My new acquaintance, Devi, a guide in the mountains in northeast Georgia, is half-German and half-Indonesian, has lived in Georgia since 2011. Devi has travelled through all the mountain paths and forests on foot and knows Kakheti, Kasbegi, Khevsureti, Pankisi, Tusheti, Pshavi and Vashlovani better than the locals.
Her story is so multifaceted that I have been wondering for a while how to approach her, which perspective make a leading one.
Photo from Davi's albums
Multifaceted journey - Devi
Perspective 1:
Neglect of surroundings
Devi told us that she was a child in the short-lived student marriage of her German mother and Indonesian father, who met while studying in Russia. After her birth, Devi was left in her grandmother’s hands in Germany. Devi does not keep in touch with her mother; and only met her father when she was 21, he remained a stranger to her. Despite her whole life spent in Germany, Devi never felt like a German because of the neglect of others while getting to know her origin. After becoming a housewife, she was expelled by her husband and had to leave the family. Her attempts to communicate with her children on the Internet are still in vain.
“Actually, I am neither a German, nor an Indonesian. I live here; I love Georgia, and know Georgian language but I remain a foreigner. Half German, half Indonesian.”
Perspective 2:
Desire to be herself
These stories of the imperceptible rejection by society, making people hide their true face, are rather common; in Devi’s story for good reason. On the one hand, the small and large bumps of life helped her to understand and filled her with the determination to be herself. On the other hand, these bumps guided her to an environment in which she was accepted without questions or reproaches.
"When I lived in Germany, I always tried to behave as people expected of me. I met the expectations of others. Here in Georgia I can be myself. I do not have to pretend to be somebody else, if I am angry, I can express my feelings quite openly! I am absolutely a straightforward person, and if I do not like something, it is quite natural for me to talk about it. For example, in Germany you need to be much more conformist.
Here, people accept me as I am. Despite the fact that I smoke and have eight tattoos, and it is absolutely crazy for the people, who live in the mountains.
Being yourself in Georgia is much more natural and easier than anywhere else is. However, I understand that Georgians themselves often do not think so."
Perspective 3:
Lonely wanderer – a small strong woman is paving her own way in the Caucasus Mountains.
Difficulties, which occur on the way, are quite common. One day Devi severely injured her leg and spent 12 days alone, without food, surviving only thanks to the water from a mountain stream. Miraculously, there were some travelers passing by, who rescued Devi from starvation. But Devi likes solitude. Why?
“When I need to overcome something, puzzle out something, I strive to be alone. No need to talk. People constantly talk. They cannot stop. They constantly need to talk to you about something. Not because there is a need, they just think it is obligatory. I can be in surrounding of people if there is no necessity to talk. But if I need to stop others to talk to me, I have to isolate myself”.
Perspective 4:
Traveler, captivated by mountains and local lifestyle
Having spent her whole life in the plains of Germany, Devi admires mountains. She does not even think of settling down in some city. Why are mountains so attractive?
“People want to know their limit. The ordinary life of a modern person is within a comfort zone. Travelling in a country like Georgia, especially when you go to the mountains, allows you better understanding of yourself and getting to know what your limit is”.
"In addition, people want to see what has been lost in Europe. All this culture and traditions. People living in close contact with nature. Georgians often think that the most important tourist attraction is to offer maximum comfort. This is not true. People do not go to the mountains for comfort. They are interested in the places themselves, local people, and traditions - what they cannot see at home. This is what fascinates Georgia ."
Read also: Pretty Green - eco-camping near Batumi
Perspective 5:
Independent talented female entrepreneur with a great sense of humor
Having an innate propensity for languages, Devi speaks German, English, two varieties of the Indonesian language, easily communicates in Russian, French, Chechen and, of course, Georgian. She knows all the mountain trails of eastern Georgia, and is familiar with the local residents. Once having received the proposal from the German Travel Agency to work as a guide for tourists, she understood that this is exactly what she can and wants to do.
"I studied eastern Georgia well, my routes are unique and provide an opportunity to feel the spirit of traditions. I learned Georgian language and communicate with the locals without any problems. I guide a small tour of 5-6 people in order to adapt the route and the speed of the physical and personal capabilities of participants as much as possible. People are enthusiastic about the Georgian mountains. We are in touch with those who attended our tour, and they often come back for the next season in order to feel the spirit of travel once again. "
"But although the traditional way of life is interesting for tourists, it is often an obstacle for business (laughs). For example, I want to put the logo on my car for tours. It will strike everybody’s eye; it will be effective to attract tourists. But the driver refuses to get behind the wheel of a car covered in stickers! He thinks it will humiliate his dignity in the eyes of the villagers and raise a laugh; I was unable to convince him. It is simpler to order the logos on magnets to take them off, pass through the village, and stick them back on outside the village (laughs)."
Photo from Davi's albums
Photo from Davi's albums
