Happy Independence Day Georgia

I now fully understand why many Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) often start a blog and after awhile end up only updating once or twice a year- time flies! It seems like I was just at my computer writing all about graduation traditions in Georgia and yet that was over a week ago.

This past week flew by because I was pretty busy the entire time. I had a couple regular days of school which went well. Things are quickly wrapping up and you can tell that students can sense the coming freedom of summer vacation.  I'm not sure how teachers get anything done in the month of May.

Another picture of Old Town, the sight never gets old

On Tuesday after school one of my PCV friends, Daniel, took a trip down to Poti from his mountain village and we made sure to celebrate with lots of pizza. The next day we traveled to Zugdidi to meet with all of the school from the Samergrelo region who are hoping to host a volunteer starting this summer. These visits are a routine part of the annual Peace Corps procedures but last year I was busy with my pre-service training and now I am the one who gets to meet all these people and help get schools ready for a future volunteer. After our meeting I took advantage of the fact that my program manager would be heading back to Tbilisi and hitched a ride with her to Melody's house where I spent the night and we watched the newest James Bond movie and ate ice cream with Oreos- adulting at it's finest.

Everyone trying to get a view of the celebrations in the square

The next day, May 26th, was Georgian independence day and I was excited to see how it was celebrated in the city. We rode into town early and started to explore the festivities. The main street was shut down all day and was full of various stalls, games, and pop-up cafes. In the main square there was a large military gathering with tanks and other equipment. They had a large stage with Georgian dancers and the Prime Minister addressed the crowd of onlookers. After some wandering Alex and I stopped at a cafe near the Opera house where we enjoyed actual pulled pork sandwiches and homemade lemonade (two very non-Georgian foods) and also found some other American expats to chat with while we ate.

Some parade dancers 

After our meal we made our way to Old Town and then to the Tbilisi botanical gardens. The gardens are hidden in a small valley among the hills which surround the city and were spectacular. We wandered all throughout the grounds until we reached the end which happened to share spare with the massive home of Georgian billionaire Ivanishvili. It looks like some sort of evil layer and is rumored to have it's own pool with sharks as well as other pet wild animals. True to form I tried to play ignorant and sneak near/onto the property and was caught by his private security and made to leave the area. The rest of the day was spent relaxing with other volunteers, eating, and enjoying some fireworks that evening.

Alex in her natural habitat

Friday was a busy day full of meetings. We had a long meeting to plan out this summers's BUILD camp and discuss our future plans. We are still waiting to hear back about being funded through a grant from the local embassy, but everything else is shaping up quite nicely. If all goes according to plan we will double the number of camps and nearly triple the number of participants while also extending the length and scope of the camp. After our BUILD meeting I was quickly on my way so I could arrive at my next meeting with FLEX on time. Time is passing quickly and we only have 1 month left before we are going to be expected to teach all of the training sessions for the pre-departure orientation.

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous billionaires...

Next, on Saturday I found myself at the parliamentary library meet with my director and 9th grade students to help them with a presentation about the importance of American and Georgian friendship. The students all prepared various artistic depictions of this theme and presented them bit by bit. After the end of the presentation we toured the national art museum, opera house, and other famous sights. It was another great field trip (Georgians called them excursions) and a great opportunity to better get to know my students.

The hidden side of Tbilisi 

Finally, on Sunday I took the morning train back to Poti so that I could meet some G16s in Gori and bring them back with me. This was their job shadowing opportunity and  I was the lucky one to have three assigned to me. Last year I was sent to shadow a volunteer in Batumi and it was probably one of my favorite experiences during PST. I hoped to help the volunteers staying with me have a great time as well. The train ride was long as always (even longer for them since it was their first one) but we made up for it when they arrived by having a great feast on the classic pirate ship restaurant. If anyone is coming to visit I will make sure we get to experience the deliciousness that is the Old Ship restaurant.

A waterfall in the city

The rest of the day was spent touring Poti, visiting the lighthouse, spending sometime by the sea, and of course meeting my host family. My host mother has yet to not like a PCV and these trainees were no exception. The guys who stayed with us were all giants but she loved having new people around. On Monday they followed me to school and got to experience what it is like to teach in a Georgian school. There was nothing exciting and my kids weren't especially well behaved so they probably got a pretty good taste for what an average day at school is like. The best part of the day however was later that afternoon when they got to meet my English club students.

Climbing the lighthouse 

This English club is made up of some of the best students I have worked with in Poti. My counterpart and I decided last week to do a lesson on teenage life in Georgia and America and it went well. To make things even better we also decided to make them speak only English for the entire day- they hated it, but they all did so well! It is hard to learn a foreign language when you aren't immersed in it but these students have all done a great job so far. I really hope to be able to help connect them to some great opportunities which will expand their vision for future possibilities.

Tuesday the shadowing finally ended but before we sent them packing Randi and I brought them down to the national park for a quick kayaking trip which was rather uneventful, minus the private security guard that chased us in a row boat (he didn't stand a chance). Afterwards we visited our favorite shwarma stand and then I helped them catch their first long distance marshutka back to Gori and their training sites.

My host mom and her დიდი ბიჭები guests

The rest of the day was supposed to be uneventful because I was exhausted and just wanted to rest. However as soon as I got home I found out that one of the PCVs from my group was resigning from peace corps. Luckily he is planning on staying in Georgia to work for another year, but it was shocking news nevertheless. After that Randi and I had our last English club of the school year (crazy to think we have been running the club for that long). We celebrated by playing some games with Bananagrams and then I taught them how to play MASH and we talked about their future lives, a hilarious ending to the year. At least when I leave Georgia I can rest easy knowing that I accomplished something great; I taught a bunch of teenagers how to tell the future and entertain themselves for hours.

As We Go On, We Remember

End of year activities are in full swing here in Poti. Who doesn't love graduation season? Per usual Georgians do things in their own way, but figuring out how it all works has been a lot of fun.

From my field trip with 10th graders this weekend

I had a normal 5 day school week (don't worry there is another holiday coming up) and the highlight came on Thursday which was also known as Last Bell since the 12th grade also graduated that day and therefore wouldn't hear any more school bells. Last Bell is a tradition all across Georgia in every school and the seniors begin preparing for it early in the year. It is basically a sort of closing assembly created and put on by the graduating students. I can only imagine how nervous school administration in the US would feel if each year they let 12th graders take control of the auditorium and stage for a performance.

The 12th graders themselves

In my school there are 2 twelfth grade classes XII-1 and XII-2, I taught XII-1 all year long and was excited to see what they had come up with. They had been talking about Last Bell for quite some time and had been holding practices on weekends for at least a month. When Thursday came there were definitely more students at school than on a regular day. I saw some of my 12th graders for the first time since Winter break. Everyone always turns up when there is a party to be had.

A delicious celebratory cake

Since yearbooks aren't a thing here in Poti, students have to find some other way to save memories and share future wishes. The tradition in Georgia is to wear a white shirt- often an oxford, and then ask people to write their thoughts and wishes for you on the shirt in permanent marker. I spent a good amount of time surrounded by my students while I wrote my best wishes to them in felt tip marker on white cotton. For some this is the most they've interacted with me since last fall. Either way I decided to leave a positive note for each and every one of them.

Look at the over filtered version of their yearbook shirts

Attendance is a large problem school wide, but it is perhaps it is worst among the 12th graders. School isn't mandatory after 9th grade so many students without plans to attend university tend to leave before they reach the 12th grade. In order to graduate students must pass 8 subject exams- 4 after 11th grade and 4 after 12th (Georgian lit, English, History, and Math- luckily I found out to day that all of my students have passed all of their tests). Additionally, if they miss too many days of school they must take additional subject exam. However, I suspect that teachers might use some creative accounting because the number of students who had to take the extra exams was a lot less than those who would have had we gone by my memory.

Never pass up a jumping pic opportunity

Anyways, students came to school one last time, shirts were signed, classes were taught, and finally it was time for the last bell performance. Teachers and students crowded into our tiny auditorium in anticipation. It is generally times like this that I enjoy playing the teacher and foreigner card together because it tends to get me a good seat at the front of the audience and away from the craziness. With only a slight delay, my students soon entered wearing matching customized shirts and the show was off. There were jokes, dancing, singing, and several skits. I can never understand Georgian very well when it's shouted into a microphone so I just enjoyed the visuals of it all. At one point they gave flowers to all of their teachers and I even received a yellow rose but didn't catch the superlative they gave me, however there was plenty of laughter.

Rocking the selfie stick

Watching the students on stage made me feel proud to be their teacher despite all the times that I wanted to walk out of the classroom when they were being terrible. I am excited to see what they end up doing with their lives and where they next few years takes them. When I signed up for the Education program within Peace Corps I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into. Over the past year I have finally started to understand why education sector work is one of the largest areas for volunteers to serve. It is easy to think that volunteers are just here to teach English (at least in Georgia that is what all education sector volunteers do), however the effects are much greater.

Smiles not allowed

In the case of Georgia, a post Soviet republic, we are also sharing American values and ideas. In a country that is still working to shake off the shadow of its communist past, education volunteers are granted limitless access to to the rising generation. Skills like critical and creative thinking which struggles during soviet times are the focus of lessons now. Gender norms are challenged. Youth are motivated and encouraged to take responsibility. This form of development takes place internally within the rising generation but it is just as beneficial and important as digging wells and providing access to clean water or any other stereotypical development projects that people nevision when they think of this Peace Corps. However unlike other projects the results and changes of this sort of hearts and minds type development will take years or even a generation to fully reveal itself.

I'd like to think I've become more photogenic...

Sunday I also celebrated the 10 year anniversary of my High School graduation and enlight of the cliched Dr. Suess book "Oh, the Places You'll Go" I reflected on my past 10 years:

Well, Dr. Seuss you were right!

I did head straight out of town,

and I started happening too.

I have soared to high heights,

and I've had several slumps.

I've been confused, 

and often visited the waiting place...

But I've always escaped, 

and learned how to ride high!

I've found my own fame,

and I've been all alone.

I've weathered the foul, 

and faced up to my problems.

I've gotten mixed up with many strange birds, 

and tried to master life's great balancing act.

In my own way I've found some success 

and can't wait for- Oh, the places I'll go next!

From the Mountains to the Valleys

Wake up Sheeple!

Luckily for me Easter break continued for two more days post-Easter so I had plenty of time for more rest and relaxation. We didn't have classes again until Wednesday which meant that the week was basically over before it had really begun- those are the best kinds of weeks. I can proudly say that I made it through the whole week without getting frustrated by my students. Spring break is just as rejuvenating here in Georgia as it was in the US.

Organizers of the IPD community meeting

Come Friday I found myself working with Randi's counterpart to help organize a community meeting in the southern part of town. There is a community of internally displaced people (IDPs) from the Abkhazian war of the 90s. They have been living in this community for about 10 years and are still in the process of making life work. Many used to make their livelihood from agriculture but now they don't own any land. Randi's organization partners locally with larger IGOs like the Danish Refugee Council to help administer employability training programs and small grants for business development. We were gathered on Friday to share more information on current opportunities. It was a good event and I got to meet several interesting foreigners who work for the DRC and other non-profit organizations.

The driver stopped and asked if we wanted to take pics by the waterfall, how thoughtful 

Like a true Georgian, I am not addicted to bread.

In true Georgian style we then had a three day weekend (following a three day work week).Melody and Randi and I decided to take advantage of this and had been planning a trip to the Svaneti region of Georgia. We all met up in Zugdidi on Saturday morning and took a 3 hour marsh ride through the mountains to Mestia- one of the more remote places in Georgia. The views were incredible throughout drive but the clouds were low and limited the views of the mountain peaks. We spent some time wandering the town and then settled into our guesthouse for the night. 

Mestia with it's many towers

What are you looking at?

Early the next morning we arranged for a local to drive us to the town of Ushguli- the highest continuously inhabited village in Europe. It took about 3 hours to travel the 27 miles between Mestia and Ushguli, the road conditions were rough. We also crossed several areas where the road was just part of a spring runoff waterfall. It's hard to describe Ushguli, but it was fantastic. It is crazy to be somewhere that you know so few people ever get to and that is so old. We didn't have time to hike to the glacier but we still wandered around and climbed some small hills. On the way back our driver somehow made the trip in less than 2 hours, apparently caution wasn't needed for the return trip. 

Ushguli

The way to the glacier near Ushguli

Monday the clouds finally cleared out and we were able to see most of the peaks around us. It was more grand and impressive than I had been expecting. We didn't have a lot of time to stick around so we opted for the lazy man's hike and took a ski lift up a nearby mountain so we could catch the views with minimal effort. Don't worry it was beautiful. After we headed back into town and ate some more delicious Svan food- meat filled khachapuri! The drive back home through the mountains was spectacular now that the clouds had dissipated. 

Mestia by night

Our "hike"

Tuesday I was back at school, but once again the week was cut short by a holiday and I was only at school for two days. For the most part things went well at school; however, my 7th graders really let me down. Since my return from Kazakhstan we have been working on group presentations and Wednesday was the day the final project was due. Unfortunately most of the students were un/ill prepared and unable to present a cohesive project. After two weeks of class work they still couldn't help copying from each other and trying to just read from wikipedia. Instead of writing a paper one girl just read straight from a book...

Davit Gareja Monastery

The working section of the monastery

After school on Wednesday I was back on a marshutka heading to Tbilisi to spend the night at Melody's and hang out with our friend Porter who had been visiting since the previous weekend. My long weekend in Tbilisi end up being a lot less relaxing but very productive. I got some work done on my FLEX lessons for the summer, met with the Peace Corps Georgia Youth as Resources committee members and planned out our next few events, and also met with a visiting comic book writer from DC Comics who is in Georgia on an embassy assignment to help write the first truly Georgian comic book and address issues of gender inequality. 

Looking down into the monastery complex

One of many fresco filled caves

Finally Saturday came and our work for the week was through. We hired a cab for the day and then drove out to Davit Gareja monastery on the Azeri border. The area still has a large collection of monks who are working in the monastery. After exploring the active section we then hiked up the mountain to the border. From the top we could look on the Azeri side and see many caves spread out haphazardly throughout the cliff area. Each cave had remnants of fresco paintings and other markings, many dating back to about the 6th century AD. 

The view of Azerbaijan with the caves on the right

While checking out some lower caves a group of Georgians beckoned us up the cliff into a higher cave which turned out to be an old church. Inside they explained some of the pictures and then sang two amazing Easter songs- Georgian hospitality. By the time we had seen all of the caves, I was exhausted and ready to rest. It has been months since I spent so much time out in the sun and exposed to it's rays, but I can't complain too much since I have a nice farmer's tan setting in now. Overall I must say that Davit Gareja was one of the most interesting places I have been to in Georgia, definitely a favorite and well worth a visit. 

Cave entrance

An old alter and church

With our return to Tbilisi a week of adventures ended. We spent the rest of the day inside our hostel eating pizza and catching up on TV. The next day I had to take my marsh back to Poti which was it's own sad story. However, now I am back at site and ready to work through what is quite possibly my last full 5 day school week until next fall. However, there should be no shortage of things to post about for the next 4 months. 

Captureing the Caucuses 

The love tower (someone committed suicide in the river for "love")

My spirit guide dog

Ushguli

Hatsvali

Mestia

Running Myself Into the Ground

My trip to Kazakhstan was just part of what turned out to be an exhausting two weeks. After getting back to Georgia I was off to the village for a short visit with my old host family, and then on Tuesday the new volunteers were arriving so I helped to organize the PCV welcoming crew to greet them at the airport. With the arrival of the newest group of volunteers we become the older group and the current older group begins their preparations for close of service. It's an interesting three months of transition.

New volunteers with eyes full of hope and excitement

The airport arrival was really fun, unlike previous groups they arrived in the evening rather than 3am like we did. That meant that more people were willing to come and mark their arrival, namely the Georgian news. After I finally made it back to Poti the next day my students and fellow teachers all commented on how they had seen me on the news the previous night. It was quite the conversation topic for the day, such is life in a small country.

Eagerly awaiting our new friends :)

After getting back into school mode for a whole two days, it was time for the weekend. First on Friday night I got to go to the theater to watch a Georgian dance group perform and it was amazing. I don't think I will ever get sick of watching these performances, the things they do are unreal! Then on Saturday I headed down to Batumi to help out with the Let's Play Together event that some fellow volunteers had organized along with the local McClain Association. The event aims to bring local youth with disabilities together with other local youth and let them engage in a number of fun activities together in hopes of trying to destigmatize disabilities in Georgia. The event was a lot of fun and brought out volunteers from all over West Georgia to help staff the various activities.

The participants and vols from the LPT event (or at least those who stayed and could be talked into taking a pic together)

In addition to the LPT event last weekend was also Alex's birthday so that mean there was a lot of celebrating to do and Batumi is the perfect place. We had a good dinner in the city and then headed to the Hilton's rooftop bar for cake and celebration. It's still the off season so the town wasn't overrun with tourists and we were able to have the outside area to ourselves. Alex's birthday also coincides with our arrival in Georgia so the celebrating continued from rooftop to the beach and onto another bar with music and dancing and conversation about our first full year in this beautiful country.

Party on the beach

The next morning we had to gather our things and head out on a marshutka to travel back to Alex's site for a birthday supra. All of the volunteers who lived nearby came to celebrate and we had a great time doing what Georgians love to make us do the most- eating and eating. These supras are always full of copious amounts of delicious foods as well as wine for making toasts to the occasion. Once things began to wrap up I caught my marsh back to Poti and ended up in bed exhausted by 9:30.

The birthday feast ready to be had

After so much traveling and so little sleep the exhaustion was beginning to set in and I could feel a cold coming on so I tried to spend more time resting and recuperating but that didn't last long since there was so much to do. The Access club I work with was meeting on Monday for a belated Earth Day lesson and so I met with them for a few hours in the afternoon. They made posters (in English) to celebrate Earth day and talk about the need for environmental awareness and then we went to the coast and did a trash collection activity. It was a lot of fun doing a small service project and helping the local youth to get into the spirit of community involvement more. I really think that Georgia will be a completely different place in just a few more years once this generation of young people begin to step into the place of the current leaders.

Working on Earth Day posters

School also had a short week this week because this weekend is the Orthodox Christian celebration of Easter. We have a long break (Thursday - Tuesday) from school and it has been wonderful. I've been able to catch up on a lot of old work (as well as sleep and plan my summer activities). On Friday we dyed our Easter eggs red (symbolic of Christ's blood) for Good Friday and then last night we made khachapuri and other baked goods to prepare for the midnight celebrations. The active members of the orthodox church have been abstaining from dairy products as part of their lent/fast and once midnight comes they will be able to eat the various animal products again.

Cleaning the sea shore area

As midnight approached we readied the table with the red eggs placed in patches of grass grown in baskets, the traditional paska cake, as well as other foods and drinks. Then at midnight I lit the candle for the cake and we took turns repeating the phrase- "ქრისტე აღსდგა" (Christ has risen) to which others would reply "indeed" and was repeated three times by every person. Then we tapped eggs. Each person is given a hardboiled egg to hold and you tap the ends against other people's eggs to see whose cracks. If you win on both ends of someone's egg  you are the winner and then depending on the rules you follow either you or your opponent must eat the cracked egg. I won all of my contests and am now the egg tapping champion in my house. Additionally, I found out that the cracking of the egg is symbolic of the breaking of the sealed tomb from which Christ was resurrected.

The Access Club students

Once the tapping was done the candle in the cake had burned down and I was instructed to blow it out and slice up the cake for us to all eat. More pious Georgians do similar celebrations but they also attend a night time service that lasts until 6am- that is a very very long service. Also unlike other churches, the orthodox churches in Georgia do not have pews of any kind and everyone must stand for the entire service. (I am never complaining about church again.)

Our red Easter eggs hidden, and paska cake

The rest of today should be pretty relaxing. My host mom is making some more traditional foods and I will continue to eat every delicious baked good in sight, just like how holiday are celebrated at home. The final tradition will be to visit the graves of my family's relatives and to leave a red egg on their plots to symbolize remembrance and look forward to their future resurrection from the grave. While my family isn't the most traditional and doesn't participate in every religious tradition in the Orthodox church, it has still been wonderful to be here with them and experience and learn about the history and tradition in Georgia. I always appreciate learning new lessons and finding new traditions that I can incorporate into my own future life.