, after 11 weeks, are dingy. The PC did put that in the “info you should know” that the white (socks and underwear, t-shirts) start to not be white any longer. The suggestion was to bring dark clothing. Hot water is also not used when washing clothes and both color and white clothes are done together.  Also, it was a mistake to bring white sneakers. Oh, well – next time I will know better J.  Just a silly point, but most of the washers load from the front, so you have to bend down and stuff the clothing in. It seems that in Georgia things are often done the hard way. I don’t know why that is, but I’ve found that to be the case in different situations. It is almost (this is my observation) that they need to do things hard or difficult. I’ve heard that about the Russian people that “easy” is not really a way of life. The hard way seems to be more familiar and “easy” is more or less uncomfortable. Maybe this is part of the Russian legacy that the PC spoke to us about, doing things the hard way.  Geezes, I am just too old to do things the hard way so this is going to be interesting.

On Monday morning, as I was waiting on the road for the marsh to take me into Khashuri I had one of the BEST experiences here in Osiauri. Of course, while I was waiting I was “in my head” about the day ahead – that frankly I was not looking forward to. It consisted of four hours of Georgian language class and then two plus hours of managing a summer camp for (40) children – ages 3 to 18 at the school in Osiauri, as well as at least another hour of wrap up and planning for the next day’s camp.  I was not a happy camper.  In any event, as I was sitting I heard noises and could not figure out what it was. We hear rosters, chickens, cows and donkeys all the time, but this was different. As I started to look around I noticed ducks coming around the corner. As they rounded the corner they got louder and louder and I bet there must have been a couple of dozen of them. What a sight!  All the ducks were white with the exception for one. It was still basically white but it was a little darker, sort of tan. They were walking so close together and quacking. It just made me laugh out loud. All by myself on the side of the road laughing, what a vision I must have been. Then a woman came into view who was talking to the ducks (I am sure, in Georgian). I just wanted to run out and give those duck a hug. It was just incredible.  The ducks were walking in the middle of the road and when I saw my marsh coming I heard the woman holler to the ducks and they moved to the right hand side of the road, I bet to avoid the marsh. It was just amazing. I didn’t want to get in the marsh, I wanted to stay and watch and walk with the ducks. Ok, after that my day became lighter and brighter! All day I could see the ducks and it made all the heavy thoughts of my day disappear. This was the first time I’ve seen ducks in the village. I know for sure that it is a sight I would not see in the city. Now, that is my duck story and I am sticking to it. J

I also want to share with you a couple of web site you may be interested in checking out. When I go into a new city, I always take the “City Bus Tour.” I feel that it gives me an overview of the city and it helps me get my bearing as to where I am and where I want to go. So, here are the links to the city bus tours in Tbilisi. I know I will use one or both of these agencies once I move to my permanent location.

http://hoponhopoff.ge/en

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/gerogia/tbilisi.htm.

Sighnaghi - სიღნაღი

Here is another piece of good news for me. The “Town of Love” is in the Kakheit region of Georgia, which so happens to be the region that I will be living in. I checked on google and the distance between my new city (Sagarejo) and (Sighnaghi) is only about 32 miles. Now, when you factor in that is in “Georgian miles” it may take a couple of hours to get there, but it is doable. Maybe nice for a long or short weekend stay. It seems like it has lots of great hotels and things to do. This will be a “must” on my travel list.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sighnaghi

Ok, Faithful Readers…..Really tired and need to prepare for a full day of classes in Khashuri tomorrow. All the best to everyone out there reading my blog!

Catherine Lawrence, G14 – 7/9/14

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

Blog, July 6, 2014

Hello, My Faithful Readers:

We had our evacuation drill last week. The EAP, the Emergency Action Plan, provides the framework for Peace Corps volunteers to evacuate the country in the event of a natural disaster or a political unrest within the country.

To begin, at 6:40am last Thursday, I received a call from my Language Coach telling me that all volunteers needed to be at the consolidation point as quickly as possible. This kind of message would infer that there is a strong possibility that due to certain situations we may need to evacuate the country. We were also told to bring our “GO” bag. That is the bag that will contain any and all necessary items we would need in order to leave the country. Some examples would be passports, money, medications, clothing, phone, chargers – things that would be necessary if we had to leave Georgia and live in another location for a period of time.  The consolidation point would be, in this scenario, the Khashuri school that we do our training in. The Peace Corps was not going to send transportation for us. It was up to us to find our own way to the location. The kicker is we really didn’t know if this was FOR REAL, or was it a drill. We had to operate like it was FOR REAL.

I was a little prepared as my “GO” bag was sort-of ready, so I just had to put the finishing touches into the bag. Out the door I went and took my village marsh to the consolidation point. When I arrived I realized that it was a drill as the Peace Corps had a breakfast layout (instant coffee, tea, fruit and pastry) for us and we were being clocked as to how long it took us to get to Khashuri, which was the consolidation point. It was an upsetting as well as interesting start to the morning! I arrive in Khashuri at 8:15am. We were told from the start of the drill, when the first call went out to evacuate at 6:30am, until we were all safely arrived at the consolidation point, 8:30am, was a really impressive time for (57) volunteers to come in from all points east and west of Khashuri using transportation that was not Peace Corps. Some volunteers used the marsh, others took a taxi or requested a ride from their host families and yet other volunteers walked to the consolidation point. If it was real, at that point the Peace Corps would have evacuated us either to Armenia or Azerbaijan (I think), depending on a variety of factors. Since we didn’t have to evacuate we had breakfast and then sat down for a full day of meetings.

Since evacuation was a topic of conversation, at that point we were all given our evacuation orders should we need to leave the country when we get to our permanent sites (for me: Sagarejo). I would need to find my way to Telavi, which is about two hours from my permanent site of  Sagarejo. We know who our leader will be (also referred to as “Warden”) and exactly who I will be traveling with. My group will consist of twelve other volunteers who are living in the same region. I must say that I am impressed with the amount of detail and pre-planning that goes into all this. If anything does happen, I know that we will be well taken care of.

Ok, enough about evacuation. Wanted to share something I remembered about Tbilisi that I thought was unusual. While we were on one of the buses in Tbilisi I noticed that there was a man going up and down the aisle collecting money. Was he a beggar (he was dressed nicely) or what was his role on the bus? Since I was in the back of the bus and one of my traveling mates was going to pay for me, I didn’t notice if there was a fare box or not. Well, obviously not, as this man was collecting money for the ride. The bus was so crowded and yet he seemed to know who paid and who did not. After you paid, he gave you a little receipt. He was even making change if you didn’t have exact fare.  I thought about the regional trains we have in Philadelphia and the suburbs, as that is how they collect the fare on the trains. But, on a moving city bus it seemed unusual. I am not sure if this happens on all the buses as on one other bus I was on had a fare box.  Another interesting point was that the bus had THREE doors (front, back and middle). The extra door made getting on and off fast and easy. I think the USA should look at the THREE door model, especially on heavily used lines (now I am making policy (smiles).

Georgia will now be integrated into the EU internal market, the worlds’ largest. As for me, being here in Georgia at this time – well let me quote something that I found on the topic.

“The months ahead will require major efforts on the Georgian side, as it will have to adopt and implement hundreds of regulations on rule of law, justice, human rights and labour rights. It will have a profound impact on the whole society and it would require structural reforms, capacity building in its institutions,” says Mr Iarochevitch . Boris Iarochevitch, deputy head of the EU delegation in Georgia, says the EU has had assurances from Russia it will not interfere in the process – “although you never know,” he adds.

As I will be here in Georgia for the next two years, I may get to see how this would unfold. Looking forward to that. 

The 4^th of July has come and gone. The Peace Corps celebrated by having a picnic in the traditional 4^th of July fashion. The ONLY things missing were the BBQ grill and fireworks, but neither missing item took anything away from the day. We spent the afternoon at a picnic site that had a covered pavilion with sofa like chairs. There were not that many picnic tables, but nobody seemed to mind. All of the PC G14’s (me) were invited as well as the PC staff and one or two members from our host families. There must have been 200 people in attendance. The food was hamburgers and hotdogs (of course on buns). We had REAL mustard (we were all happy about that).  Pringles (the chip) was in the house (smiles) and of course REAL coke and pepsi and water. Georgian’s are not big on ICE and brother do I miss it. It was a hot day so most of us were trying to find shelter from the sun.

The day was organized around arrivals and food for the first hour. Getting to the place was a challenge as we had to walk over a foot bridge (that moved a little) and we were dodging the remains of the cows that had just crossed before us (part of life in Georgia). The water below looked so tempting. I know I am not the only one who wanted to jump in but there were lots of rocks in the water (kinda white water, so to speak). It was beautiful to watch the water flow quickly over the rocks. The surrounding scenery was just breath taking. There was nothing around as far as the eye could see. It was a spectacular day. Not a cloud in the sky. The hills/mountains were so green and lush. Rolling hills that just went on and on.  The picnic area was on a hill, so we were looking down at the valley below us.  

After the foot bridge we had to climb up the hill and there was no railing or even indentations so that our feet could grab onto the ground. The area was half grass and half little stones that were slippery. We were all grabbing onto one another trying to get up. At the time we had fellow volunteers who had already made it to the top cheering us on with American flags. The picnic area was big enough for the multitudes of people and even had enough room to play “tug of war”, water balloon toss, 3 legged races and other games. Frisbees and American footballs were tossed about. It was fun. There were people painting faces, so just about everyone had an American flag or a Georgian flag, so some other festive design painted on their faces, arms and legs.  The Georgian children I think had the best time. They said they really liked“America’s Birthday”.

დაბადების დღე

dabadebis dghe

"birthday" in Georgian

After the games came the Cake and Ice Cream. This cake looked like a wedding cake. It was so big it covered the whole table.  Remember this cake had to feed 200 people. It was like a strawberry short cake, delicious. Before we cut the cake we sang the American National anthem and then they passed around sparklers as well as shot off some of these confetti poppers that shoot stars and other color type of confetti into the air. Everyone was hugging and singing and waiting for cake! I tell you every inch of cake was eaten.

The day was a success. We all got to have conversations with folks that because of our tight schedule we don’t get to talk too often or ever. It was fun also to speak in Georgian. Everyone is generous as most times we don’t say it correct; but many of the host families now speak a little English – so we all get by. We waited to the marsh to come and take us home and then to bed. I was exhausted being out in the sun all day (and I was not even running around). We walked the road back to home in Osiauri with balloon hats and the kind of horns that you get at new years. We looked like a parade coming down the road. We always seem to come home with the cows (smiles).

ნაყინი

naqini

"ice cream" in Georgian

So, at the beginning of this blog I promised some information about upcoming events as we will be graduating and becoming “Official Volunteers” on July 18^th, 2014. I’ve heard that the ceremony will take place in Tbilisi, I think at one of the University of Tbilisi buildings. The US Georgian Ambassador will be swearing us in. Along with all the volunteers we can invite our current host families as well as our soon to be new permanent site host families. Again, a cast of thousands will attend! We will also have the evening before a “Farewell Dinner.”  At some point we are going to Borjomi to see a notary officer (not sure what that is about) and we are also going to have our PST exit interview with the Georgian PC Country Director.

Next week will be a hard week for me because we will have Georgian classes five of the six days. I hold on to the fact that these classes are coming to an end. In addition, we volunteers have to develop and conduct a summer camps for the children in our village. It is a three day program and each day requires two hours of activities each day. The challenge is we have really no budget for this and have no idea how many children will show up. Sometimes there are 15 and it could go to 60, or more. Of course there are six volunteers trying to run the programs, but I am not looking forward to it.

I am going to close but wanted to let you know that I think my next book will be “Moby Dick.” For some reason which I am sure will become clearer to me as I begin to read the book (it is my first time reading it).

Thanks so much for your interest in my adventure. Feel free to post comments (good or bad), I would love to hear from people back in the OLD COUNTRY.

Best, Catherine Lawrence, G14 – 7/6/14

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

Blog, July 2^nd, 201

Hello My Faithful Readers:

Volunteer - მოხალისე; Mokhalise

I am not officially a “Volunteer” (not until July 18^th); however, my current host grandmother calls me by this name “Mokhalise.” Maybe she has since the day I arrived, but it was not until recently that I recognized the term. Since I’ve been complaining about the language lessons since I arrived, I wanted to balance things by saying that things have improved a little for me. Now, I am still so far behind, but I am beginning to recognize phrases and actually use Georgian -  ქართველი - Kartveli  while I am out and about. Sometimes I even surprise and impress myself; but it is short lived as usually right behind my confidence another situation arises and I am totally clueless J

I think the change may be due to either my old brain is finally catching on; or, maybe because I am in a new Georgian Class. The new teacher is as good as my old teacher; absolutely. However, I think either the classes are a little slower or maybe I can concentrate more. As I said, this new class has LIGHT, so I can see without using the flashlight on my cell phone. Also, I don’t have to worry about managing the bathroom as the new location has indoor facilities almost right outside the classroom. It’s a relief not to have to consider walking down a flight of steps and go outside behind the school to the outhouse. Whatever the reason, it is a little better.

This is not without cost; however. I now have the following schedule:

-The Marsh picks me up on the road in Osiauri and we go to Khashuri

-After class, the Marsh comes back to Khashuri and returns me to Osiauri for lunch

-After lunch, the Marsh comes and takes all (6) of us back to Khashuri for training

-After training, we return to Osiauri.

Whew, at times I wonder where I am. It is not enough that it is a 10+ hour day, but when you throw in the travel – at times I feel like I am operating at warp speed J. The Peace Corps has invested a great deal and I am proud that they think I am worth it. This kind of a schedule is also incorporated for a few other volunteers so I have not been singled out. I know they want us to succeed.  I’ve said all along, “You really have to want being a Peace Corps Volunteer.” This is not an easy gig to get or to maintain. Even if you want it (like me) it takes strength from all the muscles that your body and mind can muster.

I will get off the language, but first I wanted to say that almost the ENTIRE class is now conducted in “Georgian.” I don’t get all of it, but I understand a word here or there and get the “gist” of what she is saying.  Sometimes we learn words that are translated in both Georgian and Russian. Lots of folks speak Russian here. As if, learning one new language was not enough!  Just when I think that I am at capacity; the PC throws another challenge at us and you either sink or swim. So far, I am still swimming. My head is either totally above the water or the water is right near the top of my chin.  I know this will benefit me; however, when I was in Sagarejo nobody really wanted to talk to me in Georgian. They all wanted to speak in English. Now, maybe that is because they knew I really was not fluent or even remedial in the language; but, learning English is so important that the natives will take every opportunity to practice.

The World Cup is really big here. I joke around and ask if this is the sport with the “puck?” I cannot tell you the kinds of looks that I get. I must be careful as they all, including the PC folks, take this very serious and that is all I am going to say J

Please - tu sheidzleba  

Because - იმიტომ, რომ  Imitom rom

I like the above vocabulary, just threw them in for good measure.

I wanted to give you a little more information about my new permanent location. First, a couple of people think I am going to Sarajavo, the capital of  Bosnia. Maybe the Olympics were held here a little while ago? However, that is not where I am going. I will be living in Sagarejo, which is in the EASTERN part of the Republic of Georgia.  

So, yesterday we went to Tbilisi. It was a full day; in that, we left Khashuri on the 8:00am Marsh and didn’t get home last night until 8:00pm. In one world, Tbilisi reminds me of many of the European cities that I have been in.

We started the day by renting a private van. There were (7) of us, so we were able to fill it up. It was a very smooth ride and comfortable (much better than a marsh). The travel time was about 90 minutes. There is very little traffic on the highway. The cars go so fast, passing each other on the left and right. At times one really needs to just close your eye and remember that this is the way it is done in Georgia. J  We arrived at “Didube” which is the Marsh hub for traffic coming into Tbilisi from the East. If one word could describe this location it would “Chaos.” It is a large parking lot, so to speak, that has all kinds of cars, vans and marsh’s lined up in no particular order. As you walk through, it reminds me of an “open flea market”, but install of stalls you have vehicles. Of course, you walk on non-paved roads – so you are dealing with rocks, mud, dirt, water and everything in-between. All the while the drivers are calling out placed that they are traveling to. They are looking for customers as the marsh won’t go until it is filled. They have the name of the destination in the front window of the marsh.  The marsh only goes into the bigger cities and towns. Once in Khashuri I will need to take my local marsh back to Osiauri. However, after the last marsh leave Khashuri at 5:30pm, I would need to take a cab.

Khashuri (Georgian: ხაშური) 

The “Didube” metro entrance was very near where the van arrived. We walked through the mass of vehicles, many that were moving through the crowd and lots people walking around selling everything from underwear to fruit.  Arriving at the entrance to the metro we found our way to the ticket counter where we put money on our metro card.  There is a cost for the card; however, a couple of the G12’s who were leaving the country gave me their old cards (and some even had money on it). The metro station is modern. I felt like I was in any big city, both in USA and abroad, that has a metro system. The sounds of the metro almost reminded me of Washington, DC. I was really starting to feel at home. The metro system is not big.  http://metroscheme.com/img/tbilisi.gif

We had to take one train line and then transfer to the other train line. It was very

Confusing as the signage was mostly in Georgian, but one of the volunteers with us had done this before so she was somewhat familiar. As part of the Tbilisi trip we had to find the Peace Corps Office and we did! After you get off at the Medical Center stop, you have to walk about 5 long blocks. The street that the PC office is on reminds me of New York. I don’t know how many car lanes there are really, as at times it looks like there are At least five cars, vans or marsh’s driving along the road that spans from sidewalk to sidewalk.   Of course they are all going so fast and people are actually trying to get across the street in-between all this traffic. It is a REAL city, and I love it.

The Peace Corps Office is really nice. You do have to go through a metal detector and sign in. You also have to go through three doors to enter. It seems very secure.  The office houses all the PC Georgia staff and supporting departments. It is so bright and cheerful. There is a room for volunteers (a lounge) and there is a table with all kinds of things that volunteers don’t want or need anymore. So, you get to take FREE stuff. I took a small brush to clean MR. MUD from my shoes, a container of Ben Gay (Yeah, someone else here is hurting) and some other odds and ends that I cannot remember.  There is also a library with PAPER books that PC volunteers have left for volunteers still in-country. We didn’t have much time to look around the library; but, they did have a bowl of Hershey Kisses (wow, that was nice)! 

After we toured the office, we started off to visit ETAG (English Teachers’ Association of Georgia). www.etag.ge    It was a difficult cab ride to find the office, but when we finally arrived it was at the State University of Tbilisi. We met with the Manager and the Training Coordinator.  They were both lovely women who were full of information to share with us. In addition to the Tbilisi main office, ETAG has eight branches all over Georgia. They provide training programs and research assistance for members. I will consider membership as they have a branch in Telavi which is in the same region I am in. At that point, we got on a BUS. I was so excited. Had no clue as to how much, but the woman at ETAG told us to get on the #88, and so we did. We jumped off when we noticed there was a

WENDY’s out our window. We had lunch (the food WAS GREAT), and then back onto another bus to get back to the PC office. At this point we realized that we were lost. I was so excited, as I like getting lost in new cities, but some of the other volunteers were not happy about it. If it was up to me I would just jump in a cab and get un-lost, but some of the volunteers didn’t have money for a cab. So, we did it the hard way.  (I am just too old to do it the hard way any longer). It was very hot and we were exhausted by the time we got back to the PC office. I was ready to go, but I didn’t want to travel back by myself. I just didn’t have my bearing within the city, so I connected with some volunteers who were going to have a bite to eat before traveling back on the marsh.  We ended up sitting outside and enjoying the city as it unfolded before us and around us. It was a lovely end to the day. We negotiated a cab (as that is how you get a cab in Georgia). You must set the price before you get into the cab. We piled in and headed back to “Didube” to get the marsh back to Khashuri.

It was a full day and I am sure I left many interesting things out, but my Faithful Readers you will be hearing more about Tbilisi as time goes forward. I will only be about 40 minutes away (by marsh) from Tbilisi, so I plan to visit the city as often as I can. My sense of the city is that it is BIG and I am not even sure that I got into the heart of the city.

We are getting ready for the 4^th of July picnic. I am really looking forward to that.  I wanted to let you know, if case you were wondering, that here in Georgia it is time to harvest the garlic. I have about 40 dozen, maybe more, cloves of garlic outside my window. I was wondering why my eyes were watering and then I found the garlic. The first day was bad, but now it seems to have eased a little. I’ve seen the garlic at other houses in the village. So, I am thinking everyone is doing the same. I wonder what they do with it so that they can have it all winter. I am just so not farm material. Oh, Well…..I am a city gal.

More over the weekend…hope you enjoyed my initial travels in Tbilisi.

I was able to post a picture of the G14 Peace Corps, Yipee. I am very proud of myself. I Have some pictures I will post as soon as I can figure out how to download from my camera. Patience....I am trying to come into the 20th century :-)

Best, Catherine, G14 – 7/2/14

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

Blog, June 29, 2014

Hello, My Faithful Readers:

When I last left you, I had just arrived in Sagarejo with the Director of the School that I will be teaching in. We just loaded up the car with my luggage and started for the home of my new host family.

At we started up the mountain I was getting concerned as to the distance we were traveling up the mountain. I kept thinking about how far we were going away from the center of town and yet we kept going up the mountain. Finally, after maybe two or three minutes or so the car made a right hand turn onto another road, off the main road. A few seconds later the car stopped and I knew we had arrived.

My host family (grandmother, mother, sister and brother) came out to welcome me along with the dog, cat and chickens. My host father was working, so I would meet him later. Everyone was hugging and saying :

გამარჯობა (gamarjoba), which means “Hello”.  

My Director and her husband were saying good-by, and then I knew that I was really on my own.  I was then taken to my room, which was on the second floor. I don’t know why, but many houses in Georgia have the stairs to the second floor on the outside of the house.  We all took a piece of my luggage, and there was a lot of it. We Americans have a lot of stuff. My room is lovely. The walls and ceilings are in perfect condition. This is unusual as many of the homes I have been in have walls that appears to have been water soaked, as well as the ceilings appear the same way. My room has two windows; however, there are no screens. When I looked out the window I had a full view of the mountain. It felt like I could touch it. I fell in love immediately at what I was looking at. I thought that I should place my desk by the window but I don’t think I would get anything done.  I have a bed, table and a chair, a nightstand and a wardrobe. The floors are wood and the floor seems to slant down a little. Nothing that is too bad. The size of the room would allow me to get a comfortable chair and maybe another table so that I can put some of my “Stuff” on. The ceiling must be 12-15 feet high (nice to look at, but it may be hard to heat).  The bed was neatly made with brand new linens on it. Also, there was a comforter that matched the linens. It was so clean and bright. It felt very comfortable and welcoming.

We all headed back downstairs for tea. However, before that I was given my key and shown how to lock my room. It is PC policy that the bedroom of the volunteers is secured with a lock. This lock looks like a skeleton key and every time you open and close the door (with the key in the lock) the key falls out onto the floor. It is very funny. As I was taken through the house I noticed a hallway, a living room that had a flat screen TV and a computer setup, the grandmother’s room, the kitchen and another room  (I could see through the window) that they used as some kind of a storage area. It was set up sort of like a kitchen as I would think they make bread and the like on the big table.

Once we entered the kitchen we sat down at the table. There were no chairs at the table, only stools to sit on. They were not too bad, but they didn’t have a back to the stool to rest on. I learned during my stay that it would not matter, as not a lot of time is spent sitting at the table. In any event, as soon as I sat down I was just filled with so many emotions. I don’t know why but I started to cry. Maybe it was the culmination of the anticipation, or that I had finally arrived at where I would serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer for next two years. I have no idea, other than I was crying my eyes out. My host family, and remember we really could not communicate, was hugging me and holding my hand and I just had a sense about these people – I just knew everything was going to be OK. I was also happy that I didn’t feel bad crying; and so glad that my host family just let me get it out of my system rather than trying to hold it in.

After tea we went to see the bathroom. I do have indoor facilities; that is toilet and shower (with a hot water heater). However, the bathroom had a door inside the house and one that leads to the outside of the house. The outside door is not very secured. It has gaps around the door that won’t be a problem in the summer; however, I am concerned about what it will be in the winter. I bet it will be cold in that room unless the family has a plan to maybe close off the door someway. That remains to be seen.  The house does not have central heating; however, I am told that in my room there is an electric heater (have not seen it yet); and in the family room or living room there could be an electric heater. These are issues and concerns that will be handled as winter approaches and I am just going to have to find ways to overcome them. I’ve heard from other volunteers that during the winter the entire family lives in the living room. They close off the rest of the house and live in the living room. This room has the TV and computer. It also has a couple of sofas and chairs (comfortable ones) and something that looks like a day bed. The room looks really cozy and closed off, so I would imagine that this room could be very warm. It also has a dining table and chairs in the room, so I again imagine that everything (except cooking) is done here.  This all remains to be seen.

One the BEST parts of the house is the porch and the garden. Actually, I feel like I live in a forest. There are so many plants and trees and flowers all around and even above us. There is a trellis with, I am told, vines for grapes. There are red roses, white roses and other types of flowers that I have no idea what they are other than they are beautiful. It is just spectacular. As if that was not enough, when you shake some of the trees fruit falls out of them. Red cherries and white cherries and other types of fruit that I have no idea what kinds of fruit the tree has. All I know it that it is beautiful as well as delicious.

ლამაზი  -  lamazi  - "beautiful"

 As we sat in the garden to take a breath I noticed the mountain that was in my view. When I am in my room on the second floor it feels like I can reach out and touch it as it feels that close.  The mountain, as with everything around it, is green and vibrant. You can just feel the richness of it all. I was thinking of maybe buying a hammock as a welcome present (for the garden) but I would hate to disturb the trees. We shall see. The town of  Khashuri it known for its hammocks. There is a street in Khashuri that sells nothing but hammocks and sling back chairs.

The house is set back from the main road. There are a total of five houses, including the one I will live in, on this adjacent road. All of the families, except for my host family use the house as a summer home. All the other families either live in Tbilisi or some other surrounding areas. They then come on the weekends in the summer. So, the area is really quiet. 

During the course of the afternoon and early evening neighbors came to look at the American (me)!  It is really wonderful that the Georgian people exhibit such warmth with their welcome. I can say a couple words in Georgian, so I was a big hit. We sat outside and shook the trees and ate the cherries.

Vocabulary for you:

ბიჭი [bich'i] = SON

გოგო [gogo] = Girl

ქალი [kali] = Woman

I slept well that evening. I was surprised at that, but again I was exhausted. The next morning I connected to the G13 volunteer and the other G14 volunteer who are both in the town of  Sagarejo. We decided to meet at the round-about (in the center of the town) and do a little exploring. I also wanted to walk down this mountain to see how long it was going to take me. So, my host sister insisted that she come with me. I knew I would be fine and would have really rather gone on my own, but down we went together. It took up a good 20 minutes to walk down and we were walking not strolling. It is all downhill, so it was not that bad. Part of the road (when you first come out on the main road from my house) is dirt and stone, so Mr. MUD will still be with me; however, about 3-4 minutes, it turns into a paved road – so hopefully all will be smooth from that point on.

So, here is the kicker – what goes down must come up. I was thinking, as I was walking down, about coming back up to my host family house. Oh brother, this was not going to be pretty. After I spent the day in the town (I will give details soon) I wanted to start back up the mountain and time myself so I knew what I was dealing with. It took me way over an hour to come back up. I had to stop a couple of times to gather myself and wonder (seriously) what the heck I was doing here!  It is not that steep, but there is definitely an incline. I would think that I did pay to go to the gym and use the treadmill and the program to adjust the level of incline. Here, it was already built in for me. This is going to be a CARDIOVASCULAR training program.  I am going to have to go down at least five times a week; however, I made known that I will only do this once a day.  I can definitely do it, but it takes me time. I am just not in shape to do this kind of climbing/walking. I’ve been walking in Osiauri but it is all flat. The walking in Sagarejo is a different kettle of fish. The other concern about this walking is what will happen during ice and snow. These are all concerns that will need to be sorted out. The PC is very in tune with safety and security, so I will reach out to them to see how I can do this and be safe. There is a marsh that does up the mountain, but it is expensive and on my volunteer salary it is not going to be possible to do that every day.

Needless to say, when I reached the top I knew that I had some kind of a workout. It was also very hot that day, so the added heat didn’t help. I also thought that it is going to be difficult depending on how cold it gets. The plus side to all this is that I am going to get into the best shape. It always optional to go to the gym; however, getting home for food and bed is not optional.

The next day, down the mountain I went, and I met with my new School Director and two of the English teachers. I also was given a tour of the school. The good news is that the school is heated. They have heating units in all the classrooms, at least the classrooms that I got to see. The question now is how much heat do the units put out and is it enough to really warm the room? I won’t know that until winter comes, of course; however, it looks promising. The school is on two floors.

 The first floor is beautiful and has hardwood floors, newly painted walls in both the hallways and classrooms. The teachers have a bathroom on the first floor. It is a squat toilet a total of 3 stalls, but the stalls don’t have doors on them but there is a short wall in-between. It gives new meaning to becoming familiar. J  The toilets do have the capacity to flush (and that is a good thing). The students have an outhouse behind the school. I’ve been in school outhouses, and I am glad the teacher bathroom is indoors.

The second floor of the school does leave something to the imagination. I know eventually it will look nice, but at the moment it looks nothing like the 1^st floor. The floors are old and the wood is coming up. The walls desperately need painting, but at least there is no hole in the ceiling. There is a computer lab with about 20 computers, including printers. The school also has a library; however, it is not organized. Basically it’s a storage area and everyone stores their books in the room. There are books on the shelves, on the floor and on the desk. I don’t believe students can have access. As schools go, this one is not bad. It has the capacity for 330 or so students, grades 1-12.

Ah, there is just so much to say about the visit to my new town, Sagarejo; but I wanted to give you some updates on events that are going on and events that will take place in the next week. So, I found food that is not Georgian (Yeah!). It is called “Shawarma” and it is very good. I think I’ve had it before. I think It is Middle Eastern, but you can google to learn more.

JUNE 28^TH & 29^TH, Is the FIRST FULL weekend we have had since we arrived in April. Gosh, it feels good. I slept Saturday morning until 9:00 am. I then went into Khashuri to do a little shopping. It is fun exploring all the little shops in the town. Met a PC friend and we had a chance to have a conversation. It was really nice. On Tuesday, 7/1/14 we are going into Tbilisi. We have to travel on our own and find and take a tour of the PC office. We also have to have a meeting with one of the educational organizations that have HQ in Tbilisi. I am with a group that will meet with ETAG (English Teachers’ Association of Georgia). I also wanted to attend a meeting at the US Embassy, Public Affairs Section; however, the timing is just not going to work. I will have to do that after I move to Sagarejo. The trip to Tbilisi will also require a metro ride, and I already have two metro cards given to me by folks who are leaving Georgia. 

On Friday, 7/4/14 we have a 4^th of July Picnic. All the G14’s, staff and (2) members of our Host families participate. The Embassy staff will be in attendance and I understand that they bring the food. Good old AMERICAN picnic food – hot dogs, hamburgers etc. I am told that it is a kick watching the Georgian’s assemble their hot dogs at the picnic. We also have games of all sorts (American picnic games).  I volunteered to serve the food….purely selfish on my part J. Of course, we still continue with our language classes and other technical classes in-between all these great events, but wanted to give you a head-ups of the wonderful events that are before me.

I will sign off for now and again thank you for taking the time to share all this with me. If you want, post comments (good or bad) – HA, or email me. I love hearing from the “old country”

Best, Catherine Lawrence, G14 – 6/29/14

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

Blog, June 26^th, 2014

Hello, My Faithful Readers:

Today marks 2 months in-country, only 25 more to go!

I have so much to share and I hardly know where to begin. So, let me start with the most important happening of the last five days, and that is “I got my hair cut in Georgia.”  Of course, I am virtually “pulling your leg”, but it was a big deal to me, and to all the PCV – looking good J. To make this long story short “the saga of the hair cut” – it turned out GREAT (but could have been shorter) and it cost 5 GEL, which is equal to about $3.50 USD.  In Georgia the majority of the women have long hair, so my request for short hair is a strange thing in the Georgian hair salon. At another time I can give you the blow-by-blow of the event, but for now onto the events of the past days.

When I last left you I was getting ready to find out where I was going to be posted (permanent site) for the next two years (I still can’t get my head around that). The location is in the EAST, in the Kakheti Region. A town called “Sagarejo.”  I want to share with you how we (PCV’s) found out where we were going to go. The PC has a amazing ceremony to make the announcement. Because there are so many of us (57), we went outside to the courtyard and found a large map of Georgia on the ground. It was configured (outlined) with a red string of beads that outlined the shape of the country and inside the red beads were the names of the different regions on large white paper (anchored with rocks- as it was windy). The PCV’s had to stand outside of the red beads as “officially” we are not yet a part of PC Georgia. We had to be invited into the country during this ceremony.

Now, in additional to all the PCV, we had number of other people standing with us. These are the folks that have helped us get to this point. For example, our language and culture coaches, the education facilitators, the office administrative staff, Peace Corps Staff from Tbilisi and I am sure I am missing additional groups, but we were a cast of more than 100, I am sure. The ceremony begins with each volunteer selecting an envelope. We are not allowed to look at the name on the envelope that we select. At that point, one of the volunteers turns over the envelope and calls out the name on the envelope, which is of course the name of another volunteer. The envelope is opened and the name of the region, town or village, is called out and the volunteer is then invited into Georgia and takes his/her place on the name of the region inside the red beaded line. This continues until all (57) of us are placed into our regions within Georgia. It is very exciting waiting for your name to be called. Also, the anticipation as to finally knowing where you are going to be living for the next two years is overwhelming. As this map is 3D, we get to see other PCV’s who will also be living in our region or towns/villages. People are running around taking pictures, some are crying, hugging, laughing, high 5’s – even jumping up and down. I don’t know, maybe this took a couple of hours.  It was a memory that I won’t soon forget and I am so thankful that I was able to be part of this.

I don’t know how, but after all this excitement we all went out to a restaurant to eat lunch. All the while everyone was texting or calling folks backs home to let them know the outcome.  Going back to PC headquarters after lunch (as we still had a full afternoon of classes to attend), it seemed different. I think up until that point all the preparation over the last 8 or 9 weeks seemed to us like a goal that was far away; and yet faced with the reality of the name of your new home and the information on your new host family; well, reality was pushing in. We were now “officially” invited into Georgia. PCV always have so much to talk about, there is rarely a quiet moment; however, the level of conversation was higher than I’ve ever heard it. There are just so many of us it was hard to connect with everyone to find out their details. It was a day that I won’t soon forget. It will rank up there with other great moments of my life.

The day ended and we were all exhausted. I know many people didn’t sleep the night before anticipating the news. I could hardly sleep when we returned home as my mind was just filled with more questions and now with even more anticipation.  The next day, after Georgian class in the morning, we assembled our luggage and boarded the “Marsh” for the Supervisors Conference. It was suggested, that since we were going to spend some time with our new host family, after the Supervisors Conference, we should take any luggage (winter clothing) that would not be needed with us. This would make the final transition a little easier in mid-july. We then drove to the venue for the Supervisors Conference. This is where we were going to meet our Directors and or the folks we would be working with while teaching in Georgia.

We had a caravan of maybe 7 Marsh’s and a Marsh which just held the luggage. It was about a 90 minute ride to the venue. It was a beautiful hotel on a lake. A resort hotel that, now wait for it, had REAL showers J. Here is the URL – if you want to check it out www.bazaletilake.ge  Bazaleti Resort Lake Hotel.  I was roomed with three other female volunteers. At first, I was alarmed at this; however, the rooms were situated so that I had one other person in my room (a room within a room)  - so it was Ok. We had a kitchen, not that we needed it and a living room, balcony and two bathrooms (fully equipped).  I was so tired that I didn’t hear anyone, but it was a real treat to have a bathroom on the same floor and also nearby so I didn’t have to plan in advance when I needed to use the facilities.  Dinner was very American/European, but of course they also had Georgian type foods. It was nice to have a change. The weather was beautiful so that sitting outside on the terrace was joyful.

From Friday late afternoon until Saturday late afternoon we were in conference with our new Directors and/or counterparts from the regions we would be working in. The sessions were done in both English and Georgian, so it was a slow process. We had a little time to become acquainted, but the real purpose was to go over the documents that were completed by the folks we would be working with. They had prepared, in different categories what their needs were and also a wish list of what they were hoping to accomplish. It was a bit overwhelming, as my new Director spoke very little English and I spoke very little Georgian. We did have translation assistance, but planning out the next two years was a bit daunting.

One point that particularly un-nerved me was the fact that my new Director wanted me to organize a summer camp before classes started in September. As I would not be arriving in Sagarejo until July 19^th, or so, I was concerned as to when I was going to plan this? The Director wanted the camp to run for two weeks and be open for two hours each day. The students would be from the 6^th to 9^th grades. Ok, now I was really un-nerved.  I would have help, one of the other English teachers; however, since I didn’t know the students and having to entertain children in that age span, well – I hope you can understand my terror.  It was unclear how many students would attend, but possibly 30-35.  This all remains to be seen, as I am sure that with help and communication we will be able to structure some kind of program; but, wow and as Gleason once said “and away we go.”   I’ve found with the Peace Corps it is mostly “hitting the ground running.”  There is not much preliminary or easing in, you just get to jump in. Ok, again – I will do my best. The language will also be a factor – Ah, there will be so many factors but overall I feel that I am really needed and wanted here, so people are going to want the programs to work and be successful and they will find ways to help. I plan to once again “Be a needy person” and ask and request for help. This will be on-going so, My Faithful Readers, you will be hearing more about this.

The conference lasted from Friday afternoon and Saturday morning/early afternoon. More meetings and conversations, lunch and then we headed out to meet our host families. The PC arrange for BIG buses (like the tourist bus) to take us to where we could connect with the next leg of our journey. We all traveled with our Directors as they were heading to our new town. I got on the bus to Tbilisi with another volunteer and our Directors. We traveled to Tbilisi, but not into the city. I am told that Tbilisi is very big; so we arrived at the Marsh hub where Marsh’s were waiting for points East and Sagarejo is one of the points East. Don’t ask me how, but we did manage to get all luggage into the Marsh and away we went.

Initially I was told that Sagarejo was either a 10, 15, 20 or 40 minutes away from Tbilisi; however, in Georgia what is often said does not equate to reality. It was really a 45 minute ride to Sagarejo. Let me tell you that we were going very fast and there was no traffic, so it may end up being longer. No way of knowing until I can test all this out myself. However, travel to Tbilisi is a very do-able adventure for a day trip. It cost 3GEL, which is about $1.75 USD (one way).  As tired as I was, I can say that I was also exhilarated. The Marsh was packed as every seat and then some was taken, so I didn’t really have any privacy with my thoughts. We passed fruit stand after fruit stand with watermelons galore.  We passed some of the oddest architecture that I felt didn’t belong where it was. Always on a marsh you are stopping letting people on and off. It was a ride.

We finally arrived in Sagarejo and my Director pointed to her car. Her husband was waiting for us. We loaded the car with my luggage and started for the home of my new host family…..I will leave you here as I don’t want to over tax you with more than four pages of my adventures or mis-adentures J Over the weekend I will begin with travel and arrival at my new host family and Sagarejo!

All the Best, Catherine, G14 – 6/26/14

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