Ow...Writing Cramps

Well, it doesn't fell like it, but a week has already flown by since I wrote last.  Since then, I've had a week of school, and it went quite well.  I have three co-teachers, who each speak English reasonably well, but who each have their own hindrances in communicating with me.  If I speak a tad slowly, however, the full meaning almost always gets across.  It was very interesting seeing how heir teaching styles differed, and how teaching methods change from the extremes of first grade to twelfth.  We're just beginning to settle into varying levels of real co-teaching instead of having one teach and one stand around aimlessly, and I'm sure things will settle in nicely.  We also just got our teacher's books (or most of them), so soon we can actually start planning our lessons, instead of figuring out what to teach on-the-fly in class by looking at a student's book.  Luckily, it's not hard to arrange a class on the spot to teach first graders and such a couple new letters and a few new words--the higher the grade, however, the more difficult this becomes.

Last Wednesday (I think), my school principal Eva, two of my co-teachers (Lela B. and Lela D.; the third co-teacher is Tea), and I went to our orientation meeting in Telavi, a city about 45 minutes' drive from Ch'ik'aani.  Within about an hour's drive West of myself there are three other TLG volunteers, each of whom was there as well.  It was nice to speak English with other people completely fluent.  The meeting was about (a) the paperwork we have to do while we're here (luckily, it doesn't seem to be too horribly much, assuming we don't lose electricity at inopportune moments) and (b) co-teaching and class preparations.  I think this helped open the door of communication between my co-teachers and me as to lesson planning and the like, so I'm appreciative.  After that, we went out for some Georgian pizza (I specified a no-mayonnaise variety, so we ended up with a chicken pizza that was different, but very good), khachap'uri (of two very different varieties), and some q'ava (coffee).  We went home quite satisfied with a day well spent.

Friday there was no school because of the national holiday for the commemoration (Old Calendar, for you Orthodox out there) of the miracles wrought by our Saviour's Coat in Georgia and of the subsequent miracle of the seventh pillar in the church which still houses our Saviour's Coat, Svet'itskhoveli, in Mtskheta (this is the church I mentioned having gone to in my Oct. 10th blog, "The Glory of God in Georgia").  On Saturday, I went to Church at 3PM.  I think it was Vespers and Matins, but I could be wrong about the Vespers part.  I'm now a fully-fledged member of the choir.  They gave me the handwritten book for the choir's usage in the services on Saturday and Sunday.  Since I brought my service book (horologion), I'll be able to translate as well as transliterate the service.  This way, I can sing/read at the speed I need to (I can't read Georgian letters as fast as a native speaker, obviously) as well as being able to tell, at a glance, what we are singing in the service.  I'm looking forward to its eventual completion.  After Church, Mama Davit (Fr. Davit), a couple other parishioners (and informally, readers in the church) by the names of Ia and Diana, and I went to Mama Davit's house for some khink'ali and a chat.  Luckily, these two women speak very good English (some of the best I've encountered in Georgia so far).  I can speak to Ia at pretty much my regular talking speed, and she even knows some more obscure words, like "quirk," and things like that).

Everyone I meet seems to want to know at least a little English.  The biggest challenges are grammar (especially regarding verbs), forgetfulness of articles (an, the, etc.)--as Georgian doesn't use them (luckily, meaning is usually retained without them)--and, of course, pronunciation.  Georgians have trouble with "v" (which is weird, since they have this sound in their language--though depending on the person, I've heard it pronounced less or more like an English "v" than like and English "w"), "th" (especially the light pronunciation at the ends of words like "fourth" and "with"), and a lot of the vowels.  They have "a" as in "father," "i" as in "eel," "o" as in "low" or "no" (but without the light "oo" sound that we subconsciously add in English), "e" as in "led," and "u" as in "who."  Five nice, clean, straightforward, pure vowels.  Trying to get a good pronunciation of words like "view" or "of" (did I mention they don't have "f" or "w" in Georgian, either?) can be quite exasperating--or entertaining, depending on your mood.

Anyway, Sunday came and went, with another beautiful service and another large meal at Mama Davit's after it.  As this small supra was in the morning, I knew that I had a little more breathing room as to drink, so I will admit that I spent much of the afternoon working off the buzz from all the toasts.  I generally don't drink much, and do not like to get drunk--however, when the toasts are to departed family members, to God, and so forth, then if you can, you have to drink at least a little.  Then there are the certain toasts they tell you you should drink all the way down out of respect--it's definitely a balancing act, respecting the toasts and respecting how much alcohol you can reasonably allow yourself considering your later obligations and your limitations.  In Georgia, when in doubt, don't be too afraid to say "no."  Not only did we drink out of the normal small glasses and highballs (competitive Georgians will test each others' tolerance by downing these repeatedly), but also small bowls, which I thought was interesting, if a bit odd.  I have also now twice done the interlocked-arms drink with the priest here (the one normally seen in weddings in America, which here in the Georgia is for good friends, and is followed by three kisses on the cheeks).  Luckily, the ox-horn glasses didn't come out this time.

Yay!  The electricity's back again:  I was working by candle-light for a bit there (I have been hand-writing these first so far, because of my limited access to the internet), as, since the thunderstorm last night (ah, how the rain reminded me of home!), the electricity's been on-and-off.  Wow, was that a stream-of-consciousness sentence.  Anyway...

I guess the only other things of great importance would be a successful grape harvest earlier this week (and the supra which followed, at which the drinking horns did come out, though I was luckily not asked to drink from them) and a few of the upcoming excitements for me.  Firstly the harvest--this is something they take seriously here.  Each family ends up with quite a few large (i.e., 50-gallon) drums full of grapes.  On the way to Telavi earlier this week, I saw dump-trucks (and a lot of them) simply full to the brim of loose grapes.  We've already made the churchkhela (hazelnuts or walnuts strung together then coated in a grape juice-and-flour substance and left in the air to harden and called by Georgians "Georgian Snickers," despite the obviously complete difference--but mmm!), and I'd assume the actual wine-making begins relatively soon.

Tomorrow (at 6:30 AM--ugh), the priest is taking me to meet the metropolitan (for the non-Orthodox, this refers to either a bishop of a somewhat larger area than an average bishop or a bishop that oversees other bishops in smaller eparchs), Sergi.  I think we're going fishing some time tomorrow, and I may be giving an English lesson in some sort of school gymnasium--communication can be difficult sometimes, so I'm not at all clear on the details.  I figure I'll just go with the flow; it's worked for me so far here.  The following day is the church's feast day (i.e., that of the Apostle Thomas), so there will probably be a lot of people gone to the morning liturgy.  It probably wouldn't be a good idea for me to miss two days of school in a row, though, so I'll have to do without.

Long story short (if that can still be used to apply to this blog entry), all's well with me here in Georgia.  Sorry for my verbosity--I guess that's what happens when you go a week without writing anything.  Word to the wise for any new bloggers coming to Georgia:  if you have a tendency toward wordiness, to avioud serious hand cramps, don't go a week without writing.  :)

In Christ,

Teopile/Theophilos Porter