gypsy family in Tbilisi

Clothing-line was almost full of the cloth, but a gypsy or a Romani woman- barefooted and unwashed, was still swilling some clothes in a cold water flowing from the tap in the yard. Then she put them into the oozy dark grey plastic box and entered the house speaking something in her mother language in an anxious way. 
Though the surrounding houses where quite damaged and old, they still seemed to be a nice compared to the gypsy’s home. Partly wooden, partly iron plated and also cemented walls of gypsy house looked like a stumbling tree in a terrible storm. Without a floor and with a holed ceiling, the house was hosting sixteen member of a gypsy family in it.
16 years old Bela is one of the Romani family members, who speak in Georgian. She is going in a kind of educational centre and learns Georgian reading and writing there.
“My family came from Azerbaijan to Georgia 20 years ago. We like being here and are not going to move from Georgia. ”-Bella says. As she says, her family has lead a beggarly life all time along and this is how they keep their family in Georgia. 
“Sometimes people treat us roughly and impolitely, they don’t like that we beg, but mostly we are not discriminated from Georgians, even we have good relationship with neighbor Georgian families”-She says.
In the sixteen member gypsy family, some of them are couples, sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts.
A 12 years old gypsy boy, playing with a little, nice but a dirty baby with a Georgian name Vaxo says: I am not begging, because my father works, he is fixing cars.
None of gypsy men begs in Georgia and the situation is same with this particular family. Vaxo’s and Bella’s relative men don’t beg, some of them gather scrap-iron and buy, other fix cars.
None of the gypsies have a passport or any kind of identification card. They have no financial support from the Georgian government, no pensions, and no discounts. Because of a lack of money, mostly gypsy women give birth to a child in a home, without doctor’s help. Though if they have money, they are not against by the doctors and visit hospitals with no obstacles, according to Bela.
An aunt of Vaxo a 35 years old Romani woman, with an infant, wrapped up on her back says that there have never been journalist talking with their family and none of their acquaintances have ever had touch with them.
“ journalist doesn’t interested in our life in Georgia, maybe they had covered our history and life style article, but me and my friend gypsies have never been asked for interview by them”- this gypsy woman says.
Gypsy people are also known as a Romani people. Wikipedia says that “they are an ethnic group living mostly in Europe, who traces their origins to medieval India. The Romani are widely dispersed with their largest concentrated populations in Europe, especially the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe and Anatolia, followed by the Iberian Kale in Southwestern Europe and Southern France, with more recent Diaspora populations in the Americas and, to a lesser extent, in other parts of the world. Romani language is divided into several dialects and mixed languages”. 

Coming Soon: Center of Contemporary Art -Tbilisi

Everything started in Bucharest, on a big conference. It was 2007 then. Seeing amazing Cultural exhibitions and centers in Europe, Artist Vato Tsereteli got inspiration to found alike Center of Contemporary Art in Tbilisi.   Building near river Mtkvari where                                                      the center of   contemporary                                                          art will be situated     

After six month 27 Georgian Artists had exhibition near Amsterdam. There were presented big companies too. Though Vato’s desire was deeper and superior at that time, he had no finances to implement it himself. So he talked to PR manager of TBC Group there and soon it came out that he had already have a foundation on which Vato could built his dream Cultural Center soon.

“I believe in private initiatives, in step by step projects. With my 10 years experience in organizing the cultural events, I am sure Center of Contemporary Art in Tbilisi will justify my hopes and it will definitely serve the aim for what it is building now”- Vato says.
TBC group approved the idea of Art Center. They gave two floors building to Vato and therefore Tsereteli started to found different sources from different countries to bring grants for his project and he did bring. The highest finance he has got now is 10 thousand Euros, which Vato got from Swiss development Agency.
Library, cinema screening place, Three Exhibition and three class rooms, reception, resting and bath rooms. In two floors building which is under thorough repairs now will serve students of different age and education to develop their personal skills and initiatives in contemporary art soon.
“We believe it is of crucial importance to have an independent and open institution, which will work on the development of contemporary visual culture and help artists to effectively address their creative products to local and international audiences” says Tsereteli.
As The Artist explains, Georgia cultural education is behind the east and west culture of middle ages. Even Tbilisi Art Academy does not teach the students the values of contemporary art, which means private ideas and initiatives realization in free and independent art life.
Video Art, Photography, Painting and sound Art. 9 month courses in these spheres of Art will start from October. Teachers from local and foreign countries will introduce to students their knowledge and experience. Each month will cost 350GEL and in return of diploma, graduated students of Center of Contemporary art will gain exhibition and concept based realized private ideas.

Tbilisi's new pedestrian bridges

Pedestrian Bridge standing on the crossing of Vaja pshavela and Gamsaxurdia Avenue on Saburtalo.Bridge is metal and contains 40 step leader up and and 40 step leader down. It was constructed in he end of 2009.

Two young school pupils with well packed knapsacks on their little backs ran across the iron bridge over Gamsakhurdia Avenue recently, and followed the steps down laughing in loud voices.

“Happy kids, they don’t know how strict life is yet, I wish I were a little girl too,” mumbled an old woman watching as the little girls swept by merrily.
She looked up to the bridge and whispered something. Then she moved on the road slowly to the red sign of stoplight. Resting upon the crutch with her right hand and holding a little bag with some medicines in it on the other hand, old women slowly pulled herself up the metal stairs and crossed the street at last.
Crossing the busy, chaotic streets of Tbilisi is no easy challenge, as nearly 4,500 people were injured and 667 died while crossing street during the last three years. Recent surveys show that only 55 percent of 1,500 respondents say that they follow road rules. The other 45 percent just ignore them, according to research conducted by the Association of Safe Driving in 2010 January.
To reduce the number of traffic-pedestrian accidents, Tbilisi City Hall built 20 bridges in different regions of the city in 2009, and plans to build another 20 by the end of 2010. Each pedestrian bridge costs 100 000- 150 000 lari and the light signals will be removed. Starting in 2011, government transportation officials say they are going to install lifts to bring elderly and disabled people up the stairs more easily, but they don’t have a concrete budget yet, or a construction start date.
“We see this problem is one of the most painful issues for Tbilisi inhabitants. That’s the reason why did we start building these bridges. Each of them is done in order to ensure the safe transportation of the people on the streets,” says Akaki Joxadze, the head of the Transport Municipal Department.

The bridges have met with mixed results residents, according to an informal poll conducted in February. On a recent day in front of the bridge standing on the crossing of Vaja Pshavela and Gamsaxurdia Avenue in Saburtalo, 120 respondents were asked if they liked the new bridges. The majority, 50%, said that they liked the bridges, 30% said they disliked them and 20% answered they didn’t care.

Same bridge with another view. There is iron veneer in the end of 10 metre long pedestrian bridge, which covers the window of the flat, where people live.

Those who like the bridges say that this is the best way for safe crossing the streets and they appreciate it.

In general and not surprisingly, the vast number of people who did like the bridges were under the age of 30.
“I use bridges frequently and I guess it is very nice job done for people,”-says Bella Beradze, a 26-year-old medical student.
But the older respondents got, the more they were likely to complain about the bridges – probably because it’s difficult for them to climb up and down the metal steps, such as the Gamsakhudia Bridge, which has 40 steps up and 40 steps down.
Middle aged respondents were less likely to care, but more likely to question whether building bridges was the most important spending priority for the city government.
“Bridges can’t fill in my empty stomach. Authority should think about our vital interests, rather than wasting money in unnecessary things,” says Manana Dumbadze, a 56-year-old woman. She thinks that government should spent money on making new job places, rather than building pedestrian bridges.
Some opposition members claim the bridges are simply visual public relations for the upcoming direct mayor’s election on May 30, and don’t address the real problems.
“Main obligation of Tbilisi City hall is to provide researches about the most vivid issue for the citizens. They must have discussions with NGO-s, experts and after all assert the project, these rules are just ignored -“says Petre Mamradze, president of the Just for Georgia political party.
One of the oppositional political parties, which entered the parliament after the parliamentary elections,-Christian Democrats contends that though the rate of car accidents was high, making so many bridges was “just absurd.”
“I see some of bridges stand on strategic places and I appreciate it, but most of them are constructed in a wrong way, where there aren’t needed,” says Giorgi Axvlediani- member of the political party. “Ninety nine percent of this project is simply P.R. They want us to look like the European Countries, but forget to solve the real problem- unemployment,” Axvlediani says.
Governmental side doesn’t agree with oppositional parties, contending the bridges have saved lives.
According to the Tbilisi Police statistics conducted in 2010, the number of car accidents has decreased by 30% during 2009 in comparison with the last three years, says police officer Guja Gviniashvili.
“We made big changes in a little time. I’m certain, that people will get used to and be satisfied with the bridges,” he says

My profile by Katie tutberidze

When Tako was a little girl, she longed to be a professional journalist. She was fascinated with this job for the colored and lovely microphone the journalist held in her hand. But when she grew older and guessed that journalism isn’t only the big and lovely microphone, covered with a yellow or orange pattern, she was disappointed a little bit. Still, she has chosen this job and is enrolled at the GIPA journalism school.


She remembers two problems from her childhood. The first is that she couldn’t pronounce the letter “R” till thirteen. She did some exercises to improve her speech speaking rhymes and sayings until she could pronounce the symbols.

She also remembers her piano classes as the other problem of her childhood. For seven years her parents forced her, to play piano, but Tako didn’t like it. Maybe , this is the reason she doesn’t like classical music and always prefers to listen to alternative rock, like Coldplay, but sometimes she plays piano, when she’s alone.
Tako is keen on Japanese culture and her dream is to travel around this amazing country, wondering from small town to town, from Nagasaki to Tokyo.
“I’m fascinated with Japanese architecture, amazing bridges and Pagodas. And I’m definitely sure I’ll travel around this country someday“, – says Tako.

The biggest discovery in Georgia

The biggest discovery in Georgia. Ioseb Alaverdely grave has been found in Kakheti. 
After fifteen century from his death, Georgian archeologists has found Ioseb Alaverdeli grave in Alaverdi church.
Thirteen Assyrian holy fathers came in Georgia in VI century. They built churches in different parts of Georgia. They prayed for Christianity and for Georgians there. Ioseb Alaverdeli, One of the thirteen Assyrian holy fathers, prayed in Alaverdi chuch.
Georgian orthodox church is happy for founding Alaverdeli grave.

Swine Flue

According to the official data, approximately 400 people are ill with the swine flu in Georgia. Experts say that the disease will reach its peak in January. People are in Panic.
40 years old Manana Dumbadze has flu and high temperature for more that one week. She has heavy heath condition, though Dumbadze doesn’t visit the doctor, because she is afraid that doctors will diagnose her Swine Flu. 
National Centre for Disease Control and Public Heaths reports that every heavy flu is identified as Swine Flue and needs accurate treatment.
 ,, according to the official facts, about 400 people are ill with Swine Flu, but we expect three times more ill people, who has not registered in our system’’-says Shota Caava- Main assistant of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health.
Georgian Ministry of Health reports , that they have enough vaccines and are ready to cure this disease.
Situation is too much alarming in Gali. People has no vaccines and are in a big trouble. 
Georgian Health Ministry is going to solute this problem. They are going to send the vaccines to Gali soon.
Swine flu is the second pandemic disease after Chicken flue, which was spread all over the world last year. Nowadays the whole world stands in front of this problem. World Health Organization sends vaccines and veils to the countries , which need support. 
Swine flu spread in Ukraine a month ago. thousands of people were ill with this disease and many people were died too.
There are not any accident of the death by Swine Flu in Georgia. Though four patients, ill with this flue, have especially heavy health condition.
Georgian Ministry of Health advice people to wear veil and to visit doctors as soon as they appear to have complicated flu.


    

Europe is more then you think

Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze and Iron Age, individualistic culture, philosophy, humanism and rationalism under Aristotle, Socrates and Plato. History with Herodotus, Poems of Homer and science with Pythagoras, Euclid and Archimedes. Law, language, engineering, architecture and government. Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius- Welcome, this is Europe.
Nowadays Europe is considered to be the most powerful, rich and comely continent with its 27 European Union member states and largest economy on the world. It does correspond, But Europe is much more then they consider. Europe is its history, culture and Religion.
It has very long history of existence with it’s miscarry and triumph, Dark Ages and Classical antiquity periods. Europe has entered a long period of change arising from what historians call the "Age of Migrations.’’ There were numerous invasions and migrations amongst the Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Goths, Vandals, Huns, Franks, Angles, Saxons, and, later still, the Vikings and Normans and this is not all. Middle Ages were full of mortality. There were incursions by nomadic Turkic tribes, by the Mongols, Tatars. The period between 1348 and 1420 witnessed the heaviest loss by the famine. In the mid-14th century Europe was devastated by the Black Death, one of the most deadly pandemics in human history which killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe alone — a third of the European population at the time.
But Europe survived and between the 14th and 16th centuries The Renaissance spread across the continent. This was the time of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci – Age of Discovery. A period of exploration, invention, and scientific development, when Europe has had a major influence in culture, economics and social movements in the world.
In 18th century Industrial Revolution started in Great Britain and spread throughout Europe. The invention and implementation of new technologies resulted in rapid urban growth, mass employment, and the rise of a new working class. Europe’s population doubled during the 18th century and doubled again during the 19th century.
Period of big mortality come back to Europe again in 20th century during two World Wars. Death, Economical and social instability dominated in Europe. After World War II the map of Europe was redrawn at the Yalta Conference and divided into two blocs, the Western countries and the communist Eastern bloc. The United States and Western Europe established the NATO alliance and later the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe established the Warsaw Pact. In 1967 European Economic Community, European Coal and Steel Community and EURATOM formed the European Community, which in 1993 became the European Union. The EU established a parliament, court and central bank and introduced the euro as a unified currency.
Follow to foresaid, Europe has very big history of wars and peace and it is rich with its cultural inheritance, which will never die. Europe is rich with its sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, music, and cinema...


Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, and Vivaldi, Luciano Pavarott, Ancient Greece and Roman Architecture. Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Beaux-Arts , Expressionist architecture, Homer, Dante Alighieri, Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare, Voltaire, Agatha Christie, Anne Frank- This is the Culture of Europe, without what It couldn’t exist.
Religion took important part in the formation of Europe. Christianity shaped up European culture at least last 1700 years. Religion has been always dominant in peoples trust.
 Nowadays Europe is not as unanimous as it had been, but still the most popular religion in Europe is Christianity with its branches: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodox Christianity. However, there are Millions of Europeans, who profess no religion or are atheist or agnostic.
XXI century Europe is absolutely formed continent. It has normal situation in demography as well as economically. In 2009 the population of Europe was estimated to be 830.4 million according to the United Nations which was slightly more than 12% of world population. Besides, Europe is home to the highest number of migrants, while 400,000 people emigrated from the UK for a year or more.
Nowadays 27 European Union member states are highly integrated economically and politically. As a continent, the economy of Europe is currently the largest on earth. Most of European countries are rich, though some of the eastern countries economies are still escaping of the ruins of Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.