Blog Archive: December 2014

Jūlijs Straume: Caucasus on my mind; exhibition at Tbilisi State Museum of Folk and Applied Arts of Georgia

| Living in Georgia | 135 seen

Jūlijs Straume, was a renowned Latvian artist who left a lasting impact on the art world. Despite his passing, his legacy lives on through the active efforts of the Latvian Diaspora in Georgia, who continue to honor his works.

Jūlijs Straume (July 2, 1874 - November 1, 1970) was a Latvian textile artist, educator, and ethnographer, and an Honored Art Worker of the Latvian SSR. He studied in Jelgava and St. Petersburg and later refined his skills in Paris (1905-1907).

From 1907 to 1923, he lived in Georgia, where he collected and studied the folk decorative and applied arts of the Caucasus. During this time, he compiled a rich collection of folk weavings, or carpets, which he later published in the album "Caucasian Carpets" (Volume 1, 1913). Straume created sketches of carpets using typical Latvian applied arts folklore and ethnographic motifs, applying the principle of oriental composition.

After his time in Georgia, he returned to Latvia and continued to work as an artist and educator. Straume died on November 1, 1970, in Riga, Latvia.

Recently, I had the privilege of attending an exhibition at the State Museum of Folk and Applied Arts of…

White Christmas in Bakuriani (2014)

| Living in Georgia | 11 seen

For the second year in a row, we decided to celebrate Christmas in Bakuriani, a remote mountain resort city in Georgia. 

While some may choose Bakuriani as a skiing destination, we opted for a white Christmas location. Originally, we planned to take a minibus, but we were persuaded by a taxi driver to travel with him for 70 GEL (after bargaining down from 100 GEL).

Below are some snapshots I took of Bakuriani with my Sony camera.

Bakuriani sign - for me it looks like it have kept from Soviet times, but I might be wrong.

Didveli skiing map - though they have skiing maps around the city, I didn't find much skiers at the Christmas time here, rumour has it - they will come latter.

Playground in Bakuriani - locals get fun at public playground,

Handmade goodies at Bakuriani - honey, jam and other goodies in honey or jam (average price 10 GEL)

Up at Didveli 

Hill's Hut - one and only restaurant up in the mountain

Christmas tree at Hill's Hut

Ski run at Bakuriani

Ski lifts at Bakuriani (…

Best Laptop Deals 2023: Top 6 Models to Consider

| Laptop Reviews | 4 seen

Laptops are essential tools for many people, whether for work, school, or entertainment. With 2023 just starting, many laptop manufacturers are offering great deals on their latest models. This article will showcase the top laptop deals for 2023, with a focus on value for money. We've selected these laptops based on a variety of criteria, including price, features, and customer reviews.

Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly option or a high-end machine, you're sure to find something that suits your needs in this guide.

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon. This means that if you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Dell XPS 13

The Dell XPS 13 is a popular laptop model that has been updated for 2023 with some impressive features. It features a 13.4-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1200, which is bright and vibrant. The laptop is slim and lightweight, making it easy to carry around. The Dell XPS 13 is powered by an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, making it a powerful and efficient machine. It also features 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive, providing…

Best Tablets for Students, Creatives, and Professionals in 2023

| Laptop Reviews | 12 seen

With the rise of mobile computing and remote work, tablets have become essential devices for professionals and casual users alike. Tablets are portable, versatile, and can perform many of the functions of a laptop, while remaining more compact and convenient to carry around. However, with so many tablets on the market, it can be difficult to choose the right one for your needs.

In this article, we'll take a look at some of the top tablets available today and help you find the perfect one for your lifestyle.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on a link to a product on Amazon.com and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. The commission I earn is at no extra cost to you

Apple iPad Pro

The Apple iPad Pro is one of the most popular tablets on the market, and for good reason. It offers a large, high-quality display, powerful performance, and a range of features that make it perfect for both personal and professional use. Some of the key features of the iPad Pro include:

  • Large, high-resolution display: The iPad Pro features a large 12.9-inch display with a resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels,…

Minimum Wages in Baltic States 2015

| Macroeconomics | 11 seen

The Baltic States, which include Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, have been recognized as one of the fastest-growing regions in the European Union. The region has experienced significant economic development, attracting foreign investment, and becoming a hub for technology, finance, and other sectors. One crucial aspect of this growth is the regulation of minimum wages.

In 2015, the minimum wages in the Baltic States were as follows:

  • Estonia - The minimum wage in Estonia was €390 per month in 2015, which was an increase of 6.8% from the previous year. The government had announced plans to raise the minimum wage by an additional 10% in 2016.

  • Latvia - In Latvia, the minimum wage was €360 per month in 2015, which was an increase of 6.4% from the previous year. The government had set a target to increase the minimum wage to €500 per month by 2020.

  • Lithuania - The minimum wage in Lithuania was €300 per month in 2015, which was an increase of 6.4% from the previous year. The government had announced plans to increase the minimum wage by an additional 5% in 2016.

    • It is important to note that the minimum…

    Exploring the Future of Transportation: The Dallas-Houston High-Speed Rail

    | Railway / Bus / Ferry | 15 seen

    Back in 2013, we embarked on an epic journey across the United States that began at JFK Airport in New York City and ended in Houston, Texas. Although we had initially planned to reach the West Coast, we eventually decided to cut our trip short due to two reasons: we were travelling on a budget using Megabus, and we were exhausted after a month on the road.

    While Megabus was an affordable option for us, there were no other economical choices to reach the West Coast. This led us to reflect on the transportation options in the United States. It became clear that unlike in Europe, high-speed trains were not a popular mode of transportation in the United States. Instead, many Americans preferred air travel, even for short distances like Dallas to Houston.

    However, after seven years, a time and cost-effective alternative may soon become available. Plans are underway to build a high-speed rail network connecting Dallas and Houston, which would be the first of its kind in the United States. This 240-mile project is expected to take only 90 minutes, with an estimated completion date of 2021, pending federal approval and funding.

    During a public meeting…

    5 Essential Tips for Optimizing Your Website for Mobile SEO

    | Blogging | 7 seen

    With the rise of mobile devices and the increasing number of mobile searches, optimizing your website for mobile SEO has become more important than ever. In fact, Google has even announced that mobile-first indexing will become the default for all new websites starting from March 2021.

    This means that your website's mobile version will be the primary version Google will index and use for ranking purposes.

    So, what can you do to ensure that your website is optimized for mobile SEO? Here are some tips:

  • Mobile-friendly design: Your website should have a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes and orientations. This ensures that your website looks and functions well on different mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

  • Fast loading speed: Mobile users are typically on the go and have limited patience, so it's important to ensure that your website loads quickly on mobile devices. You can use tools like Google's PageSpeed Insights to analyze your website's loading speed and identify areas for improvement.

  • Optimize for local search: Many…

    • Istanbul - Konya - New High Speed Train in Turkey

    | Railway / Bus / Ferry | 6 seen

    <p>I have travelled by train in Turkey just once back in 2011 from Ankara to Izmir. That route went some 15-17 hours... It's damned boring thing. Well I'm glad I took that ride of course, but I'm more glad to learn that Turkey is investing much in it's train infrastructure. And I'm sure I will use Istanbul - Konya high speed line in future.</p><p>Recently (on December 17, 2014) a new high speed line Istanbul - Konya has been launched and here is the real gain:</p><p><strong>The Istanbul-Konya journey time on the high speed line is four hours 15 minutes, compared to 13 hours on the old trains</strong></p><p>President (Turkish) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated a high speed train link from Istanbul to the Central Anatolian city of Konya on Dec. 17, which cuts journey times by nearly nine hours.</p><p>Erdoğan himself opened the line at a ceremony in Konya, 460 kilometers southeast of Istanbul, and declared that <strong>all travel on it would be free for the first week</strong>.</p><p>The president said the line was the latest step in his multi-billion dollar drive to…

    Nginx redirect domain name to another domain

    | Servers | 23 seen

    Redirecting website visitors to a different domain name using Nginx is simple.

    Add the following code to your server config: 

    server { server_name .domain.com; return 302 $scheme://forwarded-domain.com; }

    Restart Nginx

    sudo /etc/init.d/nginx restart

    Food Blogger: Gingerbread Dough Recipe

    | Food blogger | 6 seen

    <p>In this article I'm going to show how one (perhaps you) can prepare a gingerbread dough at home.&nbsp;</p><h2>Ingredients:</h2><p><strong>You will need:</strong> <em>butter, flour, eggs, salt&amp;sugar, malt, spices</em></p><p>It all starts with butter</p><p><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/butter.jpg&quot; alt="Butter" title="Butter" width="640" height="640"></p><p><em>Butter&nbsp;</em></p><p>Since I'm <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/living-georgia">living in Georgia</a> - most of the ingredients used in this recipe are local Georgian</p><p><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/fluor_0.jpg&quot; alt="Fluor" title="Fluor" width="640" height="640"></p><p><em>Flour</em></p><p><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/eggs.jpg&quot; alt="Eggs" title="Eggs" width=…

    History of Tram and Trolleybus systems in Tbilisi and Georgia

    | Living in Georgia | 471 seen

    Currently (2022) there are no tram or trolley lines in Tbilisi, but not so long ago in history, there were plenty of tram and trolleybus lines not only in Tbilisi but also in Batumi, Kutaisi, Gori, Zugdidi, Ozurgeti, Poti, Rustavi, and even Chiatura. 

    What has happened to once pretty impressive routes of trams and trolleys in Georgia?  I guess the harsh history happened. After the Collapse of the Soviet Union - Georgia got troubled with civil wars, and economic hardships so neither trams nor trolleys were a priority.

    While you are exploring bits of Georgian history, consider Batumi Real Estate Crypto Investment

    I have found an interesting resource http://photo.tramvaj.ru/ (In the Russian language) where some almost 20-year-old pictures (dated 2003) with trams and trolleys in Georgia are listed. Author of all images listed below: © Mike Russell, Reading, GB. Pictures were taken at the begging of September 2003.

    You can read the original here: http://photo.tramvaj.ru/georg2003.htm

    Tbilisi Tram

    From Wikipedia: Tbilisi had a tram network, since 1883 starting from horse…

    First High Speed Railway Launched in Poland

    | Railway / Bus / Ferry | 113 seen

    <p>On this lovely 17th December afternoon I decided to add a new blog category to my blog - <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/railway">Railway</a>.</p><p>Railway is a transport system I have been interested ever since I can remember my self.&nbsp;</p><p>Railways (<strong>as I like to think</strong>) is a back-bone of country's economy. Railway system is a mirror which reflects economical growth and stability.<strong> On the other hand Railway has lost it's importance it had in 19th century</strong>. Railway symbolizes industrialization (<strong>again, at least for me</strong>).</p><p>Though we are living in times when importance of Railway is decreasing there are still many regions in World where Railway is just yet to be developed.&nbsp;</p><p>For a last 3 years I have been paid some interest of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project (it's more cargo) connecting <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/caucasus-overview">Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey</a>. I have paid a huge interest of Rail Baltic project which should connect…

    About Georgia: Newspappers and Internet Sites in English Language

    | Living in Georgia | 8 seen

    <p>The other day I was contacted by one of the local Georgian English-language newspaper offering me to write some articles for them.</p><p>I don't know did this offer included some payment as well (actually I have no idea how journalists receives salary - either they have some contract salary, maybe they receive per written words or it's all about sponsored stories - if you are a journalist - please leave me a comment regarding this)</p><p>Though this offer might sound tempting - I doubt I have any journalist talent, and instead of building traffic and awareness for others I prefer <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/blog-statistics">build traffic and awareness for my blog</a>. But I agree such deal might sound tempting and there is nothing wrong with it.</p><p>Anyway I decided to give a brief overview of newsletters in Georgia written in English language:</p><h2>Georgian Journal</h2><p><span>Welcome to the first English-speaking news channel in Georgia, provided by the Palitra&nbsp;Media House - the largest independent publishing house in the country. With our brand…

    Zakhar Zakharich - Tbilisi Restaurant Review

    | Restaurant reviews | 36 seen

    Welcome to another review of another great Tbilisi Restaurant. Today I'll share my thoughts of one of the hidden treasures I discovered just yesterday - Zakhar Zakharich restaurant.

    For a prelude: I'm an expat living in Georgia (Tbilisi). You can find some articles covering topic Living in Georgia. I'm huge lover of restaurants and coffee shops, and Living in Georgia I have came even a bigger fan of eating outside the home. 

    Since I'm eating out pretty regular - there are my favourite places, then there are places, that once was my favourite places, and then there are places better to avoid. 

    I'm willing to make an description of them and to photograph the food I have tasted on those places.

    Please note, this is just my subjective opinion.  For taking photographs I'm using my Samsung phone and using Instagram (then taking them from Instagram and adding to posts - you can read a blog post on how I turned my Instagram account into a photo blog

    Now - Zakhar Zakharich restaurant is located just right next to Dry Bridge on the Right bank (please see map at the end of this post, for…

    ProCredit Bank Georgia will use Toyota Hybrid cars

    | Living in Georgia | 9 seen

    <p><span>Checking my internet bank for savings report I found an article informing that ProCredit bank Georgia has bought 10 hybrid Toyota cars and starting now they will be used in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi.</span></p><p><span>I guess it won't impact much my savings but it's good know, that bank which services I'm using is concerned of&nbsp;sustainable&nbsp;energy. So it's my pleasure to promote them on my blog.</span></p><p><span><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/procreditbank.jpg&quot; alt="Toyota Hybrid cars" title="Toyota Hybrid cars" width="960" height="692"></span></p><p><em>Toyota Hybrid cars</em></p><p><span>ProCredit Bank stands for environmental leadership in its operations. In line with this commitment, the bank upgraded its vehicle fleet by purchasing new 10 hybrid Toyota cars.</span><br><span>Hybrid cars have improved fuel efficiency and caused lower CO2 emissions, especially in cities. If the speed is not more than 60 km/h, the…