00:00What's it like living in a country that's still finding its feet, 35 years after independence?
00:06Hi, my name is Mariam. I am 19 years old. I was born and raised here in Tbilisi.
00:12And let me show you what my day looks like.
00:21Hi there, come on in. I'm just about to get a coffee right now.
00:25For breakfast, Mariam usually grabs a quick coffee and sometimes something sweet to go with it.
00:33In Georgia, I wouldn't say that we have this big tradition to sit and gather and like have this breakfast.
00:42But we have, you know, tons of other traditions, but the breakfast one is not the one, I think.
00:48Mariam starts her day in her aunt's apartment, where she spent much of her childhood.
00:52In traditional Georgian life, family, including extended family, plays a central role.
00:59Many households have multiple generations living under one roof, and sticking together is important.
01:05Mariam grew up in a liberal environment and feels free to follow her path.
01:10Mariam is studying international politics at Tbilisi State University.
01:14Most universities are found in the capital.
01:19Mariam has a scholarship that covers her tuition.
01:24After she has her bachelor's degree, she hopes to continue her studies abroad.
01:30I think getting knowledge from European universities would just give me something that I really need to accomplish my career
01:43goals, I think.
01:44Especially when it comes to international relations, I think it would play an important part for me to get better
01:51in my profession.
01:52Mariam spends a lot of time in the library. Education is very important to her.
01:58The average salary in Georgia is about 630 euros per month.
02:03Economic hardship has many Georgians leaving the country.
02:06An estimated one million Georgians live abroad, nearly one in five.
02:11Mariam also has family members in Germany.
02:14The political situation is often at the center of conversations whenever Mariam meets up with friends.
02:20For lunch, there's khachapuri, a traditional Georgian bread generously filled with cheese.
02:27Food is, you know, Georgian people's identity, I would say that.
02:33It's one of the crucial parts of our culture, because people come here for and to taste our food.
02:40Every corner of Georgia has its own kitchen and its own identity and authenticity.
02:48We like to share, we like to talk, we like to have fun, we like to make jokes.
02:53We like to have a big, big toast.
02:58Downtown Tbilisi is very walkable.
03:00For longer distances, Mariam takes the bus or the subway.
03:04As a student, she gets a discounted fare, 20 tetri, or around 7 cents per journey.
03:12Tbilisi has numerous museums.
03:14This one's dedicated to the Georgian poet and thinker, Ilya Chavchavadza,
03:19a national hero for many Georgians for fighting for independence from the Russian Empire back in the 19th century.
03:27Relations with the vast country next door remain one of the defining issues here today.
03:32In 2008, Russia even waged a war against Georgia.
03:38It might be an independent country, de facto, but the influence that Russia has on our country, of course it
03:49scares us.
03:50And this is also the main reason we want to join the European Union, we want to join NATO, because
03:56we need protection.
03:57Many Georgians are proud of their nation's traditions, evident here in Tbilisi's ancient sulfur baths quarter, for example.
04:05The bathhouses were built over thermal springs, said to have been in use for many hundreds of years.
04:14When you come here, there's literally real, authentic, real Tbilisi.
04:20This is the kind of place where me and my classmates would go and, you know, would have some ice
04:27cream in the summertime and, you know, just look at the situation.
04:36I hope that Tbilisi stays that one chaotic, cool and unpredictable city that it is.
04:47After doing a masters abroad, Mariam plans to return to Tbilisi, her forever home.
04:54And that was my day in Tbilisi and I hope you guys enjoyed it.
