A FAM TRIP TO GEORGIA
People often think that wood framing is unsuitable for building engineered residential and commercial spaces structures. There are many myths surrounding wood construction. For example, some believe that steel is a better option over wood in terms of durability, while others think wood construction increases the fire risk. But in reality, it is the other way round; if steel is exposed to a fire, its strength drops dramatically and eventually becomes zero, and the building collapses. While the wood-burning rate does not increase exponentially like steel, if a house catches fire, a wooden structure would give more time for people to evacuate than the steel structures. This blog is here to dismiss people's baseless assumptions and clarify why wood is one of the best building materials for residential and commercial framing.
I hope you will enjoy my memoir of the trip, and here are a few footnotes:
When I mention that Alexander Chavchavadze was an exceptional man, consider this: he was probably Georgia’s most influential writer in the Romantic tradition and a fervent nationalist. But as Georgia’s precarious position made it fair game for the Persian and Turkish empires, it became politically expedient to align itself with Russia, which, if nothing else, was also Christian. (Talk about a dangerous liaison!) As a result, Chavchavadze became a highly successful military commander. So much so that even after his patriotic actions landed him in a Russian jail on charges of treason, he was released so that he could continue to command the Tsars’ armies! All this, and he was a famous winemaker, too. Fascinating stuff.
Speaking of wine, the wine-making tradition in Georgia goes back 8,000 years. As a matter of fact, many of the grapes that we taste in our own traditional wines originated there. The fermentation process is quite different, however. The juice of the grapes is poured into huge terra cotta jugs lined with beeswax, called qvevri, then buried and left to age. This process produces wines that are extremely clean in taste, and Georgian wines are gaining more and more of a place in the international market.
And ah, Tbilisi! This is truly a fond memory of antiquity alongside striking modern architecture and intriguing side streets vs. massive plazas. The glass dome you see in the video is a symbol for transparency in government, and the energy one feels in the streets is anything but tired! This is a city that small as it may be, offers cosmopolitan pleasures and stimulation. Everyone in our group wished we could stay longer, and that is saying something!
Above, my prize purchase, an authentic Georgian sheepskin hat.
My thanks to the Georgian National Tourism Office and Vera Pearson, who jointly organized the tour.
Thanks also to Nadine Godwin for letting me use several of her photos.