the Country, I mean Village life…

The day before yesterday I had ants crawling in my pants, or in my bed rather, yesterday night, while in the outhouse, I was greeted by a cockroach, and today, a snake was found upstairs in my room. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s creepy crawler will be. lol.

It’s so funny. All these things that I would normally find incredibly scary and spazz out about, I’m dealing with. I am by no means in the running to compete on Fear Factor, but the fact that none of it is really phasing me, is quite an accomplishment. I guess knowing that my dad’s not there to kill the spider or spray for bugs has forced me to deal. I have yet to encounter a really big spider though, in which case I might run in circles on top of my bed, and scream like the girly girl I’m trying my best to suppress.

On another note, I went to the neighbor’s today to talk and drink cold coffee. That is the extent of physical activity done by me during the day, beings that it’s balls hot between the hours of 10 and 6. So, I walked over to the neighbors with my host mom and host sister and we began discussing the difference between America and Georgia.

It all started with a discussion about how in America, I lived away from my parents. Obviously, it’s completely different here (as explained in previous post). They then began questioning me about living on my own, having a job, and paying for school. My Georgian friends, and I’m sure many other people, believed that Americans get their college paid for. Trying to explain student loans and debt was quite a fete. But then came the inevitable question of if I was married. My normal reaction of laughter was followed by them questioning me about my job in the States. I explained to them that I loved working and I liked having a job. My host mom then started speaking very quickly and from what I got from the conversation she was telling them that I was such a hard worker. “She’s always reading, she’s always writing, she’s typing away on the computer, and she helps with the housework.” Now, in America, me reading for fun and facebook-ing all day doesn’t constitute working, but here apparently it’s a task. It’s funny that they seem to think that all I do is work, but in reality all I want to do is work. I think the expression that we have is that Americans  “Live to Work” while others “Work to Live”  Granted, this probably sounds so insensitive, but it’s true. I’m not good at sitting around doing nothing, that is if there’s not a TV and air conditioning present. A lot of us are very lucky though, that we can just sit around when we want and go work when we want or need. They then said that if I married a Georgian man, the man could work, though it has been my observation that the women work far more than the men. I tried to be as diplomatic as possible when I said “I would make a horrible wife.” When asked why, I explained that I don’t like  to clean and I don’t cook all the time, etc. I think they saw through the diversion and my host mom ask if American men help around the house. Now, I am well aware that all American don’t, but I do know that my dad is one of the best cooks I know and he does the dishes quite frequently, so that was was I said. Of course, when I was little my mom stayed home and did most of the cooking and cleaning, but my dad really did pitch in a lot. It’s just so very different all over the world.

I would continue this post, but it’s entirely too hot upstairs in my room and I’m getting hungry.

Oh and by the way, the creepy crawler of choice last night (3 am) was a moth the size of my fist that was trying to attack me. I spent about an hour trying to kill it and it wouldn’t die, when finally my host mom came upstairs, probably from all the noise, and grabbed it’s wings and set it free. I guess I over estimated my badassness….

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life…)

I’m sitting here enjoying a Coca-Cola on my last warm day as a resident of Tezeri. I’ve already come close to tears twice today. I just said goodbye to my didi bebia, Elene. She is probably the hardest working woman I’ve ever met, and the fact that she always buys me underwear, makes me love her even more. Now, that I’m thinking about it, maybe she buys me underwear that she deems more appropriate than my American underwear. Come to think of it, I have yet to see any other style than the granny panty hanging on the lines. I’m getting off topic. I have fallen in love with this village and I’m so sad to leave my host family. Maia is my Georgian equivalent and I hope that we are able to keep in touch and stay friends.

In a little I’m headed to the cemetery for one last hoorah with the cluster. Drinking beer together one last time will be a good farewell. Man it has def been an interesting time, to say the least. From wearing flip-flops and holey jeans to class, having dance parties, being tsudi-gogos for a day, having sing-a-longs in marshutkas, having fights about marshutkas, and all the other good times, I’m going to miss being just up the mountain from everyone. Damn the PC for sending me so far away from all the G10s. lol.

It’s been something undpredictable, but in the end it was right. (SO LAME, I know.)

Permanent Site Announcements

It was a nice Thursday in Borjomi. A Hub day. All the PC Trainees waited anxiously for the announcement of their permanent sites. I was excited just as everyone else was. We were all finally going to see where we would be living for the next 2 years of our lives.

Upon our arrival to the Restaurant for lunch, a life size map was set up in the parking lot with random cities, our prospective sites. After lunch, we were all given an envelope with someone’s name on it. Everyone stood around Georgia and called out a person’s name, told them their site, and then the process continued. As I listened and anticipated my name being called, I was insanely excited. In prior classes and hub sessions we were warned that though more of us were in the west, we would still be spread out. I kept seeing person after person being placed in the west and not far away from others. Some people even got site-mates. HELL YES! This is going to be a great 2 years!

Then I hear my name. I grab my envelope and then start looking for Vardisubani...”where is it?” I turn to my left and look in the west…NOTHING, then I turn to my right and there it is. There farthest city located on the Eastern border of Georgia. Miles and hours away from all my new friends. Plus, it’s in the east. My asthma has already been crazy weird here and now I’m in the East where it is much colder than in the west and much more dry, which leads me to think that the air will be much thinner in wintertime. I’m freaking out!

Fast forward a couple of days. I’m still apprehensive but I’m trying to look at the positives in this situation:

1. I am close to G9s who are experienced and can provide a lot of insight to what’s going to be happening and what I should expect in day to day life.

2. I’m closer to Tbilisi than the others (roughly 3 hours away) which means I can experience city life and non-Georgian food. 

3. I’m in a valley surrounded by mountains. Even though I’m more of a beach person, this will be something new and different and I’ll be able to see breathtaking views every single day.

4. Supposedly I have an amazing counterpart and school director that are really excited to work with me.

5. My family situation seems fairly small, with only 1 man, which means the frustration of day to day gender role issues will be limited.

6. I get to experience wine season!

 

However I am still freaking out…so the cons are still weighing heavy on me:

1. I’m so far away from my group. There are no TEFL people near me (the closest is 4 hours away) and the closet of the 2 BSEs is more than 1 hour away.

2. The closest friends I’ve made are a minimum of 8 hours away, at least.

3. I wouldn’t mind being that far if travel was easy, but it takes a minimum of 8 hours to travel coast to coast in a country the size of South Carolina, and that’s if everything is on time. On top of that if I choose to just got see everyone for only once a month, I will be spending at least 30 Lari alone on travel, not including expenses, which will be a large chunk of my stipend.

4. My asthma. They don’t want to put me in humid or heat, but I’m used to that. Hello, that is Charlotte during summertime. The ONLY time I have ever had any issue (asthma attack) was when I was high in the mountains, it was January and snowing, and I was snowboarding. I understand that they are preparing for the worst, but I am far more worried about my mental sanity and psychological well being than I am about having asthma issues.

5. I am 1 of 3 in my group that has an outhouse. Now I know I said I’ve come to terms with my outhouse situation, but I’d be lying if I said I won’t mind if for the next 2 years. I really do enjoy sitting on the toilet. And if one more person tells me I’m going to have great thigh muscles, I will punch them in the face. They’re only saying that because they won’t be walking out to a dark field with a flashlight in the dead of winter…lol. No, but really I will have great thigh muscles!

……

It is now July 2nd and since the previous post, I had a little talk with my Program Manager for the moment, Teo. She was incredibly gracious and helped break down the questions and whys that I had. I got some reassurances and explanations and basically the reason I am in the east is primarily due to my “asthma”. So yeah. I’ve pretty much accepted the fact that I’ll be far away from my fellow G10s, but hopefully I will be able to see them every once in a while. At least I have some good places to stay when I am able to visit the coast. The school director that I’m working with is a really savvy lady. I think me and her will have a good relationship. The teachers at my school all seem really cool and fun, so I look forward to working with that. I had to change host families. I liked my host family a lot. They had a plethora of peppers and the bebia cooked me a kickass stir-fry with eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and SPICY PEPPERS. It was scrumptious.  But yeah, the mother was having a baby and her sister, the Deputy Director, and my Director thought it would be too much added pressure if I were to stay with them. I just hope that they are not upset or hurt by the fact that I won’t be living there with them. Instead I am staying with a smaller family that is only a couple and their daughter. The host dad is a vet, which ROCKS. I’m thinking that maybe I can get a dog, he can give them the shots it will need, and then in 2 years I can figure out a way to take it back with me when I go to America.

Other than that everything has been going so fast. I haven’t really had time to think about much. This past week, we all threw SUMMER CAMPS. Tezeri’s ended up being a hit. The first day only 20 kids showed up, then Tuesday there were 50. Other than some situations with some older boys from out of town, all the kids really liked it.

Today was the G10s last Hub session. It’s all a little bittersweet. On one hand I’m excited to become a volunteer and really get settled into what I’m going to be doing for the next 2 years, but at the same time I am already settled into my life here. I love Tezeri. I love my host family. I’ve even gotten used to my outhouse. The other volunteers have also become fast friends of mine. I was looking forward to getting to know the people that were not in my cluster, but even so, I’m going to miss the hell out of the Tezeri group. Then there’s the staff. I really like Manana (our technical trainer) and I like Teo (my Program Manager until September).  It’s funny because it’s not as though I had a lot of one on one time with either of them, but in some way or another they reminded me of my 2 favorite aunts and they made Georgia familiar. Manana reminded me of my Aunt Nan. She’s always so warm and like my Aunt Nan, regardless of how much time has gone by or how long it’s been since you talked last, she always feels safe. Teo reminds me of my Aunt Becky. She seems very sassy, but in a understated way. I don’t really even know her, but I do know that she’s an incredibly intelligent, no nonsense woman in a male dominated society. She definitely can hang with the big boys and if I had to put money on her or a man, I’d bet her 10 to 1, yet she is so caring and helpful. The LCFs that all of us have grown so accustomed to seeing are also going to be taken out of our lives. Nana was our liaison into the Georgian world as were Marika and Tea. We learned how to speak and exist in this brand new world. It’s so crazy that I won’t be going to class and that I won’t be seeing them on a daily basis.  Anyone that knows me knows that I’m not huge on change, so the fact that I’m going to have to readjust again without any constants and without having the people who have made this a warm and inviting place, is going to suck. lol. I guess only time will tell.