The 8th Borderless Onsite Meeting took place on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in association with Global Commons.
This time, Ms. Chikava Sesili and Ms. Togonidze Mariam, special auditing student of College of International Studies, presented on the theme of “SAKARTVELO: Name by the Country called by locals”.
Georgia is located at the southern foot of the Caucasus Mountains and on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The majority of the people are Christian and the country boasts a wine culture that dates back nearly 8,000 years. In this presentation, they talked about Georgia’s geography, language, tourist attractions, folk music, unique mountain traditions, and food culture, with plenty of photos and videos.
The presentation began with an explanation of the characteristics of the language used in Georgia. In addition to Georgian, which is the official language, the characteristics of the sister languages Megrelian and Svanuri languages were explained in detail, and lively questions were asked by the participants. Additionally, images of the characters that have been used historically in Georgia, such as “Asomtavruli”, “Nuskhuri” and “Mkhedruli” were introduced, and many people were captivated by their beautiful shapes.
As for food culture, the first topic was Georgia’s unique wine culture, in which wine is fermented and aged in unglazed pots called kvevri. Then, the participants were introduced to a wide variety of dishes, including “khachapuri”, a bread filled with cheese that varies in shape from region to region, “khinkali”, an appetizer with a shape similar to a small basket bao, “pkhali”, an appetizer served with pomegranates, “ghomi” and “elarji”, both made from corn flour, “gebjalia”, a Georgian cheese roll, “shkmeruli”, a popular chicken dish in Japan that uses a lot of garlic, and “churchkhela”, a traditional sweet made from grape juice and nuts. The fascination of a variety of cuisines was discussed.
In addition, Georgian folk instruments “Panduri”, “Doli” and “Chongri” were introduced. In addition, a beautiful video was shown of Georgian people in traditional costumes singing and dancing while playing traditional instruments against the backdrop of magnificent nature.
Tourist attractions introduced included the “Mother of Georgia” statue in Tbilisi, the Abanotubani district famous for its sulfur hot springs, the Shivali Monastery in the ancient city of Mtskheta, and Kazbegi surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains. They were also exposed to the unique traditions nurtured in the mountainous region isolated from other cities.
Georgia, with its magnificent nature and rich culture, is full of charm, and the presentation made us want to travel there.
