 |
| Svaneti! |
Walking into a Georgian home, you will find yourself taking your shoes off before entering! You will have your specific indoor slippers to wear and you might even have special shoes for the area outside!
However, what is most surprising is the importance of CLEAN shoes. People constantly glance at your shoes and I've found myself in the habit of cleaning my shoes every morning!
Dance
Dance is a spectacular sport here rich in rhythm and style! Expect lots of jumps, twirls, frills, and thrills with some ~casual~ knife-throwing! I've seen varying styles with singularly men or only women while others consisted of almost a non-verbal conversation between both!
Greeting
Between almost anyone, expect one cheek-to-cheek 'kiss' especially for friends who haven't seen each other in quite some time (and even those who saw each other yesterday!). Admittedly, it varies depending on the person, the relationship between the individuals, and the frequency in which they see each other, but I still find the gesture rather sweet!
As for verbal salutations, i've learned that 'Gamarjoba' or hello is simply reserved for only once a day! Many older teachers at school will give a 'hard blink' and a slight smile to recognize your presence after the initial 'hello'.
Lines
Perhaps my least favorite part of Georgia, queuing is practically non-existent in Georgia. Georgians will swarm anything that requires a line and waiting boils down to jockeying to the front of the line.
 |
| This pic isn't from Georgia, but it gets the point across |
Life is much more relaxed here in Georgia. A sense of urgency and advanced notice are constantly left to yesterday, and don't get me started on planning!!! It can be frustrating working here sometimes, and I'm still not accustomed, but the leisurely pace of life can be pleasant.
 |
| A picture of what life feels like every day (half joking) |
Death
Mourning is much different than in the United States. When someone dies, the body is placed in the house for 5 days and, then, finally buried. In the cemetery, there is usually a gravestone with the person's portrait, and family and friends will visit to celebrate the person's life. They do this by bringing plenty of wine and food and reserving a plate of food and drink for the deceased. In cemeteries, there are picnic tables for almost every grave so as to reserve a space for this celebration. Easter and the dead person's birthday are particular times to have a feast in honor of those passed away.
Hospitality
Georgia is renowned for their hospitality; in fact, there is a saying here: 'A guest is a gift from god'! As a foreigner, you are constantly invited in to sit, eat, and drink! There is not such a thing as overstaying your welcome and being charged for staying the night is unheard of!
 |
| A Georgian 'Supra' or feast
Gestures
Georgians hand signals are, perhaps, some of my favorite parts of this culture! To signal confusion, people twist their open hands as if they were twisting two knobs in front of them! Usually, this gesture is accompanied with 'ra vici' which translates as 'What do I know?'
To invite someone to drink wine or 'Cha Cha', Georgia's vile vodka, a man will flick his neck with his middle finger!
As for the bad gestures, your thumb in between your middle and pointer finger is the equivalent of the middle finger and making a fist and slapping it with other opposing hand's palm implies something like 'F*** you' or, simply, 'f***' in the sexual sense. The more you know, am I right?
|
No comments:
Post a Comment