A carpetbagger's journey to Georgia

The Stones are MINE, Dr. Jones!

2009-01-25T12:34:00.001-08:00

Greetings! It has been quite some time since any exotic medical maladies have befallen your's truly, but in keeping with the previous week's theme of "Change", the past few days have provided quite a good story. Now, for most regular folk, talking about one's medical conditions tend to be a somewhat private matter; shared only among close friends and family. This is how it's been done for millenia. But, as with the new administration, CHANGE HAS COME!

The beginning of this sharing harkens back to my time in the Peace Corps. There are two prime topics of gossip for volunteers: 1. Who's sleeping with whom, and 2. who's got what disease/parasite/illness. Volunteers share, in excruciatingly great detail, all unnatural bodily functions in a kind of gross-out-athon. One-upmanship is KEY for this endeavor. It truly is shocking and disgusting but you are so starved for ANY contact with a native English speaker, that it actually becomes somewhat routine and accepted. It breaks the monotany and for a brief instant, you know that there is at least one American in Georgia who feels shittier than you do.

Since I've returned, I realized, quickly, that my good ol' friends here in the states did not find such detailed descriptions entertaining in the least. Keeping that in mind, I will do my best to make the last week of my life more humorous than stomach-turning for you intreped readers. It all started last Wednesday. Due to this recession thingy, my school saw fit to cut my hours from 30 to 20 per week. Of course this included a corresponding pay cut which went on top on the 10% pay cut the entire staff had to endure at the beginning of January. I scheduled a meeting to talk with my principle about how this was going to be implemented (I had only recieved 3 days notice). About 10 minutes into the meeting, I began to feel a great pain in my left side. It quickly became very intense and with apologies to my boss, I ended the meeting post haste. After about 20 minutes or so the pain went away; only to return a few hours later.

I called the help nurse and explained it and she said I should see my doctor tomorrow. She put a front of the line priviledge on my record and I hung up and went to bed. At 1 AM, the pain returned. It was intense enough to wake me out of a sound sleep and I decided to head to the ER. I was quickly seen and placed in a cubicle to await a doctor. He arrived and asked questions and sent me off to get an x-ray of my belly.

It was at this wee hour that things took a turn for the wierd. I had brought a book with me. "The Blind Watchmaker" by Richard Dawkins tears down the early claims by "Intelligent Design" Creationists. The orderly who wheeled me to the X-ray room noticed the book and began telling me how much she didn't agree with it's premise (although she had only seen the cover). Now, as a science teacher I have a pretty short fuse when it comes to such things even under the best of circumstances. Place me in a hospital at 3 in the morning, writhing with pain of unknown orgin and, well, let's just say that I was not in the most harmonious frame of mind. I won't sully this here story with the details of our exchange but I will leave you with this: My Biology teacher never spoke about God's testicles and my Theology techer, Father Garvey, never waxed catholic about the golden ratio or Plank's Constant! Nuff said!

After a nice dose of radiation (about 160 millirems), I was wheeled back to my cube (thankfully by the rad-tech and not Sister/Nurse/Orderly Rachet) where I anxiously awaited the diagnosis. Time passed. The pain dissapated. Finally my doctor arrived. I had....

Constipation.

Consta-what?! Needless to say I was shocked. This could not be! The main symptom of constipation is...well damn! We all know what the main symptom is and I didn't have it! But, I was exhausted, had school to teach in 2.5 hours and the pain had gone away so I paid and made my way home. I stopped at Walgreens and bought my "constapation remedies", went to be for an hour and arose to teach. Thursday passed without incident. No pain and everything was working as it should. "Maybe that quack with 7 years of school under his belt was on to something with this whole "phantom" constipation diagnosis", I thought.

Friday, 11:20 AM. I am sitting in studyhall when I feel a twinge. 2 minutes later, I can't stay seated due to the pain in my gut. I tough it out til 12 noon and go home (20 hours a week, remember?) The pain worsens. I call Eva to take me to the hospital. No answer. Tears are running down my face. "This ain't no damn constipation", I think to myself, "it's Ebola, the movie 'Alien', and the Zombie apocalypse all rolled into one!" I hear a door slam in the hallway. It's my neighbor Shauna. I ask her if she can take me to the ER. She takes one glance at me and turns white as a ghost. I mean, I haven't seen a look like that from a girl since my last date. 20 minutes later we arrive.

Although I am hunched over in pain and breathing a mile a minute, there IS still the matter of my co-pay before I can be seen and I'm a dollar short. I tell the guy to bill me. After what seems like hours I finally have glorious intraveinous pain-killers running through my system. Things get a bit foggy after that. There was a long wait for a CT scan with fancy iodine dye and then another X-ray. My doctor came in and said I had 2 decent sized Kidney stones; one of which was on the move, hence the pain and blood in my urine. "What now?", I asked. "Well, you'll just have to wait for them to pass", she said. With that, I was given a big bottle of percoset and a funnel strainer to catch the little bugger when it comes out (oh joy!). Evan and Eva picked me up and took me home, definitely a bit worse for wear.

So now I wait. Some days are almost pain free. Others send me running to the medicine chest. Today was rough becuase the pain started this morning and I couldn't get all doped up and still teach; or could I? :) (Just kidding). So while it's not as gross as Girardia, or as exotic as Ameobic Dysentary (pretty gross too), or as exciting as being blugoned repeatedly in the head by a rock-wielding Georgian thug, it IS another great story of non-fatal bodily woe to put out into the ether. Where the hell are my PILLS!?

Til next time.

Yours in calcification,

John

This just in!....

2009-01-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

Howdy all,
This will be a brief post but I love it when things come full circle. A few months back, I wrote about a conservative talk show host's embarrassing performance on Hardball. You can jump back to the post and give it a quick look-see (recommended). The title is "One really, really stupid conservative for starters".
For those of you who don't wish to head back in time (2008 was pretty rough), the link below will make you realize what I had long suspected about successful punditry...that all it takes is the complete abandonment of logic, intelligent discourse, and respect for your opponent to become a media sensation! We only have 6 minutes for a segment on "xxxxx" (enter any deep, complex problem facing humanity), so let's just shout about it! It only proves that "news" has become entertainment. Folks my age laughed our asses off at Saturday Night Live's "Point/Counterpoint" with Dan Akroyd and Jane Curtain because it mocked the "equal time" doctrine that was destroyed by Reagan during the 80's, giving birth to the horror we now see on "news" shows. When the satire of 30 years ago becomes tame, we truly are in some brave new world; with such people in it. Enjoy the clips!!
'THEN' Clip:
http://video.aol.com/partner/hulu/saturday-night-live-saturday-night-live-point-counterpoint-lee-marvin-and-michelle-triola/L40MNT7XBfXlDBk9nZRykX6Er3EYMY5u

'NOW' Clip

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=215338&title=pundit-school

Winter this year...kind of like Georgia but with better beer!

2008-12-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

No, it's not the cafe in Kareli but Eric and I still find time to have a beer or two.

Last year (below) and this year (left) Brrrr!

There’s a small window in my apartment. It slants outward, forming a wedge. The small triangular ledge liberated by this design was surely intended for plants or chotchkies. As the owner of few trinkets and baubles, I have been content to crowd this little nook with candles, an incense burner, and the odd piece of correspondence that does not involve me having to pay some corporate entity.
Now that the weather has turned, it has become a smoking platform. I force the window inward; no small feat as it has no handle, and it is just wide enough for me to lean out and view a small part of my neighborhood while I have a smoke. Now, cigarettes can and will do any number of monumentally bad things to a person. But in the right frame of mind, and at the right time of day, they become something both stimulating and relaxing.
If I look to the left I can see “Big Pink”, Portland’s tallest building and so named because of the colored stone used to clothe it’s steel frame. To be honest, I can’t see the whole thing, just the top few floors and, the red aircraft warning lights at night. The interesting thing about the view is how it is framed: The building is perfectly situated between an overgrown stand of cypress and one of Portland’s faux Victorian-style houses. I’m always amazed at how Big Pink just seems to fit so perfectly between them, blinking away and hinting at the proximity of downtown.
This last week has been good for leaning out my window and watching the world. Snow, always a brief visitor here, has taken up residence in quantities I have never seen in Stumptown. It’s fun to watch it pile up, especially near Christmas time. Whenever I see snow fall, I head out into the storm. Urban snow quiets the city, muting the traffic and creating a cocoon that I find to be rather comforting. I loved it in Georgia…until I realized that I had to head outside to go potty. That definitely took some of the bloom off the rose; as it were.
Saturday was a downright blizzard that managed to occur less than 24 hours before I was to fly home to my family in Ohio. The airport shut, and with no flights to Cleveland leaving for over a week (at least on my carrier), my mind turned to the lovely, looming vocational disaster that had come to my attention on Friday evening.
Turns out my school is broke and the board of directors is looking to make some cuts. Could be 15%, probably 20% coming off all staff salaries. Another option is to close the school outright, allowing the kids to find new schools and get settled in new environments. Either option is pretty much a death blow to many on the staff. And, if you haven’t read the papers lately, there seems to be something called a “recession” going on which tends to hamper the efforts of many opportunistic job seekers. The board meeting that was to take place last night was postponed; so we will not know our fate until next Monday.
So, as you can see, there are some distressing similarities comparing last winter with the upcoming holiday this year. I find myself cold, alone and far from those I love, my teaching position is once again tenuous through no fault of my own, and the future still fails to have any discernable focus. I know there are plenty of folks that are in the same situation as me this year, and I am also quite sure that, like me, there are those that feel as if their life’s CD player is stuck on repeating the worst song on the album. I also know this: we’ll all keep trying to jostle that damn thing onto the next track but we’re also pretty fucking sick of it and we really would like to catch a break.
May peace, health and happiness surround you all in the coming year,
John

ჩემი გული არის საკარტველოში! (my heart is in Georgia)

2008-08-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
It’s been several weeks since my last entry, which would usually signify nothing of consequence has occurred. Such a supposition could not be further from the truth. My life has been full of late. Full of elation. Full of pain. Full of work. Full of confusion. And, full of peace. How could all of these sensations inhabit my mind and soul simultaneously, eschewing the standard, linear, “good-day bad-day” routine that seems to make up our lives?

To that end, I lack a complete answer, but recent events have gotten me to thinking (not that much of a stretch for those of you who know me well), about the “whys?” of life. Awhile back, I had become quite troubled. Teaching work continued to elude me and my job of driving a cab had become a grind; something that I began to hate on a visceral level. It tainted my life…one of those jobs that exhausts you in all ways, even though you really don’t DO anything. I began to think that leaving Georgia had been a mistake.

When I left the Peace Corps, I had been sure that I had made the right decision. But as spring became summer, I found myself dissatisfied with my choice. I missed my friends (both Georgian and American), the wacky, yet endearing nature of Georgian culture, and yes, I even missed khatchapuri! I was trying to make sense out of something that hadn’t been played out….kind of like reviewing a book after reading only three chapters. So what can one do when impatience arises, served with a side dish of frustration (all you care to eat!)?

Well, like any good over-educated, under-employed Caucasian lad, I made the only “logical” choice: more school. Sensing the universe had pushed me, somewhat unwillingly, away from my first, best destiny (teaching), I dutifully corralled my transcripts and applied to the College of Urban Affairs (sustainability, planning, and the like) with visions of helping “fix what’s broke”. It’s amazing that no matter how jaded we become, the thought of learning a new skill can fill us with the idealism that permeated our youthful 20’s. Although it is somewhat muted these days, it was nice to know it still exists.

Then, strangely, things began to happen. Out of the blue, a school I had interviewed with back in May called and asked me to come in for a second interview. I prepared a mock lecture, went in and did the only dance I can pull off…shooting my mouth off for 40 minutes and tying all of it up into a nice, neat, educational bow. Yes, folks my lectures do indeed have at least one thing in common with an old episode of “Full House”: there is a lesson at the end (perhaps I should write for television?) I waited, cautiously optimistic, for days. One day, I came home and found an email in my box from the school. My heart sank…I mean, no one offers you a job via email, do they? Well, some folks do and I got that job.

Now, when I started at my last school, elation and focus were derailed by the death of my favorite dog and best friend Newman, who died very unexpectedly during the first week of staff meetings. This time I had total focus, grateful for this chance I had been given after I had depressingly written off my chances of teaching this coming school year. And then, three days before I was to begin teaching (we start early at my school), I heard it on the BBC news: Georgia and Russia were in a shooting war.

I never in a million years would have thought I would see my little Georgian home of Senaki in the news, but yes, Russians had bombed my town and 2 days later would invade and occupy it. My PC friends were evacuating to Armenia and many calling cards were expended. I called Senaki, and managed to get through and talk with my host family, who thankfully were all safe. In one of those strange moments in life, where one can find humor in tragedy, I recall the conversation I had with my old boss, Gia.

When he answered and found out it was me, the first minutes of the conversation were all about how much they missed me and hoped I was doing well. Gia talks faster than I do, and I couldn’t get a word in as I struggled to pick out key Georgian words from his questions (he speaks no English). How are you? Where are you? How is your family? All these things you would never think would emanate from a man whose town and family were just bombed by Russian jets.
Finally, after I answered all his queries in my shaky Georgian, there was a pause on the line. And then…”Errrr…Joni, Senakshi Problem!!” (John, in Senaki there is a problem”). Georgians are normally very dramatic people. Every aspect of life, no matter how mundane, can take on epic proportions when told by a Georgian. I found it so very ironic that such a succinct and matter-of-fact declaration would refer to war. I mean, Gia is a man that talks with such passion about broccoli, for instance, that you would think war would be the end all be all. But it was not that way. I am not ashamed that it made me chuckle a bit because Gia knows I miss and worry about them. He knows what side I’m on. As I said my goodbyes, I knew that something more was needed. And in some strange flash, I managed to put together a sentence in Georgian that, for once, came from inside me rather than a dictionary. “Gia, ekhla, chemi guli aris kartuli” გია, ეხლა, ჩემი გული არის კარტული“ (Gia, now, my heart is Georgian).

So now I know that PC has closed up shop in Georgia. Had I stayed, I would be on my way home now. Too late for any teaching job. Too late for any university studies. Too late to have met new friends. Too late to have found my cozy Georgian-esque” “bina” (apartment) with no window screens, sporadic hot water, and a tiny gas petchi.

But because I came home early, I have been a source of information about this terrible conflict to people who never would have seen it differently than any other “minor” war. A far away country most had never heard of, fighting over things that most Americans can’t understand. I, having lived in this country, have been able to put a human face on the conflict for my friends and students while it was happening. And for that I think there is a reason. I won’t say that all is perfect in my life…far from it to be sure. I am still trying to find out what my role is in all this (if any) but at least there is finally a bit of focus.

Strangely, I miss Georgia more than ever now. And, even more oddly, it seems a calm has spread over my once chaotic and rudder-less life. The days fly by at work…10 hours one day, 12 the next. So much to do, but not in the overwhelming sense of that first week of meetings and war. Now, there are classes here and occupation there. But Georgia is never far from the front of my mind. So strange to see Russian troops in Gori’s Stalin Square…from the pictures I can see the ATM where I would get money, the street where just 100 yards south, lies the internet café where I would upload postings to you all, and the Intotourist Hotel where we PCV‘s would gather and become too loud and too drunk from time to time (OK, most of the time). In Poti where me, Thais, and her host sister Sopo would eat khinkali and drink never-cold-enough Georgian beer, there are now Russian armored vehicles. In Senaki, where Zuriko and I would play nardi, eat cheese and m’chade, and drink homemade wine, there is now a bombed town and razed army base. I left Georgia, in part due to my frustration that they weren’t changing fast enough. Now I am heartbroken because Georgia has changed so very much since I left.
Peace,
John

A time to think about stuff..and Ny-quil helps a bunch!

2008-07-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

All was well until my sinuses slammed shut and I realized that going to hear music tonight was NOT going to happen. Music and memory. Tonight is one of those nights where I am listening to a mix CD that I made for someone else. While the songs have a certain relevance to the person I gave it to, it is, upon further listening, a very selfish mix. All of these songs, save one or two, have vivid memories of my life attached to them.

Tonight is a wonderful summer evening. I mean, it’s fucking perfect! I went out and about and had a good day, running into a few acquaintances and meeting up with my friend Tamara for a couple of beers. But as twilight turned to night and I relax alone at home (all the while gorging myself on zinc lozenges), I placed this CD on the player. I think part of it is that I wish I could miracle the friends with whom I experienced this music here to my empty living room because it IS a perfect night (with the minor exception of my stuffy nose and excessive kleenex use). And that is what these songs are to me; perfection. Not musically of course (although some come close), but perfection in the sense that these songs remind you of a time of total peace and happiness.

Now, I know what you are thinking: John’s getting older and waxing nostalgic about his youth. To an extent this is true (time IS linear as far as we know), but these particular songs are special in the fact that the people and incidents I associate them with are very distinct and not regulated to my frequently misspent youth. It’s not like listening to a Springsteen record and remembering when you were young and pissed off at the system. It’s not like hearing Def Leppard and remembering, vaguely, every high school party you went to, and it’s not like remembering that Ozzy’s “Crazy Train” was playing when you saw the Challenger shuttle blow up.

No, associations regarding these songs are as specific to me as they are seemingly random to the uninformed listener. If my best friend Sam were to hear “Copperline” by James Taylor while having a beer with me, he would never know that I am magically transported to a crab feast in Norfolk, Virginia in my dear friend Katie’s backyard. Regardless of how I relate the story to him, there is no way that the song will convey the salty smell of the Elizabeth River or slimy hands covered in Old Bay that continue to pick away for the crab’s succulent back fin. I’ll never be able to listen to Dylan‘s “You’re gonna make me lonesome when you go” without thinking of that moment in time with Sue, just as hearing “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley will make me start laughing and think of Paul, Johanna, and Eric half a world away.

I hear “Bellbottom Blues” by Clapton but all I see is a very drunk Genevieve still managing to pull it off wonderfully (a much better voice than Clapton…although her guitar playing left something to be desired). Robin Ford’s “Misdirected Blues” will remind me of a long lost friend and fellow waiter Rich Wylie, when we snuck into the Birchmere and caught the show. The 7th Inning stretch is never the same after hearing Joel and Sam play “Take me out to the Ballgame” on a warm spring morning on Joel’s porch in Winston-Salem.

As I am alone this evening, some of these memories are, thankfully, intensely personal. Some of the songs remind me of lonely times in my life where a certain song just fit my mood, the day, or the moment (not in a bad way). To try and explain such things as they relate to me would be an exercise in futility but I am sure that anyone who reads this is well aware of the power of music in their lives. Keep in mind friends, that these memories are chaste and cognizant. There’s no self-indulgent (or self-loathing depending on your perspective) “our song” bullshit or drunken/stoned/tripping “that one Dead Show where I totally hooked up with ****** during “Stella Blue” crap. When I hear a certain tune, it brings me to a place not of dreaming but of actually remembering every sensory impulse that happened during that episode.

In a way, this IS nostalgic, as often, we can’t remember anything more about those times in question except that singular feeling of perfection. And, in all honesty, what’s really wrong with that? What about the rest of the crab feast? What about the rest of my time in Georgia? What ever happened to Genny? Is Joel still saving the world (or at least the odd heart patient); one stent at a time? As far as those temporal questions go, who really gives a shit? (For example, I know that hearing “Copperline” does not erase fights Katie and I have had, or that we lost contact with one another for 6 years). I really just want Katie, Sam, Joel, Johanna, Paulie, Eric, Genny, Richard, and Sue in my living room right now. Surely, we’d have a few beers, catch up, laugh our asses off, play and sing some tunes. I’m sure I would most likely find another song during the course of that evening, that would, like original packaging on any vintage action figure, preserve that perfect place in time. At least in my warped, convoluted mind.
Peace,
John

How We Roll in Stumptown (Lebowski style!)

2008-06-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

How we roll...with the tumbling tumbleweed!

Ohhh, Nice Marmot!

"The ringer can not look empty, Dude"

"Larry,this is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass!!"

Group photo...note the marquis(below)

Much noise has been made of Portland’s livability, it’s long dark winters, glorious beer, and the glowing reviews of life in Stumptown in the pages of high-brow travel and outdoor magazines. Consequently, all this press has resulted in a huge influx of migrants (myself included….no self righteousness here) and certain character aspects of the city have changed. Some of these changes are good. Some are bad. While Portland maintains its very liberal outlook on life, I have realized that there are rich liberals and poor liberals and each group has a distinctively different view of the world.

While prices have gone up everywhere, the place I call home, the inner Southeast, has tenaciously hung on to its proletarian roots (in isolated enclaves). You just have to look a bit deeper for them. This brings us to one of Portland’s most wonderful and misunderstood subcultures of which I now find myself among. Bicycles. Yes, Bicycles.

Now most folks think about riding a bike as either a recreational or competitive event. Something for sunny Saturdays or that odd friend of yours who gets totally stoked for Tour de France coverage. True, some of you may know those who cycle daily for health, environmental, or with today’s gas prices, economic reasons. But many in Portland have taken cycling to a new, bizarre level. And as I cycle more and more, I find myself wading deeper into a way of life that has brought new friends and great experiences. I give you “Pedalpalooza”!!!

Pedalpalooza is a two week event that involves everything bike and bike related. Bike polo, bike jousting, bike repair, synchronized bike teams, bike fairs, zoo bombing, a naked bike ride (stop shuddering! I did not participate), free coffee and doughnuts for bike commuters, and my favorite events: theme rides. The gist is this: get a bunch of cyclists together and take over a small part of the streets for a time, throw back a few, and have some fun. Not as a protest (ok maybe a little) but as a way to develop visibility for cycling. While a car may look upon one cyclist as an annoyance, when there are 60 laughing, pedaling riders headed down the street, well, you’re just going to have to deal!

Last night was the “Dude Ride”. A 15-mile homage to one of my favorite movies of all time, “The Big Lebowski”. At various stops we re-enacted scenes from the movie (with audio), and rode the streets of Southeast Portland with a soundtrack of Credence Clearwater Revival. There were many bath-robes, a Jesus (with whom nobody fucks), a couple of Maudes (“vagina“), a smattering of Nihilists (we wants the money Lebowski!), and yes, copious amounts of white Russians. I stuck to beer as I have vowed never to touch vodka again after my time in Georgia (once you’ve had Gomi, you never go back!).

The evening culminated with the scattering of Donnie’s “ashes” at Mount Tabor and then a ride down to a bowing alley where we received cheap bowing and free shoe rental. And then, we bowled. I must say that for not having picked up a bowling ball for over three years I did pretty well (155 and 128). After 5 hours, tons of laughs, and only $23 dollars spent, I turned on my rolling Christmas tree of a bike and pedaled home. Tonight I find myself in a quandary: do I ride with our newly elected mayor (a big cyclist himself) or go to the bike in movie? Ahhhh such decisions.

A long strange year

2008-06-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Back when I started this silly exercise of inflated self-importance (the blog...), the whole point was to regale my friends, family, and whoever else stumbled upon this curious URL, with tales of saving/changing the world one supra at a time. But, as all of you know, things went awry and I am now back in a land of indoor plumbing, mircrobrews, a less corrupt government, and the inability to get a girlfriend (ok, some things really ARE universal!).

But, today is June 15th. One year ago, myself and 40-odd compatriots were somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on our way to Georgia by way of Munich. The initial prognosis was favorable as I was seated next to a beautiful French woman who was on her way back home. We talked a bit, I apologized for many of my countrymen and our government, we drank some wine, and just to strengthen ties with our oldest ally, I whipped out my laptop and we watched The Big Lebowski with French subtitles.

After the longest fucking day(s) of travel, we were in Georgia. Our (the G7's) adventures had begun. We slogged and sweated our way through training and off to our permenent sites. Some of us are back home now. Most are still playing Sisyphus to the Georgian boulder. The G6's will be heading back home very soon and the G8's are, as I write, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on their way to Georgia (full of idealistic hubris no doubt).

I've done a lot of soul searching since I've been back and have wondered what my experience in the PC had brought me. Vocationally...nothing. I was an employed teacher before and now I'm an unemployed teacher eyeing more university studies. Linguistically....the ability to cuss at people in a language they have never even heard and a budding friendship with an American singer of Georgian hymns named..I'm not making this up: Tamara. Also, people seem to love to see their name written in the Georgian script. Spiritually....high highs and low, low lows. Still seeking balance. Emtionally...again a roller coaster. My current world view...we're all pretty much fucked unless we stop giving 95% to the top 5%...there's way too much inequity. Friendship: 4 great ones in my group, some decent ones in the others, and the deepening of existing ones back here in the states.

To the G8 whose blog told of her getting lost in Philly, hailing her first cab (ever), and being afraid to walk the streets.....Sweetie, you are in for a treat when you get to Georgia!

There are people I miss in Georgia. And although I am glad to be back here in good old Stumptown, this 1 year anniversary has me kind of wishing that I was sitting at Amiran's table, drinking bad wine and worse tcha-tcha, listening to him play the guitar and sing, eating a kilo of fresh cherries, laughing our asses off despite (or because of) a common 50+ word vocabulary. And of course...sitting on the balcony with a cup of tea and a smoke, reveling in the twilight, my prayer flags flapping in the summer breeze as random gunshots from village supras punctuate the quiet evening life of Bebnisi in the Republic of Georgia.

Godspeed G8's. G7's; hang tough and remember to be extra bitter. G6's; Welcome Home. Maria (class by herself); can't wait to dance to Raspberry Beret with you in the jungle this winter (if you don't know, don't ask!)!

What to do when you're bored

2008-06-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
I've been working on this for a while (on and off) but last night, when it seems everyone had something to do except me, I finally finished it. I'm pretty sure there's no copyright infringement but I'm not a lawyer...thank God! This falls under the "Fair Use" doctrine for education. Be advised that there are some graphic images on this video. And it is a reather hefty file but if you have a good connection, it should be no problem. So, here's my latest video creation.

"http://www.youtube.com/v/rOoR-NjB8xE"
"http://www.youtube.com/v/rOoR-NjB8xE"

Peace,
John

One really, really stupid conservative...for starters

2008-05-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Well, since I'm no longer writing about strange goings-on in Georgia, I thought I would take some time to bring to your attention the decline and fall of the American Empire. Today I read a column by Leonard Pitts and was compelled to do more research on the topic. Here's the link to the story ( a good historian cites his sources:) http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/leonard_pitts/story/541056.html

I then looked at the video that Pitts referred to and was amazed that someone like Kevin James, who has a law degree, and has been an "expert commentator" (according to his Los Angeles' station's bio of him) could be so monumnetally ignorant of basic historical facts. James lit out on the darling conservative terms for liberals in the "war on terror": appeasement, Chamberlain, and Hitler. Ah yes, Hitler...everyone we must demonize must be made into a "Hitler". If that be the case, than why hasn't Barry Bonds been traded to the Yankees? Then we could really hate him!

Once you have made your Hitler, anyone who disagrees with your assessment of your enemy must be declared a "Chamberlain" and an "appeaser", referring to the September 1938 Munich Conference which allowed Germany to annex parts of Czechoslavakia that boardered Germany and had many ethnic Germans (a result of the redrawing of the maps after World War I). Now, here comes the history that James didn't know. To read the full text of the agreement, please follow this link (the agreement is very short but please note the signatories...the Czechs were not even invited to their own giveaway party!)
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/document/munich1.htm

Now, most look at Munich as some huge giveaway by the West, but the warning signs were already there. Hitler began openly rearming Germany in 1935 (in direct violation of the Versallies Treaty). Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the USA, did nothing. In March, 1936, Hitler sent troops into the demilitarized Rhineland (another treaty violation). Again, the western powers did nothing but attend the olympics in Berlin that summer. In March 1938, Germany absorbed Austria into the "Greater Reich". Again, the west did nothing. By the time Munich rolled around, no great power had called "BULLSHIT" on Hitler in the 5 years he had been in power. Appeasement is giving into or ignoring any potential enemy's actions. Diplomacy is trying to find something everyone can agree on (although not like 100%). The USA appeased Germany as much as France and Britain did simply by doing business with them.

True, France and Britain ignored the Nazi expansion...it kept the peace and neither of them wanted another war so soon after WW1. France sustained 6.1 MILLION casualties (killed, wounded or missing) in the great war and the British Empire had 3.2 MILLION. To put those digits in perspective, the USA sustained 1.1 Million casualties during WW2, a war that we fought on 2 fronts. Stop and think about those numbers...and we are rightfully outraged over the deaths of 4,000. "For the Republic" and "for King and country" just wouldn't sell to the French and English people in 1936 or 1938. When Chamberlain returned from Munich, he was hailed, by the people and press, as a hero who had prevented war. Unfortunately, he just postponed it.

As a teacher of history, I was shocked that the trash that Kevin James trowels out to thousands of listeners can pass for "intelligent commentary". All the more shocking is that his listeners believe him and don't have the time or inclination to check his erronious suppositions. So much for an informed electorate. There is also the issue of James' employer who, for the sake of ratings and ad revenue, allows such blatant lies to go out over the airwaves. But that is another rant. Enough of my yacking...here's the link to the video (it is a bit long at 9 minutes but I beg you, gentle reader, to watch). And now that you all have had a brief historical primer, you can see James, for what he is: a partisan hate-monger who uses catchy buzzwords to frighten, not enlighten his listeners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK0d8ENS__c

Be careful of what you are told by those who stand to make money or gain power from it.
Till next time,
Peace,
John

Where the hell am I?

2008-04-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

Is this Portland or Tbilisi??

Hey all,

One of the things interesting about being in Georgia was the fashion sense of Georgians. Now, black is ALWAYS in fashion there but one thing I noticed during the winter was the prevalence of short parkas with fur around the hood and black, knee high boots (usually with impossible heels). While I became accustomed to it, a winter's day in Tbilisi reminded me more of a Cher video than a stroll in an ancient capital city.

So imagine my suprise upon returning to Portland, a city NOT known for its haute couture , to see on almost every street downtown, women walking around in short furry hooded parkas and knee high boots. Perhaps this attire is not as ubiquitous as I think and I am just noticing a look that had become familiar to me. Or has there been some sort of tear in the fabric of space which allows these strange occurances? Who knows? While knee high lether boots definitely have a place in any society, I can't figure the furry parkas...I mean what look are they going for? Ernest Shakelton? Well, at least guys aren't wearing them here as they do in Georgia....yet. (shudder)

Peace,

John

Landing on my feet...and sticking the landing. Still, the East German judge gave me a 6.5

2008-03-23T11:35:00.001-07:00

Hey there.
Yes it has been quite a while since I last wrote but I did promise to keep blogging. Well, I've been back for 6 weeks or so and things continue to return to a state of semi-normalicy. My flight back was very very very long (over 20 hours in the air). After 28 hours and 12 time zones, I finally touched down in Stumptown. Joel picked me up and asked me where I wanted to go. I said, me minda ludi!! (I want BEER). Off we went to the Horse Brass pub and I partook in Portland's most glorious export. Yumm! A NW IPA is like christmas, graduation, and Merlefest all wrapped up in a 20 oz. pint glass after months of Kazbegi and Natachtari! The first week was bizzare as my body tried to readjust to the new time. I was up at all hours and I don't think I got more than a few hours of sleep a day. I crashed in the basement of "Chez Greenblum" for about 4 weeks while I looked for apartments. I finally landed a cool pad in the Hawthorne district and am very happy to be within walking/biking distance of just about all I need. I had some fun finding used furniture and not so much fun spending my whole readjustment allowance just to get my life up and running. But all is well. My place is now open for any intrepid travelers who want to come and visit.
I'm happy to be home although I really miss my friends in Georgia. I try to keep up with them regularly because any call from the states is PURE FUCKING GOLD to a PC vol. I'm driving my cab, and having some very interesting and spiritual times as all kinds of strange and wonderful people enter my life for rides to the airport or home from the bars. That being said, I will be trying to find employment elsewhere that does not involve being trapped in a car for 40+ hours a week. For the time being, it's a living.
I have sucessfully avoided any Georgian/American faux pas such as smoking in the doctor's office, walking down the middle of the road with an open beer or bolomde-ing a glass of pinot noir from a 40$ bottle as friends look on in horror. I am happy for brief toasts, black beans and rice, live music, and hot running water among other things. Spring is a time of transition and rebirth, so it is only fitting that the next chapter in my life begin now. Pics of the crib soon to come.
Peace,
John

The Winter of my discontent

2008-02-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

Reason #1286

Results are just in...

Carl Sagan once said that to be a good scientist, one must walk the line between skepticism and being open-minded. I’ve always tried to follow that credo although most of you know I tend to land on the more trusting side of that line. And what applies to science can also be applied to cultures. It has always struck me as strange when folks celebrate diversity as long as it is their type of diversity. I have always tried to find the good in people and cultures all the while realizing that just because something is different, doesn’t make it wrong. But there comes a time when many of our observations contradict what we believed to be true and, if we are of right mind, we must change our view. Just as some look at the conduct of churches, governments, and corporations and find them to be contrary to the ideals they espouse, so too have I come to that conclusion about Georgia.
Many times we can all find the strength to endure privation in the name of a good cause or a higher ideal. Over the last 8 months I have been robbed, assaulted, bludgeoned, contracted intestinal parasites, had four work postponements, a change to a different school, linguistic and cultural isolation, scratched corneas, infections, other exotic maladies, no indoor plumbing, and been cold (I mean “see your breath cold”) for the last 3 months, to name a few. Through all this I have tried to maintain a higher ground, looking to the positive aspects I saw here in the culture and the coming semester at work. Recently, these two ropes that I clung to have frayed and they no longer can support the weight.
Ahhh drinking. The cornerstone of Georgian culture. In Tbilisi, the capital, there is a statue of kartlis deda (mother Georgia). This 60 foot tall woman holds a sword in one hand and a bowl of wine in the other. The cultural message is a cool one: “guests are treated to all we have, while invaders are viciously fought”. There is an old Latin saying, “in vino, veritas”, meaning, “in wine, there is truth”. If that be the case, then you can’t swing a dead cat in Georgia without hitting the truth. Georgians drink more than any group of people I know, and I was in the Navy and the bar business for a combined total of 14 years.
Georgia has serious problems, and the empirical evidence that I have gathered over the last eight months has shown me that the open-mindedness required for change consists of more than just declaring, “We are a democracy!”. Foreigners often cast a judgmental eye to different cultures, finding joy in some aspects, disdain in others. This is our greatest safety as Americans. We are a salad bar nation, taking what we like, leaving what we don’t. Far too often we are not placed in a situation where we must live in other cultures, and be objective about them. I have always been lauded by foreign friends for being the first American to point out the flaws in our own culture. I love America, but I will never be against criticizing it and compelling it to do better. Many Georgians won’t do this….all the old ways are best but we want cell phones and stock options without working for them. I’ve seen so many Georgians who will spend 3 month’s salary on a fancy cell phone when they don’t have running water. Priorities, people!
That being said, I look at how we all see visits: a friend that comes and all is well. Or a friend that comes and sees that all is peaceful, but not well. Do all visits mean what we want them to? Or do all visits bring into sharp relief what we dread? That these people are, while seemingly jolly and forthright, really begging for our departure and can’t wait for us to get on a plane? Why are we so unable to tell people how we really feel about them? Why must we hide in our history and cultural differences? If they only knew that I came accepting of what they are, sensing the good, knowing there were differences, but willing and able to overcome all of them, what would they think? Why must they stick to what is so familiar? Why must they hide? I’ll never know.
Regarding what you’ve read and considering what you haven’t, it is with a very heavy heart that I tell you I am leaving the Peace Corps. I can’t tell you how devastating this decision has been to me. I changed my whole life to come here: I sold everything I owned, quit a good job, sold a good car, and left friends behind. But friends are always left behind (though never in my heart forgotten), jobs come and go, and stuff, well, we don’t need much of that anyway. I envisioned a higher purpose and ideal. I thought I would be able to make a difference. I thought I would change at least a few lives, at least a few opinions, but the bottom line is that here, I’m regarded as a freak show…something to be paraded around…“look at the/our American” . No matter how hard I try, I am unable to effect any change. And when the higher purpose is rendered impotent, why must we continue to endure the privations? All the reasons can’t be summed up in this letter. There are some things about my time here, no matter how many times or ways I explain them, you will never understand.
The simple truth is that Georgia is killing me by inches. It is destroying my body, turning my brain to mush, and weighing heavy on my spirit. If you want to say I’ve been broken by this experience, go right ahead. Call me Esau or Raskolnikov if you will, it’s no problem. We are all impetuous, idealistic and nihilistic during our lives and I have experienced all of these emotions and feelings deeply of late, sometimes in rapid succession. I have wrestled with this decision for weeks now, hoping things would improve, but the end result is just more setbacks and cold despair. I realize that things never turn out just the way we want them to, and, in being fair, this has not been an unceasingly unpleasant experience (look at the DVD I sent). I’ve grown, I’ve changed, and I’ve learned. But, after much consideration and meditation, I realize that I can’t continue here and remain whole.
I want to thank my friends and family that were so very supportive me before and during this venture. I won’t lie when I say that I feel I’ve let you all down. I will never be able to thank you for all your support and care. To my friends in the G7 group, I apologize as well. Sorry I’m leaving you guys. I will stay in touch, as I will have regular internet access soon. But seriously. Paul, Erik, and Johanna, I will never forget you and if I still have your friendship, then this thing was all worthwhile! G6’s..Ryan, Thais, Maria: Lots of great talks and advice. Sorry, I just can’t stay, but you‘ll be off soon enough.
Georgia. What can I say? There is a greatness of spirit, history, and tradition here; something that is trying to find a balance between the anchor that keeps you grounded and the one that won’t let you rise and grow. Something you cling to for safety when the seas of change roil but something you can’t let go of when opportunity is a short swim away. Amiran and Eteri: you welcomed me into your home and I will always remember our times at the table. Zuriko and Shorena: your house was so comfortable and familiar…I loved my time there. Giga: I hope you find your way. I do love you as a brother, but sometimes brothers disagree.
Georgia is wonderful, though not without problems, and I will always treasure my time in this well-trod, littered-with-history, part of the world. We can learn as much from failure, if not more, than we can from success. I hold no grudges and assign no blame and I hope those who remain here do likewise by me. This event is the result of many different contributing factors that cumulatively became too much for well-being. The blog will continue however!
მშვდობა(peace),
John

Merry Christmas!...both of them!

2008-01-10T03:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Tbilisi (above)
A Georgian Zamboni (left)
Season's greetings from Senaki: The citrus capital of Samegrelo!

Hello there and Happy 2008! (Written 01 Jan. 2008)
There’s always something that happens when you think things are just finally mellowing out. After the weirdness of this fall, things had pretty much settled down and I really thought I’d have little to write about. Well, in this season of giving, the universe gave early and often to me.
As I said I had started to finally get into a groove and was actually beginning to feel like a real PC volunteer. Of course, like an old LP record spinning perfectly at a party, there’s always some drunken buffoon that bumps into the turntable and ruins everyone’s good time. The cosmic miscreants in this tale of woe are as follows (cast listed in order of appearance): Poor air quality, scratched corneas, winter, the Georgian train system, my brain, scheduling difficulties, and bureaucracy.
It all starts innocently enough, as in any chaos theory model, with the simple seasonal cooling of the Northern Hemisphere (We call this phenomena autumn, for those of my PCCS students who didn’t pay attention during my riveting lectures). In Georgia most houses use wood to heat the domicile. While the petchi, as it is known, has a certain charm, it is not the most efficient heating device in history. Consequently, incomplete combustion is a problem and minute particles are carried into the atmosphere, cloaking the Samegrelo plain in a 24 hour haze. Now don’t get the wrong idea…this ain’t Beijing, but it is a bit hard to take.
Some of these particles made it to my eyes and in the course of living, I managed to rub them around enough to make my corneas resemble the screen of a 20 year old “Etch-a-Sketch” that a toddler has taken a fork to because he wants to “get the magic out”. By the time I realized something was wrong…I.e. I couldn’t open my eyes for more than 30 seconds or so, I was now faced with getting medical attention. This meant a 5 and a half hour train ride to Tbilisi to see the Peace Corps doctor. Alas, there were no tickets left for the train, making my only option the dreaded marshukta. Taking a marshukta is an exercise in risk management even during summertime but in winter…well, let’s just say you decide to invest everything you have in Poland…and it’s August of 1939.
I was spared the marsh ride due to the fact I couldn’t see long enough to flag down a marsh…I finally had to take a taxi to Tbilisi. After the doctors told me what had befallen my peepers, I was forbidden to read, watch TV, or use the computer for two days…meaning that after I exhausted the battery of my MP3 player, I basically stared at a wall for a day or so. When my eyes had healed enough to read etc., I was given more medicine and told to go back to Senaki. I was also told to come back for a follow-up the following Thursday.
I went and got a train ticket. The 2:45 train would put me in Senaki at about 8:30 PM. That gives me enough time to wash up, have some tea, and get ready for school the following day. I was in pretty high spirits as the train pulled out 15 minutes late. My eyes felt better, and I was going to get to spend my first healthy weekend in Tbilisi the following week. As we moved along, I noticed that some of the passengers in my car were grumbling to each other. After about an hour or so, they began yelling at the conductor. It seems that my train car had no heat. I actually didn’t notice as I was quite comfortable. Georgian trains, in an obvious homage to their former soviet oppressors, usually keep their trains just this side of “broil” on the oven dial, usually necessitating the opening of windows to balance the thermodynamics. So while there was some grumbling, all seemed ok as we started up into the mountains.
By the time we reached Kashuri it was snowing pretty heavily. We still had no heat and it was starting to get a bit chilly, but we were halfway home, so I really didn’t sweat it. After passing through the main tunnel that divides east and west Georgia, we stopped at a small village. All of a sudden there was a brilliant flash of light and an incredible “BOOM”! Marvin the Martian would have called it, “an earth-shattering KA-BOOM”. Well, this precipitated some noise from the passengers but mostly it could be described as sort of an exaggerated court room murmur (in Georgian of course). As the passengers calmed themselves, the flash of light and BOOM repeated, this time knocking the lights out. Well, now all hell broke loose. Bebias were shrieking, kids were crying, and most made a dash to the doors of the car that made The Who concert in Cincinnati seem like a line at the DMV. I stayed in my seat so as not to get trampled.
Once things calmed down, meaning that all the freak shows were off the train, I looked out the window and saw people looking up and pointing. This being the universal symbol for “Man, that’s really fucked up!”, I ventured out to take a look. It seems the overhead line that the train draws its power from had snapped. When the live wire hit the train, it produced the first light show. The second was probably from an overloading transformer that couldn’t take the huge current jump (my theory). So, in the gathering twilight, the snow coming down, and about 8 inches already on the ground, I began to wonder what would happen to we intrepid 250-odd souls. I must say that as I surveyed the damage, I had flashes of a Donner Party situation, but we were stopped in a small village, so I put that thought right away.
Repairmen were called. As we watched them work and smoked cigarettes (hey, I’m trying to assimilate here!), most finally realized that it was pretty fucking cold and we should probably head back onto the train. Oh yeah…remember, we had no heat on the train. So we sat. And sat. And sat. In the course of 2 and ½ hours we went from chilly, to cold, to freezing in the dark. Finally the train lights came on and we lurched forward….for about 5 seconds. Yes folks, 5 or 10 carefree meters and then we stopped again. Finally, we started again in earnest and we were once again rolling. Zestaponi, Kutaisi, and then Samtredia.
Samtredia is the stop where I know I’m almost home. It’s only 30 kilometers from Senaki and brings a smile to my heart. As we stopped to let some people off and take on a few passengers, I took advantage of the station lights to do some reading (I had a two month old Newsweek burning a hole in my backpack). After awhile, I realized something was amiss. Either I was a really fast reader (well, it is Newsweek) or we had been stopped for longer than the customary 5 minutes. Before I could glance at my watch, my ears told me the story. Passengers were again grumbling and some drunken shouts at the conductors were heard. We had been there 20 minutes and we would stay in Samtredia for another 34 minutes. During this time, things did get a bit scary. Soon, everyone was shouting and a lot of the men were a somewhat drunk. I was the only American, with a “Novice High” level of Georgian proficiency I might add, on a train full of very pissed off Georgian people. I simply pulled my cap down low on my head, put my chin at my chest, and alternated between meditation and trying to feel my feet.
In due time we got moving and finally, after walking home in a cold rain, I entered my house at 11:47 PM. A lovely 9+ hours riding the rails. End of part 1. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion to this story!!! Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel!

Annoying year-end letter--NO WAY--that's not how I roll!

2007-12-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

The "must have" gift of the season....poseable Peace Corps figures (college degree and surly disposition not included)

Dan the man (he's from Illinois but claims "Cali")
Baby Seth, Jess, and Jen are excited about judging an English competition
David and Nativia getting the Xmas on in Batumi

Well, it's only a week until you losers in the west celebrate Christmas, whereas I and my bretheren here in Orthodox-land still have 3 weeks of holiday shopping left. I'll bet the major retailers in the US and Europe wish that Pope Gregory had never changed the calander. What better way to celebrate the season than by bying more stuff Blech!:(
OK, now that my anti-materialism rant is out of the way, let me bring you up to speed. My college was basically shut down by the government, the "Three R's" in this case being Revolution, Reform, and Reassessment, leaving me without any eager young Georgians to teach. After some time, the Peace Corps found me another school in Senaki and I'm very happy there. I am known as "Mr. Jonni", which I must say, has a VERY cool ring to it. I traveled down to Batumi for a weekend and just this past weekend went to the town of Lanchkhuti, where I was an honored judge in an English competition. (it's not that big of an honor...there were 12 of us). I was very impressed with the students and of course, the Supra we had afterwards.
I have been making a DVD that has a bunch of pictures and music on it, and it is about halfway done. I hope to get that out to all the good girls and boys in the next month or so. It will be late for the holidays, hell it may even be late for tax day, but my creative genius can not be rushed! Speaking of gifts...the winner of the Stalin T-Shirt contest was John Shaw, a former student of mine at PCCS. (Pilar...I am so disappointed in you). For those who did get the right answer (Sam and Curtis), if you want a shirt, I'll pick one up for you the next time I go to Gori. I am thinking alot aboutPortland and PCCS of late...the KKKKK will be happening on Friday and I will miss the various shenanagins that the holiday season in Portland always brings (Zoolights, Peacock Lane, Tuba Christmas, etc). Still, life here in Georgia is good and in a few days it will be 2008. A new year with new adventures and friends! Til next time, Merry Christmas and Happy Chanakuh!
All the Best,
John

A winter's day in Senaki

2007-12-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

When it's raining sideways and 40 degrees in Samegrelo, we light a fire, drink some wine....
Play nardi with Zuriko while Shorena tries to distract him...
Roast a just plucked and dressed chicken in the fireplace...it's free range!
Johanna enjoyed the day getting her hair dried...that's hospitality!

Hey everybody. (written December 5th) I hope all is well in the world although I have heard some troubling things of late. There has been some pretty wicked weather out in the Pacific NW and my Cleveland Browns continue to find ways to lose. I have come to realize that no news truly is good news, as the only time I find out things is when they are disastrous enough to make the BBC world report….like President Bush’s recent news conference! Blech! Sometimes I’m very glad not to have to teach government during a presidential election cycle.
Winter has come to Senaki and the weather has been very cold and rainy. My friend Johanna came down to spend a weekend that basically consisted of us hanging by the fire, eating and drinking and watching movies. Very relaxing and good for both our souls…enjoy the pics!
I don’t have anything specific to write about, so I thought I would give you all chapter two of “Fun Georgian Cultural Curiosities”. If you remember, the first edition came out during the summer and I’ve experienced a lot more of life here since then, so let’s celebrate diversity and remember…it’s not bad, just different!
1. Georgians love cacti. Though there are no deserts here, you see the humble cactus everywhere. It is particularly ubiquitous near computers. I made an inquiry and found out that cacti (any species) are great at soaking up the harmful radiation that emanates from cathode ray tubes. All these years working as a science teacher and I had no clue! Who’d of thunk it! So the next time you get a dental x-ray, opt for the cactus instead of the lead vest. Tell the technician it’s science! (Are you listening Bill?)
2. Ladies, if you have decided not to have children, sit on a slab of cold concrete for a spell and your ovaries will fall out. Where they fall to is beyond my knowledge. Men, whose reproductive organs are in closer proximity to said cold concrete, are in no danger whatsoever. Hmmm….must be due to shrinkage.
3. Mayonnaise DOES NOT belong on pizza! Being of partial Italian descent, I gently told this to brother Giga. He said they are just keeping in traditional. He correctly told me this story of how the queen of Naples had a chef prepare this dish. The patriotic chef decided to represent the colors of Italy’s flag by using basil for green, tomatoes for red, and mayo (Gack!) for the white. I said, “Easy big fella”! It’s not mayo but mozzarella cheese that is used for the white. Samegrelo makes a wonderful white cheese very similar in taste. I think I’ll start a movement.
4. A cup of tea is not a cup of tea in Georgia. Here, a cup of tea means tea, bread, butter, jam, sweets, m'chadi (a Samegrelo- type cornbread which I love), and just about anything else edible that is lying around. When you come to Georgia and are a guest at someone’s house, just ask for tea. It keeps you going all day long!
5. People only run when they are being chased or playing soccer. All other forms of running for extended periods of time are suspect. (this one does NOT affect me, although I get some strange looks while hiking)
6. Eating utensils are optional for most Georgian foods. I really like this one. In the event of something that requires a fork, like beans, Georgians invented lobiani, which is said beans baked in bread--no fork required. For one food, the khinkali, a spiced meat dumpling, using a fork will land you in the 5th level of hell. Sure they are hot and slippery, but that’s part of the challenge. (You get the hang of it after awhile).
7. Borsch is way overrated! This has nothing to do with Georgian culture, just my personal preference.
So, there’s the latest installment. I wish everyone happy holidays this coming month. I’ll be celebrating Christmas on the 7th of January this year (and next for that matter) and I must say the only things I miss about Christmas overseas is my family, my friends, and the Portland Holiday Beer Festival.
Till next time,
John

I cut hickory just to fire the still....

2007-11-21T00:11:00.000-08:00

The family that distills together...stays together!
Pretty sweet set up eh?
I am smiling because this is before I tried it!
White Lightning
Fuel for the fire!!

Hello steady customers! (written 19 November)
Well, the State of Emergency is over here in Georgia and things are returning to “normal”. My birthday came and went without much fanfare as no one was allowed to travel. My boss and I had some wine (ok A LOT of wine) and that was that. The table conversation wasn’t exactly deep but we did manage to talk about some projects and the political situation in Georgia. The wine we were drinking was made (partially) by me a couple months ago. It’s really not that bad and continues to improve with age. I had mentioned in a previous post that I just couldn’t wait to learn to make tchatcha, or Georgian moonshine. Well, I got my wish.
Now, first some explanation. Cha cha (Georgian spelling: tchatcha) can only be distilled from old wine grapes. Anything else you distill is considered vodka, and believe me, Georgians will distill just about anything! It is here where I must get a bit Byzantine with the description or the ATF will be blocking my blog. I learned that you shouldn’t actually tell people how to break American laws (I.e. distilling spirits in your spare time) so I’ll just cover the highlights. It’s all in the wonders of chemistry!! Alcohol that is produced during the fermentation process is soluble in the grape juice/wine. By continuing to add sugars and keeping fermentation going, one increases the amount of alcohol present in the liquid.
Alcohols vaporize and condense at much lower temperatures than water or juice. By heating the fermented mixture, the distiller vaporizes the alcohols first, before other liquids. This is basically the same process used to separate gasoline, butane, diesel and other hydrocarbons from crude oil (albeit on a much larger scale), so if you drive a car, save the puritanical head-shaking for another day! This is SCIENCE damn it! Sorry. The vapors are then passed through a condenser which, kept at the proper temperature, allows the ethanol to condense. This condensate does contain some water but it is about 75-85% alcohol. That’s 150-170 proof. By comparison, most spirits bottled and sold in the USA are around 40-45% alcohol, so this makes tchatcha a two for one proposition!
So why are US spirits kept so “low” in alcohol content? Well, once you get past about 50% alcohol, the taste begins to…well, taste like alcohol! There are no subtle hints of peat or earthiness or anything else that distillers say or do to get you to buy their booze. Commercial brands are aged in barrels that lend color and depth to the liquor. But when they come out of the still, be they Jack Daniels (Yuck!), Maker’s Mark (Yum!), or Glenfiddich, they are crystal clear and mostly pure alcohol. They are then diluted with water and aged, which is why you always see 12 year old scotch etc. Tchatcha is the “express line”, if you will, 10 items or less, no checks please!
Anyway, the other day my neighbor Dato brought out his still and we set to making some good Georgian tchatcha. Now Dato’s about 70 or so and has been making this brew every year. After all his grapes are done fermenting into wine, he adds some sugar to reenergize the yeast, lights a fire under the still and we are off to the races! If you observe the pictures, you’ll see the still, the condenser, and the condensate. This is a SKILL to be sure. You don’t want the fire to get too hot and you must keep the condenser at more or less the same temperature so you only condense the good alcohol (ethanol). If the water jacket is too cool, you will condense methanol, which will make you go blind. In a phrase, DO NOT try this at home!!
I hung around and helped produce about 20 liters of moonshine or so, and of course, had to try some. Many adjectives leap to mind as I recall the taste sensation but the two words that keep recurring in my brain are “PURE GASOLINE”. Yes folks, this stuff was a bit harsh to say the least. Still, it remains highly popular here in Georgia. You will often see people bring their own bottles into cafes, order food and beer and drink a liter or so! I remember a time during training when I was telling my language instructor about my first taste of tchatcha. She made a face and said, “oh what vile stuff”, or something to that effect. I said that in America we call this “moonshine”. She asked me why and I told her that it is illegal in the states to make your own whiskey so people do it in the woods at night. That fact plus the clear color is where the term originates. She took all this in, shook her head and said, “if this is true, then in Georgia we have lots of sunshine!”
Gotta run for now, the treasury department’s on my tail. I believe some Flatt and Scruggs getaway music is in order. Maestro, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” if you please. Speaking of music, I have a Joseph Stalin T-shirt for anyone who can give me the next line to this post’s title. Sam, Sue, Curtis, Joel or any other aging hippies are disqualified from this contest! In the event of multiple correct answers, a winner will be drawn by lot. Good Luck!
John

And the "Beat" goes on...

2007-10-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

One of my assailants; I fared considerably better than the tapir.

Well, I was not going to post this event but since I have recieved some encouraging and comforting emails from friends and family, I figured, "Hey! This is a good story" and that's what life is all about...now, let's set the scene.

It is a beautiful fall evening. I had just returned from Poti and got off the bus about 200 meters from my house. Even though it was only 7:30 PM it was already pretty dark. There were your usual friday night characters at the bus stop and as I have walked this route many times, I paid them no mind. Two very drunk youngsters decieded, with all the clarity that an afternoon of drinking vodka provides, that the tall foriegner would be an easy mark. (I now can almost see the thought process "I'm drunk" "me too" "let's do something" "yeah, let's roll that dude" etc.)

So, noisily they staggered upon me. The short one tried to grab my back pack and when I gripped it and turned away he fell down. I pushed the other one and began to run towards my house. Now my softball buddies and some of my former students can attest to my running ability...in a phrase no one will EVER confuse me with Steve Prefontaine! I was caught up to, spun around, and then the oddest thing happened. He hit me, with a rock. "A FUCKING rock!?", I thought. He hit again, and again, and yes, again; becoming more frustrated that this big guy wouldn't go down. During this period, the same thought kept running through my mind, not "run" or "hit him" but just this one thought over and over-- "A FUCKING ROCK??!" I get no respect. Here we are, 21st Century, and I'm not getting held up with a slick glock 9mm, or threatened with a stilleto switchblade, or even some sweet nun-chuks. No, gentle readers, I am only worthy of being bludgeoned with the world's 2nd oldest weapon.

After about the fifth hit, my amygdala decieded to finally get off its ass and get busy. I pushed the guy down and resumed my Bernie Kosar, wounded-giraffe-like running and made it to the safety of my street. Rock boy gave up the chase. Let's pause and think about what teachable moments are here: 1) poor weapon choice--the rock lacked sufficent mass to have the desired effect. 2) poor positioning of the assailant--he was shorter than me meaning he could not bring much force to bear on the target. 3) The target itself..anyone will tell you a Finn's skull is about an 8 or 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. 4) Poor tactics-- attacking a larger, sober target with little or no planning 5) Me being a good Buddhist (not inflicting harm on this poor drunk son of a bitch. 6) Me being a bad Buddhist (not being mindful of my surroundings)

Upon arriving home, I told my family what had happened and the street exploded in activity. My wounds were attended to, and my brother Giga was more angry than I had ever seen him. My "patronis", or protectors have their ears to the ground and if one of these morons ever lets slip that he tried to rob an American, justice will be swift. Peace Corps was called and their response was and continues to be outstanding. The level of community and care that I have experienced should be the envy of America. This has truly been a learning experience on many levels. I have just returned from having my brain scanned and the results indicate that I do indeed have a brain and it is functioning as normally as possible, for me anyway. The final damage report is as follows: 4 lacerations to the head (the "largest" being 2.1 cm. Some blood. A hell of a headache that I still have, and a renewed sense of vigilance for travel in the future. For travel and see and do I MUST!

All the best,

John

Parasites, theivery, and injury. OH MY!

2007-10-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hey there everybody! Sorry it has been awhile but as ‘the dude’ would say, “new shit has come to light” and it has taken me some time to compose myself before I wrote the following post. Now, I’ve always been a pretty stand up guy…I treasure my friends, realize there is joy and wonder in every day, do my best for mother earth, and honestly, honestly wonder why we all can’t get along. But the last two weeks have made me wonder just how bad things can really get in life.
My last post showed the fun of the grape harvest out in the village of Nosiri, where Zuriko’s parents live. While it is a beautiful and rustic place, it is not without its dangers. About a week after that great day of helping and laughing and really feeling like a part of the family, I began to feel not so right. “How not-so-right?”, you may ask. Well not right in the way that my stomach felt like it was a punching bag for Rocky Balboa. As for the rest of my GI system, decorum prevents me from revealing any further details….not that anyone would want to here about it anyway. YES, I had critters! The big ‘G’: Girardia.
After 4 days or so of feeling horrible, I began to feel…..WORSE! I called the doctor and was sent to the local pharmacy to pick up some antibiotics which I was assured would have me sound as a pound in 2-3 days. Due to the illness, I was forced to cancel my weekend travel plans which meant that I was entering my 22nd day without contact with a native English speaker. I then took a train into Tbilisi to see our crack team of medical professionals to get my cholesterol checked.
Ahhhh Tbilisi, that’s just what I needed. I could get a Guinness, NO wait, the medication I was on meant no drinking. I could get a great meal, NO wait, I had to fast for my cholesterol test. I could see some Americans, NO wait, it was a Monday so there were no other volunteers at the office. Well, at least I could get an awesome hot shower at the hotel instead of the luke-warm gravity fed dribble I have at home, but alas, there was no water as for some unknown reason, service was interrupted. So there I sat in an empty hotel room, sipping tepid water and reading a two-month-old Newsweek…yeah, Tbilisi was just what I needed.
My parasite had cleared up but a nasty side effect of the cure is that the medication is non-discriminatory in its killing power. This means that while it kills harmful bacteria, it also does a huge amount of collateral damage to the beneficial bugs that keep one’s plumbing humming. Long story short, when you’re sick you can’t stop and when you’re cured, you can’t start. Still, I had the coming weekend to look forward to as my good friends Ellen, Paul, and Erik were going to stay at my house Friday night before we went into Kutaisi for the Breast Cancer Walk we had all volunteered to help out with. However, this violated PC travel policy so they did not come to Senaki. It’s OK, I thought, I’ll hang out with them tomorrow and we will have fun. Fun we had, but that evening as I leaned up against the gate of the guesthouse, the immutable laws of physics took over. The gate was not latched and I fell about a meter (down three stairs) and landed squarely on my lower back. After a restless and painful night of sleep, I awoke at 6:30 AM and decided I would retreat to the relative safety of Senaki (at this point I made Job look like Bill Gates), so I headed down to the bus station where my cell phone was stolen out of my backpack pocket. Oh yeah, on the local bus ride to the station, the bus hit a pothole and bounced my head into the overhead bar that I was holding onto. To bring you up to speed if you are keeping score, my back was killing me, I had a lump on my head from the bus incident, and I had just had my only contact with the world stolen from me. The bus ride was uneventful. When I arrived home I called the PC and reported the theft. My host brother Giga was in Poti so I had to struggle to tell Zuriko and Shorena exactly what had happened. On Monday Giga and I spent two hours at the police station giving a statement, my back screaming at me the entire time. Peace Corps is getting me a new phone but I have to pay 40 lari for the replacement and another 5 lari to get my number reactivated. It is Tuesday as I write this and I am awaiting my new phone. Yes, my back is still in a huge amount of pain.
So, there you have it folks, the last two weeks of my life and I gotta tell ya, I’m about fed up. I have been scouring my brain to try to find some silver linings in this Katrina that has been my existence of late, and there are a few that are just enough to keep me going. My buddy Curtis called me from London during my night of frustration in Tbilisi. Those 40 minutes or so talking with an old friend were huge! I did a good deed on the train; helping some German tourists who spoke no Georgian from an angry bebia (old woman) who was yelling at them for supposedly sitting in her seat. They were very nice and we chatted a bit on the ride into Tbilisi. The following night we met for dinner (post fasting) and had a wonderful time. As for everything else, I just try to think that it could have been worse. Instead of my phone, it could have been my wallet and passport that were stolen. Instead of landing on my back, I could have landed on my head and/or neck and been a veggie. And my parasite, according to all who have had other, more malevolent guests, is one of the milder versions of GI distress. A mere annoyance if you will. Funny, autumn has always been my favorite season.
Til next time, all the best.
John

Grapes, then wine but not just yet!

2007-09-22T00:50:00.000-07:00

The Trough of...well grapes!
Our forman, Giga's Grandfather
One down, 200 more to go!
Giga with some machira...yes, we drank it!

Hey All,
Written 14 September 2007.

Well, things here in Georgia have slowed down quite a bit…school doesn’t start for awhile, travel is restricted, and my continually promised internet access is….well, let’s just say it’s up there with “the check is in the mail” and “We’ll be greeted as liberators”! To use the internet, I have a 3 hour round trip to the nearest reliable site, which is why things have been a bit sparse these last weeks. This being said, I have tried to keep busy and the weather has been wonderful these past few days, so I really can’t complain much.
This week I went with Giga and helped my host granddad with the grape harvest and wine-making that is a Georgian tradition dating back…about 4,000 years. Georgians were making wine when the French were still running around in bearskins. The climate is great for it and you cannot separate Georgian culture from wine anymore than you can separate Barry Bonds from juicing! I’ve included a few pics that show Giga and I transferring machira, (grapes that have been fermenting about a week or so) to the final fermenting/aging barrel. The barrel in the picture holds about 250 liters of wine (about 62 gallons).
You may notice the fermenting “trough” and all the grape skins and other assorted non-soon-to-be-wine items. These grape skins etc. will not be wasted but will be distilled into cha cha, homemade vodka (another blog entry on this process will follow), but back to the machira. Machira has an alcohol content of about 5% (my guess, as no hydrometers are used in this process) and tastes like…..well, machira! In Georgia you must drink this as it is almost wine and therefore acceptable to imbibe. It’s OK, but it is no Willamette valley pinot noir! However, the company and being part of a tradition and craft that goes back so very far makes it a great experience.
Giga’s granddad is 81 years old and he and his wife still farm these 4 acres by themselves. 8 years ago, this man was hit by a train and flung 10 meters. Giga thought his grandfather was dead but 6 days later his granddad was on horseback, in front of Giga’s house, calling for him to come and work! Now whether the specifics of this tale are embellished or not, I cannot say, but he was definitely hit by a train and he is still moving pretty well today. This is representative of many of the elderly in this country…just the other day I had to grab a sack of wheat out of my bebia’s (grandmother) hands that she was carrying to the back shed. I swear it must have weighed 50 pounds! It truly is an amazing culture!
As I said, things are a bit slow right now and I thought I would re-post my phone number to those of you who may want to text or call me. There is a great web-site called www.skype.com where you can set up an account and call my cell directly from your computer for about 4-6 cents per minute. My number is 011 995 95149970. Georgia is 8 hours ahead of eastern time and 11 hours in front of Portland time. Curtis or Angela, if you are reading this, I have tried every combination of numbers possible to call you but can’t get through to London! So, call me and learn the future!! For those of you who have risked carpal tunnel syndrome punching so many digits, thank you! My world here is wonderful and I have many new friends but it is always good to hear from old friends!

The Never-ending Story (Part 1)

2007-09-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

The Hero of our story..my host dad Zuriko!
A typical Georgian hardware "store"
NOT OSHA approved! but OK for the soviet union.
Welding Part II, or Part I as the case may be.
Brother Giga doing his best "workers of the world unite" pose!

Hey there! (written 06 September)

Well, there have been some setbacks of late as my Georgian counterpart became ill and we had to postpone our summer camp. This has freed up a bit of time for me and I have devoted most of it to sweating! Yes, still very hot here in Senaki but fear not!, as life goes on in Georgia no matter what the temperature. Now, I urge all of you to sit down and pay close attention to the tale I am about to unfold; I swear that it is 100% true (of course, back in the Navy, this would indicate a sea story of epic proportions) and will be told with no embellishment whatsoever. We shall call this tale “A dream unfulfilled”.
First, let me start by introducing the main character in this story: my host father Zuriko. Zuriko, by all accounts, is just your garden variety middle-aged man. He is quiet, with a dry sense of humor and has a love of puzzles and coffee. He looks after his family and in the short time I have known him, is rarely moved to high emotion, or low emotion for that matter. However, Zuriko has been formulating a plan for months, yes months, to get a satellite dish installed for his beloved television.
Now, in America, this would be as simple as slapping down the cash and waiting a week or so for someone to come and install it. Many folks would believe that this is the hallmark of efficiency that American society has aspired to perfect. Well, I’m here to tell you, Americans know nothing of the kind of tenacity that I have witnessed these past two days. And while it may be frustrating, it shows a glimpse into the remarkable nature of the human spirit. I mean, Shackleton had an easier time getting his men to safety than what Zuriko has had to endure for his dream.
As I said, this started months ago as the acquisition of materials began. At times things were available, at others they were back-ordered. The correct hardware needed to affix the dish remained elusive. Undaunted, Zuriko kept up the hunt, sort of a post-soviet era hardware store tomb raider. By the way, I have yet to see a hardware store “proper” in Georgia. Most of them are just storefronts, piles of stuff strewn about with no discernable organization. Slowly but surely he finally acquired all he needed, his friends were ready to help get the job done, and all was ready…..except for an available (by available, I mean free) arc welder.
Two weeks ago an arc welder (old soviet arc welders are one of the most frightening-looking pieces of equipment I have ever seen! See pic) was discovered but at this point, Zuriko’s labor force had other things to do so the job had to be postponed once again. Finally, the day arrived and this morning Zuriko was brimming with anticipation. “Joni”, he said, “tonight we will watch BBC!” (ghame vuK’ureb BBC) The crew was assembled, the behemoth welder at the ready, the power supply tapped, and then…..well, then Georgia experienced one of its famous power outages.
Unfazed (this happens all the time), Zuriko thought the prudent thing would be to keep the crew on site so he had his wife prepare a mid-morning snack of bread, tomatoes, and cheese. Now no self-respecting Georgian can have food without drink, and unbeknown to Zuriko, vodka was produced and consumed by the crew…maybe a little too much because by the time the electricity had been restored..well, let’s just say it was time for a break for the welder. Safety First! Zuriko was left fuming in the shade of the porch as he watched his crew disappear, with vague promises of a return shouted over their shoulders.
As I write this, the crew is indeed back (Georgians are people of their word) and I hear the buzz-buzz of welding above the yelling…I mean cooperation. We are 10 hours on..and scarcely closer to satellite TV than we were months ago, when this dream began. Should this ever be resolved, should this daring venture in telecommunications ever come to fruition, I will, of course, let you all know, complete with a picture of Zuriko, resplendent with remote in hand as the winter rains beat down outside. But right now, as with most things in our lives, completion remains elusive…they are now shouting at each other in Russian, not a good sign…more to come.
John

Ruins and Ruination

2007-09-03T00:31:00.000-07:00

Eager volunteers waiting to see ancient history
The staircase to the outer walls (there were 3--defense in depth)
The baths--the small cylinders formed a space for hot air from fires were used to heat the floors and water--1700 year old radiant heat!
The carved tunnel that leads to the river and Allison--at least 1400 years old--the tunnel, not Allison (though she did just have a birthday!)
Some of our wine that tried to float downstream....I expertly retrieved it and saved the picnic!!

Hey all, Yesterday a bunch of us went to a place called nokhalikevi--the ancient capital of the western Georgian kingdom of Kholketi--Colchis to the Greeks. The earliest ruins are dated at 3500 years ago and the city continued to grow until it was taken by the arabs in the 7th century AD. I have been to the pyramids and to the sites of Rome but I am always amazed whenever I can touch history. My friends were not as giddy as I and I am sure I provided some amusement for them as I spoke of building techniques of walls and baths...Just remember PCCS students, you're getting off light since I'm here and you don't have to suffer through my classes!! After exploring the ruins at length we headed down to the river and had wine, bread, cheese, and fresh hazelnuts and swam in the river for hours. At a particularly introspective moment, Johanna said, "just think, people have been peeing in this river for almost 4000 years!" God I love my friends!!

I sincerely hope all is well back in the states--I see the Indians are in command...this could be our year!!

Also, if anyone is planning on sending a care package anytime soon--(hint-hint) I could use some beef jerky, black beans, hot sauce, seasoning packets for mexican food, maker's mark bourbon,pacific NW micro-brews, orregano (they don't have it here and I want to make pasta!), old DVD's (simpsons, south park, seinfeld) are acute cravings of late. I have been told by the G6 group to be shameless when asking for packages, so off I go, groveling to the land of the big PX!

Til next time,

All the Best,

John

Training is over..it is official, I'm a volunteer!

2007-08-28T01:02:00.000-07:00

How do I feel about training being over? The drink and the shirts says it all!!

Georgian Folk Dancing at owr swearing-in ceremony. These folks are awesome!
Teaching, as is any endeavour, always a gamble.

Well all, just a quick post since the internet is running slow today. I have finished training and am now at my permanent sitr in Senaki. I am just chilling right now but am excited for the work ahead. Here's a few pics..and I hope all is well back in the states! Today is St Maria's Day in Georgia where thare are many supras as it culminates a 14 day fast. My family is taking me to one later. Garmajos! (to our victory!)

All the Best,

John

A Georgian language primer and other musings

2007-08-18T04:35:00.000-07:00

Ellen and Erik with a typical reaction to a new Georgian language concept.
See how easy this is?
My LCF (language and cultural facilitator) Rusiko! She is really great and will probably be my Mingrelian tutor as well
Ryan, me, Maria, and Matt enjoying a cold one in Tbilisi.
Coffee! Glorious, brewed Coffee!!

Hello steady blog customers! (written 09 August)
Georgia, like most other places in the northern hemisphere, is hotter than all get out right now….this, coupled with walking about 5-6 kilometers a day has turned me into the smelly kid at school. Well, we are all pretty smelly out here in the village but when you start comparing your funk to the cows….well, let’s just say autumn can’t come soon enough! Erik and I had a serious discussion about what we would rather have: a sit-down toilet vs. running water. Running water won hands down! This time last year I was taking 2 showers a day, now, about two a week. When I get to my permanent site I will be able to shower daily, a fact that I pleases me to no end. Speaking of my permanent site, I can’t believe there are only two weeks of training left. The days are very long and the weeks are short during training. I really think I’m just going to sleep for about 2 days when I get to Senaki.
Meanwhile the Georgian language continues to treat me with the utmost disdain and contempt. It is a beautiful language and there are some things about it that are downright attractive to a new speaker. The two biggies are no articles (a, an, the, etc.) and no gender for nouns (something that always gave me fits in German). There are also no upper case letters. On the more difficult side is the concept of postpositions. These are suffixes that are added to nouns or pronouns and serve the same function as prepositions do in English. Take that last phrase “in English”, In Georgian, you would add the letters “-shi” to the end of the noun and it would be “Inglishi”. The phrase “for me” is chem (my) and -tvis (for)= chemtvis. One of my favorite postpositions is -ze. It can mean in, at, about, or to depending on the noun to which it is attached! Easy hunh?
Preverbs…Georgians love to dress up their verbs and take them out dancing. They all have a stem and they just start slapping things on either end…Example: ts’er (write), ts’er-en (they write), da-ts’er-en (they will write), da-gi-ts’er-en (they will write to you). Georgian can very daunting do to subtleties in pronunciation. The Georgian alphabet has 4 different ‘K’ sounds q, kh, k, and K. Mixing them up can really be embarrassing. For instance, I was trying to say “I am meeting with my friends” ( V’khvdebi chems megobrebiani) but it came out “V’Kvdebi chems megobrebiani”, which means “I am dying with my friends”. Yes, folks, one wrong k-sound and a friendly get together turns into a mass suicide pact. It’s not just ‘k’s’ either. Georgian has two sounds for ‘P’ , ‘T’ and ‘ch’. kari=wind, Kari=door and kali=woman, yes it’s all so simple. I’m sure some of the more astute readers have noticed the long unbroken strings of consonants in many of the words. One of the volunteers told me that a Georgian verb holds the record for consecutive consonants without a vowel at 13! I promptly forgot it. Well, I guess that’s enough language for today! Hell, in two years I’ll be able to say that I speak both Georgian and English poorly.
A big day yesterday as we headed into the capital city of T’bilisi to visit the PC office and spend a few lari in the big city. I had lunch with some of the G6’s (Matt (Portland), Maria (Pa.) and Ryan (Washington), the highlight of which was a my first Guinness in months! Yummm! I was happy to receive a care package from my friend Sue that had lots of goodies (some requested, most not). The crown jewel of the package was a French press! (see glorious picture above). Now I’ve had some great cups of coffee in my life: at sea in the Caribbean, after a midnight watch, lying on deck and stargazing. Saturday morning at Merlefest, sipping java while Alan and I argue about the great issues of the day; and of course coffee and backgammon with my dear friend Katie Mathes. But this here cup of coffee I had this morning is definitely in the top 5 (with a bullet)!
Next time we will present the softness challenge: Georgian Toilet Paper vs. 3M 120 grit sandpaper….the results will SHOCK you!
Til next time, Peace (Mshvidoba)
John

Just a random post

2007-08-04T23:35:00.000-07:00

How many Peace Corps Volunteers does it take to open a juice box? Kelly and Ellen demonstrate.
Another Pic of Borjomi...I love that town!
Like Global warming, the evidence is overwhelming: I should NOT dance! Martha, Sigma, Johanna and I cutting a rug in Gudari
Dan's Birthday Supra (Feast). Amiran is giving a toast, which is very impotant in Georgia.
Me trying to give an eloquant toast. Results were mixed.

Hey All,

Things have settled down a bit and the days are long and hot with lots of language training. We are only about three weeks away from swearing in and we are all ready to head to our sites and get to work. I would love to post something witty and amusing but this week has been quite mellow....watermelons are in season so I have been eating alot of them lately. I walk about 5-6km per day and pretty much come home and study/pratice my Georgian every night. Heard about the bridge in Minnesota..finally. I keep forgetting how disconnected I am out here in the country. I honestly don't miss it but a little info from time to time would be nice. I'm thinking of buying a shortwave radio so I can get the BBC News. I tried watching Georgian television the other day.....Mexican soap operas dubbed into Russian or Georgian...they are called Novellas back home but here we call them "seriales". Needless to say I went back to my books! Hope you are all well. Happy birthday to Sam!!

Gerogia! Drink it in...it always goes down smooth!

2007-07-28T02:22:00.002-07:00

Borjomi, a great town with great trails
Pauly, Johanna, and me in Borjomi
Trail maintenance in Georgia, as in the states, is a priority
There may be better places for morning meditation, but I can't think of many.
Just another Sunday at my house. My host dad is playing music. He's a hoot!

Hey all,
Sorry about the delay in posts but getting internet access lately has been as difficult as getting a world series title in Cleveland. It has been an exciting couple of weeks as I have been able to explore some more of this beautiful country and assimilate even more into the wonderful, yet sometimes puzzling culture.
Friday the 20th was a big day as we G7’s found out our permanent site placements. In HUB at Gori they brought us all into the courtyard where they had painted a big map of Georgia. One by one we opened envelopes and walked into the map, standing on our new village or town. A more cynical person would say it was like Godfather II when they cut up the cake shaped like Cuba, but we all found it a lot of fun….and a little sad. Sad because I saw some close friends will be stationed far away, but that’s what Marshutkas are for!
Pauly and Erik…my best friends, are up in the region of Racha, beautiful mountain country in the north. Ryder, my hyper-kinetic Russian-speaking buddy is in a town near the Armenian border and experienced his first earthquake the other night. Allison and Brian are in the balmy resort city of Batumi on the Black Sea. Tony and Katie are far in the East, near Azerbijan, and my dear Johnanna landed a big city post about an hour from me. Kelly, being Kelly, is staying in Gori, her training site. Ellen, my “little sis” is in Adjara, a region that includes Batumi, fairly close to the Turkish border. So, as you can see, we’ll be scattered like so many feathers in the wind come swearing-in day next month.
Me, I’m headed to the region of Samegrelo, which is in Western Georgia. My city is called Senaki and I will be teaching at the agricultural college there. My boss, Gia, is ultimately cool and is literally known by everyone in town…nice to know I’m now connected. I can say, “I know people.” My counterpart is very cool also and I am looking forward to working with her and beefing up the library with lots of English language books (first thinly veiled hint). Samegrelo is an area of Georgia where the people are not Georgian, but Mangrelian. Mangrelian is a totally different language than Georgian…softer, in a matter of speaking. Don’t worry, everyone speaks Georgian too, but I hope to pick up some Mangrelian over the next two years, just cause I have the chance. The West of Georgia is HOT and Humid…it was in the high 90’s everyday I was there. Senaki, about 45 km east of the Black Sea port of Poti, is on the main east-west road and has a train station, theater and cinema. It’s a nice town with a lot to offer.
Well, the power just crapped out and my host mom just brought me some plums that were picked 5 minutes ago, so in the interest of conserving my computer battery, I’ll end this post. Hope all are well back in the states, thanks for the coffee Mom!

some pics...i hope

2007-07-28T02:22:00.000-07:00

We Storm the Gori Castle! Erik is really stoked, I'm into it, and Brian, not so much.
Me and good 'ol "Uncle Joe"
View from the Castle Hike in Gori
Public transport is easy in Georgia, but it Ain't Tri-met!

Hey All,
Just wanted to clue you in on some things distinctly Georgian. In some ways Georgia is the best place ever…want to walk down the middle of the road…go right ahead, if you are driving and see a friend, feel free to stop in the road and talk to them for 5-10 minutes…don’t worry cause folks will drive around you. Smoke if you got ‘em! Anywhere. If you are driving and want to pass, please remember to do so only near the top of a hill or before a blind curve! (good thing I can be very Zen about my travel in a car!) If you can find a Marshutka without a cracked windshield, you probably aren’t in Georgia anymore. Seatbelts are considered bad luck. I’m so accustomed to not having any that I forgot to buckle up in a Peace Corps vehicle and got admonished. Always keep a safe following distance (in Georgia this is 3 to 5 feet). Be sure to grab a beer at every rest stop and when cows are blocking the road, just slow down a bit…they’ll move..OR ELSE! Oh, and by the way..when you run out of gas, and you will run out, you can remedy this situation by putting a couple of liters into the tank that you have been keeping in old plastic pop bottles (they have been sloshing around in your trunk the whole time).
Drop by a neighbor’s house unannounced and get fed and watered until the cows come home (which in Bebnisi is about 6-7 PM). Really! Every night as I sit and talk or study, our cow (whom I have named “Bossy”) strolls into the yard, gives me a perfunctory glance and proceeds to continue munching various greens. Yesterday I had to shoo her out of the mint as I like to have fresh mint tea from time to time.
Much has been said regarding pedestrian safety since I’ve been here. While it can be dangerous to the uninitiated, walking in Georgia is as safe as it is in Italy…you just have to keep your wits about you. Georgians use the whole road, primarily to avoid potholes and manholes without any covers (scrap metal was big business during the corrupt Shevardnadze administration). They are very aware of their surroundings and expect pedestrians to be also. The key to being a safe pedestrian in Georgia is to use ALL your senses: depth perception, timing, hearing (most Georgian cars are noisy), a knowledge of the simple physics of car vs. human, and common sense. You are on their turf…you can say you were in the right when you are lying in the hospital or you can just adapt and live to cross another street. Georgian drivers get a bad rap and I have proof. Last weekend I was in Borjomi with friends and we rode the bumper cars. While we crazy Americans were running into each other ad nauseum, the Georgians were avoiding every collision. One was even texting during the entire ride! That’s talent.
Georgians love to eat, drink, and laugh…not necessarily in that order, but if is possible to do all three at once, you can bet a Georgian has accomplished that Herculean feat. Georgians are probably the only folks in the world who think that Americans don’t eat enough. Now my mom can lay out a helluva spread and cajole you into another helping, but with Georgian women there is no subtlety involved. I believe they stopped it centuries ago. One of the first Georgian words anyone learns is “Tchame!!” (EAT!). Know that this word CAN’T be said only once, although prime numbers do seem to be a favorite (3 times in a row is most frequent). While many of us have been yelled at to eat in our lifetimes, Georgia is the first place that it has happened to me while I had a mouthful of food.
Some of standard dishes are, and this is by no means a complete list: Khachatpuri (bread stuffed with melted cheese), Khinkhali (a spiced, minced meat (usually mutton) dumpling), Lobiani (again bread stuffed but this time with beans), pivrebi da pomidorebi (cucumbers and tomatoes) to name a few.
So there you have it folks, some musings on my young life in Georgia. I know some of you may be shaking your heads right now but I urge you to reconsider your thoughts. It IS different (that’s the point, by the way) but in many important ways Georgians have remembered and kept things I think we have forgotten: to live life, all the time realizing that it is full of both risks and rewards. To accept and balance these risks is to live (emphasis on accept). Is it always right? This remains to be seen. Is it always interesting? Definitely! Georgia knows and embraces this…and it is GLORIOUS

Some Pics from Gori

2007-07-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

Howdy hi everybody!
Me Erik, Paul Johanna and Allison are in Borjomi this weekend and of couse it is raining. Hence the post. Normally rain doesn't bother me but when you live in a country that has zero clothes dryers, you have to be careful. Nothing worse than riding in a packed Marshutka with soggy clothes...the scent stings the nostrils! Looks like I won't be able to include any pics this time...technology problems.. bummer too as they are some sweet ones from last week.
Borjomi is a famous town known for its mineral water. We tried some right from the spring yesterday. It smells very "sulfury" but tastes quite good. The rain did put a bit of a damper on things but it is blissfully cool.
This coming Friday we recieve our permanent site assignments which is pretty exciting as we will know where we will spend the duration of our service. We also have a language exam, and we TEFL folks have "practice school " all this week. Things are very hectic and the days are very full. Hard to believe I've been here a month! I can't describe how wonderful and challenging each day is and how one's perception changes so quickly about what are needs and what are "wants".
For instance, the highlights of last week was having a real shower (hot water with pressure that you don't have to ladle over you) as opposed to a bucket bath and getting our latrine pumped....everyone says I now have the nicest "squatter" in the village! Good Times:)
Well, there are lots of kids here in this internet cafe and it's getting loud so I'll get going. Hope all is well for everyone back home! Stay Cool!
All the best,
John

Tales from Stalin Land!

2007-07-08T02:02:00.000-07:00

Hey there all,
Spent the weekend in Gori with some of the crew. Last night we all got together for dinner and drinks...well mostly drinks. Potent potables are very inexpensive here...a 375ml bottle of vodka goes for about $2.25. Never to be the types to pass up a bargin our group ordered 4 bottles. Today me Erik, Brian, Kelly, Dan and Ellen hiked up to the Gori Fortress and then spent a couple of hours hanging out at the Joseph Stalin museum. I will post some pics next time. It rained like crazy yesterday but today has been beautiful. It kind of sucks spending time in a dark internet cafe right now but I won't be able to post for another couple of weeks because of my schedule.
I am having alot of fun and really working on the language, which is very difficult! Right now I feel like I'm in one of those glass booths that have lots of money swirling around. Pretend each bill is a Georgian word and I am frantically grabbing at them. When the fan stops, I have $3...a noun, maybe a verb (not conjugated correctly), and an object that I can't recall if it is dative or nominative. Ain't new languages fun?
Well, I'm gonna sign off for now. I promise some pics in the next post and a lengthy post about my host family and Georgian culture. Stay cool back there...heard it has been hot!
All the best,
John

Alive and Well

2007-07-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

My Training cluster after a grueling day of language training
Things to do in Munich during a flight delay. (does this count as a DWI?) Brian, Erik, and Kelly

My balcony and door to my room (it's mine all mine!)

Rush Hour in my village :) Mooooo!

The view south from my village.

Hey all,

Sorry about the delay on communication but as you can see, we don't exactly have broadband where I live. Georgia is wonderful. It is a very beautiful country and the people are very kind, humorous and generous. Right now were are spending alot of time learning the language (4 hours of class a day and then homework at night). Don't worry though. We also manage to squeeze in some fun too. Our group is really cool and I am fortunate enough to be geographically close to Erik and Paul , who have become good friends.

My host family is really cool. The dad plays guitar and we spend the quiet evenings listening to music and realizing how bad my Georgian really is! (hey it's only been 2 weeks!) I just realized that I have no idea what's going on in the world. While it is an odd feeling, I'm not really missing all the death, war, and violence that I would see on the news anyway. I know it doesn't go away when you turn off the tv but for right now, ignorance is bliss.

The food in Georgia is really good but somewhat repetitive....lots of bread, cheese, and soup. Cherries are in season right now and I eat a ton of them every day. I have home-made yougurt from our cow. I do miss real coffee (it's all instant here) so a good gift, if you're keeping track, would be a small french press and some good coffee would be awesome. I'll make more impassioned pleas for western goods in private emails...don't want this to turn into a begging board!

Well, times almost up and I have to get to the aformentioned emails. Thaks to everyone who wrote..you all are in my mind as well. It's getting pretty crowded up there! Again, I am well and happy (smiling like the buddha!)

All the Best,

John

I'm off...tomorrow

2007-06-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Well we finished up our staging conference today and it has been a little bit stressful. They say that you get better at dealing with stress but I tried to think back to other stressful times (leaving for the Persian Gulf or moving arcross the country) and nothing in my memory compares to this. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we integrate how we deal with stress into our character...and I do believe it is always as different as the situation that we are faced with at that time. The only thing that I know that deals with stress equally is some type of perscription drug...but it only lasts for awhile.
It's not how you deal with stress per say, but in how that stress is utilized. Deep in my mind and heart, I realize that stress is a non-discriminatory entity. It doesn't care how many stressful times you've been through, it is always the same. The only thing that changes is how you deal with it all.
My group seems really cool and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better in the coming weeks. I spent tonight checking in with old friends and just sort of reflecting on these last couple of days. We have a late checkout tomorrow, so I'm just chillin' right now and will probably hit the rack soon. I want to get up real early and enjoy a "quiet" morning in DC, go for a walk, sit for awhile, and get some java.
Don't know when I'll be posting again...kind of a crazy week coming up. Keep writing those emails though...I'll happily shell out alot of lari to read it!
All the best (can't wait to know how to say this in Georgian!)
John

Fear and Loathing in DC

2007-06-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hey All,
It's been a wild couple of days. I finished work on Friday, met friends at Kennedy school for a sendoff that went a little later than expected (hic). Joel got me to the airport for my red-eye flight.
The flight was good and I managed to catch a few zzz's between the incessant screaming of a toddler who really didn't want to be on the plane. I felt the same way (about the toddler that is). My buddy Akers picked me up and after scrubbing off the travel, met up with Sue and headed out to hear EFO. After that, Sue (who put many miles on her truck) and I went down to Alexandria to meet up with Katie (up from Charlotte) and the Jamison clan. I can't tell you how much fun was had and I didn't bother taking pictures as they would never do the night justice. Lots of beer, backgammon, hot-tubbing etc.
No worse for the wear, Sue took me back to Herndon the next day and said her farewell :( I'll miss her very much. Akers and I went out to the air and space annex at Dulles Airport. It's free to get into the museum but $12 to park. Pretty good scam eh?
It's been great to see so many old friends and I am eternally grateful for their fellowship and support right now. Today will be a bit mellow...I need a break! Tonight I'm heading downtown to meet up with some other G7's (we just can't wait til tomorrow!) and play some pub trivia. Tomorrow is check-in and staging and Thursday is off to Georgia.
Far-***king out.
later,
John

Yeah, I'll miss my students.They're so sedate.

2007-06-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Thought I'd try this imbedding thing for video before I left the states. This is one of my stus speaking a mile a minute. It was only a matter of time before she was gonna say, ....and this one time, at band camp..."
Hope this works!!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wu9JFACjJ8

Off to DC tonight..last day in PDX :( Last day before new adventure :))
By the way...a special shout out to my hero, my angel, my savior...Kate O'brien Clarke..who bought my car a mere 16 hours before I depart! I think I used some serious karmic points on this one!
John

Things about Portland I'll miss...or not.

2007-06-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Homebrewing!! I gave all my gear to my friend Chad. I went over last Saturday to brew one more batch! (believe it or not, this was taken before any beers were consumed)
My Obi-Wan to his young Skywalker..Chad has only recently started brewing (I've been doing it for a long time)

During the boil....WE DANCE!!! (this was after a couple...heheh)

Hey,

Well, as I get ready to depart Stumptown, I've been thinking about some of the things quintessentially Portland that I will miss...here's a short list in no particular order:

1. Trees (yeah I know they have them in Georgia, but anyone who's been here knows there is something special about Pacific NW Forests)
2. Free Live Music
3. Beer(Specif. "Terminal Gravity IPA") (Portland has over 30 breweries...and I think the entire country of Georgia produces about 4 types of beer total)
4. My Students (they drive me insane but I really love them)
5. Fishing...although I haven't done it for awhile.
6. Portland AAA Baseball ( I like to go there and grade papers and watch the game)
7. Oregon Coast--one of my favorite places
8. Powell's Books on rainy afternoons.
9. Movie Madness (best video store in the world).
10. Trivia night
11. Kareoke at Chopsticks
12 Football games at Claudia's
13. The courtyard at the Kennedy School
14. The Arboretum (I guess that should go with #1)
15. The Hawthorne District

Things I WON'T miss:
1. Yet another great building being torn down for CONDOS :(
2. Self-righteous bicyclists
3. Smug Pearl district yuppies (more than likley from California)
4. Uber-Christains
5. Lars Larson (radio-host)
6. People that think PBR has cache'

Just where in the hell are you going again???

2007-06-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hey all, since I'm leaving soon, people have begun asking questions...too many questions :) about where I'm going, what I'll be doing etc. So in an attempt to enlighten those inquisitive types with out repeating myself ad nauseum in individual emails, here is a very brief primer on the Republic of Georgia (a.k.a. "Sakartvelo") :

Where is Georgia? Georgia is located in the transcontinental region known as the Caucuses. (see map above). To the north lies Russia, to the West, the Black Sea, to the south Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan (south and east).It is a small country, about the size of West "by god" Virginia with a population of about 5 million people.

What's the weather like? Well, it depends on where you are. For a small country, Georgia has many different climates ranging from sub-tropical in the southwest, to alpine in the mountains, to high desert in the east. Regardless of the climate, Georgia is a beautiful country (see 1st and 3rd pics). In some ways it is alot like Oregon as far as diiversity of landscapes go.

What will you be doing there? I'll be teaching english to secondary school students.

Where will you be teaching? Unknown at this time...we don't get permanent site placements until training is almost over.

Do you speak Georgian? No, not yet but I will go through lots of language training before I arrive at my teaching site. Georgian is a "unique language that continues to fascinate linguists to this very day".....so it should be a piece of cake :)

What's Georgia known for? Well, for we history geeks, Georgia is the bitrthplace of Joe Stalin. Georgia is also the ancient land of Colchis, where Jason went to retrieve the Golden Fleece in Greek Mythology. Georgia is the 2nd country to adopt christianity (see 4th pic) as its official religion in 327 AD (bonus points for those that know the first). Georgia's climate is great for growing grapes and there are more than 500 types of wines produced there (take that France!). Some claim that Georgian were the first to start making wine.

I hope this whets your appetites for future Georgian info. I really must get back to my report cards now. All the Best

John

Ahh, the Week of "Lasts"

2007-05-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Just trying to sell my car and while it is on a test drive, I thought I would post as I enjoy a beautiful early summer's eve in Portland. I can't believe I'm outta here in a week. I boxed up all the stuff I won't be bringing with me and now there is just a pile 'O stuff that I will jam into bags next week and take on my merry way.

That being said, a common perception is that I'm all ready to go, which could NOT be further from the truth. I have graduation this weekend, I have to write 90+ report cards, schedule and conduct year-end conferences, do my final pack, and see at least one more baseball game and bluegrass show...all in the next 7 days!

Still, I have managed to have a bit of fun in between all this insanity. Chad, Kimmy, and I headed down to the legendary Horse Brass Pub last week for a couple of pops (see picture above) and I have had the heart (and liver) wrenching pleasure of having friends and aquaintences wish me the best over the past couple of weeks. I'm sure that I really won't miss Portland until I'm gone...but it's not going anywhere and I am! However, I have been reveling in all the beautiful gifts that my town offers, from great music and beer, to the finest vibe I have ever felt in an environ.

I really feel like writing a bit more, but I'm sure that there will be more frequent posts in the next couple of days as I take stock of all the gifts that I have been given here in Stumptown and beyond!

All the Best,

John

Can't afford Hawaii? Then head to the Alibi !

2007-05-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

"Mom and me doing an interpretive dance suggesting our love of tiki bars"

Whenever I have had friends visit, they often remark about my ability to find drinking establishments that have lots of....well, "character", for lack of a better word. What can I say, it's a gift.

Now, with friends, I can really stretch my legs, taking them to the ends of the temporal planes, to dive bars that haven't seen a cleaning since the Johnson administration, pushing the very limits of time, space, and alcohol. But with parents....well a modicom of tasteful discression is required. Don't get me wrong, my folks are cool...they like to tip a few as much as the next (probably more than the next :) but it takes subtle art to keep my reputation intact without offending their midwest sensibilities.

My folks came out for a few days to see me off and since they have been here before and seen the many sights, we basically hung out and shot the bull for five days....and went to alot of gardens (HEY! it is springtime in Portland after all). I took them to some of the cool places I go but I really needed a capstone on their visit, so off we went into the wilds of North Portland and arrived at 'The Alibi'. Alibi is a tiki lounge/restaurant that has kareoke at night and plays nothing but big band music during the day. My folks loved it!

My dad says it reminded him of the bars he used to go to when he was young and my mom loved the music. We talked about their time growing up at the tail end of the depression and through WW2. It never ceases to amaze me. Older people have such a wealth of knowledge and perspective that we younger folks often lack. If they apply their wisdom without bitterness, those experiences can be a wellspring of information that transcends generations.

I'm so very thankful for my parents and all their support throughout the years for their "Wild Goose".

All the Best,

John

An Omen?

2007-05-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

The other day I was flipping through the channels and came across the movie Animal House. Now this film is an old favorite of mine and I hadn't seen it in quite sometime. The scene that was on when I tuned in was just after the Deltas had been expelled...and these were the first words I heard:

" 7 YEARS!! 7 years of college down the drain, might as well join the F***ing Peace Corps!!"

Well, after I got up from the floor and dried my eyes I found that while Bluto's words were funny, they weren't that prophetic. I'm really looking foreward to this venture and can't wait to get the ball rolling. Besides, it only took me 6 years...(just kidding) well, 5. No, honestly I graduated in 4 short years..but it is still a damn funny line.

All the best,

John

My New Place

2007-05-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

It was once joked that friends help you move but real friends help you move bodies. Well what kind of qualifier can you place on friends who open their home to you for 5 weeks before you leave for the Peace Corps? For once, I find myself without an appropriate superlative. Meet my friends Joel and Maura and their adorable kids Mollie (brown hair), and interestingly, Georgia!
I've known Joel and Maura since 2000. They lived just two doors down from me and my ex and we immediately hit it off. Joel has few failings other than being a Yankee fan. When we were neighbors, Joel was the only guy with which I could talk sports with and be an east-coaster amongst the "true" Portlanders. My other neighbors were great but lacked the "directness" I require from my friends. With Joel, you always know where you stand. It must be his New York City upbringing! Joel has sucessfully bridged the seemingly disparate worlds of NYC with Portland. Climbing Mt. Hood one day and watching the market the next.
Maura is always doing arts and crafts (although she claims NOT to be crafty however) and has one of my all-time favorite laughs. I have watched Georgia and Mollie grow up and it is so good to see them more often once again.
So as I settle into my basement apartment I am truly happy to have folks to talk with every morning and having a chat and a laugh every evening. I know that I can never repay them appropriately (I tried offering a kidney but they are different blood types) and I will always reserve a place in my heart for my best friends in Portland!
Gotta run,
Maura's home and I have to try to make her laugh! Plus I'm cooking dinner tonight..roast chicken (Sue knows how good it is) YUMM!
All the best,
John

Alternative Teaching Strategies 101

2007-05-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

The "Mr. Garrison" method is always good to break monotony in the classroom!
However, when students need more motivation, the "Homer Simpson" method can be a powerful teaching tool!

If all else fails, the "Hank Aaron" method may be implemented. (I always did have a sweet swing!)

Since I'm an experienced teacher, I'm sure that I may be called upon to assist some of my brilliant, motivated, yet uninitiated fellow volunteers into the mystical arts of education. Above, the reader will see a few examples. These arcane, often misunderstood, techniques are not to be summoned lightly, but with the utmost respect for the craft and the student. Please do not attempt any of these methods until properly instructed! Improper use could cause resentment at best, and at worst, rip a hole in the fabric of space-time. Remember, fellow humans, when teaching we are trying to light a fire, not fill a bucket.

Til next time,

All the Best

John

I don't need anything...just this chair....and this thermos..

2007-05-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hey All,
Yesterday I turned in the keys to my apartment after furiously cleaning for many hours on Tuesday. Despite my stresses over the last week or so, I was successful in getting rid of 98% of my belongings. That's right, it's all gone save some clothes and keepsakes. In a way it is quite liberating not to be shackled by one's possessions but at the same time it is a bit disconcerting as I'm not exactly helping the war effort by going out and shopping:) Still, I am at peace with my decision.

Many thanks to my friend Stacy for coming over on Sunday and lending a hand, to Chad and Kimmy, my neighbors, who took alot of stuff off my hands including all my beer brewing gear(boo-hoo)(they just bought a house), thanks to Sue for the inspiration for the title of this entry (she always 'moves me brightly') , and above all thanks to Joel and Maura for taking in a somewhat aged boarder for 6 weeks (beats living in a van, down by the river!). This will warrant a separte blog entry, no doubt!

There is still much to do in the next month and some days I feel alot like Sisyphus but in a few weeks there will be no more Portland rocks to push. Hope all is well with everyone.
All the best,
John

A Disturbing Trend

2007-04-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
This post may seem pretty random but I have been noticing this phenom alot lately and just had to write about it. Here in Stumptown we have alot, and I mean ALOT, of wi-fi availible at public places. Now this is all well and good but the other day I was walking down Hawthorne Blvd and I glanced in the window of a coffee shop and this is what I saw:
A couple with their baby (in a stroller) sitting at a table. OK so far. But both adults had laptops and cell phones out and powered up, staring blindly into their screens! Upon further investigation I counted at least 3 more laptop-using customers.
Now I am a fan of technology but damn!..whatever happened to talking at a cafe? It is as if we continue to isolate ourselves from our communities and at a point in time where we really need open and honest communication with our fellow humans, many choose to sequester themselves in their own little electronic world.
Don't get me wrong, I'm posting this via wi-fi, but I am at home alone. When I go out to public spaces it is for the purpose of interacting with other humans. So folks, please power down and have a chat..the internet will still be there when you get home but you may miss out on a potential new friend!
All the Best,
John

Everything AND the Kitchen Sink!

2007-04-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Well, it has been a stressful couple of days. The quarter ended so I had oodles of student evaluations to write, had to prep for my massive moving sale, transfer some beer to secondary fermentation, continue to figure out what to keep and what to get rid of, and still do all my preps for school. We also have some German exchange students visiting the school, so I try to diversify my lessons which adds...you guessed it, more work.
So on Saturday, after my sale which was a dismal failure, I began to think, and think, and think, and then I began to mentally thrash about, stressing over all that isn't done and forgetting about what is done. Many thanks to Katie and Sam for "talking me down" yesterday. Today was much more focused and productive. And now that the horrible weekend (rarely do those two words follow each other in my life!) is almost behind me, I can now share one of those "if it rains it pours moments".
The woman in the apartment with which I shared a wall moved out a couple of weeks ago. On Friday I heard some workers banging about during the afternoon. I didn't think much of it as I was bushed from all my work and had tickets to a concert. I went to the show, (RR Earth is Awesome!), came home late and went right to bed for my early sale. As the sale spiraled into nothingness, I decieded to clean up the few dishes in the kitchen sink from breakfast.
Well, as I turned on the tap, it belched air, then rusty water, and then a trickle, and then nothing! I said, to no one in particular, "Are you F***ing kidding me!?" Well, that was the straw, I'll tell you that much. Today, with a clearer and more focused mind, I purposely lugged jugs of hot water from my bathtub (I guess it's on a different line, cause it works) to the kitchen to do my dishes and general cleaning. I guess it's a little bit of pre-pre-service training for life in Georgia!
I'll miss my apartment even though the living room ceiling fell in once, I've lost water service on many occasions, inexplicaple power outages, windows so thin they only have one side, the doorknob to the entryway that literally broke off in my neighbor's hand, nearly trapping us inside the apartment, electric heat so inefficient and costly I keep the place the temperature of an abbotoir (OK I like it cool), and a wobbly ceiling fan that only functions on "Low" setting, among other things....It's funny how easily we can adapt to adversity and how things that are not perfect in the conventional sense are comfortable and known in our hearts. I learned alot this weekend. Again, thanks to friends and family who provided comfort and insight!
Have a great week!
John

Why teachers really need vacations

2007-04-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

I'm back to school tomorrow after a great spring break. I had to finish up some grading that I had put off. Now, I know that everybody doesn't get every question right but we at least hope for some effort from the kids. Here's one that put my head in my hands for some time this afternoon. The question was," Describe in detail, Hannibal's victory at Cannae in 216 BC". This is what I got from an 11th grader. Teachers all over the world struggle with this every day, so the next time someone says "It must be nice to have summers off", just tell them, "they need them"

(PS, All Hannibal's elephants were dead by this time, so no partial credit was awarded)

No Place Like the Right Time

2007-04-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

Me and my pal Sue :)

My friend Sue just visited last week. Five wonderful days of music, sightseeing, friendship, and of course...BEER! (This is Portland after all). We had a really great time and the only downside was that she was here for only five days. She is truly an amazing person with a really great outlook on life. Portland suits her to a tee. The weather was kind and we were able to get out and about everyday. She brought me some Maryland crab soup, so it felt only right to repay her with some fresh salmon. We didn't hit all 30+ breweries, but we did give it the old college try. Excellent hikes through the trees, a walk on the beach and a stroll through our local street market among other things. It's always very cool to share my wonderful state with friends. Still, with this happy feeling in my heart, re-energized in both spirit and mind, it's time to get back to work!

My buddy Scott, who bought my bookshelves is picking them up today, so morning was spent taking oodles of books out and stacking them haphazardly throughout my ever-shrinking apartment. There's laundry and food shopping to do....all the mundane, grinding things that must be done in our lives, but today they just seem effortless and full of joy. And it's all thanks to My Friend Sue!

Things you learn

2007-03-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Well, the great sell off is underway! I just sold my computer desk this weekend and have been making an effort to go through some of my junk and see what to prune away. It is spring after all...
Life without Speedy is pretty rough but it is getting easier every day. I have learned a few things about myself with out a dog(s).
1. I'm a much sloppier eater than I thought. Without my four legged vacuum cleaner, I find myself pulling out the Hoover more often. Last week, I was making a bacon sandwich and I dropped a small piece on the floor. I went to the living room and ate. When I came back to put my dish in the sink, I heard this "crunch". I looked down and there was pulverized bacon.
Had Speedy been there, that bacon would have been long gone. I never really paid much attention to it but she was always cleaning up after me. Just like Van Gogh, Speedy was unappreciated in her own time.
2. I'm a bit fidgety when sitting on the couch (reading, watching TV, etc). Speedy would always snuggle up with me and in turn, this relaxed me quite a bit.

Well, just a quick post, I'm off, as it is actually warm today and I'm gonna go out and enjoy it.
All the best,
John

Worst Day Ever

2007-03-01T16:31:00.000-08:00

"Speedy" Rest in Peace 1995-2007

Terrible news. Last night my best bud in the world, Speedy the “Wonder Beagle” had to be put down. Speedy, who was going on 13 had been with me since she was just 7 weeks old. I could literally hold her in the palm of my hand. Speedy stayed with me through a marriage, a divorce, many jobs, college, a cross country move, and most recently “defender of the courtyard” at my apartment building. When Newman, my lab retriever, died suddenly in 2003, Speedy was an incredible comfort. I held her while I grieved and her silent understanding helped to heal me.

Speedy was a great dog and a Beagle through and through. Her main goals in life were to sniff, eat, sleep, and repeat. For a breed that follows its nose everywhere, Speedy minded me pretty well. Speedy was an outstanding human trainer as well. She always had no trouble getting to her biscuits. One of her favorite tricks was to wait until I was on the phone and then begin howling (anyone who has ever heard a Beagle knows how distracting and memorable that noise is) until she got a treat. She would usually do this two to three times much to my chagrin and to the unending delight of whoever was on the line.

I held it together as best I could at work but when my key turned in my door lock, I knew that there was no one to greet me. 23 pounds of dog leaves a hell of a big echo. So now, I sit in this quiet, empty room trying to figure out where all the familiar sounds have gone. It’s too quiet..no clicking of her toenails on the hardwoods, the flapping of her ears when she would shake her head, her contented sigh when she snuggled next to me on the couch, and her incessant vocalizations when requesting a bathroom break. Even though we had our rough times, she would always forgive me and I her. Speedy was my one constant in an ever-changing life. She heard my last words and thoughts of each and every day, and greeted me every morning. Speedy was always there for me and now she is gone. I’m empty. I’m alone. I’m a mess. I’ll miss her so much. I love you Speedy.
Hug your pets!
John

So long to February

2007-02-26T20:35:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
It's has been a long eventful month. Things have been hectic to say the least. School is busy and of late the staff has been racked with illness (myself included). I think everyone here in Portland is ready for spring to get here but my family back in Ohio is having a tough time of it with all the snow.

"My 'hood in Portland during a rare snow day"

I doubt you would find anyone in Ashtabula who believe in global warming right now.
I have been in touch with a couple of PCV's who are now in Georgia and they have been very helpful in answering any questions I have posed to them. It seems that there is a pretty sweet community over there and I am really looking forward to becoming a part of it. I've made some Georgian flash cards and am learning my letters and some words. My initial apprehension about the language is leaving, but I'm sure it will be a challenge.

I am really starting to consider how much i'll miss my job at school. Also, getting rid of all my stuff and moving at the end of April is a constant concern but I'm sure that things will fly off the shelves when I do my "Crazy Eddie's" we -lost-our-lease sale. I had acheived a sense of permanence since my divorce and although I know I need a change of scenery, I'm sure gonna miss my cozy little place in NE Portland!

Well, I gotta run but I thought I'd upload a couple of pics of our recent bi annual snowfall and some other stuff.
All the best,
john

What a nice community

2007-02-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
I continue to learn more and more about my upcoming journey. Many thanks to some of the G6's who have taken time out of their day to communicate with a total stranger. One even informed me that the Georgian alphabet is an old version that they don't use any more (good to know).
I continue to gaze at my apartment and wonder,"What the hell am I gonna do with this stuff?!" I'll most likely sell as much of the big stuff as I can. I must say that because I am going to Georgia it makes telling people a 3 minute conversation. No, not the state...the Peace Corps does NOT send people to the deep south to teach them english! Reconstruction ended in 1877. So then, they say, "where's that Georgia?". I say, "In the Caucuses." They say, "where?", I say, "between the Black and Caspian Seas" and they say, "where?!), so I say, " south of Russia and North of Turkey." They say....ohhh, OK! But I really think they have no idea and have just tired of this geographic game. I'm thinking of laminating a pocket-sized map and carrying it around with me. Visual aids are so cool!
School is quite maddening right now, what with the new semester and all, but getting better(smoother) every day. I'm teaching two new classes (giving me five total) and one of them is chock full of middle schoolers. They are......quite spirited, to say the least. It's cool though because I'm getting to try out some new management techniques. The super-dark days of winter are behind us here in PDX and spring (with lots of heavy rain) is just around the corner. Well...I should grade these tests.....
All the Best,
John

Learn Georgian in your spare time!

2007-01-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

Howdy all or as they say in Georgia: Gamarjoba!
I have been doing lots of paperwork since my invitee packet arrived. The PC has provided some very cool mp3 files of basic Georgian so I can listen and learn. I have to figure out how to download them onto my player so I can walk down the street mumbling this strange and interesting language. It is all starting to sink in right now and it is a little trippy, to say the least. I'm scheduled to leave 2 days before school ends so I will be cramming year-end conferences and grading into those last few days in the states! Should be a blast. Well just a quick note. Gotta get back to work.
John

Georgia is the offer...and The Dude Abides!

2007-01-24T15:01:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
Last night my neighbor presented me with a whopping big packet from the Peace Corps. When I opened it, I found that I had been posted to Georgia. Not home of rednecks but of 'reds' (Stalin was born there) and now a NATO applicant. Funny how times change....
I had been waiting for my invite for a few months and was starting to get a bit worried. Now, as I stare at my invitee packet, I realize that what I set in motion last year has reached a milestone. It is put up or shut up time...and I'm going!!
An interesting side note....Today, around 2:45 PM, while I walked to get some coffee, it hit me that I will be leaving my beloved Portland. I know in my heart that my choice is correct, but I realized that I'll be putting my rudder to all I hold familiar and cozy in a few months. Soon I won't have a choice of 50+ microbrews, see $3 movies, read the WW, stroll to the Laurelthirst for some music, plunk the Sandy for steelhead, or hop in the car and drive for low tide at Haystack rock. In a way this is awesome. All to often we become so very comfortable and forget how amazing our homes are....even when things don't go well. So, from now until June I have in my heart not only the excitement of a new adventure but a renewed appreciation for all I've often taken for granted in this jewel of a city.
Georgia is a former Soviet republic that through the centuries has been ruled by Soviets, Russians, Muslims (Ottomans), Byzantines, Romans, Persians, and thankfully, now Georgians. For a history teacher this is a dream come true!! Challenges involve learning not just a new language but a new alphabet as well (check out the picture on this post). That is my greatest concern. I'm not worried about a different culture...quite the contrary, I'm really looking forward to it. Well, I have alot of research to do and lots of report cards to write as it is the end of the semester. If there are any current or returned PCV's that read this, please drop me a line with any info whatsoever!!
All the Best,
John

Reports of my demise were exagerated!

2007-01-22T10:42:00.000-08:00

Hello all!
I'm sorry for not posting for awhile but I don't think anyone is reading this anyway:) Since it has been quite some time since I last posted (Labor Day) I just thought that I would let everyone know that the Peace Corps have finally sent me an ivitation. I suspect it will arrive this week sometime. I still have no idea where I'm going or exactly when I leave, so you can imagine my excitement/nervousness. I feel like Ralphy waiting for his "Little Orphan Annie Decoder ring" in "A Christmas Story". I too, like Ralphy, will grab my PC letter and lock myself in the bathroom to read it. Of course, there's no one to bother me at my place. Well there is Speedy the Beagle. I've had alot happen over the past few months but nothing earth shattering. I will post a few pics from my friend Katie's visit (we had a great time) and Christmas in Ohio.
All the Best.... Think ROMANIA!!!!
John

Has it been that long !?

2006-09-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Well, shockingly, I've let August fly by without doing many posts. School starts an Wednesday and I am frantic with writing syllabi and trying to get organized. My old friend Curtis was unexpectedly in town for a day or two, so it was great to catch up on things (he lives in the UK) and hoist a few. Kate "the awesome one" is coming for a visit in October, so September seems just a hurdle to overcome. Ah well...all good things in all good time.
Speaking of good things, my Peace Corps application experience seems to be humming along. I finally got my complete medical kit sent to DC last week and I was floored when I found out today that I am medically and dentally cleared (a guy at the Seattle office told me it usually takes about 4-8 weeks!) All hail the federal workers who got their hands on my info! I am still waiting for legal clearance but I'm assuming it's a different department. Let's keep those fingers crossed. The sooner I get invited, the better, as you can imagine.
I continued to drive my cab on and off during the month. I couldn't do it five days a week (too long sitting in one place) but once in awhile is a great experience. I have managed often get a cab that has a coveted CD player. It's so much better than listening to the radio. For those of you playing the taxi customer BINGO card, you can mark off "really bad-looking transvestite" and "self rightous vegan". That one-two punch happened in rapid sucession on Sunday. Good times...
Well, gotta get back to work.
All the Best,
John

It's not a near miss, it's a near hit!

2006-08-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Howdy all,
I had an interesting and exciting day behind the wheel. Everything was going great and I had a real slammer in the making (4 airport runs before 10 AM). I had just dropped a customer downtown@ 11:15 so I decided to hang around rather than head back to my Eastside haunts. I got a call from a young lady who was heading to the downtown hospital for an appointment. As we cruised down Burnside St., all of a sudden a huge Ford Enourmo (or whatever it's called, it's so big it should have a hull number painted on it) pulls into my lane against the red. Thankfully, the left lane was open and I swerved and avoided the SUV (it had come to a stop when the driver realized their error).
Tasting bile, I finished driving Ashley to the hospital. For the rest of the trip, she told me that this was a rehab appointment, as she had lasting effects from a car accident the previous year. Freaky eh? I dropped her off, she pushed some money into my hand, and, as I said goodbye, she replied, "Thanks for saving my life".
I found a place to park and promptly broke the city ordinance prohibiting smoking in the cab. As I was mulling over recent events, I got another call. I had to take an octagenarian to the pharmacy to pick up his meds. As I related my near brush, he told me of getting shot (twice!) during WW2 and how he shouldn't have lived...etc. I asked if he wanted me to wait but he said no. As I started back toward the Eastside, I said "screw it" and turned in my cab for the day. Too many omens in rapid succession for my taste. Think I'll walk for awhile.
All the Best,
John

Jeez! I'm Pushing a Hack!

2006-07-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Things have been a bit hectic and I apologize for being remiss in my blog-posting. I finally picked up a summer job...driving a cab! So far it has been rewarding; monetarily and (most importantly) spiritually. I had no idea that driving a cab would help me with everything...it's sooo cool. I had been trying to get a job in restaurants because I had so much experience. But, I found I was too old, too white, too non-hip and non-pierced to find a decent gig in Portland. Fortunately my downstairs neighbor suggested driving.
I would not have believed how rewarding this job could be! One really gets to appreciate the diversity of our city. It's very grounding. Every fare has a story and imparts their wisdom on me. Just to give you a breif list of recent customers....the party girl who passed out in the back of my cab before giving her exact address, the club owner from Seattle on his bachelor party weekend (after dropping him off at a strip club, I picked up a lady coming home from church), the WW2 vet who, on the way to the VA hospital told me he thought Bush was an idiot.
See, a cabbie meets people in transit while a bartender meets folks a a destination. The former has proved to be much cooler. Movement seems to make people more open. Airport runs tend to be the best as folks seem compelled to tell their life's story after the simple question, " Where are you flying to?"
I'll keep everyone up to date on cool fares in the future, as I intend to drive the odd Saturday during the school year. Things with my PC gig are still in a holding pattern as I am still waiting for one more piece of paperwork from a certain health- care professional. All my medical and Dental stuff came back OK. Soon my mongo-health-packet will be off to DC where it will sit on a desk, hoping to be the next one to be read and scrutinized. Well that's a quick update on things here.
All the Best,
John

D'OH!

2006-07-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hey All,
Well, things have been a bit crazy as I run all over Portland trying to get all my medical and dental paperwork done. I went to the dentist and she was pleased. She didn't see anything serious that needed attention. I am waiting for them to call with the completed paperwork. I had my physical last Thursday and everything checked out with the exam but I'm still waiting on the ...you guessed it...lab results and paperwork. I had to get a TB test and in my world cup reverie, forgot to go back on Saturday and have it read, so I have to get another at the low price of $66, hence the title of this post. If anyone is thinking about joining the PC, DO take them seriously when they say, get your appointments made ASAP! It's a process and it takes time but there's no frustration if you get started early.
Summer has been great so far..I'm getting alot of reading done and have reconnected with some old friends, specifically, my buddy Kate. We have been talking at length and it is as if we never lost touch, like finding that old pair of super-comfy jeans in a box somewhere and discovering they still fit. It's a great feeling! I'm hoping she'll come for a visit to show her the glory that is the great state of Oregon! I'll be pouring at the beer festival this weekend and am still looking to pick up some extra work, so I can get an iPod or some such device. Other than starting to do some lesson plans for the fall and shooting out to the beach or the gorge, I'm taking things pretty easy....every evening I take Speedy out for a long walk, reveling in the cool twilight and sometimes stopping for a gelato (Mmmmmm...Hazelnut!). I'm steering clear of the right-wing news shows to maintain my sanity. I watch them during the school year just to see how they spin the news but they end up upping my stress level, so I'm swearing them off. Besides, they're not journalists anyway, just right-wing ideologes for which truth and fact are malleable substances to shaped as they see fit.
I hope everyone else's summer is going as well.
All the Best,
John

Volunteering can be expensive!

2006-06-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

26 June 2006

Hey All,
Well, my medical kit arrived and as I waded through the myriad forms and associated paperwork, I realized that yes indeed, the PC is a gov't organization! I began making phone calls to schedule all my appointments.

" Rachel at her birthday extravaganza"

Big time kudos to Hawthorne Vision Center for my vision stuff, I was in and out in 10 minutes! Other than that, it's been, well.....Interesting and costing me a bit of scratch. $75 for an eval from my marriage counselor, $175 at the dentist (hopefully I won't need any extra work done) and heaven only knows what else is coming down the pike. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. I'm not going to let a few $$ get in the way of this adventure!!
It's been so f---ing hot here (102 F today). Brought back some serious Persian Gulf memories. My apartment was 94 F last night at 8:30 PM. Time to grab "Speedy the wonder Beagle" and head to the coast for a couple of days.
I spoke to my best bud Kate the other day. Lost touch with her for a few years and decieded to track her down. She is the best ever!! Within minutes we were back in the swing and I ran through a whole cell phone battery. Good times!
I'll throw up a picture from my friend Rachel's birthday last week. Cheap beer and karaoke....excellent. I sang "Big Bottom" All hail Spinal Tap! All for now.
All the best,
John

School's Out!

2006-06-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Well before I knew it, my backpack was getting lighter and lighter and the school year came to a close last Thursday. I worked on student evaluations over the weekend and have confrences tomorrow and then it's adios for the summer! This year was particularly draining for the entire staff. I've always noticed that those who bitch about teachers getting the summer off have absolutely no clue how mentally and emotionally exhausting our work is. They just see the schedule. I mean, its not like we're doing anything important (insert heavy sarcasim here)

Things with the PC (Peace Corps) are progressing so I thought I'd give a timeline below to show the process so far:

April 4th--I found out that they did not find a match for my Fulbright Teacher Exchange. I was accepted but there are always more US applicants than overseas slots. I knew it was a longshot so I wasn't too bummed.

April 10th-- I began to investigate the PC seriously after talking with my friend Greg, a RPCV (returned PC volunteer). Over the next week I do hours of research and alot of meditation on the subject. I speak with my boss about it and she thinks its a great idea. Becky's always so supportive. She's the best boss I've ever had and I've had quite a few!

Apirl--21st--After sending in my application and some extra forms regarding my divorce (I guess they want to know if I'm fleeing the country :) I get a phone intervew for the 27th

April 27th-- I have a phone interview and it goes pretty well. My recruiter was (and is) extremely helpful. One of the more amusing things about this process is the classic answer, "Well, that depends..." to many of my questions. Because the PC sends vols to many different countries with many different climates, cultures, and infrastructures, there is really no standard answer for life in country. It's like a bunch of christmas presents under the tree, you have to wait and see, but you know it'll be exciting.

May 9th--I have my second interview and we discuss regions and jobs. I choose teaching in Eastern Europe/Central Asia. My recruiter says she will nominate me for a position. Hooray!

May 12th--I recieve word that I can't be nominated for a June 2007 departure until June 2006. That means I'm in a holding pattern for awhile. No matter, school's quite maddening at this time, so it keeps me occupied and busy.

June 3rd--I recieve word that I have been nominated for a position in EE (Eastern Europe). Think any country that ends in "-ia" plus Moldova or Ukraine. Now it's the long haul of medical and dental clearance. I'm not sure why some complain about the application process. While there are alot of hoops and paperwork, so far it has been pretty painless. Maybe it's cause I was in the military and was doing "hurry up and wait" when some other prospective volunteers were riding tricycles.

June 15th--My medical kit has been sent to me. When it arrives, I have to make lots of appointments to get (in Arlo Guthrie's words) " get injected, inspected, detected, infected, neglected and selected." I just had a physical last year so I think everything's good. We'll see.

That brings us up to now so I'll upload this puppy and keep you posted.
All the Best,
John

2006-06-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

A little about me

2006-06-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Thought I would try to get a picture up and give a little background on my life. I've been in Portland for 7 years and, after going through a divorce I didn't want, decieded to rediscover the world through the PC. I've always enjoyed travel and adventure and I really felt a nagging feeling to get "back out there". While I love my job and Portland, I really feel the need to change the lenses of my "world view glasses". The permanence I once felt in Portland has ebbed and I realize that there is nothing tying me here. So off I go!
I grew up in Ohio, joined the Navy out of highschool just to spite my parents (teenagers make the best decisions don't they?), and floated around the watery part of the world for 5 years. I saw the good (Cannes, Barcelona), the bad (Persian Gulf), and the ugly (abject poverty in Somalia and Djibouti).
After the PG, I'd decieded I'd had enough of that corporation, so I went to the Washington DC area where I worked in saloons, drank alot and had a general good time. But domesticity comes to us all and I married in 1995. Life was good and I was happy. After a move to Portland in 1999 things went up and down but just when I was becoming established in the BEST SCHOOL IN PORTLAND (my opinion), my wife wanted to end our marriage. Regardless of all the thought I have put into this subject, the best I can come up with is that some things just "are". Learn what you can and move on...life's too short.
The picture (if it uploaded properly) is of me in the middle, and my best friends Sam and Dorsey. Sam was best man at my wedding and out of the many friendships I have had in my life, Sam's been the best regardless of distance or relationships. Anyway more to follow soon.
All the Best,
John

First Go 'round

2006-06-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
My name is John and I've applied to the peace corps. I've been poking around the web and have found that this is a very popular technology. Figured I'd give it a try...although I'm a bit of a luddite when it comes to this stuff, so bear with me. If there are any other PCV's or RPCV's who should come across this, advice is welcome. Random comments are also welcome. I'm sure that during this long process I will ramble and, given the current administration, rant a bit. All for now, got to get up @ 5:00 AM so I can be awake for the England-Paraguy match. World Cup rules!....just wish it ruled @ noon.

All the Best,
John