No School. Again.

Its been over a week since I've set foot in my school. At first I was pleased by the free time, and even thought about taking a last minute trip to Turkey (that was shot down immediately by my three more realistic friends). However, now its just plain crazy! Between illness and the snow/rain that has been occurring lately, School 12 was forced to close (at least I thought).

Real Snow in Zestafoni (not like the snow/rain we get in Samtredia!)

All of February the Samtredia girls and I have been teaching to classrooms that have been more than half empty. There was one day I taught only three 5th formers and we just played hang man the whole time! Another time I taught five 3rd formers the 'Hokey Pokey' song as an unplanned activity and they LOVED it. Even though I was teaching much smaller classes I felt like the students that were coming were getting some well needed attention and review. Hey, learning 'left' and 'right' and 'shake it all about' are pretty important phrases to grasping the English language ;)


Then, last Wednesday, February 9th I walked into an empty 5th form classroom with just two backpacks and no children. I found out later the two children that actually came to school were put to work to collect wood for the teacher's lounge's fireplace (nope not kidding). I walked disgustedly into the teacher's lounge to just sit and wait two periods with nothing to do. Nana, finally came to school and told me that they were canceling school Thursday and Friday, and I could go home right then (11:30am). I said, " Well, I still have Vicka's 8th form class to teach today." And Vicka goes, "Oh don't come to my class. Only three 8th formers came and they are cleaning the windows."

Empty School 12

So after my lovely four-day weekend (see next blog), Monday I woke up and got ready for school. As I went into the kitchen to start making my coffee, Iraqli, stops me and says, "You have school? Look. Snow." (His English is getting so much better!). It was coming down pretty hard so I called Nana, and she said, "Don't come to school because no children will come." The same thing happened on Tuesday. 


On Wednesday, Nana told me to meet her at school at noon to catch up because she missed me (She's so cute!). Then like clock-work she called me around 11:15am and said I shouldn't come because its snowing again, and everyone is going home. This is the first time it occurred to me that we've probably been having school all along, and Nana just hasn't had me come in because no children have been coming. I definitely appreciate her reasoning, but I wouldn't of minded coming in at all. Even if it would of been just to teach one child! Granted, my school is a lot smaller than the other girls so my school probably took the biggest hit of low attendance. I just felt bad because all the other teachers have probably been going to school everyday, and I've been researching post-Georgia opportunities, and watching Mad Men. 

With all this time at home at least Bebs is letting me help her cook!

So after this realization you would think I would of definitely made an attempt to go to school Thursday and Friday despite Nana not wanting me to come. Well, my family finally got a doctor to come look at my foot on Wednesday, and he put me on bed rest for 4 days. Apparently, I tore a muscle in my foot 3 weeks ago, and then me walking on it didn't really help matters. So no school for me. This Monday I'm not letting ANYTHING, snow, rain, illness, or my stupid foot get in the way of my children. 'Tara Teacher' is coming and my kids better have been practicing their ABCs. 

Walk On

Maybe its all those years of dancing on my toes, but I've been having some major foot issues since coming to Georgia. First, it was my right foot blowing up from bug bites (watch out spring, my Benadryl is ready to go!) Then, in Israel I twisted my right ankle while hiking through En Gedi. If you've ever hiked around there you could imagine the treacherous 'stair like' rocks I was climbing when I gracefully hurt my ankle (meaning almost fell on my face). 


Now, back in Georgia I thought I was in the clear, but nope last week the top part of my left foot started pounding with pain as I walked to school and around Samtredia. I was trying to brave it out, but after a few days of limping in pain I texted my host sister one night asking for our house address because I wanted to call a taxi in the morning to go school in.


I guess she took that as 'I am in deep pain and you need to help me NOW,' because she text me back saying "Tara. Father and I will be at house in 10 min. Doctor is coming. Wait me." This is at 11:30pm at night mind you. In less than 10 minutes they were there, and a few minutes after that I heard the sirens of an ambulance. Yep, they called the ambulance. No worries though. In Georgia an ambulance is more like a house doctor. Thank goodness too because I was not ready to brave my first Georgian hospital experience on account that my foot hurt.


I told them my issue, and within 2 minutes I was lying on my stomach getting a shot in my butt. I swear I've gotten more shots in my butt here than I have when I was a baby! And even better, it turned out the doctors on call that night were Melissa's host mom, and Iya's mom (one of Nino's best friends). So another plus is that the next time I'm sitting having tea at Melissa's house her mom will have a great image of my ass in her head!


I went to school the next day, but it was a mistake because all the children started realizing I was walking around like an old bebia (grandma), and the teachers kept asking if I was OK. Needless to say I spent the next two days cooped up on the couch in the dining room. It was great fighting over ways to help heal my foot with Bebia. I would put the icepack on, and she would take it off. I would take pain medicine and she would tell me the pills are what is causing the pain. Got to love Georgian medicine. You know I do!

From T-Rex to Georgian comedy at its best

This past Saturday the girls and I ventured into Kutisi to do a day trip to a park that claims to have dinosaur foot prints. After a 15 minute cab ride up a cork screw windy road we made it to the gates of the park. However we were quickly disappointed by the park rangers standing outside of the gates saying that the park was closed till April 1st. So we were a bit early. They asked why we hadn't checked online, and our response was, "We're in Georgia! When is anything ever online?!" 


We had our cab driver take us back into the center of town where we decided it would be a good idea to see if the newly opened opera house was showing anything that day. A manager of the theater saw us struggling with the doors, and let us in. She lead us through the backstage door and we soon discovered that we were watching the auditions for their first opera in the stage wings! We met the musical director who spoke beautiful English, and we exchanged email addresses so he would let us know when the opera would take place. You can't get that kind of service in New York!

We got a sneak peek of the brand new opera house!

After we left the opera theater we went to the Marjanishvili Theater to see if anything was playing (my host family's great-grand father built this theater!!). 

The Marjanishvili Theater

As it turned out their was a comedy show. We had no idea what it was going to be like, but we all thought it was worth a shot! After some ice cream in the park (yes, in January!!) we went to see the show, and to our surprise it was the Georgian SNL type show comedians putting on the show! We see these guys on TV ALL the time so it was really cool to see them in person. I especially love Georgi!!

The Georgian David Letterman type late night show host battling it out

Typical Georgian family dinner haha

Doing Georgian versions of 'Americano' and 'Waka, Waka' haha soo funny (sorry the videos wouldn't load!)

Shots for St. Nino

Happy St. Nino's Day! Last Thursday was St. Nino's day and as a gift from my students I only had to teach one class. All the upper level classes went up to our Biology teacher, Nino, and asked her if they could miss class and go pray at the church for her (yeah, right). So as I sat in an empty classroom awaiting my students (only for 20 minutes till I heard they weren't coming,) they were off at the local cafe drinking and eating and having a good ol' time. Celebrating St. Nino of course! 
After that, I went to go read in the teacher's lounge, and wait for 6th period so I could teach my 5th form class, and my school director pulls me into the coffee room. A bunch of teachers (including Nino because its her day) were sitting around drinking coffee, eating cake, and taking shots of hazelnut liquor. I sat down on the bed. Yes, there is a bed in the coffee room. In case you can't handle the drinking that goes on in there sometimes. Hah. No really it used to be the nurse's room. My school couldn't afford to have the nurse anymore so they made it into their coffee room (go figure!). 
Katuna, my school director, went and poured me a shot of liquor and we gagimargos'ed' (cheers!) for Nino, the school, and Georgian-US relations. I took down the shot like a true Georgian and then the bell rang and I was off to teach my 5th formers. Good thing there is no DARE program in Georgia! 

A Taste of The Holy Land

So after a month of traveling around Israel the Samtredia gals and I have finally made our way back to little ol' Samtredia. It was my second trip to Israel (my first being the 10 day Taglit Birthright trip). However, this trip was made special by our decision to couch surf around the country rather than stay in hostels. We met such amazing people that showed us the true Israel and Palestine. Since 30 days is a lot to cover in one little blog, I'll let my photos do the speaking....

The girls and I standing in front of the Western Wall

We spent Christmas in Bethlehem...the birthplace of Jesus!

Floating away in the Dead Sea

Celebrating Sam, our couch surfer's birthday, in Ramallah

Fooling around on the work-out equipment on the Tel Aviv beach

Michelle and I chilling in Jonah's Whale in Akko

Watching the sunrise over Syria and Lebanon in a kibbutz in Northern Israel

Playing with my friend Aliza's beautiful baby Emuna

Dancing in Jerusalem with our couch surfer Eran

The sunsetting over Jerusalem

Our first mosque experience in Nablus

An Israeli solider on duty in Hebron

A photo in the airport as we were leaving...always home <3

Tis' The Season!

Over the past few weeks I've been teaching and practicing different Christmas, New Years, and Winter songs with each of my classes in preparation for a winter concert. Since my first week at school Nana always mentioned how she wanted to put on a holiday show, and today it took place! 


Since we don't have a stage or all-purpose type room the concert took place in our large music room. I wanted to have a party along with the kids singing songs so for the first hour just the 3rd, 4th, and 5th formers came in for fun. We had tables set up for them to write their own Christmas cards and letters to Santa. I wrote out samples like 'Dear Bob, Roses are Red. Violets are Blue. I want to wish a very Happy New Year to you!' Many of the kids copied from my examples even adding in 'Dear Bob' haha. I put out smiley face and star stickers and they went WILD over them! I now know what to bribe them with for next semester! 

So much love for 'Tara Teacher'

I also created a 'Pin The Nose on the Rudolph' game. They could not get enough of it! I even had 7th and 8th graders sneaking into the room to play! It amazes me sometimes that the simplest things, like games or songs I've known my whole life, are so incredibly enjoyable for them. 

Pin the Nose on the Rudolph!

The concert part of the day went great! Each class came into the room to preform for teachers, parents, and some members of the educational resource center. I really could not have been more proud of all my children. Even the 6th formers who did not know the last few verses of 'Let it Snow' pulled it off in style! 

'Dashinggg thwru thee snoww'

My 11th and 12th formers were definitely the stars of the show. They preformed a skit that we wrote together in class about drinking on New Years, and then they sang 'Jingle Bell Rock' and 'So This is Christmas.' My principal liked it so much that she had them do 'Jingle Bell Rock' again in order to catch it on camera! 

Its the right time to rock the night away!

The concert was a success! I was even interviewed by a journalist from the neighboring city of Kutaisi! I really enjoyed teaching my kids songs. It made me remember all the shows I was in growing up, and how much fun it all was. 

The girls got in on the fun too

So that is a wrap for my first semester in Georgia! I'm flying to Israel with the three other Samtredia gals on Monday for our winter break. I'm not sure how much internet access I will have, but I will be sure to blog if I can get some. Until then, Happy holidays and Happy New Year!!

I am Woman...Hear Me Roar!

Through out my training it was emphasized that Georgia is an extremely male dominated country and in many regions of Georgia, females are expected to wait hand and foot on the males in their family. I have definitely seen many examples of this backwards behavior, but I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised by the strength of the women's voice in Georgia. 


Three people that I have come to know and love and would not be able to get through my day without happen to all be strong women.


Firstly, my Bebia. She is the backbone of my family. I'm not sure if my family or now I, could function without her. She wakes up before I do and goes to bed way past I do, and is seriously a powerhouse. Although some of my friends also have Bebias, she is 'The Bebia' to us all. Even at only 4'11 she is a dominating figure, and you never mess with her. She cooks all the meals, does all the laundry, cleans, irons, sews, and is overall the ultimate Georgian Bebia. She also doesn't let Alvto, my Georgian Dad, tell her what to do. She is always concerned about how I'm doing, and she has been amazing about my gluten free needs. I've probably spent the most time with her out of all the family members too. However, she will never replace my American grandmas, Mom-Mom and Granny! 


Next is, Nana, the head English teacher at my school. I was really concerned at first that I would be working with an older teacher since I heard they did not like new teaching methods, and were not happy to have American teachers in Georgia. However, it has been the complete opposite with her. She was thrilled that I came to work at her school, and is so thankful to have me. She is always wants me to teach her new English words, and we are always brainstorming ways to get our kids to come to class hah. She is seriously my life line at school, and I'm not sure I would be able to get by without her since my other two English teachers I can barely hold I conversation with. She has been teaching at my school for over 40 years so we always get into deep conversations about the Soviet Union, and how those times were. Its amazing how much she has been through, and yet she is still keeps up to date with current Georgian pop singers and actresses. I know the feeling is mutual because the other day she met Michelle, and she goes 'I have three grandchildren, Nanuka, Zuka, and Tara!'


My final power woman is Sopho. Sopho is a geography teacher at my school and also happens to be Nana's daughter-in-law. She is such a friendly, out-going person and I'm so happy to have her in my life. She runs the Samtredia newspaper, and introduced me to her entire office that I enjoy visiting frequently. It amazes me how much she does and sometimes I wonder if she ever sleeps! She is a mother of two, teacher, journalist and so on. One thing that I find so refreshing about Sopho is that she is always trying to better herself. She takes English lessons twice a week, and she is always asking me to practice with her. She is also learning how to drive which is very unusual for most Georgian women. I find her passion for life to be so motivating. Even though we have big language barriers sometimes it does not stop us from talking to each other. She gives me hope for young Georgian woman out there that you can have a family, work, and dress fashionably all at once! 


I'm so thankful to have met these amazing Georgian women during my time here. I would also like to say that the three Samtredia go-gos are also 'power women' in my life, and without them I do not know what I would do!