About Georgia

As I said above, in September I'll be going to live in Georgia, working for a school there called LinguaHouse (you can look it up online though its website is being updated this month so I don't know what access is like...). The 'boss' is a wonderful, friendly and easy-going lady called Nino and the school is one street away from where Dima's parents live. When I first move over there, I'll be staying with his parents (Nyra and Chemil) until Dima and I find a place of our own. Fear not, my friends, for I will be earning enough to rent a flat on my own if needs be! I would also like to take this opportunity to dispel some of the other concerns and misconceptions some of you have presented to me...

Myth 1: The country is war-torn, with missiles being fired regularly between Georgia and Russia and I'm at risk of getting kidnapped by rebels. The first: not as extreme as you think. The second: much less likely than being hit by a bus in the UK! Go to http://www.aboutgeorgia.net/. It is one of many websites that talk about the past and current political and economical situation in Georgia (also, look up Khinkali in the Georgian Cuisine section- they are delicious!!!). There is a region in the north-west of the country (some distance from Tbilisi) called Abkhazia that is a no-go area because the Russians and Georgians are still fighting out ownership issues- that is where the Russian missiles go and military planes get shot down! Tbilisi itself is as safe as most other cities...and you are much less likely to get stabbed or shot by a teenager than you would walking around London at any time of day, for example!

Myth 2: All Georgians are poor and live like peasants. Wrong. A majority of them are 'poor' by European standards but money doesn't always equal happiness and I saw a lot of happy people out there- most of whom are welcoming and very hospitable. As I understand the situation, people (such as Dima's family) who had a lot of money and possessions and had a comfortable lifestyle pre-1990s were hard-hit by the anarchy of the following period when crime was rife and even the police couldn't be trusted to help and protect. The majority of Georgians these days do not live the kind of luxurious and material-obsessed lifestyle the Brits tend to, true. But they are, from what I have seen, comfortable and want for very little. They eat well (lots of bread- I LOVE their bread!) and waste very little (though recycling is a concept they have yet to discover- it's very painful for me to throw away plastic and tin these days!!!). Their wine is one of the best varieties in the world. They drink vodka, but no more than your average Brit drinks vodka or Bacardi on a Friday night. They are clean and house-proud and value everything they have. They DO have electricity and running hot water and gas for cooking and heating. Which brings me to another myth...

Myth 3: I will freeze my ass off come winter because Georgia is part of Russia and it always snows there. Wrong, wrong, wrong!!! Saying Georgia is part of Russia is worse than saying Portugal is Spain. The language is totally different, they have their own history and alphabet (საქართველო [Sakartvelo]-this is "Georgia" in Georgian) and as for the weather...go read up on it PLEASE!!! The lowest it apparently gets in Tbilisi is a few degrees below (and I am personally looking forward to some real snow this Xmas!) and if any of you are still concerned- I promise you I'll wrap up warm. And if things get too chilly...there's always the piping hot and very therapeutic sulfur baths (smelly but heavenly!).

I hope this has helped dispel some of your less-favourable theories about the country I'm moving to. I have only spent a ten-day holiday there and I know I still have a lot to learn (not least a whole new language to discover!) but I feel positive about the whole experience and I really can't wait to get started! And me and Dima- too good to be true? We'll see, but I think not..! ;-)

Here are some photos of my recent trip to Sakartvelo (I didn't take many, and sadly none of Dima's family, but I will update on that in September ofc!)...