Book. THE END

    It has been a while since I posted anything to my blog as I have been busy getting the book ready. Yes, it officially has an ISBN 9781633237865, for those that like to keep track of such things. So it is officially done and Bob Mayer I can finally type ‘The End’. But, Like he pointed out in his blog a few months ago, rarely is it the end. Now, I have to get an official website back up. I got scammed on my previous site and learned a few lessons. Again, this would be something helpful to new writers to understand and get some insight from professional conferences. A simple understanding of the difference between marketing and advertising is not enough. You have to know your readers and know what they want to see in a graphic representation of your work. Sure it has to be easy for them to order and buy the book but it also has to give them something to do past the obvious. I have been using my blog as such, and it is a poor replacement for a well-designed site. So I have been working to get this accomplished. I have also been working closely with the layout and design of the interior of the book. Past edits, and formatting it has to be easy to read and intelligently laid out with enough gaps in the transitions. Thanks again Jay M. Then the cover and back block has to be done. So you see as wise Mr. Mayer points out ‘The End’ is just the beginning.

    My supportive wife, Inga, has left me with this task and is taking the time to spend time with her parents. This may seem odd to anyone who hasn’t lived with a writer. Too often we creative typing monkeys get frustrated and can unintentionally level this frustration at those closest to us. I like to be as honest as possible here. Perhaps too much so. Three days in my underwear, only remembering to eat when you get dizzy going to the washroom and trying to find a few answers in Vodka, or just

recently, Absinth! While the answers are rarely in a bottle, it does slow the brain or provide it a distraction to move out of the mud it finds miring the process. Absinth is perhaps different. They import the real wormwood stuff here. The magical formula used by many creative types in the past and outlawed in most countries. Yes, I know you can buy Absinth in Canada, and they say it is ‘real.' That real definition is a little interpretive. Real ingredients but… when you live in a country that worries about the rat poo level in your Snickers bar, do you think for a second they would let you drink something previous artists have cut body parts off while under the green fairies influence? No! But, this is Georgia, and here you are free to be you. You also are expected to take responsibility for your actions. Local Cha Cha is available everywhere, and its purity is questionable when you buy it out of repurposed Pepsi bottles. The stuff runs about 60 percent pure alcohol so its clean of anything alive but, chemically it is a little risky. Something few locals care about, past doing a spoon burn check. So the imported Absinth is the real deal. I missed leaving my real Absinth spoon back in Canada. A gift from Mr. Antell it was from Finland and very old and I left it in the care of Dimitri with my watches. I made it work, and the hot clouded liquid bit my tongue with a sharp licorice embrace. It took four such potions till the green fairy revealed herself. Less of a fairy really and more like a cloud specter just on the edge of your vision.  I didn’t understand what it was at first until Commander Scotty’s words echoed in my head. “But, It is green.”

    The inspiration arrived, and I scribbled and sketched the book cover. I took pictures wisely thinking I may not be able to interpret this genius while not gripped by this specter’s tutelage. The room got remarkable hot, and I was glad that my tutor had no problem with my near nudity. I forgot to eat. But in a way, I was feeding on my creativity. It was like tossing a brick on the accelerator of a BMW M5 and trying to steer it through the mountains. The wheels eventually always come off. Knowing this I had locked my door and hid the keys when my conscious self-wasn't really paying attention. The morning light did not come easily. I crawled from it like a newly born vampire. I slowly gained the ability to stand and went back to my desk. The notes had survived. The pictures provided illumination and worked as a sort of a self-discovery I didn’t need. However, the cover was done. I was alive.

    So today as a bit of a treat I went to an outside cafe and told you all about it. I am not airing my liver. Who are we kidding the purity of the air would surely kill it. This is what it is to be a writer. So when you are looking at that book on the shelf, and the price know the author bled to create it. Most certainly differently than me. But we bleed the stories we share with you. To imagine the worlds and characters, we become them. We hurt ourselves and often those that love us. It is this to be a writer of fiction.

    The new book will be released shortly. Redemption’s Bullet is ten times the story Grey Redemption is. It is darker, much darker, and tighter because of those that helped/made me edit it over and over again. I am very proud of this book. It is written in blood only for you as you deserve it. A public thanks to testing readers, coerced editors, friends, fans, and family. This would have never been possible without you! A special thanks to Inga the strongest and most loving person I have been gifted with!

Nielsen Book Ratings and Forced Hands

   This month has come with several new revelations. Revelation delivery is usually reserved for angels. It must be a union shop or something. These shipments usually are accompanied by destruction or at the very least several people turning into salt. Thankfully my revelations were delivered by the outsourced delivery service, so it was with slightly less destruction. Not that this was in any way easy and without some serious soul searching, and anger.

    It turns out that all the stuff we writers have learned by attending conferences and learning how to “break” into the publishing world has missed a very significant tool. This tool is called the Nielsen Book Ratings. Yes, the same metric that brought you the Kardashians and petulant screaming Irish chefs is firmly in control of what gets published. In the same breath, Agents and dominant Publishing houses are bemoaning the state of the industry. 

We have all heard, or read, the responses from Literary Agents. "Due to the shrinking reading, demographic traditional publishing houses are less inclined to take risks with new authors or lesser artists." Really? So it rained last year, and the wheat crop failed, so you decide not to plant another one? We creative, typing monkeys are what you people eat. So you’re not going to encourage us to keep writing? If authors are not nurtured why would we they feel any loyalty to stay with a house? It’s business. You made your percentage from my effort and applied the skills you were compensated for, and now I am in the Nielsen Book Rating top one hundred; so piss off. JK Rowling dumped her publisher and while I don’t know the reason for certain it does give me pause to wonder. 

I do know one famous author who has moved to a smaller press for his series books, and the new titles he is publishing. He has mastered his craft and doesn’t need the editorial help. He was on the NYT bestseller list a few times over the years so is name is out there. Why should he choose to subject himself to the influence of companies driven by an accountant metric that brought us such wonderful enriched TV like Bay Watch! 

The huge media giants decide what makes main stream TV. Meanwhile, Show Case tops the charts with “Sons Of Anarchy” and the Sci-Fi channel makes a killing with “The Expanse”. So if these media giants see this with TV based using an outdated and stupid metric why would they apply it to print? More to the point, why has not one single agent or agent representative brought this up as a point during a writers class at one of the many conferences I attended or spoke at? I’ve listened to hours of material about making a killer thirty-second elevator pitch, creating a foundation of readers, and the ‘secret’ bump to get you to the top of the slush pile. ‘I’ve been offered representation and wanted to give… ‘ 

    Perhaps it is because they are close to the fire and know if they let the cat out of the bag that unless your first book is a blockbusting bestseller you’re in and done at one! Faced with this reality it is easy to see why putting in the amount of work to school a new author past all the pitfalls and issues that may come up is daunting. It also explains my disappointment with the last several mainstream titles I bought and read. The Border by Robert McCammon was the only book I enjoyed reading in the previous year. 

I was lucky enough to have an agent that follows me on Twitter point this out a few weeks ago. Now I could point out errors and omissions in the Nielsen system, but, this would just look like sour grapes. It isn’t the reporting system that I have issue with. It is the idea of 'mainstream', and writing to the audience desires. If you have never tried Red Wine how do you know what you like? If all you have been exposed to is the White variety and the rating system only has Whites, does a Red go to market under this system? No, it does not! The profit margin is closely watched by the accounting department and not the creative editorial one. If you need a greater example swipe to your music collection. Is it 'MAINSTREAM'? Is it one or two styles? No it probably is as varied as you and your moods. I have twenty thousand songs, all purchased, from so called 'mainstream' to Jim Carrol and the Dropkick Murphys. How many albums did the Jim Carrol Band sell? Probably not enough ever to make what his book The Basket Ball Diaries made in a week! This preoccupation of some with chasing fancy bits of paper with pictures on it created the Indie music industry and then had to play catch up, buying Indie labels, to stay relevant. These same suits, and those that stupidly play their game are making the same mistakes all over again! 

So while the big houses complain about the industry changing while refusing to see the hand they play in these changes. Fanning the fires of their destruction while the fast moving formats adapt and overcome. The publishing industry will not be the same story arc as the music industry. They say Caesar played the violin as Rome burned. Do we hear the same tune under the incessant whining of those that profit from our arthritic fingers and denied social encounters because we made the decision that; “This Day We Write!” 

So with this scathing blog I have forced myself into a corner. I have let the cat out of the bag for many of you that may be unaware of this system. If you currently have representation you might want to insure it fits with your life path. If your first ride on the bull isn’t incredible you will have to pen name your next attempt! I may have to put my money where my mouth is as well. I promised you a sequel. I have written you a sequel. I have, with help, edited you all a great sequel. One that is far better than the first. I have a multi-country fan base so the traditional method of publishing means that my Russian fans have to pay a days wages to read it. This isn’t progressive or fair. So perhaps I price it out as 2.99 and let everyone who wants to enjoy a good story do just that!! Stay tuned!! 

POSTBLOG (I couldn't find this as a word. Postscript is but this is more accurate! Hey, Chicago Book Of Styles... Decision please?

    My wise mother always said when you write an angry letter you should 'sit on it' for twenty-four hours and then reread it. So I did this with the Blog. I awoke even more pissed off at this situation than when I went to bed. After reading this again I have managed to put this into perspective. While I genuinely feel for those of you struggling to create and imagine wonderful stories it is the world we find ourselves in. So while my decision to adopt the; "Not my circus, not my monkeys" mindset it is my hope that in reading this you are a little more prepared. I also looked over my fan base and what the actual cost would be for many to enjoy my newest effort. Too many of my fans and followers live in areas that are less affluent than America and Canada. I am not in the position that I have to earn money off my writing to eat. But, for some on my FaceBook Author Page that actually may be the decision. So I am going to publish this sequel with Amazon. It will be available as a paperback and eBook sometime before summer. In doing this I know Scott D. Covey will be blacklisted. But, I believe the industry that is forcing my hand is going to burn into obscurity anyway. Finally, I get to keep my promise to give as many people a sequel as I can. 

I have created an author page and it is here: Scott D. Covey

   In closing I want to publicly thank all my test readers. Jason, Shawn, Cathy, Angela, Tim, Dimitri, Sergei, and Elliot (AKA RIZ).

   A very special thanks to a friend with a heart only small when compared to his intelligence. This option was only made possible by his hard hours of editorial work. Jay I am in your debt and know many will read this that wouldn't have been able to at a $9.99 kindle price point! Further all profits will be forwarded to a worthy cause to help education or reading in parts of the world that benefited from the low price point option. 

To: 

Penguin Random House £409.9m (23.4%) ... 

Hachette Livre (UK) £287.9m (16.4%) ... 

HarperCollins £132.3m (7.6%) ... 

Pan Macmillan £57.3m (3.3%) ...  

I send you a very special Vancouver Alex salute..........................

Havana Club Georgia and my Chirstmas Saviors

I am done apologizing for not keeping up with my blog posts. I turned fifty, so I believe I am pretty much done apologizing for anything unless I light you on fire. It has been very busy here in Tbilisi, not that anyone will notice, but between firing off a response to a request for a full manuscript submission and exclusive time to read it in full we have been doing the holiday thing in addition to the regular day to day. So I haven’t had much time to think really. I found I was being pulled back into the regular Canadian lifestyle of work, responsibility, and more work. This is Georgia! The focus is on Family, friends, and enjoying life. So why the hell was I falling back into this routine, complete with those nagging questions such as; “Is this story plot really tight enough?” “Did I go too far with the Countess (in Redemption’s Bullet)? Did I get too drunk on my birthday? What is with the holidays that makes people so crazy? Georgia has more holidays it has two calendars and so when you add the Canadian Christmas the madness of the season became a little overwhelming. So I did what I normally do when surrounded by pissed off elephants, growling leopards, or quiet smiling tattooed Russians. I whispered to myself; “Relax, take it easy ain’t nothing killed you yet.” This usually cues up the mental recording of Monty Python’s song Always Look at the Bright Side of Life and cures everything. Not this time!

Like only a whisper spoken in the dark can it caught in the chaos of “I wonders” and threatened to drag me with it. That only leads one to the bathroom mirror at two am with questions and concerns that the person reflected can’t answer. The situation was dire, threatening, a Fear Of The Dark Iron Maiden accompanied Joyce meets Hunter S. Thompson merging. I needed a cigar!

This thought brought to me by the labored spray of sweat as my last angel struggled in an unrecoverable flat-spin. Crashing on my shoulder back first, I couldn’t help but think “Bet she misses the good one now.” Instead,  I said; “Perhaps, I’ll have two.”  Cue AC/DC …No stop signs, speeds limits nobody gonna slow us down….

I jumped into a cab and sped off into the sunlit cool of this beautiful city that has been home for four months. While this may sound easy, enough, let me add a few disturbing facts. Taxi drivers are nice and helpful, saint-like sometimes, but I can’t speak Georgian, they can’t speak English, and we both speak Russian like seven-year-olds. Just to make it interesting Georgia has a very odd pattern to it’s streets and the cabs from one area have a very limited knowledge of other areas. I was going to Vake the richer area of Tbilisi from the working class area. The exhausted angel sleeping it off in my pocket wasn’t going to be any help.

We made it through the holiday traffic and managed to discover Davidoff Cigars. Mecca, in this case, was a small little shop with English enough staff. The section of cigars was splendid and with prices as close to Cuba as I’ve seen. They were very helpful and bent over backward to make my stay enjoyable. I enjoyed a small Robusto and reality returned slowly. Life is to be enjoyed. One should not be aware of their angels, just the blessings each day brings. I inhaled the aged Cuban leaf deep into my lungs and with each exhale felt a little more normal.

The other Cigar smoker in the lounge was Shawn. Shawn is not his real name. It is the name he kindly allows us English tongue handicapped people to use. This is a little example of Georgian hospitality. We enjoyed some small talk as Cigar lovers and became fast friends. He told me that he belonged to the Georgia Whiskey Club and that they were having a Bourbon tasting on Sunday if I wanted to come. I jumped at the idea.

Sunday came, and I met with an awesome, friendly group of locals from all walks of life. The evening's host was Giga Khatiashvilli, and he greeted me like an old friend when I walked into the restaurant-bar 11/11 located at 11 Galaktion, near Liberty Square. He wasn’t just a gracious host, but stepped up to be my interpreter for the evening as well. We sampled two offerings from Jack Daniels, and two more from Bulleit. The opinions of the evening were as varied as the palates they graced. I preferred the Bulleit offering distilled in Lawrenceburg Indiana. It contained  95 percent Rye and was a little more “layered.”

The tables were graced with various whiskey themed offerings as well. Chicken skewers finished in a Jack Daniels sauce and baked apples finished in the same manner with walnuts. Various finger food delicacies also found their way onto our table, and I had a good time trying to explain the haute culinary couture of a hush-puppy. It came down to everyone loves mashed potatoes, and deep frying makes everything better. The evening was tied in a bow with coffee, cigars, and a wonderful pumpkin pie.

During the evening, Giga introduced me to his friends and Shawn managed to get free of work to attend as well. I was introduced to Dimitri Gakhov and told he was Tbilisi’s resident expert on cigars. Turned out he is and it also turns out he is a super nice guy as well. Not at all like a stuffy expert! We shared the evening, and I forgot how much I was missing home and my traditional Christmas. While it might sound maudlin, but I wasn’t in the least bit drunk and the room truly was filled with the spirit of Christmas. People of all walks of life and income were enjoying a common love and sharing.

Dimitri invited me out to the Havana Club Tbilisi, as he was expecting the new 2015 Bolivars to arrive and I decided to take him up on his offer. I met him at the Havana Club and was immediately impressed at the design and offerings of this oasis. It is an inviting and yet elegant place, striking a perfect match rarely seen in cigar lounges. He greeted me in a rich dark suit, and I was formally attired in Puma T and antiqued Guess jeans. It was fine, and we both fit the decor. The humidor at the Havana Club is impressive, and I don’t say that with an “in Georgia” qualifier. Novice to the jaded smoker will find something to tempt and tantalize including rare offerings and aged beauties. The selection of spirits is as remarkable, and the staff are attentive and professional.

Dimitri and I talked about the Club and his visions for the future and enjoyed a couple of hours between tasks that demanded his attention. One of these was the delivery of the 2015’s and watching him open the boxes once again reminded me of Christmas. It is rare to see a man doing his job that is not a job but a passion and love. If you are within a thousand kilometers of this place, it needs to be on your cigar bucket list. If you are a true connoisseur and love travel, then this should be a destination stop. Georgia has incredible wine and not just the sweet stuff that gets exported to the Americas, but world class incredible vintage sips. I also heard that one of the most famous wine areas in a country known for wine is going to do a Port offering. Hey, I know a guy, and I feel better now!

Georgia is rich in history and culture, and while you can find that elsewhere you can not find hospitality like this anyplace. Add to this an easy visa process and incredibly gentle sin tax and you will not find a better place to smoke and drink while you check out a little history.

 

Musings & just a little venting in Tbilisi

The Surrey International Writers Conference is currently going on and I find myself sorely in need of some positive energy. The kind Robert Dugoni usually brings in bunches. Getting and reading rejection letters are part of every writer’s path. It is part of the business and the trade. This fact doesn’t make it any easier. Being a citizen of the world and away from one’s regular support group compounds the issue. Well, at least Vodka is inexpensive and good in Tbilisi. Relax, my over sensitive readers, it isn’t that bad. But at times it feels that way and at moments like those I reflect on the stories Bob told a few years ago, and will most likely say again to you attending this year. Fill up on those as they will pay as many dividends as any Masters Class. Be positive with one another, and support each other, as we are all the same regardless of the stories we tell. I know it can be difficult but endure.

I recall listening to a writer attendee talk about his Neo-gothic steampunk vampire detective novel. It was set in the last century, but the dialogue was in an abbreviated text form of language. I listened and while most certainly not my genre, interest, or understanding I nodded and was supportive. When someone interjected negatively about the language form, I responded with “It worked for A Clockwork Orange.”

We storytellers (props Rick M) face a very uphill fight. The industry is changing and the audience seems to still be shrinking. Time, our most precious commodity, is fleeting and making the time to read is difficult. I love reading and I can’t get into fiction while I am writing. I reward myself with two weeks of reading time when I finish my first draft. Letting the project sit I let myself enjoy some fiction. Traveling the world and enjoying real books means when I finally got to my copy of The Border it looked like it had been through a war. I enjoyed it immensely and was reminded of the magic of reading once again. Good storytellers can perform this magical feat. It also inspired me to pick up my own MSS and run a critical eye over it again. I re-read sections of Writing 21st Century Fiction by Donald Maass paying close attention to some tension angles and twists. It inspired me to push the envelope of the genre and write a new first chapter. Risky to be sure, but I believe it works better and adds a quirk and a twist reader’s will love or hate. Either way it will generate strong emotions. Currently, it seems to be hated. But lets put this into perspective Agents aren’t really readers. They are quasi-humans descended from the genes of the three-headed dog that guards Hell. As such they guard the gates of literary stardom and obscurity with a fierce voracity. Jaded and judgmental they journey through piles of parchment penned pap, searching for the next STEPHEN…Seriously they are human. They read our stories with an expert eye to the marketability of our stories. They know the industry and the market. Perhaps in this climate they are less likely to take many risks but, on the whole, they are positive people. I try to remember this fact when I read; “While I liked the characters and the…I just don’t think I am the right agent for this project.”

One point of criticism that I will in all seriousness add is hire some of the out of work tech gurus and start accepting PDF attachments. Honestly they could use the work and are pretty cheap these days. I write in Scrivener, on a Mac, and exporting to rich text and fixing all the page breaks, margins, exotic punctuation, and ghost monkeys is more than a little challenging. “Please add in the body of your email three chapters…page margins of…with pink bows instead of periods and underlines for italics.” I think a correctly written query is enough to let you know if this person is real or not. Then decent antivirus software at the server level should be protection enough. Bring the PDF down to an Ipad for continued reading if you think the risk is too great. Imagine reading projects formatted and easy on the eyes? Nirvana right? If you have made the decision to spend four hours reading an MSS then surely the expenditure of two hundred bucks for an old Ipad is minuscule for the combined ease to you and writer alike. I wonder how many great writers get slush piled because they sent an email with difficult to read content?

  I have been making new friends here in Tbilisi and enjoying the country of Georgia. Inga and I have been helping out friends that run a place called The English Language Club. It is a great little club that does English language training and asked if we’d come and tell the kids about Canada. It was a hit and everyone had a great time learning. Me included!

Tbilisi, Georgia. Deep Traditions and Growing Change.

I am listening to your requests so this post will have a lot more pictures and be from more of a Travel Agent perspective. I have been in Tbilisi Georgia for a little more than three weeks. Inga has been away in Moscow working and so I have been left to my own devices. The apartment is clean and I haven’t burned the place to the ground despite it having a gas stove. It is has been pretty uneventful and while I would like to make something up to make this blog a little
more exciting. I will leave that to my fiction writing.

Speaking of my writing. The latest MSS is finished its second draft. It is currently out with test readers. I think the actual new term is Beta Readers. I prefer the latter as I am testing out ideas. Not everyone got the same MSS either. Some included the alternative ending and others the beginning. I am not sure which to use just yet, or if I’ll use either. I read a little bit of Donald Maass’s book on 21st-century fiction while the power was out. I’ve read it before but having just finished the MSS I was looking at it with a new light. I had just received a tweet from Bob Mayer about never writing ‘The End’ on your work as it is never really done. Well, the two things motivated me to take a big risk and write and alternative start to the project. Personally I think it is a pretty cool beginning to a very different military story. I like it, but we will have to see what the test readers say.

            The power went out today in the apartment building I am living in. Not really an unusual occurrence in the city. I take something frozen out of the bottom and put it in the top without thinking about it too much anymore. The bucket bath, a skill I picked up from my time in Anapa, made easier as we have gas so ‘WOOF’ a little missing arm hair and I have hot water. When the power came back, I went to take the garbage out and on the ride down it went out again. The old Soviet era elevator stopped. No drama. But also without an emergency descend to the bottom and open feature. I took stock of my garbage and found a two-liter bottle and some dried bread. I was in good shape. I could pee politely and had food. So I got comfortable in the corner and sat thinking. Not much else to do. No call button and no way in hell anyone would understand me if there was. It kind of struck me that life was similar to being stuck in an elevator. You have a planned floor to go to, but the doors could open at any minute and present you with other levels, other possibilities. The garbage you drag onto your personal elevator was just garbage a minute ago. Yet could come in handy during the trip and that you really have no control. I know we all love the illusion of control, being the master of your own destiny and all that crap. But in reality we don’t. All we have are intentions. I intended to go to the bottom floor and toss my garbage. Now I am running Die Hard scenarios out in my brain trying to find the hidden access door on the roof of my cell, and pondering climbing up and out of this mess. Luckily I didn’t find the access door and thirty minutes later the power returned and so did my journey. Perhaps I was channeling the fictitious Forrest Gump, but it did kind of strike me as a strange parallel. Remember I do believe everything happens for a reason. Like they say “Sometimes it is because you’re stupid and make bad choices.”

            I made the choice the other day to go for a walk and see what belonged to the fancy lights I could see in the distance. Not having Inga at home I had to go in the daylight as I lacked sufficient backup. I had been looking at this building in the distance for a long while and at night it is truly remarkable. It is out of place in the blend of the cities architectures both in design and the fact it is all lit up. It is also out near me, which is out in the middle of nowhere as far as the locals are concerned. If you have ever walked anyplace in Las Vegas, you will understand that big things look a great deal closer than they really are. There is probably another life parable here, but I will resist as I think I already have filled enough page centimeters for all the pictures you’ve been asking for.

It was 28 degrees metric when I started out on the journey. For the imperially educated that is hot. I walked on the roads I knew and it took me a round about way, but you all know I love walking. First I started seeing something I haven’t seen since home in Vancouver. Chinese people. First just one Chinese person, and then a couple, and soon a bunch. I thought I’d stumbled on a hidden Chinatown. In a way I had. The Hualing Group is a  private development group from XinJiang China and they have started a massive development in Georgia. By huge I do mean HUGE. They have set up a customs-free zone, built roads, a large market-style mall, hotel, recreation center, and housing in this out of the way area of Tbilisi. Having lived in Vancouver all my life I am used to how the Chinese do things. I think they probably invented the idea of “go big or go home.” The Great Wall comes to mind as an example. The quote “go big or go home” probably sounds better in traditional Hanyu as well. The pictures I have posted gives you an idea of the truly epic scope of these projects.  The mall market complex is almost finished and included stores that were open and staffed, actually overstaffed with Georgian sales people. I walked and looked inside a few shops and stopped to grab a Pepsi at one place that was set up as a café and playroom for children. Inside two men were speaking Mandarin and looking over a Hong Kong newspaper. I asked for a Pepsi from the salesgirl and they stopped talking, hearing me speak English. Both asked me, at the same time, where I was from. I confirmed that I did not know George. They had both been to Vancouver and loved it. I asked a little about the massive project and with obvious pride they explained that Georgia was quickly becoming a toehold in Europe for the Asia Pacific expansion. The company had bought controlling interest in a Georgian bank and had confirmed plans with the current Government. I asked about how the locals were reacting and both men looked at each before saying things were ok. Things are only ok when they are at a crossroads. I understand the local people need work as over 15% were unemployed according to the latest figures.  This development provides that, but I also know how Vancouver sometimes reacts to significant foreign investment and development. Georgia is no different and compared to British Columbia is significantly smaller. Georgia is 70 thousand square kilometers and British Columbia is 944 thousand square kilometers. Georgia’s population is 4.4million people and Vancouver’s is 2.93 million.

       

  I continued up the large, wide road used by many to test the mettle of their cars and bodies, and to my spied destination, past the massive ongoing development. I was very surprised to see that it was a Preference Hotel. Preference hotels may be relatively unknown to North Americans. They only have one hotel on the continent, and it is in Montreal. It is a French company that started in 2000 and focused on bringing true luxury to the traveler’s experience. This focus on experience has provided many awards to the properties they have. 

           The Orwellian architectural design is at both times foreboding and fitting. Hotels never want to be referred to as foreboding. But I use the word carefully. Georgia is a former Soviet State, and this historical reality is everywhere you look in building designs and signage. So this  beautifully foreboding building strikes a perfect balance between that history while not having to copy the bland older residential buildings in the district. It compliments the newly erected Hualing Tbilisi Sea New City residential buildings behind it. This feat would be similar to correctly matching a bow tie and jeans, with a traditional Cheongsam-inspired ladies polo shirt. The thought and design that went into creating this perfect blend reminded me of a story about making tea in a paper bag. If it is done perfectly the water prevents the bag from burning while over the fire as the tea steeps. 

This Orwellian theme dissolves the moment you walk into the expansive lobby of the hotel. The staff are attentive. Security was aware that I had walked into the hotel with running shoes, dusty from the long journey, and a moderately soaked dress shirt. I was slightly underdressed for a five-star hotel but apart from being noticed was not made to feel this way by the staff. Security and guest safety is an essential feature of any upscale hotel. But you do not want to be asked for a visa card when you come back from a jog or walk either. Again we see this balance in action, by the expertly trained staff.

A large reception of business types was going on and I grabbed a seat and watched how the Georgian team worked. I love showing up unannounced at a hotel and getting a real look at service levels. If you call ahead and say “Hi I am a travel consultant for Brave New World Travel and I’d like to arrange a tour of your property” you get a show. So I never do this. I like to sandbag the experience and see the reality. The staff was slammed with this impromptu meeting and handled it perfectly. While I watched the hotel General Manager walked by and said good afternoon in French. I responded in French and then introduced myself in English. Petter Lillvik switched to perfect English seamlessly and asked where I was from and if I was a guest. I explained my situation and he made the time to show me around the wonderful property without making it appear like he was making time. While I knew, he was an incredibly busy person I was made to feel like I was the most important person on the property at that time.

During the tour, he explained the hotel's soft opening and that the grand opening was in the future. He took pride in the property without appearing to be boastful. He told me the Chinese restaurant called be Ensemble had culinary experts from various regions in China and could handle private groups as well. The hotel was booked to near capacity. That size limited, as many rooms were not yet finished. One room was available, a regular room, and together we took the elevator to the floor as he explained the yet to be completed projects. The large recreation center is going to have the largest hotel indoor pool in Georgia and boasts yoga classes and saunas. The hotel's commitment to ‘Green’ energy usage demanded strict guidelines as well. All the air-conditioning is done with natural gas and the lights in the huge hallways are motion controlled.

The price point of this property is significantly less than other “like” venues and I put that word in quotes as this property is a five star using the Chinese standard and not the European one used by other properties. The old Marriot compares, as does the Radisson Blu. If I were to suggest a property to my clients, I would defer to this one because of its attention to guest experience and location. It is closer to the airport and has a daily shuttle to Old Tbilisi. It is in a quieter location and with its proximity to  Tbilisi Sea has much more to do. The locals all say the air is much better up here as well.

Tbilisi itself is a magnificent city and Georgian hospitality is as advertised. The locals like visitors and, generally speaking, go out of their way to help you experience the city. I have wandered all over the place and have yet to encounter any truly negative situations. Cabs are a bit of a challenge. But then they are in many European and North American cities as well. For the most part, they are un-metered and require a bit of haggling for locals and tourists alike. But then they are cheaper than any of those cities as well.

The Metro or subway is of old Soviet design and is an excellent way to cheaply see different areas of the city. You have to buy a card, and that costs two Lari and then a ride is.50 Lari. You can’t get the money back for the card unless you keep the paper receipt but for two Lari it is a cheap souvenir. The main line travels roughly East to West and a second line approximately North and South. A third line out to the airport has been under construction for years. The signs and announcements are in both English and Georgian and if you end up going the wrong way you can just get off and cross the platform. You can also leave the station and if you swipe again within an hour and a half from your first swipe, it is free. There is no need to swipe in and out like the silly system in London.

A Funicular also operates up to Mtatsminda Park and this is a splendid way to get one's bearings in this old city. You need to buy a card and again get another souvenir. But, the views and sights are well worth it. At the top, they have many restaurants, a nightclub, and many things for children to do. One of Tbilisi’s richest residents' houses is on display from this vantage point. The silver and glass house is owned by one of the richest men in the country and is truly beautiful in design. It even has its own enclosed heliport!  They also have a ride like the London Eye yet here it is on the top of the mountain and the views incredible. The easiest way to get to the Funicular is to follow the signs from Liberty Square and its magnificent monument of Saint George.

Tbilisi is a city in transition, expansion, and conflict. One could argue that this has been the case for centuries. Georgia wants to become a member of the United Nations and in all rights it should be. It holds deeply, traditions and traditional Orthodox beliefs and these bring it into conflict with the newer generation. The influence from the USA brings many of these traditionally held customs into question. Music and dress are influenced and, as in America, bring youth into disagreements with parents.  The speed of this transition is different. The instant share nature of the new world is placing challenges in this society without the support of the influencing nations. Bringing Georgia into the fold of the UN would relieve some of these pressures.

The youth all are taught English in school from grade one. The older adults speak Russian from their past education or occupation, depending on the point of view held. Children are now getting Russian language training as well in school starting in grade three. The strain of learning three languages is evident. A friend of mine, Magdalina, runs an English Language Club for children after school and it is very popular. She speaks English very well and her husband Alex speaks well enough.

While growing up speaking many languages is something I wish I had done, the support for such skills is left up to the individual families. English needs practice as many of the words and word prefixes make little sense. Mice, Mouse, House Houses, Moose Moose, the common plural Mooses has been dropped for being irksome. As well it should be but I believe you see the point. Practice is the make or break point for ANY language and with one as varied as English Magdalina is a real oasis in Tbilisi. She is enthusiastic and this rubs off on the students lucky enough to have found her. I shutter to think about higher learning and grammar usage as English is so fluid a language that it is always changing. That is at least my own excuse when I commit a faux pax and have a hundred people point it out via messages! Angela, Tim, David come to mind! But in truth I am better for the experience and my own writing as sloppy as it is allowed to be in a blog has got better for it.

I am going to leave this here, as it has already been over a month since my last blog. I will write more on the separate districts of Tbilisi and the countryside of Georgia as a whole in the future. Enjoy all the pictures you have requested.