So I have something surprising to tell everyone back in America. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I have not cured the town’s sick, built a stadium with only a pocketknife and clothes pins, built a bridge (Volunteer’s shot out) convinced people to adopt western style education, enacted programs to reduce unemployment by 100%, or even find enough books for all my students. I think I came to Georgia with a few misconceptions, good and bad, that have been/are being put to the test.
First, I had a feeling I’d be a lot more remote. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I can walk to the corner store and buy whatever I want, and we still kill our own chickens for meat, but I have fairly reliable electricity, water, even internet (that I pay out the butt for). I have more or less, everything I need (though my X-Box would be nice). My first two months I squatted over a hole, now I have porcelain toilets and bathtubs. An electric hot water heater (that is currently struggling to combat the increasing coldness) keeps me warm in the shower. What else do I need? I thought I might be somewhere where I’d dig my own well, latrine, maybe even a straw hut. Not here. The Soviets left decent housing and living conditions for the towns.
Second, I have yet to solve, or even identify the majority of what my community needs. Sure, improving trash collection, building a library, improving the community center are all interesting things, but nobody seems interested in them. If a Georgian in Keda is reading this: “WHAT DO YOU NEEEEEDDDD!!!!”
Third, I am not universally accepted and loved. Being an American in a town of 3,000 people in Georgia is a lot like being the popular kid in high school, but with a lot less girls. Some people love you, and they know what kind of person I am. Some people love me, but have never spoken to me. Some people hate me, and they know me a little bit, but for whatever reason (I didn’t drink with them at 9AM, I refused their cigarettes, I accidently said “sheni deda” and told them “I f***ed your mother” instead of “deda sheni” for "your mother"). Some people hate me, but have never met me before.
For example I had a run-in with some younger 20-something guys that asked me the usual, highly inappropriate questions. When I responded that I did not want to go to a prostitute they began to taunt me. Now, I don’t think STI’s are a laughing matter. Nor do I think the exploitation women for one’s own pleasure is okay. I couldn’t actually say this, so I just smiled, nodded, and walked to do some adult English classes. I don't have to justify my being here in Georgia to anyone, and sure they think they're being funny, but I'm here to do a job. Even if my effort doesn't amount to as much as I would have hoped, I'm still here to do it, and I'm proud/happy to be in such a welcoming country.
Now as for the girls, well girls may be interested, but it’s a BAD idea on my part, and something I personally stay away from. I always get the relationship/love questions: “Do you have love?” “Have you ever been in love?” “Are you going to get married?” “Do you want to marry a Georgian?” “What do you think of Georgian girls?” “What do you think of my daughter?” “Please, take a Georgian back to America” “Why did you and your girlfriends break up?” “Do you still love them?” Now I used to answer like this: “No” “yes” “probably” “I don’t know”” girls everywhere are great” “huh? I don’t understand” “huh? I don’t understand” “Because we weren’t right together, because we were bored, because we weren’t in love anymore, because I wanted to come to Georgia” and “No” respectively. Well most of these answers are fine, but people aren’t interested in them so much. So for example, take this question: “What do you think of Georgian girls?” Me: “I love them, they’re beautiful, smart, and amazing!” Question: “Do you want to marry a Georgian?” Me: “Have somebody in mind?” These responses generally generate more excitement, and people like to hear them. I feel good because they love me for it, and it’s a feel good fest.
I’m tired of writing now. I’m going to Batumi tomorrow to get my residence card, then Tbilisi next week for some awesome Peace Corps events. Will write more about my adventures later.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Life
I know it’s been awhile since I last updated, but a lot has happened since my last entry. Well maybe not a lot, but enough good and bad that I haven’t updated. A few days after my last entry I went to Beshumi with Duri and his family, Beshumi is a mountain resort village near the Turkish border. The houses aren’t really like houses, more like shacks lined up around each others. I was there for three nights and I met a lot of interesting people, but I also felt completely cramped in the house. There was no chance for me to sit alone, relax, and recoup my energy. The only chance I had alone was listening to my iPod while sitting on a Marshutka with 20 other people.
On the last day we went to Vardzia, a cave city built into the side of a mountain. Vardzia was a monastery built in 1185 by the famous Queen Tamar (who also built several bridges near me) to protect over six-thousand apartments from the Mongols. Though, 100 years later an earthquake destroyed most of the monastery and exposed it to the outside. In the 16th century the Persians took over the area and essentially ended the life of the monastery. Monks run it now and it’s a big tourist site in Georgia. There are pictures on Facebook for those that are interested. After Vardzia I continued my summer by studying Georgian, meeting Georgians, and just overall good times.
In late August I was in Tbilisi for a Peace Corps Wellness Event to get us ready for the upcoming school year. Tbilisi was a good time, and I had a few packages waiting for me, which made it 10000x better. It was also nice meeting all the other volunteers I hadn’t seen in a while.
When I returned home on Sunday there was a mini supra for my host father’s brother who had come in from Moscow. A supra here and there is nice, but it’s a little annoying ALWAYS being the center of attention. I know everyone is glad I’m here and I appreciate the hospitality, but I really am a much more private person. Oh, well.
At the beginning of that week I felt refreshed and ready to take on my summer camp, a seven day English camp for the students at the school. That was until I heard the news about my favorite high school teacher and friend, Brian Welsh who died as a victim of suicide. Mr. Welsh was always a great teacher, and a supportive coach. He knew what each of his students needed, whether a pat on a back, or kick in the ass. His classes were lively and discussion based. He was the reason I got into teaching in the first place and a man with many talents, but many flaws as well. I looked forward to maybe teaching with him at South when I got older. It’s hard to tell how much pain someone is really in, but also remember that nobody how messed up things to seem, life is long, and no matter how hard it is, life has its ups and downs. Here’s to the greatest teacher/coach West Windsor-Plainsboro South has ever had.
But the Peace Corps life doesn’t live you with much time to mope, and Georgians are always worried if you seem sad, so I quickly got up and went to work. The summer camp went really well. I had about 20 students show up, and we played dodge ball, Uno, Twister, capture the flag, and a variety of other children games. We also had a day where I talked about trash and waste; the children made signs and hung them up around town. It seemed productive, until I watched one of my students throw a Coke bottle in the river the next day… sigh… My Peace Corps friend, Alissa came to help out on my last 2 days of camp. We started it with the human knot, but then promptly moved to a relay race. By relay race, I mean we played beer pong, but with water! Pictures are on Facebook, but the kids LOVED it, and their excitement at every shot was amazing (of course I taught the adult version later that night to Georgian friends and neighbors). The last day I had a talent show, and a group of four girls sang song, danced, and put on the most amazing performance I thought wasn’t possible. So of course the won, and got Snickers as prizes.
School started the next week, and I’ve been observing my first two weeks, but now I’m selecting my classes and am getting down to business. I can already tell it’s going to be a huge challenge, but I’m already trying to use some strategies I learned from “Maynard” Welsh. Right now the kids aren’t used to my sometimes strange outbursts (they are used to the Soviet style teaching), but slowly they are catching on to me walking into doors to teach them the word “stupid”.
So that’s the news from this side of the world. Until next time (a month from now).
Oh, P.S. lock the door when you change OR use the toilet. Both my host parents decide walking in is much easier than knocking and have therefore succumbed to my uncontrollable laughter of embarrassment mixed with curse words.
On the last day we went to Vardzia, a cave city built into the side of a mountain. Vardzia was a monastery built in 1185 by the famous Queen Tamar (who also built several bridges near me) to protect over six-thousand apartments from the Mongols. Though, 100 years later an earthquake destroyed most of the monastery and exposed it to the outside. In the 16th century the Persians took over the area and essentially ended the life of the monastery. Monks run it now and it’s a big tourist site in Georgia. There are pictures on Facebook for those that are interested. After Vardzia I continued my summer by studying Georgian, meeting Georgians, and just overall good times.
In late August I was in Tbilisi for a Peace Corps Wellness Event to get us ready for the upcoming school year. Tbilisi was a good time, and I had a few packages waiting for me, which made it 10000x better. It was also nice meeting all the other volunteers I hadn’t seen in a while.
When I returned home on Sunday there was a mini supra for my host father’s brother who had come in from Moscow. A supra here and there is nice, but it’s a little annoying ALWAYS being the center of attention. I know everyone is glad I’m here and I appreciate the hospitality, but I really am a much more private person. Oh, well.
At the beginning of that week I felt refreshed and ready to take on my summer camp, a seven day English camp for the students at the school. That was until I heard the news about my favorite high school teacher and friend, Brian Welsh who died as a victim of suicide. Mr. Welsh was always a great teacher, and a supportive coach. He knew what each of his students needed, whether a pat on a back, or kick in the ass. His classes were lively and discussion based. He was the reason I got into teaching in the first place and a man with many talents, but many flaws as well. I looked forward to maybe teaching with him at South when I got older. It’s hard to tell how much pain someone is really in, but also remember that nobody how messed up things to seem, life is long, and no matter how hard it is, life has its ups and downs. Here’s to the greatest teacher/coach West Windsor-Plainsboro South has ever had.
But the Peace Corps life doesn’t live you with much time to mope, and Georgians are always worried if you seem sad, so I quickly got up and went to work. The summer camp went really well. I had about 20 students show up, and we played dodge ball, Uno, Twister, capture the flag, and a variety of other children games. We also had a day where I talked about trash and waste; the children made signs and hung them up around town. It seemed productive, until I watched one of my students throw a Coke bottle in the river the next day… sigh… My Peace Corps friend, Alissa came to help out on my last 2 days of camp. We started it with the human knot, but then promptly moved to a relay race. By relay race, I mean we played beer pong, but with water! Pictures are on Facebook, but the kids LOVED it, and their excitement at every shot was amazing (of course I taught the adult version later that night to Georgian friends and neighbors). The last day I had a talent show, and a group of four girls sang song, danced, and put on the most amazing performance I thought wasn’t possible. So of course the won, and got Snickers as prizes.
School started the next week, and I’ve been observing my first two weeks, but now I’m selecting my classes and am getting down to business. I can already tell it’s going to be a huge challenge, but I’m already trying to use some strategies I learned from “Maynard” Welsh. Right now the kids aren’t used to my sometimes strange outbursts (they are used to the Soviet style teaching), but slowly they are catching on to me walking into doors to teach them the word “stupid”.
So that’s the news from this side of the world. Until next time (a month from now).
Oh, P.S. lock the door when you change OR use the toilet. Both my host parents decide walking in is much easier than knocking and have therefore succumbed to my uncontrollable laughter of embarrassment mixed with curse words.
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