Photos!

Well, they're not here. They're on facebook. Check them out. http://www.facebook.com/alex.frisbie.58

Week 7 finished!

Yesterday, my clustermates (those 5 other PCTs living in Ruispiri with me) and I completed a community project where we had kids from the village school paint inside of a trace that two of the trainees outlined for them. Photos are currently being transferred to my jump drive. I'll hopefully have some up by the end of the week. Besides training, the pace is slower here than in the States, so I have no motivation to put up pictures soon. All is well here. Four weeks to go. I'm getting used to things here. I'll let you know if that changes.

Surreality

I don't think a day has gone by where the thought hasn't popped in my head during language class or sitting across from my host mom at lunch that it is so strange that I am here. I am in a village most of the world (and probably most of Georgia) has never even heard of. You won't find the Google Maps van rolling by to take pictures of my house. I am also in a country that you rarely here about in the nightly news. I live with a family who doesn't speak my language or understand my culture but are some of the nicest people I have ever encountered. I eat their food, use their computer, and occupy part of their house. For some reason, they are okay with this. If it were not for joining the Peace Corps, I never would have met these people. I do not get nightly American news. I do not have to see countless campaign ads or worry about anything I had to worry about back home like a job or how I will pay my loans back. I have other worries like when I will be near a toilet with toilet paper while I am out and about or how well my language proficiency is coming along.

It is a different experience but I am enjoying it more and more everyday. It has its downfalls. And I might sing a different tune after PST is over with and I will be wherever without the other volunteers around to interact with. I am looking forward to the next stage nonetheless. I find out my site placement on Monday. I will let you know how it goes. Oh, and I will get you all pictures someday.

In one week....

All of us find out where our Permanent Sites will be. It could be a very positive or very negative day. I would like to believe I could accept anything they throw at me. Last week we had our Site Placement interviews. We were asked our strengths and weaknesses and our preferences for a site. I believe they take our considerations into account but they also must factor in our strengths, weaknesses, and preferences of the host family, school, and community.

I could be placed *close* to the capitol, out West near the beach, down south close(ish) to a border, in a large school, a small one, a large host family, a small host family, etc. Everything is up in the air. There is a University spot but I do not know the odds that I will get it. I don't know.

The day after we find out our sites (or the day after that), we are going to visit. That will be a very interesting day. I will keep you posted.

Untitled

I don't know what to call this one. I want to write to let you know that I am still alive. I just do not have much to say. I saw two dogs doing the deed while I was walking today. I walk (usually) every morning. I had earwax removed from a doctor in Tbilisi (the capital). The Peace Corps foot the bill plus put me up for a night in a hostel. That was Tuesday. Last weekend we all went to see how current volunteers are living. I went out West near the Black Sea. I went with another Trainee. The tourist city (Batumi) was nice. It would be nice to be placed out that way. The current volunteers seem to see each other often and go to a central location. I don't want to be isolated. It was nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel, knowing that PST (training) will be over eventually then we can get on with why we really came here.

We had our placement interviews this week. That is where we tell the staff where we want to be placed. I believe they take our wants into account but the decision isn't ultimately up to us. The staff decides where our skills would be a best fit. We find out June 11th where we will spend the next two years. That will be a nerve-racking day.

We also have our mid-assessments in our technical and language training next week. I am not worried about the technical one. The language one is only there to see how we are doing at our near-halfway mark. I am still worried about it. Oh well. Can't do anything about it except practice and study.

Otherwise, all is well. Still have a student loan hanging over me but hopefully it should be taken care of by the end of next week.
We just completed week 4 of training. Only 7 more to go.
That's all for now.
Alex