Georgian Folk song

The singer, Teona Kumsiashvili, 30, died tragically with her 2 babies in mountinous region of Khevsureti. Remembering her, I post one of her songs.

The song says (my translation - bad one, sorry for that)

You are my pain
morning - rainy
you are my smile
smile - sad
Not as you thought
neither as I though
Let you burn, the women's sun
let me burn with you
If you dont love me,
let your sad eyes burn


in Georgian
"შენ ჩემო დიდო ტკივილო,
დილაო - ავდრიანაო.
ძლივს აჩენილო ღიმილო,
ღიმილო - დარდიანაო.
შენ რომ ფიქრობდი, არც აგრე...
რომ ვფიქრობ, აგრეც არაო...
ცეცხლი მოგედოს, ქალთა მზევ,
მეც შენთან მაბრიალაო.
მე თუ არ მეტრფის - დაიწვას
თვალები - ნაღვლიანაო.
შენ, ჩემო დიდო ტკივილო,
დილაო - ავდრიანაო".

WHERE IS THE DEVIDING LINE (cont...)

I continue to post more pictures from my trip to Zugdidi region, western Georgia.
There are only 2 villages locate across the Enguri river, which is still controlled by Georgian authorties. These two are villages Ganmukhuri and Khurcha (see the map bellow).




I already posted some pics from village Khurcha in my previous post. Now i would like to post some pics from Ganmukhuri, where the Georgian governrmnt is implementing new touristic projects (in ENG, in RU). It is indeed a nice place, with the beach, palms, etc. However, the deviding line with Abkhazia is just unbelievable. The beautiful beach, full of local tourists is just 20 meters away from the Russian military post. This made me very uncomfortable. SO PLEASE, RUSSIAN TROOPS, LEAVE THE AREA and LET US ENJOY THE SEA AND THE BEACH.


Pictures below show the Ganmukhuri beach and the deviding yellow line, across which you see Russian military post.























bellow its Ganmukhuri beach again

So, is that yellow line and Russian troops which devide Georgians and Abkhazians? Or is that irrationality of these people, who never learn their lesson from the history???

Russia has just arrived

In Newsweek on August 18, 2010 Anna Nemtsova's article was published about FSB's past and future summers now in "Russia's newest colony", Abkhazia. Author is explaining why there always has been "special relationship" with KGB and how exactly trend is continuing.

Tsyshba, the Gagra privatization guru, proudly boasts that the city is “the best FSB resort.”

Once, when my mom was talking with me about Abkhazians and their unique culture, I decided I wanted to travel there, I wanted to be friends with these people. At the end she added somehow sadly, "But instead of their mother tongue, they speak more and more Russian these days", she looked away and switched to some other topic. I didn't think it was so bad if people spoke other rather then their own language. I didn't share sadness of my mother. But if I could understand more then I did, if she could say more then she did, I would.

After some years war erupted in Abkhazia. War and also war crimes where based on ethnicity. Some soldiers never came back, but message arrived: In Gagra football was played with heads of Georgian soldiers. Abkhazians lost their friends and family members as well.

...

I kept asking myself WHY and HOW could all these tragic events take place in our beautiful country. When I think of ourselves BROTHERHOOD is the first word that comes in my mind. I couldn't explain, I had no answers, until Anna Nemtsova's article offered me some explanation. I was reading Republic of Spies and thinking, that when you have too many KGB/FSB agents in your country or region, you must be concerned, you should think that horror can happen if you are in their hands.

We can't change what has happened, but can we make a future we would like to have? Of course we can...or can we all?

“I realized that Russian security services gave us our independence in order to be able to decide what to buy and build in our cities,” Tamara Lakrba, main architect of town Gagra.

“I do not think Russians understand that we are different; we do not want to be a KGB state again. We would never give our land back to Georgia, but to be independent, we mean from Russia as well,” says Akhra Smyr, a youth community activist in Sukhumi.

I myself believe in never is too late. I wouldn't give up to work on being happy and helping other's to be happy while my lifetime. Future is in our hands, but doesn't seem to agree with me Anna. She thinks it could be already too late:

"It seems too late, though, for the Abkhaz to reconsider their pact with their powerful northern neighbor. Abkhazia’s border with Georgia is secured by a full division of Russia’s border guards, who answer to the FSB. Bright orange trucks—with the double-headed-eagle logo of the Russian Federal Construction Co.—crawl along the coastal roads, carrying sand and gravel for the seven-story buildings the FSB is building for the border guards and their families in Gali, a regional center on the border with Georgia."

Abkhazia's de facto president Bagapsh's answer shows me, that he has nothing against giving up.

“Russia has just arrived,” President Bagapsh told NEWSWEEK. The West should “stop having any illusions about what they call Russian occupiers leaving any time soon.”

I wish armies and agents who make fire among people, have to leave, but it's not really about transportation of an Army, it's about the happiness we lost. It is important to bring it back one day soon.

Update:

After publishing this post I came across Akhma Smyr's comment about the "Republic of Spies". He writes that some of his words has been twisted. You can read about it here >>

Russian deployment of S-300 in Abkhazia

Current week's popular topics and political debates regarding deployment of s-300 air defence systems in Abkhazia and "sincere" and "honest" intentions of Russia of implementing peace and safety in the region were under headlines of various popular newspapers, publishers and websites.

The S-300, code named "Favorite" in Russian, is a mobile, long-range air defence able to detect, track and destroy cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and high-and-low-flying aircraft.

According to Russian foreign ministry the deployment of S-300 air defence systems in Abkhazia does not contradict Russia's international obligations and S-300 deployment cannot destabilize the situation in the region. However, with this move, Russia is again flagrantly violating the August 2008 cease-fire agreement negotiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The agreement calls upon both countries to withdraw troops to pre-war positions and restore the status quo antebellum. Yet Russia also has built up to five military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the past two years alone. Kremlin clearly does not feel bounded to any agreement. Russia neither cares much about international law. It probably should mean something to international community.

By deploying the missiles, Russia wants to be able to intercept Georgian, or indeed U.S. and NATO, flights over the nearby Black Sea area, Georgia's interior and the south Caucasus air corridor, the Jamestown Foundation, a U.S. think-tank, said in a research note.

Georgia's Deputy Prime Minister Temur Iakobashvili expressed anxiety over Russia's statement.

"This should be of concern not only for Georgia but also for other regional actors including Nato", he told the AFP news agency.

"It is very obvious that Russia is using these occupied territories as a military platform for larger plans than only Georgia".

However, it shows... not only that Russia does not intend to withdraw its troops from Abkhazia and South Ossetia but that it is actually strengthening its military control over these territories.

Story of Pictures

This picture is taken in Village Khurcha, Zugdidi region, the only village which is located onther other side of Enguri River, naturallty deviding Georgia from Abkhazia. The horse in the picture is in Khurcha but the other side of the water is Abkhazia, Gali region. Yes, this is striking...that's how far Georgia and Abkhazia are from each other.

This picture is again in village Khurcha. The water in the above picture is the same as here. There is a bridge, but only school children and teachers are allowed to cross in order to go to the nearest school, located in Gali region. You also see a a Russian FSB border guard standing in the close proximity from children. Locals say Russians build several military bases in Gali region. Crossing the boundary line is almost impossible now, but people in Zugdidi region have relatives in Gali region. Local Georgians say if Russians cought them while crossing the boundray, they take to Gali Police station and then either they are fined or arrested, depending in the mood they are there.

This is a picture of an IDP family from Ochamchire region of Abkhazia. Picture is taken some 30 years ago. Now, they are all in grey hair, wrinkled and stressed due to 20 years of displacement. They live in a collective centre (below picture), in grave conditions. When I asked them what was the greatest loss inflicted on them as a result of the war, answer was: "time - which we lost in displacement."
A collective centre.


This picture is taken in Ergneti village of Gori region after the war. White building that you see on the horizon is Tskhinvali Town. It is 2 km away from Ergneti. Almost 80% of around 200 houses were burnded down in Ergenti by Ossetian militias. Two pictures are bellow.

A new cottage you see with a burned house, was build by and international NGO as a temporary shelter before the house is restored. Cottegees were build for elderly population who remained in the village.

The owner said he had 14 rooms in this house.

(to be continued)

Feijoada

Feijoada - this easy-to-do version can be ready for dinner tonight. I was told by my Brazilian friend that this dish was created by slaves in the colonial Brazil. Feijoada became a national dish and very popular because it is easy to prepare for large crowds. The slaves started cooking the pork meat that farmland owners discarded such as ears, tails, feet in a big pot with black beans. This dish was incremented with pork sirloin and sausages that transformed the menu in a famous entree that everybody who visits Brazil has to taste. The following recipe is an easy-to-do version of Feijoada made only with pork tenderloin and sausages. This recipe is preferred for busy people that do not want to handle the salted pork ears, tails and feet found in the complete Feijoada.


Ingredients:

1lb of varied pork sausage (preferred smoked sausage)
1lb of pork tenderloin
Some slices of bacon
1 can of black beans (15.50 Oz)
2 table spoon vegetable oil
Salt, garlic, chopped onions and bay leaves

Serves: 6 portions

Directions:

Add black beans to a medium-sized pot with 2 tbs oil, salt, garlic, chopped onions and about 6 bay leaves. Cook for a bout 15 minutes on medium heat and set aside. In separate fry pan cook cubes of pork tenderloin and slices of bacon with salt and garlic. Add sausage slices and stir on medium heat until all water dries. Add the cooked meat to the pan with black beans and your Feijoada is ready! Cook Feijoada for more 10 minutes to soak meat with black beans. You can add some pepper sauce to your Feijoada at this point.

Hint: to make Fejioada creamy, liquefy 1/2 cup of black beans in the blender and add to the Feijoada.

Feijoada is a main dish which frequently is served with rice.