PolishGeorgian
Free book, e-book and audiobook
Premiera w 2020 r., już za
2020/12/31 17:21:12
It is not what you think it is!
Another book about Georgia? I know, there’s so many out there already, but thankfully PolishGeorgian is Georgia described in my own, unique voice – a book it took me years of living in this country to write, a time needed to get to know it inside and out. You will find in it experiences of ordinary Georgian life, stories you won’t find anywhere else. Honestly. PolishGeorgian is also completely free – you can download either the e-book or audiobook, reading and/or listening as much as you wish! And if we meet in Georgia in person, you will receive a proper, paper copy from me as a gift for joining one of our tours – fine, isn’t it?
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Breathe! This is no ordinary guidebook
What will lovers of Caucasus’ endless roads and natural landscapes find between the covers of PolishGeorgian? For a start: incredible vistas and little-known locations, wine flowing in streams, incredible adventures and authentic emotions, Georgian secrets and thrilling real-life anecdotes, unique items of Caucasus histories, culture and traditions, practical travel advice and tips, evidence to prove that the pearl of the Caucasus still has many fascinating secrets to reveal. It is no dry travel book. Nor is it another superficial story about moving to a picturesque land, filled with endless legends. Above all, it is a unique story presented in my own voice – the voice of me, your PolishGeorgian.
An Honest Look at Georgian Everyday Reality
PolishGeorgian is a first-hand account of what Georgia is really like, each and every day, behind closed doors – where ordinary tourists never get to look, nor journalists know to write about. It is also a truly honest attempt to deal with Georgian stereotypes, many of them unjustly imposed upon it in recent years. I am deeply rooted in the lands and culture here, knowing Georgia inside and out, but I can also see this incredible part of the Caucasus from the point of view of an unbiased outsider. It has taken me years to learn all I could about the lands of my forefathers – its incredible history and culture, its intriguing residents, the beauty of its nature, its better and lesser known trails. But I’ve also learnt much about the challenges of everyday life here, situations which often cause visitors from the West to panic a little. I hope everyone who comes here will join me in discovering the true essence of Georgia, without any false enhancements and fanciful stories.
PolishGeorgian will show you:
- Women subjected to macho oppression, poor quality national health service, potholed roads, constant partying, marriages made of pure desire, hordes of kids and quick divorces, abject poverty – how much truth is there in such stereotypes
- Do temperamental Georgians spend their days doing nothing other than drinking and singing, devouring blonde Slav girls for breakfast?
- Sex, drugs, rock’n’roll – what do you need to know about these things when visiting Georgia?
- Do Georgians take chacha brandy baths? Why do the Svans not wish to modernize? Does Batumi really look like a tourist paradise?
- Absurd road manners and crazy drivers – how safe is it to drive in Georgia?
- Why is it necessary to sometimes hold back in Georgia?
Useful Pointers for Visitors to Georgia
Trails it is worth following in order to reach places and people, heritage sites centuries old, pearls of Georgian culture and freedom in its picturesque open country.
PolishGeorgian will show you how to:
- Plan a successful journey to the Caucasus without tripping up.
- Where it is worth driving in four wheel drives, where best to hike, where to ride horseback or else tour vineyards, following highland streams, climbing majestic peaks and exploring lush green gorges.
- Where best to spend the night, what to eat and where, what to drink and how to get up from your table having dined on platefuls of delicious chinkali dumplings.
- Where to discover the hidden gems Georgia has on offer, including the Caucasus region – from legendary sites of historical importance to wild spots offering unforgettable adventures – not to be missed at any cost!
- What souvenirs are best and why this must include locally produced wines.
- Which region in Georgia is prettiest.
- What 50zl buys you in Georgia.
- Is Georgia as lushly green as she looks in photos, or is it a trick?
A Solid Sample of Georgian Culture
Are you wondering why Georgia is so attractive? This is not just because of its lush landscapes and the beauty of the Caucasus region. Georgia is also – and above all – unique folks who live here, creating its culture, traditions and customs dating back 1500 years!
By reading PolishGeorgian, you will learn:
- Where the magic of Georgia comes from and how best to capture it.
- What the Georgian Syndrome is and why those who catch it talk about Georgia non-stop, missing its nature, flavors, pace of living and residents.
- Why cows sometimes walk down the centre of local roads, why people party mid-week, how the everyday lives of native Georgians differ from the rest of the world.
- How to get your head around Georgian culture, history, art, music, architecture, cuisine and interpersonal relations.
- How local wisdoms can help us learn more about those who have been living in villages for generations, where time feels like it stopped a long time ago, each day floating past at natural paces, according to traditional rhythms unchanged for centuries.
- Why each Georgian male wants to have his own vineyard and where best to get a taste of local winemaking traditions.
- What is worth discovering and experiencing here, how to do it sensibly and with respect for local traditions?
- How to raise Georgian toasts during supra dinners, what “tamada” might be and why you must drink all the way to the bottom when drinking from a ram’s horn cup.
- How not to upset native Georgians, avoiding taboo subjects, the things we ought not to do and say while staying there.
A Journalistic Record of my Georgian Experiences
Only honest thoughts and real information, leading to unforgettable adventures, memorable moments and fascinating discoveries. There will however also be blood, sweat and tears – painful encounters with reality – and moments when Georgian realities turn out to be a tonic for all our pains and evils.
PolishGeorgian will reveal to you:
- Who my ancestors were, how I came to be in Georgia and what it is I do here.
- What my first and subsequent steps were in the land of my forefathers.
- What sorts of atypical situations you might encounter here and how I manage these.
- How Sophy, my wife, and her family remember the last 30 years of Georgian history, marked with Russian aggression.
- Why Georgians love Poles and how, why and when our nations become so closely linked.
- Whether it is easy to live, work and run businesses in Georgia.
- How to give your heart and soul to Georgia and its people.
Georgia – A Country Woven of Meanings
For those of you visiting us us for the first time (pleased to meet you!): my name is Krzysztof Nodar Ciemnołoński, I am an adventurer, blogger, vlogger, and most days a tour guide and organizer. As of 2007, I have been dividing my life between Poland and Georgia, and as of 2014 I have been permanently based in Tbilisi. But Georgia has been part of my DNA for a very long time. It is here – in the ancient town of Mccheta – which was home to my ancestors of the clan Tumanishvili.
Seeing as I have Georgian roots, I travelled to Georgia, long before it became a Mecca for travelers in search of wild adventures. At first – with charitable aid for Poles based here, allowing me to experience Georgia as it no longer exists (more about this to follow in my article).
Georgia might appear to be all panta rhei, but this is not all true. The old world, shaped by centuries, is fading away, though it still begs to be remembered. A mixture of old and new Georgian realities can be hard to grasp for those who only come here for a short holiday. Then they see only that which is on the surface – which happens to be amazingly beautiful. So many places of historical interest! The people are wonderful, the wine flowing as we dine our supra meals, the mood joyful and warm. Life lived to the full, ahoy!
And all this is really absolutely true, even though Georgia happens to have on offer endless, unexplored trails – those which are real and those which happen to be metaphysical. This is also a land which is woven of many meanings – which are not easy to grasp upon landing at Tbilisi airport. One must look deeper in order to really understand local realities and grasp what the source of its potent magnetism might be.
Georgia, being both joyous and melancholy, is a lot, lot more than might at first be visible. I say this in all honesty – thus, I, your PolishGeorgian, wish to take you into a purely Georgian dimension where many, many things will yet come to surprise you.
New Things to Discover on Georgian Maps
I know it might be hard to believe this statement, for most people think that Georgia has long been fully mapped and explored. That there is nothing left here to discover. And that everyone has said and written about it so much that there is no need for more. And yet that which people say and write about Georgia is merely the tip of a grand Caucasian mountain!
Georgia is still not fully explored and has many hidden treasures – both in terms of geographical wonders, as well as cultural bounties. My book PolishGeorgian tells you all about all these phenomena. For I know that here and there are places not even the most seasoned travelers have yet come across. I know all too well that Georgia has on offer fascinating ways of living, things the occasional traveller passing through the country have little opportunity of experiencing.
The Magic of Georgia According to PolishGeorgian
PolishGeorgian tells it like it is – in addition to perfect honesty, I show just how colorful Georgia is on each and every page. I have hundreds of stories, thousands of beautiful photographs and millions of ideas, the most interesting of which you will soon discover!
I wrote this book thinking about Georgian national heritage including natural, historical and cultural wonders. I very much hope it will help you to understand local customs and living conditions, and at the same time allow you to discover places, persons, phenomena and events which can shift shape with the passage of time, slowly fading into obscurity. It would be a shame if we allowed this to happen.