New Synagogue Berlin
The New Synagogue in Berlin is one of the city’s most recognizable historical landmarks, located on Oranienburger Straße, within walking distance of Alexanderplatz. Its striking golden dome rises above the surrounding buildings, making it visible from afar and hard to miss even during a casual walk through the neighborhood.Originally inaugurated in 1866, the synagogue was once the largest in Germany and a central place of worship for Berlin’s Jewish community. Designed in a Moorish Revival style, its architecture stands out from typical European religious buildings, blending oriental elements with modern 19th-century engineering. At its peak, it could accommodate over 3,000 worshippers,…
Book Reading Afternoon in Tbilisi
At the start of March, it was Book Week at the British International School of Tbilisi. Year 3 students were given a fun assignment: create a short video about their favourite book and take photos of themselves reading in unusual places.We slightly misunderstood the task and ended up focusing entirely on reading in unusual places, turning it into a little family adventure around Tbilisi. What started as a simple school project became something much more fun than expected.During filming we had several unexpected moments along the way — we even bumped into the Danish national basketball team, rode the Tbilisi Funicular, and enjoyed some delicious ponchiki while exploring the city.In the end,…
Magalaant Church Complex
I first discovered the Magalaant Church Complex a few years ago during one of our spontaneous road trips to Kavtiskhevi. No fixed plan, no strict itinerary - just a turn off the main road and the usual curiosity about what might be hiding on the hills above the valley. That’s often how the best places are found.Magalaant sits modestly on a hillside, overlooking the surrounding landscape with the calm confidence typical of old Georgian churches. It’s not a heavily commercialized site. No crowds, no ticket booths, no tour buses lining up. Just open space, stone walls, wind, and wide views.The complex blends into the terrain rather than dominating it. The church structure, built of stone,…
How to make Adjarian Khachapuri at Home
Today we finally got it right — real Adjarian khachapuri at home. This was my second attempt. The first time I made the classic mistake: I thought regular cheese would work. It didn’t. The texture was wrong, the melt was wrong, and the flavor was flat. Lesson learned - the cheese is not optional detail, it’s the core of the dish.This morning I went to Goodwill in Tbilisi and bought the two essentials:Imeretian cheeseSulguni cheeseThat combination is what creates the proper creamy, stretchy filling. Without it, you’re just baking bread with melted cheese. With it, you get the real Adjaruli experience.Living in Georgia, we love experimenting with traditional Georgian cuisine — but some…
Lemon Tree Premier, Malad Mumbai – Decent Stay, But Know What You’re Booking
At the start of 2026, we spent 2–3 nights at Lemon Tree Premier, Malad, Mumbai while returning from Goa to Tbilisi, with a stopover in Mumbai.We were looking for a practical option rather than a luxury experience. The price made the decision easy: we paid around $250 total, roughly half of what many central Mumbai hotels were charging for similar dates. There was a reason for that.The hotel is located in Malad, which is about an hour’s drive from South Mumbai (Colaba, Marine Drive, Gateway of India area), depending on traffic. And in Mumbai, traffic is not a minor detail — it’s a factor you must price in.If your plan is to explore central Mumbai extensively, this location isn’t ideal. But…
Week 45 / How I Use Cash-Secured Puts to Accumulate Dividend Stocks Like Pfizer (PFE)
As of February 13, 2026, our covered-call stock portfolio declined slightly by -0.33%, closing at $11,069.Since I had already rolled my NVDA credit spreads out to the February 27 expiration, there were fewer opportunities for weekly premium generation. Rather than forcing trades, I decided to revisit a familiar name: Pfizer (PFE).Why I Added Pfizer Back to the PortfolioI view Pfizer as a potential long-term dividend holding rather than a short-term trading vehicle.After closing a previous Shell position, some capital became available for a similar-sized setup. Instead of chasing another speculative trade, I deployed that capital into a company I already understand and would be comfortable…
Tbilisi ETH Hackathon: Finally Making It (and Mostly Drinking Beer)
I first noticed ETH Chipmunks toward the end of 2025. They kept popping up on my radar via Luma links Ethereum meetups, hackathons, small community events in Tbilisi. I applied several times. Each time, something got postponed, rescheduled, or quietly disappeared. Timing never worked.That changed in early February 2026, when the Tbilisi ETH Hackathon (Season 2 or something) finally happened—and I finally made it.I showed up prepared. Laptop in the suitcase, a few rough AI-related ideas in mind, and at least a vague intention to build something. Reality, as usual, had other plans.The event itself was solid. Well organized, relaxed, no unnecessary hype. A real hacker crowd. Most people were…
Week 44 / $94 Options Premium Earned Amid NVDA Volatility and Tech Sell-Off
As of February 6, 2026, our covered-call stock portfolio increased by +0.51%, closing at $11,106.While the portfolio posted a modest gain, the broader market environment was anything but calm. Technology stocks came under pressure, cryptocurrencies experienced another sharp decline, and volatility returned across several asset classes.This week reinforced one important lesson:Avoid excessive leverage whenever possible.During the same week, our separate Ethereum strategy suffered a significant drawdown, eventually forcing us to exit leveraged positions. While painful, it served as another reminder that preserving capital is often more important than maximizing returns.Actively Managing NVDA…
The Fisherman's Wharf Calangute
Some places just stick with you.The Fisherman’s Wharf in Calangute (Goa) is one of those restaurants we keep coming back to and not by accident. We first discovered it during our first India trip in 2023/2024, when we spent a few days staying in Calangute at Hotel Renest (seems I have forgot to review it here)Back then we were exploring the area, trying different food spots, and The Fisherman’s Wharf instantly stood out, also it was closely located to our hotel.On our most recent trip, we once again made a stop at The Fisherman’s Wharf and this time it was perfectly timed.After spending a few hours shopping at our favorite boutique shop, Boutique Eternal, we were hungry, tired, and ready…
Week 43: Boring but Profitable — BMY Credit Spread Brings in $65 Options Premium
As of January 30, 2026, our covered-call stock portfolio has once again increased by +2.43% and closed at $11,050. For the first time, we’ve cracked the $11K milestone. Awesome. Interestingly, we kept activity minimal this week the only new trades were BMY credit spreads opened today. Despite that, the NVDA-centered portfolio is clearly outperforming the crypto portfolio, which suffered another sharp -30% drop this week. Definitely worth noting.This week, I also published an article explaining our NVDA strategy - you can read it here: How the NVDA Strategy Became the Backbone of Our Stock Portfolio.Our covered call portfolio is up 3.71% YTD, slightly outperforming the S&P 500…
Hiking to Turtle Lake: A Winter Trail in Tbilisi
Last Sunday we did a hiking trip to Turtle Lake, starting from the stairs on Polikarpe Kakabadze street. I’ve been a big fan of hiking in Tbilisi for a long time. More than ten years ago, we used to do hiking trips almost every weekend, something I’ve written about on the blog many times. Back then it was routine.Last chance workout on the trails around Turtle Lake before Tbilisi MarathonHiking trails near Turtle lake, Tbilisi in WinterRemote and Abandoned Hipster Party Place with Great views of Tbilisi (Hiking near Turtle Lake)and moreRecently we moved to a new apartment on Pavle Ingorovka Street, and from our window we can clearly see hiking trails cutting through the hills. That alone…
Week 42 / $107 Options Income From Rolling NVDA Credit Spreads During the Greenland Shock
As of January 23, 2026, our covered-call stock portfolio has dipped slightly by -0.43% and closed at $10,788.The previous week was highly turbulent. As the market opened on Tuesday, NVDA briefly dipped below my call strike levels. Given the elevated volatility, I decided not to wait and took an early roll, pushing the position several weeks (February 6) out to reduce near-term risk.Volatility remained elevated throughout the week and only began to ease after President Trump’s speech in Davos, which I followed closely on CNBC. Once he stated that no force was planned to be used regarding Greenland, both equity and crypto markets reacted positively and turned green again.That relief, however…
Week 41 / NVDA Credit Spread Strategy: 0.43% Weekly Return if Expires Worthless
Greetings from Tbilisi. After more than three weeks in India, we are finally back—welcomed by temperatures below 0°C and already missing Goa and its +31°C.Last week, we also held our annual office party (Caucasus Translations) at Babilo Music Hall, enjoying excellent Georgian cuisine, wine, and traditional Georgian dance. I skipped the food due to intermittent fasting (no eating after 14:00), but it was a great evening nonetheless.As of January 16, 2026, our covered-call stock portfolio has increased again by additional +1.71% and closed at $10,835.It has been an excellent start to 2026, and we are positioning for further growth while remaining cautious. A market correction around earnings…
Week 40 / NVDA Strategy, $65 Premium Income, and Margin Reduction
Greetings from Mumbai, India. For the past three years, we’ve spent our winter holidays in India, usually traveling to Goa via New Delhi. This time, however, we arrived and departed through Mumbai and had a few days to explore the city. I’m genuinely impressed. Mumbai is definitely a city where I could imagine living long-term. Beyond that, it stands out as one of Asia’s major financial centers.One thing that really stands out when traveling around India is the prevalence of billboards advertising investments in mutual funds. Likewise, when visiting libraries, it’s not uncommon to find educational books on options trading. This suggests that India’s retail financial markets are not only…
Week 39 / Road to $25K: Rolled Up and Forward NVDA Covered Call, Adjusted Credit Spread
Greetings from South Goa, Palolem Beach, India. I hope you had a great New Year’s party - we certainly did.As of January 2, 2026, our covered-call stock portfolio has decreased slightly by -0.84% and closed at $10,607. For the sake of transparency, it’s worth noting that the slight decline is due to USD/EUR exchange rate movements. The U.S. dollar appreciated modestly against the euro, which reduced the total value when expressed in EUR and back.This marks the first options week of 2026; however, all position adjustments were made back in 2025.One of our short- to medium-term goals is to grow the portfolio to $25k using options trading alone. With a systematic approach — and some…
Week 38 / Road to $25K: Closing 2025 Above $10K with Covered Calls and NVDA
Greetings from India. This holiday season we’re in South Goa, staying near Palolem Beach — our third year in a row returning here. With temperatures above 30 °C and Kingfisher beer under $2 per bottle, the place is hard to beat. With a portfolio our size, one could comfortably enjoy life here living off options income alone.That said, As of December 26, 2025, our covered-call stock portfolio has grown by an additional 2.21% and reached $10,696. As this is the final options expiry Friday of the year, I’m pleased to be closing 2025 with the portfolio above $10k.One of our short- to medium-term goals is to grow the portfolio to $25k using options trading alone. With a systematic approach…
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Mumbai) International Airport
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is the international airport serving Mumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the second-busiest airport in India in terms of total and international passenger traffic after Delhi, the 14th-busiest airport in Asia, and the 31st-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic in 2024.I first arrived at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at the end of December 2025, flying IndiGo from Tbilisi. We stayed a few days in Mumbai before continuing onward to Goa with Air India.Mumbai’s airport has a long history. It was originally built in 1942 during World War II and has since evolved into India’s…
Gateway of India, Mumbai
I first visited the Gateway of India at the end of December 2025, during our three-week trip to India. We spent only a few short days in Mumbai, and this stop was not planned in any deep or academic way. We arrived from The Lalit Hotel by Uber — roughly a 28 km drive, costing under 700 Indian rupees. At that point, I had only a vague idea of what the place was, and almost no sense of its symbolic weight.At first glance, it felt like another grand colonial monument by the sea. Busy, touristy, loud. But things changed quickly.After taking a private boat trip from the harbor — the kind that locals casually offer — and seeing Mumbai’s waterfront from the water, the perspective shifted.…
Week 37 / NVDA & BMY: Portfolio Up +1.11% as We Head from Tbilisi to India
As of December 19, 2025, our covered-call stock portfolio has grown by an additional 1.11% and reached $10,465. It’s genuinely exciting to be above $10K for the fourth week in a row. I was expecting to fall under $10K this week as volatility kicked in, but the result is better than expected.Year-to-date, we’re up 33.73%, outperforming the S&P 500 by a wide margin (+16.26%). With just one calendar week left in the year, it looks like this is shaping up to be one of the best-performing years for the stock market in recent memory.Besides activities in financial markets, 0ur kiddo wrapped up Term 1 today, and we enjoyed a lovely Christmas concert at her school in Tbilisi - just before we…
Week 36 / Defensive Roll on SHELL, New NVDA Weekly Spread
As of December 12, 2025, our covered-call stock portfolio has grown by an additional 1.12% and reached $10,350. It’s genuinely exciting to be above $10K for the third week in a row.Still, I’ve been in the stock market too long to rule out a possible pullback in the upcoming weeks.Year-to-date, we’re up 27.64%, outperforming the S&P 500 by a wide margin (+17.18%).As usual, we made no major moves throughout the week. Except I decided to roll our position in European SHELL stock down and out, buying back the 31 puts expiring on December 19, 2025 and selling new puts expiring on February 17, 2026. This adjustment brought in a small additional credit of EUR 7, while improving our downside…