Pochtalion Pechkin at work

For those who have no idea what the title means, the link below is a must-to-see. As a child, I loved this animation character, and even then understood that the local mailman Pechkin took rules too seriously. And yet, he loved his job, and everybody loved him....

Mailman has been such a special profession, over centuries this was the person who kept the remotest villages in touch with the world, carried important messages, life-saving parcels, love letters - his bags stuffed with stories and secrets. One of the most beautiful Chinese movies I have ever seen was about a postman, who has been delivering post his whole life. In the end he leaves for one last journey visiting the rural mountain communities together with his son, who is overtaking the job. Amazing scenery, tranquility, philosophical depth...and a postman, on his tiring journey, dutifully treading his path.

Ok, now lets return to reality and every day life. Maybe postman once was a noble profession, but it is hard to believe in it nowadays. Especially in Georgia, a post office is a mystical place for me. The system seems to be constructed to discourage people from using the post office services. And I'm not complaining - listen to the facts:

1.It is always so hard to FIND the post office. I couldn't find any photo of the post office building, but usually I look for the most run down house on the street, often with bars on the windows, and a tiny A4 format piece of paper on the door that mentions "POST". It looks something like that:

It says that the post office moved to another place - but there the sign looked almost the same

2.Once you get to the post office, you have to know how it operates. And it can be different in different places. If you want to send stuff, just bring it with you, and there you can get all the envelopes, stamps and everything you need. Don't bring your crazy ideas about just buying stamps - why do you need them after all? If you are persistent, you will be sent to another office next door; in a smaller office you might even get to buy those stamps - and a shrug with shoulders as a bonus.

Interior of one small post office, recorded by one German traveler in 2008. He seemed quite charmed and probably enjoyed his stay here quite a lot!

3.When you are sending stuff, it is always better to know the name of countries in Georgian or in Russian. And be prepared to pay quite much, too. I heard the fast delivery service in Tbilisi costs the same by Georgian Post and by DHL. And to send even a letter abroad can cost ~2 EUR, depending on the weight. So if you didn't get a Christmas postcard from me, please don't take it personally!

4. When you want to receive anything, you should know what it is, when it supposed to arrive, and look out for it in advance. Some of my friends learned the hard way that most of the parcels are sent to one specific post branch in Tbilisi. Mailmen usually do not bring letters or parcels at home - and nobody uses postboxes!

Ant this is why. Photo taken by Simon Chirgwin, http://flic.kr/p/8DdQAQ

So, mailmen come to your home, and bring a small piece of paper which says that you received something at a post office. It has a code and a post office's address, where you have to go and take it. And if its worth exceeds 300GEL - pay custom fee, 18%.
 Sometimes mailman cannot reach the person - if nobody is at home (and postbox is not an option), he can stick the post office note to the door. Today elevator at our house was not working, so I found mine stuck to the door of elevator itself. It's worth to read whatever you find new on your way home!

Whenever I visit a post office, I get the feeling that my case is somewhat special. Several times I was asked, what it is that I got (how can I know - you have my letter, people!). Once my first name was not written, and it caused some puzzle behind the counter. Another time I wanted to send a little thicker envelope, and it became an object of consultations for quite some time. I always wear my best smile to the post office :)

Oh well. At least there are no queues there, ever!

Lacrimosa

Some days are just worse than all others. Heavy. Unbearable. Stretched to infinity. When all you want to do is shut yourself off from the world, crawl under the blankets and disappear.

What do you do?
Wait
Run
Walk for hours, until your feet starts aching
Talk about it
Be silent about it
Let yourself be sad
Cry
Pull yourself together
Listen to something soothing, that would help to take your thoughts away.
Like something heavy.
or Mozart
or Vintage Trouble.
Just drift in the music, until it's all over.

Atgal į mokyklą

Pastaruoju metu turėjau labai įdomią galimybę - apsilankyti gruziniškose mokyklose! Važiavau stebėti pamokų ir jau buvau gal penkiose mokyklose - įspūdžių susikaupė tiek, kad norisi papasakoti plačiau.

Gruziniškos mokyklos, jos yra... labai gyvos! Vos įėjus pro duris pasitinka šurmulys - kartais ir pamokų metu. Mažiukai pirmokėliai turi trumpesnes pamokas, vos 35min. Tad jų pertraukos dažniausiai nesutampa su vyresniųjų ir jie gali mėgautis laisve koridoriuose, kol kiti skaičiuoja minutes iki pertraukos. O tada...

Pertrauka. 
Po pirmųjų apsilankymų man kilo toks didelis klausimas: kaip vaikai mokyklose nieko nesusilaužo??? Vietoj to jie kaip guminukai atšoka nuo durų, sienų, laiptų, kitų vaikų, šokinėja, bėga, krykštauja ir šūkauja, dainuoja, žaidžia ir visaip kaip stengiasi išnaudoti tas trumpas 5 ar 10 minučių. Pertraukos čia trumpos, o pietų pertraukos nėra - vaikai paprastai atsineša kokį lauknešėlį iš namų išsitraukia jį per vieną iš trumpųjų pertraukų. Tuo tarpu mokytojai stengiasi išlaviruoti per judančią krutančią minią iki mokytojų kambario.

Mokytojų kambarys. 
Kai buvau maža, mokytojų kambarys atrodė labai paslaptingai - įeinant reikėdavo pasibelsti, o ten, už uždarų durų, mokytojos gyveno savo gyvenimą, kalbėdavosi ir spręsdavo REIKALUS. Panašiai ir yra - tai mokytojų užuovėja ir užuobėga, kur jos gali šiek tiek pailsėti nuo triukšmo, išgerti kavos (kai kuriose mokyklose - ir parūkyti..). Gruzijoje mokytojos niekada nesineša gėrimų ar maisto į klases - nebent vandens buteliuką. Vienas gruzinas pasakojo, kad kai buvo mažas, galvojo, kad mokytojos niekad nevalgo - nes jis niekada nematė jų valgant!

Mokytojos.
Mokytojų būna įvairiausių, bet Gruzijoje (turbūt kaip ir Lietuvoje) matyti didelis skirtumas tarp kartų (ir tai nebūtinai susiję su amžiumi): vienos mokytojos mena ir primena sovietinius laikus ir turi nenuginčijamą įsitikinimą, kad "tie metodai buvo kur kas geresni". Jos kalba pakeltu balsu (nes taip vaikai geriau išmoks), tranko per stalą ranka, kad mokiniai nesikalbėtų ir liepia antrokėliams sėdėti rankas laikant už nugaros.
Visa laimė, tokių mokytojų sutikau tik keletą - kitos stengėsi sudominti vaikus ir kūrybiškai vedė pamokas. Dabar mokytojai turi vis daugiau galimybių: idėjos internete, su vadovėliais gaunami plakatai, specialios kortos su paveikslėliais, CD ir DVD diskai, mokomieji filmukai.... žinoma, realybė kartais apriboja: ne visose mokyklose yra CD grotuvai; apie filmukus galima pamiršti - net ir atsinešus kompiuterį, tai nebūtų išeitis, nes klasėse - apie 30 mokinių... Ir vis tik kai kurios mokytojos papirko savo nuosekliu darbu, kantrybe ir  gebėjimu išnaudoti tuos mažus išteklius, kurie joms buvo prieinami.

Pamokoje. 
Ir vis tik įdomiausia buvo stebėti pamokoje. Vaikai dalinasi pieštukais, kuždasi; berniukas savo simpatijai vis pakelia nukritusį megztuką - gal 3 ar 4 kartus; "Masc (mokytoja), kas yra "cake"? - klausia vienas. "Fresent" - atsako vaikai mokytojai skaitant klasės sąrašą. Mažuliukas antrokėlis užsisvajoja ir pamiršta pamoką - tai nesunku, kai klasėje, anglų kalbos pamokoje - 32 mokiniai!
Pamoka - tai gyvas organizmas. Daugelis mokytojų leidžia šiek tiek šurmulio: galima ateiti prie lentos pasižiūrėti, kas ten tiksliai parašyta, galima atsakinėjančiam draugui pasakyti atsakymą - juk mokymasis, šiaip ar taip, komandinis reikalas.

Dar daug reikia nuveikti, kad mokyklos Gruzijoje būtų saugia, efektyvia lavinimosi erdve - dabar daugelis abiturientų stengiasi egzaminams pasiruošti papildomai, o daugelis mokytojų pragyvenimui užsidirba iš papildomų pamokų. Rudenėjant mokyklose šalta, mokinukai sėdi su striukėmis, mokytojos ant pečių užsimeta ilgas skaras (tarsi mokytojiška uniforma). Ir vis tik net ir ten galmia atrasti perliukų, apie kuriuos galvojant taip ir norisi nusišypsoti...

How much of Them do you want here?

Various dictionaries describe "alien" as:
- Owing political allegiance to another country or government; foreign; 
- Belonging to, characteristic of, or constituting another and very different place, society, or person; strange;
- A person who is not included in a group; an outsider.

This is a bitter post, or rather inspired by bitter experience - but I will try to keep complaints to myself, and concentrate on facts and observations. A while ago I posted an entry on integration in a new country - it is a curious process, for both sides. The newcomers must try, but not overstretch  until ridicule. The locals often see foreigners as some curious exotic pets, who need to be cared for, fed regularly and advised on every occasion. I've been on both sides, and did exactly the same - so no judging here. 

But the problem of foreigners - and the BIGGEST 'problem' - is that being different, they always bring change. Adaptation process necessarily means change, it means expanding your comfort zone, opening eyes to new thoughts and ideas, even though some can be exciting and some totally unacceptable. It is a deep issue - the whole Europe has been solving this puzzle for decades already. How much of foreigners do we actually want to see around us?

On one hand, having foreigners to come is good. For small countries it adds prestige, importance, tourism industry adds to the budget. Countries become known and have better chances for various bargains in international arena. It is generally great to be labelled as "open" and "innovative". Having foreigners on the main streets also shows that country is advancing and people from other countries also see their possibilities here. Most countries also declare openness for cultural exchange. 

But is cultural exchange really that positive? Or so widely accepted? In words - perhaps, but reality is often different. As my husband rightly nailed it - nobody really likes foreigners. Showing hospitality is one thing. Having them stay for a while, serving best wines, dancing and singing, partying, travelling together - all that is fine, is great, is...touristy. Bow how many people realize that in order to accommodate someone new, much more will have to change. It's like when people are sitting comfortably on a bench and invite one more to join - they will all have to move and squeeze a little. This is something most people don't think about. 

Hollywood smiles...no more

This is the time of changes in Georgia - after it became clear that the new government will be appointed, everything seems to slow down. Ministries, public services - all is in the waiting mood, not knowing what will happen with them. It is a sad tradition that after changing the top, many staff members are replaced almost automatically... Hopefully, it this happens again, the newcomers will at least be experts of those fields.

It is no secret that Georgian President had plenty of visionary ideas for the country, and started to implement many of them especially before elections. Some were quite successful (I really believe Teach and Learn with Georgia is one of them), some not that thought through. The new government is checking the whole budget now and looking where it is possible to cut down.

Now the story of the day is this famous Presidential Program "Smiley Georgia" (also known as "Hollywood Smiles"). The main idea is that citizens who are over 50 years (and up to 65, although this was not in the brochures...) are entitled to get dental services for free throughout Georgia. They could register and have their teeth changed by mobile doctor crews in various regions throughout the summer. Only yesterday it appeared that the program has been... stopped. Oh, well, you will say? I'd also shrug my shoulders, but for those poor people, who had their teeth pulled out, but won't get any new ones!

There is your Hollywood Smile now, mister whoever decided that!

( this photo is borrowed from here )

p.s. I could not manage to get this info in English and confirm it myself, but I was assured that this program has been suspended... still hoping that - maybe - it's not true...!