It's Pechi Time

I’d like to introduce you to my best friend. It only comes out from October to April; it’s large, and HOT! PCVs gather around these fine contraptions when we aren’t huddled in our sleeping bags during winter. In Russian this is a “pech(i)” (the extra “I” is how Georgians put it in nominative case, I am “Tomi”), but “pechka” is colloquial (thanks to my Ukrainian girlfriend for the clarifications), in Georgian it is “ghumeli”, but I usually say “pech(i)”. There aren’t many places (even in large cities) that have central heating in Georgia, and Keda is no different (though I have heard rumors that it’s coming soon). So these wood stoves give us heat during winter. The big problem with them is they only heat one room, which means I will spend the next 6 months huddled in this room trying to stay warm. The upside is a pechi is a great trash-bin.

So, this is our pechi. Not much to look at, but it is a lot of fun. There really is nothing better than coming home from school, lighting the pechi and falling asleep in a room well heated by it’s warmth. These ugly, rusty, dangerous devices certainly make me feel like I’m in Peace Corps. They are also pretty fun to take care of. I mean, I love fire, and so the pechi is a lot of fun to play with and sometimes I’ll just sit there and stare at the fire.

I would really love to have this little contraption in my room. I hate waking up in the morning and having to get dressed and everything when it’s SO cold. Last winter I’d wake up and immediately run to the pechi room (my host father wake up early to light it). Soon I’ll have to get my sleeping bag out, too. I’m not looking forward to that. So for the next 6 months I’ll be in this room or in my sleeping bag.

So, next time you walk into you centrally heated house. Or, wake up and walk around barefoot and half naked around your house in the winter please say “thank you” to my pechi for at least keeping me warm in one room.

*Edit* I should also point out how awesome it is to put clean clothes under the pechi and come out of the shower to warm shirts and underwear. It's like taking something straight out of the dryer... Pechi Style