The banking is different in Georgia, not all ATMs dispense money. In Khashuri you would be hard press to utilize a credit card unless in the capital city of Tbilisi. All transactions are in cash, yet long lines fill the few banks that service this city of 26,000.
Except on Social Security and Entitlement pay day, U.S retail banks near my home in Boston are empty. Not Khashuri its lively, you have a uniformed greeters; females in uniforms sporting a bright orange scarf; you explain your issue and are given a number. Like the deli or the motor vehicle; your number glows on signs hanging from the wall and your hurried and pointed to a customer service representative when your turn.
It's been a challenge opening an account and navigating the logins at the various machines and internet. After seven weeks of residency and persistence, I had an epiphany and was finally able to complete my paper work to fully open my account, dispense 10 GEL or US $4 US, for a 20 Tetri (cent) fee, that's about a nickle U.S. Luckily in Peace Corp training we've are paid our stipend cash, that is $5 GEL a day or $2 US, ample for living, given we are housed and fed.
In learning how to operate ATMs here has been fun; I noticed a whole array of additional menu items to choose from. One could dispense in various currencies, and take out an instant loan from a variety of vendors, manage your car loan, or pay a bill all from a standalone machine. Endless choices. Additionally, you could take out smallest amounts of cash(with a fee) or deposit cash money in a pay box. And I don't believe anyone writes a check and wire transfer to Georgia could take one week. So many options, so different from home.
Ample ATMs spot most street corners and dot themselves throughout the main center and neighborhoods. Pay day lending stores are positioned close to ATMs. Those buildings as well as the banks, shining new pharmacies and neon signed money exchange stores seemed to be in the finest or best condition, often heated. But squeezed in between and abutting these are tiny beaten down shops with goods displayed on makeshift crates, sacks and displayed on broken shelves through chipped and dilapidated windows and doors. Abundant, randomly organized is handpicked harvest, bake treats and dried goods.
My neighbors and students who've approached me have concerns about money, but they express it far differently than an American. Its not my lack of Georgian. The tone is non com-plaintive. They ask me endless questions to compare living and customs, never asking how much do you make. They ask where do you live and your family or what is your house like or do you have a car at home? Its more akin to who your are and how you act you have in relation to what they have.
Georgians are exuberant when discussing an idea or dream. Much happiness surrounding the idea and most happiness discussing it. Its less important to achieve because the money planning around big dreams is not so fun to speak about. Its far more important to discuss and share emotions and feelings.
Possibly this explains an observation: unprecedented use of cell phones and Facebook. More so than the US. They are collective and communal in culture. Amazing that scarce resources;money is spent on modern communications. My understanding is 98% of the country is connected by cell/internet. So far, its held true.
My family had a liquor store growing up, I spent many days after school and between jobs helping out my parents. Dad would keep a white index card on each person that bought on credit. He kept all the index cards in a tin card holder. Each time he pulled out a card he would write down the amount and distinctly instruct me on how he would then charge 10 cents or even a dollar for those who paid late or the balance became high. I was amazed he did this and he explained the reasoning two ways. It costs me money and people who take credit are not the smartest about what it really costs them. He actually said this differently, believe he said ‘dumb’ I really dislike this word.
Today is Sunday and my host and I take our walk to the local market. A customer brings food goods to the counter, much like my dad’s counter in my memory as a young girl. The shop keeper pulls out a notebook and scribes in it and adds up the days tally. The customer asks for the cumulative tally, they show them 79.10₾. My stomach churns I step outside to cry.
Buying food on credit, the agrarian shops eek out a living, the money lending stores, the ATM with instant loans, the shining banks and pharmacies and dreams that are still dreams. Its coming together each day for me and this is another piece. I am here to help, there is so little time to figure things out.
