The internet and I have had a curious relationship ever since I arrived to Georgia. Never has such a significant part of my income taunted me for internet access yet only in small quantities (1 gb or 5 gb with Georgian mobile provider - Magticom). Before Georgia, I don't think I ever appreciated the ability to have unlimited access to the internet. In America, you do generally pay a good bit more for access, but after reading an article from the technology editors at The Economist, most people only use a small amount of bandwidth. They were discussing that one major internet provide company (can't remember who) is going to charge more for people who use beyond something like 140 gb of bandwidth. They said that people should pay for what they use, and things like this are turning the internet into a measured consumable product. A forecasted downside of this new trend is that innovation through technology and internet-accessible resources would be limited. The internet has come a long way simply because there haven't been limits placed on it.

This brings me back to Georgia. When we first arrived, the "obscene" amount of money we paid for internet was able to provide unlimited internet access. The USB-wireless technology was released in 2007 in Georgia and limited in 2009 (still in the midst of an economic crisis). Their justification was that it was to model after companies like AT&T which limit bandwidth consumption on their 3G devices. While internet access is available in unlimited quantities with the land-line based DSL and cable internet providers, Georgian mobile companies, such as Magticom, may be making major money in the short term, but I don't think that the Georgian economy or people can support such an expense in the long haul. Of course, there's the actual cost, but there's also potentially lost innovation. In Georgia's developing economy, it needs all the innovation it can get.

I have found in general in my business-sense observations in the former Soviet countries, that there's this grotesque misconstrued version of capitalism. Capitalism in America does have its dark side, of course, but in Georgia for example, businesses and some people catch hold of all of the darkest side of capitalism and run with it. There was an article (most likely sure through Fortune Magazine) saying that Georgia is one of the best places in the world to start a new business. A friend of mine claimed that it's because there are no regulations. I'm neither here nor there on this, I personally think capitalism and a free market keeps things competitive, however, without the guiding hand of regulations and monitoring, dishonesty and (in some cases) corruption brew easily. Whether it be an individual language tutor charging outrageous prices for poor quality lessons in the capital or a private school like St. George's School in Vake (calling them out again) running a money machine and providing poor to no education at all. In general, people in Georgia think: if you pay more, it's better. To a degree, this also exists in America, but with the long-standing record of scams and scandals in the past, most experienced eyes in America can recognize this before.

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On a not serious note, you've probably been wondering what's going on with me. :) Well, I have been continuing my IT classes in the IDP settlement, and today I'm finishing my last class. It has been a good, but challenging time. On the surface, my kids are normal Georgian kids, just like any other classroom. However, the trauma many of them and their families suffered from being uprooted from their homes and transplanted elsewhere with essentially nothing has taken and will take its toll. Some of the kids have told me to "go f*** yourself" (in English, ages 10 and 11) and another 10-year-old girl told me in Georgian to "go to hell" when I asked all of them to remain quiet. I think the parents in this settlement have this overwhelming sense of apathy towards parenting and their children's success. As a result, most of these kids have no idea about what respect for teachers or discipline are. I'm kind and encouraging, but tough love comes out when they misbehave. I started with 30 students. Through my "tough love" principles, I will finish this 3-month project with 10 or 11. The 10/11 that will finish are really good kids. They still misbehave, but I've been able to make progress with teaching them computers and about life. Next Friday, we are going to have an open-house/ceremony for the parents to come in and see their children's work, have refreshments, and students will be presented with certificates and a flash drives for completing the course successfully. The NGO liaison and someone from Peace Corps are coming as well to give it more officialness. The 10/11 students are really excited, and I am too!

One thing that really bothers me in the center I teach in is that there's an art teacher who teaches on the same days as me, yet he rarely comes. The children don't really have any activities to do and they look forward to any courses or classes. They wait eagerly for him to get off the bus with me and are disappointed when the bus drives away. Then when he will come some days, they are all excited and forget that he never came the last time. They are just so happy to see him and have something interesting to do.

I had a similar experience in my town when I was taking dance classes. The dance teacher commuted from Tbilisi, and he made the children feel bad when they had trouble learning the dance steps with a, "I came all the way from Tbilisi to watch this!?" I know there are aid workers in the NGO like the one I'm teaching through that are amazing, but it makes me upset to experience a neglectful attitude towards the emotional well-being of children especially and other groups that need the most support.

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Ok, so I tried to steer away from the serious. Maybe this next try'll be more successful. :)

In the beginning of May, I went with my primary counterpart to her village in Eastern Kakheti for the "7-days after Easter Festival." I had gone the previous year, and having already met these people the year before, it was comfortable with so many familiar faces around. I took it easy, might have gotten some form of parasite (currently dealing with), and just overall relaxed. We went to "Nekresi" Church in the region of Kvareli (nearby) which was perched on the top of a mountain.

Photo #24 - Nekresi in the Mist - A steep walk or short car ride up the

mountain is worth it to check out this quaint church remodeled from the

sixth century.I love this particular area in Kakheti, because it's truly beautiful and calm. None of the street noise from my town/apartment.

Photo #25 - Village Views in Chikaani - Just beyond this lush greenness

lies Dagestan and Ingushetia. It's hard to believe how small (and beautiful

Georgia is sometimes.After arriving back in my town at 3 am from the village, as we stopped over in Tbilisi at midnight to make achma (Georgian lasagna without meat or sauce), I continued on with May. I have been reminded this spring about the insane number of holidays, and as a result, a lot of class time has been interrupted. I and several other volunteers greeted the new group of trainees in late April at the airport. 43 arrived and I think only 1 so far has dropped.

Then not too long ago, I went out to help the trainees with cluster mentoring in one of the villages. They had to create and implement lessons with a counterpart at the village school, and I observed and gave feed back, also answering any questions along the way that they might have. I stayed with a trainee I'll deem "Good Aura" (as she is also referred to by villagers). It was really good to hang with them. It was different from when I did cluster mentoring last year. The Georgian that I speak, which is by no means perfect, did evoke the sort of "Oooo - ahhhhh" effect I've witnessed before. And! it was a great experience. The town was cold and one of the trainees' host family members commented that the town is just cold in general, year round. However, it was beautiful. Take a looksy:

Photo #26 - Village Views, Borjomi Region - An afternoon coming back

after observations, I noticed the view. These are some lucky trainees. You

can't get much more beautiful than this for a training site.In other news! I was busy missing school with helping out with training, that I worked extra hard to catch up. I missed the senior class's "Last Bell/Call" performance due to the IT trainings, but half of the graduating senior class went out of their way to invite (and take) me to their banquet. I had only taught them for the past school year, whereas the other half I taught for the full 2 years, yet wasn't invited to anything. O well! Can't win em all, eh?

Photo #27 - 12b Banquet Entrance - As the banquet began, teachers were

seated at one table, students at another, and parents at another. Teachers

cheered on the fancily clad seniors getting ready to take their seats.Then, the next day, there were transport troubles for 2 trainees who came to my site for job shadowing, due to the government shutting down regional transportation to/through Tbilisi to prevent the number of protesters who were scheduled to arrive to try to get the current prez to resign/ousted. Nevertheless, they made it. They observed one class because of 12th graders taking their cumulative final exams preventing some students from going to their main class rooms. Many students came to school and left shortly after seeing the blockaded hallways. Then the next day, due to scheduled protests in Tbilisi the following days, the trainees left. While they were here over the weekend, I did introduce them to some of my close Georgian friends in town. We went to Dmanisi to try to catch a glimpse of the "first Europeans" - Zezva and Mzia. That's right! They were Georgians. Dmanisi is an ancient settlement and archeological site.

My friend Nona is pregnant with her first child, and I was so surprised on the ride back from Tbilisi when she asked me to be the baby's godfather if I will be in Georgia. If she's serious, I would be thrilled. I have no god children as of yet, and it's such an honor to be asked to be someone's child's godparent, especially in Georgia, as it makes you a member of the family. She said in partial jest that anything her child does, good or bad, she can blame on me. I'll keep you updated on that front. She knows that she will have a boy, and her and her husband have decided to name him Saba.

ANNNND... finally. This past Tuesday, we finished reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," and we had a chocolate potluck party and watched the film (original version) to celebrate. Everyone brought in something chocolate. I made m&m cookies and fudge. I think everyone had been so busy cooking their dessert that when it came time to eat it among all the other chocolate dishes, everyone felt nauseated. :) It was a really great experience.

Photo #28 - Charlie's Chocolate Factory Party - Here is a glimpse of most

of the dishes. If you'll notice, we did interrupt the chocolate with bananas

and Turkish delight to create some balance.It always feels good to finish a project you've been working on for a while. After the IT presentation of certificates next Friday, I'll be officially done with that project. I think I'm going to start preparing to retake the GRE. I was notified that I got a job offer with American Councils' FLEX office in Ukraine for the fall as a recruiter conducting interviews and testing for potential exchange students. In addition, I booked my flight home to America, am planning a cruise to the Bahamas or something with my best friend, and before flying back planned a trek across Georgia with some soon-to-be RPCVs (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) from Ukraine who are coming to Georgia. I am feeling fantastic about life, and home the same can be said about you! :)

So, after some reflecting on a marshrutka, I came to a realization. In Georgia, and you could even expand this to life in general, it can be difficult to maintain friends. In my control, I'm willing to go out on a limb and narrow to 2 things: 1) I'm overly critical of others 2) Those I'm not critical of feel as though the expectations of a friendship with me are too high. I've been trying to put a finger on this for quite some time. In Georgia, it's more apparent, as there are simply less people to be friends with. I'll make some general observations, some of which you might be able to identify with or already knew, in which I hope not to bore you. ;)

So, in life, let's say you find someone you connect with. First scenario: you spend time together up until a certain point, and you criticize them or a choice they've made, because as their friend, you care about them. Then it's either received well, but often it isn't. Some examples, "he/she's not good for you," "you really hurt my feelings when...," "you should really be more careful," "I wish you wouldn't say...," "I kindly disagree with you on...," etc, etc. The fact is: most people can't take criticism.

Second scenario: you spend time together up until a certain point, and you criticize something in the environment around you. Most likely, it's a person that triggers an undesired effect. Some examples, "Can you believe what he/she's wearing," "I thoroughly disagree with his/her moral beliefs," "Can you believe him/her?," etc. etc Your new found friend hears something, and it connects with some part of his/her self that he/she admires, values, or identifies with. An argument might ensue, or your new found friend might have just made a mental note about you. Maybe that person is disgusted with how critical of a person you are of others. They might also worry, "When will I be criticized?" and come to the conclusion, "I just can't live up to their expectations."

I can say while I've definitely been on the criticizer that ends a friendship more often than I'd like to admit, I've also experienced the above scenarios as the offended friend which is why I feel that I understand them. So then, friends, you have 28 people in your cohort of Peace Corps. Do you criticize them? Is it worth the risk of finishing your 2 years with only maintaining contact with 1-2 other people?

I think it also could bubble over into an employer-employee relationship. Everything goes well and everyone is happy until you give a piece of harsh, real criticism, call it feedback if you like. Maybe it's true, but how many people would admit being accepting and open to truth?

That's where I think we bubble down our pool of friends to the "5 Good/True Friends." Everyone says you can really only count your true friends in any lifetime on 1 hand. They are your most valued, loyal and trusted friends. I can say people that I consider my true friends are ones that I can criticize. While there still may be an argument, I know that we'll come out of that argument just as strong as before. I know that I can go to Peace Corps for 2 years; they'll support me through the tough times; and be there for me when I get back.

Have I met any "True Friends" in Peace Corps? And I can answer honestly by saying, "I think so." Time will tell of course. Geography and situation can have a lot to do with creating and keeping true friends. The people in Peace Corps, and in my group especially, are people that I've been through a lot with. I have been extremely critical of my colleagues, and I thank those who took the heat. I thank my "True Friends" back home that take the heat and have done so during our relationships. I consider myself very open to criticism, so feel free to leave it/deal it out any time. My advice to you is, be ready to take it.

I would rather be open, honest, and communicate fully with those around me, than put up a front and give a false smile. I'm a very sincere person. Know that if I'm smiling at you, I mean it. As far as a friendship with me is concerned, if I'm your friend, you meet my expectations. I know that no one's perfect, nor do I expect them to be. If there's criticism involved, we can hopefully resolve it and move on. I use criticism as a tool to keep the relationships around me honest, sincere, and healthy.

I know there may be some flaws in my logic, this entire blog might be written of as too juvenile, or you just don't care. However, human relationships are ones we spend our entire lives trying to understand. I just felt to need/want to get these words out there. Love you guys, thanks for reading.

So, just this past week, I was making my routine trip to the village to teach computers. The kids this time were not-so-nice which prompted me to cancel their class. What brightened my day most was this: on the way back the bus driver said a flower was in bloom this year, and we should stop and pick some up. I had Flap as a visitor, and so in maintaining my "machismo" position in society, I asked her to do the pickin.

Getting back on the bus to continue our journey, the driver told us this variety of flower only blooms in the mountains of the Caucasus (and Persia), and in Georgia, only blooms once every four years. It was such an odd surprise! It's seriously such a gorgeous flower, and I would like you to imagine a field of them covering the landscape. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, so it doesn't hurt to brush up on your visualization skills. Without further ado:

Photo #22 - Iris Iberica (side view) - Simply Exquisite. By

far, this is the most beautiful/exotic flower I have ever seen.

Photo #23 - Iris Iberica (aerial view)

Dear readers,I slipped again, what can I say? I feel like apologies go unneeded, because I’m sure I’ll lapse again in the future. My momma always used to say that you should only apologize for something once and never do it again, otherwise you don’t mean it. It’s life.

So March was an insane month. I’ve said it, and I’ll say it again. It finished, however, some of the to-dos are still lingering. I would prefer them to get cut off before the end of April so we’ll see what I can do.

I spent today sobbing over “Fried Green Tomatoes” (1991) and oddly a few scenes from “Julie and Julia” (2009). I really enjoyed them both. I think I may have solidified a new quote into my vocabulary, “The secret’s in the sauce.” Overall, I really enjoyed “J &J.” I think it gave me the motivation I need to finish this cookbook I’ve been working on. I can’t promise it’ll be as amazing as “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” (1961), but it’ll do. The movie really touched home with the point that in my mind I start developing all of the projects, but so many of them go unfinished. I’m going to try to remedy this. I have to say that I was upset in Julie and Julia that it doesn’t seem as though the two of them ever patched things up in the end or before Julia Child passed away. It’s not always necessary to have a happy ending, but it would’ve been nice.

So I think I’ll catch you up to speed with what I’ve been up to these days. So all of April, I took a “staycation,” however I didn’t really stay anywhere. I at least got the energy to get back on my feet from March. 2 days a week I’ve continued my computer class in the IDP village and continuing the book club reading of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” with my adults on Wednesday nights. The Fair Elections Center I used to hold it in is in a transition period, so we did this last Wednesday in the English Cabinet in my school. What lasted for so long as 12 people in my group has the past two weeks dwindled to 4. Nothing lasts forever I guess.

I spent this past weekend through Tuesday in Borjomi for Passover with a dear volunteer I’ll call “Harucet.” I got to know this person much better and truly enjoy their company. Harucet organized the Seder for their English club and family. I was invited and helped to prepare the dishes as well. I’ve been to many a Passover Seder in my day, but this was the first one I helped prepare. We made traditional dishes (and then some) and set up the table with all the symbolic elements for the guests and retelling of Exodus. I myself am spiritual, but it was such an experience. Harucet did an incredible job at the reading, and we even had some Pre-service Training staff join us for the dinner. It was one of the most special nights I’ve had in Peace Corps for sure.

En route to Borjomi, I made a stop at the Bude (Buddha? Buda? Meh?) Bar in Tbilisi. I had heard many things about it from couchsurfing listservs, and it was an experience. I learned some interesting yet inappropriate phrases in German and Chinese.

The second weekend in April, I went to Telavi and fooded it up with the Telavi quad. INCREIBLE! (it was) Worthy of note: we made baked buffalo wings with bleu cheese sauce, a scrumptious salad (real lettuce!) with caesar dressing, and a warm flourless chocolate cake with caramel sauce. All of it was from scratch, and all of it was amazing. Note: Someone also pointed out recently that I use that word (amazing) a lot and that is because life. Is. Amazing.

The first weekend in April (April Fool’s Day! And etc.) I went out West for the 4th Annual Baghdati English Language Competition. We had about 100 students in attendance from 8 schools. There were some snags with minor things, but compared with last year it went so, so, so smoothly. I believe everyone had a great time. With the help of all the volunteers helping, I had so much fun putting all the pieces together. Thanks to all the guys who volunteered! It seriously would not have gone so smoothly without you. A HUGE thank you also goes to the elementary school I correspond with back in the US. They sent so many prizes that made all of the kids winners (Cheesy but true).

Photo #16 - We Are... Your Friends - Students created posters for the

elementary school that donated prizes for the event. Even though there

were a few spelling errors, the heart is all there.

Speaking of which, I have discovered the joy of popping popcorn over the stove. It’s so easy, and the taste is so much better. Here’s my recipe (also appearing in the sooner than never cookbook):- 2 tbsp oil- 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels- SaltDirections: Place the oil and 3 kernels in a pot with a lid enough to hold a large bag of popcorn over medium-high heat. Heat the oil and three kernels until the 3 kernels pop. Remove from heat. Add the remaining kernels and cover. Roll the kernels around in the oil and wait 30 seconds. Then return to heat, occasionally rolling the kernels around to keep from burning. It will pop soon. As soon as popping stops for several seconds, remove from heat, add salt as desired, and enjoy.

It’s really simple, but for those who haven’t tried it: give it a go!

Ok. Now let’s jump to the end of March. Twas Novruz Bayram. Novruz, in many Muslim traditions is the celebration of the New Year. As I live in an Azeri (Majority Muslim) community, it’s kind of a big deal. It was a fun and long day. I had guests in from out of town, and the main event was that the Georgian President was coming to my town. I had my municipality’s flag hung out on my balcony. I thought it was oddly fun at first, but continually had government representatives yelling at me to fix the flag. It wasn’t as carefree as I originally had thought.

Photo #17 - Novruz Parade From Balcony - People marching up and down

the streets with the pride of the municipality blowing in the wind before

Misha's (the president's) arrival.

The day started with a small parade, followed by a concert where famous pop-singer “Manana” performed. Manana and Saakashvili (Georgian Prez) appeared at almost the same time, so attentions were divided. I like to think for fun pronunciation purposes, Manana is Azerbaijan’s second-rate Madonna. Manana’s Georgian, but she is more popular in Azerbaijan than she is in Georgia.

The video below is a street performance of local Azeris celebrating the holiday with impromptu traditional dancing and music:

Anyways. The Azerbaijan President was also scheduled to come, but it didn’t work out. Azeris and Georgians united across town in the days before to prepare for their arrival. I’ve never seen such large-scale, last-minute preparations. They cut all the limbs off of all the trees lining the road. They also painted the bases of the trees white. They painted the trees by actually slapping paint onto them with a straw broom. I guess I understand that phrase now. (slap some paint on it) I’m sad that the trees will not be leafy and green any time soon (no branches), but optimistically, there should be a lower amount of bugs this year given that they have one less home, although currently, my kitchen is plagued by mini manbugs (ugly lady bugs).

During Novruz, I was rather disappointed with how they handled it. The prejudice became very apparent between a few of the police in dealing with Azeris. I had all sorts of things in my pockets, and I slid on through the security check point, even though the metal baton went off as it glided over my pockets, but Azeris searched by the prejudiced police had everything searched. This is a similar situation to what you might see in the US, and it could’ve been worse. I was just disappointed in seeing some police officers behave that way.

Photo #18- Novruz Parade Close-up - The group of locals dressed up as

pirates in Mardi Gras fashion marched up and down the main street in town.

While not traditional, this event was rather festive.

My friend who documented the event for a peacebuilding publication was told by Saakashvili’s police detail that they did not have authorization to document the event, because my friend mentioned that they were a journalist, whereas, I myself could’ve taken pictures (as people actually were) with no problem. I’m such a fan of freedom of the press in America.

It’s good that the Georgian President came out to Marneuli for this special holiday for minorities, but I overheard several people comment that they wished it wouldn’t have been so much about Saakashvili. They felt that it really took something away for what should’ve been a full focus on a festive traditional holiday. I guess it’s a delicate balance.

After the public celebration, everyone goes to their home or home of a family member to have a family celebration until (and after) sun down. I was invited over to one of my bookclub student’s houses. I went with a new friend of the journalist I met at the public celebration. From the day, and days leading up to it, I learned a lot about the interworkings of Azeri culture and their responses to foreigners and gender roles/limitations. My student really blew me away with some amazing desserts that she had spent 2 days making. It was incredible. Unfortunately, I had to leave soon after my arrival, as it was in a village, and I had to get back to my apartment before transportation discontinued for the day. Usually, Azeris will jump over a bonfire after dark. From what I gathered, the belief is that when you jump over the fire, all of the negative things (problems, worries, etc) you have drop in to start the New Year cleansed. They refer to it as a New Year, because it is the day that the hours between light and dark are in balance. Overall, it was a great experience with great people.

Photo #19 - Girls with Wheatgrass - These group of little girls carrying

wheatgrass to symbolize new life just finished opening for Manana with

Azeri and Georgian traditional dances.

I hustled after Novruz to Tbilisi for our Close of Service (COS) conference. I was on the COS conference planning committee, and did a couple sessions. I could’ve done a better job, but hey! It was my first time doing this. Usually, volunteers do not take a major role in planning sessions, however, (in my opinion) due to budget cuts, we did. It’s basically a conference on how to adapt to the US when we get back. We talked about reverse culture shock, had a professional panel come and talk to us, had a surprise* and also had some press opportunities. Our surprise was that we were invited to meet with the Prime Minister of Georgia (aka second in command/VP)! It was nuts, so we met with him, and the most shocking was that he asked us how he could improve their country. We gave some feedback. I was one of the few to voice their opinion. I basically mentioned the problems with schools in minority areas: not having enough space and problems with language/integration. Schools are very much ethnically segregated—Azeris in one, Georgians in the other (for example). Of course my school is 50% Azeri, but that’s due to overflow, but within the school there’s further segregation. I said that schools should just be schools, not Azeri, Armenian, Russian or Georgian schools, but just schools. Also, language of instruction should be Georgian, but there has to be a system in place to make it happen. Also, ethnic minorities should be able to retain their languages and cultures. It’s another problem in the US, but one that I feel that they at least address. Here they offer Georgian (ethnic) teachers pay incentives to go to Azeri schools, but it should be the other way around, too. There should also be pay incentives and a system for Georgian teachers to learn the minority language. Georgians are always saying to me how amazing it is that I speak Georgian after only 2 years. Well. Why not learn a minority language for them? It would help with integration and regional job opportunities. I know there’s a lot of disagreement about this, but those are my thoughts. I think our feedback was well-received by the Prime Minister.

Photo #20 - The Round Table of Le Prime Minister - Usually government

officials meet in this room, but just a few minutes after these seats would be

filled by the warm bodies of Peace Corps volunteers and the Prime Minister

of Georgia.

AND right from the COS conference, I bounced across town to the FLEX (Future Leaders EX-change) alumni training—“FLEX-ability” where I trained 15 (5 Armenian, Azeri, Georgian) alumni on themes of Project Design Management for 4 days. There were 3 groups of 15. The other 2 trainers were also Peace Corps Volunteers, but 1 from Azerbaijan and 1 from Armenia. Our group thought of doing a trash clean-up for (most of them) their first project to help in creating a volunteer culture among youth in the Caucasus. Amazingly, FLEX alumni from Armenia and Georgia were already able to pull of this project. My Georgia group additionally wrote up their project proposal and submitted it for a grant. It’s amazing to give a group some tools and guidance to see what they can create! My group was awesome and we had so much fun!

As a sort of team-building exercise, we had to do a skit (video-taped) of our region for the next year’s future FLEX students. Since the South was full, I was Western Mountains. I was so lucky, because I couldn’t have worked with a more amazing group of alumni for this. We were really goofy (pictures to follow) and had a great time. For our skit, we made “videos” within the skit for a couple to watch. Since we were short-staffed, I was the travel agent and acting in some of the “videos” (skits within a skit).

Photo #21 - Mt. Rushmore Cover Band - For the FLEX-ability conference,

this was a scene from our skit acting out the tourist destinations for the

Mountain-West Region of the United States.

Final note: Not long after FLEX-ability, I went with my anime watching partner to McDonald’s. We ate our meal and wanted to play “Phase 10.” We deal our cards and a female manager angrily comes up to us and declares in English, “CARDS NO!” I ask in Georgian, “Why?” She responds with a sneer, “Because.” I’m sorry, and I’m learning that it’s a cultural no-no to play cards in public, but McDonald’s should be an exception. It’s already a wonderful place (service 1000% better than in America). Why the hell did this floozy ruin our good mood? It was the cold slap in the face that we were in Georgia. A note for this woman (but more for my own satisfaction): Because is not enough justification for some rule. It is not a satisfactory cover-all explanation, unless you’re 5. It’s irritating, and I’m boycotting the Rustaveli McDonald’s until I get over it. I wish she would’ve come up to us calmly and said, “Excuse me, but it is not allowed to play cards in our establishment. I didn’t make the rule, and I’m very sorry.” I would’ve been pissed anyways, but at least it wouldn’t have been personal.

Alright folks! Thanks for your patience and hopefully this wasn’t too much! xoxo Until next time!

For some people, they might say every week is the same, but if you pay attention to the subtle details no matter how mechanically you operate, every day/week is different, whether it be from the progression of friendships/conversations/work or whatever. Well this week took the cake for different.

On Monday, we had our usual semi-annual VAC (Volunteer Advisory Council) meeting in Tbilisi. It was earlier than usual though, 10 am, which required me being at the marshrutka station to get to Tbilisi at 7:30, and waking up at 6:00 to be awake enough to put in my contacts for being up so early. In Tbilisi, I have never seen people move so quickly in the metro. I guess I’m never there in the early morning rush where people are trying to get to work on time? I didn’t think people rushed to get anywhere in Georgia… you learn something new every day.

I met up with an elven friend for lunch, who conducts teacher training workshops in my region through a US embassy-funded/managed program. We had wonderful discussions, and before you knew it, it was time to get back to my site. I almost missed the last marshrutka. Whew! Totally lucky. I was freaking out worrying if I had been stuck in Marneuli.

Tuesday was pretty normal. I did a presentation for St. Patty’s Day for Thursday. The kids really liked it, and I gave out green shamrock bracelets (sent to me by my AMAZING class in Tallahassee! :))

Wednesday, I taught in the IDP village and returned to meet a PCV in town for a meeting with IREX the next morning. I have my book club (Currently reading: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) on Wednesdays, so we met and it went really well! Something seemed really odd to me though. You know how in college, people will stay after and talk with the professors about various things? Well, that’s now me after our book club! It’s very curious and feels strange to me, but I’m glad to be appreciated/valued on that level of respect.

St. Patrick’s Day threw me for a loop. We had our meeting with IREX to discuss civic education projects in several regions and our experiences with it in Georgia. Afterwards, getting to school, the students had skipped school for the day. I went to tell my director that I wouldn’t be at school next week on account of 2 conferences, and met 2 very different and interesting people:

1. Princess- That’s right. I met a princess. She claims to be the last remaining heir (granddaughter) of the lost Anastasia. She says she wasn’t contacted by Russian authorities until after the fall of the Soviet Union, but she has close contacts with Putin and various other political figures now. She was able to articulate every moment down to the times and explicit travel itinerary of what occurred after discovering that she was a princess. This lady could talk your ear off if you stayed around long enough. She discretely took pictures of me and my friend on her phone while I was talking to my director, but after listening to 30 minutes of her story before being rescued by a school administrator, I requested a photo with her and was shot down. Sorry bloggers! Another time.

2. College administrator- She is the one who rescued us from the princess. (Is that really how it’s supposed to work?) It turns out she’s opening a campus branch for a professional skills college in my town. She wants me to teach there after I finish Peace Corps. She offered to find me a good apartment and pay me a fair salary. She wants to create an incredible reputation for the college’s English program. She is pretty determined, but we’ll see. It’s always good to have back-up plans, and I’m flattered by the offer.

We departed and later showed up at the center where I hold the book club for an afternoon viewing of “Matilda” (1996), to watch a movie based on another Roald Dahl book. The students really liked seeing the similarities in style between the two. Everyone was sporting their green, and they put together a small party to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Then, they presented to me several bags of groceries from everyone to show their appreciation for me helping and teaching them. I was really touched and surprised. I don’t think anyone has ever done anything like that for me. Also, I have had a low balance on my bank account recently, as inflation prices have made some of the food products double, and I just felt like it was like God/karma/a higher power knew that and was helping me. I was wonderfully surprised. And so comes to an end, what was the best St. Patrick’s Day I have ever had.

Photo #15 - St. Patrick's Day Fiesta - While not too much, these goodiesmade for the perfect St. Patty's Day snacks. Note: I love the walnut shapedpastries on the far left. They are filled with caramel and sooo scrumptious.

Today, I taught computers again in the village. We had a new student join us, and he corrected my Georgian while speaking, and my little students (circa age 10) all jumped in and defended me. I teach in Georgian. It’s not perfect, but they understand me. The little kids are so eager to learn. I asked this group of kids last week what was something positive in their day and again later for my book club. Maybe half of the group answered that that class was the highlight of their day. It’s not the first time I’ve heard that before, and I’m so grateful that I am given an opportunity to offer a course/class/something that the students can look forward to.

So Monday is Novruz Bayram, the Azeri celebration of spring and the New Year. Novruz, as a Muslim holiday is also celebrated in many other countries. A famous Azeri pop singer, Manana, is coming, along with the Georgian and Azeri presidents to my town! They’re doing a sneak-peek at the new sports complex, funded by the Azeri government, along with celebrating this holiday. They have been trimming all the trees, repainting road markings and anything else that needs painting, and cleaning. Slowly, my town is getting a little facelift. I talked with one of my students, and I’m so stoked to possibly get a membership to this new gym, if it will be affordable!

Side note: An interesting misperception I haven’t thought about since I was a kid: hamburgers, in fact, do not contain pork. They are safe to eat for Muslims. :) I had to explain this to several of my Muslim students recently.

There is only so much time in a day, and I’m glad to say that I feel like I’m maximizing it. Happy Novruz to you all!

DISCLAIMER: READER DISCRETION ADVISED. THIS POST CONTAINS SOME THEMES INAPPROPRIATE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. PLEASE BE AWARE AND TURN AWAY IF THIS IS YOU.

I just had a really great conversation with my mom about relationships between other people (coworkers, friends, supervisors, mentor-mentee relationships, etc). It was really refreshing, and definitely made me feel good about the decisions that I have made in my life. In regards to behavioral change and personal growth, my mom said, "You know, growing hurts sometimes and isn't always easy." I could only think about the countless number of times where I have made mistakes, said the wrong thing, or just flat-out failed at something. They've all been learning experiences for me, and so I can't regret them. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and, in the case of a relationship, the mistakes you make weren't meant to work out with those individuals in particular, but rather to prepare you for some relationship down the road. Also, I feel like (once again for those who believe in it) a higher power, albeit God/god(s), will show you these paths and give you these opportunities to make mistakes, and it's up to you to make them. I constantly am telling my students with English that if they don't make mistakes now, how can they become better?

In short, conversations/encounters I have been dwelling on in things I shouldn't have said, actions I shouldn't have done, and/or just wondering why for SOME reason people drift apart under certain circumstances have all already happened. There's no sense dwelling or regretting on them, but instead how will those encounters influence who you will become tomorrow? When someone does you wrong, an option is to shut down that vulnerable part of yourself so that it will never happen in the future. My mom said, "There's no point in living if you shut yourself down to the world." Instead, a heightened awareness of self and others enables you to see events unfolding and playing the cards of wrongdoing are foreseen rather than by surprise, but the most important thing is to also identify those relationships which can be healthy and connect with these people with similar/harmonious motives/views. These are the people that matter.

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As mentioned, I have been doing site visits to advertise and connect with minority schools in my region for placement of the next group of Peace Corps volunteers (G11's,you can thank me later :)) So far, with assistance from some local community members, I have been able to generate 2 school applications. It's not a lot, but I've still got some other irons in fire. In my meetings with the English teachers and directors, we have had some interesting conversations with women, in which I will also regale you with some other stories I have heard in my time in Georgia.

One teacher asks me the usual questions: Do you like Georgia? Do you like Georgian food? Are you married? How much money do you make? How much do you pay for rent? etc. In response to the question about marriage, I replied that I am still on the market *wink, wink* She insisted that I'm such a good boy, that I should stay in Georgia. I asked why, and she responded that it was due to the high rate of divorce in America. If I were to stay in Georgia, logically, I would be able to have a happy, longterm marriage. Several teachers join in this conversation to ask me about divorce rates in America, especially, why are they so high? I responded probably due to the individualism of the culture. I wanted to add that also probably most people's basic needs are met and in striving to meet their other needs, they become overly critical of those they date/marry on their way to self-actualization, however, I was interrupted with the most important reason- "It is because in America, women think they are head of the household. This is the real reason. In Georgia, men are the head of the house. They make all decisions. Our marriages are like stable, well-running governments." "Like unmovable mountains!" chimed in another teacher. "In Georgia, divorce is so rare, and you can say it almost never happens." Not entirely convinced, I smiled and chuckled along, perhaps a little nervous about what to say next. **Note: I have been around the block in Georgia a couple of times, I know that overall in most of the regions, this statement is true. There are of course exceptions, probably most married Georgian women with internet access able to read this. Divorce is quite rare, and most men run the households.

The interesting thing is that (as has been pointed out by many), the women in this country do a large majority of the work. Many men/husbands, unwilling to accept a job not respected for men, will sit at home smoking cigarettes, getting drunk with friends, and/or watching TV while the women do all of the housework while having a full-time job. I admire Georgian women so much for their courage, strength, and drive to keep going. I have shadowed a Georgian woman who is a teacher in another region for one week, and I was exhausted. This is how she and so many other women in this country live their lives.

Another regional/village mentality, most likely mentioned in an earlier post is that many women desire these male chauvinists and see them as ideal husbands. "We don't want momma's boys! We want REAL men!"

Another trouble faced by both men and women in Georgia is access to educational materials about reproductive health and birth control. (Not only in Georgia but in many other parts of the world) Women who use birth control are considered loose women. In an HIV/AIDS health training I participated in, one man said, "Women who want an HIV/AIDS test are not loyal to their husbands. If they only have relations with one man, why do they need it?" ***Note: Pregnant women or people about to undergo major surgeries are required by law to have HIV tests to determine measures to take afterwards. All blood donated in Georgia is also tested before transfusions are given. However, it is common practice for men to go to prostitutes on a regular basis for services that "good women/wives" are not expected/socially permitted to perform. In Georgia, the HIV/AIDS epidemic's most at risk group is IV drug users, however, according to research from the Georgia HIV/AIDS institute, this is shifting to cover larger populations. Most people have never had an HIV/AIDS test so it's unclear in projecting infection rates/numbers.

Something else that is misinformation is that people also believe women who buy/use tampons are also loose or that tampons may take your virginity. In several recent surveys, 70% of the Georgian men tested said they would not marry someone who is not a virgin. I'm regurgitating a lot of information from other articles, but this "sexual asymmetry" or perception of is created as a result. There are ads in newspapers for cosmetic surgeries for women to have their virginity restored. It's true that reputation is everything is Georgia.

A friend of mine was teaching a graduate level course at a well-known university in Tbilisi. One day for their assignment, somehow the students got on the topic of the reproductive system. My friend was shocked to discover that, for example, the women (graduate students) could not explain ovulation, fertilization or any processes related to giving birth connected to reproductive organs. My friend brought in diagrams for the students the next class to teach full-grown adults, for the first time, about their bodies.

In doing a teacher training in the fall of 2010, I taught a session on incorporating health topics in the classroom. I mentioned that at first, it's good to start off with light topics like the damage/dangers of smoking and move across a wide-range of topics, incorporating parents and school administrators for support. I mentioned that one of the benefits of talking about health issues is that it makes the teacher someone the students can talk to that they might feel ashamed to talk about with their parents. As the session went on, and we talked about reproductive health in the classroom. ***Note: Currently health classes are not a part of the education curriculum in Georgia. There have been some pilot programs, but nothing has really gone full-scale.

We debated whose responsibility it is in discussing this topic: parents? teachers? both? doctors? who? Then, I threw out something controversial- I asked, "What would you do/say if your student came to you, as another female, and said she was pregnant and wanted your advice?" The response: outrage. Comments like, "You cannot understand our country!" "This never happens in Georgia!" "This is not America!" etc.etc. The teachers took complete offense. Well, I have another story for you.

This may be rare, but here goes. One of the other volunteers had a 13-year-old student give birth to a child in the school bathroom. Her parents didn't notice, apparently. I have to say this is a failure on the part of the parents and the school. The school should be a comfortable place for the students. Can you imagine how scared this poor girl must have been, giving birth on the bathroom floor? or what it must've felt like to hide this from everyone? She went through this whole thing most likely alone, or at least not of anyone who could've been emotionally supportive to her needs. The volunteer asks the co-teachers who were at the training, "So now, what would you do if she had come to you for support?" Response: they would have taken her to and told her parents. That is exactly why she didn't. If I've heard about it once in two years, it means it does happen. **Note: Georgian media has discussed this as well as various NGOs. Abortion is Georgia's most common method of birth control. I'm pro-choice personally, but careless abortions like this make me sick to think about.

So the argument is: if you teach it in schools, the schools could be responsible for increased sex among the student body. For a culture centered around religion, the church is not for this. However, I think it's clear that sex is happening in these schools already, and students should know the myths and truths about what will happen to keep them from making bad decisions down the road.

Nothing is more depressing than eating by yourself in a fast-food restaurant full of families, friends and lovers. You might be thinking they are cheap boyfriends to take their honies to a fast-food restaurant, but as was probably mentioned in previous posts: McD's is the place to be. So I sit down with my "beeg teh-ee-stee" sandwich with two chairs at a table that bairly holds my tray. Then a man comes up to me and says, "I'm taking these." So I'm now eating alone at a tiny-tiny table that looks even more lonely with no-one else at it.

As others have noted, the people and service at McDonald's in Georgia are great. They greet you when you come in. They are constantly cleaning the bathrooms and tables. They'll even continually mop the floors when people are tracking in mud on a rainy day. After you get your food at the register, they always smile and say a "bon apetit" of sorts.

In being alone, I am looking around at all the people around me. I see 2 friends/lovers eating. The guy has a blank stare towards the girl while she texts on her phone for 20 minutes. Rude much?

Then I see a mom sitting at a table with her kid. The kid is playing with his happy meal toy and the mom has this blank-minded look of despair on her face. You can see her glancing around and either wishing her husband could've come out with her and the kid or that she had a husband to help out with the trouble of raising a child on her own. She goes to get two ice creams and proceeds to eat the ice cream in such a melancholy way that suggests she is trying to fill some void in her life.

Another 40'ish old lady is sitting at a table with her mother. She could have sat across the table from her mom, but instead her mom seems to be having trouble eating from the shakes, so she is helping her with her food.

I feel that so much of this country tries so hard to maintain a facade of happiness, even in the most wealthy of places. Of course there are people who are generally happy, but it's comparable to the number of people who have PhD's in America. I was thinking about this. My neighbor's for example. I laugh a lot in my apartment (and in life in general), whether by myself talking to friends on facebook or skype, or when I have company over. I always think (these walls are paper-thin and I know they can hear me). After a good laugh, I always have a shudder of guilt that I'm disturbing someone. I have never seen my neighbors truly laugh on the countless occasions I have lived next door to and interacted with them. I can hear them put a coat on a coat-hanger, but I never hear them laugh. Sure, every now and again, they'll have a good chuckle, but it still seems artificial.

I can count on my ten fingers of people I know who know how to truly enjoy life out of all the people I've met. It makes me sad. If anything it motivates me to prove as a source of humor or relief from life for them. I don't doubt that life in this country is easy for anyone, but you have to learn how to enjoy it. I never thought about this in America, but I think this principle also applies in America.

I officially taught my first full day with the IDP kiddos in the village I will commute to twice a week for three months. These students are so quiet and well-behaved compared to my average school students. In part, this silence comes from fear, mistrust, and low-self esteem. Some of them are just fine, but they have all been through the traumatic experience of having been kicked out of their homes and relocated to an unknown territory. Their parents in most cases don't have jobs and even more so, have a difficult time getting up in the morning at the thought of being in the middle of nowhere and expected to start over from nothing. Sure they have financial aid in place, but they really need emotional support. I am somehow going to make these computer classes interdisciplinary in developing growth of their self-esteem. For example, one girl was so shy she spoke in a voice that was almost inaudible. When she didn't know where the keys were on the keyboard, she looked like someone who wanted to cry but had no tears left. She easily clammed up, and there was so much dirt on her hands, I wondered if her parents didn't use her for labor or if even she didn't have any parents. Today affirmed that this is an area I can have a great impact. Even if what I'm teaching them they'll never use, at least I have a chance to encourage them to keep on keepin' on.

Hello all! I'm bringing you some substance in this one. A lot of this may be clear, but if there's anything that wasn't feel free to comment. So, I was looking on the recruiting website for English teachers to come to Georgia. On there website, they have information for prospective applicants for their program. I found some statements interesting and would like to know more, vague, or just plain wrong. I have done some heavy recruiting in my day, and it seems like they could do a better job. I contacted letting them know that I could help them with their website, at no cost, of course, to make their website information about Georgian more clear and attract the people who would be most likely to have a successful time in Georgia. I received no response.

Disclaimer: I love Georgian people and culture, and I mean absolutely no insult in questioning the following statements. Also, in no means am I directing this towards any English teacher in Georgia.

On food....

" Often dishes are made with nuts but they also use locally grown spices like coriander and saffron and garlic and peppers but a meal is never complete without some form of bread and often various cheeses."*On medical care...

"Medical facilities in Georgia are very similar to most public medical centers in any developed country in the world."On host family selection...

"They are selected from a great number of applicants." On cost of living...

"It should be noted that an average public school teacher will make less than $300USD per month and that many of these teachers are able to live well, support themselves and their families." On Georgia's background...

"September 2009 was the first time foreign teachers began teaching in public schools." "Mountains, seaside, countryside and rolling hills and grapevines are among some of the options you have in terms of locations in Georgia to teach."**On the culture (this is all there was)...

"The country of Georgia is located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe and Georgian culture has evolved over thousands of years. Georgians are renown for their love of music, dance, theatre and cinema." On education...

"Classes are small, students are respectful and the schools are generally modern and well equipped." *I am interested in which dishes use coriander and saffron?

**and... and? AND I teach on grapevines all the time. (this was just a catty one I thought I'd mention)

As those of you who have read my blog before, I have overall had a good experience in Georgia in the time I've been here. Given the above information (and seriously): Am I in this country? I realize I am in a minority area, but I have lived and taught in other parts of Georgia.

Should this recruiting company change its slogan from "Placing Teachers First" to "Giving Inaccurate Information?" I am thinking of three possible scenarios as to why this happened: someone is not doing their fact-checking; this recruiting company is stretching the truth/completely fabricating things; and/or these people have just completely over-generalized an entire country. I believe there are people (like myself and my colleagues) who want to teach in a developing country. I know the goal of recruiting is to get people to sign, but if someone wants a developing country experience, and they don't do their research, they would most likely move on to the next teaching opportunity. Also, I feel that this information could mislead those coming through this company. There are wonderful English teachers who adapt, do their research, and are realistic, but I think you can still market to people and be successful by giving a realistic perspective right from square one.

Photo #14 - Lemon Square - An impulse lemon buy led to this late-night

creation! By far, the best lemon squares I have ever had. Recipe coming

soon in the new cookbook.

We had a party on the last day of my English class at the Youth Center in my town. After I taught my students how to use an iPod, we had people DJ'ing hits, like Justin Bieber's "Baby."

Photo #11 - Cheese! Last Day Party - These are half of my students

from the class I taught at the Youth Center.

Photo #12 - Pot Luck in Georgia - Each student brought something

for the party! Everything was so delicious.

Photo #13 - English Forever - One of the kids' moms made this cake. :)

DJ hit the music!

Ok peoples. I'm gonna talk about my clothes and how they are failing me in Georgia.

Currently wearing: ripped-knee jeans, underwear separating from the elastic, and an undershirt that has a hole in the collar

I probably wasn't going to take most of my clothes back with me to America, but I had hoped they would have lasted me until the end of the road... So far, I've mostly just thrown away socks with holes in them. Hand-washing your clothes takes its toll. The dilemma is: should I sew them back together again or no? In the mean time, they'll sit in the corner of my room.

Where did the last month go?1. Angry birds2. AnimeI’m pretty sure that’s what happened. I had an awesome Banjo player staying at my apartment for a couple weeks, which was fun. He opened my eyes to angry birds, and I’m basically like a pro now. For those who haven’t played it, get into it. I can now put “Angry Birds” physicist on my resume, because things that happen in that game are not explainable in real life.

Speaking of real life, I refuse to admit that my day-to-day is real life. I am essentially living in a game of angry birds. I throw birds at pigs who don’t want to learn before they can sabotage the spoils of my labour. That’s right. I’m spelling words with extra “u”’s now. I actually typed favourite and colour the other day by complete accident. I’m composing this in MS Word right now, and I love that it recognizes those words as spelling mistakes.

So where does the boom come from? Well, friends, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride through the beginning of April, and I’ll tell you why. I finished my minority/community integration project at the youth center teaching English to about 20 kids for three months this past week. I was contacted by FLEX/ACIE to help with a FLEX alumni training in late March. I agreed and have been learning about what exactly I’ll be doing. I will be working with 2 other PCVs from Azerbaijan and Armenia teaching project design principles and each of us will work closely with 15 alumni for 13.2 hours over 4 days of instruction. The goal is for the alumni to develop and implement a project after the training. So I have to submit a request and lesson plans in the next 2 weeks, do some more research, practice my stuff, make flip charts and power point.

Then, I’m helping with the Peace Corps Close of Service Conference. This seems at this point to be a smaller commitment, but still exciting! 5 months or so more to go! I’ll try not to be too obnoxious about how happy I’ll be. I just see myself feeling accomplished at having made it through 2 years of ups and downs in this program.

I am also continuing my conversation group/book club at the Fair Elections center in my town. It started off with 3 people and has ballooned (and capped by me) at 12. We are reading Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and I really enjoy discussing it with the group! It meets at 6 in the evening, and we have Azeris, Georgians, Russians, and Abkhazians in our group. They each have their own spark, and I always leave feeling refreshed.

I am also still making progress in gathering the Peace Corps cookbook. It’s gonna be good ya’ll! I’m sorry to those waiting that it’s taking so long. Hopefully I can get it out before March’s craziness hits and April’s new volunteers come.

I am helping with site selection for minority schools in Kvemo Kartli for future volunteers. I am going out to some villages next Tuesday to check out prospects for the G11s. I also am kicking off a new project next Wednesday where I’ll be teaching IT and resume writing skills to 2008 IDPs (Internally Displaced Person/People) in a village on the border to Armenia. I had the meeting there today, and I have hopes. They say there are 60 people from 10-25 years old who are interested. I’ll hopefully take 20-30 of those on over a couple hours twice a week. Ready for the kicker? I’m gonna teach these kiddos in Georgian. It’ll be the real test at how well I’ve learned the language. Here’s to hoping for some good English speakers in my classes to help. ;)

What else? I am organizing the Baghdati Language competition. I need to get that ball rolling soon, so those helping in that boat reading this, I’ll be sending an email out soon. The Baghdati/Kutaisi/Imereti kids are so amazing. I love working with them. According to the resource center director in my town, there is no such thing as a bad student/child, only bad teachers. Food for thought. I do agree that teachers are pivotal in motivation/success in school, but parents, administration, and institutions also are critical. Cheesily enough for non-atheists, we are all children of some god(s), so that statement argues that no one is bad. The blame has to go on someone. I love working with motivated students.

I have another English language group (more grammar and test-taking focused) in the mix, and while they are motivated, I’m trying not to encourage them too much until I knock out some of these events. It’s looking like my PC experience is going to go out with a bang! Loves it.

Currently listening to: A charming “La Cucaracha” car horn playing on the street

Okay, so I would like to give a few words out to the folks who might be reading what it might be like to be a Peace Corps Volunteer or the G10’s that are hanging on, getting ready to begin their second year. I have discussed these ideas with some other volunteers, and it seems to be a shared feeling.Over the course of my service, I have taken a decline in health, deserted my close friends and loved ones from back home, and had days where I wonder why I’m doing this to myself. It’s been freezing cold, swelteringly hot, and filled with problems and poor conditions.

Hopefully, you’ve kept reading for this: it’s all been worth it. I wasn’t able to say this really until the past couple of weeks. I have been able to help a girl by coaching her through an application process that might land her a fellowship for graduate study in the United States. We’ve met often, and I can say that our relationship is a friendship that I haven’t had to force. Most times, I feel like I’m struggling to make things happen, make progress, and motivate the people around me. While I definitely feel that it was not an “all-for-naught” situation, it’s been tough. I have tried so hard to make true friends in my community. Either they are too busy or just caught up in their own stuff to be able to invest into a friendship with someone new. This was the missing piece. Most volunteers in the past have said this feeling usually happens around 1 year into service. So what if it took me an extra 6 months?

Then, this past weekend, I was having a meeting with a new organization leader in my community. We’re talking, and I was using her center as an office. I would work, and we would talk, and this went back and forth between working and talking. Then, the organization leader’s friend comes in and joins into our conversation. We had such an amazing conversation about gender. Her friend has some very traditional views about marriage, but it was just a great conversation to have. Then, the org leader mentioned that I could use her space for anything. She mentioned, “I would love to start a small English discussion group for practice.” I said, “Awesome! I have some other people I could invite, if that’s okay?” She said, “Sure. When can we meet?” I answer, “Hmm…” She responds, “How about the 2nd? Does 6:00 pm work okay?”

I was flabbergasted! It just fell into place. So now I have a new conversation group. It will be informal discussions. She said she could distribute any articles, poems, etc I want to discuss before our meetings to read in advance. I have such a good feeling about this. I am just so pleased to find people who are already motivated and just wanting to learn.

I also received news this past Monday that I was not selected to continue on with the State Department, after an extensive review of my personnel file. I was kind of bummed, but I know when one door closes…

I now have a comfortable friendship with one of my counterparts at school. We go to the school “cafeteria” and I eat khachapuri (cheese bread) and drink soda, while my counterpart usually just drinks coffee. It’s nice to have some hang-out time. She’s very busy and has a family, so we rarely will hang out outside of school.

I got my new schedule for this upcoming semester. Best possible last semester: I only teach at school Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays!! That’s right suckas! I have 2 extra days off. I have long days on the days I do work, but it still makes it worth it. Those extra days will give me time I need to devote to other projects and community organizations.

I’m gearing my noggin up for a huge job application spree to take place in mid-spring, to prevent a possible spring-cleaning of my bank account when I get back to America… cheesy…

So, I have been journaling with my students I teach at the youth center, and I want to share with you some of their entries (from 2 different female students):

1. Topic: If you could be anyone else, who would you be and why?If I could be anyone else, I would be a boy. I will say about my town and about my choice, because in my town for girls, life is not good. If I would be a boy, I would be popular, very beautiful, free, and without complexes. I would stay with my friends watching TV, going around the world, and when I would want, go and do what I want. Also, I would help who needs help. I would be a champion and a leader in sports, in life, and of course in my own world with my own rules. My decision would be always to try. I think it’s all I need: to live as a boy.

2. Topic: What is the most important thing you will ever do?I want to be a lawyer, and I will work for Georgia. I want to be beautiful, kind, and generous.

From the bottom of my heart, I care about these kids, and I only want the best for them. We have 10 lessons left in their program. I have noticed a huge transformation in their writing ability, self-esteem with speaking English, and critical thinking skills. They have so much potential.

The Peace Corps’ motto: “The toughest job you’ll ever love” is starting to fill out. In the beginning, it was no doubt the toughest job, but that I’ll “ever love” is becoming more real as the days go by.

Photo #10- Pleasantries at Mtatsminda Park - I didn't get a chance to ride

the ferris wheel, but I want to in the future. The TV tower in the background

is Georgia's Tour D'Eiffel. Location: Tbilisi, Georgia

Dear Readers,

My sincerest apologies go out to all of you waiting for something fantastic to appear. I can't guarantee this'll be fantastic, but it'll do my little piggies.

The ups and downs continue, each week leaves me with the feeling like I've just gotten off of another of life's roller coasters. As with other volunteers, I take a breath out of the exit and go back through the turnstiles. Whether you are on vacation or not, every day is different. Being aware of this here, I wonder what and how I'll feel going back to the US or onto my next venture.

The cold came suddenly to my community, and before you knew it, you could see your breath in my room. The hot water stops working, and I only have ice water to wash my clothes and dishes. The days will tick by and it'll be warm before I know it.

I have been watching tons of movies, thinking about what's to come, what new shenanigans my students will pull, what lives I'll touch in the next 6 months, what my life was like before Peace Corps, and what happiness lies tomorrow and beyond. I have a good feeling and that's what I'm putting my laris on.

Recently, through film and real-life situations, I'm noticing so many people that are just trying to find their path. Some are just pacing and waiting and others have completely wandered away. To that, I stress the importance of being in touch with your emotions and reflecting. Granted, sometimes I reflect a little too much, but self-awareness can go a long way. Sometimes emotions just confuse everything. To that, I say, "Shake it off, and stare raw reality in the face." What do you see? Tap into your true desires, and go for it. If you decide somewhere along the way it's not for you: don't get down. Just re-roll, and at least you know that one thing is not for you.

I looked back on my New Year's resolutions from 2010.

1. I can say I've done some awesome lessons and projects for my students. (check)

2. I don't think my mental health could be any more clear. (meditating- check)

3. I didn't complain nearly as much as 2009 and before. haha (not complaining- check)

4. I was more proactive about nutrition, haven't really gained that much weight though. (half-check)

5. I was a more active reader. I really enjoyed the reading I did in 2010. (active reading- check)

6. Well... I didn't really get as much sleep as I should have. (full nights of sleep- ehhh)

7. I disappointed people on not meeting my word on 2 or 3 occasions, but overall I think it was a productive year. (meeting my word- 3/4 check)

On my path to a dangerously close approach to perfection, I feel pretty good about 2011. I can't say that I even wish to make any resolutions at this point. I have a plan, and I'll keep you posted.

Here's to another year of good food, friends, life, and success! A (belated) happy new year to everyone!

Photo #9- Sunset in Marneuli-- the Azerbaijan Mountains--

Appreciating the view I can only see once or twice every 2 months.

So I got back from Armenia. I went there for a weekend vacation! My friend, BPRSII, invited me to go. My mission was to get candy for our lovely Safety and Security Officer, but I couldn't find it anywhere! My opinion of Yerevan was that it was awesome! Of course, there were the Soviet-style buildings, but our hostel was awesome. It was filled with Americans, one Canadian, one Slovenian (who liked to take pictures), and one other guy (Hungarian?). The Americans were pretty much all different walks of the Georgian Ministry of Education's Teach and Learn in Georgia (TLG) Program.

note: the Geo. Ministry of Education's goal is to put a native speaker in every school in Georgia, starting off with 1000 volunteers and then going from there. It's sustainability for funding is questionable, but the aim of the program is decent, and the Americans I've met have been pretty cool folks!

One TLG'er in particular, I'll call Crime, has been such a blast to hang out with. We are working on a facebook friend's page together, but facebook doesn't seem to update these pages too regularly... Her and BPRSII have really broken me out of my shell. It's not that I'm a different person, but just that it's really good to find people that are amazing to hang out with. I haven't forgotten about Punishment, who had a scheisty Thanksgiving, for which I am sorry and will make it up to her. Also, I appreciate everyone else who has been sending packages and letters, providing support, visiting my site and/or just reading the ol' blog.

Through some facebook stalking, I discovered christwire.org, a hilarious satire site on radical Christianity (at first I didn't know it was satire: thank you, Johnny-in-5-Years; AND I must say that Katy Perry's new(ish) video "Firework" is pretty awesome. Well done!

I taught my students the lyrics to Wham!'s "Last Christmas" along with the meanings to try and show Georgians that it is NOT a happy song! I went through this discussion many times last year and failed. I wasn't going to be had again this year. Well.... despite knowing the lyrics, the history, and even seeing the music video, my students are CONVINCED it is, in fact, a happy song....

I made Broccoli Casserole for Thanksgiving. Not gonna lie, before I made my first casserole I thought they were a kind of trashy, but after crumbling the last potato chip on top of that glorious glob of thanksgiving goodness, I'm a believer. It was delicious!

In other news, my kitchen runs on natural gas. It had been out for 3 days until this afternoon! I just made a huge bowl of pasta to celebrate.

Last night, to celebrate my day (kind of) off today, I watched "How to Train Your Dragon." It was a lovely Dreamworks film I'd recommend. Tonight I think I'll tackle "Ninja Assassin." In just a few minutes I'll be heading to some festivities for "World AIDS Day." Get out there! Get tested! Use a condom!

It's a little nippy here at night. I'm writing to you prime time from Georgia. The days have been flying by. I can't say I'm not tired, but things are going well over all. I have been using the few pieces of gym equipment at my SM's youth center I'm also teaching at, which is helping to relieve stress and feel good. I can say without a doubt that compared to this time last year, I'm doing a thousand times better.

In my free time, I've been watching some really good anime's I got from another volunteer. (arigato gozaimas!) The bad thing about getting addicted to a tv show that you like a lot and have every episode of, is that you tend to want to watch every episode and burn through the series. This has led to some sleep-deprived nights for sure.

This past weekend, I was working with some other volunteers on a teacher training sponsored and organized by IREX. It was for teachers of the TEA program (Teaching Excellence and Achievement) aka Georgian teachers who went to America for a short period of time. It's always a great opportunity to work with motivated teachers. I also was able to submit my essays for the state department.

My goal before January is to finish the book I'm reading, so I can start reading some materials to prepare me for a possible interview.

Earlier today, my land lady came over, but I was sleeping. I wasn't going to answer the door, but then she called out. I open the door and see her and another group of people. They were from the water company to verify that I live alone. My town doesn't have running water and people don't pay for water or sewage. The flow of water is also something that isn't controlled. Sometimes I'll walk by and people leave the water running and it will overflow onto/down the street, just being wasted. The neighbors that live above me will leave their pump on, it flows into my apartment and because I don't have a place to collect it, just goes down the drain. It's such a waste. So the city is trying a new program to make people pay. There was a suspicious man who came a couple of months ago, threatening me if I didn't pay him an exorbitant amount of money. Note: he wasn't wearing or carrying anything official that showed he was from the water company. He had jeweled rings on his fingers and had long pinky nails. He said, "I'll turn off your water!" and "You'll be sorry in the end!" So I kicked him out of my apartment. Well, it turns out that he changed the reported number of people living in my apartment from 2 (but really only me) to 5 people. This meant I would be charged even more. The procedure in my town for changing the recorded number in the household has to be done with the water company. They have to come out, then 3 witnesses have to present their passports and sign for it. The only catch is that they don't announce when they are going to come. They came unannounced and expected me to find 3 other people to sign. No one was home, as there wasn't a plan.

Also, it should be noted these women from the water company were quite hostile. They were Georgian and didn't like having to deal with the likes of the minority population here. I said that I would go get one of my friends, and one lady said "She's Georgian, Right?" hoping not to speak with another Azeri. Unfortunately the Georgians I knew weren't home. The 2 women also asked me about where I work, etc. They talked to me in Russian, not Georgian. So then they asked how long I've lived in Georgia. I said for a year and a half. Then, they asked surprised, "And you don't know any Georgian!!?" with looks of disgust on their faces. Of course I know Georgian! I talked to them the rest of the time in Georgian. They thought I was working with another program here, had never heard of Peace Corps, but had made all these assumptions about me. I wish that racial conflict and nationalism in this country wasn't as bad as it is. I have learned the Georgian language and culture to impress other Georgians and because I want to learn it. I am living in Georgia, and I have many Georgian friends. It would be so much easier if I didn't continually get flack for incorrect assumptions. I don't say this as a hasty generalization, and I will say these occurrences are quite minimal compared to my positive experiences here, but they stand out so much more.

I have seen Georgian marshrutka drivers ask Azeri men and women to move to uncomfortable seats on marshrutkas to make room for other Georgians. I have seen the drivers of public transportation ignore Azeris requests to stop the bus or marshrutka even if they ask in Georgian language. I have heard so many people say cruel things about Azeris: they smell, they're lazy, they're stupid, they're only good for cheap labor, etc. They call them Tatars and say that there is nothing wrong with it. Tatars are a Turkic ethnic group that inhabit Eastern Europe and across Asia. Most people aren't educated to know what the actual ethnicity is. There are only 30,000 Tatars living in Azerbaijan (population of 9 million) and only 3,500 in Georgia (Azeri population estimated around 286,000). You can't say they are all Tatars. It's a misunderstanding of cultures, and it's offensive. Would I say that anyone who is East Asian is Chinese? No. This is another common misunderstanding. I realize that I'm being sensitive about this issue, but no group of people likes to be cut down. Ignorance and racism are huge global problems, but I feel like such a small voice in saying that it's wrong to say something bad about another group or misname them, whereas in the United States, being so culturally diverse, other people would share your opinion. It's really difficult for me to see this. Georgia's motto is "Strength in Unity." What is the implication there?

Of course, there are other Georgians who mostly live in Tbilisi or have left the country before that will agree with me that this is a problem. I don't discount that, but unfortunately this group does not represent the majority of the people I encounter. I realize that this small group of amazing people represent seeds of hope all around the country. Nela nela, Georgia! I still believe change is possible.

So now, after terribly inconveniencing the representatives from the water company, I am registered as one person in this apartment.

I know I have so many other things I should be doing, but I decided to give you a bit of substance.

Weird/Bad habits I've picked up in Georgia:

1. Unbuttoning a button on my shirt and just leaving it there.

2. Sleeping in full outfits/coats (it's cold ya'll)

3. Locking myself in at night (I have metal bars on my door)

4. Swearing. I'm not really as angry as I sound sometimes.

5. Rarely showering (there's not running water in my town).

6. Enjoying being alone. It's all about me.

7. Along with 6, avoiding people walking across town. Never before have a ipod and sunglasses come in more handy.

8. Not answering the door when someone comes knocking. It's probably a bill collector or someone wanting to cause drama. (I pay my bills) Call me!

9. Obsessively checking websites. I mean, maybe I got an email 2 seconds ago? Can't hurt to refresh right?

10. I ignore people when they shout at me on the street. "Hey you! Hey! Foreigner!"

11. I cross 4-lane streets with traffic running full speed on the daily. Frogger FTW.

12. Scowling. It keeps you in control of your social interactions.

13. Wearing slippers inside the house. This is gonna be a hard one to break, but I don't want to catch cold!

14. Wearing a scarf when my throat hurts. I've never done this before Georgia.

15. Analyzing the insect population in my house and the spider-fly-cockroach ratio before I kill them. It's a delicate balance.

16. Putting together hideous color and style combinations for outfits. You have to wear what's clean and you only have 5 outfits, so you gotta keep it interesting.

17. Using a chair seat regularly as a table. When in short supply, make it work!

18. Hoarding plastic bags and usually carrying 1-2 on you at all times. You never know when you might need them/run out!

19. Getting legitimately upset when I see a student text messaging in class. What's the big deal anyways?14-year olds have lives too...

20. Skype. It's great in small doses... but don't overdo it.

If you have done a majority to all of these things you too are assimilated! Congratulations! I realize that if you've never met me, you're picturing this bristling hermit. PS- we got the results back to our language test.

When I came to Georgia 1.5 years ago:

Georgian- Nothin

Russian- Intermediate-Mid

Now:

Georgian- Advanced-Low (I do talk!)

Russian- Intermediate-High

I bought a wool-cashmere coat at the Bazaar I'm loving. I am finishing up my essays for State Department (I passed the Foreign Service Exam!!) My project at my SM's youth center is going well. One of my students asked, "They say love is a game. What do you think?" I responded that in the beginning love is a game, but later it isn't any more. From what I've heard, the game goes away when you get older. My students at the center are awesome. It's great to teach kids that actually want to learn.

I have some good students at school of course, but there are students that you put yourself out there for them, and they shut you down or make you feel small. Generally my reaction is like, "...uhh, ummm, yeah!!! Just kidding! I was totally just kidding! ha...ha.??"

Another volunteer I have yet to mention, but I will call him the Brown Recluse, told his personal philosophy on hanging out with other Americans out of your site: It's just a false sense of happiness. "Once you go back to your site, the happiness goes away. In order to stop yourself from feeling that emptiness, you should just stay put." There were definitely some eyebrow raises, shrugs and ho-humms, but it's food for thought.

Another generalized realization I've come to is that many Georgians (who have not travelled outside of their city or country) have a really difficult time making friends. Everyone who is their friend, they have known since they were in the womb. When someone new comes along (such as my handsome self), they don't know how to function. It is my opinion that some Georgians will imagine that you are a member of their family, so that the complexities of processing the stages of friendship are simplified and you are elevated to top status, however, I believe that without that strong foundation, the friendship is a false one, and I'm often left in superficiality. It's something I've been pondering about for a while. Living all over the US, I have been able to make friends in almost any setting. Here, however, few Georgians under the conditions previously stated have such a skill. I can say I have really great friendships with Georgians who have travelled around, but they mostly live in Tbilisi, and I can't see them on a daily basis, as much as I'd like to. Food for thought....

Back to you, Tom.

With new pie pan comes pie... to the MAX! This definitely does not look as delicious as it tasted. Recipe to come in the soon expected revision of the Peace Corps Georgia Cookbook: Simple Satchmeli.

The winter slowly grabs hold of the little town in Georgia, chilling its denizens on the streets. The need for a refrigerator becomes practically and temporarily obsolete. The days grow shorter as weariness takes its toll. Men who themselves can’t put food on the table arm themselves to take out the starving dogs in the night. The leaves on the trees begin to change colors and fall below to the women sweeping the streets, leaving patterns swept in the dust. Some trees far away are butchered to form the pile of now decaying wood in the school yard, wet with sap and mildewing from the last rain. The grey sky obscures the mountains in the distance, peeking through the old Soviet buildings. A loaf of bread goes stale as it lies on the paint-chipped window sill with mold growing underneath from moisture and poor construction. Spiders claim space around the apartment, permanently fixing themselves in positions like spindly decorations as they too die from lack of sustenance. The fumes from cheap cigarettes waft in through the cracks in the window, delicately clinging to the walls, adding an extra layer of grunge. Near the door rest one pair of mud-spackled shoes, caked with exhaustion from a long, yet unfruitful trek through the open-air market. The woman in the next room shuts the aging curtains, blocking out the street views and light distorted through the layer of dusty glass, to lie down in her bed, close her eyes, and long for an end.

The floor of the room is surrounded by iridescent faint blue walls. The clay brown planks of slightly marred wood breathe by means of open cracks every few inches. On the floor in the middle of the room stand two aging four-legged chairs, each covered in identical faded sepia floral prints, ripping slightly away from the bottom of the seat. One chair stands sturdily behind the other. All of its facets and grooves remain practical and intact. Its partner is positioned parallel in the foreground at the same unbalanced angle against the floorboards. They are both nestled together by a blanket wrapped around them, damp from a rinse in the murky water inside the wash basin. On the curtain rod hangs a man’s dress shirt, peeking jealousy in the chairs’ direction. On the balcony, a wind chime sings with delight, unaware. Lonely house slippers line the darkened hallway, next to the tired boots, with no hope of company in sight.

This orange delight is a part of the Casa de Jeferson's clothes-that-fell-onto-my-balcony fall collection. The model sporting it shows the baby tee's true versatility. The possibilities are endless. Don't let your child go around dressed in rags. Here at Casa de Jeferson we take fashion seriously!

You’ve been waiting for it! That’s right folks: this would be what I’d like to call a real post (not some of that jibber jabber creative writing shtuff). Since it’s been about a month since I gave you insight into the real life of Jefferson, I’ll begin with the first day of school.

The first day of school was exactly how it went down last year, but more low-key. The music teacher, who I like to think of as a Diva, sang her songs; there were some mini-speeches I didn’t have to take part in; and I definitely felt like the outsider in the whole fandangle. I had one teacher tell me it was about time I started to learn Georgian. It was good to be back to school!

I had my dental check-up and annual medical review. I’m definitely not in the pristine conditions I was when I got to Georgia, but I’ve been able to adapt. I love the doctors and the dentist we had. She was seriously better than any dentist I’ve been to in the US = slam dunk for Georgia.

Our second full week of school we had FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange) Program testing in our school. There wasn’t as great of a show as the previous year, but the FLEX office and peeps did everything in their control to get the word out! We also got a chance to experience the new Turkish restaurant in my town. It’s pretty good, and they deliver!

I had a visit from Punishment, Sidney and Friend this past weekend! We ate hamburgesas for lunch and chili with dinner, riddled with skittles, Lorna doones, Georgian shop pastries, and homemade chocolate chip cookies between it all.

In my lessons I’ve been heavily using the equipment we got with the grant. I’ve been using it to teach American culture and reinforce the skills from my computer training, such as Power Point vocabulary presentations and listening activities with fill-in-the-blank lyrics. I recently used Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am.” I just got an idea to contrast it with Timbaland’s “The Way I Are” and maybe have them write a contrast essay…. Hmmmm. We’ll see! They are my advanced 12th graders. My other 12th graders don’t really know English, so I’m excited to see them make progress!

I’ve had several parents approach me wondering why I don’t prepare their students. They use prepare in the context of me privately tutoring their children, which is highly advised against in PC Georgia. There is a dependence mentality (and partial reality) that children cannot learn unless they have a slew of tutors to teach them after school. I think it’s really sad that this mentality persists, and I wish to change it. Therefore, I tell these parents I have several free opportunities their children can prepare and no one seems to take advantage of them. I offer 1 hour of homework help and 2 hours of English club weekly after school, in addition to their class work they receive. Students don’t do much in or outside class, of course with their being some exceptional students. Overall, my teaching situation this year is looking to be a promising one.

One of the books had the word for AIDS in Georgian, so I took that opportunity to expound upon the theme and do a lesson on HIV/AIDS awareness. It turns out there was recently a public service announcement aired on Georgian TV to raise this issue. Many of my students were open the discussion, which was surprising. I embarrassed myself by accidentally using the slang word for condom, which is often used as an insult in place of the equivalent for moron. Good laughs were had by all!

It’s officially getting colder, and as the heat goes down outside, I’m trying to stay warm with activities. I’m going to be designing a test for a class I’ll be teaching at SM’s Youth Center that will follow with 3-6 extra hours of English teaching per week. I’ve got my usual activities and a few other project ideas in mind. ANNNND I managed to take the Foreign Service Exam!

I have read and heard from many folks you should always follow your gut instinct. I didn’t listen… again. Gahh! I changed a lot of my answers on the test to incorrect ones after some extensive Wikipedia searching recently… I find out in the following weeks whether I’ll move on to the next stage. I don’t think I did terrible, but I had hoped to have done better! I’ll keep you updated.

Spiders, bats, and toilet toiling! Halloween is on its way, and I haven’t even given thought to my costume! Auf Weidersehen mein giblets!

Dear Readers,

A real, non-creative update is soon to come, however, I would like to ask for your requests for photos that I can upload. You can be simple,real and/or outrageous in your requests, and I will try my best to fulfill them all. You can send as many ideas as you can think of. I will/may be interpretive in the fulfillment, but will try to get them all. Requests can be commented here, sent through facebook, or emailed to jeffersonpeaches@gmail.com. As time carries on, I hope for this to develop. Ideas are always welcome!

Sincerely,

Jefferson

According to Balti culture, as expressed in Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin’s famous book “Three Cups of Tea,” tea is a catalyst to transform a stranger into a member of your family. From a different cultural perspective, this transformation occurs by means of an alternate medium.

In Georgia, family is united and born from times of unique circumstances, usually over an abundant meal and wine. Tradition and Religion create part of the foundation this culture was built upon. Celebrations of life and mourning of those lost intertwine with these values through the creation and consumption of wine. To an outsider or passerby, wine may seem excessive or unnecessary, however, approximately 9 glasses of wine provide the opportunity to connect friends to other friends, old and new; to family; to peace and the wealth of nations; to the recognition of women, of men, of harvest, of hospitality; to common beliefs and religion; to memories and the past; to children; to our future and to hope. These symbols and spoken words go much deeper than drinking tea to become family in this culture, and the ties you develop can last a lifetime. In my experience thus far, tea in Georgia, and arguably in life, serves a different purpose.

After recently acquiring a French press, I can safely say that it holds 4-5 cups of tea. Sipping tea throughout an evening home alone is quite an experience. When freshly brewed (at optimum temperature), the tea is scorching hot. The experience is indiscernible as your sense of touch is overwhelmed by the white, hot ceramic tea cup teeming with fresh flavors. The golden brim beginning to separate from age perfectly accompanies the dainty dark red design wrapping around the side. A swift brush underneath the cup reveals a hastily scratched Chinese symbol into the wet clay indicating where or by whom the cup was made.

As the tea in your cup slowly cools and readies for consumption, the tea in the carafe continues to steep, darkening as time draws on. You might fall to distractions of obligation and taking brief leaves of absence returning to find a bitter brew. The strength may leave you dissatisfied with your decision to take part in this experience, but if you believe in not being wasteful, you keep drinking. Stronger and stronger the tea becomes, you have already begun to know it well. Tapping out the last couple of dynamic drops, you are left wanting more.

Some may go back for more, may trade in their carafe for a larger one, and/or may decide to purchase a larger cup. A number of people will make their tea with the wrong leaves or will not give it a fair chance, tossing out a batch of unknown outcomes, yet still learning something about their selves. No matter what blend or brand you choose, a nice hot beverage warms the soul. In the moments of silence between the ebb and flow of warmth against your lips can come reflection and balance, as wisps of steam gently rise from the depths of your cup to lazily linger along the surface.

Walking in the city during a rain shower can be one of the most liberating experiences. As you take in a breath of nature in the concrete jungle, you look around to notice the people bustling down the sidewalks. There’s one woman up ahead trying to balance the exposed papers in her hand as they become translucent from water droplets and the cheap umbrella that’s too small to cover her tiny frame. The droplets also cling to the tips of her abundant espresso frizz as tiny jewels bestowed to her by the skies. Her olive complexion compliments her temporary gems, and her frantically elegant brown eyes catch yours with a momentary deep focus as she walks by. Your gaze snaps back to the chaos in front of you.

Silver and navy cars speed by tiny pools of water collecting on the road’s surface. Swirls of oil and eroded soil combine to create cloudy creations in the puddles that the wind enjoys to gently ebb upon, occasionally being reset by a passing car. The view around presents a brilliant contrast between the luscious green leaves and the cream-colored concrete structures lining the street. A sense of calm washes over you as you soak in the ambience that cleanses you of worry and woe.

The great trip home has been accomplished. I am now sitting in my bedroom in the morning’s twilight hours waiting to greet the sun with my new roomie. He’s a really great guy. I’ll call him Wings to protect his identity. He’s really tiny, with dark leathery skin. He’s a little hairy, but quiet for most of the day. He’s been keeping me up that past couple nights with his little sounds he makes. He’s a homebody like myself, so we should get along well together.

The flight home was pretty rough. I can’t say I’ve ever been that irritable. I had a wonderful brunch at Cracker Barrel with some close friends. My friend bestowed a “silly band” upon me. Apparently, it’s a craze I missed while being in Georgia. Anyways, we were talking over brunch about screaming children on flights. I was surprised I couldn’t say I had really experienced the woes of screaming children during a flying experience… until now. It all started in London – Heathrow. I didn’t have the opportunity to get out of Terminal 1 for my six and a half hour layover there, so I had to occupy myself. I was fascinated by all the authentic English accents around me. Then, I transitioned to people watching with everyone who walked by. There were a couple of people who sat near me that were also clearly alone. I wanted to go up to them and ask them if they wanted to exchange some currency and go to a café. Sadly, I never quite built up the courage to do so.

Eventually, all the people watching and lack of sleep from Tampa kicked in. I close my eyes, leaning on my carry-on with my backpack tucked between my ankles and fall asleep. Screaming twins 1 and 2 start the ambience. I open my eyes and a pair of parents across the way are attempting to gain control over the two. Fortunately, they didn’t stay there too long. With my eyes alternating alert, they close again. A mom with two kids, one older, one younger, sit right behind me. The younger child begins to scream as though he’s being tortured. He keeps screaming and screaming. Not wanting him to get the best of me, I try to keep sleeping. Then before I know it, he comes to the other side and stands right in front of me and screams harder than he had screamed thus far. I’m really irritated, so I get up to relocate and notice the mom is trying to sleep and is ignoring her children. The lack of attention is what prompted this whole fiasco. As a single parent, I think I just wouldn’t fly internationally unless I had a full supply of 5-hour energy, redbull, and caffeine pills.

Once my flight’s gate information pops up on the display, I trundle across the terminal to greet a full room of Georgians and a few Azeris and Internationals. It turns out to get to Tbilisi from London, we were connecting in Baku. Baku is totally on the way, so I don’t mind at all… It’s not like it would put us an additional 2 hours out of the way. So they start to board and I feel like I’m already back in Georgia. There was no line. Then, on flights you are supposed to put your carry-on in the overhead bin and your personal item under the seat. Everyone proceeds to squeeze and cram their over-sized carry-on’s of various shapes into the bins. As the flight is in progress – seat belts come off and we are birja-ing in the aisles. Screaming baby behind me starts. The mom was trying to force the toddler to stop by holding her hand over the kid’s mouth, which only encouraged him. In the moments of calm with the child, he would scream a poorly constructed ABC song… AAA-BBEEEEEE- CEEEEE- DEEEEE- UHH-LAAA – LAAA- LAAA- EXXX- Y- ZEEE- ABC’s!!!! again, and again, annnd you get the point. There were several Georgians who pretended not to understand English with the flight attendants, and then made fun of her in Georgian. Bad parenting, poor sleep quality, and just plain rudeness. Welcome back to Georgia!!

In all honesty, I was happy to get back. I’d also like to add a disclaimer that this experience doesn’t represent all of Georgia, just a few bad experiences that have turned into some pet peeves of mine and not limited to just Georgia.

So I get in a taxi to go to my friends’ house for the night. I negotiated 20 lari for the fare. During the drive, the driver asks me if I’m a spy. No, I’m a teacher… then he begins to talk about how hard the economy is in Georgia, as though I didn’t know having been there a year. Then he talks about how expensive gas is, and how high it must’ve gone since I left Georgia… Ok, buddy I see where this is going. I have him drop me off a little early so as not to get charged more. At the point he dropped me off, he got angry at the 20 lari, I gave him 5 more, and lugged my 90 pounds of luggage the rest of the way, up the hill to my friends’ house. Georgians are talking about how funny I look as I walk by but don’t offer to help.

I spent a really good time at my friends’ house. I got to meet to pretty cool PCVs from Azerbaijan to boot. It’s always good to exchange experiences. We went to a Georgian polyphonic singing practice, where I learned 2 Georgian polyphonic songs. I’m a Bani singer (or bass). It’s the easiest part as well. I love singing and loved these two songs. One was in Megrelian (a much smaller regional language in Georgia) and the other was in Georgian. Then, I get across town very easily thanks to the help of several Georgians to the marshrutka station. On the marsh back to site, I start to lose feeling in the roof of my mouth. Then my face starts to go numb, followed by my arms. This continues until I get off near my apartment. I thank the driver in Georgian, and realized I was slurring and my hearing had been affected. It turns out I had a heat stroke. SO, then I go up and rest the remainder of the day, drinking lots of water per Dr. Marina. I’m fine now, so don’t worry, it must’ve been all the strenuousness of the trip.

It turns out my landlord bought and installed a new couch/bed in my room, washed my linens, and organized everything. She is such a sweet lady! I got to hang out with my site mate that night. And since coming back, I’ve watched (in this order) Prince of Egypt, Hercules, Beauty and the Beast, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. I love watching feel good Disney and fantasy movies! I’m feeling ready to knock out these last 10 months and school starts soon. I have a lot of good projects planned. You are all welcome to come stay with me here at my site. It’s not the best conditions, but good company is guaranteed.

Since last we spoke, a lot has happened!

In the beginning, I spent some very much needed quality time with two of the most important people in my life: Matt and Christine. We got to hang out, go out to eat, and a few highlights were going to the Bok Tower Botanical Gardens in Lake Wales and eating a Dunkin Donuts Double Down. Note: originally it was supposed to be a Krispy Kreme Double Down, but due to lack of availability of KK, we used an extra DD. This is where you take a glazed donut, cut it in half and use it as a bun with the KFC Double Down.. It's a doozy, but very delicioso.

The botanical gardens were so cool, because the biggest feature is a tower that would be comparable to Sauron's summer tower. Check it out:

Also, I picked up a new bad habit: Second Life. If you are unfamiliar, it is a virtual world where you literally can create a second life for yourself. You apply for jobs (if you want to work), develop skills, make friends (possibly even a boyfriend/girlfriend), build a house, etc. I think most people just use it as a 3D chat option. Let me know if any of you all get this, I'll add you to my friends. It's free to use, and as long as you don't have a dial-up connection, you can probably play too.

I've gone out to dinner with friends, traveled around town, visited my grandma, picked up presents for all my sugar babies back in Georgia! (Hopefully I didn't forget any!)

My grandma has become quite the character since moving into her assisted living facility. She thrives on the social interaction and activities they put together. She was a cheerleader in high school (popular), and now she is able to experience that again. All the denizens of the facility love her clothes the best and are jealous of her, which she also loves. She has her heart set on a man there, and resources to get the DL on his activities. I got her set up on skype yesterday, but I'm not sure if she's quite computer savvy enough at this point to communicate with me just yet.

As mentioned, I packed like a crazy person before my transatlantic flight, and I am still kicking myself for forgetting my camera! Luckily my friend Christine let me borrow hers while she was in town, and she uploaded all the pics on facebook = w00t!

As far as a health update, it has been one huge roller coaster. I've been trying to keep updates simple and to a minimum, so as not to cause you, dear reader, any undue stress. I had a couple of relapses from some lung problems they couldn't diagnose. My health coordinator with Peace Corps has mentioned me possibly being medically separated, my doctor has suspected I had some rare lung disorder I picked up in Georgia, I've been feeling great, and not so great (even lost a full week of consciousness thanks to codeine cough syrup), but overall, my health is improving. I got released from the doctor this past Friday, and I'm waiting to hear from my health coordinator. I'm sad and glad that my vacation days were not spent as much vacationing as they were healing from all this, but I am glad that as of yet, I'm not being medically separated (and would have, had I not used the vacation days).

In my resting time, I was able to reconnect with the internet and max, unlimited bandwidth to download a good amount of movies. I was able to watch seasons 2 and 3 of True Blood!! Awesome series. There was also an article and raucous about the new cover of Rolling Stone being a little too controversial. Parents were calling for it to be deemed a mature magazine cover. Take a look:

Personally, I think it's a hottt cover. Ok, I'm sure a lot of you are thinking it's vulgar and inappropriate. Maybe it shouldn't be next Country Living, but it's not blood to my knowledge. I'm pretty sure it's chocolate syrup. If you haven't watched True Blood, you should check it out. It's a vampire show on HBO.

I've collected a lot of things to bring back, but I think I am pretty sure I am pushing the weight limit! We'll see how that goes. I just want to go back and finish my service. Things I still need to do: go to Harry Potter World at Universal- Orlando!!!

I think that's about all you need to know to get by until the next post. Love you all! Thank you to everyone who has expressed/provided support through all of this. It really means a lot. <-- Cheesy to the max, but it's true. :)

So, I'm now on a much-needed vacation. About a week has gone by since I left Georgia, and while I miss parts and people, it feels good to be able to relax. I had a bout of illness which landed me in the hospital, but I am out, feeling a ton better. I go in for my check-up tomorrow morning!

I hope to return to Georgia rejuvenated and ready to complete year 2! OMS-Peace Corps (Office of Medical Services) in Washington expressed some concerns about me going back to the same living conditions with the burning trash, exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke of the "big" city... I feel like that could be foreshadowing of some future drama, but it was necessary to tell them about my downturn in health so I could turn it around. My coordinator with OMS is so amazing. I was reminded of a cultural element of Japanese culture where you send gifts to those that help you. It's a great way to show appreciation to those who don't necessarily play a central role in your life but make it easier.

I've been able to spend some time with some of my favorite people so far, which has been good. Hopefully, this week goes better! I can say there are good people, good foods, and good times ahead.

So the cough from all the environmental things feels like it may be getting itself under control. Since I've been told I'm pretty good in the field of talking about nothing, I have a story for you.

The past couple of nights, there have been bugs crawling around on the floor of my bathroom (as if the overpopulation of spiders wasn't enough). I guess you have to figure that something needs to support these spiders if they are going to stay alive. I made the discovery about the unknown bugs when I turned on the light, and there were like 15-20 of them wriggling around on the floor. I freak out, they freak out, and they scatter while I'm attempting to kill them. I never said I was merciful to unknown house guests. This house is one in Georgia that doesn't exude hospitality. So, I think I'm done killing them. They behave like cockroaches, but kill as easily as silverfish. Maybe it's like a hybrid mutation?

So, I notice 2 huge spiders on either end of the bathroom, perched near the floor. I figure I'd let them stay there, because two spiders are better than 20 little unknown bugs. I start brushing my teeth but am careful not to disturb the spiders, as I already had enough spider bites on my legs after my last crusade to take back my apartment (While I had been away in the last month, spiders claimed my apartment. Needless to say, I sustained some injuries.). So I'm watching these two predators, and suddenly along trundles in my periphery of vision a huge daddy/momma big-ass (perdone mon Français) jumbo-nasty unknown bug (at least 50 times bigger than the little ones). I quickly squash this BAMF and leave its corpse there to rot (or until I could collect enough courage to scoop it up with a paper towel).

Yesterday morning, the bug carcass remained alone on my bathroom floor and the 2 spiders had taken up shop for the night. Then, this morning I wake up thinking, it's about time I cleaned up this murder scene, but only the smoosh-lines of the bug remained. Some creature that lives in my bathroom claimed it for a meal. The question is, was it a spider? or was it a scavenger? Maybe it was the little unknown (possibly cannibalistic) bugs. I'll keep you updated on the hour.

**This has been a Georgian reality check brought to you by jeffersonpeaches.blogspot.com.

OOOOK. This is going to be a mini-rant, and then I'll be done. So I have a terrible cough. A cough that has kept me from sleeping well the last 2 nights. I've been having trouble breathing because they have not stopped burning trash or smoking cigarettes! It doesn't matter what's in the trash, they burn it anyway. Almost all Georgian men (and a lot of women) smoke, so that's unavoidable. What's the result? A horrible cough and poor quality of sleep.

I can't have my windows and doors closed because I don't have air conditioning, and we don't get enough living allowance to keep a fan running all summer. So, I leave my doors open, and in comes the smoke. I'm sick of it already. I'm really glad I'm going to America to get a break from the heat and smoke you can't escape from.

All-time highs in temperatures across the globe result in all-time lows in blog posts here on jeffersonpeaches.blogspot.com!

So, after the summer camp from hell, I went to help out for round two of Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) with American Councils. There was a PDO intermission when we were able to see Hillary Clinton in the flesh! She was running on Georgian village time (even slower than Georgian time), approximately 2.5 hours late. It was a good time though! I got to meet a former PC volunteer and an embassy intern! At the end, I got to bump uglies shake hands with Madame Secretary, who I affectionately refer to as Hillary (we are like bff's). She asked me how I was and before I could answer, a woman of asian decent jumped between us for a picture, scared Hillary and secret service, and Hillary bustled on! I can only hope that next year will bear more satisfying experiences with the Secretary of State. I still need to tell her that we have the same birthday!

Then, post-PDO I finally was able to purchase a refrigerator! It's beautiful and in my kitchen right now, full of food I need to eat before I LEAVE TO AMEREEKA! That's right, I will be on a luxurious summer holiday in the sunshine state, kickin it back with my mom and friends for three weeks. My hope is that I will come back to Georgian in August renewed for the final stretch of the PC Experience.

Since the refrigerator purchase, I have made sweet tea, ice water, hummus, pita, brownies with caramel on top, grilled cheese, okroshka (Russian summer soup), among other various sundries.

Unfortunately, my blog has not been the only part of my life that has suffered. I also have had no energy for my Russian lessons. The truth is, I'm burnt out and need a vacation. Luckily, my hard drive is loaded up with movies to watch in the down time.

Hello folks! Have I got a vacation idea for you! It’s called: Summer Camp with a private school! You will spend 10 days and 9 fabulous nights in a run-down camp site in the middle of nowhere! Your accommodations include sleeping on a thin mattress pad atop of not one, not two, but twelve glorious wooden bed slats! The best sleep you’ve ever imagined wouldn’t be complete without the decomposing, rock-like pillow. Your meals are fully included! You couldn’t be a full-fledged camper without malnutrition. Meals include: bread, margarine, and honey at every meal! You can expect a few side orders of vegetable borsch, room-temperature fried fish, and cucumber-tomato salad! No matter how much you eat, it will be difficult to break 2000 calories a day! Sounds enticing I know, but wait! There’s more!

This camp of a life-time wouldn’t be complete without a monster helping of disorganization! You will be teaching English classes to 106 5th-7th grade students for 2 hours a day! Students will not want to attend classes and will complain, but you can be guaranteed the camp supervisor will be dissatisfied with whatever lesson you planned!

Around day 6 you can be guaranteed to catch a bout of a burning throat, fever, common cold, virus, cough, or all of the above! Then on day 7, I hope you’ll be able to get some rest because you’ll be going on an excursion in 90 degree weather for several hours! All of our excursion options include a semi-grueling hike if you can fight to get a spot on one of our non-air-conditioned vans. Camp staff like to make it as difficult as possible to make anything work out, as you’ll probably appreciate the struggle you had to go through to get to the end. When you need to leave on day 10, you’ll be lucky if you can get anyone to drive you the 45-50 minute walk to the road to get back home! Sure you’ll be exhausted, but who could turn down this experience!?

A few final notes about this hypothetical experience: the kids are really smart, talented, slightly misbehaved but they’ll love you, the 7th graders will be your favorites, a few of the teachers are nice, the people you go with are great company, but the power may go off every day and the management staff of this school are the most disrespectful, inconsiderate, greedy, irresponsible people you have worked with in your PC experience and continue to amaze you in all negative regards.

Hey there boo boo! I think I had a picnic basket!

Yes folks, I had several picnics, but before I get to that story, allow me to recant tales of a volunteer lost at sea.

Let's start off with today and I will blend the present into the past.

So right now I'm eating the pretzels I bought earlier today. I just ate a pretzel that had one of the pieces still in it. I never realized that they punch out the holes in the pretzels. Where do all of these pieces go? It's one of the things, like donuts that we can enjoy even if there is something missing from it. I know I could probably google it, and probably will, to find out where they go, but I kind of like living in mystery. One of my recent personal philosophies is finding joy in imperfection. I may have mentioned this before, but I have observed children, tweens, and adults in this country destroying things. But why? Do they find joy in it? But of course, that doesn't give everyone the right destroy anything, just because it's there. I think you should value things that are whole, but the A-type American mentality already values perfection and completeness. But what about incompleteness, imperfection, and making mistakes (like my lack of agreeing parallelism just there)? There should be value found in everything. So what if your counterpart is late? doesn't want to come to class? So what if you make mistakes while speaking? All of these imperfections can of course strive for perfection, but you should appreciate the relative progress and imperfection of things all the way down to spilling coffee on yourself or a cockroach in your kitchen. Because of this, it's difficult for me to accept all of the time and doesn't negate the stress situations can create. For example: the pretzels I bought. One could say a majority of things in stores here for packaged goods are already expired. That beer you're drinking? Yep, it went bad in 2008. Did you pay full price? Will you check the label next time? Yep.

I haven't had electricity for the past couple of days. Right now, my landlord is replacing the electric switch box. There is a live, exposed wire behind the little plastic case in my foyer, I was told not to open. Do I have electricity? Yes. I am happy.

I found a store that carries the extra large version of candy bars for 20 tetri (cents) cheaper than the cheapest store. I'm glad about this. Dr. Marina called this very day to tell me that my town is not a malaria region! Ergo, I don't have to take malaria medicine!

So at the beginning of the school year, I had rocks thrown at me for not answering to a herd of catcalling hoodlums... and now in one week I've had 2 instances of being yelled to by complete strangers. They yell, "HEY! AMERICAN! AMERICAN! HEY! PSSST! AMERICAN!" I'll turn and wave to not get enemies, they'll all bust out laughing and I wait for another day.

Earlier, when I had bought the pretzels and candy bar with ice cold water to sit on a bench before my Russian lesson, the bench I usually sit on to snack was near a car of men hanging out. They all stare at me and laugh, point, talk loudly about me in Russian or Georgian, because I don't understand, and continue to stare. The small town folk in Georgia are not at all subtle about staring. Today, I just wasn't in the mood for it. But, I'm glad I could have that experience.

This weekend was really nice, because I got to spend it with 5-hairs. We hung out, had some 1on1 friend time (my fav!) and I got to meet 5-hairs' host family. They are nice. I like speaking Georgian with Georgians that are sympathetic to foreigners speaking their language. Today I was complimented by a lot of the teachers at my school for my ability to say a couple words. I know when I speak, I sound like a child and make a lot of mistakes, but what do you expect only studying it for 1 year? For some Georgians when you speak, you're a god. Some Georgians don't care one way or the other, and the rest will be more than happy to tell you it's not enough for them. This host family loved speaking with me. :)

Then, last week was the last week of school. I finished my computer lessons today, wrote their final exam, and verified all of their quizzes they had done from the previous module. Last week was so scattered. No children came. Teachers were scrambling to put their grade books into order. And it was HOTTT. I bought a fan. It's a glorious thing when there's not air conditioning. It got up to around 93-94 degrees F, a little taste of what the rest of the summer might be like. It is cool now, with a light breeze. I talked with my neighbor last night, and she agreed to help me redo the balcony with tile.

A couple weekends ago, my shadows came to watch how I live for 3-4 days. I got to know them better, as they were practically strangers. Annnd I have been trying to think of blog nicknames for them ever since. I thought of one, but forgot it, and the other I couldn't think of one. I need time. They are still new, you know! We had a good time. The first night the site mate, his shadow, and me and my shadows all dined together. It was fun! The next night, my friend, Giorgi, and me and my shadows dined together. It was also very fun! Then we went on an excursion with my school for an overnight trip that Saturday.

At first, it was amazing. We were on an air conditioned bus, we had a picnic in the outdoors, and then the real fun began. We went to a church to site see. I sat on a rock which must have had some bugs on it, because I got bit up! After this we went to a park and road the ferris wheel (which I really truly enjoyed). It was a momentary escape. Then the 3 of us, some teachers from our school and the 35 or so other teenagers found a 3 bedroom house to stay the night. There we ate some leftovers from lunch and the teeny boppers popped bottles and wine was flowing! It flowed all night and not many slept. The teachers all slept in one room with my shadows. One of my shadows got sick and was up all night. I was the only person of age who slept with the teenagers. They told me not to fall asleep or they would do something bad to me. They were nice and let me have one of the beds, but they took the bedding off. So I directly slept laid awake waiting for something bad to happen on a metal frame. The students crept in giggling all night armed with toothpaste and shaving cream. It would've been a real hoot if they could cover the American English teacher from head-to-toe in something without him knowing. Knowing this, I was ready. They managed to get a dollop of toothpaste on my ankle before I woke up to tell them to please stop and get out. They would retreat. It was like controlling a tide of disorder, they ebbed and flowed all night, with my words and lack thereof pushing and pulling them away.

The next day, discovering my shadow's illness, we determined they should go back to site early to be more comfortable. I alone remained with the crowd. We toured along from church to church. One of the students bought me a souvenir model of a church that we took a picture at for me to remember. I have it now in my room, and I can't say I'll ever forget their kindness. Another student bought a stick with cherries tied around it with string. It was very beautiful and delicious. We sat on a bench, talked, listened to our surroundings, and enjoyed the cherries. The teachers commented to the English teacher (and my secondary counterpart) who organized the trip that I was not eating a lot and they were worried. My counterpart bought me popcorn to tide me over and satisfy the teachers. Even though I had eaten plenty, I was grateful and touched by the gesture. The students and I played games on the bus, and the students rotated around me, each wanting a turn to hang out with me. This was the first time I had been invited to do anything with my students. I was tickled!

The day finally wound down with another picnic with the leftovers from the day before. We got back that night, and I crashed to a wonderful night of sleep. The next day at school, I eagerly greeted the students. They were with friends who weren't there and wanted to play it cool. I understand that social dynamic and was happy that I could be their friend for a day. I look forward to the next day and the possibility of every day.

With the old and new volunteers, family and friends, my experience is starting to stabilize. I still have rough moments, but I'm feeling good! I hope that anyone having a rough moment out there can take a breath to reflect on the past, exhale to reflect on the present, and pause to think about what and where their next breath will bring them. Thinking of you all. xoxo

I am forecasting that this will be an unfortunately short post, but I wanted to get something down in writing.

I have 2 trainees coming to casa del Jefferson for job shadowing. They will be my shadows, and it will be a Georgian ol' time. I need to make cake and mop my floors before they get here. We are doing dinner tonight with my SM and his trainee: spaghetti, sauce, salad, garlic bread and cake of sorts.

This will be my second attempt to produce a cake in my giant cake pan. It's double the area of a 9 x 13 but 1/2 the depth, if that makes ANY sense?

There has been an interesting situation with the water: it has not been widely available on the water days due to power outages. If there isn't electricity, I can use my motor to pull water into my apartment, but luckily I was able to get enough today. The bad thing is that my water used to be brown/rust colored. The worse thing is that now it's tinted black. I think it may have something to do with the asphalt they just laid.

I FINALLY dropped off my dress shoes to be repaired at the shoe place, that way I won't have to wear my boots around town as much! WHEW! Then, in celebration of the guests coming, I bought some house slippers for guests when they come over. It's only taken me since February.

I've been having a lot of strange dreams lately (as usual). For example, one of the new trainees who shall remain anonymous was trying to drown people while they were swimming including myself and another trainee saved me (thank you!)! :) Then in another dream, a huge grizzly bear or something invited to give me a hug which I was precautious about, but then realized I wasn't a bear (you know how bears have poor vision) and then I was in danger of being mauled to death. She knew that I wasn't hairy enough to be a bear, and that's what gave me away. SO STRANGE. So any interpretations on those would be appreciated.

Off to make a cake! Until next time!

Let's see. You may be wondering to yourself: I wonder what shenanigans Jefferson has gotten himself into lately. I want to share my story, brace yourselves.

Last we spoke, I was mourning the loss of one of the crew. Of the new group, they are still held together like glue. I went on that Friday to Bolo Zari (Last Bell/Call). Little did I know how joyful it would be. They made a shout out to everyone but me. But alas! I am still carefree. I had always known the twelfth grade was not "keen" on me.

Then Flap came to my town for a visit. We made creations of hamburgers right in my only skillet. I made the buns from scratch with some bar-b-q sauce. If only you knew how much this sauce was the boss. There frosted brownies covered in chocolate. Flap was a dear and financed most of this out of her pocket.

Hey dudes and dudettes!

Writing to you live from the Old Testament. You may wonder why? Well, it seems as though the plague of flies has ended, and the plague of moths (?why??) has begun! I was the lord of the flies by no stretch of the imagination, and here I am now: the mothman... What more is to come? I have killed a couple spiders in my bathroom, but I don't feel so bad, because I know there still at least one in there.

I was able to go into Tbilisi yesterday and do a little fix-o change-o on the school's computer purchased with the grant money I applied for. I wasn't exactly provided private transportation, so I am pretty sure I have a bruise on my shoulder from having the CPU strapped to my back, but there's peace of mind in knowing that it is fixed. I also got some important papers signed for the school, and I'm making my director happy = good.

I was wondering why I was starving this afternoon, because I kept forgetting that the gas has been out, but low and behold, around 5 or 6 the gas came back on! Gas + electricity = hot water to do the dishes and hot food. I didn't have anything else I could've made without gas.

While in Tbilisi yesterday, the hours dwindled into twilight and I missed the last marshrutka (mini-bus) back to my site. I go to the PC "guest house" and come across 1 current volunteer and 3 new trainees! I learn that one of the trainees was going home in the morning. 1 was staying in the guest house to get some rest. And 1 was illin, but she's a trooper, so the three of us (2 noobies and myself) set out on the town. I wanted to show the noobies a good time. We went to one of my favorite restaurants (a little pricey), went to get some gelato afterwords, and we went for a little site-seeing tour through some of the more beautiful parts of the capital. It was really glad to get to know the trainee who was illin, she's very cool, and I predict good times will be had yet to come (if that makes sense). However, I was really sad to see the other trainee leave. It's kind of weird how I haven't known her for that long, but yet she left such an impression. One might even say, she integrated.. :) Nevertheless, I think that's a dark cloud hanging over me today.

I am really grateful that one of the trainees, BPRSI, is here. It's a good group of trainees! They all can put a smile on my face.

In other news, my apartment looks like an explosion has taken place and is in need of a cleaning/tidying. My water filter still needs to get replaced, but Rome wasn't built in a day ya know...

Did I mention that today is St. Andrew's Day? I hope you celebrated it well.

One of the good things about "Fallen Blackberry" is that before she left, she transferred a ton of her digital material to my external hard drive. There are seemingly endless hours of media watching ahead of me.

This Friday is my schools "Last Call" or "Bolo Zari." It's where the 12th graders will celebrate their graduation. It's a huge deal that starts around 11 or 12 in the day and goes on for a little while. This Friday is also an important event for FLEX and additionally an afternoon planning opportunity for PDO... I kind of feel torn as to what I should do. Maybe I'll flip a coin? I really do want to stay in my site for more than one week. Possibly on Saturday I'll be giving Flap a haircut. Flap, if you read this... let me know if you're coming.

I want to start baking. I need to begin some emotional eating and baked goods always make me feel better. Emotional eating is better than alcoholism, so I'm supportive of it. Mostly just eating. I love eating. I feel like one of those dogs that stuffs itself when you put any food down. It will eat until it will die and our stipends control when we can eat. Back to earlier, i don't really have anything to be emotional about, but I know I have a lot of feelings in general. Emotions are good, so why not add chocolate chips and eat them?

Tomorrow will be an interesting day: 1)A morning Russian lesson- I haven't done the homework because of preoccupation with thinking, but also I've never had a morning Russian lesson so far in Georgia 2) English club- hopefully students come!!! (I had one on Monday) 3) New private student. It's a dangerous situation to have private students. I've turned down so many parents, and there are so many English teachers that would be pissed about losing the income. Luckily, this girl currently doesn't have a private tutor, but it's something that can upset the community balance. There's a part of me that feels like it's a good thing. This girl is Azeri, one of the minority community. I still have another year here, and in that year, I could really advance her language. She's young and seems really motivated, so it's possible that by the time I leave, she could be prepared to make some great changes in the world. I think of course, this latter vibe is something a little to idealistic, but it's good to have your head in the clouds every now and again. I'll keep ya'll updated.

These are all the things running through my head. I'm off to dream a little dream, so hopefully I'll see you there.

To quickly follow up with where we were last: not spending a lot of money is going well, a few snags in the teacher trainings I have been doing, planning has been going very well for FLEX PDO, and general excitement.

So I have been maintaining an excel file and have put a stop to the drain on my bank account = good. I would never have considered myself a liberal spender, as in America, none of us had such low pay, but that's one of the major components of Peace Corps: to live modestly on host country standards, at least that's my take on things. So the concept of going out to eat really has an impact on your bank account. I'll keep you updated on any additional changes. So far, so good. The best thing that I enjoy, while it may be a time of hardship, is that I have been able to stay financially secure. I don't have to worry about paying for bills, because they are covered from my allowance.

The thought has crossed my mind that perhaps living on my own was a mistake and I should've stayed in a host family, but I would have to be in a house, not an apartment, and, in my community, I have already become associated with 1 host family. It would hurt their and my community image for me to live with a different family, especially given the tensions in the minority town I live in.

Something that I have been reflecting on is that things which bother you, generally will not carry to bother you in the future. There were positions I have been in in jobs, living situations, school, etc that I was very uncomfortable, however, now, they have no impact on me. This helps me cope with some of the difficult situations I go through occasionally here. I know that in the future I will look back and see these things as good memories or something I can laugh about.

Also, we've had some snags with my computer training. I know that they will get unkinked soon, but it's definitely frustrating. Last Wednesday, the CPU stopped functioning. Then Friday, the projector was being finicky. Luckily, on Friday I figured out the real problem was communicating between my laptop and the projector. CPU aside, the equipment we purchased is really quality. Today during a lesson, I used the speakers to hook up my iPod and we did a listening activity.

I have really been enjoying the Economist podcast. It has been keeping me up to date on world events, and their articles go pretty in depth on international issues. I definitely don't want to disconnect from the real world while here.

I am happily looking forward to the day that I can play computer games again. I know this is nerdy, but I miss World of Warcraft. :)

I planned this weekend for the FLEX PDO (Predeparture Orientation) for the kids going to study in US high schools for 1 year! I am very excited for this experience, but I want it to go through without a hitch, which takes a lot of planning. In all, we have 8 sessions to do. We have created the visual aids for 3 sessions, and planned in depth for 2. We will be ready!

I finished my last book in my reading-for-fun initiative and am eager to see what will be my next.

I miss being in my community, and have also been working on creating a balance between my work in my school and my projects. I need to plan for my Russian lessons, computer lessons, regular lessons, and possibly a private student I have been battling to take on from being busy.

I think that's about all! I'm going to Tbilisi this week to meet with a teacher training organization, hopefully to fix the CPU, and I forgot to mention my water filter has been not functioning properly for quite some time, and as it is so big, it's difficult for me to take it to Tbilisi to get it fixed.

Another point I may have failed to mention: I had left my sleeping bag on a marshrutka coming back from the nature hike in Telavi at the beginning of May. I thought it was gone forever. I was shocked when the driver called me to tell me he had my sleeping bag, however it was in Telavi. I had written my name and phone number on the side of the sleeping bag in the identification card space. One volunteer, Fray, à la compagnie de his beautiful wife, Bruyère, picked up the sleeping bag from the marshrutka station and additionally brought it to Tbilisi! I am so greatful, and now have the sleeping bag back in my possession. To be accomplished now are the CPU and the water filter.

Then apparently the school needs some paperwork to be filled out for the purchasing of the projector or something, which also needs to be done, but frankly, it's not as of utmost importance to meet at this point in time.

Ok well, I've bubbled over some so I might as well continue... I helped my friends Claus and Wilhelmina set the trail for the Hash House Harriers, an international running group that drinks beer after they run. I had never set a trail before ever. They use flour to mark the trails, for runners and walkers. This trail was to be staged in Tbilisi proper. We ran into several cleaning people who believed we were polluting the environment, dirtying their city, and hurting their jobs for being paid. I explained that this was only flour for an international group, and that it was important for the tourism in Georgia. Still, there were some people who told us we were not allowed to do so as it was filth. I mentioned to one lady in particular, among the others, that it would rain and wash away the flour. She posed the question,"But what if it doesn't rain!?" Really? Never rain ever again? Come on lady. Georgia needs tourism, among other things. There really are awesome sights to see, and I personally love Tbilisi. It just baffles me that so many people that day were resistant to the idea of bringing money into their country. Coming down from my mini-soapbox, I can say it was a good weekend.

PPPPPS- It's gonna be a HOT summer!

PPPPPPS- Sorry for there not being goblins. But if it's any resolution to this problem, I had a crazy dream last night? I don't know where the characters were from, but I don't think I made them up. There was this boulder I was leaning on to write some information, and I was writing over this hole that had stuff in it. I apologized (for some reason) to the boulder and stood up. A voice responded,"Don't worry about it!" I look down and see a huge cream-colored snake worming around inside of the hole. I was terrified! Then I jump away and think I see a giant cockroach doing a sideways handstand near one of the holes. The angle of the sun was bad, so I couldn't really tell. I get closer to the rock and it disappears into the holes. There were three to five other holes in this boulder. I go back to doing what I was doing, turn around and see it again pop up. I step closer. It disappears into the hole. This process happens a couple more times, before it pops up again. I get closer and closer, but still can't make out what it is. It's deep black with long and thin whispy hairs on the top of it's black, crisp, shiny, almond-shaped form. I get closer, and it flicks open to reveal an eye, staring with a dead look. It totters to and fro, slowly rising up from the hole. The eye is connected to a wedge-shape, reminiscent of a large slice of deep-dish pizza, with two scrawny, black, bird feet. The wedge opens as a mouth and begins talking. We chat about various things, and this strange creature mentions his friend who used to live in the hole. His friend was very small, doll-like in stature, disfigured by a wrinkled shrunken head, featuring a frozen smile, unnaturally wide, below two beady, cruel, black eyes. The wedge notes that I was lucky, his friend was not living there, or I would have been killed, as the doll-man was crazy and had a machine gun he used to extinguish any one or thing who would approach the rock. Then, as I heard echoes of cruel laughter, a chill washing over me broke me from slumber.

Ok so the blog title may be a little over the top. I would first like to shout out to the new volunteers that arrived last wednesday! Twill be a good 2 years! I am coming up on the 1 year mark since I arrived in Georgia! The summer is coming and all kinds of interesting things are afoot: my computer class I started teaching 5 hours a week, new volunteers and helping out with their training, studying for whatever test I'm going to take (GMAT 1st then GRE again?), reading for fun (it hasn't gotten old yet!), working on teacher trainings, preparing to teach FLEX Pre-departure Orientation (PDO), and maintaining a social life! It's rough.

We are back into feeling like spring time, there was a pretty bitter cold snap that almost warranted getting out some winter clothes, but I resisted.

I would like to point out one thing that makes me a further step Georgian: wearing a scarf when your throat hurts... I think it's a good idea! Ahh! O well, you give a little and take a little I guess.

I'm getting ready also for a fall course: Special topics in strategic and international studies, discussions in English. I will be teaching this course in the international studies center in Marneuli. I will probably spend a good time preparing for this in the summer time.

The months plan themselves, and the weeks are flying by. It's a good feeling. The periods of culture shock and homesickness are becoming less and less, but still exist, of course. I just know that when I get back, I will destroy some American made cuisine.

Also, I talked with my landlord and she said that she will come by next weekend and we will see what we can do to fix the bug migration into my apartment.

I am wanting to go on a hunt for a few pieces of art to slap on these walls to make it feel more comfortable and also some hanging lamp shades to put over these bare bulbs. BUT I must be careful. Recently, my spending has increased exponentially...which is not good on the Peace Corps stipend... :(

That is all my dears.

The title of this blog will become apparent later on, but first a couple of letters of address need to be made, one might call them rants.

Dear Flies in my room,

I think it's so kind of you that you realize I live by myself and you want to keep me company, however, I must refuse your offer of friendship. It's endearing that you at one point in time were perched on my curtain and have now felt comfortable enough to rest on my blanket with me, but I must refuse your offer of love and curiosity. I do not and will not keep food out for you to eat, and if by chance you find a morsel or two, please don't take this the wrong way, but it is not an invitation. I don't know how you are able to grow so large, but I encourage it, as the slower you will fly, and the faster you will die. As I sweep your dead carcasses into the dust pan to later discard into a cheap black plastic sack, I have no sadness for your loss, as it most certainly is no loss to me, unless of course you count me being out one plastic bag at your expense. So, in short, leave. Fly away. Go bother some other poor souls, as here lies a pall stained with the blood of your brethren. Until we meet again.

Your disgruntled landlord,

Jefferson

Dear Spider in my bathroom,

I wish you would come out, as I have a feast for you in my bedroom. I just so happen to enjoy you checking in our unwelcome guests into your soft sticky nest. There is but one exoskeleton I have to pick with you: your shyness scares me. I came into the bathroom for you to scurry off into the corner one day, and I don't want you to be sad or disgruntled because of me. I hope I have done nothing to offend you. On another note, please let me sit on my toilet in peace. Americans like their privacy, and I would rather not get bitten on any account whether it be affection, anxiety, or anger. If I am to be bothered, I will warn you that your free rent will come at a price. So, I look forward to seeing you soon.

Concerned,

Jefferson

Hopefully those letters arrive to their proper destinations timely and appropriately.

So in the past couple of weeks, things have been going really well. I'm writing to you live from my new netbook! My English club is going swimmingly. Russian language is going well, and I have been feeling like I am in the vibe and enjoying life, ALLLLmost to the same level as I was in the States, but of course greatly missing all of my friends back home, American food, and my hobbies.

Also, in regards to my English club, I was on vacation during St. Patrick's Day, however told my group that they should all wear green on that day. I had completely forgotten about it, but then on Monday they showed me a photo of them all wearing green! At first, I couldn't remember why they were all wearing green, but they are just the sweetest group, and I love them very much. More to come regarding all of this.

I had a technology mishap with my camera. It doesn't focus anymore. I will try and fix it, but it looks as though this may be the end.

Last night, I was laying in bed, hungry, but too lazy to get food. So I get up and am walking down the street and I get a vibe that I should go to the store across the street. The store itself is close, but their products are not as good as the store that I was going to. So I go in, and the counter clerk recognizes me, greets me by name and says that he would never forget me. He asks me about school and we chat. Unfortunately, I didn't remember where I had met him much less his name. I found out it's Ismail. I gave him my phone number, and maybe, in the future, we will hang out. Until we meet again my sweets!

-Jefferson

Ok, so yellow cake + chocolate fudge glaze = glorious. There were only a few SNAFUs along the way, but it's the result that counts the most right? I brought some cake for my English club. No one came, so I redistributed the sweets to the Director's cabinet. They really enjoyed it.

Pizza sauce that went with the pizza, also amazing. The pizza crust itself was not one of my best. It could be because I didn't have my dough hooks and mixer for it.

So now I'm eating shishi-bishi. It's a Georgian food that mostly kids like. It's tomato sauce, onions, and eggs all fried up in a skillet. I used the leftover sauce I had for this.

I saw Sherlock Holmes. It was a bootleg copy but excellent quality, and I really enjoyed it! Of course a movie like that isn't going to be academy award winning, but for what it's worth, I think it was done really well. There's a scene about half-way through the movie about some book of witchcraft, and to my surprise there were many language characters: Sanskrit, Hebrew, Russian, and GEORGIAN! Georgian letters in a Warner Bros production! They were nonsensically strewn together, and I'm probably only 1 of 4-5 million people on the planet that would appreciate seeing it!

All other things aside, I have been enjoying my day off from work. I woke up late (8:30). I'm getting old. I'm losing my hair. So, why can't sleeping in mean 8:30? I have yet to read my book, but that's what I plan to do after I'm done listening to Miles Davis.

I would like to shout out to my Megobari! (literally friend in Georgian, but also the name of a project for advice between veteran volunteers and trainees)

PS- I just got bit by my first mosquito of the year! Ahhh... how good it will be to get back on my malaria pill regimen! I also need to put up my nets. Note: only most minority regions and a few other exception communities have to take the malaria medicine, which is very mild and doesn't give you nightmares or any other bizarre things.

Alright, this peach is out of here! I hope you all are enjoying the sunshine and the greatness of life. It's fragile, so appreciate it. Your body is a temple, so worship it.

So the past couple of days, there have been some events that remind me I'm in Georgia. There's a satellite on my balcony. It's not mine. Point 1. Point 2: A man from somewhere in my apartment complex knocks on my door saying that he needs to fix said satellite and continues to work on it for 2 hours. Next, I had a pole on my balcony for bringing in the clothesline that I think the man working on the satellite stole when I wasn't looking. Why?

The water guy came by my apartment this morning at 9:30. He said I owed 13 lari (roughly 8 bucks) for 2 months of water usage. I had no money to pay him and so I called my landlord on my way to the bank because I think he was trying to charge me for 2 people. I woke her up, so she said she'd come over. She arrives to tell me that I don't need to worry about paying for water, to not open the door if he comes back, and if I run into him on the street to tell him I'm a guest and don't know anything. My neighbor tells me for one person is only 1.5 lari (.88 cents) per month. There are 3 ways you can look at this scenario, possibly more, but all seem pretty sketch.

Three non-working days this week: Easter Monday, Hareba (the day where Angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her she had a bun in the oven) and Friday a memorial day for people killed for protesting: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, respectively. What are the chances of children coming to school? Yep. Pret-ty slim.

I went to Batumi this past weekend. It was beautiful! I had a really great time. Everyone said we went off-season, but it was awesome! There were no tourists, and it was overall a great time. I envy the volunteer that gets placed there! (Sidenote: Batumi was not opened up for volunteers to travel to until not too long ago, but after sites had been determined, so this next group has a chance to get placed there). Batumi has many great restaurants, an awesome boardwalk, running paths, right on the Black Sea, close to other historical sites, location in a temperate rainforest, (as a result) diverse plant-life, and the only down-side is that it's hella far from Tbilisi (an overnight train or 8 hours by Marshrutka, which for some other PCV's is not far at all).

Very shortly, I'm going to embark on the making of a yellow cake with chocolate fudge glaze. I'll let you know how it goes! That's about all that's new! Take care and I love you guys!

Onions burning in a pan, roll, CRACK, roll, CRACK. 2 eggs make the pan, 2 don't. That was my breakfast this morning. Unfortunately delicious.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Well. This Jack has been very busy the past couple of weeks, hence the lack of postage. Good news: bathin in hot water that is totally functional without problems, seeing friends from home, going on trips to Ukraine + abundance of awesome people. What's next? Going to Batumi today, seeing another part of Georgia! I have some awesome pictures, some people might be eager to see, but I need to first settle down. I miss my site. I miss my apartment. I miss the street noise. I'm looking forward to seeing the group going to Batumi and catch up with them, but also looking forward to the work and projects I have going on in my community.

I got the scedule together for my computer training. I got ANOTHER new schedule. Our school has a new English teacher. Her name is Esma, and she's one of the other English teacher's former students. The old English teacher who quit gave a couple days advance notice before quitting in the middle of the school year. She got a job at one of the local banks.

Tomato jars are difficult to open. I gave one a shot earlier today, and it needs another day for sure. My landlord gave me a little packet for the Azeri/Muslim holiday: Bairam. She's a sweetheart. The package had some hazelnuts and walnuts in it, but alas I have not a nut cracker.

A new "feature" of my computer in addition to it's catching/freezing every 30 seconds, includes sporadic 1 second freezes in between. When will be the day that I press the power button and the operating system won't load? The good news is, thanks to the awesomeness of PJ, I will have a new netbook. If you are an incoming trainee or dear friend of a volunteer coming soon that could bring it from the US in the next 2 months or so, please let me know. It would save me tons of aggravation with customs and such. I can always repay you with love, tender affection, and definitely a tour of Georgia within the limits Peace Corps lets us travel.

The weather here and now is beautiful. I may have mentioned but I hung up some windchimes (I love them) and the feng shui on my balcony is complete minus the Margaritaville tile I have yet to purchase and lay.

That's about all that's new with me. If I think of something new, I will just have to write another blog entry. After 2 weeks, I hope to start some regular regimen for studying for the GMAT. My goal, as mentioned, is too take it by August 6th, and hopefully I can pull off taking it sometime in June, so I can prepare and retake the GRE. Ya'll rock. Ya'll. That's right.

Another round of Gamarjoba's (hellos) for everyone! (my treat)

How quickly the months plan themselves! So it seems like March as is good as over! New things going on with me: HOT WATER! That's right folks, it's coming and I can (in theory) shower with an overflowing abundance of hot water whenever I want!

Today was International Women's Day, so to all of your international women out there, gilocavt (Congratulations)! Now that I have hot water, I can only pray for a refrigerator. God, if you're listening knock one down and pass it around! (just make sure it ends up with me) Somewhere between the fridge and existence lies a new summer patio, tiled and ready for some intense sun tanning.

So this weekend I made tons of American/non-Georgian food with good company. Friday started off with glazed carrots and rice. The weekend's gluttony kicked off with dessert: peanut butter cookies. The binge intensified with a breakfast of sausages, fried smoked ham, pancakes with maple syrup, fruit, juice, modified latkes and applesauce. A short period of time, then a dinner of velveeta-spicy beef and baked tortilla chips with a spinach salad, carrots and ranch. For dessert, we had chocolate fondue with bananas and cookies. Cinnamon rolls for breakfast ensued today, and beanless chili and chips for dinner. If anything, I am not hungry.

As some of my close ones are arriving from America on Saturday, I need to do laundry and spruce up the ol' apartment. The mirror my Russian tutor gave me is hung in accordance with the tenets of feng shui, and all is well. I still need a table for the purposes of a chopping surface, but other than that, all is well. My wind chimes are mighty beautiful sounding, and I have not yet positioned my bed to be in a north-south position. I'm contemplating it, and will most likely do so for summer.

The only downer in this whole situation has been the time, energy and water availability factor. I was supposed to have hot water on Saturday night, but, as they are still working out all the kinks, I still have not taken a shower, making this the longest I have ever gone in my entire life without a shower. Tomorrow marks 7 days. As long as I have water tomorrow morning, I won't hit 8 days...

In addition to good food this weekend, there was good company, and while I still need to buy a few more pieces of equipment, I am more prepared to host up to 5 people. A Batumi trip seems in order for April, and before you know it, the new volunteers will be here. There's another opportunity for Americans/Brits/Aussies/Canadians and other native Eng Speakers to volunteer in Georgia for one year and teach English: tlg.gov.ge Check it out if interested.

So I saw Star Trek and all I can say is wowowowowowowowow! I really enjoyed it! Then I saw Daybreakers. Daybreakers is not exactly an award winner, but as one volunteer, Punishment, mentioned it would be much better with an appearance from Clive Owen. I missed the awards show, but hope all you Americanos who watched it, enjoyed it.

Annnd, just as I thought spring was upon us, I'm back in my ski jacket around the house. Yep. A cold front swung in. My volunteer, Fiance, mentioned it was snowing in her village! Well, by the end of March this cold business will be done.

Also, I found out I will have free time in Kiev to explore during the four days of training soon, so let me know for sure if you'll be there/are there now!

PS- I found my Russian-English Dictionary. It was underneath my bed. Was I studying one night? It's old and falling apart, but is way more useful than not having one at all. My tutoring sessions last week were all without it!

I need to get better about not taking hiatuses (plural also just hiatus, but sounds strange) from my writing. So many great things have happened since we last spoke. Where shall I begin? So due to extreme winds, the wind chimes had to come down. It was bad enough I thought the scrap metal that's holding my balcony together was going to detach and fly through my window, but the wind chimes banging against my window gave an extra layer of creepiness while trying to sleep. It reminded me of being on the urban scene of something reminiscent of the chainsaw massacre. They'll go up again soon. The wind apparently is really strong during that period of time every year! A couple people in Tbilisi actually (I heard through the grapevine) were killed from fallen trees or debris flying around during the intense wind. Brother Wind is good for drying clothes, but bad for pedestrian activity.

In other news, I saw Avatar! Despite some of the bad/critical reviews, I really enjoyed it. No, I did not have the luxury of seeing it in 3D or on the big screen, but it was really good: so good, in fact, I've already watched it twice this week. Other movies on my soon-to-watch list include: Interview with a Vampire, Daybreakers, Star Trek (the new one), and Sherlock Holmes.

The ground here is starting to solidify, and running at the stadium seems as though somewhat realistic in the near future. I need to talk to my landlord about her installing hot water. It's rough living without it and only a small pot. Yes, I know I could buy another one. As my Russian tutor says, "You are the one who punishes yourself." It's all about priorities, and right now there are a ton of initiatives under way. First, our school got the grant for the computer, projector, projector screen, and internet access project I submitted in the beginning of February! It will be amazing, so I need to start the IT teacher training for that. Then, two days ago, I met with the "School-Family-Society" Association for a partnership for projects regarding professional development with teachers in Georgia! It was an extremely productive first meeting where I may (time depending) go to an International Education Conference at Batumi University in May. Also, I was selected as a Pre-Departure Orientation Teacher by FLEX/American Councils to teach students in Georgia going to the US about American culture!! I'm very excited for this as well. It will mostly be a long weekend involvement in June and July, with planning on weekends in-between and a training of trainers in late March in Ukraine. SO, if any of ya'll folks will be in Ukraine during those 4 days, let me know. They said there will be no time to conduct business or site-see, but you never know what could be!

Other projects? Well, I will be missing the Volunteer Advisory Council (VAC) meeting and the Project Design Management (PDM) conference due to the FLEX/Am. Councils training. I will make up the PDM for one day sometime in April. English club will continue as planned; I'm still writing with my 5th graders and teacher in Tallahassee; I need to work on the resource database for the WID/GAD (Women in Development/Gender and Development) committee. I definitely would say there is not ample free time, as I still have 4 language lessons/wk and 16 hours of teaching plus planning time. When am I going to study for the GMAT? I would like to set aside at least 1-2 hours/wk for that (minimum). I almost forgot! I'm also leading the team building initiative for volunteers as well, and unless I'm forgetting something, that's everything I'm doing.

As the new invitees may have heard, our first Volunteer Reporting Form (VRF) is due. It's basically a concrete summary of everything we've been doing the past 6 months. It's usually due every 3 months or so, but you aren't really supposed to do anything but adjust to your community during the first three months.

In all of this craziness, I've been able to maintain my sanity, stay positive, motivated, and I've been continuing to read for fun! Unfortunately, I started 3 books, so I need to power through some of them. Flap, one of the volunteers, started up a book club initiative. The first book they'll be reading is "3 Cups of Tea." I don't own it, but supposedly there are several copies. I don't know when we'll meet for that or how I'll be able to read it in a quick period of time, but if the desire is there, anything is possible.

One of the most positive things, is that I've never in my life been at this level of business with such a calm peace of mind. Alright cool cats, I'm off to start a productive day!

Hey all! It's been a while since we've last "spoke," but I am here. All is well but I need to get a rant out of the way first.

Dear Dell,

Your computers are pieces of *insert blasphemy* I will be switching to mac in the near future. The fact is that your parts just don't work well.. right now I have a disk stuck in the dvd drive, and it's very noisy. Maybe you should make your faulty parts silent for the sanity of the people you can dupe into buying your products.

Disappointed,

Jefferson

Okay, so it wasn't that long of a rant, because I'm frankly over it. Now for the positives. I've been getting a lot of press recently. I'm almost desensitized to it all... almost. What has been most exciting was one of the largest news networks in Tbilisi, Imedi, did a segment of foreigners people volunteering/working in Georgia. This station is all over Georgia, and I would like to think of it as a mini-CNN. I choose CNN because I am not crazy about FOXnews... I wrote an email to two of my friends and hadn't spoken with them really since September. I was really shocked by how much I had accumulated in doing while being here! It gives me faith to keep on keepin on.

So my English club is in full swing. All of my afternoons of sitting around waiting for people to show up are over! I'm basically teaching an additional 2 hours a week, but I have faith it will take off the ground! My goal is to make sure it's sustainable by the time I leave. I need to start planting the seeds for that now.

My counterpart had given me two jars of fruit preserves ("muraba" in Georgian). I am feeling lazy, so I've just been eating the preserves. I need to jump in the kitchen and make some real food, which should happen shortly.

My counterpart also gave me some jars of supra food, which I'm almost positive are rotting in the jars.. as I haven't touched them. I'm sure it was good food, but I've been at supras... I know what happens there. That and mostly I just didn't like the types of dishes that were in the jar.

Today I wrote down a bunch of recipes that I can make. I'm hinging my hopes on buying an oven soon. I've been saying I wanted to buy an oven for over a month!

Georgia has been having some stunning weather for close to the past week! Pretty soon I'll be sweating the nights away! I'm so excited! So I'm gearing up for some good things to come. Specifically, I want to buy lawn chairs and start tanning on my balcony. Once I get hot water, I want to run at the stadium and tan every day! The reason for this, is that I have to boil my water to bathe...and I only have a small pot to boil the water which equals only bathing half of your body at a lukewarm temperature.

Here's an idea I have for my English club: recipe exchange! Students have to learn the cooking vocabulary, make something, and bring it in and explain how they made it. I will make something American, and it will be great. Then they can give copies of how to make it to their friends. I feel that the recipes everyone knows how to make are prepared slightly differently that it would allow for learning or at least a good activity for speaking. These are the students I want to see get into FLEX next year!

I downloaded a ton of new-to-me music, which is keeping it fresh en casa del jefferson.

This week kicks of conference week in good ol Peace Corps. Tomorrow is a Ronny's visit before headed to the expo fair hosted for the BSE folks, but of potential interest. Conference week = hotel = hot water = hot shower every day. Should I get my hopes up for a hot shower every day? Should I expect it? No. Chances are, there will be a power/gas outage to heat the water and there won't be enough for all of the volunteers. My only expectation is that I'll be able to take at least 1 hot shower though! If not at the conference, the Peace Corps office has a hot water heater and I can shower there.

Am I hella excited for my friends and her family to come in 3 weeks? Yes. It's good to set/frame rewards for your service here, little and big. If you have big rewards like trips or visitors, it allows you to push through. Apparently our 2nd year is going to "fly" by... if this is true, I look forward to the day. Time flies here of course, but I haven't been whisked away by the winds of time. I'm a leaf waiting to be picked up, watching the world fly by above and around me. You might could say, it just finished raining, and we're all waiting to dry before takeoff.

I put up my windchimes I brought from home. One of them is too heavy and keeps blowing into my window, but the other (from my sister's trip to St. Augustine) is perfect! I've been shifting into the need for having a feng shui'd apartment.

It is so windy!

Wish me luck! I've got you all in my thoughts.

Hello all!

Allow me to sum up an interesting week/weekend with you. It all started with 3 Lituanian girls: Linka, Inga, and Goertoetoete...wait I'm getting ahead of myself. So on Friday we went to dinner, met up with an RPCV from Kazakhstan we'll call Sperry (protecting names here) who initially went with us for a gelato run (I got caramel almond...mmmm) then we went to a Jazz restaurant as it was another volunteer's birthday, and THEN we met the Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians (who by the way only speak Estonian in their country), and 1 German. Then we cut the Jazz restaurant short to go to a volunteer bar in Tbilisi, super hole-in-the-wall feel, but great time! As the night wound on, it started snowing! A snowball fight ensued and then we caught a taxi back to the guest house, not before stopping to run the taxi through the McDonald's drive thru. What a wonderful night!

The next day after breakfast, another snowball fight unfolded. I was having such a good time. Then reality hit like a bus. I started to feel really sick. No, it had nothing to do with being out in the cold, unless the snowflakes were contaminated with bioweapons. By the way, I was able to notice and appreciate each snow flake's intricate detail that day. So back to feeling awful... We watched the movie Bruno, a real academy award winner, but innapropriately hilarious. Then I knew I needed to work on my grant due in two days, but instead from fatigue (I'm high maintenance, so I easily get fatigued) I passed out. Sunday I went to the Bazar with another volunteer we'll call Kristina. We had many a learning experience that day. First we took the right bus at the wrong time and went an hour out of our way, then took a marshutka to Lilo's Bazar which we thought was the right place, but it turns out they don't sell books there. It was good because we were able to get some personal items. Then we went to Vagzlis Bazar for the books, hastily ate McDonald's and flew home. Kristina almost missed her marshrutka home but her host family's uncle luckily stopped and waited for our marsh to catch up to theirs.

A cold night of bitter cold went by, luckily I was heavily medicated. Then I worked on my grant. Did that all day. Made some mistakes, but whatever, and emailed it in. Then I took two benadryl and passed out. Another cold night of bitter cold went by, luckily I was heavily medicated..luckily. SOO I wake up this morning feeling like a million bucks without the feeling in my fingers or toes and plug in my water motor. My new apartment has a water tank (200 liters) inside the bathroom and 3 days a week, I can refill it so I have water. I do. It's full. I unplug it. Does it turn off? Nope. The valve had frozen open or something. So after several phonecalls, I got ahold of my landlord. I was already in Tbilisi by that time for a committee meeting. She went by and apparently it unfroze and had turned off. Hopefully I have water in it when I go home. If you are thinking, "I would have known what to do," I can assure you there was nothing. No water shut off valve or anything. No neighbor home to help either.

Anyways, so I rush to Tbilisi, excited to take a shower at the PC Headquarters, but late for my meeting. We do the meeting, eat lunch, and I come back. What a beautiful bathroom PC has in their new office! And hot water! So I shave, get in and am showering when, it starts to get a little cold. I had just started a skin exfoliating and hair conditioning (once again, high maintenance, I know I'm ridiculous) when the pleasant experience turns to an ice bath. Another volunteer we'll call Ms. Mack warned me she had only turned on the water heater a few hours previous and it would only be warm, but this water was hot and amazing. That's Georgia for you sometimes though!

With low expectations and karmic neutrality getting me through the days, I'm heading back from Tbilisi to site for...dare I say it? another bitter cold night.