Sunday, September 27, 2015
Blog, September 28th, 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
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.
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 2nd and 3rd
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.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Blog, September 15th, 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 1st – 6th.
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.
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 (4th 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.
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.
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 2nd 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.
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.
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.
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 14th. 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 1st 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.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Hello Faithful Readers:
Blog: August 26, 2015
16
Months Served - 11 Months to Completion
I wanted to follow-up with a couple of items from my
South East Asia trip. The reason I remembered is because of corn. Now, I love
corn and especially corn-on-the-cob. I remember last year here in Georgia I
thought the corn was “to-die” for; however, I realize now (this summer) that
the corn is OK. It is said here in Georgia that the corn is mostly fed to the
pigs; so, I think that I thought it was so good was because I was so hungry
(and the corn is very filling). In any event, as I was on tour at the Cu Chi
Tunnels (Saigon) they had a grill set up and corn-on-the cob was the main
attraction. Ah, I got in line and bought an ear; however, afterward I realized
that (due to the currency exchange) I didn’t realize it at the time but I paid
$7.00 US for an ear of corn. I still cannot believe it and the corn was not
really that good.
Also, as we were traveling the roads in both Vietnam
and Cambodia I noticed that a plastic contraption was set up to catch crickets.
You can see from the picture below how the system is set up. Many setups also
included a light so that at night the crickets would fly into the light and
then hit the plastic and then fall into the plastic tray at the bottom. A lot of crickets are eaten in Vietnam and
Cambodia, as well as Tranchulas and other creepy bugs.
Ok, back to Georgia. Recently I was sitting on the
porch and noticed that the truck that usually delivers the wood was coming up
the road. When he stopped one of our neighbors came out and looked inside the
truck and was pointing at something, it was a chicken. Wow, it was the first
time I had seen food being delivered and live food at that. As she was pointing
one of the chickens jumped out of the truck and started to run for its life.
The man ran after the chicken and that is the end of the story for that
chicken. A total of three chickens were given to our neighbor. They are handled
over upside down and the man was holding the chickens by their feet.
Listed below is the link for my newest published
article in OpEdNews.com. Hope you Enjoy!
Yerevan,
Armenia was a wonderful trip. The drive from
Tbilisi to Yerevan was eleven hours; however, during that time we visited three
monasteries, crossed the border, had lunch at an outdoor restaurant and also
stopped for Armenia pastries among other stops for pictures and just to stretch
our legs.
Before I go into more detail, I want to say how sad
I was to learn that Mount Ararat is no longer in Armenia. You can see this
historic mountain from Yerevan; but, it now belongs to Turkey (the border was
moved during one of the wars.) I was so
disappointed to learn this. The majesty of this mountain and to think that this
was the place that Noah landed his Ark (or so the legend goes).
I’ve copied below a link that shows Mount
Ararat with its two major cones, Lesser Ararat (left) and Greater Ararat
(right) – see link below. I didn’t realize that Mount Ararat had two peaks. (I
really need to take some geography lessons) - J
The monasteries we visited were Akhtala, Haghpat and
Sanahin (links below if you want to know more). All are centuries old and all
are in Armenia; however, once you see one (my opinion) you have seen them all.
The architecture is basically the same and they are all crumbling down with age
and lack of upkeep. By the 3rd Monastery I had enough and decided to
sit it out and just watch the mountains in the distance. To me that was pure
enjoyment. We had a lunch outside under a tarp that was basically a traditional
Georgian meal even though we were in Armenia. I wondered to myself since I
cannot bring myself to visit the churches and monasteries here in Georgia why I
signed up for a tour to view the same in Armenia; well, maybe I thought it
would be different – but not really.
I did get to see the landscape as we were traveling
the back roads where the churches were. I cannot begin to tell you how awe
struck I was at the terrain. At times I felt that I was on the moon. The areas
were so bleak and often times we didn’t even see a pole with wires on it. No
vegetation was evident. It was just devoid of anything living (or so it
seemed). Another section we went through was sort of like going through a
gorge. The mountains on either side of us reminded me of Moses crossing after
he parted the sea. The walls were so high; it was just breath taking. If for no
other reason than to see all this I am so glad I spent the time driving with
the tour. The road taken to come back to Tbilisi was not the least bit
interesting – so, I felt very fortunate to have seen the moon!
The highlight of the travel was first the crossing
of the border from Georgia to Armenia. This is one of my favorite things. I
love being in “no man’s land” the piece of land that neither county claims. Of
course, it was a frantic mess of people and cars trying to get across. We had
to leave the van and take our luggage with us to go through passport control. I
didn’t need a visa; so, that was good. There didn’t seem to have any
organization at the border so it took about 90 minutes or so to get cleared and
then I got to walk through “no man’s land.”
It was very cool. We also stopped at a traditional Armenia bakery which
was such a treat. The pastries were excellent and we got to watch baking the
bread and pastries as well as enjoy traditional Armenia music and dancers
within the bakery. No one wanted to leave; but, we did. It was just
extra-ordinary. Not all Armenia bakeries are like this (our guide said) and I
was disappointed that this kind of bakery does not exist in Yerevan.
Yerevan itself was a very sophisticated,
cosmopolitan city. It was very sleek and can draw rings around Tbilisi. The
city had lots of great restaurants, shops, outdoor gathering places and just an
overall common space that was filled with people. It did, at a point, feel a
little fabricated – almost Disney-esq; but I would go back and visit once
again. The only drawback was the time it took to travel. Coming back to Tbilisi
it was a little more than five hours. They do have a train but you need to
travel overnight. It is an option for another time.
I met lots of GREAT people at the hostel and we had
lots of conversation as well as company to explore around with. Of course, we
are all connected now on Facebook so I hope we all stay in touch. Yerevan had
two Brandy factories that due to scheduling I was not able to get to; but, we
did have some Armenia Brandy at an outdoor café.
In my travels within the city, I found a bookstore
that had many shelves of English Books. I was in heaven as I have been feeling that
I was in withdrawal since I’ve not been in a library or bookstore for some time
now. I also got to see the Blue Mosque in Yerevan which was a treat and across
the street was the central market of the city. I really enjoyed myself even
though it was so hot (45C).
Of course I always seem to find an anomaly in my behavior and that is; as I
was avoiding visiting churches and monasteries in both Georgia and Armenia I
had much desire to visit any Mosque I discovered in any country I was visiting.
I’ve listed the links for the beautiful Mosques I found in both Yerevan and
Tbilisi (Maybe I should do an article about this J
As I sit here writing my blog it is raining cats and
dogs. For the past three days it has been raining off and on and the weather
(thank goodness) has turned somewhat cooler. I have needed to wear my zip up
sweatshirt and it has felt wonderful. I know that this weather will be short
lived and the heat will come back; however, I am enjoying (along with everyone
else) a break from the intense heat we have experienced here in Georgia.
I am trying to travel as much as I can before school
starts on September 14th; so I took a weekend recently and spent the
entire three days in Tbilisi. Of course I have spent many days in Tbilisi; but
this time it was all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I stayed at the Envoy
Hostel (in the Old City) as it is one of the best. Other than sleeping six or
eight in a room (good grief) it does not feel like a hostel.
I explored many aspects of Tbilisi that I had not
had a chance to see previously. The first stop being the funicular railway that
travels to the top of a mountain in Tbilisi. The 2-minute ride deposits you at
an amusement park at the top. The ferris wheel and tower can be seen from just
about everywhere in the city. I am not much for amusement parks; however, the
view from up on the mountain was spectacular. The link gives you views of old
funicular and what the current setup looks like.
Next on the list was a trip to one of the thirty
Dunkin Donuts that are opened now across Georgia. The donuts are just so-so;
hopefully, with time they will get better but the coffee is OK. The Georgian
people just love it as you can see by the picture in the link that multitudes
are waiting for the store to open.
Next was the arial-tramway. This was very cool to see the city, once
again, from up high. At the top was a very large status of Mother Georgia
(Kartvlis Deda). Of course, lots of vendors to buy ice cream and the like; but,
not much else to do except look at the view. It was a smooth ride back and
forth; but, trams are just not my thing. Glad I did it J
I had a three hour lunch with a friend that I’ve not
seen in months at the Terrace Restaurant. Once again, the view was spectacular.
Walking tours are the way to go for me. I spent lots
of time connecting with folks who were leading tours of various parts of
Tbilisi. I just love this aspect of travel. It is cheap and you get to see so
much and meet great people along the way. I also spent lots of time discovering
many of the bus routes in Tbilisi. I like to ride the marshes and autobuses
just to see where they will go. It is once again a very inexpensive way to see
the city.
I discovered the Dry Bridge (named as it is a bridge
that does not go over water). It is like a flea market area with lots of
vendors to see just about everything. I figured out a bus route to take me from
the Peace Corps Office to the Old City which will come in handy as winter
approaches. No need to walk or take the metro. I just need to hop on the Marsh
#140 and away I go.
I found a Chinese Restaurant in Tbilisi and it does
not rise to the standards of Philadelphia; none-the-less, it was a welcomed
change to Schwarma. All in all I walked my feet off and so totally enjoyed myself.
I even found a waterfall in Tbilisi. Oh, the places I will go
In my upcoming blogs I will be talking about two
great events that I will be participating in. The first is my participation in
a summer camp in Kobaleti (which is very near Batumi on the Black Sea. This
camp is “Young Feminists Camp” for girls 14-17 years of age. I’ve listed the
link below.
I will be teaching English and inter-acting with the
girls for the entire camp. The camp will run from (September 1st-6th).
I am very excited about my participation as well as finally getting to see the
west coast of Georgia. All my expenses will be paid; so, that is also a plus.
Of course I will provide more information about my experience in mid-September
when I return.
http://youngfeministscamp.weebly.com/?fb_action_ids=1016962248313792&fb_action_types=weeblyapp:share
Here are a couple of final happenings here in
Georgia and Sagarejo to share with you. The results were just posted so that
the children know if they passed exams and were accepted into the University of
their choice. My host sister was accepted into her first choice; that is, The
Black Sea University which is here in Tbilisi. Everyone was jumping up and down
and all were gathered around the computer to see the results. It was a very
joyous day. The next is that my grant was approved for the school I teach in.
It was a lot of hard work (almost two months worth) to write the grant as well
as work with the teachers to determine what they wanted to buy for the English
Cabinet. I am very proud to have done that. We will buy projector, books, maps,
DVD/CD’s, security bars for the windows of the English Cabinet, a digital
camera and lots of other stuff to help the room being technology proficient.
More about this also as time goes forward.
The only negative about this is that the money will
go into my personal account. The grant is for over 4,000GEL (almost $2,000US) –
so it will be a lot to manage. I would have wanted the money to go to the
school; but, not to be.
Ok, so many wonderful things are happening (as
always) and I thank you for taking the time to ride along with me on this crazy
rollercoaster…..
All
the Best, Catherine Lawrence, G14
Peace CorpsVolunteer/Georgia – August 26, 2015
The
contents of this blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of
the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Hello, My Faithful Readers:
Blog: August 12, 2015
The first is the wood shed. There is even more wood stacked since I took the photo (exciting stuff, huh!). The next is the grape vines on the porch. I just sit and watch them grow. I really had no idea of the process but it has been very interesting to me. Next is "Wilber 2" our pig! He has grown so much since he first arrived. My internet is very slow so I would like to add more pictures but cannot. More Photographs in another blog.
I am back to blogging about my life here in Georgia
and to support it I’ve attached a photo of the “Wood Shed.” Although the heat
here is just unbelievable; we are starting to prepare for winter. The wood has
been arriving and it is being stacked in the “Wood Shed.” The family has doubled the amount of wood from last year. I think, because I brought a lot of the wood in to use, that possibly we used more than they allocated. Also, the grapes (see
attached) are growing and many of the leaves are turning brown and crumbling to
the ground. A sure sign that summer is coming to an end. It is sad in a way as
next August I won’t be here in Sagarejo; or, for that matter, in the Peace
Corps as I will close my service in July 2016
L
J
This coming weekend:
I will write more in the next blog – but on Friday I will be traveling
to Yerevan, Armenia. This has been a trip that I have been planning almost
since I arrived in Georgia. For one reason or another, I’ve not been able to go
until now. Of course, I will blog about it at the end of August – so stayed tuned!
The weather here has been HOT, HOT. The temperature
hovers above or around 100F during the day with humidity at or near 75. I don’t
know what that combination would give you in a “real feel” temperature; but, it
is hot. I remember it being hot last summer (my first here in Sagarejo);
however, I cannot remember being as uncomfortable as I am now.
I so miss air conditioning. This heat has made me
“out of sorts.” At times I just don’t know why I am feeling this way; other
than I am. I don’t know what to do with myself. I don’t want to sit, or walk or
even lay. Most of the time I am hungry, of course, (this seems to be a
permanent state of being here for me). It also seems that when I do get to have
food so that I feel filled and satisfied it just seems to make my hunger worse.
I just don’t understand that.
In addition to all this heat is the fact that we
have a new neighbor on the road that we live on. I am told that the man who
owns (or is building the house) is one of the richest men in Georgia. Who knows
if that is true; however, since last April there has been an army of workers
clearing the land and building the house. They placed a wall around the grounds
that must be ten feet high (or higher). They have been drilling and using power
equipment non-stop (it seems) from 8am to 8pm. It is like being in the dentist
chair. The army of men talk, no actually, they seem to scream at each other (I
guess to be heard over the power equipment). It is like chalk on a blackboard.
I keep hoping that since there are so many men working that the house will be
finished soon; but, it seems to go on endless.
I had the opportunity to go to Gori, Georgia. It is
about 100 miles or so to the west of Tbilisi. I went to visit another Peace
Corps Volunteer who has her own apartment in Gori. Wow, what a nice apartment.
It is on the 5th floor, so she does have a nice walk up the steps;
however, the apartment is lovely. It is a one bedroom and looks like it was
updated recently. Very cheerful once you get past the entrance to the apartment
building and you come out of the stairway. I don’t understand how the building
can look (from the outside) like it is going to fall down and yet when you open
the door to the apartment you feel like you are in another world. The stairway
is a nightmare. There are no lights so at night you need to use your phone to
light the way. It is dangerous as the steps are not aligned properly; so, some
are high and some are low. The hand rails shake and there are electric wire (or
some kind of wires) running all through and around the staircase. It is truly a
balancing act.
As part of the trip I got to see the Stalin Museum.
It is about a twenty minute walk from my friend’s house. The area is very nice;
set up for tourists. The museum information is listed in both Russian and
Georgian (with some information in English); however, English was rare. There
were so many paintings of Stalin. I wondered how much time he sat for the
artists. I don’t know much about this period in history; although, I am told
Stalin was a monster. So, having a museum dedicated to him seemed kind of odd!
Like having a museum dedicated to a serial killer.
I was also told that the mountains that I saw in
Gori were the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains.
I was also told, and did some research, the Gori was
bombed during the war of 2008. I’ve listed a link it you would care to get more
information.
I know I must have noticed this before; however, I
know I didn’t acknowledge it. That is, the women (or many women) speak in such
a high pitch. I just don’t understand this? It is almost like they are singing the pitch
is so high. At times these adult women sound like little girls their voices are
so high.
Another aspect of Georgian life that I won’t get
used to is when going to the MAC machine (maybe I am dating myself, but it’s
the automatic teller….in any event, people do not give you much, if any,
privacy when accessing the machine). Georgian people (both men and women) just
come up behind you (me) and peek (really they stare and make no bones to try
and hide their looking) over your shoulder; or, they stand right beside you
when you are putting your account information into the machine. They don’t try
and shield the fact that they are looking at what you are doing. Privacy always
seems to be in short order in this country.
I try and use my body as a shield; but, it does not work all the time. I
try and wait until I am alone with the machine; but, almost always people come
to watch what I am doing. I would get the hint if someone was trying to block
me when using the machine; however, that is not the case with Georgian people.
It is annoying and upsetting.
Last summer I really didn’t do a lot of traveling as
I was new to the area and quite frankly I think I was so overwhelmed that all I
wanted to do was stay put. So, since I didn’t travel around much last summer
this summer has been a real eye opener for me. First, the heat here on the
mountain is one thing; but, traveling in this heat is quite another. Being in
the marsh in this kind of heat is like being in an oven. While moving it down
the road it is OK as the breeze keeps the temperature down; however, while
waiting for the marsh to begin its journey is just awful. Sometimes you need to
wait up to 30minutes and you must stay in your seat otherwise you may lose it.
Another aspect of traveling is the body odor of
people. Now, it is a given that folks here (for one reason or another) they
don’t take a shower everyday; so, being in a marsh (or sometimes just standing
next to someone) can almost knock you over with the body odor coming from that
person. I don’t remember this from last
year but then I was fairly stationary here on my mountain.
I’ve listed the above link which will give you some
idea of “Didube” here in Tbilisi. This is the travel portal to the “west” here
in Georgia. All marshes and taxies and anything else that moves to the “west”
begins here in Didube. This area is just unbelievable. I have not been here in
over a year as Sagarejo is to the “east” so I don’t need to go to Didube. I had
forgotten just how chaotic this place is. The pictures do not do it justice. It
is really a small area and there are so many marshes and taxies going all
places “west”. There is a bazaar and all kinds of stores selling everything
from furniture to buckets. I really enjoy this place; however, there are land
mines everywhere. I mean holes in the pavements and roads; all kinds of wood
and rocks to step over and anything you can imagine. I cannot look and walk. I
need to stand still and observe. Also,
as usual, the cars and marshes pay no attention to people so as always if you
don’t want to get hurt you have to watch out.
The Panduri is an instrument I got to see up close
recently as a Peace Corps Volunteer was playing the instrument. She said that
she taught herself how to play and also use Utube to help in the process. She
was really good and I had a thought (but only for a minute) that maybe this was
something I would like to do. I gave up the notion as when I really got honest
with myself I realized I didn’t want to take that on. I enjoyed listening; but,
it felt like work to learn how to play.
A follow-up to my travels out west to Dezevir a
couple of weeks ago….there is one road in Georgia that spans the country east
to west. It is mostly a two lane road; however, when you are coming into or
leaving Tbilisi there is a four lane highway for about one-hundred miles. Other
than that, it is one lane going east and one lane going west. It is very slow
going on this road as all traffic must use this route. The drivers go so fast;
however, most of the time is spent trying to pass other cars and/or trucks and
tractor trailers. At times my knuckles are white watching how close the cars
and marshes come to each other and how very often they have to go onto the side
of the road in order to avoid a car that is trying to pass on the other side
and is still using part of your area of the road. I have visions of the marsh I
am in rolling down the side of the mountain. My heart is in my mouth much of
the time. I often just close my eyes as I really cannot do anything about it.
There are so many accidents here in Georgia because of the reckless driving and
poor road conditions; however, most accidents don’t get reported.
There have been lectures and petitions to change the
climate of “War on the Georgian Roads” – which, driving in Georgia seems to
feel like. Not sure how much progress will be made; but, sure is great that
there are plans to discuss the menace that is Georgian Driving.
Over the past fifteen months I’ve been to many towns
and villages here in Georgia and the thing that struck me the most is how
similar all of these places are. The buildings are constructed (both houses and
apartments) in the same configuration. The colors are basically the same. The
stores are the same from one town to the next and the items sold are absolutely
the same. If I didn’t know the location of where I was I would not know that I
was in a different area of Georgia. There are churches everywhere and they all
look the same. There are mountains everywhere; so, seeing mountains in the
distance sure does not make an area stand out. There is beauty in the distance,
so many open fields, hills and mountains; but, the towns and villages seem very
uniform.
We have a new Ambassador here in Georgia. Ian C.
Kelly has taken office, July 2015. A new chapter begins.
Also, Peace Corps Volunteers were just information
that our Country Director, Maura Fulton, has accepted a position as Country
Director in Burma (Myanmar) effective in September, 2015…so, lots of changes
here Leadership at the top. Stay tuned for ongoing developments.
I’ve decided not to do a summer camp here in
Sagarejo; however, I have been participating in camps that other Peace Corps
Volunteers have organized. Recently I joined the summer camp at the Youth House
here in Sagarejo. I basically just showed up to show my support. There were so
many children; may fifty. I was impressed that they were all at tables and
quietly working on drawings. It was very
nice to see. We also, the teachers, had tacos that were made from scratch by
one of the Peace Corps Volunteers. It was a nice end to the day and lots
of fun conversation.
I introduced the children to the “Banana Song.” I really cannot adequately describe it other
than the children (and me) just love it. It is very simple and it introduces a
couple English words….e.g., peel; cut; mash, stomp, throw and go. The “go”
really cracks the kids up as you really need to get into “go bananas”. I just
love it and they fall all over themselves seeing an adult acting like a kid (
I like to do that J.
At the summer camp I participated in a few weeks ago
I had some interesting thoughts as I sat watching this camp unfold. I was thinking about how different my Peace
Corps Experience would have been if I had been assigned to this location
(dzeveri) rather than where I am presently posted (Sagarejo). I then went on to think about, and have
conversations with other Peace Corps Volunteers, about whether the location of
service makes the volunteer experience or does the volunteer make the
experience in their location. Hum, deep thoughts….I just found this interesting
to think about and I am really not sure what the answer is.
Ok, getting ready to travel this weekend. Great to
be back home in Georgia!
Best,
Catherine Lawrence, G14
Peace Corps Volunteer/Georgia
The
contents of this blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of
the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.
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