¼ of my ESC in Georgia Completed

Gamarjoba! I’m Sabina, ESC volunteer from the Czech Republic. I’ve just completed the third month of my one-year volunteering project in Rustavi. It feels impossible to squeeze all my impressions, culture shocks and experiences in one short article so I’ll at least focus on some of the highlights I’d love to share with you.

Before applying to the project, I knew nothing about Georgia. My decision to come here was quite spontaneous. I felt it was going to be an adventure, something completely new I hadn’t had a chance to experience before. And it’s really been like that ever since I arrived here!

I just roughly knew Georgia was a developing country but that was about it. I mistakenly assumed there was nothing much left to surprise me after what I’ve lived outside my home country for five years (UK, Belgium, Spain and Poland). But it’s right Georgia that has taught me greater humbleness and that made me to re-consider my life values as well as perspectives on several different matters. For instance, I now focus my attention on little joys that can make me happy every day; I’ve become more creative when cooking from local ingredients; I’ve become more capable of using my DIY skills when fixing or mending the household with the equipment available.

I won’t lie. The first three months have been really tough for me and I wanted to leave Georgia on several different occasions. I suffered from health problems when getting used to local water, food and hygiene. I was doing my best to find my own space in the local community lifestyle and I’ve learnt a lot about myself: I’m a more introverted person than I had thought I was; I prefer being on my own; I don’t need to be everywhere – I appreciate the beauty of slow traveling instead; I don’t need to be away every weekend and rush to see everything; I can just slow down and observe the world around me without chasing it.

Although my first impressions of Georgia are that it’s a country of many contrasts, I’m deeply taken by Georgian level of hospitality. In comparison to Georgians, I’m a stingy and greedy person, haha. Nevertheless, I guess it’s pointless comparing different cultures. They’re all unique in their own way.

However, what nobody prepared me for was the culture shock from local people straightforwardness. Just like that, I’d be asked questions how old I am, if I have a boyfriend, if I’m married, if I have at least one child in my age etc. And because I’ve been already chased up by both men and women, I made up a fictional story of responding to these questions always ‘yes’, meaning that I have a Georgian husband and one child. Even though I found it immoral to lie at the beginning, I noticed how much easier my life has become after applying this ‘sophisticated’ strategy just because a married status is more respected than being a single European woman travelling on her own.

Regarding my daily tasks, I have a great freedom to do everything I really enjoy. Hence, it doesn’t feel like working at all. Although I was the only volunteer in the organisation for some time, I’ve been recently joined by another volunteer with whom we’re developing further activities, events and clubs together. I look forward to the upcoming months and the lessons I’ll gain from them. J

Let’s see how my perspective changes next time when I’ll be already half way through my one-year project. Stay tuned!