It’s been a while since my last post. It’s funny, I remember now why I don’t own a full Diary/Journal, I am horrible with keeping up with this kind of thing. I’m sure there have been a lot of things that have happened since my last post and worthwhile situations to report, so I’ll do my best to recreate and recap what’s happened…

I moved into my new village (sopeli) and home (sakhli). (this is my driveway)

 

I’ve been traveling and helping out with a lot of camps…

(BlackSea & Laura’s Site)

(Aaron’s site)

(Batumi)

 

…as well as putting on my own camp. My camp went really well. I had about 50 kids show up and I enlisted my host sister and her friends’s help as well as Em and Sam. We played a lot of games and the last day culminated in a massive water balloon fight, which I lost.

so that in a nutshell is what I’ve been doing….

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.

a couple of NOTICEABLE differences…

Let me preface this entry by saying that these are NOT at all complaints about Georgia, just things I have noticed and observed, in my short amount of time here.

 

1. Animal Rights in this country are definitely non-existent. Pets are also not really common. People that do have “pets” usually have dogs that are chained up and aggressive, from not so nice ‘guard dog’ training tactics. Also, many people here chop the ears off their dogs. It’s bizarre looking, but they’re still adorable. They kind of look like little bear ears.

2. Outhouses are the standard. SQUATTING over giant poop-filled holes, that get vacuumed out sporadically, are preferred (or maybe the only means available) over having a non-thigh burning workout that is the sit-down commode. The volunteers have had many discussion about how bizarre it is that all of our families have satellite TVs and really nice houses, but no thoughts on even adding a seat to their outhouse. Just proves how lazy and genius Americans really are!

3. Paved Roads in the villages are few and far between. There is 1 paved road in my PST village and in comparison to some of the other rock/mud roads, it’s far worst for wear. It's the most pot-hole filled street I have ever ventured down. Most of the villagers prefer to drive on the shoulder rather than directly in their “lane.” It’s actually quite humorous because on any given day you see cars criss-crossing the road like figure skaters to find the smoothest path. 

4. This leads me to drivers. No one can say that men are better drivers! (OK, so maybe this one is a complaint) I have yet to see any females drive here, but I’m sure any woman here would drive better than the men. They’re insane. Now any of you that know me are well aware that I am a very crazy and aggressive driver. Now take my driving and multiply it by a not over exaggerated amount of about 30. I have been driven in taxis (terrifying), in marshutkas (terrifying), and in cars (terrifying). I think it’s funny that Americans complain about other drivers, but really we have the safest roads out of anywhere I’ve travelled. I’m interested to see what the rest of the 2 years are going to entail.

5. Doctors in Georgia, rather Russian doctors in Georgia, are obviously hard to understand, but their medical facilities are equally questionable. Don’t misunderstand me. I felt completely safe, but when I was getting my x-ray for my ankle, instead of getting a anti-radiation vest like in America, I was given 2 thinly cut sheets of “protection” for my head and genitals. Then the doctor preceded to pull on those protectors and when he pulled them into what I thought was the proper place, he yelled, in Russian, to hold it. Well then stop pulling them down! lol. I guess it will be a while before we will be able to tell if any damage was done to my future children.

6. Butter and coffee are the cure-alls. I’m still trying to determine what nutritional or mineral benefit either provides. Though I think grandmas taking care of you is universal.

7. Women here are hard-ass-workers. They do so much and though they don’t seem to mind it, they don’t really get much out of the deal. Women in the village typically don’t drink, and if they do, it is a very minuscule amount, while a large percentage of men are hammered a good 3 nights out of the week, at the least. They sweep with brooms that look as if they’re made for kids to be toy brooms. Talk about back-breaking. They knead bread, and pick beans, onions, from the garden and cook and bake from scratch. They get the water heated and ready for the family to bathe. They tend to the kids. If you’re a teacher you have that job on top of other house duties. A lot of Georgian women are the sole-providers of their families, so while they work as teachers and tend to the women’s work, their husbands can stand around the railroad tracks or store and have leisurely convo about the goings on of the village. They are far better than I. (a possible future complaint)

8. If you are fortunate to have a hot-water heater it is probably a wood-burning hot water heater. THEY’RE FABULOUS! I have come to see mine as the best gift my host family could’ve given me. I had 2 bucket baths and it was def an experience. I realize how fortunate I am to have hot water in Georgia…(I’m praying my perm site with come complete with a hot-water shower)

9. Georgian people are very warm people. Extremely nice, friendly, and loving, just not in a physical sense. I’m going through severe hug withdrawal. Though I do try and sneak some in here and there with the fellow volunteers.

10. It is a very family-oriented society. When you marry, which in the village can be as early as 13 or 14, you go live with your husband’s family. From the time you move in you will probably live there, raise your children there, and grow old there. Sleeping quarters are very close regardless of how many rooms are in the house. In my house right now, my host Ps and kids sleep in a room off one side of the living room and my host grand-Ps sleep off the other. There are 2 bedrooms upstairs that aren’t even used, but I’m sure that’s where the kid’s bedrooms will eventually be.

 

that’s all I can think of right now, but then again I’m kind of tired, so I’m sure there are more to come…

I’m not in Kansas anymore…

Well today (Saturday, May 1st, 2010) I have officially exceeded my expectations. Upon arrival at my PreServiceTraining host family’s house, in a village. I squatted over a hole better known in these parts as an outhouse AND I have taken a bucket bath, all within a 30 minute time period! Welcome to Georgia! lol.

First things first. The past couple of days my PC group has been staying at a hotel in Tbilisi, where we underwent an intense introduction into the Georgian language and culture. YIKES! It is definitely going to be a long and exhausting 2 months.

My roommate Lacey and I suffered from a severe case of jet lag, something I am still showing signs of. While in the COUNTRYSIDE HOTEL I met a lot of interesting people that I’m excited to get to know during my 2 years here.

Our PST village announcements were made and Aaron, Alissa, Emily, Jen, Serena, and I were all placed in a tiny village that can not be named. It's kind of funny because technically we are in a forbidden zone anyway, but our village is so great that they made an exception and allowed volunteers to be placed here.

……continued on May 27th, 2010

Anywho, my host family is great. It consists of my host mom, Maia. She’s 27 and has 2 children (Elene, 2, and Dako, 5) with her husband Shalva. I also live with Shalva’s parents and grandparents. It is customary in Georgian culture for the women to marry and live with their husband’s family. Apparently, it is also customary for the women to bust their ass’ here. The bebia-Elene (which is my “host great-grandmother) is up at 5 in the a.m., already making cheese, herding the cows, working in the garden, or doing whatever else she can get her little self into (this sometimes includes screaming at her husband…have I mentioned how much I LOVE HER?!?!). My host mom is nothing to forget either. Her profession is an English teacher, but she’s definitely a Renaissance woman. She raises the kids, cooks (from scratch), cleans (hands and knees), tutors, and shops for the household items, all the while being involved with Peace Corp and me. Insane! Just reaffirms how lazy I am. lol.

On a lighter note. I’ve been doing some cultural broadening with the men in this household. I’ve watched numerous boxing matched and the Bayern/AC Milan soccer game with my host grandpops. I helped my host dad understand what he needed to do in a video game to get to the next level, and even took over the controls for a brief, yet very satisfying, period of time. I drank beer at their family supra and drank gvino (aka wine) and participated in toasts, all of which women typically don’t do. It’s so weird, and I know this is just the beginning of what will probably be a bizarre 2 years, but it’s mind-boggling that I am able to do these things, yet my host mom, that’s older than me, isn’t allowed or chooses not to. She drank beer with me when we all had our supra, but once she drank her glass she wasn’t offered anymore or given the option of having anymore, while mine was never even halfway empty. Whatevs!

I’m sure there is lots more to come, but right now I’m exhausted and tomorrow is a Hub Day. I have to wake up super early to get the UTKA (G10 term for the Marshutka or mini bus) to Borjomi. Should be fun. Laters!

Planning and Packing and Visiting, oh MY!

So apparently I completely suck at updating this blog. I guess I could argue that until recently I literally knew nothing about when, where, or what I would be doing with the Peace Corp.  Then all of a sudden I’ve been swept into a whirlwind of preparing mentally and physically to leave the country for 2 years. I feel as if a tornado has spun through my head, and my room. Let’s just hope that all of the debris will land in the country of Georgia.

I guess I should start at the beginning. After 2 years of postponing life plans, saving money, and telling everyone I was going into the Peace Corp, I pretty much got fed up with waiting for what had been non-responses, avoidances, and changes being made, in which PC didn’t feel the need to inform me of. I finally made the decision that it was now or never. I sent a rather blunt and straight-forward e-mail to PC telling them that I needed someone to tell me something because if I wasn’t leaving in the next couple of months, I was going to withdrawal my application.If I had known that would be all it took, I would have sent an e-mail a lot sooner. Within a week I was called by my Placement Officer and a package was sent in which I was assigned to the Republic of Georgia. Ecstatic as I was, It couldn’t have come at a worst time. That day I learned that my dad was in the hospital for a completely collapsed lung and had to have major surgery.

I immediately flew into Ohio and went straight to the hospital. Long story short. I decided the best move would be to return to Ohio and live with my parents, so 1.I could help out with my dad AND 2.I could save money (all my savings went to my jobless, yet active lifestyle in Charlotte). Thankfully, I was able to reprise my role at the Golf Club of Dublin and begin my preparation for my 2 years abroad.

My List of things to accomplish before my departure:

1. Visit all my friends and family (Ceal, Grandma, German group, Kat and Leris family, GCD friends, the Boye’s, etc.)
2. Pack all the suggested items on the Packing List supplied by PCVs
3. Make sure I leave my rooms clean
4. Get into the right mind-state to enjoy my journey

Since moving back to Columbus from Charlotte, I have yet to unpack or even put my things away. I guess I figured since I was just going to have to pack anyway, it would be completely pointless. So now my rooms (yes, rooms. I have taken over the 2 extra bedrooms upstairs, both housing my clothes, and then my actual sleeping quarters downstairs) are a wreck. And nothing is packed. UNCHECK.

About 2 weeks ago I went to Oakdale to visit my grandma and now, at this very moment, I am sitting in the Columbus airport awaiting my flight which inevitably will land in Tampa, where my sister is. Departing Tampa, I will head to Charlotte where I will say farewell to all my Charlottean friends and head back here to Columbus to pack. So visiting my sister and German friends and the Leris clan should be a CHECK.

I have yet to really focus on learning the language and am a bit nervous and apprehensive about how I am going to feel when I arrive in country. Especially, since I’m sure all my peers will have at least learned the alphabet. So right mind-state….UNCHECK.

I suppose only time will tell. All I can do is enjoy this rest of my time in America and focus on Georgia when I’m there. For now, I’m drinking as much sweet tea as I possibly can and eating everything insight (so much for the 10 pounds I had lost). I’m sure my next post will be in Georgia, the country….