Sarah's Week of Training: Critical Incident Stress Management course.

Just had to document the wonderful week that I just experienced; attending a training course all week (out for 11hrs each day) whilst Ross worked half days and stayed home each afternoon with the kids.  For me it was like a mini-holiday (although I missed the kids); for Ross I think it was exhausting.  A great two-way exchange all the same.

Now, about the training: For me, it was a refresher course from a long time ago.  When I worked with World Vision prior to kids coming along, one of my roles was as a Peer Support person.  This basically means that, in addition to your role, you're trained up to get alongside colleagues who might have had to work at the scene of a disaster.  It's assumed that, as a peer, you have been in similar situations and can therefor empathise more readily.  There is a huge emphasis on the fact that the majority of people recover from traumatic situations very well 'without' any formal mental health intervention.  Peers are trained to understand the wide range of responses people might have after working at a critical incident, what's been found to be useful when being with these people and what signs one could be showing that might require some follow up.  The really interesting bit comes when you might have to work with a small or large group of people; the research behind which is fairly extensive albeit a tad controversial. In summary, the whole course was pretty thought provoking and I found it refreshing to be in a learning environment again.
After 3yrs being mostly at home with the kids, the opportunity to refresh my skills and meet a bunch of fantastic and interesting people was awesome.  I met people from Lebanon, Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Bosnia, The Netherlands and the US.  I can't forget sitting next to an American man who told me he had 11 kids, aged 1-17!  All kids to the same wife and no twins.  Zoo-wee-mama!


So now, one week later, I'm back in mother routine and appreciating being home when Sam, Angus and Jessie jump off the bus all a-chatter about the happenings of their day.  They've adjusted pretty well to the cold early mornings since our lazy Christmas holiday and Anna is much easier with her more predictable schedule.  Coming up to 1 year here next week so a few more reflections coming......See ya.

Stalin's favourite vodka......

Kids playing soccer in the snow in Bakuriani

"Would you like to try some of Stalin's favourite vodka?" is not a question you are asked everyday.  But then again, Georgia is a country where they say 'the guest comes from God' and hospitality, food and endless toasts at mealtimes are a national pastime.  Stalin was Georgian, and despite the fact that the Georgians suffered terribly under his rule of the Soviet Union, there is today an element of nostalgia about his Georgian roots.  His home city of Gori hosts a large Stalin museum, and small Stalin 'busts' are available for sale everywhere you go in the country.

Village of Bakuriani

Last week I was in Georgia for strategy meetings with our country directors from Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.  We met in a high village called Bakuriani in central Georgia.  Bakuriani is an old Soviet-style mountain resort with spectacular scenery, antiquated hotels and ageing ski infrastructure.  Georgia is having a heavy winter this year, so it was a long and icy drive up to the village but beautiful once we got there.  We had productive meetings, managed to get onto the slopes for a few hours of skiing and also enjoyed plenty of 'khinkali', which are a traditional type of Georgian dumpling and chacha. There's a special finesse to eating khinkali, and it's fairly standard in a restaurant to order 10 or more of these per person (and that's just the entree)!

The uncrowded slopes of Bakuriani

Georgia is a fascinating country.  Independent since 1991 and the fall of the Soviet Union, there have been a number of key events over the last 20 years that have shaped the independent country.  These include a civil war, ongoing and unresolved conflict with Russia over the autonomous regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and also the so called 'Rose Revolution' in 2003 that led to the overthrow of Eduard Shevardnadze and rise of Mikheil Saakashvili to power.  Georgia has a growing economy, although poverty throughout the country remains widespread.  The capital Tbilisi has undergone a remarkable transformation since I first travelled there over 10 years ago.  The Government has spent up big to improve infrastructure and preserve the many ancient sites and monuments around the city.  A walk around the old town is particularly impressive at night, when the city and it's many Orthodox cathedrals are lit up.  

Getting around the village in the old style

After a fairly frenetic travel schedule last year, one of my new years resolutions has been to slow down a bit when I travel, especially when visiting several countries on a trip.  I was able to put this into practice in Georgia when a colleague and I visited one of the old Turkish baths in Tbilisi after work one evening.  After resting in a 40 degree naturally heated sulfur bath for an hour or so, we were scrubbed to within an inch of our lives by an old burly and toothless Georgian gentleman with a heavy wire brush.  May not sound so appealing but actually remarkably theraputic.  Perhaps it's the presbyterian and puritan blood in me.  

The Georgian capital Tbilisi

Tbilisi

Map showing the 'breakaway' regions of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Georgian 'khinkali'.  Would you like 10 or 20 sir??

Reflections on a holiday from home

Anna not quite 'engaged' with the
whole snow concept!

I wasn't expecting to live in this not very attractive city on the edge of Europe and take holidays at home.  If this had been suggested 6 months ago; it would not have got my vote.  However, as the year went on, as Ross' travel schedule became hard to follow and we all became involved in more activities; I think we all just grew weary.  By the time December rolled by, the thought of just hanging out and relaxing as a family  became very appealing.  Hence this blog.

So, what did we do?  Only one week into the school term and it feels like a blur already.  Perhaps a few photos will spark my memory.  Ah yes, the Camel Park.  Jessie, Angus and Sam were all dead keen to ride a real live camel......that is; until they sat on it and the camel stood up.  Anybody who has partaken of this delightful experience would well know that the 'rise up' from the camels sitting to standing position is nothing short of a LURCH.  Following that rather scary experience one finds themselves up a great deal higher than expected riding a wobbly legged camel who just might be a tad hard to 'bond' with.

As you can see from the picture above; Sam was completely freaked out by the mere movement of the camel and was not keen on persevering with the bonding process.  Much to Jessie's horror, it only took a few of Sam's deafening screams to 'rattle' the camel and before we knew it, the camel was doing his own thing.  A number of twisted zig zag steps and a lot of resistance to the trail leader's insistence that he sit back down again resulted in more pleading cries "I want to get off!"  Meanwhile, Angus and his two Egyptian mates, were oblivious to the spectacle and Ross & I had to smother our laughing because the entire scene was becoming more than comical.  Of course, having had a horse run off with me on it when I was young, I quickly identified with the possibility of exposing Sam to a life-long fear of all large and furry four-legged animals.  So, when it was clear that this wasn't going to be the character building moment that it could have been, we ran to his aid and helped him down.  That left one empty camel on a trail ride which I wasn't prepared to pass up.  All things well that end well!

The rest of the day passed fairly smoothly with us all enjoying the company of an Egyptian family we have come to know; they live close by and also have a couple of energetic young boys.  On the way home, we stumbled across a village with a beautiful old Orthodox church and an enormous open area for the community beside it.

To top it off for the kids,
we came across this amazing play park as well.

The rest of the days passed nicely; a picnic with some other families, casual trips to the park, a noisy play-over and last but not least; A TRIP TO THE SNOW.


When we invited Monica to join us so that she could see snow for the first time, she jumped at the opportunity.  We drove up the mountain, all 7 of us, watching the temperature gauge decrease and taking guesses as to who would hit the jack-pot of the coldest temp. and who was going to see the snow first.  When it was 1 degree and we were 1 km from the ski resort, the snow began to fall and the road became white.  Yeehah - SNOW!  We drove to where we could park near the village and all got out with our beanies & gloves on.  Everybody was happy EXCEPT ANNA.  I know she'll read this when she's older and curse me for writing it but I cannot tell a lie.  Anna was IMPOSSIBLE.  She didn't want any warm gear on and she cried non-stop for the entire time we played around in the snow.  With the 3 adults trying to appease her between snow ball fights and the other kids having a ball, we were not so disappointed when Jessie, Angus and Sam found themselves getting cold & wet and begging to go back to the car.


A second trip one week later, just for the boys, proved to be much more successful in terms of activity.  As you can see from the pics, Sam had a fun time on the sled and Angus fulfilled a long held dream of finally getting to ride a snowboard.  The first of many more trips we hope.

We hope you've had some good relaxing down time; perhaps with a bit of reflection on 2011.  My brief thoughts on the year that has passed are:

1. Yes, it really does take a full year to settle into a new place.  It's not until you get to the end of it that you realize what an up and down process it is.  I have experienced homesickness much more than I anticipated.  Now that this has largely passed however, I'm just glad & thankful we've all made it through in one piece.  Although immensely exciting at times, it has occurred to us more than once that this move was huge.
2.  I consider myself a more alert driver than perhaps I was in Australia but sadly I am not as humble.  Just like all the Cypriots here, I can be hot-headed and intolerant.  I love using my horn when it's warranted and the odd glare into the next car saying "that wasn't MY fault!" is something I'm not proud of.  I call it "blending in".
3. Having a maid is good and bad.  To say it was "an adjustment" for me would be an understatement. How do you go from doing everything in your home to almost needing to do nothing? And then finding that perhaps it's not done quite the way you would want it?  And then wondering how to motivate kids to do their own chores when it's clear that if they don't do it there IS a little fairy who will pick up after them?  Don't get me started here; one day I'll fill up a whole blog on it.
4. On the up side; not being so busy and tired has left room for other things.  More play time with the kids, more focus on us as a family, more relax time in the evenings with Ross and, perhaps some time to build friendships without interruption. As far as lifestyle goes, there has been some improvement for us here.  Something we can work on when we return to Australia. 
5. I have to say this: Skype is a wonderful invention.  Some calls have really picked me up.
6. Greek is a fascinating language but I quit.
7. Cyprus could be so much more if only they would embrace the great array of foreigners here.  
8. The summers are really VERY hot but the beaches around the island, in all their diversity, provide great relief and are truly magnificent.
9. Kids are amazing in how they adjust.  So temporal; just living for the day.
10. I'm glad we are here.  The opportunity to be involved in life changing programs for the disadvantaged is a real privilege.  Sometimes I would love to be more an active part of this but, in a sense, I am and perhaps being there for my kids is more important right now for the longer term.

The Baptism of the Cross

Last Friday (6th Jan) was a public holiday to mark ἐπιφάνεια (the Epiphany). This is an Orthodox tradition marking the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River and also his physical manifestation on earth.  It also marks the end of a season where there is a traditional ban on sailing, upheld because of a belief that the winter seas are beset by 'mischief-prone goblins' who torment sailors and fishermen through the festive season.  The main tradition around the Epiphany involves a ceremony called the blessing of the waters, which starts with a long church service followed by a procession to the nearest body of water.  The priest then blesses the waters, by throwing a cross into the water.  Where swimming is possible, a number of young men then dive into the water to try to recover the cross.  The person who gets the cross and returns it to the priest then receives a special blessing for him and his family.  

The tradition takes place in most Greek villages and communities in Cyprus on the 6th January.  We travelled down to Aiga Napa to watch the proceedings.  Aiga Napa is normally a heaving tourist town in summer, but is very sleepy mid winter.  It was fascinating to see a large crowd of locals and tourists gather for the ceremony.  Cypriot locals, easily recognisable by the suits, black leather and heels gathered alongside sun worshiping Brits and Germans who remain in Aiga Napa for their fix of vitamin D while the rest of Europe freezes.  


After some waiting around the procession arrived and the ceremony began.  We had imagined that the priest might give the cross a good throw out into the harbour and make it more of a challenge for the young men who had gathered to claim the prize. Alas it was more of a half hearted toss, but the vigour of the young men who dived in immediately following made up for any lack of a decent throwing arm on the part of the priest.  Perhaps this is occupational health and safety Cyprus-style??   In the end the cross was thrown three times, a different victor recovering the cross each time.  

Ready to go......

They're off......

And victory, as the cross is recovered

We really enjoyed the chance to view this tradition, as it's not always easy to be a part of the many Orthodox traditions and feasts on the island.  Following the ceremony we had a quick milkshake followed by a vigorous bounce on a jumping castle for Anna.......resulting in the subsequent loss of the said milkshake all over the Aiga Napa sidewalk.  Child number four, you'd think we would have learned by now! 


Happy new year.

The icon of Jesus' baptism is carried to the water