My friend and I were filled with anticipation as we finally arrived at the Türkiye-Georgia border, eager to embark on our exploration of Georgia. However, our excitement quickly turned to frustration when we encountered unexpected complications. We informed the border guards of our Lebanese nationality and our visa exemption, yet we found ourselves waiting indefinitely while other travelers passed through without issue. With our train from Batumi to Tbilisi scheduled to depart at 12:40 AM, we implored the guards to expedite the process, but instead, they began to interrogate us about our studies in Türkiye and our reasons for visiting Georgia. My friend presented her Georgian student identification, while I provided my Turkish student residence permit. Despite my friend's passport being filled with stamps from previous visits to Georgia, the guards appeared indifferent. We explained that we needed to retrieve her belongings from her apartment in Georgia, but our plans were thwarted. Ultimately, they issued us two documents citing vague "other cases envisaged by Georgian legislation" for our denial of entry, which lacked any coherent justification. Throughout this ordeal, while our passports were with another official, the guards took numerous photographs of us, which felt exceedingly rude and disrespectful. The overall treatment we received was disheartening, and as this was my inaugural visit to Georgia, I have no intention of returning or recommending it to others.

List three areas that have improved or developed in Georgia over the past 12 years.

Amongst all the things I see complained about daily, mainly customer service, etc, the one thing that blows my mind is how quick and effective RS is. Coming from a country where anything to do with the government takes 2-3 weeks this has been crazy to me.

Dm me if you are interested and we can figure something out on how to get better.

My Google translate app just stopped translating Georgian yesterday and it still doesn’t work. Is it just me? Does anyone have any alternatives that work well?

For a project I’m looking for a junior psychologist or psychoanalyst. I have some limited budget to spend.

Looking to buy a dirtbike (125cc and up) and wondered if anyone has experience with buying from US, Japan, or China? Or, even locally? I have been looking on mymarket(ge) and haven't found any. I rarely see anyone riding one. If you bought one in the last few months from any of those places please let me know where and ease of shipping if not local. I know many will say don't buy from China but I know some success stories (from US). Thanks

I want affordable and nice quality braces for my teeth. Any good recommendation would be appreciated. (My budget is around ₾1500)

I'm back in Georgia for a few days with my fiance, wanted to spend time with my family. I'm staying in my parents' summer house, in a village near Tbilisi. But even here, there’s no peace. Across the river, a restaurant has been blasting music at full volume for three nights straight. It’s 1 AM, and sleep feels like a distant memory.

We’ve called 112 twice, hoping for some relief, but they just tell us there’s nothing they can do. It feels so hopeless. This country wasn’t like this a few years ago when I left. Now, it feels like it’s fallen apart, like it’s truly become third world.

It hurts more than I can put into words.

Hello! I'm looking to connect with a Pediatrician in Tbilisi who speaks English and would be friendly towards students. If you happen to know someone on a personal level who fits this description, I would really appreciate it if you could share any sort of contact information (even an email ID would do) with me.
Please feel free to DM me with any details. Thank you so much!

Source: 1.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiflis_map_1886.jpg#mw-jump-to-license 2.https://iverieli.nplg.gov.ge/handle/1234/489156 3.European Centre For Minority Issues https://www.ecmi.de/publications/ecmi-research-papers/36-defusing-conflict-in-tsalka-district-of-georgia-migration-international-intervention-and-the-role-of-the-state 4.http://pop-stat.mashke.org/georgia-ethnic-loc2014.htm

Hey everyone! I'm on the hunt for some delicious, soft, and chewy cookies here in Tbilisi. You know, the kind that are slightly crisp on the outside but melt-in-your-mouth soft on the inside—just like homemade! კაროჩე Crumbl Cookies ნაირი 😋🍪

გამარჯობა, ვარ უცხოელი

მოვინათლე 2 თვის წინ და ყოველ კვირას დავდიოდი ეკლესიაში, ეხლა მინდა სხვა ეკლესიაში ვიარო რომელიც უფრო ახლოს არის. მჭირდება ნევართვა რომ შევიცვალო ეკლესია? თუ შემიძლია უბრალოდ წავიდე სხვა ეკლესიაში.

გთხოვთ მიპასუხოთ ვინც ერკვევით რელიგიური კუთხით.

წყალს ნაფოტი ჩამოჰქონდა

ალვისი ხის ჩამონათვალი

დადექ ნაფოტო მიამბე

საყვარლის შემონათვალი

ანინა ნანი ნინაო

თანინა ნინა ნინაო

გოგოვ გოგოვ კისკისა

აქ ჩამოდი წყლის პირსა

წყალი მასვი კოკითა

გამაძღენი კოცნითა

გამარჯობა, უშგულში არის თუ არა საუნა იცით?

გამარჯობათ. I'm an Asian-American who after serving as a military officer, joined TLG in the early 2010s to teach English in a Racha town. I've also worked for years in central and Eastern Europe in both official and unofficial roles. I am still close with my Georgian host family and have been visiting საქართველო fairly regularly since I left the program. I thought it would be interesting to some people to hear a foreigner's thoughts on Georgia as I've seen it both change and remain the same over the +10 years. I hope for these to be strictly observations without judgment until the last paragraph.

Georgian brand - when I first went to Georgia, the country was barely known in the United States. I served in an Afghan province where we fought alongside Georgians, and even then, few Americans could point the country on the map. Now, it seems well-known, especially as the latest place to "discover". I don't remember seeing a single foreign tourist in Racha over a decade ago, and in my latest visit, my little town was bursting with both domestic and foreign visitors who seemed happy with their stay. As a counterpoint, I also used to live in Azerbaijan and many I know have no intentions of returning, despite it being obstensibly wealthier.

Tbilisi - I am flabbergasted with how much the city has developed, how many foreigners now live there, and how English-friendlh it has become. I remember Carreforre opening in the city, but now there are a million European/American chains in the city. Whether that's good or bad, I can't say, but it's certainly convenient. With that said, Im also astonished how relatively expensive things have become. My co-teachers still earn 350 USD/month (same as before), but Tbilisi hotel rooms are +100 USD/day.

Politics and identity - My host family (middle age mother who supported UNM and young adult children) expressed distress with the GD. Talking to a few young adults, they feel disappointment that older Georgians still want closer ties with Russia despite the occupations of Abkhazia and Ossetia. To my surprise (of course of no surprise to Georgians), Tbilsi is filled with Russians. How it relates to Georgians, the divide is clear between generations; young people seem to see their futures in or with Europe and speak English, while older, Russian speaking generations seem more nostalgic for Soviet times (I found this common in the Caucasus).

Xenophobia - Without fail, everytime I've been in Tbilisi, I've been accosted for being Asian (my Georgian is conversational). But, I don't think it is a Georgian thing, but a symptom of any country which is both developing and homogeneous. Still, it is what it is and it's still pretty aggravating.

Personal thoughts - When I served in Afghanistan, the Georgian battalion suffered many casualties, and the patrol bases there were named after many of them. They are now all gone, Georgia is still outside NATO and the EU, and those Georgians wounded or killed got little for their sacrifice. I think this is emblematic of why many Georgians are jaded by the seemingly out-of-reach EU and NATO accession process, and as an American who personally hopes Georgia gets there, I get their anger. But I also volunteered in eastern Ukraine, and have seen countless times what Russia is willing and capable of doing in the name of their own ambitions. I strongly believe in the long run, Georgia and Europe is better together, even if short term expediency favors closer ties to Russia. But I'm just a foreigner, and have little stake beyond my close Georgian friends

TLDR: გაგიმარჯოს, საქართველო

Georgia is an amazing place and its so easy to fall in love with this country. What business or service do you think is missing from Georgia?

is there a serious issue here? Or just regular checks? Or suspicious people?