Living in a Village

May 6^th 2010

So I’ve started PST (pre-service training). This is what the PC is all about. Living in with a host family and spending an insane amount of hours learning a hard language for 10 hours a day. The first few days has been a bit surreal, and it seems I have been here forever. I live with a pretty cool host family, it’s a small family, and a fairly young one at that. The Georgian language is kinda weird in that a mama is a papa. Whenever the 4-yr old kid calls out “mama” the dad comes over, and it confuses me a lot. The kid is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen though. She loves to scamper around the common room, which isn’t that big, and all of us just hang around there most of the time.

The host family is fairly young, in that I find it weird calling my host-mom my host-mom because she’s only 27. I kinda depend on her for a lot, and she’s also a teacher, so she patiently works with me on learning the language when I come back from training. The first day in my host family, I had something called chacha. This is probably the strongest alcohol I’ve ever had. I also took a bath/shower the first night. We have running water! However, no hot water, and the running water is so cold, everytime I pee into the toilet, steam rises. So, we have a bucket that we set on top of the furnace which then I use to give myself a sponge bath. I find myself only using maybe a gallon of water total, which surprises me how little water I can use to take a shower. I’ve yet to take another one. I might tonight.

On the 2^nd day, I fell a tree. We just took a single axe to it, and then climbed it and started chopping at its limbs. It was a dead tree so it cut easily. But the tree was a good 40 ft tall, so it was quite a work-out. I was initially worried I would gain weight living here. But I feel I’m getting a good workout on my legs just walking to my house from school because I’m way up hill. Plus all the squatting going to the toilet has been a good workout.

On the first day of school the school director wanted to greet the Americans with a mid-morning tea. Now you know these people love their alcohol when you get served a shot of vodka with your mid-morning tea. Good times. I’m still getting used to all the nature around here. I keep getting woken up by the roosters around here, and all the dogs howling. Also, randomly on my way to school a cow or bull or pig will go running by me. Getting a lot of stares from people and I’m quite confused all the time. But, I haven’t felt like leaving yet, so tough luck for all those who had me at a week on the when will Eng leave pool.

First Impression Pics

Food in Georgia - I've had a lot of the same, but still good.

Definitely missing spicy asian food.

First impressions to the Georgian press of the Peace Corps was me. Surprise!

Rustic Russian buildings in Georgia

Gamarjoba!

As per usual, I procrastinated until the last minute to pack for my 2+ year adventure. I actually bought my pants and quite a bit of other stuff on the last day in LA. I packed and clean my room all night and didn’t get any sleep at all. The next morning, I hurried to LAX to find a 4 hour weather delay! Not wanting to be left behind, I was forced to stay up because they kept delaying us by 30-60 minute intervals. Arrived Friday night in Philadelphia after a long delay in LAX only to find a crazy beautician convention at the hotel we were staying at. Many “Jersey Shore” looking girls with poofy hair and plastered out of their minds by the time I arrived. Met my roommate, Aaron, cool guy—I know cause he likes Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and my LA PC pal, Laura. I was ready to sleep, but, I couldn’t escape the lure of the hair spray. I had to go down and see what’s up.

Haven’t had anything to eat since the morning, and haven’t had any sleep except for a 3 hour nap on the plane, I proceeded to drink with my new PC friends who I would spend the next 2 years with. We befriended a group that owned a hair salon, and went with them to the private club party in the hotel where we got a table, bottle service, and champagne!

The next morning the real party started. Having woken up by my alarm and a pounding desire to drink 10 gallons of water, I proceeded to try to cure my hangover before an all-day session of what the Peace Corps calls “Staging.” Won’t get into much details about the specifics, since I don’t think we’re allowed to blog about it, plus its quite boring, but I met the other 30 folks I would spend my time in Georgia with. That night, me, Aaron, Laura, and our new friend Patrick, got picked up by my friend in Philadelphia for what I would call my last meal. We had Pat’s cheesesteaks and it was absolutely delicious. We then went to a bar where we had a couple of interesting beers, I had one that tasted like chocolate, and I somehow ordered a small pot of mussels, that actually contained like 50 mussels. Since everyone else was full, I proceeded to devour every single one of them. Our journey back to the hotel was a weird one as well. We stopped by the rocky steps, for the enjoyment of my other friends, since I had went to college for four years in this city, and did the whole climbing up the steps. Then our cab driver gets completely lost where and cuts across 8 lanes of highway to make a crazy u-turn at which point I decided it was a good idea to get out of a moving cab and find another cab to go home in.

We then took a 24+ hour journey to Tbisli which was only bearable due to sleeping pills. On an 11-hr flight from NYC to Istanbul, I think I was only awake for 2 hours of it. Finally we had arrived in Georgia where we were greeted by press, peace corps staff, and the U.S. Ambassador. Everyone of us looked tired and miserable from our long flight and bag hauling (my bags ended up being 50 lbs and 56 lbs! + my carry on which was also very heavy).

We also had our very first Georgian Supra (feast) that night. It was full of bread, fried cheese bread, corn bread, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, meatballs stuffed in bell peppers (my favorite!), and an assortment of other food. It was very delicious, but I think they said it was a special meal, and wasn’t the usual meals we would get.

I’m probably writing my last post for a while, as I will be going to my host family site tomorrow where for the next 2 days, the only people I’ll probably see are my host family who don’t speak a lick of English, and I don’t speak a lick of Georgian. This should be fun!

Pictures will be uploaded when I actually get some decent internet, which might be a while! But I do have pictures!

Almost There...

So the past week since has been very stressful and very busy. And if you know me, thats saying a lot because I'm usually very relaxed and very lazy. I kept debating to myself whether to take the GMAT's or not, and was like a confirmation away from postponing it at the 7 -day deadline. Alas, I have decided, for better or not, to take it. And I have studied since, which means I haven't really studied at all. If anything, I'll just bail out if I don't think I'm ready. I take the test around 18 hours before I leave for the Peace Corp. Yes. It is a bit crazy.

If it was just GMAT studying I wouldn't be feeling too bad. Unfortunately its also packing for the next 2 years of my life. I've been trying on all my clothes to see which ones I would like and which ones still fit me. Two problems with that: 1) I have a lot of clothes, 2) I've gotten much fatter since I bought most of these clothes. So I had to buy some new pants 2 size larger than my pants since I will be needing numerous business casual pants. This has left me depressed and looking at my belly. My reaction to be realizing I'm getting fat is to of course eat more! What can I expect when I live with my parents and they want me to eat all the great home cooking before I leave and am forced to eat Georgian food for 2 years!

This is the opposite of how I would've wanted to spend my last few days here in the states. I wanted to hang out with friends and enjoy life before living without running toilets and hot water. Oh well, this is how my life works I guess. Procrastination is usually awesome, but it sucks sometimes (usually at the end!).

On a final note, I had a great time in DC 2 weeks ago where I got drunk every day (practicing for Georgia) and lived it up like I was 23 again! I also gave one of my best friends who are getting married a cardboard cut-out of myself. I said, if I'm going to miss their wedding in person, then at least a reproduced image of myself will be there!

Oh Also, I found out where I'll be training and learning Georgian for the next three months. Bojormi! It's in central Georgia and is well known for its bottled water! It supposedly has healing qualities! So at the very least I'll be well hydrated and healthy this summer.

Me & the Presidential Cut Outs hanging out in DC

Me and my cut out

Partying in DC...

Farewell DC!

Invitation arrives --- overwhelming feeling ensues...

Nearly a week after a surprising call from the Peace Corp placement officer, I finally received the official invite. In between that, I read many a blogs, became way too excited over the 1st day of March Madness, screamed as my bracket was busted, went on a skiing weekend 300 miles away from home, and watched 8 straight hours of politics as health care reform finally passed!

So this arrived in the mail today!!

I'll be serving in Georgia (as suspected) leaving April 26th (to Orientation)! That's so soon!! OMG, where has the time gone! I just made a to-do list and there are sooo much stuff I have to get done. First, I'll have to accept the invitation. I think I gave declining it a second thought, but a very short second. I've been chasing this dream too long to stop now and I want to see this through to the end no matter how my expectations has changed. My to-do list included a lot, including learning the Spanish guitar and the a little Russian. GULP! I'll have to scrap a lot of that and focus on finishing the paperwork required for the invitation, taking my GMAT's before I leave the country (which I have yet to start studying for), and gathering the supplies for my little 2+ year trip. I'm a notorious over-packer, so this will be a challenge. I also have to see if I can get a deferment on my student loans. Finish my tax return. Also, in between, I planned a one week trip to DC to see my friends and I don't think i'll get anything done there as I'll be drunk most of the time I reckon. Anyways... I'm pretty overwhelmed...

I'll be serving in Georgia as a "Business Advisor, Consultant" within the Business and Social Entrepreneurship program (forever now known as BSE). More on that later...

last time on slopes? I heard Georgia has lots of slopes and snow...

Phone call after the quake...

So there was a Earthquake which had an epicenter 2 miles away from my house. It was only a 4.4, but in LA, everyone feels it. It was probably the 2nd biggest I've felt in my life, the Whitter 95' one being bigger at 5.9. I was awake at the time and I quickly went into earthquake mode, meaning I panicked... went to the doorway... then heard glass braking, car alarms going off, and ran outside. I've felt many earthquakes, so thats usually what I do. Earthquakes happen when you live right above many fault lines in Los Angeles. So its pretty expected.

Whats not expected is a phone call from the Peace Corp. I was expecting another one month wait because the last correspondent I've had was basically to inform me they were doing April departures and to be patient. So when I got a phone call from the DC area code (I know this because I used to live in DC) I thought either it was a friend who changed their phone number, or the Peace Corp. So I answer the phone excitedly and it was the PC! I had strongly hinted that I was "flexible" to leave earlier than June if they wanted, and I guess they got my hint. My placement officer told me if I wanted, I could leave in late April to somewhere in the Eastern Caucasus. I immediately said yes and then she said she wanted to confirm my address to fed-ex my invitation. I was excited! I even jumped up and down, it was as I felt when I got accepted to college.

Between the short phone call, my phone disconnected (it's been doing that a lot lately) and I had a 1 minute break to check where I might be going. Peacecorpwiki says Georgia. It's the only logical area thats in late April. When I got reconnected, I wanted to ask if its Georgia, but knew I would find out in a matter of days anyways. I wander why they are so vague still about the country. I mean its one thing to be vague when they haven't placed you, because they don't know exactly where you might go, especially if its a big region. But to be vague in an invite, that's just unnecessary. I just don't understand what purpose its for since you'll know in a matter of days. But, for now, unofficially, Georgia here I come!

I'm actually kinda conflicted about this now. I've spent the last month trying to hype myself up for Mongolia. I was nominated for early June in Central Asia, and all signs pointed to Mongolia. I have no thoughts on Georgia, but I guess thats why they tell you not to think about where you're going till you get invited. I'm going to reframe from hyping myself up about Georgia.

After the initial excitement of finally getting an invite after waiting more than a year, I'm very overwhelmed by the lack of time now I have. I had all the time thought I would leave in June. Now I have less than 6 weeks to prepare and do everything I wanted to do. I have to cancel a few vacations. I was planning to learn the guitar (although the odds of doing that in 3 months was slim to begin with) and to take the GMAT's (i've been obviously procrastinating), and now thats all up in the air. So now I feel overwhelmed, by a quake of news following a minor quake in LA.

The Long Wait Continues...

I didn't really want to write anything new until I had something new to write about. Alas, I couldn't help myself. I have no invite (yet!) but I do have some new info for ya'll. I recently went to Peace Corp event in downtown LA where there was a bunch of us applicants and a bunch of returned volunteers. It was cool chatting with the volunteers and even cooler to chat with the applicants. Its nice to meet people in the same situation as you--we were all anxious and excited. I even found myself answering a lot of questions because there were people in earlier stages of their application.

I also relented and finally called my placement officer. Well, actually placement desk, since I no longer know who my placement officer is. I called the business desk and I think the basic jist of what they told me was to be patient, and that they were currently working on May invites. I asked if they wanted anything, and offered an updated resume, which they happily accepted. So now i'm just waiting for spring to come and news to arrive. I'm determined to not pester them, so I might just wait for them to call me. Hopefully I'm patient enough.