A NOTE TO READERS: The following was a post that was created one day prior to the violence which occurred on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, the subsequent start of emergency rule in Georgia, and – coincidentally – the start of a two-week mandatory site isolation period for Martha and me. If any of you have been trying to reach us via email during that time, well, we’ve been incommunicado, and we
apologize. Now that we’re out of the emergency rule, (and its associated news blackout) I wish I could regale you all with tales of political swashbuckling or international intrigue that only someone on the ground in Georgia could know, however, the reality is quite the opposite. Without access to the internet, the fuzzy black-and-white Georgian TV news, or the ability to congregate, we were reliant on texts from PC staff to update us on the situation (EMRGNC RUL EN4CED...), and were left to listen to the BBC World Service to see if the situation had gone “top of the pops” by becoming their lead story. Things are back to normal now, and village life as it is, the news that I wanted to communicate over two weeks ago is still relevant. Nevertheless, Martha and I have an action-packed couple of weeks coming up with conferences and travel all over this wonderful land, so keep checking for updates!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terjola, November 7th, 2007
Good tidings from Central Asia! Or is it Eastern Europe? Wait, Mosul is 400 miles away. Does that make this “Northern Middle East?” Well, in any case, hello again friends. As I write to you, the “Position” and “Opposition” are continuing their “conversation” in the streets of Tbilisi, and this is fueling great debate and passion in the Second School’s teacher’s lounge. While I won’t go into the details of our local politics, suffice to say mud-slinging, power politics, political demonstrations and television station shut-downs aren’t a solely American phenomenon. Also, as an quick aside to my close friends and family: I’ll take the total SMS and phone call silence to mean that you’re quite worried about my safety situation. Well, you mustn’t be. Peace Corps - though a completely independent agency of the American government in the day-to-day - is in continual contact with people “in the know” during emergencies, and we Volunteers are well looked after. I’ll keep you posted on developments as they arise, but, to be honest, most of you with an internet connection (or sweet, sweet WiFi) have more access to timely information than I do.
Not much of a post today, as Martha and I have been working hard to bring the language of Shakespeare to Georgian minds, and we haven’t been doing much else. We have, however, had some exciting, and not-so-exciting developments that I thought I should share with all of you.
Prior to our arrival in Georgia, Martha and I rented the DVD “Power Trip.” (or is it Power Trip? Or Power Trip? Seriously; how does one work with a movie title? Is it treated like a play? Or a newspaper? And to say that I teach this language!) Basically, the plot of the movie is based upon the fact that the electrical power situation over the last 10 years in Georgia has been…tenuous at best. With deference to the G1’s through G6’s who really had power issues, it is improving, but we got a lovely dose of “Georgian Reality” for a couple days or so last weekend when the “Shouki” went out and - combined with falling temperatures and non-stop rain - Martha and I were able to feel rather Peace Corps-like (Candles, Shortwave Radio, Sleeping Bags at noon for warmth…) for a while.* The power has since returned, but it has continued raining for about a week, the temps have been in the low 40’s here in Terjola, and I think my “Ahh…It’s just like Belgium!” comments are wearing thin on Martha’s bundled ears.
[MARTHA WORKING BY HEADLAMP]
[MY 6th GRADE CLASS]
Many of these children have been exhibiting this behavior, unchecked, for years, since the teacher would rather have them silent than unruly, resulting in 10th and 11th graders who don’t know anything. In English class, this translates into a handful of students who can read “International Newsweek” (Oh, Fareed Zakaria, you dreamboat, you) and a handful who can’t tell you their name. Some of you might say: “Come on Julien; that happens over here in the States as well. All it takes is a qualified and determined teacher to reach out to them (perhaps through the power of rap music or ballroom dance) and turn these delinquents into scholars!” Well, that may be, but I have yet to find my pedagogical muse, and the 40% of students in my classes that sit and pick their noses instead of reading along to “Keti’s Tea Party” in the text book will just have to wait for my innovative breakthrough. Any cutting edge teaching ideas are welcome (I’m talking to you, Ryan Sitzman/Jason Brady): julien.katchinoff@gmail.com
[MORE OF THE 6th GRADE]
*Keep in mind that unlike the United States, falling temperatures are not a weather phenomenon that are contentedly enjoyed from behind double-paned gas-injected glass, in temperature-controlled environs holding a mug of cocoa. No; here it is experienced first-hand, since there isn’t any heat in the schools, stores, or houses, (aside from wood-burning stoves called “petchis.”) At work, for example, the second school has had hot-water radiators recently installed; however, the school has no funding to run the boilers, which run about 2,000 GEL for a month of use (a ridiculously large sum, when compared to a teacher’s salary of about 120 GEL/month, or about $70.) This fact, combined with bunker-like concrete walls, and semi-permeable window panes that leave to be desired, make for a character-building time at work. Not that I’m complaining for my own sake, but you’ll notice in the photos that the kiddos stay bundled indoors, and that my student count is slated to decrease dramatically as the mercury falls…
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