How much of Them do you want here?

Various dictionaries describe "alien" as:
- Owing political allegiance to another country or government; foreign; 
- Belonging to, characteristic of, or constituting another and very different place, society, or person; strange;
- A person who is not included in a group; an outsider.

This is a bitter post, or rather inspired by bitter experience - but I will try to keep complaints to myself, and concentrate on facts and observations. A while ago I posted an entry on integration in a new country - it is a curious process, for both sides. The newcomers must try, but not overstretch  until ridicule. The locals often see foreigners as some curious exotic pets, who need to be cared for, fed regularly and advised on every occasion. I've been on both sides, and did exactly the same - so no judging here. 

But the problem of foreigners - and the BIGGEST 'problem' - is that being different, they always bring change. Adaptation process necessarily means change, it means expanding your comfort zone, opening eyes to new thoughts and ideas, even though some can be exciting and some totally unacceptable. It is a deep issue - the whole Europe has been solving this puzzle for decades already. How much of foreigners do we actually want to see around us?

On one hand, having foreigners to come is good. For small countries it adds prestige, importance, tourism industry adds to the budget. Countries become known and have better chances for various bargains in international arena. It is generally great to be labelled as "open" and "innovative". Having foreigners on the main streets also shows that country is advancing and people from other countries also see their possibilities here. Most countries also declare openness for cultural exchange. 

But is cultural exchange really that positive? Or so widely accepted? In words - perhaps, but reality is often different. As my husband rightly nailed it - nobody really likes foreigners. Showing hospitality is one thing. Having them stay for a while, serving best wines, dancing and singing, partying, travelling together - all that is fine, is great, is...touristy. Bow how many people realize that in order to accommodate someone new, much more will have to change. It's like when people are sitting comfortably on a bench and invite one more to join - they will all have to move and squeeze a little. This is something most people don't think about. 

Hollywood smiles...no more

This is the time of changes in Georgia - after it became clear that the new government will be appointed, everything seems to slow down. Ministries, public services - all is in the waiting mood, not knowing what will happen with them. It is a sad tradition that after changing the top, many staff members are replaced almost automatically... Hopefully, it this happens again, the newcomers will at least be experts of those fields.

It is no secret that Georgian President had plenty of visionary ideas for the country, and started to implement many of them especially before elections. Some were quite successful (I really believe Teach and Learn with Georgia is one of them), some not that thought through. The new government is checking the whole budget now and looking where it is possible to cut down.

Now the story of the day is this famous Presidential Program "Smiley Georgia" (also known as "Hollywood Smiles"). The main idea is that citizens who are over 50 years (and up to 65, although this was not in the brochures...) are entitled to get dental services for free throughout Georgia. They could register and have their teeth changed by mobile doctor crews in various regions throughout the summer. Only yesterday it appeared that the program has been... stopped. Oh, well, you will say? I'd also shrug my shoulders, but for those poor people, who had their teeth pulled out, but won't get any new ones!

There is your Hollywood Smile now, mister whoever decided that!

( this photo is borrowed from here )

p.s. I could not manage to get this info in English and confirm it myself, but I was assured that this program has been suspended... still hoping that - maybe - it's not true...!

A story about one Very Big Boss

This is the story about an old dying parrot, fake mandarin tree and some interesting ways of doing business in Tbilisi (luckily or not, you won't see it every day!).

One Saturday morning we were going to buy a lock for our door - flat renovations takes quite some time, and every weekend is so precious! After searching online a bit, found a shop calles smth like "European Construction House", or similar, and went to look for it. That day there had to be big demonstrations of oposition party in the very center of the city, so we were in a hurry to finish all the buying business before it starts. Hehe, what kind of hurry....

It took a while to find this shop. The girl who answered the phone gave a deep sigh and vaguely explained where it is - no, you found the storage house, you have to walk right and find another office, where the sign says somewhat different name than expected. Well, good job hiding! After ringing at the door we have to wait a bit. The girl opens the door and invites us to come over, showing the stairs to the second floor - please go up there. We get to the second floor - two rooms with the glass doors, empty, not a living soul around. We get down to look for our girl. "Oh," - she says, - "The boss is away." Ok, we will wait, ok, we will sit down for a bit. We take a seat near the door and pass the time looking at posters on the walls and fake mandarin trees "growing" around. Posters show that the firm is standing well, doing some serious governmental projects. Apparently, selling door locks is not their primary occupation. After good twenty minutes and reminders to the girl that we are still here, there comes HE.

His head is high up, he holds the pose of a Very Important Person, gives a few directions to the girl and to another man that entered with him (maybe a security guard?). He is wearing slippers - well, of course, you should feel comfortable while doing a very important business. Without a single glance at us he climbs up the stairs in full dignity and disappears on the second floor. To our questioning looks the girl explains - it appears, we have been waiting not so much for the director, but for his assistant, who all this time has been in..... the kitchen (?????) and will come in a minute. Open smiles on our faces, but still waiting, at least from curiosity it is worth to see what will come next.

Assistant comes in with full elegance and invites us upstairs. We are led through the glass-door office and double door with double security - to the room of the very Boss.... Oh boy, it is a huge apartment, with a long meeting table, closets, books, family photos, lots of things on the shelves, chairs and everywhere - sure, business is a serious thing. We have a chance to look around while walking good 15 meters across the room towards HIM. The signs of status catch the eye: various souvenirs, attributes, and especially a plate on the table that says - "Ostorozhno, shef ne v duxe". We are asked what could interest us? We want a door lock, we say. Aham, aham, he listens to us with due seriousness and confirms, yes, we have door locks. Gives some directions to his assistant and she takes us away with her - through the double security door, to another room. Asks to wait a bit again. Next to the sofa there is a parrot cage with one bird inside - great, watching it will help pass the time! Oh no, wrong again... After a second glance it appears that the poor parrot has lost some feathers and looks pretty sick - head down, just holding to its perch in the cage and seems like it is just, just about to fall.... Next to the bird cage the security guard turned on his computer and started watching the news and playing cards at the same time - apparently, a usual activity that is not hidden from clients or anyone. Now we are openly giggling and waiting, what will come next.

The assistant returns with two locks and some sort of catalog. Shows one, another - good, Finnish locks, price is also quite alright, seems like we got lucky after all! And then she goes: "Wait please, I need to show it to the Boss first." Oh boy! Hasn't he seen it before??? She disappears behind the double door and we remain waiting. It appeared, the boss really needs to control everything - she has brought completely wrong locks! We get a catalog this time, with a quite limited choice again: "So we have this one, and that one, the price will be almost double compared with the first ones. If you want to buy, you should call us later and we will book it at our storage place."


We do not get to see the Boss again, thank them for the highlight of the day and rush out of that place. In another shop it took fifteen minutes to get everything we wanted. Interesting, that this time everyone wore shoes, and Boss's desk/fake mandarins/dying parrots were nowhere to be seen...

"Ostorozhno, shef ne v duxe"

Tai pasakojimas apie susenusią papūgą ir netikrų mandarinų giraitę, bei kaip (kartais) vyksta biznis Tbilisyje.

Tą rytą išsiruošėme pirkti spynos durims - remontai įsibėgėja, prisireikia įvairiausių smulkmenų, o to laiko taip mažai, kad savaitgalius būtina išnaudoti. Panaršę interenete radome parduotuvę "Europian konstrakšion hous", ar kažkaip panašiai ir išvažiavom jos ieškoti. Šeštadienį Tbilisio centre turėjo būti didelis opozicijos mitingas, tad skubėjom apsisukti anksčiau. Cha, ir kur tu nuskubėsi....

Ilgą laiką parduotuvės neradome. Telefonu atsiliepusi mergaitė giliai atsiduso ir paaiškino, ne, jums reikia paėjėti dar keliasdešimt metrų ir rasite visai kitokią iškabą nei parduotuvės pavadinimas. Na, pasislėpta neblogai. Paskambinus į duris tenka palūkėti. Mergaitė atidaro ir pakviečia mus vidun, parodo laiptus į antrą aukštą - ten jums reikia eiti. Užlipame - ten du kabinetai stiklinėmis durimis, tuščia, nei gyvos dvasios. Lipam žemyn vėl mergaitės ieškoti. "Ak," - sako, - "Taigi išėjęs šefas". Na taip, palauksime, prisėsime. Sėdiniuojam apžiūrinėjam netikrus mandarinus, "augančius" ant palangės. Plakatai ant sienų - atrodo, kad firma įsitaisius neblogai, rimtais valstybiniais projektais užsiima.Matyt, spynas pardavinėti jiems tikrai ne pagrindinis užsiėmimas. Po gerų dvidešimt minučių ir porą kartų paklausus, ar jau greitai, ateina JIS.

Galva aukštai pakelta, itin svarbaus žmogaus laikysena, pirštu pamoja mergaitei, iš paskos seka dar vienas darbuotojas (apsauginis?), šlepetėmis apsiavęs - nagi reikia jaustis patogiai verslą darant. Į mus net nežvilgtelėjęs oriai užlipa laiptais ir pradingsta. Mums klausiamai gūžčiojant pečiais, gaunam paaiškinimą - pasirodo, laukėme ne tiek direktoriaus, kiek jo padėjėjos, kuri visą šį laiką buvo.... virtuvėje (?????) ir tuoj tuoj ateis. Jau šypsomės nebesislėpdami, bet laukiam, vien iš smalsumo verta pamatyt, kuo visa tai baigsis.

Netrukus įplaukia padėjėja ir pakviečia mus į viršų. Pro kabinetą stiklinėmis durimis ir dar dvigubas duris su dviguba saugumo sistema mus įveda paties Šefo kambarį..... O ten - didžiulė patalpa, dideliausias stalas, spintos, nuotraukos, knygos, viskas užversta daiktais ir popieriais - žinia gi, rimtas verslas vyksta. Kol mes artinamės prie JO, spėjame šiek tiek apžiūrėti. Krenta į akis statuso ženklai: visokie suverynai, atributai, ant stalo puikuojas užrašas "Ostorozhno, shef ne v duxe". Klausia mūsų, tai kuo galime padėti? Sakom, norime spynos. Aha, aha, rimtai išklauso, sako, na taip, turime mes spynų. Pasako keletą žodžių padėjėjai ir ji mus išsiveda - per dvigubos apsaugos duris, į kitą kabinetą. Paprašo vėl palaukti. Šalia sofos pastatytas papūgos narvelis, žiūrim - vienas paukštis tupi viduj! Atidžiau pasižiūrėjus pasirodo - ne visai paukštis, o tai, kas iš jo liko.... galva nukabinta, plunksnos išsišėrusios, linguoja pirmyn atgal ant laktelės.... taip net gaila pasidarė - nukris dabar, ar nenukris. Apsauginis prisėda prie savo stalo tuo metu ir įsijungia žinias kompiuteryje bei kortas - matyt, įprastas užsiėmimas, kurio nėra ko ir slėpti. Nesislėpdami prunkščiam ir laukiam, kas bus toliau.

Sugrįžta padėjėja su dviem spynom ir katalogu. Parodo vieną, kitą - geros, suomiškos, kaina nebloga, apsidžiaugiam jau tokia sėkme netikėta. O ji, "Tuoj, palaukit, turiu parodyti Šefui pirmiau." Nieko sau! Ten turbūt be šefo niekas nevyksta. Ji dingsta už dvigubų durų, mes jau tik linksim ir laukiam, kas čia bus. Pasirodo, šefas tikrina viską ne be reikalo - padėjėja atnešė visai ne tas spynas. Atverčia mums katalogą, sako, "va tokią turim ir tokią, kaina tik bus dvigubai didesnė nei pirmųjų, jei norite jas nusipirkti, paskambinkite, patikrinsim, ar yra sandėly ir užsakysim."

Pas Šefą antrą kartą jau nebeinam, padėkojam jiems už dienos įspūdžius ir neriam kuo greičiau. Kitoje parduotuvėje spyną nusipirkome per dešimt minučių. Įdomu, jog ten visi avėjo batus, o Šefo stalo niekur nebuvo matyti...

Apie mandagumą

Vieną dieną man teko važiuoti mikriuku stovint, su didžiuliu sunkiu krepšiu ant peties - prireikė lygiai 20 sekundžių, kad šalia stovinti moteris pasisiūlytų palaikyti mano krepšį - juk tikrai nesunku, ir jokia čia ne problema ir ne trukdymas, ir nagi, juk man patogiau bus stovėti. Tą dieną mikriukais ir autobusais važiavau dar keletą kartų, ir kiekvieną kartą sulaukdavau lygiai tokio paties dėmesio - o mano krepšys perėjo per daugybę rankų. 
Tai privertė susimąstyti: daug kartų skųsdavausi, kokie gruzinai nemandagūs - ne tik kad nenusišypsos tau gatvėj ar parduotuvėj (pardavėjos ar padavėjos dažniau elgias taip, tarsi joms trukdai); stovint eilėje žmonės dažnai stumdosi ir užlindinėja; vairuotojai nuolat užslaudę garso signalą ir šūkauja vieni ant kitų (va kur aš išmokau gruziniškų keiksmažodžių:) ir niekad nepraleis tavęs per perėją. Bet nenoriu daugiau skųstis - esmė tame, jog mandagiais išauklėti užsieniečiai dažnai jaučiasi ganėtinai nejaukiai ir įsitempę gatvėje. Norint kažko pasiekti, tenka pakovoti už save - ir nėra laiko toms kovoms susikaupti, susidūrimai ir susirėmimai vyksta kasdien ir visur, daugybėje situacijų. Kartais tenka pabūt grubesniems, pakelti toną ar pasakyti aštriau nei norėtųsi. Dažnai tai nėra labai paprasta.
Tačiau Gruzijoje yra dalykų, kurie visa tai atperka - tai nepaprastas žmonių nuoširdumas ir paslaugumas, kai prisireikia pagalbos. Ir tai nebūtinai turi būti kažkokia didelė nelaimė: jei ieškai kelio, informacijos, tenka nešti ką sunkaus ar kito smulkesnio pagelbėjimo prisireikia, visuomet atsiras neabejingas žmogus netoliese. Gruzinai dažnai prašo ir siūlo pagalbą - kartais atrodo, kad Vakaruose tai nėra taip jau labai įprasta. Būti nepriklausomais ir savarankiškais mums dažnai būna kur kas svarbiau.

Vis dar manau, kad mandagumas labai reikalingas - tokia aplinka suteikia saugumo ir nuima įtampą kasdienybėje. Tačiau atidumas artimui - dar svarbesnis, nepamainomas ir būtinas. Ir tikras. 

Jei reikėtų pristatyti Gruziją ir gruzinus, turbūt apie tai kalbėčiau visų pirmiausai.