Breaking stereotypes and preparing ajapsandal in Georgian

A bit about music

In Tbilisi, on the streets and in the subway passages, they sing divinely in two or three voices! Easy. They play old national instruments. Even young people, having genetically absorbed all the musicality from the forefathers, do it professionally. Why does this nation not win Eurovision? They would send seven fighters to the contest with a national acapella song - they will conquer the world, definitely.

Georgians show love for music in the most unexpected moments for me. They sing not only in the shower. They can continue any of your phrases with a song. They know the Russian repertoire very well. But they do not stop surprising me. For example, once I saw a love message on the wall, read it in chant: “Likusha, you are mine, my life is growing!” Even in rock inscriptions, Georgians manage to sing.

To each family - according to Avtandil!

In the spring we started repairing the cottage. Hired workers. And they began to test their nerves. I will explain why. Mostly they work here before dinner, then they have a bite to eat, drink beer or wine and cannot bend or bend. So the work is rounded off. This is nothing if the volume is small. And if you need to rebuild a two-story house? Two lives or what?

After some time of construction work, the moment came to lay the sewer (sorry for the details). And we were advised of one person. He turned out to be a mingrel. But I must say that the Georgians are somewhat wary of them.

Megrels are a subethnic group of Georgians, until the beginning of the twentieth century stood out as a separate nation. They have their own language, their own ethnocultural traditions. Mingrelians live in the north-west of Georgia, in the east of Abkhazia, and, of course, in Tbilisi. They say they are born horsemen, their equestrian troops in the old days were famous for unprecedented strength and courage. Among the famous megrels of the twentieth century: L. Beria, M. Cantaria, G. Danelia, B. Okudzhava ...

So, back to the cottage, or rather, to a new employee. His name is Avtandil! Appearance is the most ordinary: a short, thin, bald village peasant, about sixty years old. Dark skin, hazel tenacious eyes, sinewy hands. Nothing outstanding. And nothing portended a coup. Everything, as usual: hired a worker - brought to the country house - explained the scope of activity - left. Then we arrived, accepted work, paid off. But that time, this algorithm crashed. But it was like that.

Avtandil confidently and economically stepped on our land. A partner immediately set to dig a cesspool, and he walked around the site, twisted his head. Suddenly, without ceremony, the Mingrel announced that we were lazy people! We do not value what we have. He quickly drew the plot into squares, and said that where and how it would grow, lie and stand here. And set to work! He worked without stopping. His figure flashed at one end of the site, then at the other. Soon Avtandil began to double in my eyes.

It seemed to him a matter of honor to put our land in order. Moreover, he cheerfully chatted in Russian-Georgian and joked with might and main! His excitement, enthusiasm and, most importantly, the example of a workaholic captured us. We are bought! And they began to work. He grumbled that my husband and his son did not know how to hold a shovel, advising them to arrange such daily exercises. In addition to the sewage system, which he and his partner dug up incredibly quickly and accurately, he scattered the earth around the perimeter, scooped up construction debris, removed old boards from a prominent place and put them in a corner, covered them with a slate found from somewhere. Towards the end of the curtain, he accomplished the feat of transplanting into a more convenient place a large tree with walnuts, which we did not hope to save.

I think the cottage also flinched. For the entire three-year history of the house in the village on this piece of land for the first time there has been such an intensity of labor passions! By the way, now I am also afraid of megrels.They are dangerous! These are some monsters with perpetual motion machines! In the evening I could not say that it was extremely unlike me. After looking at the impressive results of the spontaneous subbotnik, I gathered the remaining strength and exhaled: “To each family - according to Avtandil ...”

Break the stereotypes

Georgia is a country that smashes my salt pillars in my head, that is, stereotypes.

In winter, I’m not freezing now! Imagine life without a morning exercise to dig out a car? Or without snow, wind and rain in the face? Without ice? Without a “shoe change” of the car? Once I thought that the constant overcoming of obstacles is the washed away of life. The unhurried reality here, mild climate, traditions and culture fully prove the opposite.

First about the sweets. This year I ate too much strawberries in May! My brain refused to understand that it was still spring. Have you tried Victoria with the raspberry flavor? This is something amazing.

Although in Russia, of course, you can buy everything at any time of the year, but ... what taste do all these products have? And do they have at all? And here in May we already bought freshly grown vegetables: cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, bell peppers and wonderful fleshy pink tomatoes. How so? The harvest for which we have been preparing for a whole year in the Homeland is here in the spring! The first salt stereotypical pillar collapsed with a bang.

Now about the people. They say a woman in Georgia is humble, submissive, beaten. The wife is an example of depression and oppression. There it was! Have you seen the sparkling eyes of the Georgians? The igniting sparks from under the eyelashes speak of a remarkable inner strength, temperament, temperament and rebellious temperament. I heard from some local men that they are afraid of their women. Do you believe that? The second pillar fell.

Following. All Georgians, they say, are terribly jealous. And I came across to incredibility, to terrible nasty unhappy. What I just did not do and how I did not heat up the degree of relationship! The husband only shrugged: “Why do you need jealousy? I trust you. Do not rub my nerves. " In general, after making several unsuccessful attempts, I reconciled. She remembered the words she had once heard: “Jealousy is a manifestation of weakness, not love.” It seems that it is not a matter of nationality and temperament. Do you hear? This crashed another pillar.

By the way, my husband recently told me that I also break his stereotypes. Inherited in his head - so nice! How? Just in the last trimester of pregnancy I collect the dowry of the child. Can you imagine what a horror ?! It turns out that they still don’t cook anything in advance - a bad omen, everyone buys after the birth.

The conclusion suggests itself: any marriage, and even more so, interethnic marriage, is the destruction of stereotypes and the search for common ground. Otherwise - scandal, rupture and collapse. The choice is always ours.

We are surprised together

For some reason, in Georgia, I became observant. I notice things that have not previously touched me. Well, for example, in a neighboring house on a piece of lawn, a pimped chair was solemnly chained with an iron chain to a tree. Most importantly, I never saw anyone sitting on it. Passing by, I always think with a smile: “Why put him on a chain? Will he run away? Or does someone need such an economy? ”Do a favor, evaluate his condition yourself.

Another sketch. Here thirty-degree heat begins in May. But for some reason, the southerners are in no hurry to change into summer clothes. I defiantly leave the house in an airy blouse. Once, while walking, wandered into a tiny square and sat on a bench. Of course, she didn’t hide from the sun, on the contrary, she turned her pale face under the warm rays. Fried quickly, it became boring. And I began to watch the passers-by.

It turned out that on this hot day, only sparrows and children were somehow in the summer mood.

The rest are beyond praise. Ladies gracefully sailed by, all in ankle boots, of course, in stockings, wearing jackets just in case. Men could hardly weave in long-sleeved shirts - at best, at worst - in sweaters. The Georgians, exhausted from the heat, literally flopped down on the benches, specially choosing a shade. Sweat flowed in hail, but they endured and wiped themselves with handkerchiefs! They still drank greedily and, through one, washed at the wonderful street fountains.But they did not take off a single thing! A surprisingly hardy nation.

A long time ago, a friend of mine said that he was checking women, throwing them a call: “Surprise me!” At first I thought that he was so arrogant from the pampering and oversupply of the opposite sex. Over time, I realized something and I hasten to share with you. In our life, sooner or later everything becomes boring, becomes monotonous and boring. Satiety is a terrible thing. And thinking works wonders. And, strangely enough, that short phrase with a challenge is an incentive for me for many years. Every morning I think about how today I can surprise others. And, honestly, my main merit in the family is not boring with me! A truly great human skill that supports drive and the desire for movement is the ability to surprise and wonder.

By the way, today, my friend Alena and I decided to surprise you with another Georgian national dish. Let's get started?

Ajapsandal from Alena Vatiashvili

Ajapsandal is a dish of Caucasian cuisine. In many countries there is an analogue of this dish. Prepared from small eggplant and fresh vegetables.

Today we will need:

• 1 kg of eggplant;
• 2 large onion heads;
• 1 large carrot;
• 1 red or green bell pepper;
• 1 hot pepper;
• 2 tsp tomato paste or 200 ml tomato lecho;
• 50 g of greens: parsley, regan;
• salt;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• sunflower oil for frying.

First, peel the eggplant peel, cut into large rings, salt and set aside for an hour, so that the bitterness is gone.

Then fry on both sides over medium heat with the addition of sunflower oil until golden brown.

Now finely chop the onion, stew it for 10 minutes in sunflower oil.

Add diced potatoes and simmer, stirring, for 10 minutes.

Add the chopped carrots and simmer for 10 minutes.

Then we add Bulgarian chopped into thin strips and hot (to taste) peppers. Stew for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Then we spread the fried eggplant there, mix well, pour 100 g of water, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Then tomato paste or tomato lecho (if we put the paste, then we must dilute it with water), fill in the finely chopped greens.

Cover and simmer another 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Two minutes before turning off, pour in chopped garlic.

And here Ajapsandal is ready. They eat it as an independent dish. Hot and cold. This is an amateur.

- Gemrielad is mivert! - Enjoy your meal!