Snapshot from Georgian village

[peacetraveler22]

This is one of my favorite photos from the road trip in Georgia, taken in motion from a car window while passing. However, it's very symbolic of life throughout the country. Outside of Tbilisi, Batumi and a few other larger cities, Georgia is one big rural village, immediately transporting you to a different time and place. For all its beauty, the country is very poor, employment opportunities are limited, and people are tied to a simple existence without a lot of luxuries to which most of us are accustomed. This is part of the country's beauty and fascination, at least for me - an American coming from a middle class, stable environment. A woman who has had plenty of opportunities to achieve almost anything she wanted in life. Nothing has been handed to me, for everything I worked quite hard -  getting various degrees and a high education, fighting for positions at work, numerous other things...

I tried to find some statistics about average wages, but they are inconsistent. Figures released in 2015 show that women in Georgia earned an average salary of 697.3 GEL ($270), while a male earns 1,126.8 ($440). So, we can see that men earn substantially more there, regardless of business sector. The average pension is about $75. There is free health care, but nothing is really "free", and more favorable care can be arranged by getting private insurance costing from $10 - $50/month. With such poor wages, this seems almost impossible for most citizens. Georgians pay a flat tax on salaries and fees - 20%. If annual income exceeds 40,000 GEL ($15,600), the State will require additional taxes which are determined by the value of real estate owned by the family. At least, this is according to current information available here. Due to the fertile nature of Georgian soil, food is quite cheap - fresh fruits, vegetables and grains are all produced locally. With meat is another issue - sometimes expensive, and not the best quality, unless you like fatty dishes.

I can't really say how living in Georgia is different than life in Russia. In some ways, the systems are the same and village life in each nation mirrors the other based on my experience of traveling in remote parts of both nations. Cultures certainly differ in their openness, friendliness and tolerance for diversity. Georgians by nature are quite animated, friendly and talkative; Russians more cold in appearance, and less animated as a whole. But people are just people....:)

What do you think? Could you live in such a village? This is something I continually ask myself... and the answer remains inconclusive.

Comments

[maks j-fry (from livejournal.com)]

You're right, maybe village life in our countries is pretty the same. But the key difference is that Russia is an industrial country and Georgia is an agricultural country. They produce more than 50% of their GDP by poking in the soil. Russia gets here only 4.7%, and USA around 3%, I think. By the way, their GDP per capita is 2.5 times less than ours. That difference is bigger than the difference between the USA and Russia, for instance.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

A comment with useful info, and no trolling from you? A rarity. :) And where the hell is everyone? The audience here has completely vanished...:((

[maks j-fry (from livejournal.com)]

Don't you remember what I said you? Nobody care about this country here in Mother Russia. If you want to have a huge response you should write about Ukraine, Crimea or something. And one more.. the time. Do you know what time it was in Russia when you posted it? O man, it was the time when people all over Russia gets their shrimpy butts home from their dead end jobs. It's a dead time in the internet.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I don't care about huge response, and there is no sense to write about politics and have continual troll invasions. This invites the worse side of humanity to come along and offer their sofa expert opinions. And what is "prime time" in RuNet, optimal hour for posting content here? Not sure...it is not only in this blog. Even many top bloggers have almost no comments now unless you're writing about tits/ass, sex or Crimea...:(

[maks j-fry (from livejournal.com)]

Just wait an hour and people appear here. It would be after 19:00 Moscow time.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Got it, thanks. :) And you should not ignore Georgia. This is a very beautiful place to visit, and cheap for a holiday. If you don't like rural areas, go to Tbilisi. Busy city with lots of night life, entertainment, and tons cheaper than Moscow. Plus, very cute boys...:)))

[maks j-fry (from livejournal.com)]

I have a friend who used to live in tbilisi. When the USSR falls apart Georgians kick him out took his property and that's what they've done with all russians. Georgia had 6.5% of russians before and now only 0.71%. Hundreds of thousands Russians were mugged and expelled. Don't tell us about the hospitality of Georgians and their sights, we know who they really are.

[Ринат Атман (from livejournal.com)]

don't believe

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Hi! :) What don't you believe?

[maks j-fry (from livejournal.com)]

I'm not from Moscow, actually i've never been there. O man, you was there! In some way you're more russian than i!

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Where do you live? I do not like Moscow...I would rather visit Tbilisi any day. It's more visually appealing, the food is better and definitely the people are friendlier...

[maks j-fry (from livejournal.com)]

I live a thousand kilometers far from Moscow on the bank of the big russian river called Volga. Have you heard about it?

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Of course, I've heard of it. :) Did you forget I've traveled in Russia numerous times, away from big cities and tourist areas? :)

[maks j-fry (from livejournal.com)]

And one more, in the whole world there's no friendlier people than russian. You know all that stuff about huge russian soul, patience, generosity and so on, these all true. Why do you think you settled here in ЖЖ with russians? You know the answer - because we're friendlier than everyone else!

[Ринат Атман (from livejournal.com)]

00)))

[yarowind.livejournal.com]

>>You know the answer - because we're friendlier than everyone else!

Мы такие, но не всегда и не со всеми:))

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I've never heard about Russian "patience"...and, having been to over 30 countries, Russia would be near the bottom for overall friendliness level, at least from my perspective as a foreign tourist. To which other countries have you traveled? I like cultures where people smile, say hello to each other in passing, etc. Not just pass with stares and indifference.

[maks j-fry (from livejournal.com)]

your approach is so superficial but this is typical for americans all you want to get even more fake smiles. you know, russians don't smile for everyone but it doesn't mean they're grumpy or something. imagine a japanese man came to america and using such simple approach he may say - o man, they're all rude, all they do at the meeting is stupid smile but no one bows, they're so harsh.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I'm probably one of the least superficial people you will ever meet, actually, so you are wrong. I didn't say Russians are all grumpy, otherwise I would not call some of them friends. :) And I have many Russian friends both abroad and here in America.

[maks j-fry (from livejournal.com)]

I know you have, you're almost russian already. I hope someday you will get russian passport just like Seagal and other celebrities. Maybe Putin himself will give you one. Are you serious about him?

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

:)))