Five Things that I do in Georgia but not in the United States (Part 1)

This blog post provides some macro examples of how different my daily life, the simple nuances, is in Georgia…

I have always recommended people to travel. Better yet, I actually think living in a country outside of your own is even a better personal growth experiment. Living outside your own country gives you a sense of another way to live life.

Here are just 5 examples of things that I do in Georgia that I do not do in the United States. These 10 examples provide you with a lens on how my life is truly different than my former life in the United States. Examples are no particular order.

1.  Making small talk with my neighbors when using the bathroom

   As mentioned in this blog post, my bathroom is actually outside. Would you like to venture a guess? My neighbor’s bathroom is also outside. Like many people, the first thing I do in the morning is walk to use the bathroom. Sometimes, I will see my neighbors doing the same thing early in the morning. Both of us are in pajamas and have messy hair, but we will nod in acknowledgment to each other. Other times, in the middle of the day, my neighbor might stop me for a small chat regarding the bills or the animals in our yard.

   My dad (the real one, not my host dad) loves this fact about my Georgian home. Each time I talk with him on Skype or Facebook Messenger, he asks me about my bathroom. He finds it hilarious that I have a separate key to lock up my bathroom door and another key for the main part of the house.

   

2. Brushing my teeth in the Kitchen

   Given that the bathroom is outside, Justin and I have found that brushing our teeth in the kitchen is much easier. First, there is not a single storage cabinet or a drawer in our bathroom. There is one, very unstable shelf in the bathroom. There is nothing of importance on that shelf. My shampoo, conditioner, and shaving cream are located on top of the washing machine in the bathroom. Thus, it would be difficult to store our toothbrush in a clean, stable, and dry place in the bathroom.

   

    

   Secondly, winters can be very harsh in Georgia. To avoid going outside completely, brushing our teeth in the kitchen is much easier because it is warmer. Funny enough though, we do not put our toothbrushes in the kitchen. The floor is not straight, either due to improper engineering or the constant termites. Therefore, we put our toothbrushes on a steady dresser in the bedroom. This is all because I like my electric toothbrush standing up. I do not like the bristles of the toothbrush to touch unsanitary surfaces. If I were to put it in the kitchen, the toothbrush would constantly fall over because the floor is not straight.

3. Paying rent in cash and without a lease

   I have an image that anyone who pays their rent in cash without a lease in the United States is probably up to no good. They may be smugglers, drug dealers, or engaging in other illicit activity. I thank Hollywood for this savory imagery. In Georgia, if you pay your rent in cash, you are ordinary. You are also ordinary if there is no lease.

   When we searched for an apartment nearly two years ago, we agreed with our landlord that we would pay on the first day of each month. I remember asking about some sort of lease and I got a weird glance. We had a Georgian friend of ours help with the intricate translations and she even said it was not necessary.

   When the end of the month rolls by, Justin or I give our landlord, Levani, a call. He will stop by and pick up the cash and then leaves. Sometimes, I will give him the cash at the end of Mass at our local church. Funny enough, most of the times, we do not even pay him on the first. Because we do it in person, sometimes the both of us are not available on the first day of the month. So we might pay a few days late or a few days early. It is a somewhat flexible schedule.

4. Not showering every day

   This should not be surprising given that showering is an uncomfortable experience in most Georgian homes. The whole process is generally an hour, even though the actual bathing/scrubbing is about 7 minutes (shampooing and shaving legs included). Excluding the summer months, it takes a while to heat the room. It takes a while to figure out the right water temperature. Thirdly, the most time-consuming aspect is mopping and drying the bathroom after the shower.

   If we had reliable water flow and stable temperature, I would be tempted to shower more often. Secondly, if there was an actual shower “room” instead of just a shower head hanging in the middle of the room, then mopping all the walls and floor would not be necessary. The process would be much quicker.

   Do not worry or fret because we still clean ourselves on the non-shower days. Baby wipes are one of the greatest inventions in modern history. We have no babies in our apartment, but there is always a packet of 120 wipes lying around the apartment. Justin and I have been experimenting with different fragrances. At this point, we really detest the regular baby wipe smell. We bought the “blue ocean” recently, which does not smell like the ocean, but it does smell nice.

5. Reheating Food without a Microwave

   During my time in Georgia, I think I have seen less than a dozen microwaves in over two years. There was not a single microwave in my entire village during PST (to the best of my knowledge). My host family at my site does not have a microwave. My apartment now does not have a microwave.

   Surprisingly, my office at World Vision does have a microwave. Yet, even at work, I reheat any leftovers on the stove. The microwave at work is very weak and lame. It might take 7 minutes to reheat a small plate. It does not heat the food evenly and I have to keep on mixing the food to distribute the heat. I realized that the effort is not worth it because heating the food on the stove is more efficient with time and more effective with heat distribution.

   

    

   Ironically, stores at my site will sell microwave popcorn packets. I have tried to find popcorn kernels and they are difficult to find. Yet, microwave popcorn packets are easy and available. I’ve come to realize that people simply rip the packet open and pop the popcorn over the stove.

In conclusion, do not take the simple things in life for granted. Something that you could use every day is simply just not available elsewhere. Stay tuned for part 2..