That was the first thing my friend asked when I broke the matter of
interning in Georgia. While I was still in Budapest my Georgian roommate used to picture Georgia as Europe’s most Eastern country (and not Asia!) and a country working on its future membership in the Union. So, my first reaction to this question: “Man, naturally mentioning Georgia and Europe in one sentence, you just made a whole nation very happy.”
What I knew about Georgia before my arrival:
Georgians are very hospital- there are about 4 mio of them
- they like being called Europeans
- they eat Khachapuri and Khinkali
- they have a language not similar to any other
- they successfully reformed their country during the last 15 years
- they have frozen conflicts with two regions, Ossetia and Abkhazia, who claimed independence
- they are out of sorts with Russia after a war in 2008 and Russia’s continuing attempts to broaden its influence in the region
What I know now, exactly one week after my arrival:
Georgians are very hospital- there are about 4 mio of them
- they are Europeans and at supermarkets etc. many of them speak English
- they drive on the right side of the road and some cars also have the steering wheel there
- I eat Khachapuri and Khinkali, fruits and vegetables are incredibly tasty and they are eaten in various combinations, they have a kefir-like yoghurt called Matsoni and a bitter plum-sauce that I put on everything… and luckily they love coriander. Even though everybody told and keeps on telling me that Georgia is a meat country I keep on treating myself with vegetarian delicacies
- they have a language not similar to any other and I am still trying to figure out similarities…or sounds
- Tbilisi has extremely friendly street dogs and cats
- they (Georgians of course and not the street animals) successfully reformed their country during the last 15 years but still have to catch up in some spheres, e.g. LGBT rights
- they have frozen conflicts with/in two regions, Ossetia and Abkhazia, who claimed independence and are under Russian influence
- they are out of sorts with Russia after a war in 2008 and Russia’s continuing attempts to broaden its influence in the region