Gamarjoba from Sakartvelo

Gamarjoba! means “Hello”, I think.  At least, when I say it, people always smile, so that must be what it means.  Sakartvelo is the Georgian name for Georgia (the country – not the state) and is where I am having my latest adventure. It was part of the Soviet Union up to 1989 and then, in 1991, declared itself an independent country.  Contrary to popular opinion, Georgia is not part of Russia.

About three years ago, I applied to CESO (Canadian Executive Service Organization)  to become a Volunteer Advisor.  CESO volunteers are mostly retired people who contribute their knowledge and experience to help underdeveloped countries.  I’m not quite retired yet, but being self-employed, I can get away for short periods at certain times of the year and I have always wanted to do this kind of work.  One of my few regrets is that I didn’t do a CUSO (Canadian University Students Overseas) posting when I finished university.  This summer, CESO received a request from Training Centre TransManager, a training business in Georgia, for someone who could tell them about the Canadian Trucking Industry.    Like most countries in the former Soviet Union, Georgia has to start from scratch to build a free-market economy.  One of the industries they would like to encourage is long-haul, international transportation.  As I seem to be the only volunteer on CESO’s roster with trucking experience, here I am in Georgia for a two-week posting.