I have been told repeatedly during the last couple weeks of festivities that my blog was enjoyed by many friends and family members (yet only I have seven followers? What does this say about my readership, eh? lol). So, rather than let this place kind of subside, I shall do my utmost to lead a somewhat engaging life and document it.That might sound like a fairly easy thing to do to you, but I'm afraid I currently am somewhat lacking when it comes to social/exciting/adventurous activities.
Most days I go to work for three hours at the State Law Library. Then I have an hour to eat lunch and walk to my second job at the University Bookstore. I get home around 7:30 and work most weekends. This is great when it comes to paying bills but not so great for finding adventures. I shall strive to do more!

My library job is a great opportunity for me to network in a field I hope to soon go into. It also allows me to add more experience to my resume and find those specific areas in the field where I hope to specialize. I can safely say law librarianship is not my specialty. It's interesting that the material updates so frequently. They use a great deal of online resources to enable quick access for the judges, lawyers, legal aids, and members of the public to the changing opinions and judgements. However, the information itself is either very dull or of the I-don't-really-want-to-torture-myself-reading-about-the-evils-mankind-is-capable-of type. Not my cup of tea. Still, the skills I'm learning will be useful and easily transferable to other jobs.

I'm sure everyone reading this has been to a library of some type before. If you haven't, I STRONGLY suggest you get up and go to your nearest public library. Motivation to explore your library does not have to come from homework; actually, it's better if it's just for the fun of it. Anyway, on to my point. . . Libraries are organized. That's kinda the point of having libraries, organizing information. This way people can find information and use it. One way of organizing information, specially books, is to put a call number (set of numbers and letters following a certain system like Dewey or Library of Congress) on the side of the books. It's a simple concept, A comes before B which comes before C, ect. .

Now, my current library does the same thing. Usually, in our system, in a series of books each new edition of the book gets a new subsection to organize it by. For example old books KF 300 R43 v.1 -10 verses new books KF 300 R45 v.1-10 (kinda more complicated, but well use this as a simple example). The old books are then shelved before the new books. This library has the same call numbers, but THEN SHELVES THEM OUT OF ORDER!!!!! It drives me crazy! Why write out call numbers at all if you are just going to shelve them willy nilly. So, they want the books in order according to the series, fine, no problem. Then the call numbers should stop at KF 300 R4 v. 1-10

New City, New Perspectives

I have recently moved into an apartment in Madison, WI. I live very close to campus and all the people and noise that that entails. It's nice to once again be around people. It's nice not having to plan two weeks in advance to do an errand run. I think I'm glad to be here, but that could change in a couple weeks when school starts up.

I won't be starting school this semester. I'm going to wait until the Spring semester to transfer. Hopefully, this gives me time to work and save up some money.  I'm working at the State Law Library part-time. It's a nice library. I'll get to boost my resume with some new programs and special skills. Training this week is just proving to be a little slow. I've done many of the tasks already. If the training was more structured, I could be done in two days. At this rate I won't be done until the end of the week. I'm also hoping that the UW Bookstore will hire me. I had an interview which went well. Now I just get to wait to hear back from them. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Work should keep me busy this semester, even if I have to do some more searching for a second position. (I have an application for a full time library position at a Madison Public library. However, I'm not super confident I'll get a call for an interview on that one. I think they're looking for someone older. Silly stereotypes getting in my way!)

But what am I to do when I'm not working? I'm on a very, very tight budget. That cuts out going out and meeting people in bars and such. I'm not in classes or even a student, so those welcome week events aren't open to me. I am living with a nursing student, Sarah. She seems really nice, but she's at home this week. I'm not sure if we'll have a close relationship since we haven't spent much time together, yet. I could look up some of the people from Rio who are attending Madison. I just think it would be weird if I'm like "Hey, we haven't talked for six years or so. Want to hang out?" I wasn't super close friends with the people in my class from East Troy who came here, either. I'll just have to do some brain storming I suppose. Who knows, maybe I'll meet people when I go to give plasma tomorrow.

The Summer Between

I'm long overdue for an update here. Once I arrived in the US after my week long journey filled with miscommunications and cultural frustrations, I wasn't really in the right mind set to post on what the readjustment has been like. So, a month later I'm finally writing this.

There are days where Georgia seems like a long ago dream. There are others that make me regret my decision not to renew my contract. Overall, I'm making the big adjustments (transferring to UW Madison in the spring, moving to Madison this fall, getting a job) that I need to in order to continue on in life. I'm enjoying seeing friends and spending time with family. I can once again drive and understand all the conversations around me not just bits and pieces. I have all my luxuries like free wi-fi and easily accessed libraries. It's been a good month back.

However, I still say "modloba" instead of "thank you" sometimes. I think our money looks weird and really, really miss Georgian coins (kinda an odd thing to miss, but I never said I was normal did I?). I have a ton of stories to tell people, but when I'm asked about my trip I'm at a loss of words. I can no longer cross the street like an American and find myself bracing for the crazy driving of Georgia. I miss bargaining for things at the market. Almost everyday I see or read something that gives me an idea for a lesson plan. Those are the days that I want to jump on a plane and fly back.

I don't know how to bring this to a close. I'm still in an inbetween place when it comes to my thoughts and feelings about the whole experience. I wouldn't change my decision to go to Georgia, but there are many challenges that I wish I could have been more prepared to handle. I recommend the program to anyone who is considering taking the risk of volunteering overseas. I walked away knowing and being more than I imagined (I had some pretty high expectations about how I'd change too, so that's saying something).I want to go back, and I want to travel more.

I'll just have to find some more adventures while I save up the money to do just that.

The Neverending Ticket

From my last post you might be thinking that I'm on my way back to the states. Sadly, you would be terribly wrong.

Getting your ticket from a Georgian travel agency is like trying to solve non-linear equations with your 8th grade math book. The basic skills should theoretically help you at least gain a very general idea of what is happening. Can I, using my skills of traveling in America, gain a general idea of what is happening with my trip home? Nope. It just isn't going to happen. A difficult task has become completely impossible and not the fun impossible of "oh, look I found infinity."

Many, many mouths ago I emailed TLG telling them I would not be extending my contract. I would need to fly home between June 15-17 because I would be assisting a mission trip in Chicago. I did this probably three times all within each new deadline. Two months ago I specifically emailed Alex, the flight coordinator, to make sure he received my email since I hadn't heard anything from them. He said they had. I thought great. I knew I wouldn't get my ticket as early as I might like, but I would at least get it a week before I flew out.

Well, two weeks ago I called Alex again asking about tickets and when he thought they would be sending them out. He was very noncommittal and said in a couple days. I then get worried when last week I still don't have anything after he tells me two days. I call a couple times that week and finally get him to tell me that it will be on the 16th. I don't have anymore information. That at least, thankfully, gave me enough to plan on how to get to Tbilisi on time.

  Tuesday night before leaving for Tbilisi, I check my email for a ticket. No ticket. I take the train (and yes I love foreign trains, too) on Wednesday morning. I get into to Tbilisi and take a taxi to the TLG office to hand in my phone and get my certificate before leaving on Thursday early morning. Only when I get to the office I find out that they are still waiting for my ticket. OK, I'll admit panic sets in a bit. Alex gets my ticket in about an hour from when I arrive. The ticket says I'm leaving on Friday and on a different airline!! Ah this so was not in my back-up plan.

I spend the night in a wonderful hostel called Old Town Hostel . They literally have everything that a nice hotel will have all at a cheaper rate. (Wifi, showers, TV, clean rooms, a common room, great location) They have been great.

Tbilisi Peace Bridge

This morning I woke up obscenely early for Georgian time, 7 AM. I then proceeded to check out all the tourist hotspots before the sun gets hot and people are crowding the walkways. It was wonderful. I'm glad in many ways for the extra time. I didn't get to explore the city much when I was here for training. It has costs me a bit more than I anticipated. I was supposed to be paid the day before leaving. However, even this morning I hadn't been paid for the month of June. It's a good thing I had some savings from each previous month to use for this extra day. I've done a lot of walking and free sites. Yet, food is more expensive in the city and I still have to get to the airport tomorrow.

Now, I've checked my ticket twice today online. The first time today I noticed that I'm back on Turkish Airline. They are who I flew in on and have better luggage requirements than LOT. It's still on the 17th. However, I can't check-in online. It looks like I'm on some sort of wait list for my first flight. I should just go with the flow, but I'm still a bit nervous about the whole thing.

I'll be home, hopefully, late on the 17th. I  am missing family and friends and normal sandwiches and my animals. See you soon. 

The Cliche Good-bye Post

Shannon and I overlooking Kutaisi

Of course, the last two weeks I'm here things have to get super busy. I've had a great deal of intriguing adventures to write about and no time to do so. I went to Kutaisi to see some fossils and a cool cave. There are new volunteers in Poti. I wrote and then re-wrote some final exams about five times per grade level. But, you'll just have to ask me about them when I get home if you want more details. (I still don't have my ticket home, so who knows if I'll actually get home. Just kidding, Mom, I'll get there somehow!) For now I'm going to discuss the ending of my Georgian adventure.Be forewarned, you are about to read many a cliche. (I think, after reading other volunteer blogs, this post is required. I hope that the pictures of me with EXTREMELY frizzy hair will entertain you if you don't like reading about me changing and Georgia changing and yadda yadda)

My 4th Graders: i.e. the Cutest Kids Ever!

I knew that saying good-bye to my classes and teachers would be difficult in some ways and a relief in others. We only have a couple more days of school left. I've already had my last lesson with most of my classes. I told students how much I enjoyed teaching them. I explained that I hoped they would continue to study. Most students have already zoned out and didn't seem to be paying attention. Then I told them that I wouldn't be back in the Fall. A surprisingly heartfelt groan was issued by every single class I had. It made me realize that despite my many frustrations in trying to bridge the cultural and educational gaps, I had actually made some sort of impact. That was my goal but somewhere in the last 2 1/2 months I lost hope for that to be accomplished. You certainly won't see my co-teachers actually writing out lesson plans. There are still many students who refuse to participate most days and can't answer the question "how are you?". Cheating still occurs in most of the classes, too. Yet, students do have better pronunciation. My 4th graders have an almost perfect mid-west accent. They no longer call each other stupid (at least not in school, I'm not that naive). The most exciting change I've seen is their growing courage and confidence. On the street or in a shop students will initiate conversations with me. They don't mind making mistakes, even in front of their parents, because they know that I'll reward their initiative and gently correct without yelling or tattling to their parents. These are good changes that their Georgian and future TLG teachers can improve upon.

Some of my 11th Graders

I'm sure that Georgia has impacted me as well. Besides developing a perfect "teacher look", you know that look teachers give you when you are in trouble that makes you feel more guilty than if you had robbed a bank, I have a better handle on classroom management. If I can keep Georgian kids quiet, I can keep anyone quiet! I'm more patient than I every used to be. I still have some work to do on that front, but I've made some noticeable progress. I'll never be entirely comfortable at a supra, but I've learned the important cultural lesson of how to relax and to just go with the flow. I can now make Katchapuri, which will be quite useful when I get home. I've been told by many Georgians that I would make a fortune if I opened a shop selling Katchapuri in America; they're probably right. I'm not sure this next one is an accomplishment or a sign of a deteriorating character, but I can hold my ChaCha pretty well for an American. Maybe it's a sign I'm more fun? Eh, probably not, I'm still pretty nerdy!

10B: A Class I've Only Had for a Couple Months

Traveling has always been a dream of mine. My passport finally has a stamp in it. A large part of me would like to just continue on traveling and teaching. There are plenty of programs that would satisfy my travel bug and give me some money to make it happen. But most of those programs require a college degree. So, I'll keep my promise and come home to finish my degree. I think I'm ready to focus again. I still don't know if I'm transferring to Madison in the Fall. I won't be going back to Creighton. If need be I'll start working or just taking some basic classes to fill out some general requirements at MATC or something. It doesn't bother me as much as it once did that I didn't know what I'm doing in the next couple months. I'm sure it will all work out. I need to stop trying to do everything at once. The first step is just getting my Bachelor's in physics, in whatever University allows me to do this with the right combination of support and opportunities.
I'll be home in about a week. . . so, Good-bye Georgia. I'm starting the next chapter of my adventure.

Independence Day Protests

So, one more post today about something that is making the news here and in the US. Thursday was Georgia's Independence Day from Russia. Most of my neighbors had supras long into the night or celebrated with family. Many major cities like Tbilisi and Batumi had protests run by the Opposition. They hoped to oust the current President, reunite ties with Russia, and encourage freedom of speech. The last issue seems odd to me. My host family or co-teachers have never complained about not having freedom of speech or feeling restricted by their government. The news found on the TV do not paint the protestors to be very peaceful or searching for civil rights. (Yes, I know this has a strong pro-government bias) I see images on the TV of protestors with large white sticks and even an attack on a car. It's hard for me to support the idea of these protestors when I see first-hand the good that the president's reforms are doing, especially in education.

There were some earlier protests last week and then again this week. The embassy sent out emails warning US citizens to avoid the areas where the protests were taking place. I'm certainly very safe here in Poti and didn't have any plans to travel to those cities during the weekend. I get to instead observe the changes from a safe distance. I've attached some links below about the events. If you're interested I suggest you read the short articles. Each one has a different bias.

TIME
  New York Times
    RT Video (Russia but in English)
      A georgian video to come, when my internet decides to cooperate 
     

Sunshine and Sneezes

Whew! It has been a very busy month. The end of the school year is approaching. This means students are, surprise surprise, even crazier than they have been the last five months. Teachers are working on preparing students for final exams. Classes are going on excursions now that the weather is nice. And, of course, I finally have reached some great levels of communication with my co-teachers inspiring more activities and lessons being led by me. So much to do!

I remember being a student in middle and high school and looking forward to those last few weeks of school. The weather was always really nice. Friends and I would hang out around town after school or after a softball game. I didn't seem to have as much homework. We would just be reviewing for finals. But now I am on the other side of the educational fence. I now hope for rainy days because I know the students will be less likely to shout in class or just want to goof off. Discipline isn't a problem so much as noise level and keeping students focused. The short attention spans of my students have just gotten shorter, which I thought was impossible! lol

I'm helping my co-teachers to also prepare final exams. I'm really excited to be involved with this. Georgian teachers are being asked to find new ways of evaluating students and to be more open to western educational practices. Tests are often just focused on one issues and don't allow for multiple learning styles. I'm hoping that my additions to the finals will allow for a broader assessments (listening, comprehension, writing, grammar, creativity). We'll see how the students do in a couple of weeks.

I've been asked to go on many excursions or field trips. I'm trying to go on as many as possible not just because it's a free trip but because it gives my students a chance to interact with me outside of the classroom and use English in a more practical environment. The problem is that on GMT, Georgian Maybe Time, you never know when you are really leaving or other important details. It's frustrating that tomorrow's trip has been canceled. I said no to another class because my 7th graders asked me first. Now they aren't going until next weekend. Ah well, live and learn, I guess.

The weather is fabulous. It's sunny most of the time. We get a nice breeze off the sea to keep the high 70 to 80 degree weather from becoming overwhelming. I love my walks around Poti even more now. However, it seems that their is some flowering tree somewhere that makes my allergies crazy. I'm taking some Russian Allergy tablets but they don't seem to be working. This new pollen has extended my usual spring misery into a much longer ordeal. I am looking forward to the end of spring here. I'm told summer is only a week or two away. I should be out of the pollen by then. At the same time that's about when I'll be going back to America, too.

Stay safe all my American friends who are dealing with the crazy storms there!

Oh, If Only I had a Calendar!

I'm going to share a quick funny story that happened today. I must first though explain that Thursday we did not have school because it was St. Andrew's Day. On Friday, I also did not have school due to my changed schedule resulting from not working with one teacher anymore. This means that I had a four day weekend.

Now, on to the story.
I woke up late this morning, feeling kinda lazy. It wasn't a big deal since I don't have classes on Monday until 12:20pm. I proceed to take a shower and get dressed. Than I go downstairs and quickly eat lunch before heading off to school. I walk almost all the way to school before I spot a 7th grader who is walking about in street clothes not his uniform when he should be in class. I think that maybe he's skipping for some other event. I don't stop him or talk to him. At the corner street of the school I see a 6th grader helping this elderly woman with some bags. He also should be in class or at least his uniform. He is not. I get to school and realize as I walk through the doors that it's a big quite. I go to my first classroom and realize that it is empty. I'm very confused at this point.
I text my co-teacher and receive no response. I text a fellow volunteer, Shannon, and receive no response. I decide to walk home and see if I can't get a hold of my co-teacher before the lesson for 4th grade are supposed to begin. Maybe the first set of lessons were shortened again? As I'm walking through the market I spot my co-teacher. I ask her if classes have been canceled. She looks a little confused and replied that of course there wasn't class today.

And then it dawned on me. . . Today is Sunday.

That's right folks I went to school on a Sunday for no other reason than I am obviously not intelligent enough to look at a calendar. I guess this just shows how excited I am to be teaching. I just want to teach everyday. lol

The Quest for a Marshutka Proof Bag

Marshutkas are crowed, smelly mini buses. They are the standard form of transportation in every city and between cities here in Georgia. The great thing about them is that they are cheap and easily spotted. The bad thing about them is they are excruciatingly uncomfortable. You get smashed against the windows, or worse two strangers. Most of these strangers do not bathe as frequently as my timid American nose is used to. If you are carrying anything with you from a purse to a luggage bag, you had better hope that it can survive being crushed even more than your body and being thrown around some. Finding a bag that satisfies these requirements and can carry a 17" laptop is a tedious and frustrating journey.

I first attempted to find a large black purse in the Poti market that would fit my English books and laptop. Most Georgian women walk around all stylish and posh with a large metal studded, fake leather purse. My purse just didn't fit the requirements of Georgian streets even if it did fit all my books; which it didn't. (For the record, I never buy any bag unless it can fit at least one standard paperback book ;) Not always the easiest thing to achieve.)I bought two different bags that fit the requirements and had both break and be torn apart in one week. The continual rain and tribulations of riding in marshutkas did them in. I gave up on style at that point and just wanted to find a sturdy bag that would fit all my stuff. Weeks of searching yielding nothing. I even recruited volunteers in other cities to help me search.

Finally, I ordered ThinkGeek.com's "Bag of Holding". My dearest parents then shipped that and my kindle (New purse requirement: must fit kindle. Who knew life could be so easy!) over here to Georgia. I was told that the service I used, usa2georgia.com, would provide courier service to Poti. They did not. I can't complain, though, since it only cost me 45 GEL to ship a medium sized package to Georgia. That's a steal compared to the $300 with USPS or FedEx. The problem remained on how to get the package from Tbilisi, the capital, six hours away.

Yesterday, I braved the mountain roads by boarding a marshutka in the morning headed to Tbilisi. This one was crowded but not terribly so. I could keep to myself with my MP3 player. It was a long ride, six hours. None of the marshutkas have new or comfortable seats. Eventually, your but will hurt from sitting so long. Mine did.

When I got to Tbilisi, I met Ana in a taxi. She helped me translate to the driver where I needed to go. I picked up the package at the station from a super nice and English speaking woman. TLG or ex-patriots in Georgia, www.usa2georgia.com is definitely the way to get supplies from the states. They were awesome. After that we stopped at McDonalds for a hamburger. I'm not a fan at home in the states, but seeing those golden arches did make me smile a bit. The food is mostly the same. The menus just don't have prices, are written in Georgian, and don't feature any value meals or the dollar menu. In another taxi, I headed to the bus station again. All of this took a little over an hour. Perfect timing! I managed to get on the last bus headed back to Poti by five o'clock.

The marshutka going back was even more crowded than the first. I was squished in the back seat. I sat next to a very nice and friendly Georgian man from Telavi. The only problem was that I could tell that he distinctly was not wearing deodorant. It was kinda gross!

I can though, say that my new bag is marshutka proof. It was all worth the effort. I have triumphed over evil, righted wrongs, and proven my worth. . . as a marshutka passenger.

East Traditions

I first want to mention that I spent last weekend in Zugdidi with some other TLG volunteers. The volunteers in this city were hosting a Karaoke Night for the schools in Japan to help rebuild from the earthquakes. There were many volunteers that showed up. Together we raised over 300 GEL! We had some drinks around town and spent the night at a great new hostel. The owner, Regina, opened early for the event. She is a past TLG volunteer and amazing. The place was really nice even though they were still working on remodeling it. If you ever find yourself in Zugdidi, Georgia, stop there for a night. It's well worth the reasonable amount of 20 GEL. It was a blast.

I also spent some time walking aro und the Palace on Palm Sunday. The small church is next to the palace. Women were all over the gardens selling small baskets of palms. These aren't the palms that we use in the states. Instead they use a small bush that grows faster for the day. The church was so crowed that people were waiting outside in large groups waiting to catch part of the services.


This is a picture of the church next to the Palace.

I stayed home for our long break. Nino and Gocha's kids came to Poti. Their two sons and the oldest's wife are here until Monday. The house is filled with a gigantic amount of food. It doesn't even fit in the fridge. We have two regular cakes and five Pacas or Easter Cake (it's essentially hot cross buns done in a cake form) It's a good thing, too, since there seems to be some new friend or family member at every meal. Lots of people going in and out. Everyone is just talking and eating and enjoying each other's company. It's nice but awkward at the same time. I only understand half of the conversations. I also feel like I'm invading into something I shouldn't be. Nino and Gocha don't get to see their kids much anymore. I try to give them space to talk without worrying about entertaining me. It's an interesting balance for managing my time spent with the family and alone.

The really great tradition here that is similar to the states is dying eggs! They only use red dye to symbolize the blood of Christ being shed. My family then put plastic pictures around the eggs for added decoration. During lent many families have been growing wheatgrass for this weekend. They put the eggs in the grass or around it. It's a nice reminder of the greenhouses at home.

It's an exciting weekend filled with people and food, a perfect way to celebrate spring and Christ rising. Happy Easter!

An End and A Beginning

My troubles with the Difficult Teacher are over.
On Monday, this teacher once again randomly decided to have me to an entire lesson on my own. She has increasingly surprising me with lessons for a couple of weeks now. I have no problem ad-libbing a lesson everyone once and a while. Doing it on a regular basis is another thing. I asked her after class if she could give me a two day warning. This way I have time to write a good lesson plan. She thought I should always write a lesson plan. I tried first explaining that just following the book exercises in order is not a lesson plan, especially not for such a terrible old book. I also tried to explain that my writing a lesson plan without her doesn't work if I don't know what she's going to cover before or after my lesson. I offered to meet with her once a week so we could discuss plans. This is where she told me, "I don't want your help planning. I don't want your help in my class. I never wanted you in my classes." She also went on to describe how I was inexperienced. She believes that I need lesson plans only because I've never taught this class before. She doesn't need lesson plans because she's been doing the same lesson plan for the last forty years. (I didn't even try to explain how a lesson forty years ago was not going to work for students today in the 21st century) I will admit that at this point I was a bit frustrated. I've been trying for three months to establish re-pore with this woman with no success.  I gave her my volunteer experience and education university work. She seemed socked that I actually had some experience. She quickly recovered and said, "All of that doesn't matter. You have not finished University. You have no experience."

The discussion did not work well. I decided that since she really felt so strongly about not wanting me, I would honor that desire. I asked the director to give me another co-teacher to work with. I have left all my classes with the Difficult Teacher. Now I work with a nice woman for 7th, 9th and 10th grade. She's already asked me to bring in media for the class. I'm allowed to read and correct student's work. We already work better together after four lessons than Difficult Teacher and I ever did. I'm excited for what we can do together. I think the change will improve my mood immensely. I will miss my other students. However, I'll still see them around school. They know that I care about them and their education.

A Growing Bookshelf

If you know me personally, you know that I have a severe love obsession with books. The first thing I fretted over when packing for my first year of college was how many books I could fit into our tiny car. Half of my belongings packed up before I left for Georgia was just books. I have to keep a tight grip on the part of my budget for books or else I can easily get carried away.

Now, I'm in a new country with its own language and its own books. I, of course, had to buy a big dictionary for my class work and lesson plans. Then I bought a small children's book to help me learn Georgian. Just last week, I found a cook book of traditional dishes in Georgian I can translate. My Georgian bookshelf is growing.

There are wonderful little book sellers at the Poti market. Some have books in English as well as Georgians. The problem for me is that I see these sellers everyday walking home from school. When I go back to the US I won't be able to get books that are written in Georgian, especially at these prices. The cook book I got would be $30 in the states. Here it was only 19 GEL which is closer to $12. I could buy Harry Potter or even The Hobbit in Georgian and spend less than in the states. The temptation is almost endless here.

At the same time, some of my students can't get their English books for class. Students are required to find and buy all their books outside of the school. It isn't like attending college where you can just use a number of websites like Abebooks.com or amazon.com to find a cheap copy. Textbooks here are limited to mostly used books sold back and forth between the different markets in many of the cities. You can't always find the version you want or a book with all the pages. I don't know how families are able to find the books that they do. I certainly can't find all the books I need for class at the market. I had the Resource Center help me order them.

The Minister of Education is well aware of this problem. He has worked hard this past year to work out a deal for better English books at a cheaper price for all schools. At the meeting we had in Zugdidi where we, TLG volunteers, met him, he explained the new changes. Teachers will get a free pack of books and resources. This is great because teachers spend even more money on books than students and often can't get all of the resources like test booklets. The books for students will also be a low price of 10 GEL. Hopefully, the books will be lacking in the errors found in the current books.

Books aren't the only changes happening in the educational system here. Teachers are growing through a new certification process. Schools are being renovated. Students are receiving computers if they do well. National exams are also being instituted for University admittance. Vocational schools are also being updated and expanded. I could go on with more details. However, the important part to stress is that this is a lot of change. From my outside perspective, great and needed changes. Natives seem mixed. Many teachers and parents I talk to think it's great, too. Some teachers feel like it's too much change and not enough training and support. Either way, it's an exciting time to be here. I wish I could stay longer and see it all come to fruition.

Where Danni Rants on the Philisophical Differences between Soviet Education and American Progressivism and the Misfortunes of Monday Mornings

I have a difficult teacher. We don't see eye to eye on a lot of issues. Mainly, we don't agree on a basic philosophy about education. Today that difference became the focal point for yet another communication conflict.
A student was having problems spelling a word on the board. I was helping him sound out his mistakes when the difficult teacher started screaming at him in Georgian. When she finished, I asked her why she was screaming at him. She told me that the homework was for these simple past forms of the verbs to be memorized. She then had another student come up to the board and finish the work.
I would like to blame my next actions on it being Monday morning and not being entirely awake yet. But, in reality, it was more I couldn't stand not saying something directly about this issue to her. I've gently hinted and pushed at it before. My patience only lasts for so long. I should have waited till after class to bring it up. I was just afraid that she would once again ignore me in the hall or teacher's lounge because she was "busy" or it was too "noisy" to talk.
I told her flat out that I didn't think we should yell at students for making simple mistakes. It was our job as teachers to guide students into discovering knowledge and help them gain confidence in their language skills. She was shocked. She didn't understand why I wouldn't yell at a student. "It's the rule" that students are punished when they don't do the work. I explained my philosophy that all children can learn and our talented class just needed some positive reinforcement to fulfill their potential. Screaming at children is not, in anyway, positive. Of course, my co-teacher just turned around saying she didn't understand my problem so it wasn't important.
I'm frustrated when I work with this co-teacher. I don't know how to help her see that her actions make students fear or mock her. I don't know how to help her be open to learning new material. I don't know how to help her students when she refuses to allow me any room to show by example what the class is really capable of.
The students understood far more of our conversation than I think my co-teacher realizes. They were smiling and laughing at us. (Frankly, even I knew how ridiculous having the conversation in the middle of class was. Not one of my best moves.) They work hard when I get to do a lesson. The shy students actually participate when I get to do an activity. We could do so much for these students if she'd just be willing to compromise a little.  


There is a very evil part of me that hopes she doesn't pass her teacher exams (part of the new educational reforms) by 2014. Then no other student or co-teacher will have to deal with her attitude.

The Plague of Plastic

You can see it everywhere in Georgia. Plastic: bottles, bags, bowls, and trays. These things litter the streets, rivers, the beaches, and plants. It amazed me the first few weeks that I was here. I had never seen so much trash and plastic strewn about a place before. I couldn't go anywhere without seeing some random pile of crap. I thought it was odd considering how proud Georgians are of their country and the natural beauty of the landscape. They have a right to be proud. Between the mountains and seaside there are some amazing scenes of nature. It just doesn't seem to be a priority to take care of this amazing natural resource.

Where does all of this litter come from? Every transaction of exchanging goods for money includes a plastic bag. You buy a sweater at the market, you get a bag. You buy cookies at the bakery, you get a bag. You buy some Katchapuri for lunch, you get a bag. Plastic bags come in all sizes, colors, and thicknesses. Every situation is therefore covered by the perfect plastic bag. Perhaps this wouldn't be a problem if Georgians bought all their groceries and household items at the same place. There is no Baker's or Sentry grocery store in Poti. Instead, you go to one woman for potatoes another for garlic and yet another for some apples. Then you get oil and chicken at different place. Each place gives you at least one bag but sometimes more. In one afternoon, our household averages four bags. There are only three of us living here! The other problem is that you buy small quantities more often. Georgians do not stock up on Groceries or other items. They just buy it when they need it. This means more bags each month. These bags get thrown away, of course.

Garbage in general does not seem to be taken care of in the same way. There isn't a set day for taking the garbage out. A truck comes by every week, sometimes it's Monday, sometimes it Friday, sometimes it's both. There are also garbage cans on the streets. The wind blows all the garbage out, though. People then just drop trash on the ground rather than the bins. I don't know what the land fills are like, but they don't seem to be contained in anyway.

Now enter into the equation a young eco-conscious American. I carry a reusable bag with me everywhere, including across the globe to Georgia. When I go shopping, I'm always telling people that I do not want a bag. Most don't believe that they are understanding me right and give me a bag anyway. Some just laugh at me when I bring out my brightly colored bag (Thanks Kellie!) I've slowly in three months been able to teach a couple of the shops I go to on a regular basis that I do not want another plastic bag. Getting other Georgians to follow the trend has been another story all together. Therefore, if you are planning on coming to Georgia, please bring a reusable bag! We could do so much to help their awareness of their own polluting habits just by setting a good example. (If you want to do Teach and Learn with Georgia, email me any questions. I have extra resources that can help you understand the program and benefits!)

I feel like I'm being smothered by plastic here. I give credit for Georgians being resourceful and reusing many items. I just can't figure out why they can't find a solution for the overwhelming amount of plastic being used. Oh Georiga, you can do so much better!

"We have gathered here today to mourn our good English grades. . . "

(Who can name the person who said the quote of my title? It's a fellow East Troy alumni)
Today my 10th grade class had a test. This wasn't my first Georgian test. However, it was the first one not with my Difficult Teacher. I had thought that all my problems with test taking here were due to my communication and philosophy problems I have with my Difficult Teacher. That theory was proven wrong today, terribly wrong.

Classrooms are already fairly crowed. When you pack thirty students into a medium-sized classroom it becomes very difficult to spread them out during a test. The desks are crunched together. A certain amount of looking over shoulders is bound to happen just because of the limited space. Somehow, the classrooms seem even more crowed to me during a test. It is impossible to give students enough space so that they aren't staring at their neighbors test. The staring isn't subtle either. Students lean over the aisles to look at another test. Sometimes, they will even hold up their test for their friends to see.

Of course, this isn't the only way students cheat. The classroom is just as noisy during a test as it is during a regular lesson which by American standards is just about at the yelling level. Students ask each other for answers or talk about what they are going to do after school. It doesn't matter what they are saying or how loud they say it. It never crosses their mind to stop talking during an important exam.

Finally, two methods of cheating just about blew my mind. I asked the co-teacher before we started what her rules were. She said "No books, no notes, to be quiet, a regular test." When students couldn't be find inspiration for the writing section she had them get out their books. The rule basically meant nothing. Well, not nothing, I guess. I certainly enforced the rule and took three books away from students before I saw my co-teacher look right over another student who had his book out. More shocking was the instance of one boy physically handing his test book over to another boy to finish. At that point I didn't really care what the co-teacher did or didn't do. That was too blatant of cheating for me. I took both of their tests away before they had finished. It won't hurt their score much since they were already basically done. I wish it would have, though.

I discussed all the cheating with my co-teacher after the test. I can't understand how cheating could be allowed in any way. If the students don't understand a topic but cheat off someone who does know, how will the teacher know she needs to review the topic again. Tests are just as important for teachers as students. They help show where weaknesses are during instruction time. They help show whether the class is successfully navigating the year-long schedule to be prepared for the next year. My co-teacher just said, "They couldn't survive without cheating." Well, maybe it's about time they tried. I know that many of the students who were cheating are more than capable of being successful without help. They need to have the confidence to do that.

I  know their are differences in the cultural mindset surrounding education for Georgians and Americans. This difference is just too much for me to bend for. I can't stand their and watch students and teachers rob themselves of a great opportunity to really asses their strengths and then improve. What to do, what to do?

House Slippers and Other Reasons I am Sick

Despite the reasons I might believe I am sick such as I work at a germy school that doesn't have soap in the bathroom or the maid, Dalika, doesn't cover her mouth when she coughs, really this is what the Georgians keep telling me.
I am sick because . . .
1. I don't wear my house slippers all the time. You are supposed to get home, take off your shoes and put on your slippers. Sometimes I forget and walk around in my socks. If I'm just in my bedroom I might even be barefoot. My host family will all look at me like I'm crazy when they see my naked feet and immediately demand I put slippers on.
2. I wear short sleeved sweaters. I have a couple sweaters that I wear on sunny days or when I know the school will be heated. For some reason this is not a good idea even though the outside temperature is usually in the 30s and even low 40s on those days. It always makes me giggle to think of what they'd say if they saw all the Wisconsin kids wearing flip-flops in six inches of snow. That surely makes you more cold than wearing short sleeves.
3. I take a shower in the morning. I don't really understand the reasoning behind this because I've only gotten the comment once. Shannon, the other Poti, volunteer says her family harps about it a lot. I guess having wet hair in the morning allows germs to infect you easier. I would like to point out that most Georgians don't have curly hair. They have no idea what trials I go through to tame my hair even a little while living next to the sea and in the humid air here.


The cold that I currently have seems to be the same one that everyone has been passing around for the last three weeks. The sinus pressure was bad enough for me that on Thursday I stayed home from school. When I arrived at school on Friday for my two lessons, my co-teacher first demanded to know where I was yesterday. I had texted her the morning before school started. The school was also contacted. I don't think this teacher has ever missed a day of school even when she was terribly ill. This teacher was also one of the first to get the cold earlier this month, perhaps it's her germs that got me sick. I told her that I was felling better and didn't want to miss school. Since I wasn't coughing anymore, I figured the potential for me passing germs had become more limited. Telling her I was still sick was a mistake. She kept telling me to go home and sleep and feel better. I couldn't tell if she just didn't want me in class with her or she really thought I looked sick and miserable.
I will continue to drink tea and orange juice and plenty of fluids (happy mom?). I didn't go traveling this weekend like planned so I could rest and recuperate. I think I'll be able to beat this nasty bug soon. All I'll have to do is buy some soap for the school.

A Wedding Supra: An Event Suprisingly Similar to the Packers Winning the Superbowl

I will first endeavor to explain what a "supra" is. This is not an easy task, however. Supra literally means table in English. It is a giant feast where Georgians toast anything and everything they can think of. At every toast an entire glass of wine is had. You start the feast with a table full of food. An American could relate it to the amount of food seen at a Thanksgiving meal. You take that amount and multiply it by six or seven. You pour wine (a cousin assured me that the alcohol content of this wine is more like beer, but I'm not so sure about that) into beer pitchers and sit a ton of people around the table. Then you make a toast every few minutes, eat some delicious food, bring out more food, make more toasts, sing some songs, make more toasts, bring more food, dance, more toasts, more food and it just continues like this for hours.

It sounds a bit overwhelming, and, frankly, it was. Yet, there was more to this adventure than just the supra. It started Friday afternoon. Gocha and I got into his car and picked up one of his cousins who had a small boy with her of four or five. We picked up another cousin and headed off to Tbilisi. The car was an SUV. They are big vehicles but not really meant for five adults (Gocha's car has a driver, Beso. I think it's his Valet. Language barrier has made this difficult to understand) and a small child. Tbilisi is four-six hours away depending on whether you go 80km/hr or 160km/hr. We stopped at the same restaurant in the mountains for dinner. We had khatchapuri, of course, some grilled meat and pickled vegetables.

We got to Tbilsi and sat out in a parking lot for 20 minutes before Nino and her youngest son came out. Her son told me in English that I would be spending the weekend with a family friend, Tamuna. Tamuna spent eight years in Russia with her family and spoke English pretty well. Her husband, George, did, too. They have two teenage sons that I met that night. They had super and then I went to bed. The next morning was a bit awkward. Waiting around for the family to wake up was odd. What are you supposed to do? Anyway, we went to Nino and Gocha’s apartment at 1PM. There I proceeded to wait some more. This waiting was mixed with short episodes of understanding the family was talking about me but not the details and having the cute cousins being herded towards me to entertain me since they spoke English. 

Finally, we went to the Church, the oldest church in Georgia. Beautiful doesn’t begin to cover the space. An Orthadox service was different but still held elements I could figure out despite it being in Georgian. I will admit that the crowning part was difficult not to laugh at. Both the groom and bride had to kiss each other’s crowns and then wear them for a bit. Next the best man and maid of honor took off the crowns to hold them above their heads. All four then proceeded to follow the priest in walking around an icon in the center of the church. I’m sure there is some great meaning in this symbol. But, it looked a trifle funny. Don’t worry, I didn’t actually laugh. I held on to some dignity and didn’t embarrass the whole family. 

After the service, we went to the restaurant for the supra. There was some more awkward waiting and smiling at strangers staring at the foreigner, me, while Nino found a cousin to pawn me off on. I ended up at a table right by the wedding party’s table. This table was full of male cousins. Most of them spoke some English and were pretty darn attractive. The family has some impressive genetics, let me tell you. They helped to explain the toasts and encouraged me to try the endless platters of food that were brought out. I was next to the dance floor and got to dance with some fun people. One dance was even with a very drunk guy who kept trying to dip me. I refused with “ara” (no). He didn’t seem to understand why I wouldn’t trust him. I don’t know, a drunk guy who can barely stand up straight doesn’t sound like the best person to trust to hold your head a couple feet from the floor. It was a great party. I just didn’t have the stamina of Georgians for the food and drink and dancing. It was exhausting. 

Georgians can party for hours. The young men love to show off how much alcohol they can consume. They are loud and cheer for the bride and groom. If you stand off to the side of the party you will see what must surely amount to chaos. The males wander from table to table drinking and chatting with everyone. It really reminded me of watching the celebrations of Packers’ fans after winning the superbowl. The hours of celebrations and the conversations for weeks later of the drunken escapades and game highlights were very similar to the longevity of the Georgian party.  I will admit that Georgians have us Wisconsinites beat when it comes to alcohol tolerance. I have a new perspective on what it  means to be drunk. There were no mean or weepy drunks to be seen. They were friendly and boisterous. It was an interesting evening. 

I spent the night with Tamuna again and met up with Nino and Gocha at the restaurant on Sunday. For four hours I engaged in another supra with the 30 closest family members. The Tamanda, the leader of the supra and toastmaster, was George. He and I had talked a lot during the weekend, and he seemed to adopt me as his own daughter. Therefore before I could leave after Gocha demanded that we be released to get back to Poti that day, he made a ten minute long toast about me and my teaching and my home state and how I was a part of the family now. (It’s not uncommon for toasts to take up a lot of time, this was just inconvenient) It was cute and quite the sendoff.  

The wedding supra was without a doubt the most adventurous activity I've done here in Georgia. 

Kissing Jesus

Today I went to an orthodox service with one of my co-teachers. There aren't any Catholic churches here in Poti, and I haven't been to mass since I got to Georgia. It has been difficult to find time and someone who will take me with them. This morning though I convinced and hounded my co-teacher to let me tag along.

The church is small but beautiful and fairly new or at least recently renovated. Poti is working on rebuilding both of their main churches. The walls were covered with ornate pictures of saints and religious work. No pews or seats were around. People just stood around and shifted as needed when more people entered. The front of the church included a wall with three doors. Two side door and a large center door that was often opened during services for the priest to walk through. On the other side of the wall lays an ornate alter. There was priest and seven men assisting. They ranged in ages from five or six to forties. I think it was a combination of alter boys and deacons.

It was a unique experience. The polyphonic singing is amazing. Four men stood facing each other to sing a beautiful combination of harmonies. Sometimes they all just hummed dissonant pitches while the priest was singing. The music had an uncanny way about echoing through the church. It would vibrate the walls and add even more momentum to the song. It felt like the music would echo through the walls and back into the souls of all those standing in the Church. While I would have loved to sing along or heard some congregation pieces, the amount of music was far greater than a Catholic mass. I'm a bit jealous of that!

I didn't understand much of what was being said in the rapid Georgian. I know that the gospel was the prodigal son. I know that the Priest gave an interesting and humorous homily. I also know that it took 4 1/2 hours! Standing for 4 1/2 hours while trying to decipher Georgian and follow all the signs of crosses was difficult. I could not find cues as to when everyone did the sign of the cross. I tried to be respectful, but I missed a lot of them. (So, Catholics go across their shoulders first and Orthadox touch the shoulder on the right side first. Is this why my first grade Faith Formation Teacher was so insistent about how we did the sign of the cross? Just so we didn't get mistaken as Orthadox Christians? lol) There was also a great deal of kissing icons and crosses as people were leaving the church. I know Catholics do this too sometimes. But watching all the sick people touching the cross was a bit too much for me. The Priest would have let me come up at the end in the line of everybody else, but I politely declined. I love Jesus; I think he'll understand me foregoing kissing his statue for remaining healthy.

The differences were intriguing. It gave me a lot of time to think about how much I take for granted during the services I attend at home every Sunday. Hopefully, I'll get to a Catholic service next time I'm in Tbilisi. I'm grateful for the experience but miss my own services where I know what's going on.

Mast'! Mast'! Mast'!

Mast'savlebeli means teacher in Georgian. And that is what I am here in Georgia. An English Teacher. (Cue song from Bye Bye Birdie. . .) I am working with 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th grades. I have about 21 lessons each week and work with three different teachers.

Despite the age differences, there are many similarities throughout all of my classes. The first being Georgian students are noisy! They whisper to each other. They practice the material "silently" to themselves. They check answers with each other. They even say "Mast'! Mast'! Mast'!" while trying to get the teacher to call on them. All thirty some of them do this at the same time. My ears are still protesting the sound. I'm sure in a couple more weeks I'll be used to it. Right now, though, I want to cover my ears in most classes. The noise, though, is just a sign of one of the best attributes of Georgian students. They are so excited to learn English. I can't speak about other lessons, but they seem to really want to be in school. They take their education more seriously than many of the Americans I know. These students also have a high tolerance level. The school is often without electricity and therefore heat. They only have chalkboards in the classrooms. No extra books or supplies in the rooms. There is a tiny library and a computer room that seem to rarely be used. There is also only one severely outdated science laboratory for the whole school. Yet, students think their school is beautiful. They appreciate the large classrooms and the things they do have.

The best part of getting to know my students is seeing their confidence emerge. I walk to and from school. That way I get to see more of Poti and burn off some of those calories they keep stuffing down my throat (seriously, Georgians never seem to stop offering me food!). This week I've had four different students approach me on these walks and speak in English with me. The fourth grader only got as far as "Hello, how are you?" but the smile on her face when I responded was resplendent. A seventh grader had a whole conversation with me about my computer. They are timid when conversing, but I take the signs of initiative outside of the classroom as beacons of emerging understanding and retention. 

Obviously, It isn't all or even most of my work. I've only been here for three weeks. There was a past volunteer here last semester, and their teachers have been here for years (one has been teaching for over 40 years). These people get the credit for giving students the opportunity to learn the basics of English. I'm just trying to give students another reason to be excited about the material and teachers the opportunity to improve their English with a native speaker. Two of my teachers have been exceptional to work with. They let me read a lot and are open to my suggestions of games and activities that get students speaking aloud. One, however, is difficult to communicate with. She doesn't seem to understand my accent. I have an even harder time understanding her's. She also has a teaching philosophy that is very difficult for me to understand. She yells at students all the time. Sometimes, it seems like for no reason at all. She corrects students in the middle of their attempts to sound out words. When students make a mistake, she screams that they should know it already. A topic is introduced and then reviewed a little the next day. No activities are given to practice or to use the new information in a practical way. The students are just supposed to memorize texts. I try to gently add my suggestions to class. We are still communicating with each other, however, slowly and painfully at times. I think her classes will be the best opportunity for me to challenge my own teaching style. I feel like I can offer those students more, more laughter and more interesting material. I also feel like I can really help this teacher improve her own English. She's obviously been studying a for a long time. She understands the basics but has had little opportunity to use it outside of regurgitating for a classroom. This is the challenge that I wanted. Let's see what happens in the next five months, shall we?

On the Vitue of the Color Black

Any where you go in Georgia, you will see crowds of people wearing only black. It is the basic color that every child, man, and woman resorts to when deciding what to wear. From head to toes Georgians cover themselves in Black. This makes monochromatic the norm.  There are those who dare to branch out a bit and wear navy, shades of gray, or white. However, the bright colors of red, baby blue, pink, or yellow are rarely seen. It can be a bit overwhelming to walk into school or through the market and just see rolling waves of black. I disturb this cloud of Georgian Black with my bright yellow coat and khakis. There is no better way for me to shout, "I'm a foreigner!" than to wear such vivid colors.  I just can't resist. I like color, and I like seeing the startled reactions of those who notice me.

You might be led to believe that the color choice reflects on Georgian personality. I suppose it does, but not in the stereotypical manner in which Americans think of Black. We see Black as a sign or mourning, hiding, or depression. It works well as a base for clothes but should be accented with something bright in order to negate this convention. It would be easy to assume that the Georgians dressed solely in such a dark color would be an unhappy lot or perhaps unwelcoming to strangers. In reality, Georgians are just bidding their time to embrace you. They are extremely welcoming and quick to laughter and generosity. The color needed in life comes out in their personality and reflects strongly against the color choice of their clothes. The person becomes more vivid.

An introduction to Poti

I would like to first mention that there are fireworks being shot off in the rain tonight. I have no idea why, but it certain makes you wonder about cultural differences, doesn't it?

Poti is an odd city. It lacks much of the juxtaposition that Tbilisi had. There is construction going on in a few areas. However, most of the city looks like the stereotype of a post-soviet city. There are buildings in ruins everywhere. Stray dogs run rampant. There are cows just hanging out on the street corners next to the chickens. Through all of this you begin to see the certain charm that such a city holds. You can easily walk down to the Black sea from my house. There is a long trail that runs along the port where you can find people biking or walking. Every house has fruit trees and grapes growing in their yards. The architecture is very unique. The city is begining to grow. Businesses are moving in. This means the standard of living is much greater here than in the villages.

A picture of my house in Poti

I'm very lucky to have the host family that I do. The mayor, Gucha,  is very busy but kind. His wife, Nino, is amazing and a cardiologist. They both know a fair amount of English and are eager to practice. I haven't picked up too much Georgian because they both want to become comfortable with English. Nino said she'd help me learn though. They have been very generous. My room is well furnished. I even get my own bathroom! They have two sons who are studying in Tbilisi at the University there. Some of the anticipated issues that were mentioned in training like lack of privacy or lack of luxuries have not been an issue for me. 

 

School has been interesting. I work with four different teachers and have 25 lessons every week. One of the teachers has been working for 40 years. You can tell by her yelling at students and the books she prefers to work with. It's this old book that just has a few boring texts to read and nothing conversation related. Thankfully, she can only use it with the sixth graders. I'm hoping to add a lot of games to that class. So many of students look like they are falling asleep in class. Ironically, this is the same teacher who was trying to correct my own pronunciation of words while I was reading today.  No it wasn't a "q" sound, it was the word mountain. I'm pretty sure I say that one correctly. lol We get a long fine otherwise, though. The students are eager but noisy in class. I could write a lot more about school, but I'll leave that for another day. 

I really want to make a small mention about driving in Georgia. IT'S TERRIFYING! To get to Poti, some men from the resource center picked me and the other Poti volunteer up in Tbilisi. We drove on only one road through the mountains. It was like being on a roller coaster. Imagine a two lane road winding through the mountains. Then add cars and trucks going over 140 km/hour. Cars pass each other all the time, including around corners and up hills. The only notice they give is the occasional honk. The cars are also driving three a breast for one lane. Oh, and add the occasional cow in the middle of the road. You have to be very brave to drive here and I give a lot of props to the man who got us here safely. Craziest part of living in Georgia so far!

Spontaneous Interview with Georgian Police

Tonight was incredibly surprising. Our last meeting of the evening was mainly about our placements. We were being told what city we would be living in for at least the next six months. Before the announcement the director (who reports directly to the minister of Education) spoke about the program. She then asked that four of us, including me, follow her.
We all follow her out into the freezing cold hallway trying to think of a reason for us being called out. Did we break some rule? We weren't the ones going out every night, so what could we have done wrong? Were we being sent home? Needless to say it was a nerve racking fifty feet.
Our destination was the TLG office in the hotel. There a man, that we had seen earlier observing our Georgian Lessons, was waiting. It turns out that the Police Academy has a couple TLG volunteers for Tbilisi and hoped to add two female teachers to their group. There would be no host family, rather you would live together in an apartment paid for by the academy. You would be teaching adults and not really be working with a co-teacher. Essentially, it was a huge twist on the program we thought we signed up for. He wanted to interview the four of us. One of the fellow volunteers declined because she had really wanted to be with a host family. It just left the three of us.
I volunteered to go first. I knew coming into this program that I would have to be flexible to whatever changes were brought my way. This was definitely a big change! It really wasn't what I had hoped for. I wanted experience in a classroom and an opportunity to learn Georgian in a host family. However, I was willing to take the risk and see what happened. He just asked about my work experience. I forgot to mention volunteer work which was silly of me since it includes most of my teaching experience.
Once I was finished (a whole three minutes later), I waited in the hall outside for the other two girls to go. We chatted and nervously wondered about this change in fate. He told us after the third individual that I was the one not selected. Frankly, I was a bit relieved. I didn't think I would be able to offer my best in the capitol city to a bunch of adult Georgians. I have no experience teaching adults.
I walked back to the meeting room with the director while she called to find out my placement. She told me that I would be in Poti, the second largest port city on the Black Sea, living with the mayor! It sounded fantastic to me. I leave tomorrow to head out to my host family and new home. I can't help but wonder if my host family will like me. I wonder if I can really handle this complicated Georgian language. I wonder if my smiley personality is going to cause problems. I guess we'll find out in less than 24 hours.
Wish me luck!

A Typical Training Day

 Here is a glimpse at a training day for Teach and Learn with Georgia volunteers. They know how to keep us busy and well fed. It's pretty intense but enjoyable all the same.

7:00AM
Wake up in our luxurious hotel room and get ready for the day. It has been quite surprising that the sun doesn't begin to move over the mountains until after 8AM.  I'm so used to having more light in the morning, even in the winter in order for the day to get started.
8:00
Breakfast is eaten in buffet style in the dining room. Everyone sits together around large tables while trying Georgian food. The staples that you will see at every meal of course are freshly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, bread, a selection of cold cuts, a plate of different cheeses, and an odd selection of juices that no one is really sure what they are made from. The staples are delicious but the unique dishes (like noodles and hot dogs) are also normally very good. They even serve us cocoa puffs. I suppose it provides a decent transition for those of us still stuck on our processed foods.
9:00
The morning meeting is a great deal like any morning meeting. Some people care, others chat with their neighbors, and half of the group is sits there pretending to be awake. The jet lag is still plaguing many. It does have one benefit. If you ever get bored, you can just take a look around and laugh at the ridiculous zombie faces they all wear while waking up.
10:00
Georgian Class! This is by far my favorite part of the day. A teacher works with a small group of twenty of us. Marica is a brilliant and patient teacher who has done work with peace corp and the European equivalent of the peace corp.  We have a small coffee break at 11:30 and then work more. There are lots of activities which are helpful when you are trying to learn new sounds. Georgian has a "kh" and a "gh" sound that remind you of a cat throwing up. Of course the r's are rolled and there are multiple k, t, p, and b sounds. Writing the Georgian language is a bit difficult, but it redeems itself by being so helpful. Every letter you see you say and everything you say you write. There aren't any crazy silent letters like in English!
2:30PM
Lunch includes the staples mentioned earlier and  soups and mystery meats. They also like to chop up different veggies and combine them. It's nice to give your mind a rest and just relax with friends.
3:00
This is our time for intercultural training. There are mixed opinions about these classes. The first day was a long introduction into the goals of the class and such. I think it could have been shortened in time and allowed for us to start answering our questions about Georgian manners and daily life. I'm glad we reviewed the issues and importance of stereotypes. But really, I'm a bit more concerned at the moment about how to establish a personal bubble with my host family. Today was much more informative. Luckily, it's never just lecturing. Our teachers do case studies and ice breakers with us. We again have a coffee break (so much coffee! They give us these delightful little pastries, too. They offer tea but only Earl Gray and Green Tea. I miss my peppermint) in the middle.
7:15
Dinner was the first place I got to try the infamous Khachpuri. It's circular bread with cheese baked in it. Every region and family have their own recipe. The hotel's is good but very salty. Some people say it's like cheese bread you might order with pizza in the states. I don't think so. It's flat and just blends better. It's like the bread is made from a dough of solely cheese. Of course, you have plenty of other food and time to get to know fellow volunteers during this time.
8:00
We finish the day off with a meeting. We go over questions and sign our contracts. Later in the week we will be taking to current Teach and Learn with Georgia volunteers. There is free time in the evening. Many of us have walked around Tbilisi or chatted over the wine we got in our welcome bags. Sleep is a big priority after these long days. I might want to socialize more. However, being able to focus on my classes the next day is more important.

Seeing the Future as I Fly through Time Zones

I left from Chicago on Friday at 9PM for Georgia. Luckily, I met up with some other Greenheart travelers at the gate. We chatted about where we were from and what was bringing us to Georgia. Then we all boarded the largest airplane I have ever seen for a ten hour flight. I have to say Turkish Airlines treated us very well. We got two full meals and had personal TVs at our seat with new movies, tv shows, music, and games. They even gave us little kits with slipper socks, eye masks, and a toothbrush. Perhaps you get all these convinces when flying internationally no matter which airline you use, but since it was my first international flight, I felt spoiled. We then landed in Istanbul, Turkey, for a seven hour wait. Some people bought a visa and went out into the city to explore. I stayed in the airport (it was full of perfume!). I didn't want to get lost and miss my flight. Our last flight was only two hours long and also included a meal.

Landing in Georgia finally was extremely exciting. You could see all the city lights as we came in, and I got a slight idea for the size of  Tbilsi (their capital).  When we left the plane all we had to do was stand in line for the visa and get our passports stamped. I only had to tell them that I was with Teach & Learn and they took care of it all. I got my luggage downstairs and went out the doors to a waiting area. A couple very nice Georgians were waiting with a sign. They pointed out where we could exchange money and we gathered as a group to wait for everyone. Even though it was 3:30AM and I hadn't really slept on the planes, I was wide awake. The airport looked like any other airport, but I knew that right outside was a whole new country. A place that I'd never seen. No one I know has seen it either.

I got my first real look at the city on the bus that took us to our hotel. Many of the buildings we passed were run down. However, there were plenty of trees along the road side and some decent green space here and there. All the signs are written in Georgian. There were a couple that had English as well close to the airport. When roads are built on bridges above each other there are neon pink and blue lights on the sides of the bridge. Gas was terribly cheap. The two stations that we passed were all priced under 2 lari (at least I think I read the sign correctly?) which is less than a dollar.My hotel room's window has a view of the city and the mountains behind it. I'll see if I can't get a decent picture of it sometime this week.

Hopefully, I will get to see more soon. Today was just spent sleeping at the hotel. We have a welcome meeting and dinner soon. I'm sure we'll get a schedule for the next week of training and such tonight. I can't wait to get started on it all.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

It has been a surprisingly typical Winter Break.

Time spent with family included visiting my sister in Madison. Not really enough time to catch up, but at least a quick look at her new place. My brother and sister-in-law are back in town. They came and spent Christmas Eve with my parents and I. We had our typical dinner of a Christmas goose on the good china. We ate cookies and chatted around the wood stove. It was nice and calm and just what I wanted. I'm blessed to have the family that I do. They put up with me being a bit crazy and busy all the time. Even when I'm up till 2AM, Mom and Dad don't give me too much hassle for keeping them up. Living in an old farm house makes it difficult to get to bed without waking up those in the room next door.

I can home to a rush of get-togethers with friends and odd drama I didn't know had happened. It seems to happen every year but I never expect it. I want to just reconnect with friends and enjoy the few days we have together. I've lost touch with more people than I'd really have liked to. Talking face-to-face is corrupted by the  unexpected undercurrents of tension and awkwardness. So many of us have changed directions or still trying to find a direction. I anticipated more of us staying on course with our plans made senior year. I know that really isn't the norm. However, we all seemed to have had solid plans and aspirations. Life just through too many road bumps into those plans. I'm sure in ten years, those life changing road bumps will be viewed as blessings. However, right now they just seem to be difficult.

It feels even weirder to not be buying books or making plans to get back to Omaha for classes. I'll miss my Amtrak trip filled with esoteric people. Instead, I'll be taking my first international flight to Georgia. My luggage sits in my room, mostly packed. My browser history is filled with websites on international travel, volunteer blogs, and language tips. I'm getting ready, but I don't feel like I'm really leaving in a few short days (speaking of which, we still don't have our tickets! That part is a bit nerve racking). Instead, I sit at home working on my parents website and baking my favorite recipes. I made chocolate chip cookies today. My Dad didn't think I'd get a chance to make them in Georgia. But the thought still isn't really hitting me.It's just too average of a week. I bake every time I come home from school. Does the fact I'm leaving for another country change my state of mind? Not much, sadly. I'm still exciting to be going, but it feels like the adventure is a far off dream not a close reality.