Hello, My Faithful Readers

Blog, October 29^th, 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

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!

http://www.betsyshotel.com/

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.

http://www.helpinghand.ge/

http://www.nplg.gov.ge/eng/home

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.

http://tbilisimarathon.ge/ge/

The Tbilisi Marathon was held on Sunday, October 25^th. 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 30^th – 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. 

 Today, Sunday we had cake for breakfast. It was homemade.  To me, there is really no taste to the cake. I really don’t look forward to it; but, I eat it as not sure what else is coming. For lunch, we had bread and butter. The family baked about two dozen loaves of bread in the outside kiln. It is OK; the bread is good when it is hot. So, not sure what if anything will come for dinner. I had a couple of pieces of fruit. I could make tuna fish; but, I’ve had that for the last couple of days. I am cranky and hungry and this really gets so old.  Oatmeal is a staple also; but, how boring. Dinner was pork which included, for nine people – of course, lots of bread. There was a dessert plate of mashed potatoes; tomatoes, a bowl of beans and about a dozen chunks of pork with onions.

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 2^nd floor…..

I recently participated in the FLEX testing (the 1^st round) in Tbilisi. During the course of the year there are 3 rounds. The 1^st 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.

http://americancouncils.org/programs/flex-program

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 6^th 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 6^th 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.

 A "marsh" that I take from Sagarejo to Tbilisi

 Front of the Hair Salon that I use. (Near the "Marsh" hub, Sagarejo)

 Walnuts on a string for dipping in the flour, wine and sugar
to make Churchkhela.

 Flour, wine and sugar cooking for walnut dipping Churchkhela

Me, of course, on the Mekong River! Vietnam

Hello, My Faithful Readers

October 14^th, 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

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/64989.htm

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.

 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=powdered+peanut+butter

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 2^nd 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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchkhela

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).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Parliamentary_Library_of_Georgia

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.

 Typical classroom for older students in my school

 School cafeteria where students can buy snacks

 Typical classroom for younger students

 Another classroom for older students

 Me with friends with the Black Sea in the background

At the Rixos Hotel in Borjomi with my G14 class- conference

Blog, September 28^th, 2015

Hello, My Faithful Readers

17 Months Served/10 Months to Completion

I am back full time now in Georgia. The summer is over and my traveling days are finished (for the moment). My concentration now will be on teaching and school as well as finishing out my final year of service in the Peace Corps.

As I returned to site and begin to get into the groove again I realized that I had missed some of the noises of the village/town. While I was staying at hotels and guest houses during the summer i didn’t hear many of the sounds that I hear now. For example, the donkey, roosters, cows and especially dogs. I don’t know why dogs cry and whimper so much, but I can say that I didn’t miss that. It makes me sad to hear that. I also didn’t miss the hollering that my family and neighbors do when then want to talk to each other and shout across the garden to the next house.

Over the course of the summer I had lots of time to think (especially traveling by marsh/train)…and one idea kept surfacing.  I have come to realize that the longer I live here in Georgia the clearer I see how much of my life was/is lived under the auspices of the Eastern European mindset, culture and traditions. More to come on this….

Your article titled Chickens
has been accepted and is now published on the OpEdNews website at:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Chickens-by-Catherine-Lawrence-Chickens-150922-735.html

Hope you will enjoy my newest article!

Shoes…I have been wondering why I see so many pairs of shoes in houses I visit here in Georgia. I have come to realize that it is because shoes just don’t last long here. I have gone through many pairs of shoes myself; which I am sure would have lasted much longer if not here in Georgia. The reason is the condition of the roads and sidewalks (if you can call them that) are just terrible. At this fact, of terrible walking conditions, makes me scratch my head when I look at the types of shoes worn by the women. The shoes are often times high heels. Now, these heels are not low high (so to speak). They are spiked and really high. They are really fashionable and to my mind not comfortable to wear. The styles are so varied, open toe, mesh, leather, spandex material and so on and so on. Often times I think I am looking at a shoe fashion show. I would think these shoes are not cheap; as they just look high fashion; but, they seem to be important to the women here.

The below link was sent to me  - hope you enjoy. Georgia is a beautiful country.

https://vimeo.com/139516834

Which then brings me to a BIG “ah-ha” moment I had recently. I have been talking about how the women all look like they are going to a wedding or a cocktail party when they come to school. They wear outfits that are very alluring as if for an evening out with a date or better half or maybe just with a night out with the girls. Well, after all this time here in Georgia I have finally, or I think I have, come to the reason for this. Here in Georgia in the towns and villages there is not much opportunity for social events. Unlike American where there are so many daily opportunities for social events; e.g. - restaurants, theaters, music venues and museums (to name a few) these things don’t exist here in the towns and village. There is not much opportunity for women to get dressed up and go out for an evening on the town. My town has many stores to buy food; however, we don’t have a restaurant.  I have come to realize that “their evening out on the town” is when they come to school every day. I have thought about how school here is such a social event for the children; however, I didn’t put it together for the adults.

I have witnessed women working  three jobs here – as teachers during the day, as tutors after school (to enhance their salaries) and then go home to take care of their families; so, even if there were museums or theaters it is not likely they would have the time or money to attend. Of course, the capital city does offer these events; but, then it involves money to travel by marsh to the city and then (possibly) a location to stay over if they could not make it back to the village. So, getting dressed to “the nines” in school is their outlet for social inter-actions. Of course, I could be wrong about this; but, it truly makes sense (at least to me). Most of the teaching workforce is women; I’ve only seen two men here as teachers, and for sure they don’t get dressed up. At times men don’t even shave; so, it makes me aware once again of the stark differences that exist here between men and women.

I have found all this very disconcerting since I arrived here and now I can see the reasoning behind why something is done the way it is. Even my host mother who runs the school store in the basement of the school looks way better than me when we go off to school. How she walks down the mountain in some of the shoes she wears is beyond me. I am just thankful that I don’t have any desire to become part of this. I know the women look kind of funny at me when I wear my very conservative outfits and shoes and I am sure they are judging me as I have been judging them; but, I now can look at things from another perspective.

So, as I said I am back in Sagarejo and I am really having a hard time adjusting being back at site. The reason for this is that while I was traveling I had access to regular good food (and lots of it); as well as nice bathrooms and other trappings of civilization J (like swimming pools; fabulous showers and terrific linen on the beds). I just love the break that we get staying in nice places; however, it does take some adjusting going back into the towns and villages. I equate it to getting “numb” once again. I often think it is not a good idea to leave the village as once I see what I don’t have then it is even harder to come back to site; but, I also treasure the time away. So, I am getting back to being “numb”.  I really cannot think about what I don’t have as it is often gets me down; but, I just have to make the best of what I have.

As I indicated, school has started and I mark the last year of service here. In the couple of weeks that I’ve been in school it is not as bad as it was last September. The reason for that is that I know what to expect. Having been through one academic year I know what is coming; so, I am not as shocked as I was last year. I am more accepting of how things are done here and not as judgmental as to how I think things should be. It has made life easier for me. Since this is only the beginning it may change; but, it is different.

I must say that even though school seems somewhat better; when I come home from a day in the school I just sit and stare. Seriously, I walk back up my mountain and sit in the chair on the porch and just stare at the flowers and the sky. I make my coffee and reflect on the day. I don’t move for a little bit of time – really, I cannot move as the experience of teaching four or five classes just exhausts me. This will get harder as time goes on as right now the weather is very nice; but, when the cold weather begins it will be more difficult.

I had the opportunity to attend the “Tbilisi night of Photography 2015” this past weekend (link below). This was a wonderful event that I got to share with some old and new friends. In addition to the festival the weather was absolutely perfect and there was a full moon. Sitting outside watching the events unfold at the festival was just such a treat. Basically, there were seven screens set up to do a slide show presentation of various artists and their photograph work. There were folding chairs to sit and watch. The slide show previewed a 3-5 minute presentation on various topics; e.g., “Foreigners in Tbilisi”; “Animals”, etc. to name just a couple of topics. These topics depicted life as it was and is happening. It was wonderful to watch.

After the slide show my friends and I ended up at a restaurant that was hosting the after party for the principals of the festival. We asked if we could stay, even though we were only participants, and they said YES! So, what a treat…free wine and pastry and other good stuff to eat. In addition, the atmosphere was just electric being in the middle of so much talent. We all had a terrific time. I stayed over in Tbilisi at the hostel so I didn’t have to worry about catching the marsh home.

www.tbilisiphotofestival.com

I am back to school and I wanted to mention a couple of things that I’ve noticed. This may have been happening last year; but, probably I didn’t notice. The first is that 2^nd and 3^rd graders (little kids) walking the hallways on their cells phones. It makes me crack up to see these children walk and talk on their cells. They look so grown up and yet they are so young. Also, since my community is a poor community I wonder where the money comes from to give young children such expensive electronic equipment. Another thing I’ve noticed is the clocks in the school. It seems that the clocks get changed before or after every lesson. I go to class and I fix my watch to the time on the wall and then when I come back to the teacher’s room after the class is over, I noticed that the time is very different. I am always changing the time on my phone and my watch. I never seem to know what time it is. I don’t know if the clock is running slow or fast; but, the times…they are a-changing. The third thing I noticed is that all the notebooks have graphing paper instead of plain white or white lined paper. Again, this is just a curiosity of mine as to why the notebooks they use have graphing paper; especially, since no one is graphing. It is just something to ponder as I walk up and down the mountain to and from school.

I will be teaching five day this semester. L. Last semester I taught four days (off on Monday) which was just fabulous; however, I will have classes every day from September to December. I am hoping that when the new semester starts in January I can manage a four day schedule….so, we shall see.

There is a road project going on here in Sagarejo. On the main road which is the road I need to walk up and down to get to and from school; they are ripping up the road (down to the dirt) and also digging holes in order to put in new pipes. This has been going on for weeks/maybe months. It is a real mess. When the weather is dry the dust is so thick when cars drive on the road and when it is wet, well the mud seems like it takes on a life of its own. In addition, trying to walk is so challenging. I have to be on guard every minute as there are big rocks/boulders to walk over and pot holes to avoid. My shoes are wearing out as it is just hard walking on all the gravel. I am concerned as to what is going to happen when they eventually pave it (at least I hope they pave it). I don’t know how I am going to get home if I cannot use this road. I feel like I am on “Tobacco Road” (if you know what I mean).

Also, dodging the heavy equipment is a real joy. The men don’t stop working/digging when people are walking by. I just pray that they see me as I walk by as they are digging or dumping dirt in the truck. The equipment makes a great deal of noise and it also spills out lots of  smoke from gasoline. As always, I watch for myself as I know that no one is watching out for me; but, I cannot wait for this to be finished (hope fully before the cold/wet weather is upon us).

I noticed that sometimes my host family washes clothes and they don’t use soap powder. Since I buy all the soap powder for the house; when we run out and I have not bought any new soap powder, clothes are washed just using water. I always have to keep a box of powder in reserve as whenever I go to wash my clothes -  there is never any soap powder. When the family washes clothes they use so little soap powder as they want to make it last. But, I didn’t realize that at times they wash clothes just using water. I noticed that when the family washes floor they never use soap. They use wet rags and then rinse them out and re-use them to wash the floors. I have never seen soap used on the floor. I do see that they use soap, when it is available, to wash dishes.

Here are a couple of final notes about school that you may find of interest. The first is that a “betting” business “Crystal Palace” opened up directly across the street from the school. I just find this odd that it would open so close to the school. Of course, there are many, many betting places in Tbilisi, Sagarejo and I am sure across Georgia; but right across the street from the school?

Also, when the teacher tells the students to take notes on items that are written on the blackboard; well, the children come up to the board and take a picture on their phone. I just find this amazing; and yet, I know it is done everywhere around the world – so, why should Georgia be different.

Finally, here is a thought on lateness here in the school. Children are taught from a very early age that lateness is allowed. Lateness is a problem. No one (adults of children) seem to think of lateness as a problem. It is just the way it is. Children come into class late, sometimes 15-20 minutes. They walk in and just sit down and the teacher does not say one word to the students. I find this upsetting but no one else seems to mind. I wonder about truancy here in Georgia. I want to do some research on this topic as off the top of my head I don’t think there is a truant problem here in Georgia (or at least what I have witnessed first hand here in Sagarejo). The students all do show up because I think there is no place else for them to go. Sometimes the children show up and come into class and then leave; however, they just stand outside in front of the school and talk to their friends. I know, but not specifically the details, of the truancy problems in the US. I believe there is an entire department dedicated to catching children being truant’ in the States but, it does not seem to be a problem here where I live. I want to look into this deeper as it does interest me.

Ok, enough for now. As we leave September behind I have mixed feelings about knowing that next September I won’t be here in Sagarejo. All is good, Dear Reader. I so appreciate your taking the time to follow my adventures.

Best, Catherine Lawrence, G14

Peace Corps Volunteer/Georgia – September 28, 2015

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

 The group from the Young Feminist camp in Kobuleti - September 2015

 Me at the botanical gardens in Tbilisi - September 2015

 Me at the Rixos Hotel in Borjomi, Georgia - September 2015

 Me on the boardwalk in Kobuleti, Georgia - Black Sea in the background

September 2015 - Welcome entrance to Sagarejo School #2

Blog, September 15^th, 2015

Dear Faithful Readers:

My life has been a wild ride since I last wrote to you. I have only been at my site with my host family for two days since the beginning of September. I must say that it has been wonderful to travel in Georgia during all this time and get to experience lots of new locations and people.

To start, I participated in a summer camp entitled “Young Feminist of Gori.” The program ran from September 1^st – 6^th. There were seventeen girls and a few counselors. In addition, a Peace Corps Response Volunteer, plus me and another Peace Corps Volunteer participated in the program.  The camp was held in Kobuleti, which is about thirty-five minutes from Batumi on the Black Sea (really out West in Georgia). I’ve listed links below that can provide lots of information on the areas that I am going to speak about.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobuleti

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batumi

We traveled by “marsh” from Gori (which is a town near the middle of Georgia). We rode for about five hours, cross country, to arrive at our hotel. Now, when I say hotel it is really more like a Guest House. The location was great as we were right across the street from the Black Sea; however, the Guest House was just OK. We were assigned three in a room; and some of the girls were five or six in a room. The food that was included at the Guest House left a lot to be desired. Even the girls said that they were hungry; so, a few times during the week we went out in search of food. The place did have a terrific space to conduct a conference; but, since it was on the top floor (4^th floor); it was hot.

The conference focused on gender issues. One major topic was early marriage. This topic is a concern here in Georgia as so many young people chose marriage at a very young age as there are few other options sometimes. We also did team building activities and of course English lessons. It was overall very productive and according to the pre and post tests the girls did get a lot out of the sessions. Once the formal part was complete we all headed down to the beach. The Black Sea blew my socks off. I really didn’t appreciate how big it is. I fully expected to see land on the other side of the sea; however, it felt more like an ocean than a Sea. The weather was really warm and the water was perfect. Again, I expected it to be polluted (as I’ve heard stories); but, the water was clean. It was also rougher than I thought it was going to be. The waves crashing on the shore made it difficult to get into the water.

Another reason it was difficult was that the Black Sea has stones/rocks instead of sand. Every time I tried to get into the water my feet sank down into the rocks and then the waves knocked me down. It was hilarious and lots of fun; however, once the laughing stopped my feet and body hurt with trying to deal with the stones and rocks. We all swam for hours and then I tried to get out of the water. Well, this was harder than going in. I fell so many times trying to get out; and of course, I did – but when I got back to the Guest House to take a shower my bathing was filled with rocks. I felt like a little kid and as such really had a lot of fun. I know I was a sight it people were watching me get in and out of the water as I felt like a crab (on my hands and knees) trying to pick myself up. Oh well, I will never see these people again so they can think whatever they want (HA!)

The Black Sea has a sort of board walk. It is made of cement and goes along for miles and miles so people can walk, run or ride their bikes. It is just beautiful as benches are positioned along the boardwalk and it is kept so clean. It was a pleasure to walk and walk. I often got away to watch the sun go down over the Black Sea.

Overall I loved Kobuleti; in fact, I know I am in love with Kobuleti. It has a small town feel. Sort of like the seashore towns that I am familiar with in South and North New Jersey. It is a quiet area with souvenir shops along the main street; but, thankfully there are no (or very few) shops along the boardwalk.

During the conference we also spent a day going out to Batumi. It  (Batumi) was glitzey, busy and had many, many top named hotels and lots of casinos. It was OK; but I liked Kobuleti better. We went to a dolphin show and I’ve listed the utube video of the event. It was nice; however, I’ve seen many shows like this at SeaWorld in the States. The Georgians just loved it, as did I.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buAz56BQGhc

My friends and I had a coffee with Ice Cream at the Sheraton and that was so much like being home in the States. We also went to the Botanical Gardens in Tbilisi. I was not really thrilled to do this; however, I was so wrong. It was just beautiful. I could have stayed longer but we were on a schedule. If I am ever near the location again I would go back.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Botanical_Garden_of_Georgia

All in all, the conference was awesome. I so enjoyed being a part of all the events and so happy to meet so many great people. I took the train back from Kobuleti to Tbilisi rather than take the marsh. The train also took five hours; but, what comfort. The seats were roomy and you could get up and walk around. Also, they had vending machines so coffee, hot chocolate, tea was available for purchase and lots of snacks it you wanted to purchase. Many people did bring their own snacks with them.

The train had an overhead computer that listed the location of the train as we were traveling across the country. It was civilization at its best J. I didn’t feel like I was in Georgia, for sure. I absolutely would go back and forth with the train and the cost, if you can believe it, was 24 GEL (which is about $12 USD) – one way. It was so worth it. When I boarded the train, I traveled 2^nd class which was perfectly fine, I showed the conductor my ticket and passport. I realize when he saw the color of my passport he didn’t wait for me to open it – he just waved me through onto the train. I noticed that the folks before me were scrutinized as he took the time to open the passport or document and look from ticket to the persons face and back to the document again. I don’t know, of course, but I felt as an American he didn’t look to closely at me. It was just interesting.

http://railway.ge/?web=1&action=map&lang=eng

I know I have left out so many aspects of this experience; but, I will fill in any gaps in future blogs. So, I was home for about one day (laundry and such) and then I was off again to Tbilisi to catch a marsh for Borjomi, which is in the middle of Georgia. This event was a Peace Corps sponsored conference that focused on MST (Mid-Service Training). This conference was three days with two travel days added before and after the conference. Although I am now here 16 months; the MST is usually done in September (a few months after the official one year anniversary) as the one year anniversary falls in the summer and lots of PCV’s are traveling.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borjomi

The location of the event was at the Rixos hotel and it is a “5Star” hotel (link below). We were all in heaven for a number of reasons. First, the food was awesome. There was so much of it and such variety. Food like this is not usual here in Georgia for me; so, we were over the moon to get blue cheese, olives, meat and shrimp among other choices. The ONLY downside was that there was no bacon. I was disappointed as I had heard from other folks who had stayed at the hotel that Bacon was part of the morning buffet. On well, I will live with my disappointment (HA); as, overall the food was amazing. We all ate plates and plates of food – to the point that many PCV’s ended up with stomach issues as we are just not used to an abundance of food; let alone, anything that is rich and satisfying in content. I could talk this entire blog about the food; but, the water was another aspect that was tremendous.

http://borjomi.rixos.com/

We had showers in our room that could have held three people in the shower – it was so big. There were three shower heads. I’ve been in hotels that have the same kind of set up but not here in Georgia. At my site I rarely get my hair washed once a week and here at the hotel I was shampooing three times a day. Oh Joy! The beds and the linens were “to-die-for” – I say that tongue and cheek. If I could have I would have just laid in bed for the entire time. The sheets were so white and felt creamy. Again, I could go on but you may be getting bored, dear reader – (smiles).

The best of the best, if you can believe it after reading about the food, showers and beds is that there was an Olympic size swimming pool and hot tub available. The hotel opened the facilities an hour earlier and closed an hour later than normal in order to accommodate our training schedule. In this way we all could swim and/or workout before breakfast. There were many saunas – Russian, Turkish and a Steam Room. I cannot begin to express how wonderful this all was. I don’t think I felt that clean since I arrived in-country.

So, I must talk about why we were at the hotel and that was the conference. The conference was used to reflect on the mid-point of our service. What we have accomplished and what we still want to do. In addition, we were given the medical protocol for our mid-service medical/dental examinations. Each volunteer, at the mid-point, must have a physical and dental check-up. All of this is arranged by the Peace Corps and paid for by the Peace Corps. We took care of scheduling as due to the distances we live from the capital (Tbilisi) it does take some arranging to make appointments. We also had lectures on topics such as; religion here in Georgia and more about the history of Georgia.

We had a full day of Georgian language lessons. I think I did OK; as I am not sure if I wrote about the language test I had back in July. I moved up a notch to “novice high (-)” which was an increase from “Novice Medium (+)”. I felt good about that but I am still so slow. I will know in the next week or so what my new score is. Maybe I will go up another notch; or maybe I will stay the same. In any event, it is all OK. I am trying my best and I am able to get around Georgia without a deeper language base; however, I would like to be able to speak more in Georgian. The benchmark for language is “Intermediate low” – which is only one notch higher than I am currently at. I fully anticipate being able to accomplish that before I leave service in July 2016.

The Peace Corps continues to pay for language tutoring which is wonderful. I want to develop a different plan for tutoring so that I can possibly increase my language skills. We shall see.

Overall, the conference was a success. We won’t (meaning the G14 group I belong to) won’t have another conference until we COS (close of service) in or around March 2016. We were told that the conference we usually have in November (to mark Thanksgiving among other things) won’t be held this year. We are ALL so sad about this fact. We are told that not every country has such a conference and since PC is trying to standardize posts we had to discontinue the conference. This is so sad as with PC I don’t think you can standardize anything as each country has different needs. So, I am thinking about what I should do to celebrate Thanksgiving. Maybe I will be going back to the Black Sea or maybe go to Poland for a long weekend. I don’t have much extra leave time; so, I may need to stay in-country – but, I still have time to figure that out.

So, other things are happening here in Georgia…..for example:

I wanted to share a scene that I was witness to recently. Seriously, I thought I was in the middle of a scene out of “Deliverence” (the movie)– if you remember the movie. I was in the car with my host father and sister; so, I felt somewhat safe – but, I watched with apprehension and disbelief. So, we pulled up in the car and about ten dogs (all shapes and sizes) ran out of the house toward the car – barking and jumping and running around. The area surrounding the house was like a junk yard. The hallowed out cabs of trucks were evident in the yard; all kinds of car parts, like fenders and the like; but, they were all rusted. Lots of large 55 gallon drums with all kinds of stuff sticking out. It had rained the day before so the place was just mud all around. Three men came out of the house dressed like hunters and spoke to my hosts father. At some point, as I was watching all this unfold, the men opened the back of a truck and the dogs were barking and trying to jump up to get in. It was mass confusion and then some men came out with shot guns.

This was a scene that I’d only seen in movies. However, from what I am told here in my town men carry and shoot shotguns here regularly. I have heard gun fire at times; or thought I did. I know at Christmas time my host family kills the pig by shooting it in the head. Maybe that is the gun fire I hear throughout the year.  It was yet another experience.

School started on September 14^th. The first day of school is complete bedlam. People are greeting each other as most folks have not seen each other all summer. My face had so many lipstick stains on it from all the kisses and hugs that I received. It was truly joyful to be welcomed back in that way. I can so clearly see how the children have grown. Everyone was decked out in their finest garb. Many, many adults and children looked like “fairy princesses” from Disney as their outfits looked “Cinderella” like. Others looked like they were going to a wedding with lace, and see through material (or sheer blouses and dresses)  that was more in line with a cocktail party than with the opening day of school. This, of course, happens throughout the school year; however, it just seemed so excessive on the 1^st day of school.

This was my second school opening so I was familiar with what was going to happen. The outdoor opening exercise was crazy as the PA system barely was able to overcome the chatter that was happening from children and adults. Kids were running and screaming (and of course rough-housing) and so many adults were not paying attention to the opening exercises as they were talking. The people presenting the opening didn’t seem to mind. They kept to their agenda and after about an hour the program ended and everyone went home. And so, school begins. I do realize that next September I will not be here in Sagarejo. I am trying to absorb everything that is happening. School last year was very painful for me; and I am hoping that in some way I can make it better for myself. More to come, My Faithful Readers!

I will close for now and see you all at the end of the month. It was a fabulous summer for me. Traveling to Vietnam and Cambodia; having free time with my host family; traveling within Georgia and getting to spend time at the Black Sea. Also being able to go to Armenia for a couple of days was a real treat.  It will be a summer I won’t soon forget. I have started to think about my plans for next summer and they are AWESOME…..

All the Best,

Catherine Lawrence, G14

Peace Corps Volunteer/Georgia – 9-15-15

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