More Notes from Kareli

On one hand, I can't believe that we've had two full weeks of PST already (plus a few days). On the other, it feels a bit like we've been here forever!  I've been studying Georgian for ~3 weeks now (including orientation), and it's going well, I think.  At least, I'm generally able to follow what's going on in class!  But, when I get home and try to speak to my host family, or understand what they are trying to tell me, it's pretty frustrating.  We have the same conversation a lot, since my phrases are pretty limited:

Good morning. Today, I go to school in Kareli. Later we go to Gori.
It is cold.  Bad weather.
I like tea.
I love Lamzira's (host mum's) coffee.
This (bread, potatoes, beans, porridge, etc.) is delicious.
Where is Khatia/Giorgi? (host sibs)
Georgia is beautiful.
I miss my family.
Thank you!
Good bye!
Etc.

Random musings...

My Cluster
My PST "cluster" is great, imho.  We had our first real assignment for organizational development training, and I think we did a fine job working together. We visited a youth-based NGO in a nearby town last week called DROA. The organization's mission is to increase civic engagement among local youth. We interviewed several members/board members in order to do a "capacity assessment" of the organization's programming and external relations functions. Then, we had to write up a report on our findings.  For those who have been wondering what exactly I will be doing in my work here -- that's one example!  I will be paired with a Georgian NGO somewhere, and one thing I might do is conduct my own capacity assessment of the organization's various functional systems (HR, External, Governance, Mgt, Programs, etc.), using a profiling tool based on interviews of & probing questions to key organization personnel.  Does that make sense? It's starting to make sense to me.  The idea is to identify areas of need versus strengths, etc.

Besides me, in my cluster are:
A recently retired CPA from Wyoming.  He is brave and hard working, and the PC is lucky to have him.
A retired (I think?) computer programmer from Spokane.  She is sweet and fun and social, and loves to knit.
And, two (funny coincidence!) 30-ish librarians. One is from Pittsburgh, and he is adventurous and funny. He describes himself as prone to calamities.  The other is from Texas but has lived in Hawaii (yay! HI!) most of her adult life.  She is very smart and is definitely the best student in our Georgian class!

This is Nate (the calamitous) and some of his fan club at the school. We have our Georgian classes every morning, six days a week, in a working school. During the breaks, the kids come to visit our room. They are very curious and adorable.  Interestingly, they seem to gravitate toward Nate the most.  Perhaps it's cultural -- he's the guy in the room, and, in Georgia, men (sons, anyway) are more valuable than girls. (Ask me what I think about that!)  The young man in the Nike hat lives near me, and I sometimes see him on my to or from school.  He always says "Hello!"

Our School
When I stop to think about the fact that our school is a working school, I get a bit sad.  The school is really in terrible shape.  The tiles are loose and broken, sometimes there is no electricity in the rooms, many windows don't close, and the bathrooms are horrendous. (Nate calls them "war crimes.")
And it's COLD.  Very cold.  Despite the fact that it is May, it's still pretty cold here in Kareli (highs in the 50s and 60s most days).  There is no heat at the school, so I usually bring a blanket to class!  I can't imagine what it must be like for the students in winter! Maybe they turn on the heat in winter. I hope so.  Here are a picture of one of the hallways -- notice the lack of any cheery decorations or lockers -- and a picture of Kareli from one of the third floor windows of the school.

 

Houses in Kareli
There are a LOT of empty/abandoned homes in Kareli.  Below is a picture of one of them that I think has a particularly melancholy aura.  I see this one on my way to school everyday.  It's leaning and looks like it might fall over at any moment.  My host mum saw this picture and recognized it as one of the homes left by a Jewish family.  Apparently, after the fall of the Soviet Union, LOTS of Georgian Jews emigrated to Israel and left their properties.

The Georgian Countryside:

Beautiful.  Really beautiful.  Of course, it's early spring now, so it's especially nice right now.  Here's a picture I took on a ride between Kareli & Gori.  You can just make out the Greater Caucasus in the background.  

Other Stuff:

This made me laugh -- "Passion Fruits Crispy Apple"

Marshutka Rides:
A VERY common activity for us PC Trainees -- marshutka (mini-van) rides.  Here we are on a trip between Kareli & Gori for either a technical class, field trip, or something.  I think we were actually heading to the Magti Store (like an ATT or Verizon store) to get mobile internet modems.  This fact explains the happy smiles.  After two weeks of minimal or no internet access, you start to feel a bit weird, especially if you're in your 20s!!  (And, the median age of PC Vols is 24, so they're all pretty much youngsters.)

The Beautiful Georgia Countryside:
We arrived at a really nice time in Georgia.  It's spring and stuff is starting to grow.  So far, in the markets, you can find cucumbers, hothouse tomatoes, green onions, and various herbs and lettuces.  Also oranges from Western Georgia (I think) near the Black Sea.