Normally, I post a story or an experience on this blog. For this post, I thought I’d post some quick and dirty fun facts about my Peace Corps service. Some of these facts are mentioned in other posts.
We had a pet rooster for about two months. Justin tried training our rooster like a dog.
Cows are everywhere in Georgia and I’ve been obsessed with them lately. Each time I see a cow while walking, I attempt to take a selfie with it.
This is technically a calf, but this still counts as a cow selfie
In my office’s bathroom, there is a bathtub. This is because our office is actually a home converted into an office.
I am the only foreigner at work. All my colleagues are Georgian and we speak Georgian at work.
Georgians are obsessed with mayonnaise. They sell it in tubs and they also drizzle it on pizza.
Here is an entire section of mayo at the market.
I’ve had food poisoning about half a dozen times during service. I’m so well versed with the symptoms that I can predict the play-by-play by the hours.
I strive to combat racism during service. In Peace Corps, I co-lead a diversity awareness summer camp, called DREAM Camp, for Georgian youth. At the end of my first camp, a teenage girl hugged me and told me that she has realized her biases and will strive to change for the better because of my session.
Last year for Thanksgiving, the only way I was able to procure a turkey was to pick one out alive. My boss, Justin, and I went to a live poultry market and paid a grandmother a couple of dollars to kill it for me. I later cleaned the insides and baked it.
During Easter, Georgians only dye their eggs red. There are multiple shades of red. In America, we dye our eggs cute and various pastel colors. That is not a thing here.
At the bazaar during April 2018. You can see the different shades of red for the Easter eggs.
I created a gender-equality committee in Peace Corps called Saqartvelo Smashes Stereotypes. I wrote about the committee on this blog and a prospective Peace Corps applicant read my blog and discussed the committee in her Peace Corps interview. Now, she is a volunteer here and is on the committee with me!
During my Peace Corps Pre-Service Training (PST), I only used an outhouse that was located next to the pig stye and chicken coup. No one in my village had an indoor or western-style toilet.
I currently live without a dishwasher, a dryer, a couch, a TV, a radio, or even an indoor toilet.
I do not have a wide variety of food where I live. Thus, I currently make up my own recipes and I now I consider myself an amateur chef.
I made up this marinara pasta sauce that is incredibly healthy and delicious. No recipe here.
In my first week of Peace Corps, I witnessed my host family’s pig give birth to her nine piglets. She immediately proceeded to murder most of the piglets by eating them and burying them in her feces. I helped my host family save the remaining piglets. Months later, my host family killed the mother pig and we ate her for dinner. I am still traumatized.
The average price for a haircut for females is less than $4 USD. This includes wash, cut, and style. I have cut my hair in Georgia three or four times thus far.
My most recent haircut in the summer (2018). I only paid 10 GEL at this fancy place in town, which is equivalent to about 4 USD.
My office is about a 15-minute walk from my home. I walk every day to and from work.
Georgia sells Oreos, M&Ms, and Pringles. We buy them frequently and consider them great snacks during my long transportation rides to the capital.
Which fact surprised you the most? What else would you like to know?
As Peace Corps Volunteers, we have to think on our feet all the time. We are improv actors on a stage that is our daily lives.
While I was reading this article about the first Mexican chef who earned a Michelin star, something in the article resonated with me about my Peace Corps service. Carlos Gaytán, the Mexican Chef, was quoted in the article saying, “You don’t always have all the ingredients to make a dish… You’ve got to use your imagination and be creative to fill in the gaps.” This could be said for probably any Peace Corps Volunteer in any post around the world. Sometimes, I might expect that a certain ingredient won’t be available (even though it is promised it would be).
Me teaching about the concepts of force by utilizing the Spaghetti Tower experiment. METS Camp in Telavi, June 2017.
For example, in one of our activities during METS Camp, we build something called a Spaghetti Tower. The kids are supposed to build a free-standing tower with 20 spaghetti noodles, a small piece of tape and yarn, and one marshmallow. The marshmallow is supposed to be on the top and completely supported by the tower made of the noodles. The team that builds the tallest free-standing tower wins the competition. The mini-competition teaches our campers about force and some basic concept of engineering.
Last year, I informed our partner organization that I will buy the marshmallows in the capital, Tbilisi. We needed more marshmallows because we used all of ours already in the camp two months prior (pictures above and below). Our August camp needed their own, fresh marshmallows. In my time here, I was even shocked that they even sell them in Georgia. Naturally, “odd, American” things are only sold in the capital. He insisted that he could find it in our town. I trusted him and reminded him that the experiment won’t work unless we have the marshmallows. Anything other than marshmallows will be absolutely too heavy to be supported by thin spaghetti noodles.
The campers building the spaghetti tower in the June 2017 METS Camp in Telavi.
About ten minutes before arriving at camp last year, our organization partner said, “You were right. They do not sell marshmallows in our town. So I did not get them.” At that point, we were at least 6 hours away from the Tbilisi Mall or a Carrefour. The camp’s sessions were going to start the next morning. In other words, there was no solution in which I could get marshmallows in sight. You could imagine how I felt in the moment, given on how avoidable this situation was. He left me to improvise my lesson unprepared and unexpectedly. It was frustrating because he knew it was needed given that we used marshmallows in the June camp, two months prior.
I even told him that if he said anything last night I could have another Peace Corps Volunteer remedy the situation. After that, I changed the subject because there was no point in discussing further- what was done was done. So the next morning, the day of the experiment, I asked the hotel for an old loaf of Georgian bread. I tore the loaf of bread and made the made it into small balls for the experiment. It was a bit heavy for the spaghetti, but the noodles were able to carry the weight for a few moments. It changed the experiment and it was not as successful; however, the campers still learned the lessons of structural force. Thinking on our feet is simply our job as Peace Corps Volunteers. More importantly, thinking calmly is even more critical.
I’m in the center with the DREAM Camp t-shirt. I’m with a bunch of the campers on the last day of camp. Kobuleti, Georgia, August 2018.
Last week, I concluded my last DREAM Camp, in which we teach the kids about diversity. At this camp, I wanted me and the team to be overly prepared. In Georgia, the internet could go out for hours without notice. The electricity could even just stop when it is raining. Running water is also not a constant thing either. So, there are always extra things to prepare for in advance. I told the new Peace Corps Volunteers that it is important to download and print all the sessions in advance. These same problems could persist next year when they are running the camp.
Sure enough, when the camp came around, the Internet barely worked. We had internet for a few minutes sporadically throughout the week. If we have to depend utilizing the Google Drive during camp, we would have been toast and unorganized. We also had a movie night at the camp. Because we downloaded the movie in advance- with Georgian dub- we were also prepared. In Georgia, when conducting a large project, it is important to think 10 steps ahead. We might not have accessibility to a printer, Internet, or any other conveniences.
We also do not make our PowerPoints text heavy. Most of them are pictures. This way, if we can’t use the PowerPoint (due to an electricity outage), it won’t make that much of a difference. A lot of our sessions were discussion heavy. Therefore, as long we have a place to sit, we are all good to go. Sure enough, during camp, the internet was only available for a few hours a day- and not consistently.
At the end of the day, there is a silver lining to all this. When I return to America, the small things won’t throw me off. I will be able to think on my feet should “technical difficulties” arise. I won’t have a panicked facial expression in the middle of the conference room. I will be collected and be able to come up with solutions “on-the-fly.” Thus, I tip my hat to these experiences for teaching me to become more flexible than I signed up for.
This blog post provides some macro examples of how different my daily life, the simple nuances, is in Georgia…
I have always recommended people to travel. Better yet, I actually think living in a country outside of your own is even a better personal growth experiment. Living outside your own country gives you a sense of another way to live life.
Here are just 5 examples of things that I do in Georgia that I do not do in the United States. These 10 examples provide you with a lens on how my life is truly different than my former life in the United States. Examples are no particular order.
Making small talk with my neighbors when using the bathroom
As mentioned in this blog post, my bathroom is actually outside. Would you like to venture a guess? My neighbor’s bathroom is also outside. Like many people, the first thing I do in the morning is walk to use the bathroom. Sometimes, I will see my neighbors doing the same thing early in the morning. Both of us are in pajamas and have messy hair, but we will nod in acknowledgment to each other. Other times, in the middle of the day, my neighbor might stop me for a small chat regarding the bills or the animals in our yard.
My dad (the real one, not my host dad) loves this fact about my Georgian home. Each time I talk with him on Skype or Facebook Messenger, he asks me about my bathroom. He finds it hilarious that I have a separate key to lock up my bathroom door and another key for the main part of the house.
I was talking with my dad via Facebook Messanger a few days ago and sure enough, he asked me about the bathroom
Brushing my teeth in the Kitchen
Given that the bathroom is outside, Justin and I have found that brushing our teeth in the kitchen is much easier. First, there is not a single storage cabinet or a drawer in our bathroom. There is one, very unstable shelf in the bathroom. There is nothing of importance on that shelf. My shampoo, conditioner, and shaving cream are located on top of the washing machine in the bathroom. Thus, it would be difficult to store our toothbrush in a clean, stable, and dry place in the bathroom.
Brushing my teeth in my kitchen. Don’t worry, my kitchen sink is constantly kept scrubbed and cleaned since both food and toothpaste goes down that sink.
Secondly, winters can be very harsh in Georgia. To avoid going outside completely, brushing our teeth in the kitchen is much easier because it is warmer. Funny enough though, we do not put our toothbrushes in the kitchen. The floor is not straight, either due to improper engineering or the constant termites. Therefore, we put our toothbrushes on a steady dresser in the bedroom. This is all because I like my electric toothbrush standing up. I do not like the bristles of the toothbrush to touch unsanitary surfaces. If I were to put it in the kitchen, the toothbrush would constantly fall over because the floor is not straight.
Paying rent in cash and without a lease
I have an image that anyone who pays their rent in cash without a lease in the United States is probably up to no good. They may be smugglers, drug dealers, or engaging in other illicit activity. I thank Hollywood for this savory imagery. In Georgia, if you pay your rent in cash, you are ordinary. You are also ordinary if there is no lease.
When we searched for an apartment nearly two years ago, we agreed with our landlord that we would pay on the first day of each month. I remember asking about some sort of lease and I got a weird glance. We had a Georgian friend of ours help with the intricate translations and she even said it was not necessary.
When the end of the month rolls by, Justin or I give our landlord, Levani, a call. He will stop by and pick up the cash and then leaves. Sometimes, I will give him the cash at the end of Mass at our local church. Funny enough, most of the times, we do not even pay him on the first. Because we do it in person, sometimes the both of us are not available on the first day of the month. So we might pay a few days late or a few days early. It is a somewhat flexible schedule.
Not showering every day
This should not be surprising given that showering is an uncomfortable experience in most Georgian homes. The whole process is generally an hour, even though the actual bathing/scrubbing is about 7 minutes (shampooing and shaving legs included). Excluding the summer months, it takes a while to heat the room. It takes a while to figure out the right water temperature. Thirdly, the most time-consuming aspect is mopping and drying the bathroom after the shower.
If we had reliable water flow and stable temperature, I would be tempted to shower more often. Secondly, if there was an actual shower “room” instead of just a shower head hanging in the middle of the room, then mopping all the walls and floor would not be necessary. The process would be much quicker.
Do not worry or fret because we still clean ourselves on the non-shower days. Baby wipes are one of the greatest inventions in modern history. We have no babies in our apartment, but there is always a packet of 120 wipes lying around the apartment. Justin and I have been experimenting with different fragrances. At this point, we really detest the regular baby wipe smell. We bought the “blue ocean” recently, which does not smell like the ocean, but it does smell nice.
Reheating Food without a Microwave
During my time in Georgia, I think I have seen less than a dozen microwaves in over two years. There was not a single microwave in my entire village during PST (to the best of my knowledge). My host family at my site does not have a microwave. My apartment now does not have a microwave.
Surprisingly, my office at World Vision does have a microwave. Yet, even at work, I reheat any leftovers on the stove. The microwave at work is very weak and lame. It might take 7 minutes to reheat a small plate. It does not heat the food evenly and I have to keep on mixing the food to distribute the heat. I realized that the effort is not worth it because heating the food on the stove is more efficient with time and more effective with heat distribution.
My ineffective office microwave. It takes five minutes to microwave anything to get the food to lukewarm temperature.
Ironically, stores at my site will sell microwave popcorn packets. I have tried to find popcorn kernels and they are difficult to find. Yet, microwave popcorn packets are easy and available. I’ve come to realize that people simply rip the packet open and pop the popcorn over the stove.
In conclusion, do not take the simple things in life for granted. Something that you could use every day is simply just not available elsewhere. Stay tuned for part 2..
So much has gone on in my service lately and a lot of those events have caused me to have writer’s block. Nevertheless, I’ll talk about the new chapter of my service- my third year!
Two years ago, I was in PST. To my left is my Language Culture Facilitator (LCF), Maka. She was my Georgian teacher for three months. Last month, I had the opportunity to see her again at the G18 (the new cohort) Conference. She wished me luck for my third year.
As you may have guessed, my entire cohort has completed their service. They finished their projects in the community while I have been busy as ever. I have been sitting in five-hour staff meetings while some of my friends are backpacking around Europe. When I told my Peace Corps Program Manager that I wanted to extend, she said that a big change and challenge is completing my third year without my cohort. I never doubted her. She is correct and so were my suspensions.
Last week, I was in a neighboring town for a town council meeting. Normally, I would go next door to the library and say hi to my friend, another PCV, Ryan. However, he just closed his service. While I was translating Georgian to English in my head during the meeting, he was taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower. It felt odd not going next door to say hi to Ryan.
Ryan (left), Me (left center), Neil (right center), Justin (right) started our Sunday Brunch Tradition in our first year of service. It has now expanded to about a dozen PCVs. This is our last hangout together in June 2018.
Then, yesterday evening, Justin and I visited our host family. Each summer, our host mom’s grandson comes and visits from New Jersey for the entire summer. When we lived with our host family two years ago, he was a short fifth grader. The past two summers, he has grown over a foot. In fact, he is even taller than me now (not that hard to accomplish). Seeing how much he has grown reminded me how long I’ve been living in Georgia. At that moment, I thought to myself, “wow, this is my THIRD summer in Georgia.” Sometimes, I forgot how fast time passes by until a moment like yesterday’s reminds me how long that I have been here.
Justin and I visiting our Host Mom, Nana (right). She cooked some snacks and baked an amazing cake.
After we visited our host family, we went to a bar to watch the World Cup Final Game with other Peace Corps Volunteers. We drank beer, ate food, and watched the game. Justin and I arrived several minutes late. Upon our arrival, we noticed that we knew less than half of the people there. Many of the Peace Corps Volunteers in attendance were the G18s (two cohorts after mine). I looked at my G17 sitemate, Erin, and said, “Well, I guess this is really the start of my third year. No one from my year is here, except Justin and me. No one knows who we are and this is weird.” Justin and I did not have that many opportunities to meet the new cohort. This is their second weekend since they became full-fledged Peace Corps Volunteers. So, in time, we will get to spend more time with them.
So, in essence, during this time period, I’m having mixed feelings. I’m excited about my third year of service while concurrently feeling homesick. I have different projects lined up with my organization and they will be interesting to see them through. However, I had mentally prepared for 27 months and 27 months is what I served. I haven’t been to my parents’ house and in my town during my entire service thus far. This is the longest time I’ve gone without seeing my parents and sisters. So, as you can imagine, seeing my friends’ pictures on Facebook reuniting with their friends and family back home gets me homesick. It also makes me miss my Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) friends since I know they won’t be with me in my third year.
Rose (left), me, and Kate (right) in June 2018 for Kate’s last English Summer Camp. I’ve served with these two through thick and thin and I will miss them 🙂
I’m also homesick because my friends and family back home have entered new chapters of their lives. I have had friends who had gotten pregnant and delivered. They are now moms with toddlers. I have friends who have gotten engaged and married. My middle sister, for instance, will be starting her career as a teacher in August. There are a lot of milestones that I have missed. Seeing pictures of those milestones on Facebook is another reminder that I have been gone a long time.
When I have a hard day, I sometimes call my parents. My dad always reminds me, “Rawan, you signed up for this. This is your choice.” He is 100% right. Serving is a choice and a wonderful one. I serve with pleasure. I wake up every day and I still choose to finish my service- and even extend for that matter, regardless of how hard my days can be.
Last week, on Wednesday, I was trying to do some work at home and I could not concentrate. Every couple of minutes I got distracted by constant purring and meowing. I was literally distracted by cuteness. On Wednesday evening, Justin and I became sudden “kitten parents” without our knowledge. In the one hour between I got home from work and the hour I had to prepare for dance class, two kittens must have dropped from the heavens from the grace of God onto our doorstep. At that moment in time, we had no clue as to where they came from.
I mean, seriously, could you get any cuter?!
Our yard is small and it is easy to notice the slightest change. Coming home from work seemed as normal as ever. When Justin got home an hour later, I noticed that he was standing on the porch for a while. I opened the door and he was staring at two young kittens meowing at his feet. I saw it and nearly died from the amount of cuteness. In all seriousness, who does not love kittens and puppies?! If people did not love them, they would not create millions of calendars of puppies and kittens.
Cuteness Overload! Each time we go outside this cuteness tries to sneak into our house.
I could not help myself, I picked up the kitten and started petting it. In the back of my mind, I heard the PCMO (the Peace Corps Medical Officer) yell at me, “RABIES! DO NOT PET THE KITTEN.” I was very careful so that the paws do not scratch me. I put the kittens down and went off to Georgian dance class. When I returned from dance class, the kittens were still there. Not only that, they must have realized that they loved me. They came up to me as I was approaching the main door. Did I suddenly become the kitten whisperer?
Sup, kitten?!
In reality, I realized that Justin and I are probably the only two humans that have shown them kindness. They looked like they have been separated from their mother early and they are probably hungry. Justin took out a bowl and gave them some water. I took an old shirt and put it in a bucket outside to create a “warm home” for them of sorts. Last night was windy and rainy. I would have taken them inside, but I am allergic to cats. I am able to pet them for a couple of minutes in outdoor spaces, but I cannot live with them indoors.
The kittens waited for me by the main steps to the house
Seven years ago when I was still living with my parents, my middle sister brought home a kitten. Within three days, I sneezed so much that my nose started bleeding! I had to hide in my room because the dander was everywhere, and my chest started to hurt. It is a gradual allergic reaction and it is very frustrating. However, at least, I was able to enjoy the kittens for a few minutes at a time outdoors.
In the meantime, I tried not getting attached. If you notice, this post is written in the past tense. Thus, I’m implying they are no longer here. Also, I failed at the “attached” thing. If I did not get attached, this blog post would not exist. Yet, here I am. We discovered the next day that the kittens belonged to our neighbor. Justin and I speculated as to why we had them for a day, but nonetheless, he purposely put them in our yard.
There have been so many animals that have come into our lives while living in our home in Georgia. A few months after we moved out on our own, we discovered a puppy one morning on our porch. I named him Spot and he was the calmest dog on the face of the planet. We fed him and petted him each moment we had a chance. Justin got into the habit of even bathing him. Our neighbors found the puppy and brought into our yard.
After it started growing and barking, the neighbors grew frustrated. One day I go to work in a rush and Spot barked at me for attention. I looked at Spot and yelled, “Hey, I love you, but I really got to go!” I did not pet him and ran out the door. That same day, Justin went to the pet store to see how much the vaccinations would cost now that it got old enough. The lady at the pet store said, “well, how much does your dog weigh?” Justin said, “I’ll be right back, I’ll go check at home and tell you.” Justin went home and Spot was nowhere to be found. Spot was gone forever.
Justin fed Spot peanut butter. Spot was figuring out if he liked it or not.
The neighbors had given Spot to their relatives in some village while Justin was at the pet store and I was at work. They did not even tell us that they were taking Spot. That morning was the last time I ever saw him. Spot may be dead or alive; I would never know. At least, we can visit Bono, our host family’s dog whenever we see our host family.
Months later, there were bunnies in our yard. Bunnies are not as friendly or warm to humans as children like to think. Justin attempted to grow an attachment to the bunnies, but they were not open to being petted. Regardless, we got used them trimming our yard from the ever growing grass. Several weeks go by and I saw my neighbor cutting tomatoes and other vegetables in an industrial size pot in the yard. That night, the bunnies were gone and so were their cage. Justin and I assumed that the bunnies were eaten that same night at some feast.
Last week, Justin calls me as I walking home from work to say, “by the way, we now have a rooster in our yard.” My reaction was, “huh, I wonder how long is that going to last.” After the dog and bunnies, the rooster for some reason did not surprise me. The rooster as it turns out also belongs to the same neighbor that owns the kittens. A couple of days ago, the neighbor thanked us for taking care of the rooster but still offered no explanation as to why the rooster was even there.
Hello, Rooster! Are you able to mow the grass?
The three animals that still live with us are the three adult black, old cats. They are lazy and did not even kill the mice that were roaming around our house a couple of weeks ago. Out of all the animals, the three lazy old cats are probably my least favorite.
Regardless, I know that their disappearance was inevitable. My neighbors do not exactly communicate the livestock or pets with us when they come and go.
So here is some exciting news- Justin and I are staying a THIRD year in Georgia! We applied to extend, and we got approved and accepted to continue our service in our community.
Last June, I remembered that Justin was flirting with the idea of staying another year in Georgia. At that point, we felt that like we were finally making significant headway with our projects. It felt weird even thinking of the idea of extending since we were only half way through our service in June 2017. Yet, our service was going by too quickly and we felt that there was a lot more to do in our community. However, we did not take the idea seriously until a couple of months later in September 2017.
In the fall, our Peace Corps Project Managers come to our sites for a “mid-service check-in.” They talk with our counterparts and our directors in the community to see how we are doing. We talk about the projects and the upcoming second-year activities. Justin’s program manager came about a week or so before mine. During Justin’s mid-service check-in, his teachers complimented him on his efforts and success at school. Half-jokingly, they said that they would love to work with Justin for a third year if possible. Justin was very touched by the sentiment. When I came from work, he told me that he would love to extend.
Me and some of my coworkers at my organization. We love celebrating birthdays at the office 🙂
Since I love my job as well, I said, “okay, I guess I will talk to my boss about it tomorrow.” Justin was surprised at how quickly I agreed. There are two reasons why I agreed. First, I do love my job here and being a Peace Corps Volunteer has been a dream of mine. Second, my boss and youth counterpart have approached me about the idea before. In fact, I remember when the applications for the G17s came out, I told my boss, Dato, “The application to get a Peace Corps Volunteer has come out. Can you forward it along to neighboring organizations? Next year, if you want, you can fill it out.”
“Why would I fill it out?” Dato responds with the rhetorical question. I’m thinking, “Oh wow, I screwed up so bad in the first 4 months of service that he doesn’t even want another volunteer. That is not good.” But instead, Dato continues, “I mean, you are extending another year, so I won’t need to apply.” I nearly fell out of my chair with that out-of-nowhere proclamation. I composed myself and said, I was “Dato, extending is incredibly difficult. It takes months and only a few can extend. Since I’m married, Justin would have to extend as well. I just want to let you know it is unlikely.” This occurred around October 2016. The joke is on me, clearly, since I did apply to extend.
I figured that about a year later, he would still feel the same way. Sure enough, the next day, I approached my boss with the idea to see if he would be welcome to it. He was very pleased and gave me a hug saying he would love to work with me for another year. With that, I contacted my Peace Corps Program Manager and informed her of my plans. For the next 5 months, I worked on a plan that would be my “third-year” project.
In order to stay for a third year, we must justify to Peace Corps why our stay is necessary. Granted, this makes complete sense. Our projects are supposed to be two years long, so if we need to stay longer, a well-sounded reason should be necessary. Each of us worked with our counterparts to craft our third-year projects that would benefit the organization/school.
Ainsley (right) will be extending with me for a third year! We are both G16s and on DREAM Camp together.
The paperwork was due in February 2018 and we submitted it. After that, we had to go through medical clearance again in-country. Then, we waited for all the approvals to go through, including from Peace Corps Headquarters. Justin and I finally got our extension approved in early May after months of work and discussion!
It is an odd feeling because many of our friends are preparing to leave next month. Some of our friends are going to grad school, a couple will participate in Fulbright, and others will start working. Meanwhile, Justin and I just bought a food processor to make our last year even more comfortable.
Cheers to our the third year of service! Some of these lovely faces will be leaving next month and some will stay 🙂
I’ve helped my organization at least twice in the interview process for my secondary organization, Youth2Georgia. This blog describes my perspective on the difference between American interview cultural practices vs. Georgian interview cultural practices.
In America, the beginning of any new job is generally overwhelming and it involves a lot of paperwork. You have to sign the W-2s, the 401K paperwork (if you are lucky), and read all the policies and procedures. Starting Peace Corps is ten times more complicated than that. We have to go through legal clearance, medical clearance, and months of waiting even after our offer letter has arrived. Here is an infographic about applying to Peace Corps. P.S- can I still call it offer letter considering we don’t get paid a salary?!
The amount of paperwork that we need to fill out for Peace Corps is just… ahh, a lot!
On the other end of the spectrum, starting my role as a Peace Corps Volunteer in my organization, World Vision, was actually very different. Since all my Peace Corps paperwork was done either before PST or during PST, there was not much to do once I became an official volunteer. So once I got to site, I remember there was a lot of sitting around.
I recall lounging at work wondering what to do next. My supervisor at work did not give me anything to do. I offered to help, but what was I supposed to do given I had no idea what was going on?! I attempted to learn as much as possible by YouTubing and Googling World Vision in general. Finding out about the projects in Georgia was a bit more difficult. Granted, at least I am assigned to an international organization, so I was able to learn a few things.
Other volunteers could not research their organizations because most of them operate locally. If they published any of their work on the internet, it was most likely on their Facebook page and in the Georgian language only. Having business websites is not really a thing in Georgia. If you recall my previous posts regarding Facebook, creating a Facebook page is the number one way to advertise one’s business.
I thought this GIF is perfect. Why? Peace Corps Volunteers constantly have interesting body ailments that we may or may not google…But we also Google work related things.
This makes me wonder what would one do if he/she were interested in applying to a Georgian organization? Well, I do not think intense Google stalking is the answer. Word of mouth wins again. Being well integrated into the community places an advantage. Many of the jobs are advertised on job.ge. Looking at that website is generally the extent of any online search. Also, since many of the industries are not very wide-spread in Georgia, “everyone knows everyone” is somewhat true here. During my short time here, I am familiar with many of the NGOs in my community.
Still, how does the interview process different than America? Since I have been involved in a few interviews with candidates at my organization, I thought I would write a blog post about this.
In America, I’ve seen hundreds of applicants apply for one position opening. Here, I have not seen more than 10 people apply thus far per job opening.
First off, In America, the candidate and the interviewer shake hands once the interview is about to start. Greetings are exchanged during the handshake. In Georgia, I do not think handshakes are exchanged as often. To come and think of it, I can’t remember in the last round of interviews if anyone exchanged handshakes.
One of the main differences between American interviews and Georgians interviews is the usage and format of resumes. In college, I was taught over and over again that when I go to an interview, I should have several printed copies of my resumes. In Georgia, candidates do not walk in with printed copies of their resume. A few months ago, I delivered a job interviewing skills training. During the session, I informed the participants that in America, it is expected that the candidate should have printed copies. One of the adults in the room shook her head passionately. She interrupted me and said in Georgian, “Do not print your resumes in Georgia. It is a waste of paper.” Then she looked at me and asked, “Why would you print it since they have a digital copy of it when you applied? Can’t they just print it themselves?” A valid question for which I do not have a logical answer to besides that it is cultural and makes the candidate look more prepared.
The format of a resume is also very different in Georgia. In America, we truly focus on the length. We love 1-page resumes. The maximum you will see is a 2-pager for a long-term veteran of an industry. In Georgia, I have seen 19-year olds with a 5-page resume. It is because length and format are not very emphasized. Georgian resumes look more like an outline. Also, the information resembles a European resume. For example, almost all Georgians will input their birth date (including the year) and their photo on the first page. I’ve seen several resumes where Georgians will also put their place of birth. In America, asking someone’s birthday and place of origin is illegal.
My favorite cultural difference between Georgia and America is phone etiquette. In the U.S., if you get a call during a meeting, you either ignore the call or step outside the room to take it. In Georgia, you take the phone call. Best part, you actually have the conversation! Granted, it is normally in hushed tones, but nonetheless, it is still distracting to others in the room. Georgians will put their phone to their ear and cover their mouth with their free hand. You hear a bunch of whispers and you can’t help but look at the person. I’ll give Georgians credit, the phone conversations typically last less than 10 minutes.
Just going to pick up the phone…. no big deal
This etiquette does also occur during interviews. My boss’ phone rang several times during the interviews. He picked them up, spoke quickly in the room, and hung up. Meanwhile, I also received two phone calls. I ignored the phone calls and then put my phone on vibrate. The only reason why it was not on silent is that we have a policy that Peace Corps needs to be able to reach us at all times in case of an emergency. Thus, putting it on silent could jeopardize my safety and potentially break policy. During the break, I called my Peace Corps friends back to see why they called. I have not been able to shake off my American phone etiquette despite having lived here for two years.
Another distinction is the expectations of questions from the candidate. I have conducted interviews in my past. I worked in HR and a restaurant team lead, so I had plenty of practice interviewing candidates. It is an expectation that good candidates will ask thoughtful and meaningful questions at the end of the interview. Many HR professionals and hiring managers in America believe that when a candidate asks questions about the position, it shows genuine interest in the company and the role. In Georgia, none of my team members were expecting questions as “a must” from any of the candidates. They allowed the candidates to ask questions, but when they did not have any, it was no big deal.
All in all, there seem to be less unwritten rules and expectations in Georgia. I could, of course, be wrong. I’m writing this from my experience at one organization in Georgia. I cannot speak to how interviews are conducted country-wide. However, this relaxed attitude is consistent throughout the country. On a whole, Georgia seems to be more relaxed about many, countless things that Americans take more seriously. Take for instance time and punctuality. Americans value punctuality. and Georgians do not take it as seriously.
At this point, I am very curious about how I will behave in an American office environment when I return. I can’t help but believe that Georgia has made me more relaxed and less of a type-A personality over these past two years. It is certain that I will experience reverse-culture shock for sure…
Let’s Play Together is a project I co-lead with a couple of other volunteers and McLain Association for Children (MAC) that provides an opportunity for children of all abilities to learn, play, and engage with each other. Someone very special to me taught me at a young age why this is important and I dedicate this blog post to Natasha.
Every Friday, my mother’s side of the family gets together, and we share a feast together. I have moved away, but they still do this in my original hometown. When I was a child, I was fortunate that my great-grandmother was still alive and I was able to get to know her. Up until her death, the entire family would gather around my great grandmother’s table. Now, we gather around my grandparents’ table. Each Friday, we spend hours chatting and eating. When I was about 5 years old, my sister, Shereen, and I thought my mom’s first cousin, Natasha, was the coolest. At the time, Natasha lived with my great grandmother. We were very interested in Barbies and Natasha, my mom’s cousin, was also interested in them! In fact, I think Natasha was sometimes more invested in the storylines that our Barbies’ lived than we were.
Some members of my family for what I am assuming is a wedding reception. However, for lunches, we would have at least 2 dozen members of the family get together. Natasha is the young adult female with black hair on the left. My great-grandparents are at the head of the table.
Natasha was only a few years younger than my mother. Therefore, we absolutely loved the fact that a grown adult wanted to play Barbies with us for hours on end. As we got older, Shereen and I began noticing that Natasha was the only adult who was interested. We were confused why did Natasha not have her own family or do things like the other adults did. As young children, we did not complain because she was an awesome playmate. My mother explained that Natasha was special and has a warm heart, but her brain developed a little differently. Not fully understanding that concept, we continued playing barbies with Natasha every Friday in her room for a few years.
As Shereen and I grew older, we also grew out of our Barbies phase. Natasha did not. It got really awkward telling her that, “No, Natasha, we don’t want to play Barbies with you today.” I was 11 years old and I looking back, I want to punch my 11-year-old self in the face. Natasha had a mental disability and although she had an adult body, she never developed an adult state of mind. Natasha was patient and offered to play other games with us. I can’t remember what other games she offered, but I knew that Shereen and I probably broke her heart because we weren’t interested in the other games she offered.
My mother (right), my aunt (top center), and Natasha as a baby (bottom center).
At the time, my original hometown did not have resources or centers for persons with disabilities. In fact, there was still a stigma and misunderstandings regarding disabilities, mental or physical. My grandfather did a lot of innovative things for his niece, Natasha. However, she still spent most of her time living with her grandmother and most of the time isolated. My family loved her and included her in our family activities, but I know that she felt different.
In the year 2000, my parents, sisters, and I moved thousands of miles away. Therefore, we only saw Natasha during the summers when we visited. A few years after that, when I was 18, my great-grandmother passed away. Natasha moved next door to live with her first cousins in her own small apartment that as above the cousins’ house. When I was still in college, Natasha passed away, alone, when she was about 35 years old. I do not remember the last conversation I had with her. Yet, the only thing that kept on looping over and over in my mind was the memory of me telling Natasha, “No, I do not feel like playing Barbies with you today.” Shereen felt the same way. We felt immense guilt for some reason. My mother told us, “Do not worry, Natasha, knows that you two loved her.”
Regardless, I always felt that I needed to do something that honors Natasha’s life. I just never knew how, until now. A little over a year ago, my sitemate Karen, a G15, co-lead a Peace Corps project called “Let’s Play Together” (LPT). This project is a partnership with the McLain Foundation for Children in Georgia and Peace Corps Volunteers. We create one-day events in various towns and villages in Georgia, mostly in underserved villages. In these events, children and young adults of all abilities play, dance, create art, play tug-of-war, and other fun activities throughout the day. In the last couple of years, we had hundreds of children participate in Khashuri, Batumi, Sachkere, Terjola, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Gori, Poti, Ozurgeti, and even Tbilisi.
My G15 sitemate, Karen (left) and I (right) during the Let’s Play Together event in Khashuri on Saturday, June 10th, 2016
Karen pulled me into the project and after she finished her Peace Corps service, I took over her role as the logistics person for Let’s Play Together. I currently co-lead this project with my friend Courtney. We have led four amazing events in this school year and we are currently in the process of handing the project over to the two amazing G17s for them to run the project next year. I truly feel like this project helps me honor Natasha’s life and provides a way for me to make an impact in Georgia, specifically for young Georgians with various and different abilities.
Like Natasha, Georgians with different abilities, specifically outside of Tbilisi, have very little resources and opportunities. Many face stigmas and the community still believes in this crazy myths surrounding disabilities. One time, I heard a story, that If I remember correctly, a little boy in an underserved village became bedridden because the family was told that the child was not supposed to go outside or do anything due to his condition. The boy would not have been bedridden if the family was properly educated. Basically, the child became MORE disadvantaged due to the stigma and lack of education regarding disabilities. I was dumbfounded.
In June 2017, we hosted a Let’s Play Together event in the town of Khashuri. That Saturday morning, it started to rain. Karen and Courtney O., the G15s who ran the committee before Courtney A. and me, expressed concern regarding the event. I remember telling Karen, “why does it matter if it rains?! It rains all the time in Georgia and life moves on.” Then Karen told me the shocking news that an old Georgian wife’s tale if a person with a disability is in the rain, that his/her disability will worsen. Sure enough, only two children with disabilities showed up. The other parents were concerned about their children because it was raining. Luckily enough, by 10:30 a.m., the sun started peaking through the clouds. We called many parents to remind them of the event. We had more children with disabilities come, but still, the number of participating children could have been higher if it weren’t for the rain.
Let’s Play Together event in Zugdidi, Georgia in December 2017. Courtney (immediately left of the poster in the green shirt) and I (immediate right of the poster in the red shirt) are the G16 committee leaders. The remaining people in the photo are the Peace Corps Volunteers that participated in the event that day.
Another story, not related to Let’s Play Together, but still worth mentioning is the healing myths of Ureki’s magnetic beach sand. Ureki is a town in the western part of Georgia along the coast of the Black Sea. The beach is absolutely gorgeous; the sand is black and fine. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, it is said that “it heals people with its disabilities.” Justin and I have been to this beach a couple of times. We will see many children with wheelchairs lying on the beach. I do not have words for this, except to say, that I doubt that this myth is scientifically supported. Many Georgians that I have met swear by this and the beach’s healing powers. I find it upsetting because a lot of children with disabilities are tucked away in their family homes. They are not active in society. Yet, I will find children of various abilities on the beach with their parents praying close by. Here is another blog post in which describes briefly where the healing powers come from.
This is one of the reasons why Let’s Play Together is such a great project. MAC provides all sorts of resources for the event. Physical therapists attend the event and help us. We have games that involve everybody- regardless of level. Our games are intriguing, involving mind and body and creating a bond between the participants and youth volunteers.
Therefore, Let’s Play Together has such a simple concept, yet it is very impactful. Having an event in which children of various abilities play together demystifies our differences. Through games and dance, we all realize we are more alike than different. Every person on this earth has value and can create impact. It is important that we create a safe space in which people of all backgrounds feel valued and appreciated in life. The event may be only a few hours long, but I know that it means a lot for our participants and volunteers. It means a lot to me to be a part of such a strong and impactful project during my service.
Peace Corps has acted a bit of a doctor and I have been a bit of a patient. The medical prescription is a “chill pill.” I actually hate that phrase because it is normally said in an angry tone, “take a chill pill, dude!” But here, it is more like, “I’m just going with the flow, mannnnn.” As someone who is clearly a Type A personality, I have had to adjust my expectations. Demanding a detailed-orientation and punctual events is not a realistic expectation. With that being said, I have reinvented my leadership style since I’ve had to lead a lot of events in Peace Corps thus far.
In our Close of Service Conference last week, the US Ambassador to Georgia came and presented to my cohort. During his presentation, he said, (I’m paraphrasing here), “Returned Peace Corps Volunteers are marketable because you are extremely flexible and adaptable in ever-changing and unfamiliar environments.” I looked around the room when he said that. There were a bunch of nods and agreeable facial expressions. To risk sounding obnoxious, we are more flexible than a regular, standard professional in the United States. We did not all start off that way. Many of us have changed some of our working and leadership styles to become adaptable to our Georgian environment.
On average, in the United States, we micromanage the heck out of a project. Every little obstacle must be foreseen by a magic eight ball during the planning process. Every step must be executed to the minute it was predicted. I say this confidently because I used to be a program/project manager.
For example, one of the programs I used to manage was the division’s quarterly bonus program. There were over 6,000 employees in that system and when combined, their bonuses would naturally be in the millions. Like nearly every system in the world, it also had its glitches. I would literally try to look over every single employee’s entry to inspect if were would be any problems in advance. However, everything was always in flux. Thus, there would be maybe one or two entries in a given quarter that would cause a glitch in the system. When/if there was a glitch, that is less than 1% of the entries in the system.
Instead of simply saying, “let’s go and fix it,” the first question was always, “Rawan, how did you miss this?” Natural question. I would have asked the same thing if I were my boss back in the United States. The perfect employee would have predicted these glitches in advance. Let me tell you, I predicted a LOT. But because in the real world, no one can always have 100% success rate, especially considering the magnitude of that program. Any glitches were typically fixed before the employees would have even noticed.
We call this the White Bridge, part of an old neighborhood of my town
Georgia is such a different story. When some natural little hiccup happens here, it is almost pointless asking how/why it happened. During the beginning of my service, that question would roll off my tongue before I would even notice it. My counterparts would just look at me and shrug. They also had a look of, “why are you even asking? It is what it is.” Their sense of curiosity was non-existent compared to mine. I was intrigued by what caused the mishap and they just rolled with the punches. Two years later, I am now officially as flexible as my counterparts.
Let paint you an example that happened today. My counterpart and I reserved a hotel and its conference room in November or December. When we went to the hotel, the manager simply said, “sure, that is fine.” She did not check the calendar. She did not even write the dates down. So of course, I had my counterpart call and constantly check up on the hotel every few weeks to ensure that they would not book over our “reservation.”
I took this photo taking a car cable in my town. The hotel is somewhere on the hill that is the upper left-hand corner.
Two days ago, we went to the hotel in person- again. We wanted to reconfirm the cost, the conference room, the menu, and the room. Everything was confirmed, except the menu. I asked what they plan on serving and she said, “just the regular food.” That was literally as specific as she could get.
Now, get this….the day before the conference, she calls us and said that the conference room is no longer available. They decided to do renovations today. Her plan was that we do the conference in the hallways. In the morning 24 hours before the conference, she sends a text message to my youth counterpart with pictures of the hallway. She did not even apologize but stated the alternative plan as a fact.
So, my counterparts and I are figuring out a plan on how to deliver a 3-day conference in an undisclosed hallway of a hotel. I wish I am making this up, but I am not. The frustrating part is that the hotel manager still wants us to pay for the conference room. My counterpart and I think that is unfair and we will continue to negotiate on that portion. As for the hallway, it seems big enough. I think it will be fine. I do have to laugh at their timing though.
So ask yourself, do you see someone in America do last minute (and not urgent) renovations on a reserved conference room the day before? Oh, and suggest a hallway as an alternative? I’m going to say probably not. This, my friends, is the definition of flexibility.
My first job interview was when I was 17 years old. My sister and I decided that one day we wanted to get a job, so we walked to the biggest employer of our city to see if they had any openings. Back in my day (I’m just kidding, I’m not that old), you could just walk over and ask for a job. We lived close to a theme park and we thought working there might be fun.
I remember thinking to myself that I had no idea what I was doing. No one ever walked me through what an interview is like or what I should expect. Somehow, even though I did not dress in business professional attire, I still got the job after three hours of interviewing. Working as a food hostess was a great professional learning experience. Looking back, I made two big mistakes: I had no resume and I did not dress professionally. Granted, I was applying for a minimum wage job and wore jeans to the interview….but still, not the best idea.
In this regard, the youth in my community and I have that in common. I had little opportunities for mentors and career advice, and so do these youth. However, I did have a school counselor (who was an amazing human). Public schools in Georgia do not have school counselors. In fact, I’m not sure if Georgians are even aware that schools counselors are a thing. Therefore, learning how to write a resume and exploring career goals are not topics discussed in schools.
One of our mentors (left) working with her two female youth on their resumes and 5 year goals
The previous cohort of the Gender Equality Committee did a mentoring project in one community. It was gender split and the beneficiaries were the IDP youth (Internally displaces persons, typically from either Abkhazia or South Ossetia). However, this year, my cohort (the G16s) wanted to expand this program to different regions within Georgia. We held workshops in three regions: Samgerlo, Imereti, and Guria. My friend Kelley was the mastermind behind the whole thing. I helped her run just one of the workshops: the Imereti Region Workshop.
For each workshop, we planned on recruiting 8 mentors (4 female and 4 male). We also wanted 16 youth (8 female and 8 male). The plan was to equally split up the youth with the respective mentor with the same gender. As I’m writing this, I’m giving a little chuckle. Why on earth did we think we could get the perfect number? Just because we wrote in our Let Girls Learn grant that we could 16 youth and 8 mentors, reality always has a different plan in Georgia!
Ryan, Peace Corps Volunteer, (3rd from the left top row) with the male mentors and youth at the Workshop during the gender split session
I co-hosted and organized the Imereti Region Workshop along with my friend Ryan. You’ve should have heard his name by now, I’ve mentioned him in various posts. Ryan calls me five days before the workshop and tells me that we do not have any youth signed up. I nod my head and just sigh. My response was, “Ryan, it is Tuesday afternoon. Friday is a holiday. Do you think we can actually find 16 kids to show up within 2 business-days?”
Optimistically, he responds, “we can try!” I replied, “I guess it does not really matter. Even if we found a bunch of kids, they could just drop out any second. Let’s just try to get kids. If there aren’t many by Thursday afternoon, we will postpone the event.” Thursday rolls around and Ryan calls me back. “So, we actually have more than 16 kids now.” I laughed and said, “of course, we do. But I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them do not come.”
Sure enough, Saturday rolls around and we only had nine kids show up on time. We waited a while and then three more stroll in like being late is still the fashionable thing to do. Kelley, Ryan, and I look at Manana (Ryan’s counterpart) and ask her if more people are coming. Manana said she will be right back and walked out the room. Through the window, I see Manana walk to park in the center of town. I assumed she had a good reason and did not think anything of it. Minutes later, Manana comes back by gently telling a teenage boy she brought with her to sit down. I asked Ryan what happened. Apparently, Manana walked through the park, some a kid, and “invited” him to attend this workshop.
I have to hand it to the Georgians. If they want to make an event happen, it will happen. In America, I would not be so confident to just go to a park and grab a kid. Secondly, I would have been stressed out if days before the event I were to have to registered participants. But so life here….predictably unpredictable.
Other than the little participant count mishaps, the event went without a hitch. Kelley did a great job presenting the various job-related skills. I conducted a session on job interviewing. The kids were very engaged. In fact, I don’t remember seeing any kids trying to sneak in a little Facebook time on their mobile phones. I was pleasantly surprised at how active the youth and the mentors were in the sessions.
Some of our mentors and youth as they were participating in an activity during the Job Interviewing Session.
When the day was over, one of the mentors I invited came up to me and said, “Workshops like these are very important in Georgia. It is a shame that only these youth came. More should have come.” I had also invited Justin’s Georgian tutor and she echoed the sentiment. In fact, she even suggested that Kelley and I should hold the fourth workshop at her private school. Granted, we had only planned for three workshops, but Kelley and I loved the idea of hosting more workshops. In all honesty, I loved that the mentors and the mentees loved the workshop that they volunteered their opinions that more should be conducted.
