Hello, My Faithful Readers

June 25, 2017

Volume 1, Number 8

Happy Summer Everyone!

June 21^st is the start of summer so we are already a couple of days into the start of hot and humid weather here in Tbilisi. I was so busy last summer making the transition from Peace Corps to private citizen I seriously don’t remember how hot it was…but I am told it gets pretty nasty here with heat. I do have air conditioning and I bought some stand up fans; so, I will be able to cope…

Once again I was disappointed as a trip that I had signed up for was cancelled. The tour guides need a certain number of people to off-set their cost and that didn’t happen. The trip was for a short weekend (really overnight) to Borjomi and Vardzia.  I was in Borjomi briefly; but, never to Vardzia. Both areas look very interesting and I’ve listed the links below in the event that you would like to know more about the locations. I am hoping that at some point over the summer another trip will happen.

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

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

But, the good news is that I will be traveling during July. I am part of a silent meditation program that will take place in Dubai, UAE. I’ve already shared this with so many of my friends as I am very excited about the program as well as the travel. It is a 10 day program with Vipassana Meditation  (link below) as well as a link to the program location (about 45 minutes to the north of Dubai (Ras – al-Khaimah). A good friend has been speaking of this program for many years and finally I’ll have an opportunity to participate.

Of course, I’ll blog when I return in July; but, for now (and briefly) the program is silent which includes no computer, FB, email. Also, no reading or writing…OMG. I am excited but also apprehensive. At times my anxiety is off the charts; but, that is a good thing as it represents new territory being explored in my life. I am hoping that this adventure will give me some insights to unblock the log jam of my “limbo” period.  J

I will be flying with “Fly Dubai”. It is a 3+ hour flight, direct. Here in Georgia you never fly anywhere direct; so, this will be a treat. Also, their policy is that no animals will be on board – so, once again good news – no falcons. The policy that has been annoying is that they allow 7kg take on luggage; but, any other luggage you pay extra for (in addition to the cost of the ticket). Payment of $28USD (somewhere around there) gives you 20kg going to Dubai; however, coming home you DO NOT pay for luggage and the amount allowable is 40kg. I guess they encourage you to shop Dubai….

I plan to stay over after the seminar for a couple of days to explore the city. I know it will be HOT; but, I’ve been in Egypt in the summer so I think short term I can deal with it. I am looking forward to riding the metro and exploring the malls (plural) that I’ve heard so much about as well as the architecture.

https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/locations/directory

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ras_al-Khaimah

http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/dubai-extraordinary-hotel-features-duplicate-2/index.html

Found the above link on CNN web site…..not just hotel rooms; but how and why the city grew as it did.

I found another music venue here in Tbilisi. It is the Kakhidze Music Center (link below). I was so impressed with this venue and I think you will be also when you click on the link. My favorite seat is in the upper left hand corner, on the balcony, which looks down on the orchestra as well as the conductor. I love this location as it reminds me of the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. In that venue I also sat facing the conductor behind the Orchestra. But, never-the-less, an awesome position to see and hear the happenings on stage. The stage has a drop down elevator in order to bring up a baby grand piano.

I don’t know exact when this venue was refurbished; but, they certainly did a great job. The seats are comfortable and give leg room. The only negative I can say is that the venue does not give a “program” so I have no idea of which composers are being previewed. Nothing sounds familiar and that is OK by me; it is all so wonderful. I am just sorry I didn’t find this treasure until the end of the season; but, then there is always next season.

 http://www.kakhidzemusiccenter.com/

Another new adventure for me is that I have been tutoring a student privately. This is something that I have been resisting; seriously did not want to do. So, I quoted an unbelievable cost per hour in the hope that it would resolve the issue; but, that was not the case. The student is a lawyer; older man who is so educated and personable. He speaks German, Georgian, Russian and Passable English. (He was educated in Germany).  I just love tutoring him in English. The goal is for him to be a little better prepared for a trip he will be making to England later in the summer.

We meet 3 times per week for an hour each session. His basic English is fair so we are able to cover a lot of ground. I am using materials that I used this past semester when I was a lecturer at the University of Georgia Law School. We had an interesting session around the word “Instance”; “Implied” and many other words. Concepts like “Occam Razor” was totally foreign to him…but, it makes for really interesting conversation.  I’ve always noticed that Georgians seem to want to make every more difficult and complicated.

I have been pushing him to think more broadly. I am pushing him to integrate the vocabulary not only as to how it relates to law; but, how it works in the real world. I am so enjoying my time with the student. I didn’t ever think I would say that I enjoyed  (could even say love) teaching in this capacity. Maybe more private students will be on the horizon.

I celebrated my one year anniversary of renting my apartment and all is good. I have so many positives living here; but there are a couple of negatives. At some point during the year new neighbors arrived in the apartment above me. I’ve not met them; but, I hear them. Not their voices but I hear their feet/shoes. What I mean is that they walk, walk, walk….I can hear the click and clack of shoes on the hardwood floors. Most Georgian flat don’t have wall-to-wall carpet; so, I can hear them (I think more than one person) going from one place to another. This happens all day and sometimes all night. At first I was really annoyed; but, now I guess I am familiar with it.

Another negative is the tin roof I have outside my window. When it rains (and especially when it hails) it sounds like machine-gun fire. But then the rain eventually stops. What does not stop is the water from the A/C’s above my flat dripping water onto the roof. My landlord did put some towels down to buffer the sound; but, it hardly works. When my windows are open the drip, drip dropping on the roof is annoying…but, again – I think I am just getting used to it.

Here in Georgia one really does not have any recourse in situations like this. You just put up with it. Mostly I think it is because many Georgian’s are not considerate of how their actions affect other people.

Cinema City is a new venue that I found here in Tbilisi. I have not been yet; but, I am looking forward to maybe having an event there. You can rent the theater to accommodate a certain number of people. So, a private party with video is to be had. I don’t know of any venues like this in the States…maybe there are. But, I think it is cool to have this available here in Tbilisi.

http://cinemacity.ge/

I was watching recently how some men were pruning trees. I thought it was very odd what they were doing; as in Philadelphia people usually use a cherry picker and a chain saw to take down branches that are either dead or have blocked electric wires or other areas that should be clear. Well, here in Tbilisi I was watching the men take some type of rope and throw it up so that it wrapped around the branch. Then the men pulled together so that the branch snapped and falls to the ground.

Maybe this was an isolated incident; but, since I have never seem people working on trees other than the explanation I described above – well, I am left to think this is how they get to prune over-grown trees. In the scope of things; who cares. It is just that I found this interesting. Earth shattering stuff (HA).

At the Infant House recently I was able to work with the infants. Usually I work with the toddlers – children that are able to stand and crawl on their own. But, working with the babies has been very rewarding. One little girl has no hands; but, she is such a smiley baby. I kiss her stump and make fizzy sounds on her arms and she smiles and smiles. The other day it was so nice that we went outside with the coaches. It has been many years since I pushed a baby in a coach. It was joyous.

I continue to take their socks off when I can. I just think babies love having their feet free and have the air breeze over them. Of course it is warm out so their feet are not cold; but the staff is still not happy that I do that. However, no one says I cannot. The staff won’t let me feed any of the children. I don’t know why; as it is like an assembly line trying to get all the children fed. The crying is hard to take as the babies are looking for food and I just try to entertain until they get their turn. Maybe it is a Ministry rule that non-staff cannot provide any services; but, it sure is frustrating.

I’ve included pictures of the old metro bus and the NEW metro bus. The bus fare is .40 tetrie, which is about 15 cents (US) (or thereabout).  The new fleet is really nice; much more modern and they are air conditioned. So, the soot from the bus and the fumes from all the traffic does not overwhelm when riding on the bus. The plan is to replace all the buses….good job well done.!

I went to a lecture recently with a group called “The Caucasus Research Resource Centers “. This program is a network of training, research support and resource centers established in 2003 in the capital cities of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The lecture was about the Tbilisi Metro and current ridership as well as plans for future development. Interesting, it was noted that the Tbilisi Metro is modeled after the Russians and the model is still used here in Georgia even though it is not used in Russian any longer….curious.

The lectures are called WIP lectures which stands for Works in Progress.

http://crrc.ge/ka/

Article entitled “How Poverty makes people nostalgic for the Soviet Union”

http://crrc-caucasus.blogspot.com/

And finally, I was reading an article (text below) and was not surprised at the figures that were listed. Most Georgians don’t have enough money to buy food on a regular basis. Excluding rent; I could live on what the report indicates; which is $250 USD per month. Of course I am not living large; or splurging on much of anything. That money just handles my basic food needs and transportation and telephone money. As the exchange rate is $2.40 USD for 1 Gel…the USD goes a long way here.

Living here in Georgia is not all peaches and cream…these folks do have some real problems (as if the USA does not). But living here I want to share what I can of information that is not usually placed in the main stream media (if you find this interesting).

According to the World Bank, GDP in Georgia increased from USD 10.1 billion to USD 13.9 billion between 2009 and 2015. Despite this growth, according to CRRC’s Caucasus Barometer survey (CB), the share of those who reported not having enough money to buy food on at least a weekly basis did not decrease between 2011 and 2015.

According to CB 2015, 61% of the population reported their household income was less than USD 250 the month.

CB data show that a large share of households in Georgia have financial difficulties supporting their families’ primary needs and a majority struggle with not having enough money for food at least some of the time.

The new class of Peace Corps Volunteers (G-17) – remember I was a G-14 (which means the 14^th or 17^th class arriving in Georgia) will graduate on July 7^th. I always plan to go as it is a special day for everyone involved in Peace Corps; however, I will be in Dubai and will miss it this year.

I am sure there is

lots more to write about; but I will close for now. Thank you for staying with me on my Magical Mystery Tour.

All the best, My Faithful Readers…Catherine Lawrence – 6/25/17

 Old City, Tbilisi..picture taken by my friend Michelle

 Old metro bus

 New metro bus

 State of Balconies in a building close by...looks unstable

Not a great picture of an apartment building; depressing

Hello, My Faithful Readers

June 4, 2017

Volume 1, Number 7

Hello My Faithful Readers:

Well, here we are in June which represents my 1 year Anniversary living as an Ex-pat here in Georgia. It was on June 15^th that I rented my apartment and on June 30^th completed my Peace Corps 27 months of service and moved from the Village in Sagarejo to the Capital City of Tbilisi.

All throughout my Peace Corps Service “time” seemed to go slow. I thought that was because life was so hard living in a village without all the conveniences that I had when I lived in the US. However, here I am living a really good life in the Capital City and I have so many conveniences and “time” is still moving at a snail pace.  I was always told that when you get older time seems to go much faster than when you were young; however, that has not been my experience here.

So, to continue my saga of LIMBO I want to provide an update to my retirement.

As I wrote previously; I never really felt retired due to the rigor or the Peace Corps and then to establish myself in Georgia as a private citizen…but, now that all of that is behind me I am feeling for the first time what it feels like to be retired. That feeling is LIMBO. I’ve never had a time in my life when I didn’t have something “to do.”  I could work here 24/7; but, I am not really sure I want to teach. I have to sit on my hands some days so that I won’t fill my calendar with “something” just to have “something” on the calendar. It is wonderful and un-nerving all at the same time.

Last night I finished teaching my adult English Class at the Sulkhan Saba University (link below).  I was teaching a 2-hour class to adults on Friday evenings and last night was the final class. As I was traveling home I realized that every one of my obligations was complete. And I had nothing on the horizon. I have many possibilities out in the world; but, nothing that has been confirmed….so, I am adrift. I don’t know what to do. I keep asking questions and hope that some answers will arise….My Faithful Readers, my LIMBO period is a gift and I want to take advantage of this period in my life. So, I will keep you posted as to what is next.

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

We had a couple of holidays here. On May 12^th was the celebration of Apostle Andrew the “first called” found of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The second holiday was May 26^th, Independence Day. On this date in 1918 the Council of Georgia declared national independence of the Georgian people and the creation of Democratic Republic of Georgia. The Statehood was restored after 117 years (from 1801).

The Independence Day celebration was very much like the 4^th of July in the States. Of course, a parade with marching bands; music for all ages; food; fireworks…a great time was had by all. Link below with more information.

http://agenda.ge/news/79862/eng

Also, here in Georgia we celebrate the end of the Second World War on May 8^th. Maybe they do this in the States; but, I have no memory of it.

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

There is a shameful trend here in Georgia. I don’t know how long it has been going on; I only know that I am now aware of real people being subjected to this (what seems to me) blackmail. The gist of the trend is that employers require people to work as a volunteer (sometimes for months) with the promise of a possible job at the end. Often, if the job does not materialize then money is never paid. This is just shameful.

Another variation of this volunteer practice for the promise of work is to provide a salary so low it is unthinkable to fathom. For example; a friend of a friend was offered a full time job of 48 hours a week for 300 Gel (total per month). You do the math…as it is just horrible what people are expected to earn.

Most people here live with their families as they cannot afford to be on their own. It is a shameful policy and seems to be spreading. As employers see that this policy works and they can get free labor more and more of it is happening.

I was recently offered a position at a summer camp. The pay was 500 GEL for 20 days. It was clearly explained to me that there would be no time off and also I would be expected to be available 24/7 to function as teacher; guide; handle problems during the night, etc. etc…..ok, maybe overstated a little bit, but say 20 days X 24 hours = Less than 1 GEL. (1 GEL = $2.42 USD). I declined the position and I realize that summer camp is not about the money; but, honestly, these children pay lots of money to attend camp and it is surely not going to the teachers….enough said.

On a domestic note….I was told that cleaning of the floors was only to be done with plain water. Really, no soap is used? Yes, that is correct. Everyone has this stick that looks like an inverted “T” that you wrap a rag around and you wash the floors with this device. I’ve been scratching my head about this for a year now. My apartment does not get very dirty as I am the only person living here; but still…

Since I arrived here in Georgia I have wanted to have a cigarette. At times the feeling was overwhelming; to the point where I put myself in the space of smokers so that I could partake in some way. So, you say…..go have a cigarette and I say, yes, that is a response but I was so concerned with starting an age old practice. I gave up smoking in 1990 and really didn’t want to – but, compulsive habits often need to continually need to be beaten down with a stick.

However, and this is the big HOWEVER, recently I was having wine in a beautiful location (Turtle Lake – I will write about that in a minute). In any event, the friend I was with had a couple of cigarettes that were donated by one of the patrons at the café – so, being a little tipsy with the wine decided to indulge. Basically, it was horrible. I inhaled once and almost coughed my lung up. It felt terrible holding this cancer stick in my hand. I puffed but it made me realize that I never wanted to do this again. The good news is that I have no desire any longer to smoke.

So, why didn’t I do this sooner…I wish I would have. But, maybe I felt I was not strong enough to combat the addiction – but, I proved  myself wrong. I’ve included a photo of me with the “smoke”….

What about Cigars….they are big here in Georgia! Ha, we shall see.

Turtle Lake was beyond anything I could have pictured. I’ve included some pictures and a web site. Turtle Lake is high on one of the hills that surround Tbilisi; so, to get there you can drive; but, you can also take the recently opened cable car.

Now, the cable car – in my opinion – leaves a lot to be desired. I was Very apprehensive once I saw it. The construction seems very shabby. An attendant travels the 6 minutes up to the top of the hill to Turtle Lake with the patrons. It cost 1-Gel each way – so affordable. But the cable car (or tramway) door does not fully close with a seal. The attendant stands by the door and then places a metal bar across the door. I would imagine so if the door could accidentally swing open no one would fall out. The floor is metal and pieced together with rivets that do not fit together fully flushed. You cannot see daylight through them; but, the metal seems to pop when you step or stand on it.

When you arrive at the top of the hill the cable car does not anchor; so, that when you step off the car has a little bit of a swing to it. The attendant is there to hold your hand stepping off; but, really – it is a lot scarey.

http://agenda.ge/news/65295/eng

Years ago there was a cable car accident in another location in Tbilisi; but this was in my mind. I was surprised and disappointed that in light of that accident that more steps were not taken to insure that the Turtle Lake cable car was solid. It sure did not feel solid to me. I think they spent more money on the building that houses the start of the trip than they did on the cable car.

When I read in the article that instead of buying new state-of-the-art gondolas they completely rehabilitating” two old gondolas – it did not surprise me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_Tbilisi_aerial_tramway_accident

Once you get off the cable car and walk to the lake; well, it is more wonderful than words can describe. Idyllic comes to mind. The day was beautiful; the water was sparking and because it was a week day there were very few people there. The location provides many restaurants and coffee shops to sit and enjoy the surroundings. Also, provided is a jogging/walking path around the lake; paddle boats to rent if you want to go on the lake and a small space if you want to swim (really more like just dipping in). There is also an exercise area that provides heavy duty exercise bikes and other types of equipment. This is a joyful place. My problem now is how to get there without using the cable car. I will research to see if the city will provide marsh or metro bus transportation – I hope so. I have attached some pictures of the area as this is one of the treasures of Tbilisi.

I don’t know if I wrote about this before; but, I have found Cognac here in Georgia. It is called a Wine Brandy; but, the folks who know say it is Cognac (not that I could tell the different) – but never-the-less; I like it. I’ve listed the web site to Sarajishvili company which is the brand that I like. And keeping with alcohol; my favorite is Jameson Irish Whiskey….and my friends now call Mr. Jameson my boyfriend….maybe that is a sad fact.

https://www.sarajishvili.com/company-en

I am told that Armenia makes a terrific cognac or brandy; so I need to try some. When I was in Armenia I didn’t get to tour the factory that makes the Brandy; I was disappointed. But, the brandy/cognac is readily available here in Tbilisi. I will go on a field mission and report in subsequent blogs.

I’ve listed the web site below; but, be warned you need to be of legal drinking age to enter. That is so funny as how would the web site know you were telling the truth.

https://en.araratbrandy.com/

And finally, one of the HIGHLIGHTS of May was finding the Music Conservatoire here in Tbilisi. I have heard tell of this school/music venue; but, I never took the time to investigate. I attended a concert performance for 8 GEL which is $3.31. My seat was on the ceiling; but, it didn’t matter. I was seated at the rail looking down at the stage. The theater was refurbished recently and it was magnificent. The main concert hall was beautifully tailored from top to bottom. I could have just sat in the space and breathed in the magnificence of my surroundings.

The music was outstanding. A full orchestra presented classical composers for the first half of the performance. I get goose bumps just thinking about all this. I felt like I was back in the US as that was the caliber of the professionalism exhibited. The second half presented (3) pianos lined up side-by-side. (6) students came out; (2) to a piano bench. One played and the other turned pages. Again, I was just blown away. I didn’t recognize the music but it didn’t matter. The expertise and talent really took over. The students changed roles of player or page turner and the pianos were accompanied by the orchestra members that were surrounding the pianos. Overwhelming is the word to describe all of this.

The only disappointments were the fact that no printed programs were given out; as I would have liked to know the composers of the pieces played and also that I found all this so late in the season. But, come September!!!!

After the performance I went on to search their web site and found that there were many recitals scheduled for the upcoming week….and they were FREE. I found the recital hall which was just as magnificent at the concert hall. The performance involved students playing the violin. They were accompanied by a pianist so that each performance involved just the two performers. Again, I didn’t know the composers but it didn’t matter. The talent was awesome. Most of the performers were women who came to the stage with poise and confidence. Most didn’t even bring sheet music with them. To have such command of the complex music and do so with such self assurance gave me chills. A program was distributed; but it was all in Georgian….so I was clueless J

http://www.conservatoire.edu.ge/index.php?m=469

Although I am here in Tbilisi for a year; I still find these fabulous treasures here. I know I have a great deal more to explore and I love every minute of it.

I will close for now and thank you for sharing this amazing journey with me.

Best, Catherine Lawrence – 6/4/17

 Me "smoking" at Turtle Lake Cafe - OMG, Horrible :-(

 Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani Teaching University - night school

 Turtle Lake - June, 2017

 Turtle Lake Cable Car Entrance - June, 2017

Typical Class room at Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani Teaching University

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