(no subject)

[idealforcolors.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone, I've got a quick request for vague advice: I'm going to Tbilisi, Georgia, tomorrow morning. I know only a couple phrases in Georgian, and I've studied Russian for two years but I've never been abroad or had to speak it outside of class. If there's anything urgent that comes to mind you can tell me, I'd appreciate it a lot :)

Thanks! Happy New Year!

Comments

[mricon.livejournal.com]

Careful, Russian may not be as welcome as you may think in Tbilisi. Its invocation tends to bring lots of bad memories. I'd stick to English. :)

[batva.livejournal.com]

Sweet Georgia on my mind (Ray Ch.)

[demonn.livejournal.com]

I believe that if you say something in russian, they'll understand you. I think not many people know english there. I'd hire an interpreter there if my russian was bad. Salary in Georgia is very low, so it shoudn't cost too much for you.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Georgian and Russian are not related at all: Georgian language is not even Indo-European (it's Caucasian-Iberic.) But many Georgians, especially those older than 25, speak good Russian (though with a veavy, almost incurable accent,) though the current trend there is to be as anti-Russian as possible.

Georgian Accent

[kart.livejournal.com]

Are there any online recordings of examples of a Georgian accent? They say Stalin had an accent, but perhaps I don't know what to listen for.

Re: Georgian Accent

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

If you can listen to RealAudio, try this one (http://www.aquavitic.freeserve.co.uk/kdd/dalton.ram) - it's a quotation from legendary mid-80s SciFi movie "Kin Dza Dza" - the questions, in a younger voice, are being pronounced with heavy Georgian accent. This is what they say:
– Извините, а чатлане и пацаки – это национальность?
– Нет.
– Биологический фактор?
– Нет.
– Лица с других планет?
– Нет.
– А в чём они от друг друга отличаются?
– Ты что, дальтоник, Скрипач, – зелёный цвет от оранжевого отличить не можешь? Турист...

("Sorry, chatlans and patsaks are nationalities?" - "No." - "Biology factor?" - "No." - "Persons from other planets?" - "No." - "But what is then the difference between each other?" - "Are you color-blind, Fiddler? Can't you tell the green color from the orange? You tourist...")

RealAudio can be played with RealAlternative (http://www.free-codecs.com/Real_Alternative_download.htm) which is really good.

one more

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

This (http://www.aquavitic.freeserve.co.uk/kdd/kataklsm.ram) is from the same movie and a better example of Georgian accent.

– Вот потому, что вы говорите то, что не думаете, и думаете то, что не думаете, вот в клетках и сидите. И вообще, весь этот горький катаклизм, который я тут наблюдаю, и Владимир Николаевич тоже...
("It is because you speak what you don't think, and think what you don't think, that's why you're sitting in cages. Generally, all this bitter disaster that I observe here, as well as Vladimir Nikolayevich does...")

one more

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

one (http://www.aquavitic.freeserve.co.uk/kdd/pacaki.ram)
Мы пацаки с планеты Земля. А вы кто?
(we are patsaks from the planet Earth. And who are you?)

Re: one more

[kart.livejournal.com]

Спасибо!

[kart.livejournal.com]

<a href="http://members.tripod.com/ggdavid/georgia/language/gphrases.htm>Georgian Phrases</a> It is probably better NOT to speak Russian unless someone else begins the conversation. Figure out what kind of nationality you should attempt to look like. That is, should you try to pass as native, Russian, Armenian, western-Euro, etc? Check the current travel advisories for Georgia, too. I've heard that crossing the land border between Georgia and the RF is risky because local hooligans like to kidnap foreign travellers. Avoid trouble areas in the country - Ajara, Abkhazia, Pankisi, South Ossetia, etc.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Well, there is no way a tourist can get to those places from the core Georgia, and the otherwise is also true :) BTW thousands of Russians spend their summer vacations in Abkhasia, and it's safe and nice (I have many friensd who did so.) Though it's an extreme kind of entertainment, to spend vacations in a legally non-existent country :))

[nadyezhda.livejournal.com]

I disagree. I've lived in Georgia twice. Georgians know that their language is extremely difficult to study- not many places teach it, and that aside, the 7th case and the pronunciation of certain consonants is incredibly challenging. Identifying myself as American was no problem. There was a wonderful tendency of most people I met there to be very inclusionary.

In addition no one was ever offended that I spoke in Russian. Just follow some basic courtesies: try to pick up a few Georgian phrases, don't be arrogant... if you've travelled abroad, you know that people are very pleased when you demonstrate a real interest in their culture and traditions.

I think you'll have a GREAT trip, and speaking Russian can be a real lifesaver. Don't be afraid to use it; most likely, unless you're a native speaker of Russian, people will be able to tell that it's a second language and that you're a foreigner, and as I said, unless you're a jerk about it, they'll be compassionate.

Enjoy your trip! Hope to see your post about it here when you return!

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

I only think that you have lived in Georgia BEFORE the Am... hmmmm... well, One Foreign Country had paid for the Anti-Russian hysteria there :))

[nadyezhda.livejournal.com]

:) You're quite right, I did! I failed to take that into consideration...