I have now lived in Georgia for six and a half years, the country not the US state (it needs qualifying every time). I am often asked do I like Georgia? Well, my answer is “Yes and no”. Some things I like, some I don’t.

I love the light. Lots of clear sunny days make for good photos.

The mountains are spectacular, some are higher than any in the Alps.

Georgian women are very pleasing on the eye, strangely Georgian men seem to fantasise about Ukrainian women. Foreign women should be wary of Georgian men, have a look at this blogpost: Should you date a Georgian?

Georgians rave about their cuisine, I am not so impressed and miss English roast dinners and puddings. I don’t really like khachapuri, their signature dish, a cheese filled pastry, I find it too salty. Georgian meals are important events and most birthdays and holidays are marked with a feast or “supra”. Georgians are also proud of their wine and claim to have been the nation which invented wine back in the mists of time, some 8 000 years ago, a claim for which there is some archaeological support in the region. Georgian wine

The language is a nightmare for me, using a different alphabet and having long words with tricky consonant clusters. Anyone following my blog will have noticed my postings about my struggles with the language.

One thing that saddens me is despite the Georgians singing so much that they are proud of their country, so many of them litter with abandon.

I like seeing old Soviet cars still around.

I can work here quite easily as an English teacher, many people want to learn English and there are not a lot of native English speakers. The cost of living is relatively cheap particularly things like public transport much cheaper in Tbilisi than in London, but wages are much lower.

Georgian people don’t smile much but they do have a tradition of hospitality.

Tbilisi feels a safe city, I have had no troubles, apparently it hasn’t always been like this, in the 1990s there was a lot of street crime. Walking around late at night in an English city on a Friday or Saturday night is more intimidating than walking around Tbilisi at night.

The public transport, though cheap can be very overcrowded.

The traffic is scary at times, the drivers have little respect for pedestrians and won’t stop just because you are at a pedestrian crossing. When asked by Georgians what I don’t like I usually say “the traffic” and they nod in agreement, though apparently it is even worse in Iran.

Religion is important here, despite the Bolsheviks trying to stamp out religion in the past, there are many new churches and most Georgians are Orthodox Christians. I have been baptised into the Orthodox church but I find their intolerance of other denominations rather un-Christian. My wife is quite devout and prays twice a day, every day.

In the UK we joked about health and safety overkill, but here in Georgia it is common to see construction workers working without helmets or safety equipment. The cars also have no requirements for any roadworthy test.

There are many other pluses and minuses to living in Georgia, my home for the foreseeable future. I might add to this post later.