The dynamic adventures of a lazy volunteer

Hello, beautiful people! I’m writing this article, because my coordinator Nana is begging me for almost 4 days to write it, and I, keeping a real Georgian spirit, am being late with this task. As Georgians say: “Wherever you go, you have to wear the native hat”, or something along those lines.

The real reason I’m being lazy with it is that, since the last time I wrote something about my EVS(or rather ESC) experience, a lot has happened, internally and externally, and I really cannot express enough emphasis on the A LOT part. I really don’t know where to start.

Anyway, here we go.

Racha

Summer has gone by really fast. I took part in many scout centre and GYE projects, helped them with logistics stuff as well as organizing activities etc. Most of my summer time I just spent with my Georgian pals, skating, doing nothing and just basically enjoying my time. Shout-out to Patrick! I must say, that I have progressed quite a lot in the wonderful hobby of board on four wheels, proud of myself, yo. Did some travelling as well, have seen most of the country, but there still is enormous amount to explore and see. The worst part about summer and also reason to travel around and away from Rustavi was the heat. Never in my life have I experienced these degrees above 0 of Celsius scale. Let me tell you- it was HOT. Basically the entire city was dead till about 6 to 7 o’clock in the evening, when the sun is finally going down and you can actually go out of your house without burning to death and grasping for breath. I’m a little over exaggerating here, but still. One thing I didn’t do during the heat, that was actually on my bucket list, while being here, was frying and egg on a rock out in the sun and taking a video of it. Oh well, I fried my skin at least.

Hundreds of different cheap fruits, watermelon every day, heat, travelling and skateboarding- there you go, TL;DR, summer in one sentence.

Adventures in Racha

Racha, Shovi

September, October, November. The GYE season starts. Actually a couple of seasons start. One of which involve a lot of wonderful and tasty medicinal plants being finally available for use in salads etc. You know what I mean? Hehe. New season, new realizations, starting it full power and still going. I’m really happy to finally see new people coming to the office and actually attending the clubs, events and activities organized by the volunteers. It feels like you are actually doing what you’re doing for someone and something.

GYE office memes

In the end of September a friend of mine- Saba invited me to the countryside of Kakheti region for the traditional Rtveli. It’s a grape harvest. And let me tell you it’s much more enjoyable than potato harvest in Latvia. You work all day, pick grapes, yell: “VEDRA!!” so someone brings you an empty bucket and you continue until the field of grapes is empty. There’s not just one field though, so the whole event happens for a couple of days, for some grape farmers it might even last for a couple of weeks, I assume. And, of course, at the end of it all, the traditional Supra (Georgian dinner).

Drying Churchkhela, Kakheti

There were a couple of things I noticed during this supra. First of all, it wasn’t like the Supras during projects etc. This was super-ultra-mega traditional and I was the only foreigner at the table to consume and absorb all of the amazing table culture goodness that Georgians have to offer. Oh, lucky me! Thank you, Saba. For example, Supra goes as supra goes, eating, drinking ONLY with toasts and ONLY wine etc. etc. And at one point of it all, I look at the table and realize- there are only men at the table. Only men- smoking, drinking, eating, talking and having a great time. Women, on the other hand, have their own little supra in the kitchen and don’t even seem to mind that they are not sitting at the table with everyone else; they are having fun separately from men, talking about and doing their own things. I don’t know about the toasts though, but I assume they also drink with toasts, although much less than men. No one is upset, no one is even thinking about raising the topic of gender equality or some other bull crap, everything is how it is supposed to be, everything is traditional and everyone is happy. There. Think about that.

Jungles of Birtvisi

Other than that, I have learned the language quite a lot. I can understand and catch the topic pretty fast. I can read and write a little bit. The problem for me is actually speaking. I don’t have nearly enough vocabulary to fully express myself, but for simple communication- no problem.  The language actually has some similarities with Latvian. They also have words that don’t really translate into English, one of these words is a swear, that translates perfectly into Latvian from Georgian, but doesn’t sound as good in English. I wish I could share this expression, but I guess you will have to ask me personally, since this article is kid-friendly. 

Black sea, Batumi

There are tons of experiences I have missed in these lines, since I have to finish this article due midnight and some of the experiences I can’t really talk about in an article like this, but they are well embed in my memory and will forever stay there.

For now, I will admit, that I am kind of ready to go home to Liepaja. A simple talk with a close person of mine made me realize a lot of harsh truths about myself and the life I am living. The Midterm meeting also encouraged some planning and reflection.

I have, more or less, a plan for what I want to do and achieve back home and being here, away from the place I really belong and come from, just makes me more eager to so. I am though; endlessly thankful and happy for all of this experience as whole, since it has had a huge impact on my perspective, my views, values and life in general.

Peace!

Martins ‘chuks’ Piebalgs