Last night we went to G’s cousin’s house for a quick visit and, as is customary in Georgia, ended up having dinner and homemade wine and compoti and spending a few hours talking politics and kids (they had a boy 5 days before Sophie was born). What struck me most was the hospitality inside clear poverty. Eka’s husband Maho makes 500 Lari per month (approx. $300) and works at a respectable job. With that money he must support his mother, wife and two growing boys. To have a job at all is a blessing for Georgians, but labor laws and unions don’t exist here yet.
Consequently, those who have jobs, work 6 or 7 days per week and often work 12-15 hours per day. Maho made it home around 10:30 p.m. to a beautiful meal that Eka prepared solely from potatoes and cabbage. Herbs and mayo provided variety in the dishes. They were gracious beyond compare and never once hinted that they needed anything more. If I could start a business here, I’d hire Maho to work it and pay him so much more. But this is the norm here.
Last night we went to G’s cousin’s house for a quick visit and, as is customary in Georgia, ended up having dinner and homemade wine and compoti and spending a few hours talking politics and kids (they had a boy 5 days before Sophie was born). What struck me most was the hospitality inside clear poverty. Eka’s husband Maho makes 500 Lari per month (approx. $300) and works at a respectable job. With that money he must support his mother, wife and two growing boys. To have a job at all is a blessing for Georgians, but labor laws and unions don’t exist here yet. 
Consequently, those who have jobs, work 6 or 7 days per week and often work 12-15 hours per day. Maho made it home around 10:30 p.m. to a beautiful meal that Eka prepared solely from potatoes and cabbage. Herbs and mayo provided variety in the dishes. They were gracious beyond compare and never once hinted that they needed anything more. If I could start a business here, I’d hire Maho to work it and pay him so much more. But this is the norm here.
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