Georgia Today Education - Issue 012

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Issue no: 012

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• DECEMBER 2017

• PUBLISHED MONTHLY

FOCUS ON BUILDING YOUR FUTURE

Inside our newspaper you’ll find inspiring ideas about jobs, study, saving money and more!

PRICE: GEL 2

In this issue...

A Worthy Challenge: The American High School PAGE 3

The Junior High 8th Grade Program at Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy PAGE 4

Child Deposit: The Best New Year Gift You Could Get! PAGE 5

Georgian Athlete Sets New Record & Becomes World Champion PAGE 15

Georgia Celebrates Human Rights Day 2017

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he European Union (EU) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched Human Rights Week to celebrate Human Rights Day 2017, and to prepare for a bigger campaign in 2018 which will mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Human Rights Day, December 10, is observed worldwide every year to commemorate the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The 2017 slogan of Human Rights Day is “Promote, Engage and Reflect”, built upon the call to action #standup4humanrights.

The campaign opened with the video speeches of Janos Herman, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, and Niels Scott, Head of the United Nations in Georgia.

“Human rights are at the heart of

Georgia’s association with the EU. We believe that the respect for and active defense of human rights will promote all other objectives of our cooperation. It is important for both Georgia and Europe,” Herman said.

Niels Scott stressed that the UDHR is as important and relevant today as it was 70 years ago.

“The UDHR says that every human being, regardless of their religion, nationality or gender, has the same rights. These rights – freedom of expression, access to justice, the right to life and fair trial – are as important today as they were 70 years ago, when the Declaration was first put together,” he said.

The European Union and UNDP are assisting the protection of human rights in Georgia through the EUR 4 million EU-funded program “Human Rights for All”, which supports and promotes the implementation and monitoring of the National Human Rights Strategy and Action Plan 2014-2020.

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GEORGIA TODAY

DECEMBER 2017

Book Museum Opens at Tbilisi National Library

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

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ne of the biggest Book Museums in the Caucasus region opened at the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia in Tbilisi this month. Inside, you can find a permanent exposition of rare book collections.

The exhibition is divided into four parts. The first part is a museum of 19,000 rare books, which includes a Georgian-Italian dictionary published in 1629 and books printed by Georgian King Vakhtang the VI. The second part is the Museum of the ‘Knight in the Panther’s Skin,’ showing publications of the poem in Georgian and foreign languages.

The third is Ilia’s Hall, with Ilia Chavchavadze’s working office and bookshelves, and the fourth part is the Marie Brosset book depository.

“It’s an incredible historic heritage which defines our national identity, and showing it to others, not only tourists, but to Georgians too, because many people in our country don’t know what books are

kept at the National Library, is a pivotal thing to do,” said Giorgi Kekelidze, Director of the National Library, adding that more publications will be put in the Museum and exhibitions from abroad will be shown there.

What’s That?

Permanent – fixed, not changing Rare – strange, unusual, not many Foreign – from other countries Depository – store, collection Heritage – history, legacy Pivotal – important, life-changing Abroad – other countries

Info Box Did you know that the National Library of Georgia has the following, all ready for you to explore and discover?

Books 3,641,456 Magazines/Journals 233,383 annual sets Newspapers 55,124 annual sets Publications 77,089 Printed music 96,610 Gramophone records 23,992 CD/DVD 4,740 Cartography 17,158 Microforms 19,890 Find out more here: http://www.nplg.gov.ge/eng/Collections

Food for Thought  How often do you read? What kind of books do you like?  Does your school/community have a library? Do you like it? Why (not)?  Do you think libraries (and books) are important? Why (not)?

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A Worthy Challenge: The American High School

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he American High School (see Info Box) is designed to develop lively individuals and well-balanced members of society. Its curricula, classroom instruction, and institutional philosophy are modeled after the best aspects of the American educational system. With classes in English, our institution provides a challenging academic environment that promotes individual thinking, collaborative learning, and academic integrity while preparing students for the challenges of higher education.

Info Box The American High School was founded in 2013 as a school within the European School. It aims to give Georgian and international students a pathway to American and European higher education through rigorous curricula and excellence in standardized test preparation. In 2013, the American High School became a candidate for US accreditation with the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools through AdvancED. In 2016, American High School was granted full US accreditation.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) COURSES The AP Program is used in most American schools and in more than 1,000 schools in 116 countries outside the USA. Based on AP exam results, students may get priorities when applying for universities and even gain credit from them in some cases. The American High School offers 21 AP subjects with the following diplomas: - AP scholar - for successfully passing 3 AP exams.

- AP Scholar Honor - for successfully passing 4 AP exams.

- AP Scholar with Distinction - for successfully passing 5 AP exams.

In the past three years, our students have received 17 AP Scholar, the Tbilisi State University Institute 8 AP Honor and 7 AP with Distinc- of Classical Philology, Byzantine tion diplomas. and Modern Greek Studies. AHS students grades 8-10 may travel to Greece and explore the ancient culMAP EXAMS Three times a year, American High ture which they study in their ClasSchool students take computer- sic Civilization course. based tests provided by NWEA in Here’s the American High School Mathematics, English Reading, and from the students’ perspective: Language and Usage. The results Elene Bezarashvili (Class of 2017, of most AHS students are higher American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Los Angeles) than average.

For the last year of school, I decided to transfer to AHS. For me it was ACTIVITIES American High School (AHS) offers an amazing experience; productive a friendly and active atmosphere and useful for gathering all kinds for its students with various events of knowledge needed for university and excursions planned every year. and life in general.

Students may go rafting each year AHS gives students not only knowland visit different historical parts edge which is consistent in all difof Georgia as well as several Euro- ferent subjects, but also skills and pean countries. There is a very inspiration to do the work and find interesting shared excursion with their own perspectives. I’m glad I

had a chance to spend a year there, which inspired me to choose the way I wanted to go in life.

Kato Bakradze (Class of 2017, Yale University) I was in AHS from the beginning, seeing the development of the school, but one thing always remained the same – it always felt

like family. The brilliant academic opportunities are perfectly complemented by the faculty members, who not only enjoy their work but also give individual attention to each of the students. Anyone who is eager to learn and engage in a vibrant community will find their place in AHS. Saina Abdolahzade (Class of 2017, IE Spain) Transferring to a new school is always scary, no matter what age you are or how confident you seem to be. I was a bit worried when I heard that all my classmates were Georgian and that I was the only foreigner. But everyone was welcoming in AHS and interested in getting to know me. The courses taught at AHS are practical and useful even after high school.

Sopo Chkonia (Class of 2016, UCLA, Los Angeles, California) The main reason I’d recommend American High School is its emphasis on helping you continue your education abroad. AHS is designed for students who want to go to university in Europe or the USA. It’s unique because it gives you the chance to choose AP classes, useful later at university. Plus, AHS is a US accredited school, which gives your GPA more credibility than a regular Georgian school.

Get ready for a challenge at AHS– it’s not an easy ride. You’ll have to put in a lot of work to succeed. But trust me on this: university is hard.

If you go easy on yourself in high school, transitioning from high school to college will be even harder, so the earlier you start to challenge yourself, the better!

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DECEMBER 2017

The Junior High 8th Grade Program at Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

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ounded back in 2001, the Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy in Tbilisi (GZAAT) has since proven itself to be one of the most innovative and forward-thinking educational establishments in Georgia. For one year now, it has been accepting students from 8th grade, and GEORGIA TODAY decided to meet with the school director, Andrés J. Cruz, to talk about the success of the program so far.

“Considering that it’s a new program and a new program is always an unknown, I’d say it has surpassed my expectations,” Director Cruz told us. “The teachers make a very good team. We started with just 40 students and concentrated on them, understanding the challenges to take into consideration for the following year. We’re really very satisfied with the students and the teachers,” he said.

The original purpose of launching admissions from the 8th grade is to better prepare students for entering the 9th grade and, as Mr. Cruz told us, he believes that the majority of students from the 8th grade will have no problems moving forward into the GZAAT high school program from 9th grade.

“The main difference between the 8th and 9th grade is that in every section of the 9th grade program, there are only 15 students, whereas at 8th grade (junior high), there are 20 students per group. In 9th grade classes and above, the methodology is based on the Harkness method, with all the students sitting around a table to discuss different issues with their teachers. 8th graders tend to be too young to do so, so we try for an interactive method, grouping them in smaller and, later, larger groups, so that they’re able to practice and get used to Harkness ahead of time,” he said.

Due to the program’s success, the

What’s That?

Forward-thinking – thinking of the future Unknown – mystery Surpassed – gone over, become more than Satisfied – happy Launching – introducing, starting Get used to – feel more and more comfortable with Prior to – before Catered to – adapted to, made to be comfortable for Decent – respectful, nice Mandatory – obligatory: you must study it

school is planning to open to more students. Prior to starting the 8th grade program, the school accepted just 75 students overall every year from 9th grade.

“One of the reasons we decided to start accepting students from 8th grade was that the majority of students we were accepting at the high school spent their first year adapting to the methodology, and we thought it would be helpful to start a year earlier, so students are better prepared for the 9th grade,” Director Cruz said.

“Another reason was that in the 9th grade program, our students are expected to have a high level of English to study, and since we’ve been working in recent years to open our school to students from families of low income, we decided to make the 8th grade a little more focused on the Georgian language: we test students when they come in Georgian, start teaching in Georgian and, as the year progresses, we move to the English language. We think that even in one year, it allows more families to join us,” he stated, adding that this approach matches the vision and idea of the Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy, which, he says, is not an international school, but “a Georgian school that uses some of the best American

methodologies.”

By accepting more Georgian students from 8th grade, the school sees itself as more catered to the needs of Georgian students and Georgian society. He noted that a lot of school graduates now teach the 8th grade program, and that’s something that Guivy Zaldastanishvili, the founder of the school, wanted; to have former students returning to the American Academy as teachers.

“The tuition of the 8th grade is half [the cost] of the tuition of the high school, so the reason for adding 8th grade was never about money: it was to give more students the chance to come to our school,” the Director told us.

“Our motto is kindness and enlightment, and we apply innovative, interactive methods of teaching and learning, with respect to the culture of the school. This is a school where we have almost zero violence. There is a very decent and kind environment here, and that’s something we think is hugely important. In addition to academic subjects taught, every day we teach our students what we call “advisory,” where they learn about tolerence, respecting each other’s differences, how to cope with anger- all in the Georgian language and mandatory for all students,” he concluded.

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GEORGIA TODAY DECEMBER 2017

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FINANCIAL LITERACY Presented by

Child Deposit: The Best New Year Gift You Could Get! Info Box Savings can be used for 1) Personal things, like a new bag, a new bicycle, a gift for your little brother or a gift for your friend’s birthday.

2) To solve unexpected problems, like a damaged computer.

3) For future possibilities (for example, starting swimming lessons, going to the ski camp, buying new phone).

Complete the sentence: I’m saving for….

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ew Year, the most magical and fun time of the year, the time when everyone thinks about giving presents and making others happy. We imagine you’re also expecting a few presents from your

family, right?

Have you ever thought about the benefits of receiving a gift that is more focused on your future plans and long-term goals? Of course, toys, new clothes and sweets are great, but opening a child deposit in a bank is actually one of the best

Food for Thought  Why is it important to save money?  What would you do with 10,000 Lari at the age of 18?

What’s That?

Deposit – a sum of money put into a bank account for a limited or unlimited time with an added adjustable interest rate. There are deposits that can be increased, time deposits and call deposits.

Savings – money you don’t spend and keep for the future Investment – putting money in to get more money back in future Afford – able to pay Finance – pay for gifts you could get. Starting with even a small amount of savings is an investment in your future.

If you’re 8 years old and you open a child deposit with at least 20 Lari, and then add at least 50 Lari each month (though, of course, you can add as much as you can afford), in 10 years time, when you become an adult, you could have more than 10,000 Lari on your savings! You can then use this to finance your education or make another of your dreams come true. 11.5% is yearly added to child deposit accounts opened at FINCA Bank in GEL. It is important that when your parents open a child deposit account for you, that you are there, too. It’s a fun and interesting process, so be sure to take some photos, as it’s an important day in your life!

Start the New Year by saving money on a child deposit account; it really is the best New Year gift for your future!

Adapted from the Finca Bank Book for Schools.

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DECEMBER 2017

Recycling in Tbilisi Info Box 3 WAYS TO REUSE A PLASTIC BOTTLE 1) As a plant holder! Cut off the top and fill the bottom with earth and plant some seeds!

2) As a pencil holder! Cut off the top, decorate it and organize your desk!

3) As a piggy bank! Cut a slit in the side, decorate the bottle and put your extra coins in. Great saving!

Can you think of any other ways to reuse a bottle? Tell your friends and start a class project!

What’s That?

Environmentally friendly – helping to protect nature Sort – organize Waste – rubbish, something you don’t want Recycling – to use again Consumerism – when people want to buy, buy, buy!

Reduce – make less Sustainable – something that will happen for a long time Exported – sent to other countries

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bilisi is getting more and more environmentally friendly and it’s now possible to sort and take waste to recycling points across the city.

Most cities these days face consumerism and waste management issues, but not many people try to deal with these modern challenges and to change their daily habits.

To reduce waste and follow sustainable waste management in the city, sorting waste and putting it in recycling bins should become part of people’s everyday routine.

To help, the WMTR II program

has put waste separation bins at the following locations in Tbilisi: Goodwill Hypermarket, Parnavaz Mepe Ave, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia, 6 Dimitry Gulia Street, Old Meidan Hotel, 9/11 Samghebro Street, East Point Mall, 2 AleKsandre Tvalchrelidze Street, and Fabrika Hostel Tbilisi, 8 Egnate Ninoshvili Street.

WHAT CAN BE RECYCLED AND HOW? You can take paper, glass, plastic, and aluminum waste to the bins.

Before you do, wash the glass, plastic, and aluminum and dry it. And

Food for Thought  If your school/community had recycle bins, would you and your family use them?  Why is consumerism bad?  Why is it necessary to recycle the packaging we use?

be careful to put the right thing in the right bin!

Paper that can be recycled includes: books, journals and newspapers, notebooks, envelopes, and other clean waste paper.

Glass containers include glass bottles and jars.

Plastic includes plastic bottles and containers.

Aluminum means cans and tins.

More waste bins will be put around the city in future, so start sorting your waste today!

Some of the waste goes to local recycling companies and some is exported for recycling.

The WMTR II program is supported by USAID and implemented by CENN.

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GEORGIA TODAY

DECEMBER 2017

Teaching Kids about Real Jobs

BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES

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he children of the 5-6-year-old group of Tbilisi Kindergarten 162, which is based in Okrokhana

“At our kindergarten, we always conclude our projects with a visit related to the theme,” Tsiklauri told us. “When we learned about books, we took a trip to the Sulakauri pubImagine a city controlled by kids. London has one! It’s lishing house; when we talked about called KidZania. technology, we went to meet robot Designed for 4-14 year olds, you can can choose from Pepper. We also go to museums, the more than 60 real-life entertaining activities, from Doc- Childrens’ Theater, and to other places so the children get practical tor, Dentist, and Police Officer to Firefighter, Actor and experience related to what we’re Singer. KidZania blends learning and reality with enter- teaching them in the classroom. In future, I’m planning to take the chiltainment.

The ‘jobs’ earn the children kidZos (the KidZania cur- dren to Pirimdze to show them the different jobs people do there.” rency) and then can pay to do leisure activities such as Pirimze is a center offering shoe/ those in the Climbing Building. When the kids earn 75 bag repairs, ateliers, key cutting and kidZos, they can open a bank account and receive their other practical jobs that we need in everyday life. “We want to show very own bank card, just like mum and dad! the children that there is more to Find out more here: https://kidzania.co.uk the idea of work than ‘an office job;’ that there are many other respectvillage on the outskirts of Tbilisi, dren were shown the supermarket able jobs,” she said. went to Carrefour supermarket in by entertaining staff. During the When they finished their superKolmeurneoba Square as the fun ‘tour’, the children were asked to market tour, the children gave a conclusion to a school project identify the products, talk about their about markets, supermarkets, hyper- favorites, and highlight the health markets, products and jobs. benefits of eating certain foods, such GEORGIA TODAY went with them as fish and fruit. The children also and spoke to Kindergarten Director got to watch bread being made and Nino Tsiklauri as two groups of chil- meet the serving staff.

Info Box

15-minute concert for staff, parents and shoppers, including songs and a small ballet dance.

“We were very glad to welcome these children to our store,” Nino Ramishvili, PR Manager at Carrefour told GEORGIA TODAY. “It’s a great initiative for children to be given the chance to see different professions in action, people actually working in different fields. Children should see such things from an early age. We often work with the Ministry of Education, kindergartens and schools to do something fun for children. One of our company missions is ‘To create great moments for everyone, every day’ in our stores, and I feel today is a great example of that”.

“The children have really enjoyed themselves today,” Tsiklauri said.

“They’ve had new experiences. I think the staff enjoyed it, too, going by the smiles on their faces!”

What’s That?

Outskirts – suburbs Conclusion – end, final Staff – workers Benefits – good things Serving – giving to customers Respectable – important for society Glad – happy Initiative – idea

Food for Thought  Why is it good for children to see lots of different jobs?  What jobs would you like to see ‘in action’?

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Renowned Italian Chef Presents Chocolate Khinkali Info Box Neri visited Georgia for the first time in summer 2015 and organized an Italian evening for Georgian guests and food enthusiasts in Kakheti. The chef prepared unique Italian dishes with Georgian products at Hotel Chateau Mere, which “reminded him of his home in Umbria”. During his visit, Neri visited the local market, sampled Georgian produce, and explored Georgian cuisine.

BY LIKA CHIGLADZE

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nzo Neri, famous Italian chef and the creator of the Chocolate Khinkali is in Georgia exploring its cuisine, culture and landscapes.

“Georgia is growing towards Europe. It’s a fertile field to build a business in. I could start something great here,” Neri told GEORGIA TODAY. The popular chef promises he will bring new flavors to Tbilisi and present food in a new and creative way. And he will definitely include his signature Chocolate Khinkali on the menu.

“A few months ago, when I was living and working in New York City, I came up with a variation of Khinkali (Georgian dumpling) and created a dessert option. Khinkali are like Italian ravioli with different fillings and sauces.

I want to include my Chocolate Khinkali in my menu and develop it using beautiful products from Georgia. Every ingredient here is natural; from great village chickens, lamb, and vegetables rich in flavor.

The tomatoes grown here remind me of the ones we have in Italy. When

What’s That?

Exploring – looking at, investigating Landscapes – nature Fertile – healthy, good for growing Signature – special, unique to him Came up with – invented Fillings – what is inside Develop – change, make better Shocked – surprised Reinvent – change, make it different

I was living in the USA, even if I was buying tomatoes from South America or Florida, they were never as good as the Georgian ones,” the chef explained.

“Eating in a restaurant is not just about sitting at a table and enjoying what the hosts have prepared; it is also a time of sharing,” Neri said. “I decided to change my career at the age of 29.

I was an IT specialist in bio-medical engineering, and I used to work in hospitals. Cooking has never been my ambition, just the way I express myself”.

“I get inspiration from many things: from culture, music, history, art or simply from everyday life and people. Making a dish is like doing a painting: you play with colors, shapes, flavors and aromas.

We asked Enzo how the Georgians first reacted when he came up with Chocolate Khinkali.

“Some were shocked to see their own food transformed by an Italian chef, but I also remember some Georgian girls coming to my restaurant in Manhattan just to sample my Chocolate Khinkali after reading about it on the internet. I think it’s great to love traditional food, but it’s also great to reinvent it and add a contemporary twist”.

Food for Thought  Think of some other Georgian dishes you could ‘reinvent’. Design a menu for your ‘restaurant’.

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DECEMBER 2017

The Importance of Civic Education: Tbilisi Students Present Projects & Results

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

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he students of Tbilisi Public School 186 presented projects made in the school’s Civics Club. Laura B. Berger, USAID Georgia’s Democracy, Governance and Social Development Office Director, visited them to talk about civics education in the USA. The event was part of PH International Georgia’s ‘Future Generation’ (Momavlis Taoba) program, which promotes civics education in the country to increase civic engagement among Georgian youth and to enhance the role of civic society.

The students’ projects showed many issues, from environment protection to anti bullying, pedestrian rights, and helping the elderly.

“Our project is ‘Safe Road for Pedestrians’,” Nino Kevkhishvili and Irakli Managadze, members of the school’s Delta Civics Club, told us.

“We contacted the Tbilisi City Council and now we have zebra crossings near the school and children can cross the road safely.”

“Civic education helps us to become more active, as citizens who are well informed and can make the right choices,” Irakli added. “Another

project is about bullying, called ‘Treat others as you want to be treated yourself’ explaining what bullying is and what to do if you see it.”

“Children should learn about civic education from an early age at school, so they understand the problems society is facing and want to try and find ways to solve them,” Nino said.

“I think civic education is important because it helps students understand where they fit in a democracy and the power they have as citizens within that democracy,” said Laura B. Berger. “These activities teach students the power they have in their communities, showing them they can go out and make a difference,” she added.

“All the projects we’ve seen here address extremely critical issues within our society. I think that many of the problems, such as bullying at schools, cannot be solved without students themselves trying actively to solve them,” Marina Ushveridze, Chief of Party, Momavlis Taoba program, told us.

The project had the financial assistance of USAID and was implemented with the Center for Training and Consultancy, Civics Teachers’ Forum, a number of regional NGOs, and the Ministry of Education of Georgia.

What’s That?

Civic engagement – what people do to make changes in their communities Enhance – make stronger/better Role – position, activities Bullying – when one person hurts another person with words or actions Pedestrian – people walking on the street (not drivers) Elderly – pensioners Critical – serious, very important Assistance – help Implemented – done, made

Info Box Food for Thought  What needs changing in YOUR school or community?  What can you do to make your school/community a better place? Make a plan in groups or pairs.

In the text, Nino said the road near her school now has zebra crossings to help children cross safely. Did you know that the first zebra crossings appeared in England in 1949 and were originally blue and yellow? The idea came from British M.P. James Callaghan who, in 1948, visited the country’s Transport Research Laboratory which was working on a new idea for safe pedestrian crossings. When he saw a black and white design, Callaghan said it, “looked like a zebra.” In 1951, a law was introduced to make drivers stop at zebra crossings and in 1971, the “Green Cross Code” was introduced to teach children safer crossing habits.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Cross_Code

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DECEMBER 2017

First Georgian Restaurant Opens in Washington DC

BY THEA MORRISON

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he first Georgian restaurant ‘Supra’ has opened in Washington DC, United States (US), the Washingtonian reports.

The article reads that Georgian cuisine shares some similarities with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, thanks to its location between Eastern Europe and Western Asia.

“Its mountainous geography means the region has developed its own flavors using spices and herbs like tarragon, coriander, dried marigold petals, and blue fenugreek. Walnuts and pomegranates are also used,” the Washingtonian reports, adding the restaurant also has a traditional Georgian oven for baking fresh bread and that Georgian wine will be served.

Eater Washington DC also dedicated an article to the Georgian restaurant, saying co-owners Jonathan and Laura Nelms’ 4,000-squarefoot restaurant at 1205 11th Street NW aims to “transport” guests thousands of miles away to a corner of the world which produced the world’s first wines.

The article reads that the Mediterranean-influenced menu from

Malkhaz Maisashvili, the former chef of the Embassy of Georgia in Washington, starts with small plates including vegetable paté pkhali made of spinach, green beans, or beets minced with walnuts and Georgian spices, as well as a variety of khinkali.

“Larger dishes for sharing with friends include grilled branzino with pomegranate sauce, and

Info Box Owner Jonathan Nelms is not Georgian, but he loves the country. Growing up in central Florida, Nelms made friends with a Soviet-Georgian exchange student who came to his high school in 1989. Then in the last year of the Soviet Union, Nelms went to what’s now northern Russia, where he heard everyone talking about Georgia being their favorite place. Nelms lived in Moscow and went to Georgian restaurants. When he finally managed to visit Georgia, he instantly fell in love with the melting-pot type cuisine the country has to offer, with influences from its neighboring countries. When he returned to the US, he and his wife Laura found themselves missing the food.

Eventually, it inspired them to open their first restaurant.

What’s That?

Article – news story Dedicated – made especially for Transport – make them feel like they are traveling Influenced – made with the ideas of [the Mediterranean] Former – his job before Minced – mixed and made into a paste chanakhi lamb with vegetables,” the article says.

Around the restaurant (which can seat 136 people) are traditional Georgian objects like Georgian “papakhi” hats and “supra” tablecloths, alongside modern art.

“There’s also art from Tbilisi-based artists, including a metalwork installation of the curvy Georgian alphabet,” the article reads.

Food for Thought  What are the good (and bad) things about opening a Georgian restaurant in another country? What difficulties might the owners face?  Which is your favorite Georgian dish?

GEORGIA TODAY DECEMBER 2017

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At Long Last: Galleria Opens in Tbilisi!

BY MÁTÉ FÖLDI & NINO GUGUNISHVILI

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he moment Tbilisi shoppers were waiting for! On November 30, the old Univermaghi building, restored and rebuilt into an ultramodern, fancy, new shopping mall, Galleria Tbilisi, was opened! But they say Galleria will be more than a place to shop, as it is also a culture and entertainment center with two theaters and two cinemas. International brands like H&M, Calvin Klein Jeans, Armani Exchange, Lagerfeld, Lacoste, Guess, Trussardi, United Colors of Benetton, IKKS, BNG, Delfy, Roman, and NYX are

Info Box Freedom (or Liberty) Square was originally named after Ivan Paskevich, the Count of Yerevan, a Ukrainian general of the Russian Imperial Army. Suring soviet times, the square was renamed, first “Beria Square,” and then “Lenin Square.” The location was first named Freedom Square in 1918, during the foundation of the First Georgian Republic following the collapse of the Russian Empire.

Freedom Square was the site of the 1907 Tiflis bank robbery. It has also seen various mass demonstrations including those for Georgia’s independence (from the Soviet Union), the Rose Revolution, and others. In 2005, Freedom Square was the location where US President George W. Bush and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili addressed 100,000 people on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. During this event, a Georgian-Armenian man threw a live grenade at President Bush while he was speaking in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate him.

What’s That?

Fancy – posh, high-class Entertainment – for having fun Brands – famous names and companies Trust – belief, positive feeling, no fear of losing or failing because of Attendees – people who came Financing – who paid for Rejuvenating – making young/new again Abandoned – left, not worked on among the names that have (or will soon have) stores inside, some of those brands opening for the first time in Tbilisi and Georgia. Our favorite is the soon-to-open Apple official premium reseller!

“The fact that there will be so many international brands shows there’s a high level of trust in putting a business in Georgia. 90% of products used in the construction of the Mall were made in Georgia,” Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili told attendees at the opening ceremony.

The Griboedov Theater, Liberty Theater and Freedom Square Metro are integrated into the Mall and there’s an underground carpark for nearly 300 cars.

Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Khaladze,

thanked the financing company (the Co-Investment Fund) for “rejuvenating the life of Tbilisi city; for bringing back a favorite place to the citizens. The tradition will continue.

We look forward to welcoming guests, citizens and tourists to shop here.”

The Prime Minister also thanked the Fund and also billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who took over the project and completed it after it had been abandoned for so many years.

The Co-Investment Fund has nine ongoing projects in agriculture, energy, production and tourism, with eight of those projects amounting to $640 million. From the nine projects, around 20,000 jobs will be created in Georgia.”

Food for Thought  What do you spend money on?  Why do some people love/hate shopping?  Imagine working in a clothes shop- what would your responsibilities be every day?

14

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY

DECEMBER 2017

Israeli-Georgian Mosaic Archaeologist Tells Us about the Find EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY VAZHA TAVBERIDZE

IN THAT PLACE?

Yes! We used radar-penetrating to see what is under the ground and found that there are many walls and n August, a 1500-year-old floors to unearth. It’s clear there are Georgian church mosaic was a lot of ancient remains around the discovered in an Israeli port area we discovered the mosaic. city, unearthed during an excavation in the seaside IS IT DEFINITELY A city of Ashdod. Dr. Alexander Fan- GEORGIAN MONASTERY, talkin of Tel Aviv University’s Arche- BUILT BY GEORGIANS? ology and Ancient Near Eastern In this period there were different Civilizations Department was the calendars in use. The people of head of the project. We spoke to Azotos-Paralios didn’t have their him to find out more. own calendar, so they used those

I

WHAT DO WE KNOW SO FAR? We’ve been excavating this site since 2013. This summer we decided to explore the Roman-Byzantine city which was discovered by the dunes.

In classical sources it was called Azotos Paralios and it was a large and important port town.

We soon discovered a beautifully preserved mosaic floor with inscriptions of a religious building. The inscriptions are in Greek and mentions the year that the building, a monastery, was built. The year is calculated according to the Georgian calendar, making it the first example of a Georgian monastery from the 6th century AD located on the Israeli coast, and the first known use of the Georgian calendar, long before it was used even in Georgia. We know quite a few Georgian churches and monasteries near Jerusalem because the Georgians were in the Holy Land from the 5th century, but not on the coast.

ARE THERE MORE DISCOVERIES TO FIND

of different eras. The mosaic has the Georgian calendar, so we must believe that Georgians used the building. The second inscription is in Greek, but we know that Georgian monks, unlike Armenian monks in this period, used Greek in their inscriptions. Also, one of the most famous people of early Christianity, Peter the Iberian, who was a Georgian prince, was very active here in the 5th century AD. We know that he lived and preached in AzotosParalios. The date of the monastery on the inscriptions is the 6th century AD. So, it’s after his death. But it is possible that a Georgian Church was built in this place in commemoration of Peter the Iberian.

WHY WAS THE DISCOVERY MADE IN AUGUST BUT IN THE NEWS ONLY IN NOVEMBER?

Info Box TOP 5 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS OF ALL TIME 1) Pompeii. After a devastating volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, Pompeii, an ancient Roman city, and its people were buried.

2) The tomb of Egyptian Pharoah Tutankhamun, found

by Howard Carter and George Herbert in 1922, contained over 2,000 pieces of valuable antiques and Tutakhamun’s mask.

3) The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with a decree from Ptolemaic King Ptolemy V from 196 BC. Written in three languages (Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic script, and Ancient Greek), it was the key to understanding Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. It was discovered in 1799.

4) The Terracotta Army of China’s first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, made after he died to protect him in the after-life.

Dating from the 3rd century BC, there are 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots and 520 horses!

5) The Dmanisi Skull, also known as Skull 5 is one of five Homo erectus skulls discovered in Dmanisi, Georgia. It is about 1.8 million years old and is the most complete skull of a Pleistocene Homospecies, and the first complete adult hominin skull which is so old. The discovery was the first evidence that early Homo were people with small brains but had bodies similar to modern people. of calculation, and we are now sure My hope is to continue to excavate that only the Georgian calendar there and to make it a place for tourwould fit the date. ists and people who enjoy exploring holy sites. That would be very nice. In archeology, you never know WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES what you’re going to find!

ABOUT THE SITE? WHAT

Usually, in archeology, it takes time to announce finds, and we wanted WOULD YOU LIKE TO to be sure before we released a DISCOVER THERE? major statement about the mosaic.

We checked all other possible dates

What’s That?

Unearthed – dug up, uncovered from the ground Excavation – special dig Dunes – big hills of sand found in deserts Preserved – kept, not damaged by time/weather Coast – seaside Holy – religious Remains – pieces of past objects Commemoration – rememberance, respect Released – made public

EDUCATION

GEORGIA TODAY DECEMBER 2017

15

Georgian Athlete Sets New Record & Becomes World Champion

BY TOM DAY

G

eorgian weight-lifter Lasha Talakhadze has become the World Weightlifting Champion and has set a new world record.

He lifted an incredible 220kg at

the Weightlifting World Championship in the United States, improving his personal record by 4kg.

Second and third place were taken

by Iranian athletes.

Overall at the competition, Georgia’s team of athletes gained third place; a historic result for the country. They won five gold medals, one silver and one bronze.

Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi Hosts Watersports Championship

BY LIZA NADIBAIDZE

Info Box This recreation center at Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi is the largest in indoor swimming pools among 5-star hotels, and the pool length is 25 meters.

What’s That?

Tournament – competition Took first place – won (came first) Talented – with special skills and abilities Encourage – push them to be better PUBLISHER & GM

George Sharashidze COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT

Commercial Director: Iva Merabishvili Marketing Manager: Salome Vashalomidze

GEORGIA TODAY

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT:

Editor-In-Chief: Katie Ruth Davies

Journalists: Tony Hanmer, Zaza Jgarkava, Maka Bibilashvili, Dimitri Dolaberidze, Maka Lomadze, Joseph Larsen, Vazha Tavberidze, Nugzar B. Ruhadze, Nino Gugunishvili, Thea Morrison Photographer: Irakli Dolidze

O

n December 3, the Tbilisi open championship in swimming was held at the “Be Pure” center in Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi, in Tbilisi Sea New City. The tournament was organized by the Georgian Watersports Federation and boys aged 7 to 12, and girls aged 6 to 11, were competing.

More than 100 children took part in the championship, from both Tbilisi and Rustavi swimming pools.

There were 78 prize winners.

The boys’ winners were Giorgi Gogoladze, who took first place in the category of butterfly, and Nika Jijiashvili, who came second place

in the same category.

In the girls’ group, the first two places were taken by Keso Aghvliani and Elizabeth Bitsadze in glitter swimming.

The tournament is to be held at the end of each year to popularize swimming as a sport, and to teach young adults the importance of a healthy lifestyle. It also aims to find talented children and encourage and support them.

Food for Thought  What is a healthy lifestyle? Is your life healthy? Why (not)?  Why is it important to have a healthy lifestyle?

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