The Grand Documentary of 2021

7 January, 2022 | Documentaries | 28 seen

From more than 235 GB of footage (1409 short clips per year), I was able to produce about 48 minutes long documentary. 
As every year - the documentary is made in a style of a home video, filmed with a DSLR camera, DJI Mavic drone and since April I've replaced the DSLR camera with a mobile phone. Which IMHO gives a much better result having both A-Roll and B-rolls.
The length of the film is determined by its main character, our daughter Renee. 
Still, just a few travel around the World but more exploring our home countries (Georgia, Latvia).
Glued, sanded, lathed, beaten, and put together in Riga, Tbilisi, and Colombo

Šaha Kluba Apartmenti Kuldīga

6 January, 2022 | Hotel reviews | 13 seen

Šaha kluba apartmenti is a beautiful place to stay in Kuldiga and enjoy the unbeatable atmosphere of the old city and its surroundings, which is recognized as one of the Top 10 tourist attractions in Latvia.  

Apartments are located in a renovated building right in the heart of the historic town center next to the city garden - a recently renovated park in old medieval castle location.

We booked a one-night stay here at the end of December 2021. This place is located some 15 km from our Vilgāle apartment. I just needed a comfortable stay after I did some paint job. 

We paid EUR 74 for a one night stay here

Nice and cozy stay in the Kuldīga

The unique attraction - Venta waterfall, is located in 200m walking distance from apartment premises. The old brick bridge can be reached along  the same direction and distance, after a short walk through the CITY GARDEN. The Old Townhall, tourist information centre and pedestrian street can be reached by some minutes walk through historical town area.

Book now on Booking.com

December 2021 Dividend Income Report - $154.65

5 January, 2022 | Stock Portfolio | 72 seen

Welcome to the fifty-sixth (#56) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks in December 2021.

Last December, just like in November, October, and September we spent both in Georgia and Latvia. We had a nice family gathering on Christmas and New Year in Riga. 

Shortly before the New Yeae I did some paint job at our Vilgåle apt

From the perspective of dividend income - Last December was very good, after a longer time I was able again to break a $100 monthly milestone  

In total, I took $154.65 in dividend income last month. Which is quite awesome, for doing nothing, just holding stakes at great companies (y).

Back in July, I decided to start it over and build a dividend-paying stock portfolio from scratch, I sold all existing positions, kept some cash, and started selling credit spreads to generate income, which is used to buy these stocks. 

An additional $168 was made from options trading

As options trading is not a passive form of…

How to Order Online Delivery Food in Yerevan, Even if You Don't Understand a Word in Armenian (menu.am)

5 January, 2022 | Restaurant reviews | 30 seen

This article might be outdated, some of the mentioned companies might be out of the market, as the article was originally written back in 2014/2016. Now in 2022, there are food delivery apps, and much works much smoother, but I still find it valuable to publish this story because of the geeky tutorial.

This trick we first tried back in 2014, when stayed for a few nights at boutique hotel Meg in Yerevan. 

The next time I tried the following method was in 2016, I ordered online delivery food to Park hotel.

If you are staying at some of the Yerevan hotels, chances are high at some point you will get hungry (and if this happens at night, you are left with rusk or some chocolate from your backpack, but if you don't want to wait until morning (your hotel should have great breakfast menu) - you could use some online food delivery site, one I can recommend - menu.am, listing all the best food items from local Yerevan restaurants.

Menu.am is a Restaurant Food, Flowers and Drinks Delivery Service in Armenia. You can order food from menu by the same prices as in Restaurants.

They operate in Tbilisi as well, see Menu.ge

…

Invest in Dairy Farms in Georgia

30 December, 2021 | Real Estate | 33 seen

Good morning! 

While browsing my Facebook feed I noticed some opportunities to invest in the agriculture sector in Georgia.

I got sold by the information that Imereti Agro Zone is planning to build some 125 ha dairy farm near Tskaltubo

IAZ is planning to develop a Dairy Farm on a 125 ha land plot. The goal of the project is to support Kopitnari IDP settlement and Partskhanakanevi inhabitants in developing and organizing a modern, self-sustainable cattle farm for milk production with the future growth perspectives that could create opportunities to generate more income.

Check here https://www.iaz.ge/dairyfarmsocialproject

I prefer investments in companies listed on the stock exchange, but there are zillions of private or semi private held funds in Georgia. 

In the past I've made some investment in vertical farming in the US. App Harvest.. so far nothing good, but still enjoy the idea.

Speaking of Dairy farms - a few years ago I had a chance to visit Piena Ceļš Georgia dairy farm close to Tbilisi

Paint job for Bedroom and Kitchen

29 December, 2021 | Home Remodeling | 20 seen

Today early morning I checked out of the lovely Šaha klubs apartments in Kuldīga to come and paint our Vilgāle apt.

While driving to Vilgāle my fiance proposed we could prebook such lovely apartments in Kuldīga for the Summer Festival - I had to reply, well we have Vilgāle, huh?

arriving early I started applying second layer of paint in the bedroom, here is what I got

Next is to install electricity plugs and lamps, add hardwood floring

More work here, but also needs to paint, add plugs and install hardwood / tiles

Cost so far:

• Water plumbing: EUR 60
• Sadales Tīkls: EUR 60
• Electrician: EUR 155
• Architect: EUR 800
• Removing walls and floor: EUR 775
• Chalk removing, / wiring: EUR 500
• Wall plastering/frame for drywall ceiling (bedroom): EUR 875
• New windows: EUR 1,252 
• Window replacement: EUR 200
• Estrich floor with an underfloor heating system and all plumbing: EUR 1,916
• Rock wool for the ceiling, drywall constructions, drywall, and some wiring: EUR 866
• Plastering bedroom and living room: EUR 1,200
• …

Paint Job at Vilgāle apt

28 December, 2021 | Home Remodeling | 10 seen

It is already more than one year since I first opened doors at the Vilgāle apt and saw what have I bought at an online auction. 

during the past year, we have done a lot, removed walls, floors, built new walls, ceilings, and even floors. Now we are very close to the last details, from the major works are left the bathroom with sauna (tiles) and hardwood flooring.

At the end of December 2021, I visited Latvia for about 2 weeks and I decided it's time to start the paint job and finish the rest of the tasks in Spring / Summer 2022

A few days ago Steffen from Madona helped me to apply first layer of paint at the ceilings. Today I finished this task in the bedroom.

Today I applied first layer of the white paint at the ceiling here

Now it already looks awesome. Cant wait to see the result after the second layer of paint I'm going to apply tomorrow.

Cost so far:

• Water plumbing: EUR 60
• Sadales Tīkls: EUR 60
• Electrician: EUR 155
• Architect: EUR 800
• Removing walls and floor: EUR 775
• Chalk removing, / wiring: EUR 500
• Wall plastering/frame for drywall ceiling (…

Holiday Season

24 December, 2021 | Living in Georgia | 12 seen

The holiday season in Tbilisi - or another awesome weekend has been recorded and sealed in our tapes - Fun at Tbilisi Golf club, picnic in the footsteps of Shavnabada monastery, and Christmas pre-party with Latvian Sunday School. Ho-Ho-Ho! Enjoy and thumbs up!

Meeting more Latvian Expats at Āgenskalna market

23 December, 2021 | Travel guides | 12 seen

After the strange yesterday, it was agreed to go and support my new German friend at the Āgenskalns market and buy some cheese. 

Leo, an old friend from the Bākūži times offered to go to the Āgenskalns market together. He pick-up us from Pulkveža Brieža street and we went there together. I asked, could Leo also take some ax or some other tool so we can cut a Christmas tree somewhere near Lāči bakery. Leo took both an ax and a Fiskar tool.

At the market, we met Steffen freezing cold with his cheese from Madona, and while I was sliding Renee in a toboggan, some other acquaintance from Georgia approached me. That was Robert from the Japan Tobacco. We last met a few years ago in Tbilisi at his impressive Dighomi house, since then we have been friends on Facebook, and it turns out his relatives are from Vilgāle. 

We chatted a bit about international schools, our upcoming trip to Sri Lanka, Sandra's new office, and of course his business project quails and their eggs. 

In the end, Sandra supported both Steffen buying some cheese and Robert buying some quail. 

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

P.S,…

Strange Day during the snowfall

22 December, 2021 | Home Remodeling | 13 seen

A few weeks ago Steffen contacted me about some things in Georgia. Turned out this German had some business in Latvia and while I was for a couple of days in Riga, he contacted me again and offered a handy hand at painting ceilings at Vilgale apartment.

Why not, I thought and for the first time, we met at the Virši petrol station near Tukums roundabout at the noon on this snowy December day.

Yes, it snowed a lot, even some kind of Orange warning was in the country. A few hours later we were already in Vilgāle, cleaning out the dust and painting ceilings. I was working with a paintbrush and edges, while Steffen painted the ceiling in the bedroom.

It was planned to stay overnight and I already booked a lovely Laidi guesthouse bathhouse, but then my better part called me and said the wood pellet stove is not working and we should go back to Riga. That's quite a lot of driving for one day. 2x180km and during the Orange warning (heavy snowfall)

Alright, we come back to Riga.

Seems I invited a German guy to paint 16m2 of the ceiling and help me out to clean some dust, for some small talk about Georgia and a cup of Coffee at the…

Got a Fewer After freezing Cold

17 December, 2021 | Living in Georgia | 3 seen

For the last few days I have been exceling as an painter at my better part's Tbilisi Office.

Yestwrday I decided to stay longer and finish most of the job, and by doing this at the end of the day I couldn't get a taxi on time and got cold on the street. Once the taxi arrived after some 40 minutes on busy Chavvhavadze Street I felt very sick and cold.

In the evening my temperature raised to 38.8 and I had a fewer.

Now I feel already much better.

Paint Job for Tbilisi Office 3.0 Part 1

14 December, 2021 | Living in Georgia | 25 seen

At the start of December 2021, my better part decided its time to upgrade her company office to a more spacious and one. 

The new office is located just a few hundred meters away from the previous one, but unlike the previous one, the new office actually come a bit outworn and was screaming for a fresh paint job.

At the start it was decided to hire a designer who would plan the new office, make designs for painting, and actually hire contractors, but the designer was a bit busy and said could help us in some 2 months. 

Now I decided to step in and help to save a couple of thousand dollars and time. 

After dropping our daughter at her preschool I asked our driver David to take us to the Bricorama store and help buy some paint and other useful tools. In about 1 hour we were all setup, by buying 3 different colors, paint brushes, film, ladder e.t.c our total bill about GEL 750 (with a 15% discount, because of the Tuesday)

Bedore actually applying any paint I spent about two hours to tape all the edges and corners

Now already looks awesome

Now, this was fun, in the past I actually enjoyed such tasks. Next will…

Shavnabada Monastery

13 December, 2021 | Churches and Monasteries | 39 seen

Shavnabada Monastery is a medieval Georgian Orthodox monastic complex that is located upon Shavnabada Mountain, approximately 30 km away from Tbilisi, Georgia.

I have noticed this monastery atop of the hill in the past, mostly when driving to the Birtvisi canyon, but this time we were visiting Tbilisi Hills golf club from which the monastery complex was nicely seen, and it was agreed to actually visit it. 

So we did and even had a nice picnic here (atop the roof of a dwelling house)

You can see more about our adventures here and Tbilisi Golf resort in this documentary: Holiday Season

Monastery was named in honor of St. George who, according to a local legend, wore a black cloak (Georgian: shavi nabadi, hence the mountain’s name) while leading the army of the king of Georgia in one of the victorious battles of the time.

The monastery of Shavnabada is known for a rare variety of wine, also called Shavnabada, made by the monks there.

Mountain Biking At Birtvisi Canyon

10 December, 2021 | Living in Georgia | 14 seen

Mountain biking at Birtvisi canyon / or after a long pause I took some drone footage again. Also, now I know the shortcut on how to get here in some 30-40 minutes from Tbilisi (via Amlevi). December 5, 2021

Vilgāle apt update: Wall Plastering

9 December, 2021 | Home Remodeling | 11 seen

Another week have passed and I got the latest images from the Vilgåle apt renovation works.

This time contractors have finished drywall works and have plastered walls and finished electricity works.

The end is so close I can even feel it.

Nice finishing in kitchen

A good job have been done here, all the plumbing seems is fixed and installed in kitchen (it was in bathroom)

I'm bit sick and tired from this plasetring already, but this is how contractors love to make money

Cost so far:

• Water plumbing: EUR 60
• Sadales Tīkls: EUR 60
• Electrician: EUR 155
• Architect: EUR 800
• Removing walls and floor: EUR 775
• Chalk removing, / wiring: EUR 500
• Wall plastering/frame for drywall ceiling (bedroom): EUR 875
• New windows: EUR 1,252 
• Window replacement: EUR 200
• Estrich floor with an underfloor heating system and all plumbing: EUR 1,916
• Rock wool for the ceiling, drywall constructions, drywall, and some wiring: EUR 866
• Plastering bedroom and living room: EUR 1,200
• Chimneysweep: EUR 30
• More…