j_hunt_12 Posted August 8, 2008 Posted August 8, 2008 If anyones heard about Georgia... it is a bad situation and my GF of 9 months is there. Her village in the country already was completely distroyed along with her house. I am so scared for her... we still have skype but I just feel so useless... What can I possible do to help... I just keep talking to her but I can't really help and it is so hard. Probably no one has been in this situation before but could someone give me some advise that is thinking more logically than me... Ahh this is so horrible... thanks. And now I don't even have skype... ahhhh
quankanne Posted August 8, 2008 Posted August 8, 2008 oh honey, I do feel for you, worrying about your loved one so far away, AND in a hotspot right now. As trite as it sounds, try to keep your worrying to a minimum, otherwise you'll drive yourself nuts. is there any safe place she and the rest of her family can go? If so, advise hr to get there so that she's not having to live with warfare going on all around her. meanwhile, look into ways how you can help, even though you're far apart – maybe get involved with a volunteer group that sends aide to countries like Georgia, or start a package drive to send people what they need. Esp. if she's in an evacuee camp with just the clothes on their back. It won't solve the initial problem, but it'll go a long way in comforting people in that situation AND give you a sense of being able to do something concrete. hugs, q
Author j_hunt_12 Posted August 8, 2008 Author Posted August 8, 2008 Thanks for the suggestions... We got skype again and I'm trying to comfort her however I can. She is in the capital with family and she thinks it is safe there for now. She is still worried because some of her relatives are in Ossetia. So now I am just waiting, watching the news, and talking with her when there is internet. I wish I was somewhere where I could help with aid, but I live kind of in the middle of nowhere, but I'll check into it. This is just very hard. And I'm trying not to drive myself crazy. I lived there for nine months so I have a lot a friends that I'm worrying about... Anyways, Thanks for the advise.
N2Natasha Posted August 9, 2008 Posted August 9, 2008 Hi j hunt I don' really have any advice for you, but I just wanted to offer my moral support from someone who's woman isn't too far from there. I never used to worry about what went on in that part of the world until I fell in love with a Russian woman. My woman lives in Barnaul, Russia, which is a city in southwestern Siberia. I saw today where Russia and Georgia were fighting and I called her immediately to find out what was happening. I hope all will be well with your woman and things will settle down between the two sides and innocent civilians will not be caught in the middle. Hang in there and take care.
taiko Posted August 9, 2008 Posted August 9, 2008 I can't say I've been in this specific scenario. However when typhoons roll through and communications go down all that I'm left with is the if it bleeds it leads news headlines. We haven't been in the position of her city being overrun but a normal daily story is of an Islamic MILF or Abu Sayyef attack on a town or Army garrison. On days they don't show up then we have the same stories with the communist New People's Army as the antagonist. And then even if political terrorist are not invovled you hear stories about ordinary street crime or another group of army officers attempting a coup. Just take heart that even if the armies are trying to ethnically cleanse an area most do survive. Then there are just the every day things. The sick relative or some kind of financial emergency. How do you show concern? How do you stop the worry from making you sick?
TMichaels Posted August 10, 2008 Posted August 10, 2008 j_hunt_12, I was thinking about you when I heard the news about Georgia... I thought you said your g/f was from that region. I can imagine you're worried sick. Looks like it might be a bit early and dangerous for some of the usual aid organizations to get involved, but take a look here: http://aidworkerdaily.com/tag/south-ossetia/ There may be something there you could do, even it's just making a financial donation now to help the groups planning to assist later on, once they can to get on the ground. Please keep us posted. I'll continue to keep you and your g/f in my thoughts... All the best, TMichaels
Author j_hunt_12 Posted August 10, 2008 Author Posted August 10, 2008 clarify... She is in Tbilisi with her family and an apartment there. One of her family's houses (which she visits often) in Ossetia was destroyed. One of her relatives has died and her uncle is in Ossetia still, many of her friends are in hospitals. However, she is holding up very well and she has her direct family with her in Tbilisi, which is relatively safe for now, it appears. I think she is holding up better than I am actually... lol. We still have skype and everyone I know here has been so incredibly supportive. My family has even offered to pay for her to come here if the chance arrives and if the visa and flight is at all possible. We've been keeping in really constant contact with each other, and I've been supporting her as much as I can. Us talking has really been a huge help to the both of us. Now all we can do is wait and pray that the attacks don't come to Tbilisi. Thank you all so much for your ideas and especially for the web link (I'll definitely try to do something), as well as, for your thoughts and prayers. We are definitely all hoping for a quick solution to this horrible situation and that things get better before they get worse. P.S. Where are you talking about taiko? Philippines is my guess... Anyways, sorry to hear about your situation and thanks.
taiko Posted August 10, 2008 Posted August 10, 2008 Philippines is correct Typhoons are my major concern I was there when the big one hit and neither the NPA nor any Islamic group has been active in metro Manila recently . After acts of God street crime is the big concern as the criminals seem to be getting more aggressive when taking on the police. Probably because traffic keeps normal cops cut off from support and unless SWAT are nearby on their motorcycles, well they get hurt. Her office has been under bomb threat and she has been locked down when some Major tried another coup. When she works the polls during elections the pucker factor goes up when you hear of assinations of candidates and the deaths of bodyguards and poll workers. Atleast Manila hasn't been hit by terrorist like they are in other areas.
Author j_hunt_12 Posted August 16, 2008 Author Posted August 16, 2008 Well the conflict is settling down and my GF's host family from a study abroad program she did before in the U.S. along with her real family in Georgia are paying for her to get the hell out of there in about a week. She will be coming to live with her old host family in New York a couple of months or as long as it takes for this thing to settle down. During her time in the U.S. she will come visit me for ten days!! We thought we wouldn't be able to see each other until Christmas, but instead I'll see her in about a month!! I'm so stoked. Thanks guys
TMichaels Posted August 16, 2008 Posted August 16, 2008 Wow! That's great news, j_hunt_12! Was wondering how you and your g/f were getting on in the past week, and to have the situation "resolved" this way, resulting in a chance for you to get to see each other now is an unexpected bonus! Hope things continue to go well for both of you, and her family. Keep us posted... Best, TMichaels
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