Hello, My Faithful Readers

March 30, 2018

Volume 2, Number 04

Happy Easter!

Once again I was selected to be part of the US Delegation to observe an upcoming election. This time I will be going to Montenegro to observe their Presidential Election which happens on April 15^th. I am excited about this as it will be my 3^rd mission (Moldova, Macedonia and now Montenegro) – seems like I have the “M” countries covered!

Honestly, I really had little or no knowledge about these countries prior to being part of the OSCE (Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe). The OSCE mandate includes issues such as arms control, promotion of human rights, freedom of the press, and fair elections.  I am truly honored to be a part of the work that is done to insure fair elections by the OSCE.

https://meanderbug.com/karver-bookstore-podgorica-montenegro/

I am going to have some extra time in the capital city – Podgorica. A friend sent this link as something to explore while I am there.

My April blog will detail my adventures. Stay tuned J

I joined a gym here in Tbilisi. This has been a long time coming and I am happy that I finally got my act together and I’m in action.

https://www.snapfitness.com/why

Snap Fitness is the organization and they are worldwide. I looked at a couple of other fitness centers here in Tbilisi; however, Snap Fitness seemed to be the best. It is very close to my apartment (I can walk to the gym); its air conditioned and the venue has floor to ceiling windows that allows wonderful natural light. There are lots of great aspects to this and the fact that a contract is NOT required is high on the list. It is month to month and that works for me. The cost is reasonable and its open 24/7…they have all kinds of evening class (BTW – which are included in the fee).  The use of the equipment and classes (boxing, Spin, Aerobic, Pilates and Zumba) is unlimited.

Elevators are a concern here in Georgia (at least to me they are). Recently in the Law School I was in an elevator whose door got stuck when it was opening. As a result the elevator could not move since the door was slightly ajar. We were on the 4^th floor and the girls that were in the car with me started to jump up and down (thinking that would get the elevator moving).  I started to push buttons and then the door slowly opened and we hopped down onto the landing on the 4^th floor. Yes, you read that correctly. Most times elevators do not make a smooth entry level with the floor so you have to step down to get off.  I have a friend who lives on the 9^th floor and the one and ONLY time I used her elevator as it shakes and creeks so badly it makes me nervous. I only got in because there was another woman making the trip up. In her building you have to pay (10 tetri) to ride the elevator and the money is used for repairs. I don’t visit her often; but when I do I walk up and down.

The Dog situation has improved somewhat. As you may remember from my last blog my neighbors leave their dog alone for hours and hours and this high strung dog barks, howls, cries, moans and whimpers. He also throws himself against the front door. After many conversations with the family, and then placing a note on the door (which really had no response from the family); I had to call the police. In addition to my being subjected to the noise abuse; it is clear that this dog is being abused.  This dog does not like being alone.

The police did come, an action that gave me great hope as I thought there could be some resolve to this situation. The interaction lasted for 2-1/2 hours; filling out forms and trying to communicate (via an interpreter).  As the police arrived the family appeared. At this point I go into my “post-catholic” mode of saying “I’m sorry” – I really didn’t want to call the police but as they (the family) were not listening to how sad it was to listen to their dog so they left me no choice. I was told that I would be contacted by the Animal Monitoring Service to talk with them about the situation.

After a week went by; and the dog was still in crisis, I wrote to the Monitoring Service. Another week has gone by and I’ve heard nothing from the Monitoring Service. The family thinks the solution to this problem is to give the dog access to another terrace they have in the apartment. The dog can go out on this back terrace that faces a busy street so he can see people and cars. However, after being alone for hours and hours the dog does runs back into the apartment and then the barking, howling, crying, etc., etc., begins again. This is not a solution as what will happen with bad weather or when winter comes?

I do try to keep a positive frame of mind but it is really hard to do that living in Georgia. It seems that people here just flaunt authority; maybe there is no authority here. Again “The only rule there is here in Georgia is to not follow the rules”.  I am just overwhelmed at times, in this country of implied hospitality how inconsiderate the overall population is.

Final Report: Not surprised but difficult to accept that the agency that is slated to Protect Animals has said that nothing can be done with the barking dog. The same story here in Georgia; they talk a good game but there is no substance behind it. I am going to have to move; cannot stand to listen to the distress I hear for hours at a time from this dog.  

The bottom line is that the Animal Monitoring Agency is NOT about protection of animals. It is about paperwork. As long as the dog family had their dog paperwork in order then basically the family can do whatever they want with the dog. That is why it is called the Animal Monitoring Agency and NOT the Animal Protection agency. Once again, not surprised as this is how life is here in Georgia.  Pathetic!

Four new regulations went into effect here in Georgia as of March 1^st. This is something that is so needed; as it is so dangerous to cross the street above ground. Even at designated crosswalks you often take your life in your hands; as drivers often run through stop lights. But, hopefully these new regulations will make people think about safety. Hope always spring eternal.

http://georgiatoday.ge/news/9288/Four-New-Regulations-Take-Effect-in-Georgia-from-March-1

I’ve listed a link to a blog post that I came across recently that so mirrors my impressions and reality of my life here in Georgia. I so often feel alone in my thinking of how life goes on here in Georgia. I ask myself “Am I the only one who sees past the façade that Georgia shows off to the world?”  Appearances are so important here.

https://taramatthewstravel.com/2018/02/26/thegeorgiandream/

March 3^rd was Mother’s Day here in Georgia.  As a holiday banks were closed as well as the Usa2Georgia shipper service; however, most everything else was open. I remember a few years back that just about everything was closed when a holiday was celebrated.

http://agenda.ge/news/96724/eng

At times in the building I live in; they shut the water off. I guess this is because they are working within the water system; however, there is never any notice. I turn the water on and no water comes out. So, when I take a shower I have this in mind. We don’t have a building manager here in the building (at least none that I know of or was told of). There is an older woman who cleans the steps here in the building. She is really not a very nice person as she demands money; although my landlord tells me that she does this on her own accord. She comes around every now and then and just keeps banging on the doors until you answer. One time I did give her money and she told me (in Georgian – which I understood clearly) that it was not enough. She wanted more. It was a difficult situation as I didn’t want to be disrespectful to this woman but she just was not going away. I did finally close the door and she continued to harass me. She finally went away.

Teaching Update:  Not that many weeks left to teach; and since I will be away in Montenegro for the election I will miss some additional classes. I wanted to share a “gem” that the Law students told me recently. They said “I was the ONLY teacher in the whole University that DID NOT allow them to talk and text during class!” Really, that is so sad that other teachers would not hold you to a standard befitting that of a person soon to practice the profession of Law? But maybe because so few law school graduates practice law (there are just so few jobs) they don’t see the importance of what they can gain during class time.

So many students leave the classroom at the 1 hour break (it’s a 2 hour class). I was going to give the test in the 2^nd half in order to force them to stay; however, I decided not to do that. I just don’t want to force anyone to do something that needs doing.  It would make life harder for me as I would need to stay after class in order to mark and post the grades. A thought – if they all leave at the half mark then I would have an hour to myself and still get paid for it J

I’ve listed a link below that will give you photographs of some of the buildings that are a little odd (to say the least). Some are in use and others are not. You will be able to tell once you see the condition. (Just some useless information).

https://www.facebook.com/SocModernism/photos/a.769861039823306.1073741850.337958596346888/769859826490094/?type=3&theater

I went to the theater recently to listen to the orchestra do a 1 night performance with a theme of Movie Music. Absolutely, it was one of the best (if not THE best) concert I’ve been to here in Georgia. I just LOVE this theater and to hear movie themes such as – Star Wars (the entire movie score); Superman; Schindler’s List and Indiana Jones. I was just over the moon. I would have bought another ticket for the next night if they would be another performance.

If you click the link to the theater; you will see my FAVORITE seat. It is on the right hand side balcony, on the 1^st level. My seat is about 4 booths down from the piano; what a GREAT seat.

http://www.kakhidzemusiccenter.com/

The English Speaking Union, through the British Corner here in Tbilisi, is once again holding Public Speaking competitions for young adults (ages 16 to 20) to win a trip to England. The winner will represent Georgia and participate in a competition to preview Public Speaking Skills. I think a total of 60 (approximate) English Speaking countries will be represented.

I do have a connection with the British Corner (I taught in their Sunday Program) in past years and was invited to be a judge at the (2) local competitions of Public Speaking. It was indeed honored to be given this role. The topic: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it”. The students who spoke were excellent. I could clearly see that these students were part of the privileged members of Georgian Society. Their English was excellent; and in addition their thinking and presentation skills were sharp.

http://georgiatoday.ge/news/9050/Speaking-English%3A-The-Annual-ESU-Competition

The final competition was held on March 29^th at the Bank of Georgia headquarters (link below). This is a very strange and interesting building; if you are into architecture then you should check this out.

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

So, the British Ambassador (link below) was a judge – who BTW was a previous winner of this competition. Also the CEO of the Bank of Georgia – who BTW financially sponsored this event here in Georgia as well as will finance the trip to London that the winner will receive, also served as a judge.

The program featured (10) finalist giving a 5 minute speech on the topic of “Great Artists have no Country”. After all was said and done the winner was chosen. Her presentation used Charlie Chaplin as her artist. It was a great presentation and a well earned win. All the students did a great job.

https://www.gov.uk/government/people/justin-mckenzie-smith

I’ve gone on talking/writing way longer than I initially thought; but, want to end on what I think is a sad (if not surprising) note here in Georgia. The article speaks to the approval of both men and women as it pertains to spousal beating/abuse. I read these numbers and think about how Georgian’s say that women are worshiped here in Georgia. Just more of the same; wherein they talk a good game but there is no substance behind it. The same holds true for how they think they are a hospitable people or country. I’ve seen that first hand that the hospitality only comes when someone can observe. Behind closed doors it’s a different story.

http://georgiatoday.ge/news/9352/UN-Research%3A-22%25-of-Georgian-Women%2C-31%25-of-Men-Approve-of-Spouse-Beating-?7602

Ok, my Faithful Readers…thank you for your support in reading and following my “Magical Mystery Tour”…

Best, Catherine Lawrence – March 30, 2018

 Trash can art, Tbilisi - March 2018

 Opera House Tour - Sometime in 2017

 Old Tbilisi -2018

 Snow in Philadelphia - 3rd Nor'Easter - March 2018

April 2017 at Michelle's place with friends!

Hello, My Faithful Readers

February 28, 2018

Volume 2, Number 03

Here we are the last day in February. The weather has been so mild; I’ve given up on having snow. Not going to happen. The wind at times is awesome and my view makes it even better. I love to listen to the howling and the banging of whatever is loose in the neighborhood. At times I think the trees outside my window are making their way into the apartment; but, to date the trees hold their ground.

So you can see by starting with a weather report that there is not much happening here in Tbilisi. I am in a transition phase (I think) completing my teaching responsibilities and searching for what is next…..

I am dealing with one of the aspects of living in Georgia – that is, DOGS. If you remember in the Village the dog situation was terrible. Most dogs were hurt in some way as it seemed that cars went out of their way (at times) to hit them. Often I would see dogs limping along or see a dead dog thrown over a tree branch (I guess to get it off the road). They roamed sometimes in packs as most were starving and they were on the hunt for food.

So, fast forward to living in the city (Tbilisi). My neighbor has a dog. Since I’ve been in this apartment I’ve heard it bark at times for the normal reasons (someone comes to the door) or other short term events that the dog needs to bark to. My neighbors have a home in Batumi (so I am told) so often they are not even here in Tbilisi a lot. Overall the building is quiet. Most apartments don’t have carpet so you can always hear people walking on the floors above; hear the water rushing thru the pipes and just normal noise.

However, for the past 4-6 weeks; something has changed. My neighbors leave the dog alone for long periods of time while (I guess) they go to work or school. The dog does not like to be left alone; so, he barks, cries, moans and howls for hours on end. One day it was a total of 5 hours. Since I live next door; it is a bit much. Maybe this has been going on and I just didn’t notice as I work from home more and more now and this barking dog behavior usually happens in the morning or early afternoon. The dog is fine if people are home with him.

I went to the D.O.G Organization (Dogs of Georgia) – a non-profit who deals with the abusive treatment dogs get here and to try and help them; but, no help for me as they don’t have the ability to deal with private owned dogs. So, I went to my landlord and he said “none of my other rental clients complained – so I am not asking them to get rid of the dog”. I was left with talking to the neighbors which I didn’t think would help much; but, ok – let me try. I spoke to the neighbors 3 times over the past 4-5 weeks pleading with them about the noise. “You are NOT HERE

to listen to your dog bark, cry, moan and howl for hours and hours”. They say; yes we know as he does not like to be alone. They indicated they would see about getting a dog sitter…relief, this communication thing might work!

Short lived as over the course of time some days it was quiet and other times the noise continued. I finally wrote a note and put it on their door and spoke/pleaded once again. It has been quiet for the last five days; but given the history of this experience the dog is taken care of when the family can arrange it. I just never know. I am told there is an “Animal Monitoring Agency” here in Tbilisi. It is situated as part of the police department. I am told that they do get results with abusive situations; however, I just don’t want to report the neighbors if I don’t have to. I have been struggling with this and wanted to give the neighbors time to make arrangements; but, honestly (and I hope that I am wrong) I don’t have much Faith that long term they will do what is right.

The saga will continue and I will update. I don’t want them to get rid of the dog; I just want the dog to stop barking.  I know this is not personal to me; however, the other day (for the first time) I found cigarette butts on my terrace. I don’t know where they came from…either the apartment above me or from the neighbors with the dog. There are only these two options….I am trying to stay positive as moving is not really an option.

I was at an event recently at the home of the US Ambassador to Georgia. It was a going away party as he is retiring and returning to the USA in the near future. It was a lovely party; about 100 people in attendance and since it was close to Valentine day the menu was all sweets and wine.

During the party I met the Deputy Head of Mission for Hungary. We started talking and I ended up inviting her to a meeting of the International Women's Association that I belong to. She was interested and we exchanged info. She just wrote to tell me that in addition to herself the Hungarian Ambassador (a woman) is also interested and wanted to know if I could host both.....could this be possible anywhere but Georgia! J

I sometimes get so down here in Georgia for a variety of reasons; but, I love making connections like this happen. It is very cool. 

So, what else is happening? My private student (he is a lawyer) that I tutored last year wrote to say he wanted to start lessons again. This was a surprise; but very welcomed. I almost feel guilty taking his money as he is just such a pleasure to work with. The hour just flies by and since he comes to my home I don’t have travel. However, this all may be short lived because as much as he says he wants to study he often makes excuses not to come.

This situation will come to a head soon as from this point on if he cancels he will have to pay for the class. I plan my entire day around being ready for him to come to his lesson and when he cancels it throws off my schedule. This type of behavior is very typical for Georgians. Not only the students I’ve worked with; but also I’ve heard from other folks who tutor and they experience the same behavior. So often we find that as long as the Georgians “Say” they will do it (whatever it is) correlates to their “actually” doing it. Geezes

My teaching at the University of Georgia has begun and (so far) I have two really great groups. My impression (again so far) is that they are dedicated to learning the materials. There are (27) students in each group. During one of the classes I started to talk about “the jury” and I faced a room of blank faces. Now, my students are 3^rd and 4^th law students so I made an assumption that this information would be known to them. I know that the jury system is not a routine part of the Georgian legal system; however, I thought that just as basic background in the practice of law they would have knowledge. No dice. They had no idea what a jury was or what it did. I was stunned into silence. Seriously?

When I ask, especially 4^th year Law Students what type of law they want to practice most tell me they don’t know yet? They will graduate in the next couple of months and yet they don’t know what kind of law they will practice?  I just don’t understand how that can be?  Against my better wisdom I still ask these kinds of questions and have no answer.

I’ve listed a link to an article that was recently published about Education here in Georgia. It is a tremendous and “spot on” article about what is happening here in Georgia. Even better, it gives possible solutions and ways to move Education out of the sometimes “useless” category into something that will not only help build a future for the student and the country as well.

http://georgiatoday.ge/news/9178/Why-Is-Georgia-Educating-Future-Unemployed%3F

Listed below is another article dealing with the “Smoking” situation here in Georgia. Effective May 1^st new regulations will go into effect. They are outlined in the article; however, I think it will be a slow road to implement. Many bars and restaurants do have “No Smoking” and push the smokers to the outside tables. As more tourist come into the country this seems to be the trend. We shall see……

At present, around 1.5 million Georgians out of total 3,718,200 people are active smokers, and 15% of these are underage.

http://georgiatoday.ge/news/9250/Smoking-Restrictions%3A-Where-to-Smoke-%26-Where-Not-to-from-May

So, it is official..I bought my airline ticket and will leave for Philadelphia on May 3^rd. I have not seen (in real time) my son and his family for about 18 months so this will be a treat. I’ll be staying until the end of June as I also use this time (in addition to catching up) to check in with Doctors and Dentist….and just enjoy all the things I miss from the USA….White Bread; SEAFOOD; Delicious Butter (cannot find delicious butter here); WaWa tunafish….ah, my wants are very small (HA). More on this as time comes around.

So, what else…lots of eating out with friends. Always lots of new places to explore here in Tbilisi (I mean coffee bars and restaurants). It seems that so many open and close in a short period of time. It is probably because there is often little planning in starting a small business here in Georgia. It is really easy to start a business here. There is very little regulation. You rent a store front, maybe do a little renovation and then open the door. So often I walk by a store and think I want to check it out; only to come back sometime later to see that is has closed….

I have posted a very disturbing picture of an underground storefront very near the University of Georgia (where I teach). It is a fairly new store that recently opened that sells guns, knives, etc.. Now, I know guns are familiar here in Georgia. One aspect is the shooting off of guns on New Years. Also, in the village I think most families have some type of gun (I know they use a gun to shoot the pig in the head) to kill it for Christmas dinner. However, even in the village I have NEVER seen a store that so advertised its merchandise in the main stream areas.

This store hung in the front windows 6 or 7 (which look to me) like automatic weapons. I don’t know guns; but, I can see these guns sure look like these assault weapons that feature so prominent in the news in the USA. Seeing these weapons being displayed stopped me cold. At first I thought maybe it was a toy store; but not the case. In talking with other folks at the University they say Yes, we know about it but they think these rifle/assault type guns don’t shoot massive amounts of bullets; they shoot one bullet at a time….seriously?  Does anyone find this odd?

I wonder why this location as it is near (2) Universities…..not only the University of Georgia but also Technical University.

I needed to make sure I was seeing correctly so I went back to the underground store with my camera. I did take a couple of pictures before another really upsetting thing happen. As I was taking pictures everyone in the store (I guess the owners or store clerks) surrounded me telling me to delete the pictures. Now, I don’t understand much Georgian but I understood that. They were all so upset with my picture taking; they were all talking at the same time and I didn’t understand why they had a problem with what I was doing?  At some point I thought they were going to take my camera as honestly, I don’t know how to operate my camera other than to take pictures.

I don’t know how long this went on; but, they gave up and walked back into the store and I walked away (really ran away). I still have the pictures and I will post one in this blog; but, I am NOT going to post it anywhere else. I honestly don’t want to open myself up to any grief about this and judging from the reaction I got….these folks were not happy to have their store publicized. Why?

It was not until I got home that I realized this could have ended much different and I was lucky. Initially these guys were serious about me not taking pictures; but (these are my thoughts, of course) even if I posted a picture…would anyone be as concerned as I was to have these types of weapons in the face of University students as they made their way to class? To have a weapons store sandwiched between a stationary store and an internet/fax/Xerox kiok…what can I say!

Well, these are my stories of life here in Georgia; that I sometimes refer to as the “wild west”.  The only RULE here is to NOT follow the RULES.

All the best, Catherine Lawrence – 2/28/18

 Weapon Store/Tbilisi near University of Georgia and Technical University

 I am told these weapons only shoot (1) bullet at a time :-(    (Tbilisi)

 Stop the bus! Tbilisi, February 2018

 View from my apartment (Vake) of Saburtelo high rise apartments.

Holi, 2017 in India. An oldie but goodie photo. Nice Memory 

Hello, My Faithful Readers

January 30, 2018

Volume 2, Number 02

Here we are already at the end of January. The first month of 2018 is coming to a close; and what a boring month it has been. Seriously, I sure don’t have a lot of exciting stuff to write about. How is this for excitement………

I went out today to buy beans. I don’t know how to cook dry bean so I always buy in the can. I like kidney beans and a few others; and I’ve always found them to be cheap. Well, that is not the case any longer (I know you are just sitting on the edge of seat waiting for this adventure) J.

It seems that HEINZ has found its way into Georgia so the shelves are stocked with HEINZ beans; however, they are not cheap. The price has doubled (maybe a little more than doubled). I’ve been on a search during this boring month for cheap beans in a can and sadly; cannot find any. Ah, the saga will continue.

On an up note we did have a couple more holidays since I last wrote. Georgia celebrated “Old New Year”. January 14^th is the celebration date on the Gregorian calendar. Of course there were fireworks; but, not as intense as January 1^st.  I understand that most Georgians go and visit family and friends on this date that they usually don’t get a chance to see throughout the year. The second holiday was on January 19^th, which is The Epiphany. Also celebrated in Ukraine and Russia on January 19, marks the baptism of Jesus in the Orthodox Church. Believing that on this day water becomes holy and is imbued with special powers,

https://georgiastartshere.com/new-year-traditions-in-georgia/

One final post about the holidays before we leave the topic; I forgot to mention last time that the Salvation Army has a presence here in Georgia. This was terrific news for me to hear; as I really didn’t know. I’ve found that there are so many great organizations here in Georgia; however, there is no way to find this out unless you either come across it by accident or someone tells you.

I found out about it at the International Women’s Association (of which I am a member). Every year the Salvation Army has a Christmas Party for children. They make requests for donations specific to either a boy or girl and the age range. They ask that the gift be wrapped with above detail listed on a card attached to the package. In this way each child gets a gift specific to their age and gender.

I arrive late and all the request cards were given out; however, as it turns out they had a last minute child coming to the party (12 yr old boy) – so I was tasked with finding a toy that would match. Now, this was no easy task as I have no idea what 12 year old boys are into today. I did find a sort or erector set that you could build 29 different things (eg., cars, boats; bridges..) all using the same parts over and over; however, with instructions on how to do it. I thought this would be challenging and hoped (I was not at the party) that the child found it fun.

http://salvationarmy.ge/frontpage/

Ok, one final, final thing about Georgian Christmas (1/7/18)…see picture of Disney Characters lined up on the street to amuse children. In addition to the characters they had a juice bar going and also Santa was available if you still wanted to ask him for more stuff. It was really cute. There was a lot of picture taking, balloons and some music in the background.  I was on my way to the Hard Rock Café for Christmas Dinner!

I’ve listed below a link to an article that speaks to the nutritional life here in Georgia. It is called the “Hidden hunger – Georgia creeping epidemic”. Awhile back I heard this statement that spoke to the Georgian diet…”We are not hungry, but we are starving”. I think this article goes into the “why’s” of the topic.

Anyone who has been reading my blog knows that I am not a fan of Georgian food. Tourists rave over the food; however, tourists are not long term residents.

According to the World Health Organisation, as many as 91% of deaths in Georgia are a result of non-communicable diseases, which are largely attributed to diet. This figure is much higher than in a lot of other less developed countries.

http://oc-media.org/hidden-hunger-georgias-creeping-epidemic/

One of the great things about Tbilisi is the metro bus system.  This is very different from the Marshrutka (which is the yellow van that is more-or-less a shared taxi). The metro bus is just that, a bus. Some routes have nicer buses than others; but all have the ticket machine that I think it awesome.

This ticket machine does NOT involve the driver; so, he is free to drive (and in Tbilisi that is so important because driving is dangerous). You get on the bus and swipe your card (or insert money) into the machine and a little piece of paper rolls out. This paper tells you route, time of entry, amount paid and maybe a couple of other stats that the transit company needs to chart.

Once you have that piece of paper you need to hold onto it as periodically representatives from the transit company board the bus to check to see that everyone has their ticket. If you don’t then they help you pay your fair. It is a great system. I’ve watched people pass their wallets and bus card to total strangers to have them pay the fair (if they were not close to the ticket machine). No one is worried or hesitates to give their valuable to strangers as after the ticket it obtained the ticket and bus pass/wallet makes its way back to the owner.

The bus ride is .50 Tetri (which is half of (1) Lari. In US Money it equals .20 cents/USD. Can you imagine; .20 cents to ride a bus. Some routes take 45 minutes (depending on traffic) and others take 90 minutes or longer. But, no matter how long the ride is the price is one flat rate.

I really like the metro bus as you can see out the windows; regardless if you are standing or sitting. I would just add one negative; and that it – there are not enough buses here in Tbilisi (or maybe there are just too many people). At times there are so many people that not everyone can grab hold of a stationary bar for support during moving.  If this happens Georgian folks don’t think (or ask) to use people who have support to lean against or to grab hold of. I find this offensive. I don’t like being used as a pole to hold onto. This is just normal here; but I don’t like it. If a bus is that crowded I won’t get on; or get off and walk or wait for another bus.

Transportation here is not an easy get. At times I feel like I have been assaulted riding the bus and other times (if possible) walk rather than get on (walking also presents another set of problems). When I get to where I am going I usually breathe a sigh of relief that I arrived in one piece. It is not fun to travel here.

I’ve posted pictures of the bus machine and bus ticket below.

The Rotary Club has a presence here in Georgia. There are a few clubs in various cities throughout Georgia; however, I decided I am not going to participate. The Rotary is a really great organization and Georgia needs these kinds of people to organize them about starting and staying in business; however, I just don’t want to do the work.

I’ve attached a picture of a mural on the side of a building which I’ve past numerous times and never saw it. Reason being is that I don’t look up very often when I walk; so unless I stop and look up I miss lots of stuff. I don’t know the history of the mural; but, was so taken with it I wanted to share it.

My meditation program continues; as of today 212 days. The meditation continues to unearth stuff that I have not thought about (if ever) and makes me look at (sometimes) that I am still living as I did decades ago. I have been struggling with this process as often I don’t want to know (do you know what I mean); but, I work thru it and some answers have surfaced. I am still working on this and don’t yet want to share as my plan is not yet fully realized; but, more to follow.

I became a UPenn Alumni Interview for possible Undergraduate student entry– Fall 2018. This was an awesome experience. I interviewed one young lady and wish I could have interviewed more.

I thought I would be doing this in virtual reality; however, the young lady actually lives here in Georgia. We set an appointment and met in a local coffee shop to talk. I was so impressed. I watched as the potential student and her mother hobbled into the café on crutches as it seems she broke her leg while skiing. After mom left we sat for an hour and talked about her life, her aspirations and goals and why she picked Penn to apply to. I hope she gets in as I think she has a good chance and would be a good fit. Not everyone receives an interview with an Alumni – hoping that will give her an edge. She is a regular decision candidate so I’ll know by the end of March what her status is. I’ll keep you informed.

So, I was in a liquor store recently and wanted to share my experience. I wanted to buy a bottle of cognac and found what I wanted. There were (3) men sitting around and (1) female clerk on the cash register. I found what I wanted and went to pay for it. I noticed by the cognac there were about five empty cognac boxes sitting on the floor and asked the woman if I could have one. It is safer in a box as the plastic bags are so flimsy.

As she was ringing up the sale she said “no” – can’t have a box. I didn’t think I heard her right and asked again, and she repeated the “no”. It was said with such a matter of fact tone; so I said there are so many empty boxes there and it is safer to transport the bottle that way.  She just stood there and looked at me and held her hand out for the money. One of the men got up and went to the boxes and brought back a box…as if he didn’t I was leaving the store without purchasing the cognac.

At that point I made the decision to buy it as I didn’t want to go find another store so I handed her (2) 20 bills (the cognac was 29). She did put the cognac in the box and then into a bag and went back to her phone. I asked her for my change (she owed me 11 Gel) as I gave her 40 and the bill was 29. She looked at me like I had two heads and after I repeated that I needed my change she did give me the 11 gel.

It was really terrible to be treated that way as a paying customer. I felt dirty in that store and realized that nothing would be done (even if I knew who to report her attitude and behavior to). Customer service needs attention here in Tbilisi. I’ve been in stores waiting for an attendant and have been passed over for a Georgian who just showed up. I have many examples of this and often I just let it go as I am a guest in this country; but again (here in the country of hospitality) often courtesy and consideration (unless someone is looking) is lacking.

Recently the wind was so strong that it woke me up. The trees were thrashing around and since my apartment has trees so close; I thought one (or more) was coming through the window. Someone on FB clocked the wind at 79kph (which is almost 50 miles per hour).  I believe it. When I was in the village we had wind at that speed as I thought the roof was going to come off. Also, because I have floor to ceiling windows in my apartment and there is no insulation in the walls; I can feel the air pushing through. I can watch the threads on the drapes moving.

I think my neighbors in the apartment directly above me have a laundry service. I can hear their washing machine going day and night. They hang clothes out on the outside line (see picture) at least twice, if not three times a day. Now, none of this really bothers me. It is just curious. I thought initially that maybe they had lots of people living in the apartment; but, honestly, unless they had a couple dozen people the amount of clothes does not match up. Thankfully the clothes line does not block my view..then there would be a problem.

I went to a lecture at the Diplomatic Training Center here in Tbilisi (link below).  Once a month there is a lecture on various topics entitled “About Georgia”. In order to attend you need to be approved and present some type of ID. Someone meets you at the door and walks you into the lecture room. It all seems very CIA-ish; but was happy to attend.

The lecture r was to talk about Georgian Holidays and Traditions. The woman who gave the lecture gave a presentation that shocked me by some of the things she said; in that she was so honest. She spoke about wedding and funeral traditions; Supras (the Georgian feast w/lots of drinking) and the various regions within Georgia and its diversity.

She also spoke about “rules” in Georgia; in that “Not following the rules IS A RULE here in Georgia.” I know this to be true but never heard anyone say it out loud. She also spoke about lazy the Georgian people are and why Georgia has not progressed as other countries have. She said that if , for example, there was no transportation to do work then Georgian’s just didn’t do the work. Excuses always found a way to not work. Countries like Armenia didn’t adhere to this mindset like the Georgian people have. She indicated that Georgian felt they were “unlucky” and said that Georgians felt they survived by having the good nature given to them by God.

I wish I would have had a video of her lecture as I didn’t write down everything as I was stunned listening to her assessment (most, if not all being true).

http://www.mfa.gov.ge/

My Faithful Readers I will close for now. February will begin my LAST teaching semester here in Georgia. I know this is the right and best decision for me; searching to put together my plan for beyond teaching. Also, waiting for SNOW. We had a few snow flakes here; but, mostly rain. I know snow is a pain; but I would sure love to see the park outside my window dressed in white.

Best, Catherine Lawrence – 1/30/18

 Pay Box on the Metro Bus

 Ticket given by the Pay Box on the Metro Bus

 Pay box, up close and personal 

 Upstair Neighbor hanging clothes - two or three times a day!

 1/7/18 Christmas in Tbilisi 

 Mural in Tbilisi at the Flower Mart

CREST toothpaste bought in Dubai - Arabic

Hello, My Faithful Readers

January 6^th, 2018

Volume 2, Number 01

Happy New Year!

I had hoped to close 2017 out with a blog at the end of December; however, (and I make no excuses) I just didn’t do it. Spending the holidays here in Tbilisi was so disappointing. As you may remember, my trip to Turkey was cancelled due to all VISAS being cancelled for US passport holders. I tried a couple of other options for travel; but, nothing felt right – so I decided to just stay put. I’ve always traveled over the holidays; so, this was really my first time in Georgia was the holidays. Well, I surely didn’t miss anything by leaving Georgia to travel in previous years.

So, what did I do…honestly, not a whole heck of a lot. I found out that they turn the water off more often as many people are away over the holidays. In addition, there was a water main break in my street which added additional days of joy without water.

Here in Georgia they (2) Christmas Holidays (12.25 and 1.7) and (2) New Years (1/1 and 1/14).

I did some exploring here in Tbilisi; areas that I’ve never been to. The cheapest way to do this is to just get on a bus and ride it to the end of the route.

Gldani is outside of Tbilisi – about a 90 minute bus ride. The link below is just 47 seconds which mainly show the amusement park for children; however, you can see many of the apartment buildings in the area. It is a HUGH area and there are SO MANY apartment buildings. Some are in good shape; however, others are from the Russian times and honestly it gives me pause looking at them. There is one bus (#51) from Tbilisi center to Gldani and the bus is packed with people. At the end of the route there is a grocery store; really nothing more than that and more apartment buildings. There is another bus (#99) that takes you further into Gldani. I cannot imagine riding this bus (90) minutes each way if I had to come into Tbilisi to work.

The stores and merchandise is exactly the same as you find in any other village or city here in Georgia. There is not a lot, if any, variety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHBDZPl2gyc

The second adventure was on the #88 bus up to Nutsubidze Plateau. Again, it was a long ride (75 minutes) and that was without traffic. There was not much to see; but we were climbing up the mountain almost the entire time. Many, many people use this bus and once again it is the ONLY bus going into this area.

The area had multitude of apartment buildings. Some were new but most were the old Russian apartments. I wonder sometimes how people live in them. The outside looks like it was ready to collapse. Again, not much at the end of the line; but, I was again sure glad that I didn’t have to travel back and forth to this area for work on a daily basis.

I went to a Chamber Music concert at the Conservatory. This was a real treat to listen to such professionalism. I reserved front row seat in the main theater and enjoyed every minute of it.

http://tsc.edu.ge/index.php?m=2

I also went to see the Nutcracker at the Tbilisi Opera House. All the tickets were sold out before Christmas; so, I will celebrate the Nutcracker in the Georgian Christmas Tradition on 1/5/18. The production was nice; great costumes and of course the music is outstanding; however, (there always seems to be a “However” here in Georgia…the audience members leave me shaking my head.

The play is geared to children, or the child in all of us; so the audience was filled with wonderfully dressed up children of all ages. Children need to be taught how to behave; and many of the adults here are failing at being role models. Adults during the performance talking just as if the play was not happening; phones ringing and being answered all are distractions that the adults seem to take as just business as usual here.

The aisle that allows access to the part of the theater that I was sitting in was blocked by children who wanted to be close to the rail (I was on the 1^st tier). Their parents, as well as the theater attendants, brought it chairs from the corridor so that they could sit; however, with so many people (adults and children) sitting where they should not have been – myself and others in my section could not see the stage. I asked them to move as we could not see and wow, the black looks I got (this from the country of hospitality). The adults did move; but, the children were left to block the view. I did stay for the performance as it has been years since I’ve heard the music; but, all of this sure took some of the enjoyment away.

http://www.opera.ge/

So, onto better things…today marks “Day 188” of meditation. I have continued the practice; but, I don’t feel it is necessary to announce it as the beginning of the blog. More and more the practice has become a part of my routine; but, I must say that some days are easier than others. One consideration is the time factor to give (1) hour to meditation on a daily basis requires some thought and planning  and the second is that depending on what I am dealing with at times it is just hard to be with myself without the distractions of life.

Dear, My Faithful Readers…I know this is really not exciting stuff; but, like I said being here in Tbilisi over the holidays was anything but exciting. Maybe, just maybe I am starting to really fall into a daily routine here in Eastern Europe?

So, let us talk about the Holidays…..The American Christmas (12/25) is just that; The American Christmas. Everything was open here in Tbilisi. It was just another day here in Georgia. Some friends planned a fancy dinner (group of ex-pats); but I declined. I did that for Thanksgiving and it was OK; so, spent the time reading and watching videos.

New Year celebration here in Tbilisi was different in that the people themselves put on a fireworks display. The display was dangerous as all get out as people buy fireworks on the street and then shoot them off wherever they can. I watched from my terrace (indoors) as across the horizon as far as I could see fireworks were going off for about 40 minutes. I watched as my neighbors in the high rise building next door shot fireworks out of the windows and I heard gun fire (this is very  common here). I hear that many ER visits happen; especially with children as they probably don’t know how to handle the rocket; but, like most crime here you won’t hear much of anything about the people hurt.

Fireworks are expensive; 15 Gel for each rocket. Now is US dollars that is not a lot of money; however, when you factor in that most people buy at least (5) rockets at a time – then you are talking real money. This is in light of the fact that in this country most of what you hear is that people are so poor. Salaries are low; so a purchase of (5) rockets could be 25% of their monthly salary. I’ve included a photo of an outdoor stand in the heart of Tbilisi that sells Rockets.

I also wanted to share another Georgian tradition: Chichilaki (Link Below)

Chichilaki is the Georgian version of the Christmas tree that was an inseparable part of New Year and Christmas centuries ago in Georgia. 

This item scared the beejesus (freaky) out of me. It’s the first time I’ve seen this item and in such quantity. They are lined up near the fireworks/rockets on the street for sale and I am told that every house in Georgia has one. It always amazes me how superstitious the Georgian people are – as this is a MUST have for a variety of reasons.

https://www.georgianjournal.ge/discover-georgia/29148-chichilaki-georgian-version-of-christmas-tree.html

Another fact that I was not aware of (as I am usually not here during the holidays) is that just about everything is closed, of course, on January 1^st; however, in addition everything is closed on the second day of the New Year; January 2^nd.  The holiday is called “Bedoba” and it means January 2^nd is “a day of luck”. According to tradition what happens on Bedoba happens the whole next year, so cheerful mood is advised.

Once again, superstition is over the top here. Most people, if they can, take the entire week off between New Years and Christmas and go and visit people they have not seen during the year.

So, what did I do on Bedoba….I didn’t realize everything was closed so I tried to do a couple of errands; things I didn’t want to do when the rockets were blasting. My January 2^nd was peaceful and filled with great conversation and books. So, I don’t have anything to worry about J

A couple more things about New Year tradition before I close the blog. Some friends invited me to their home for the traditional New Year Dinner. The center piece is called Satsivi

A turkey dish fried in peanut oil which is very tasty and a traditional New Year’s main dish. With this dish and all of the the other foods laid out on this holiday, you will be stuffed instead of the turkey.

The family spent a lot of time and money preparing this meal; however, it was just not to my liking. I did try a little and it was OK (nothing I would go out of my way for). There were lots of other foods; potato salad; of course bread and cheese, wine, eggplant, walnut sauce..etc., etc.

I was so appreciative of the invitation and had to smile at their love of jazz and Eric Clapton music….playing in the background while we ate and talked.

So, Christmas is tomorrow (1/7) and next Sunday, (1/14) is OLD NEW YEAR – celebration of the New Year on the old Gregorian calendar – so, here we go again. Many Georgians feel it is just too much having (2) of each holiday; but, it does not appear that anything will change anytime soon. I think the 1/19 is also a holiday  - Orthodox Epiphany (most places are closed).

Ok, so finally something not holiday based….Peace Corps has a possible new Director. Please correct me if I am wrong; but awhile back was there some noise about Trump closing the Peace Corps (at least restricting its funding?) And, now he is nominating Jody Olsen as its Director.

So much of the current happenings in the world is so dire; that, one could lose sleep if you bought into what is published. I am not saying its fake; but, so much mis-information is placed out in the world – that if you wait long enough something happens that turns about what was previously published (like the example I gave).

The link below talks about the nomination. I am informed she is a social worker (or was). Don’t know what that means for the Peace Corps; as really don’t remember or know what the backgrounds are on former Directors. My affiliation and support of the PC goes very deep; so just wanted to include this milestone.

https://www.peacecorps.gov/news/library/president-donald-j-trump-nominates-jody-olsen-be-director-peace-corps/

I invited a group of women to a Salon on December 30^th. I had promised some women that I would have a gathering so they could see my new apartment and decided to couple that invitation with a Salon Topic. We spoke about “The Silence Breakers” – a hot topic in the US at the moment.

It was a great afternoon. I had the event catered by a local restaurant (just had to go pick up what I ordered) and we drank wine, ate good food and talked about this timely topic. I so miss having these types of discussions here in Georgia. The group liked it also and talked about scheduling more Salon’s….so, we shall see.

I will close for now and just say how lucky I am to have this GREAT apartment. The heater situation is not great; but, I compensate and dress warm. The weather has been so mild here that it has not been a hardship.

I’ve made some decisions that I will share in the next blog. These decisions will change my trajectory here in Georgia beginning in May, 2018. I am still working out some details so to put my plan in place; so, more in future blogs.

Happy Holidays and the Best to you, My Faithful Readers, for the New Year (2018)

Catherine Lawrence – 1/6/18

Rockets for Sale for NewYear, 2018

Georgian Christmas Tree

Georgian Christmas Tree

Flags from countries I have visited...not yet completed!