Moving to tbilisi.....

Hi,

My husband has been offered a job in Georgia and our family will be relocating to tbilisi.

We have 3 girls, 17,5 and 3.The little ones will be attending a Kindergarden, wich are the best?

As much advice as possible needed please!!!

Im coming from the uk.

How do I get medication that might be needed?

Shopping, getting around, etc....

If anyone could take the time to advise on life in Tbilisi I woul d be so grateful!

Many Thanks.

Moving to tbilisi.....

Hello,

Tbilisi is small, lovely city, and it will not be difficult for you to feel comfortable and ';at home'; here; it%26#39;s not europian and not asian city, but what I can say for sure - everything is nearer, and cheeper than in europe.

about kindergarden - not sure, but I can check and than write you, what about 17 years old? are you going to keep it here, or already choose the university?

There are lots of small private clinics here, depending what type of medicine you need. you can try insurance also...

the same for shopping - depending price and quality, you can find lots of shops...

i think it would be useful for you to check the link

www.tbilisi.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG

I am sure you will have many many another questions; if you like, I can communicate via Skype also, as write everything here is just impossible.

wish you the good luck, you are welcome

best wishes

Tbilisian

Moving to tbilisi.....

Hi,

I think, to choose a kindergarten is easy once you know were are you going to leave. If it will be Vake districts than I%26#39;ll recommend ';Ana ba-na'; on Razmadze St across Greek embassy. It%26#39;s new just opened in September. It will cost you 350 GEL.

There is also ';New School'; English dept. school for 5 y.o. It%26#39;s expensive.

If you will be leaving in Saburtalo than check on pre-school on 16(?),Megrelidze St. It%26#39;s good too.

Getting around as any other city is up to you. You can use bus, subway etc. Bus and Marshrutka is cheapest way to do it. Taxi is affordable too just negotiate the price! 4-5 GEL for 10-15 min drive.

Shopping...If you can, bring as much cloth, toys, books, movies with you. They are expensive here.

Regards

Hi,

Thankyou so much for taking the time to reply, very much apreciated.

Your right I have so many questions to ask you!

Im afraid I dont have Skype.My email address is jannmc2000@yahoo.co.uk if I could talk to you?

Thankyou again.

See you are much in the same boat as I am. We will be moving there in September.

We have two good books to recommend.

One is the ';Brandt Travel guide on Georgia'; by Tim Burford ISBN-10: 1841621900 or ISBN-13: 978-1841621906 (+/- £ 12.-), the other is a great book on Georgia and the Georgians, called ';In the mountains of Poetry'; by Peter Nasmyth ISBN-10: 0415396697 or ISBN-13: 978-0415396691 (+/- £ 25.-).

the latter offers is on Georgia, the people and the different regions, taking up history, culture, customs and religion. The Brandt travel guide gives good basic information on life, what to see, where to get what etc.

We are going ';scouting'; for houses and schools next week - I am dying of curiosity!

Hi!

Thankyou for that! Where are you moving from? What makes you move to Tbilisi?

We are moving from Brussels, much like you my husband has been offered a job in Tbilisi (at the EU delegation).

We will be looking at schools (QSI Tbilisi and New School of Georgia) for the children as well as locations to live. I have heard that it gets very hot during summer and that good locations would be on one of the hills (?) since it offers a breeze and less pollution.

When are you moving? Have you ever been there before?

Regards

well, for summer Tkhneti is better, it%26#39;s very good and not so far :)

I would say, even Saburtalo is not very hot, but stay in Vake - really difficult...

Hi,

I%26#39;ve lived in Tbilisi 10 years ago, and it has changed a LOT since then! I%26#39;m visiting again soon, and am very happy to, since I liked it very much.

The first thing for an accompanying spouse to do is to get to know other expat families; there was, and still is I hear, the International Women%26#39;s Association of Tbilisi - it is a group of expatriate women living in Tbilisi.

Such networking is a huge help in the beginning - the ladies will know all the right places, prices, and happenings; it could easily become your social and support network.

I%26#39;ve found this website on the web (http://iwatbilisi.googlepages.com/) - it doesn%26#39;t seem to be updated since the last year, but never fear! those groups are always there, and are always happy to have a new member. I know, since I%26#39;ve been a member of such groups in 9 different countries(IWA Tbilisi 10 yrs ago included).

If you%26#39;re in Tbilisi, and your husband%26#39;s office doesn%26#39;t know about IWA, try going to Betsy%26#39;s hotel or Prospero%26#39;s bookshop- many expats hang out there, and the staff might know smth about the international women%26#39;s assoc.

Good luck!

Hi again,

are you still interested in information on Tbilisi?

We just got home after a week of ';scouting';.

I have a good official report I could send you as well as some personal impressions.

Hi,

That would be really kind of you, thankyou!