Hello, My Faithful Readers

May 5, 2017

Volume 1, Number 6

I don’t exactly know why; but for the last month or so we have lost power in my building a couple of times (maybe more, I’ve not counted). The electric does not stay off for a long period of time (like it did in the village); but it sure is inconvenient when it does go off….especially because there is no internet. Not a crisis; but a pain.

I’m sitting in the dark right now; so, I thought it would be a good time to start the blog. The good news about the building that I live in is that since we have 24/7 security so the building security folks make sure that whoever needs to know that we lost power has that information. No need to call…or do anything.

Note to self – Buy more candles. (Real Exciting stuff, huh) J

Georgia has finally been taken off the list of countries that people cannot receive their social security benefits in. Yipeeeeee. If it had come earlier (like this time last year) it would have saved me countless hours of work. You see, I had to appeal the decision and that took work and time. The good news is that I was successful and my appeal was approved; but one of the conditions was that I had to check in with the US embassy every three months. The trip required some time to get out to the embassy and go through the rigors of their security protocols and also forms had to submitted – but, nothing too difficult. Just required planning; and I know how to do that.

My social security office is in Athens, Greece so we only communicate via email; but, they have been wonderful.

I understand that the reason it was on the list was because Georgia was a former soviet block country. Unless you live abroad you would really not have any reason  to know this; but, since I do….it was just one more thing to deal with.

OK. The question is Retirement…..I don’t know how to do this!

So, I’ve retired since April 2014, when I went into the Peace Corps; however, I was not really retired. The 2-1/2 years I spent in the Peace Corps was anything but retirement. At times I had more work than I had when I worked full time. My life was very different; but, a lady of leisure I certainly was not. Now, I am not complaining; this was my choice and I would not have traded it for anything. So, part 1 was Peace Corps and then Part 2 was setting myself up at an ex-pat here in Tbilisi. My efforts were focused on finding an apartment, getting to know my new city (Tbilisi) and my new neighborhood (Vere); finding health insurance and doctors; dealing with transportation, etc., etc….and then travel back to the USA for the holidays. My days and nights were filled with wonderful new adventures.

And, now I am fairly settled - whew; and I am feeling the effects of real retirement.

I’ve been offered many full time jobs; but I don’t want to work full time. I do teach where and pretty much when I want to; but, I don’t have the rigid structure that I did when I was working before retirement. Even though I do work; I have settled myself into a routine. There are still lots of surprises; but, I feel more like a native than I feel like an outsider.

So, this is so odd to have nothing on the calendar except the things that I want to do and interest me. I am coming to the conclusion that I don’t know how to relax and just enjoy nothingness. I have planned and scrimped and saved to reach this point and now I am here. So, what is next…..

I am making myself stay grounded and to stay with being uncomfortable with retirement. I do have a couple of irons in the fire; so to speak – but, honestly, I don’t know if I want them to reach fruition. More to follow……….

I did find the Holistic Center here in Tbilisi, via a friend. So, I made an appointment and had my first massage in over 3 years. For a full hour it was 35 GEL; Which is $14 USD.  It was wonderful and I plan to make many more appointments. The only difference was that there was no dreamy music. but, didn’t mind that.

April brought Easter to Georgia. Celebrating Easter in Tbilisi was so different than in the Village. I didn’t move to Tbilisi until June; so last April I was still in the Village. Easter was lively in the Village. Family and Family arrived and stayed and stayed. Lots of food and wine; but, since no one left everyone just found a place to sleep in the house. The weather is usually OK; so, we could sit on the porch and welcome the neighbors as they stop by. However, here in Tbilisi was so quiet because most Georgians go home to their roots in the Village. It was wonderful here in Tbilisi as there was very little traffic and few people to dodge around walking from place to place. Most places were open  leading up to Easter Sunday but on Easter Sunday so many places were closed. I was amazed that even the outdoor vendors that sell fruits and vegetables were locked up tight. I’ve never seen such a vacuum; but, then I was never here in Tbilisi during a holiday.

I spent the time wandering around and enjoying the solitude. It was a real pleasure not to have to fight to get on a bus or a marsh and very short lines in the stores. I entertained myself and had a light dinner with a good friend who also stayed in the city. (We were lucky to find a decent restaurant open).

At the End of April I went to a Big Band Concert at the Tbilisi Concert Hall here in Tbilisi. What a wonderful experience that was. The tickets for events are so cheap – like 15 Gel; which equals about $7 USD. I was a little disappointed as I thought they would play Glen Miller and icons such as he that were popular during the Big Band era; however, this is Georgia and I failed to take that into account.

The band was mostly brass and did play themes from Jurrasic Park; Indiana Jones and other popular movies; but, lots of the night was dedicated to men and women who sang to various songs played by the band. Some in English and some in Georgian. The song “My Way” and “I’ve got you under my skin”..both wonderful songs but not what I expected to be part of a Big Band Concert.

Before the performance started (Of course late by 15 minutes) there were a series of speeches by Georgian Officials and also the US Ambassador. It was the anniversary of 25 years of affiliation between Georgia and the USA…so, lots to celebrate.

I also renewed my membership with ETAG (English Teachers Association of Georgia) and as a result was able to participate in a 2 days conference at the Black Sea University, located away from the city proper. It was the IRCEELT – International Research Conference on Education, Language and Literature.  The conference was sponsored by ETAG. It is held every 2 years and had over 200 participants from 26 countries around the world.

Conference topics went from Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 as a future  prediction to The Role of  Person – Centric Education in Developing Learners’ Human Potential and everywhere in between. It was a tough choice to decide which session to spend my time in.

One Conference topic was on the agenda that I found particularly interesting was “The concept of Time in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.  I never understood this play and not that I understand it now; but, the issue of Time is a little clearer since attending the session. This 1969 Nobel Prize winner in Literature described daily life as a dismal one. It is repetitive and stagnant and lacks meaning, purpose and perpetual suffering. I found this description on the web.

The issue of Time in the play describes how we are all waiting for Godot. In life, how we are all waiting for something..it made sense to me.

All in all it was 2 days of  enrichment that I was really lucky to be part of.

I have made some changes in my teaching schedule. The first being that I resigned from my Sunday teaching at the British Corner because it felt more like I was baby sitting rather than teaching. Every Sunday for (3) hours I worked with two different age groups and it was like the game wack-a-mole. As soon as I got one student settled another student would act up…it was exhausting and I finally thought that my time would be better spent elsewhere.

As a result; I finally spent the time to construct a new curriculum which surrounded Critical Thinking and Life Skills. I spent countless hours pounding the pavement pitching it to groups that I thought would be interested.  The overall topic was Non-Traditional Education; in that, classes on topics that are not traditionally taught in school but used as a vehicle to learn English.

 I did connect with American Councils here in Tbilisi and we prepared an information sheet and a FB video to provide additional details. The back and forth between myself and American Councils gave us one week to advertise; but, sadly no one registered. I was so disappointed. I have been on the trail to pitch this program to other organizations; but, to date nothing has been finalized.

The program is just not moving in the direction that I thought it would. Honestly; I am not sure where or if it is going. I am asking myself questions if this is really how I want to spend my time. I do enjoy this type of teaching; but, I am just all over the place. I think this program intersects with my confusion over my retirement. I ask if this is something to just make sure that I have some structure to fill my time? I really don’t know; but, I do know that I am still asking questions and that is a good thing.

This program is what I spent most of April on. I miss traveling as that is really what I want to do. I want to research geographic locations and then travel there. Ideally I want to work while doing this so that my expenses can be offset by the work; but, that is not going in the direction that I would like.

The good news is that I am solid and stable here in Tbilisi. I am sure that the “whatever” will reveal itself. I just have to be patient (not my strong characteristic) to see what develops.

I am teaching tonight at the Sulkhan Saba University (link below). It is for a group of adults with the focus being Vocabulary and Listening. It is my first time with this group, so we shall see. It is a 2 hours session. Of course, not much money (then it never is) – but, if all goes well with this group I would be invited to teach at a 12 day summer camp out near the Black Sea.

http://www.sabauni.edu.ge/

I will close for now; but, wanted to get another blog under my belt before too much time had passed. Enjoy the nice weather, My Faithful Readers.

Best, Catherine Lawrence – 5/5/17

Hello, My Faithful Readers

April 3, 2017

Volume 1, Number 5

As promised I will continue with PART 2 of my recent trip to India and also to continue sharing my experiences here in Tbilisi, Georgia!

First, India

At some point during the camp we were invited to a Community Fair that was going to benefit a local school (sorry I don’t know the name of the adopted school). The Aamby International School (we were using their facilities) was to give the proceeds to buy computers for the adopted school. 

http://www.internationalschoolaamby.com/infrastructure

What I do know is that the adopted school was created for the children of women who are prostitutes (aka, sex workers) in India. I have no idea of the enrollment or any other details; however, I was amazed that there are so many children in this category that there is a need and that group can occupy an entire school. I was so pleased that the Aamby School took this on to try and help them out.

 I bought an umbrella that was hand painted by the students in the adopted school. I was a little concerned that the colors would run on me once I used the umbrella in the rain; but, they used some special treatment and the colors are now embedded into the plastic and I can use it safely. It looks like a modern art painting and I will have a wonderful memory every time I used it.

While I was in India; I made an appointment to get an Ayurvedic Message; however, the woman who was to give the massage ended up being called out of town so my appointment was cancelled. I was so disappointed; but then, I waited almost to the end of my stay in India so I had no fall back. It would have been a wonderful experience and doing it in India would have just been the topping on the cake. Oh well, Maybe next time.

http://www.ayurveda-retreat.co.uk/ayurvedic-massage-about/

The celebration of HOLI was happening in India while the camp was in progress. I’ve attached a photo of me in LIVING color J.  It is the festival of color and also the festival of love (see link below). I had two opportunities to get crazy with color and fun. The first was with the students and staff while we were on the campus of the Aamby School.  The bags of different colors were thrown so that we were covered in colors. Then, the water was turned on and – wham, we had color and some of it turned to paste. The students was running around and slipping and sliding in the grass and mud that resulted from the water.

The second adventure was in Mumbai, as we all spent a day or so in Mumbai as we were waiting for your flights back to our next destination. We were on Juhu Beach which is surrounded by the Arabian Sea. It was a glorious day with brilliant sun, sand and so many people. Once again, the HOLI colors were flying and once again we were engulfed in color. This time; however, we didn’t go into the water so it was basically just a bunch of grown up kids (me and friends) walking around in colors of red, green, blue and orange.  We were a sight to behold.

Once the local residents realized that they had foreigners on the beach with them they surrounded us and celebrated with us. The police also arrived; I think just to insure we didn’t run into any trouble.

I was told, not sure how true it is, but that the Arabian Sea is polluted; but, the locals still swim in it. I didn’t even go near the water line as I was concerned that somehow I would have ended up in the water and I didn’t want that. Overall what a couple of days celebrating HOLI with the folks that I just worked with at the LEAP camp.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juhu

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi

One more thing before I leave India and talk about Georgia – In Mumbai we stayed at a fabulous hotel. It was about one city block away from the beach. It was hard to believe that I was in India as the hotel could have been in any city in the USA or the world, for that matter. At the hotel, it was the first time I had a shower in almost a month. At the camp I had bucket showers; but at the hotel I could stand under the water for as long as I wanted and not worry about the hot water stopping or just the water stopping at all. It was really lovely.

http://www.rameehotels.com/mumbai-india/ramee-guestline-hotel-juhu/stay

We didn’t eat at the hotel; as our Director knew the city very well so we went to local restaurants. In the evening we went to a night club in Mumbai. What an experience that was. At times I felt like I was in NYC. We parties and ate just about everything on the menu – all the while we were passing the time until our travel to the airport for 4:00am flights.

So, let’s talk about Georgia:

Returning to Tbilisi is always welcomed. It did take me a few days to get myself back to normal (whatever that is) J. Whenever I travel I usually plan for what is next and this trip was no exception. So, when I get home from my travels I end up having pages and pages of notes that I need to review and start to unravel what to do about them.

One of the things that I’ve been kicking around now for quite some time is the possibility of creating a “Non-Traditional Education Course.” So, what does that mean…it means teaching English but without the standard A-B-C-D learning and the grammar. Honestly, I hate grammar (but maybe you know that with my writing). I want to teach or talk about all the life skills that don’t get address during the school day…some examples are planning and goal setting; telling the difference between fact and opinion; why do we believe advertising will change our lives…I could go on with topics; but, this type of learning can absolutely be coupled with learning English.

So, since I’ve been back I have been working to get this off the ground and I think I may have connected with an organization here in Tbilisi that will let me “test drive” my new program. Stay tuned for more details.

I’ve also applied to other organizations that allow people (me) to teach and travel (which is “The Dream”) for me. It does take a lot of time to complete these applications; finding people to give you references and just generally gather information that will make me marketable as well as updating (always) my resume.

The cable car that transports people to Turtle Lake has finally been completed.  It is on my list; but have not been able to get to it yet. More later. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle_Lake_(Tbilisi)

I’ve spent time catching up with friends and also getting my apartment back in-order and getting ready for what is next. I planned a trip To Morocco in August; so doing research to supplement what I already know.

I am still volunteering at the Infant House (I have written about this in previous blogs). I also joined ETAG (English Teachers Association of Georgia) which is an organization that supports teaching in Georgia. I belonged back in 2015; but I dropped off their grid when I was finishing up the Peace Corps and establishing myself in residence here in Tbilisi.

So, not real exciting stuff – Huh, Sports Fans J…but, it is real life here. I do take some time out to watch TV and have loved catching up with HOMELAND and The AMERICANS…both, really good TV programs. Also, I am still a jigsaw puzzle junkie…and so glad to have my puzzle table back again.

One final item – I bought some tickets to the Big Band Concert that will take place on April 30^th. Now, I must tell you finding places in Tbilisi is often aligned with an exercise program. So often, there are no street signs or numbers. If you know where you are going, then its fine – but, mostly I walked around in circles until someone showed me the alley way, hidden behind a construction site, to find the box office. So often, I want to give up in these situations – but, I didn’t and I did get the tickets and so you will hear about it in the next blog.

http://tbilisiconcerthall.com/

So, back to India!

One of the day trips was to Pune, about 90 minutes from our camp site; however, because of the traffic it took almost 3 hours…Thank goodness the bus was Air Conditioned – but, it was awful inching along with the feeling that you were in a bumper car situation. Pune is an up and coming location for technology. Lots of US companies use this location for the “call centers”. We visited the “Saturday Fort” in Pune; which is called that because the work was started on a Saturday to build the fort.

We went to McDonalds – Yes, you read that correct. The students just love McDonalds – so, that was an agenda item for our trip. We also did some shopping in one of their outdoor malls. With the additional travel time due to traffic; well we didn’t get to see much else; but, it was an interesting day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pune

In addition, we spent the day at an amusement park. I was not really happy about this and so wanted to get out of it; but, I am so glad that I went. It was a terrific day. I didn’t go on many rides; but, so often I felt like I was in DisneyWorld.  The seven dwarfs were there, a parade; and a water section that people (not me) used as a dance floor. I just didn’t want to go home wet on the bus ride.  The students ran around like folks let out of prison J…..it was exhausting but awesome.

http://www.adlabsimagica.com/theme-park/

So, I’d like to share a little more about the classroom behavior for Afghanistan Students. First of all; whenever they are called on to speak they stand up to answer. They don’t sit in their seats like Georgian Students do. I just love that custom. I believe that Oratory should be given while standing….I so encouraged this.

Whenever a student speaks; before they speak that always say “In the Name of Allah”. Also, the call to prayer was an important part of our day. There was a prayer schedule and locations were designated so the students would know what direction to face when praying. The washing of the hands and feet prior to prayer was an adventure. The bathrooms were soaked with water as students used the sinks to prepare themselves. This was new to me and welcomed.

Interesting aspect of India at the Airport was discovered in a most unusual way. One of the teachers and I traveled to the airport for our trip home. Now, I am old school and always carry paper copies of my schedule.  I am glad I did as you cannot enter the airport without proof that you are booked on a flight. We stood in line with our luggage while an officer checked our documentation before we could even get into the airport. My friend only had her information on her phone but since there was no wifi outside the airport she could not access her information and the officer would not let her into the airport.

I did take her documents into the airport and after about an hour found the right person to be able to provide documentation so that my friend could enter the airport. It was a little tense; but it got done.

Also, there are lines through security that are for women ONLY. The reason is that there are curtains placed around a cubical so that when the officer searches you are not out in the open for everyone to see you being searched.

I know I’ve left out so much of what happened in India; but I will add into future blogs information that I think you might be interested in. All-in-all; it was an amazing trip. I hope I am invited back; but, we shall see. The next program is in September.

I am ready for what is next although I am not at all sure what that is. Stay Tuned!

All the best, My Faithful Readers

Catherine Lawrence – 4/3/17

 Me and Ronald in Pune, India - March 2017

 Shopping in Pune, India - March 2017

 Holi Celebration, Aamby Valley, India - March 2017

 HOLI color shopping in Mumbai, India - March 2017

 Arabian Sea Coast, Mumbai, India - March 2017

Taj Mahal, Agra, India - November 2006

Hello, My Faithful Readers

March 28th, 2017

Volume 1, Number 4

Namastey = Hello in Hindi

Sorry for the delay in writing; however, as you may or may not know I’ve been traveling and teaching in India….. experiencing teaching Afghanistan students. I was a teacher with a program sponsored by American Councils (link below). The program entitled LEAP is a Leadership Program (Leadership and English Advancement Program) in the Aamby Valley (about 2 hours outside of Mumbai).

https://www.americancouncils.org/programs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aamby_Valley_City

This program allowed 60 Afghanistan Students (50 were selected as campers and 10 were selected as teachers in training) to travel to India for a 3week+ program.  The majority of students had never been outside of Afghanistan; so, in addition to the teaching schedule students were also experiencing international travel for the first time. In such a short period of time; we were able (students and teachers) to cover so much. For example; classes in Reading, Home Room (which could touch on any topic); Academic Writing and Public Speaking. In addition; a variety of sports was organized (volleyball, basketball, Frisbee); and courses in conflict management, gender issues; team building; media; film making; photography – I could go on…but, needless to say a wide variety of topic were covered.

To my exhaustion; we started the day at 8:00am (breakfast) and most days didn’t end until 10:00pm (or later). We teachers did have a little bit of breathing time in the afternoon; however, because I was so new to this type of camp my time was spent preparing for the next day courses.  Honestly, I did complain as we worked seven days in a row with back-to-back handling of 14 or 15 hour days. This schedule did take its took on me (as well as the other staff members). But, we were all in agreement to use every ounce of time that we had so that the students had the most access to the materials and learning that we wanted to provide.

I do want to talk more about this experience; but, I also want to keep you up on events here in Tbilisi.

So, to begin…the good news is that coming back from India (via Baku) there were NO FALCONS on the plane. Yipee…..I was so happy about that. I also learned that for some reason when I booked my flights from Doho to Tbilisi; I always ended up stopping in Baku because I booked myself (unknowingly) on the shuttle and therefore we made a stop in Baku. So, now that I have that piece of information I won’t use the shuttle again….what a relief.

I’ve  listed a link before that may be OLD news (at this point) – but, if you have not seen the videos that were made to counter the US President’s call for “America First”…the Republic of Georgia (where I live J) created this video asking if we could PLEASE be SECOND. It is really funny….and worth the time. Hope you enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=dOdZ5_OFP3E

Also listed below is a link about Georgians taking medication without a prescription. It is noted that one in four Georgians are taking antidepressants without a prescription. I noted this article as I was amazed that I could go into a pharmacy, without a prescription, and re-new medication that I am on.  I just hold up the box and the pharmacist hands me the medications that I need (please note – they are NOT antidepressants)…but, in America I could not get what the doctor prescribed without a prescription…I thought you might find this interesting, Dear Reader.

https://goo.gl/4vCZ1d

So, Back to India!

There is no ICE in India…or maybe there is; however, I could not find it or have access to it. I so love ICE and miss it when it is not available.

The water is filtered through this device that hangs on the wall. It takes a minute or two when you press the button for the water to come through after it is filtered. It comes out as warm water; but it is safe to drink. This is where we fill up our water bottles and tea kettle for coffee/tea. It makes this odd beeping sound when it is ready. So, I drank warm water the entire time I was in India. The day I was leaving Mumbai for the airport to travel home; I was able to get 3 cubes of ice for a drink. It was like heaven.

I did share a room with one of the teachers. I would have rather have had my own room; but, it was ok. The best news was that we each had our own bathrooms. That was awesome. The room was air conditioned as well as had overhead fans; so, it was very comfortable temperature wise. I am not sure how warm it got during the day; but, I would venture to guess that it was between 80 and 90F. I was sunburn just from walking from the dormitory to the cafeteria to the classrooms. We all wore sandals and most time short sleeve shirts…no jacket or sweater was ever needed. It was strange being in summer mode during February/March.

Our bathroom had our own hot water heater – it was called a “Geezer” – hope I spelled it correct. We had to turn on the “geezer” 15 minutes before we needed hot water and then remember to turn it off so that the water was not heating during the time hot water was not needed. The shower was short lived. I was told it only ran for 2 minutes; and since in my world that is not enough time to take a shower; I opted for a bucket bath. Lots of HOT water in a HUGH bucket provided  - so, mixing that hot water with cold water from the sink – gave the necessary time for a decent shower (at least all the soap came off).

We had a western toilet in our room and also, I may mention, I only saw western toilets in the airport. That is way different than when I was in India 10 years ago. At that time there were squat toilets with (1) western toilet available. Progress!

The issue with the toilet was the toilet paper or lack thereof. I don’t know the wipe protocol of India; however, maybe western folks use way more paper than we should. The toilet paper roll was meager at best…we were always asking for more toilet paper (don’t judge me, please J)

We had maid service every day; however, they were not very quick at changing bed linen or towels. Also, there was a laundry service where we placed our laundry in bags and the laundry went out and came back clean two days later. It was something that I not thought possible in India.

Traffic in India is a horror (and that is putting it mildly). I thought traffic in Georgia was bad; but, compared to India – we have no traffic problems (or very little traffic problems) in Georgia. When I arrived in Mumbai a driver picked me up and drove me to the camp site in Aamby Valley. As we were driving in; I noted that the traffic coming into the city (Mumbai) at 3:00am was almost bumper-to-bumper. I was just floored looking at the traffic. My driver told me that people have to start into the city by 3:00am or they will be late for their start time of 9:00am! Are you kidding me….no, he said. When they arrive at their offices they have a place to rest – but, they know that they won’t be late for work.

One of the things that I love about India is the horn beeping. In American and here in Georgia when people beep their horns the meaning is clear – “Get out of my way”..it is a very mean horn beep. However, in India the horn beep means “I am here – watch out for me”. It is a much more gently way of letting another car know that you are near them. I always cringe here in Georgia when horns beep – but in India (as frantic as traffic is) does not bother me when I hear the horns.

I found out something interesting and really have no way of knowing if it is true or not. So, I was told that the voices you hear when you go through a “drive-thru” at a fast food restaurant is the voice of a “Prisoner”. What! – Are you kidding? I was told that many of these for profit prisons have agreements with fast food restaurants to take the orders (via a computer) using “Prisoners”. I was told all parties win…the prisoner gets a little salary; the prison itself makes some money and the restaurant gets a break financially…so, everyone wins. Like I said, have no idea if this is true or not – but, what will they think of next!

The focus of the camp was ENGLISH. Students were required to speak ONLY ENGLISH – although Dari and Pashto are the languages of Afghanistan and these students speak all three languages (Dari, Pashto and English). These students have a good command of English – as it was a requirement to get into the LEAP Program. A program called “Access” coordinated the application process for the children to be selected for the LEAP Program. An interview was conducted, an essay required as well as an application. The students arrived with a HIGH novice or LOW intermediate level of English. We did language assessments when they arrived and immediately prior to their leaving and most left with language levels increase two or three levels. Many of the students that I interviewed were way over the HIGH Intermediate range going into Superior.  This was both considering vocabulary as well as context understanding. It was wonderful to see.

Ok, Back to Georgia for a little bit….I was very happy to return to my apartment. I really missed Tbilisi and I missed my privacy and free time. It was great to get back and also to have access to food other than INDIAN food. I don’t like INDIAN food; but, I made out ok in India as at times the cafeteria did have some international choices. When I returned I took a couple of days and just layed around and also did my puzzle…I miss my jigsaw puzzle when I am away. My landlord is really a nice guy and he always makes sure that all is secure in my apartment so that I don’t have any surprises when I arrive home.

I’ve been back a couple of weeks and I am still unpacking all the notes that I made during my time in India; both acknowledging all the learning of India and Afghanistan and also all I learned from the other teachers and materials that were  given by American Councils. I am also catching up with friends and making plans for what is next for me…..to be continued.

I recently participated as a judge at the National NESC – National English Spelling Competition here in Tbilisi. Over the course of the academic year local and regional competitions are held in order to secure (24) 8^th -9^th graders and (24) 10^th – 11^th and 12^th graders who made it thru the local and regional rounds. They come to Tbilisi with money provided by donors and the Peace Corps to compete for the title of the National Winners of NESC.

It was an exciting day. These students were able to spell words (In English) that I have never heard of. The poise and intelligence it took to compete was off the charts (In my opinion). I worked with two other judges to complete the competition. There was a live stream, which I am not sure if still valid in the link below – but, there is information if you should like to read further about this annual event. It was started five years ago by a Peace Corps Volunteer.

http://nesc-ge-english.weebly.com/national-round.html

Back to India and to close for the moment…I have so much more to write and will in the next day or so; but, for now in closing – I’ve listed a link for the “Fountain Show” that happens just about every night in Aamby Valley. It is an incredible show, which honestly I am not sure how it is done…but, I think it is well worth the time to watch. This is a man-made lake in Aamby valley (a planned community). I hope you enjoy watching. Hundreds of folks show up to watch  including all the members of the LEAP Camp.

Take care and stay tuned for part 2!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOovCsmwRgs

All the best, My Faithful Readers

Catherine Lawrence – 3/28/17

 Me in my classroom in Aamby Valley, India- March 2017

Aamby Valley - view from the dormatory

 Large water filter system - Aamby Valley

 Sports field and Walk-way

Student Art Work from Reading Class

Hello, My Faithful Readers

February 11^th, 2017

Volume 1, Number 3

I leave for India (Mumbai) on Sunday, 2.12.17; however, before I leave I wanted to talk about lots of stuff that has been happening and I’ve experienced in my six month hiatus from my blog. More information about India coming……

First, here is the link that you can access my “post” Peace Corps blog.  Some friends said they were having difficulty finding it…so here it is. 

http://life101ineasterneurope.blogspot.com/

When I arrived back in Tbilisi there were a couple of things I needed to deal with immediately. The first was the phone….I was wondering why, even though the phone charged and was working (or I thought it was working) I was not getting calls or messages from folks who said they were trying to contact me. When I went to the phone store I found out that if no activity happened on the phone for a one month period; well then, the service would be discontinued.

That was a surprise; as I had money on the phone; but, I’m told that it didn’t matter. Once a month money must be added (even a small amount like 1GEL)..so, I added money to the phone and thought all was in order. BUT, sorry, no it was not. It seems because my service was discontinued all of my setting dropped off. I ended up going back three different times to the phone store to have my setting for texting and the alarm setting. For some reason, I could not do it…and what a pain that was. Eventually, my phone was up to speed and I was back in service.

As an aside; this has been one of my peeves here in Georgia. It just seems that MOST times nothing is ever resolved the 1^st time. I find myself doing things over and over and over and at times it is maddening. When I went to the phone store and they realized what happened; instead of working to re-set all of my settings; they only looked at the issue as to why the phone was disconnected.

Ok, enough about the phone.

The second item was banking. When I went to the bank to withdraw funds I realized I could not remember my pin code. I tried a couple of times and then the machine ate my card…oh dear. This was my fault; as I should have looked up my pin number before I went to the money machine. Of course, after the machine ate my card I was blocked from doing anything with the bank and had to wait a couple of hours for the system to re-set. When I returned to the bank the line was out the door. I still don’t know why there were so many people waiting for service; but, one of the tellers who knew what had happened broke the line so that I can by-pass so many of the folks who were waiting.

Well, as nice as that was…the folks who were before me were not happy that I broke the line. Even though the bank folks gave me permission I was concerned that there would be a ruckus for especially the guys were giving me “looks”….but, it all worked out fine.

It is almost 8:00am and it is still dark….we don’t have daylight savings time here in Georgia. This is not a problem for me now; as usually I don’t have to travel this early. But, when I was in the village this was a problem as I had to travel in the dark (down the mountain) in order to get to school on time. It is weird to me that it is so dark in the morning. I so often think it is still night and then realize the day has begun. That is just another aspect of my life here in Georgia.

Another aspect of my life here is that I must be always “present” to what is happening. I cannot zone out and operate on “auto pilot”. Seriously, when I am not in the “zone” bad things happens. I gave lots of examples when I lived in the village as part of the Peace Corps; however, here in Tbilisi I must remain vigilant.

Being “present” is good and bad for a number of reasons; but, to give an example. When I am “present” it can sometimes exhaust me. If I find that my mind is drifting; then, I stop and catch my breath to see why I am not focused on what I am doing. At times I must just stay in my apartment and lock the door…and then I can “zone” out; but, never while I am shopping or on the marsh; generally, just being all around engaged in the city.

Being “present” also expands time as I am aware of my experiences; in that, of what I am doing and where I am going. At times I feel like I’ve lived for a long, long time in the span of one day. I say “Is this still Monday?”

And, in staying on the topic of time; I don’t know if it is because I am living in a foreign country or that I am retired; however, most days I really don’t know what day it is. I am being very serious about that; because if not for my vitamin container (M-T-W-T-F-S-S) I would not know what day it is. I also keep a running agenda just to keep myself straight as to what day it is. Now, maybe this is aging catching up with me; or the fact that I am not sitting at a desk job with a calendar in front of me…but, it is real.

One of the great events that happened during the first couple of months of my living in Tbilisi was that I was part of the audience to see the Pope during his visit to Tbilisi. I was lucky to get a couple of seats for the Mass held at one of the stadiums in Tbilisi and one of my friends attended with me.

I’ve listed a link below of an interview that my friend and I participated in prior to the Pope’s arrival and the start of the Mass. It was indeed an honor to be part of this event; and if not for living in Tbilisi; I would have never been able to see the Pope (as close as I was)…not that I was that close; but closer than I could have even been in the States.  All attendees were given “Pope Baseball Caps” and water as we came into the stadium. It was a good thing as it was a hot and sunny day.

https://www.facebook.com/CatholicNewsAgency/videos/10153672345836486/

Once I moved into my apartment I had to get myself acclimated to my surroundings and also to find the things that I needed. For example, I needed a Hair Dresser and someone who could cut short hair. Women In Georgia don’t have short hair (or most don’t). The folks who cut hair seriously don’t know what to do to cut and shape short hair. I had to advertise on a FB group called “Georgian Wanderers” to get my new community to help me find a source. And, you will be happy to know that I found a really great guy and he speaks English.

While I was in the village getting a hair cut; nobody washed my hair before the hair cut. And, in the village; they didn’t wash the combs/brushes after each client. That did give me pause; but, I was lucky and didn’t end up with a problem (if you know what I mean). Here in Tbilisi it is very different; in that, my hair is washed and conditioned before the hair cut and all the equipment is sterilized after and during the hair cut. What a relief.

So, of course the price would have to be different and the difference is sizable. In the village the cost was 5GEL ($2.00) and here in Tbilisi the cost is 38GEL ($15.00). That is a BIG difference, but compared to the cost in the USA of ($40.00); I got a bargain.

I had to find a doctor, dentist, supermarket, the post office, banks, etc., etc., all the mundane stuff that we all need in order to set up life and housekeeping. I can tell you that the majority of what I need has been found. This is a result of good friends sharing their knowledge so that I didn’t have to recreate the wheel.  

A couple of really interesting things happened in October and November. I applied for a volunteer position with OSCE (Organization for the Security and Co-Operation in Europe) to help monitor elections in developing countries. I was selected to monitor the Presidential Election in Moldova that happened on October 30^th, 2016. What an experience that was. In addition, because the election did not select a clear candidate for the Presidency; I was invited back for the run-off election that happened in Mid-November, 2016.

There were two candidates in the run-off. The male candidate (who did win the popular vote and is now President) had leanings toward Russia; and the female candidate had leanings toward the West….I don’t know how this election will change Moldova; but, because I was so involved in the process I will surely follow.

http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections

Both of these events had me jumping up and down. I learned so much about the country of Moldova (like finding out where it is located in the world); and also about the election process. Moldova does not have electronic voting machines that I am used to voting on. The people vote by casting their ballots on paper and then at the end of the voting period the votes are counted. This is done in each of the villages. My role, along with a counter-part volunteer, a translator and a driver was too monitor and report the various happenings at the precincts.

There was lots of training by the OSCE so that all the volunteers could assess the process to insure that everything was done above board. The people in the villages were so happy that we took the time to make sure that all was legal. I could write a lot about my experience; and will as time goes on share more of my experiences; but for now I just wanted to fill in the blanks of what I’ve been doing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldova

Moldova is one of the fastest shrinking countries – so it is said. That is because people are leaving in leaps and bounds. Of course, the country in not shrinking; but its citizens are fleeing as there are no jobs, or very few jobs, to keep the people of Moldova financially stable. It is so unfortunate; it is so poor; really much poorer than Georgia; however, I found that the village homes and general conditions were much better than Georgia.

I’ve posted a photo of the water wells that are position along the roads in Moldova. At first I didn’t know what they were. It is a well with open sides and a roof on top of the well. They are still in use in Moldova. I just found them very interesting.

And I’ve also posted a picture of the fire brigade system…this really blew my mind. So, if you scroll down to the bottom you will see what I mean. The villages are so remote; and there is no formal fire department in the village. It is a volunteer process.

I’ve also posted a photo of the door to my apartment. You will see that I live on the 1^st floor. I go up one flight of stairs and make a sharp left turn. I am the door straight ahead. I was so happy to find an apartment that has an open staircase. Most apartment staircases are enclosed; but, I like this better. I don’t need to use the elevator as I can always walk up. Also, it is so open that I am never concerned that someone is lurking inside. I can see straight up to my door.

Because Tbilisi is 9 hours ahead; I was able to watch the 2016 election results in real time. The US Embassy secured space at the Marriott Courtyard to provide a venue for this event. So many people in attendance; Americans; various other embassies here in Tbilisi; Georgians all came to eat and be part of the history that was going to be made. Of course, we all know how it turned out; :-( - but, it was great to have been invited to this event. Getting up at 6:00am to be at the Marriott at 7:00am was not fun; but, I am glad I made the effort. It will be something that I won't forget. 

I am going to close for now; but, before I do - there has been an unexpected development with my travel to India. It appears that the visas for the students who will be attending hit a snag; so, my departure has been delayed until their visa situation has been resolved.  I was really disappointed as I was ready to go. It reminded me so much of when I was ready to leave for the Peace Corps. That departure was also delayed as a result of the country that I was going to go to (Azerbaijan) revoking their invitation. Well, my current situation is not that; but, because the students are coming from Afghanistan there is a little more red tape involved.

In any event, I hope to leave for India between now and the 24^th of February; if I don’t arrive in India on or before the 24^th my visa won’t be any good and that will be another kettle of fish J.  I don’t know when I will post the next blog as I’m told internet is not that reliable where I am going in India.

One of the things I like about the blogging is to know that this blog is a living document that rises and falls or opens and closes depending on how life if going. As frustrated as I was (or am) about the delay in travel; I understand that this is just par for the course when traveling to areas of the world that sometimes just do not live up to my standard of organization.

My Faithful Readers – you have my “Thanks” for taking the time to ride this wonderful ride with me via the blog.

 Staircase to my apartment; door to the left at the landing

 The front of my Building; My apartment faces the back

 Fire system in Moldova, November 2016

 USA Presidential Election at the Marriott Courtyard, Tbilisi

Wells along the road in Moldova

Best, Catherine Lawrence – 2/12/17