LGBT in Georgia

I live in  a country where feminism is nonexistent, sexism rules, homophobia is the norm and the definition of “manly” is just a bunch of man fighting for no peculiar reason.

Today, in Tbilisi, for the second time, the homosexuals decided to do a Gay parade. It wasn’t actually supposed to be a parade, just a bunch of them would stand on the streets, with their banners saying “don’t be afraid of being who you are” and stuff like that. They don’t want gay marriage or adoption to be legal, they just want they rights to be the same as the heterosexuals. But nothing can go peacefully in this country.

The people from the church, teens, adults, politicians, even human rights activists decided to raid the parade. Yeah, human rights activists. The ones that are supposed to protect every kind of human, say that they don’t protect “inhuman” people and apparently, homosexuality is inhuman and LGBT people can’t even get legal protection.

I thought the raid would be less violent and wouldn’t last all day. But it began in the morning and getting more and more violent. There are so many people in the streets that I think the whole town is there. I can’t even tell who is homosexual and who is not. Everybody is just fighting. The priests. The fuckin’ priests. They are standing hand in hand, with huge crosses on their necks, and saying things a priest should never say.

And Facebook? Facebook is blowing up! Most of the people on my FB say things like “If this means being European, that I’d rather be Asian!” and “Georgia is a saint country and LGBT people have a bad effect on our morality!” and so on and so on…

I don’t know what should happen for the situation to get better. Why do people care that a guy likes a guy and a girl likes a girl? It’s their business. A little kid won’t decide to become gay just because he saw two guys or two girls kissing! If it’s not in you, than you will never be gay! Why do people make a big mess about something so trivial? When there are so many important, a lot more important thing going on? 

People say that the 21st century is debauched. They say that Georgia is in this state because people want to become European. I’m sorry, but in which universe is our century debauched? Sex didn’t exist before? Or gays didn’t exist? Or what? It has simply become easier to be who you are, to love whoever you want, fuck whoever you want. Why shouldn’t I want to be European? Life in Georgia sucks and the mentality sucks, even though I still love my country. But I love it for that 10% of people who think the way I think, and who give me hope that soon this 10% will grow into 20% and keep growing.

Gay people are normal people! Nothing is different! I have a gay friend and I know his boyfriend and they are totally normal people. 

Smoking

I am not going to talk about how bad smoking is! Well, sure it is bad, but this is not my topic today.

As you guys know, or you probably don’t, I study at the Academy of Fine Arts. This is a place that has a bad reputation because of the “artists” that study there and one thing artists do very often is smoking. I am a smoker, I have to admit. I know it is bad! I just like it. I started smoking a few years ago in summer when my sister and I had nothing to do so we decided to taste our dad’s Camel. Which was a bad idea, since he only smokes yellow Camel, which is the worst I have ever tasted! So having nothing much to do and always having a few cigarettes by our side, we became smokers. From 2 cigarettes a day, I went up to 10 cigarettes a day.

I know a lot of people who smoke. They do it because they like it. Like my dad. I always had my dad as an example (a bad example of course) of a smoker. He would sit in his “office”, (that’s how we call the room where the computer and the books are) turn on King Crimson or Pink Floyd and light a cigarette. I watched him do it many times so I grew up thinking that music can’t be enjoyed if you don’t smoke. So I always have music on if I smoke or if I talk. I don’t smoke unless I’m doing something else.

Now let’s get to the point shall we! As I said before, I know a lot of smokers. What makes me mad about the majority of them is:

1. They claim not to be smokers. I know loads of such people, especially girls. They smoke only with their smoker friends, who they meet almost everyday, but when someone asks them whether they smoke or not, they deny it. If you smoke 10 cigarettes a week, you are a smoker already! No need to deny it! Especially in front of people who see you actually doing it! It always drives me mad. I hate when people do something and don’t confess to actually doing it.

2. They constantly complain about how bad smoking is. Every time these people grab a cigarette, they get this disgusted face, light the cigarette and start claiming that cigarettes are slowly killing us and we should get rid of them, but they smoke anyway! The whole world knows how bad they are and those who are worried by it don’t smoke! If you are so worried about dying at the age of 19 and have to constantly nag about it and say that you don’t like the taste of cigarettes, then why do you smoke? Because it’s cool? Because you’re an “artist”? Or what? It’s a myth that giving up is not easy! It’s damn easy if you want to!  There were days when I felt bad and I hadn’s smoked at all! It’s not that difficult! Ex-smokers I know always tell me that it wasn’t difficult. So if you don’t have the guts to smoke then don’t! Nobody is asking you to do that! Stop complaining!

I’m sorry, I just went a little mad. It happens to me sometimes.

Hypocrisy

It’s strange how fashionable it has become to be annoyed by the society. It’s especially often in teens and young adults. I’m not talking about politics or any serious stuff, I’m talking about clothing, and music and all that.

The reason I’m writing this is because I have too many annoying people on facebook. They are annoying because they are way too active. My friend, who is male, wrote something that really made me think.

He wrote about how girls (specifically – Georgian girls) are trying to be cool by putting on a lot of make up, wearing shirts that show cleavage and tight jeans, drinking vodka and whiskey, posing and pretending to be who they are not. I’m not saying it’s not true, the majority of the girls really are like that and it makes me angry as well. I’m also a girl, so it makes me angry even more that the same gender as me does things that ruins our sex’s reputation.

BUT! The thing is, if you are a guy and you are annoyed by how this girls talk about getting married and actually do get married, then it means that it is your fault! Ask any guy in the street which girl he will prefer and he will point at one of these “cool girls”. These girls get any guy they want, while smart, witty, interesting, naturally beautiful girls don’t. So what is the problem here? I think the problem is that guys like girls like that, guys like boobs and butts and so on…

Then another friend wrote: “it’s amazing how everyone is trying to be original. Soon originality will lose its true meaning”. These are his exact words. Wow… Your words just blew me off mate… Is this me or is everyone being a hypocrite? Saying stuff like that doesn’t make you any different from the people you are complaining about! You think that by writing a status on facebook you will look any different from people trying to be original? You’re trying to be just the same!

I too, get irritated by things like that, by how people act like posers and douches, but I don’t complain about it everywhere! Why should I? If you ask complainers, they will tell you that they don’t actual care about the subject. Then why were you complaining! Not caring means not caring! It means not mentioning it especially so that everyone can hear you!

I hate posers, I hate hypocrites. If you are original, you don’t need to say it. You have to prove it. Society will give you that label if you really are original. You shouldn’t call yourself.

Just like Tyler Durden said “You’re not a beautiful and unique snowflake”.

Noel Gallagher and Jay-z controversy

In 2008 Glastonbury festival scheduled Jay-z as the headliner. The thing is, that the festival is mostly guitar driven and Noel didn’t like fact that they incited someone like Jay-z as a headliner, when they could have chosen a singer of another genre. I am writing about this now because when I read about this controversy and all the reactions, I pretty much agreed with Noel on his opinions. I love Oasis and I love Beady eye (Liam Gallagher’s band after Oasis broke up) and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, but that isn’t the reason I agree with Noel. Rap music used to be totally different in the 80s and 90s. I love Run-DMC and The Fresh Prince and so on, but rap music now is completely different. I totally hate it. Rappers today sing about “booty” and “swag” and “getting down” and the music videos are almost the same. They date models and attend tons of parties which end up with scandals. I’m not saying that rockers didn’t do that. Rockers were filled with scandals, but it was in the 70s, when the world itself was filled with scandals and music was  something that set people free. Now, popular music is all about: a good music video, a beautiful or handsome singer, lots of butts and boobs and designer clothes. Especially rap music. Noel Gallagher,along with his brother Liam,  is one of those people who are the icon of British music, of Britpop, to be more precise. They shaped the 90s British music. When Noel talks about music in Britain, he has the right to say what he wants, and trust me, I wouldn’t like some glossy American rapper coming to the Glastonbury festival. Rap is all about bling now. Many people criticised Noel for his harsh comments. He talked like any person would talk about something he doesn’t like. The man doesn’t like rap music and especially rap music on a guitar-driven festival. Just because Noel didn’t go all “all kinds of music is good” and “it doesn’t matter to me if somebody says something bad about my music” like Jay-z, doesn’t mean he is a bad person. I like when people are straightforward in showbiz. When I listen to celebrities talking, it seems to me that everything they are saying is a fake, that they are a fake themselves. I’m pretty sure most of them are, they just don’t want their fans to go away because of something their “icon” said that was “wrong”.

ქართველი ქალები და კაცები

დღეს ჩემმა მეგობარმა ბიჭმა დაწერა რაღაც, რასაც თვიდან დავეთანხმე, მაგრამ შემდეგ საშინელი აგრესიის გრძნობა გამიჩნდა ქართველი კაცების მიმართ.

ის წერდა რომ ქართველი გოგოები უკვე ბოზებს ემსგავსებიან და ჰგონიათ რომ 21-ე საუკუნე -  ეს იმას ნიშნავს, რომ ისინი სექსუალრუად უნდა გამოიყურებოდნენ და თავი გაანებონ ყველნაირ კომპლექსებს. მოკლედის ჩემი მეგობარი იმას ამბობს რომ საქართველო გაირყვნა და ეს იმის ბრალია რომ ვცდილობთ ევროპელები გავხდეთ, მაგრამ ამის მიღწევას არასწორი გზებით ვაკეთებთ.

მაპატიეთ იმისთვის რომ ჟარგონებს ვიხმარ, მაგრამ ჩემს ფიქრებში როგორც მომდის სიტყვები ისე ვწერ და ეს ალბათ ჩემი “გარყვნილობის” და ასაკის ბრალია.

რაღაც პონტში ჩემი მეგობარი მართალია მაგრამ მე იმაზე გავბრაზდი, რომ ეს ყველაფერი მხოლოდ გოგოებს ეხებოდა. თურმე გარყვნილი ქართველები მხოლოდ გოგოები არიან და ის რომ ბიჭებს მათთან სექსი უნდებათ მათი ჩაცმულობის გამო ეს გოგოების ბრალია. მაპატიეთ ბიჭებო, მაგრამ მე თუ მინდა ტანგას ჩავიცვამ და თუ მინდა მოკლე კაბას. აქ ევროპელობა არაფერ შუაშია. საქმე იმაშია, რომ მართლაც 21-ე საუკუნეა და 21-ე საუკუნემ ბევრ მიღწევასთან უფრო დიდი თავისუფლებაც მოგვიტანა. მხოლოდ ის რომ ქართველი გოგო ვარ იმას არ ნიშნავს რომ გრძელი კაბა უნდა მეცვას და ჩემი მკერდი უნდა დავმალო, რომ მათ არ გამოიწვიონ ბიჭებში სექსის სურვილი. ბიჭები თუ თავს ვერ იკავებენ კომენტარებისგან ეს ჩემი ბრალი არ არის და დამიჯერეთ არც მაინტერესებს ბიჭი როგორ შემომხედავს. ისე არც ტანგას ვხმარობ არც კაბებს ვიცვამ და არც დეკოლტეს, მაგრამ ეს მხოლოდ იმოტომ, რომ არაკომფორტულად ვარ ამ ყველაფერში.

ქართველები ცდილობენ შეინარჩუნონ უაზრო ძველი ტრადიციები იმიტომ რომ, როგორც ამბობენ, საქართველო უწმინდესი ერია. უწმინდესი ჩემი ფეხი. სიწმინდე არ განისაზღვრება ეკლესიებისა და მღვდლების რაოდენობით. რამდენი მორწმუნეა საქართველოში რომელიც ყველა ათეისტზე უარესია? მაგრამ მოდით რელიგიურ საუბრებზე ნუ გადავალთ.

ვაღიარებ რომ ფემინისტი ვარ. ოღოდ გიჟი ფანატიკოსი ფენიმინისტი არა. საქართველოში ფემინისტობა ძალიან ძნელია.

ბიჭებს ხომ არ მოგწონს გოგოს რომ მოკლე კაბა აცვია და ძუძუები აქ გადმოგდებული, რაც თურე 21-ე საუკუნის ბრალია. მე კიდე არ მომწონს ქართველი ბიჭები რომლებიც ჯერ კიდევ 90-იანი წლების ძველბიჭობაში არიან ჩარჩენილები, რომლებიც ქალის პატივისცემაზე ლაპარაკობენ, მეორე წამს კი გოგოებს უპრობლემოდ აგინებენ, ოღონდ იმ გოგოებს რომლებიც მათი მეგობრები არ არიან რა თქმა უნდა. რომლებიც რელიგიას და ღმერთს ქადაგებენ, არდა ბიბლიაც კი არ აქვთ წაკითხული. რომლებიც ისტერიკას ტეხავენ როდესაც დედას აგინებენ არადა უპრობლემოდ გაიძახიან ყველა წინადადებაში “ჩემი დედა მოვტყან” და “ბოზიშვილი ვიყო”. ყველაზე “ღადაობა” კი ის არის რომ ისინი არც გაზრდილან 90-იან წლებში. უბრალოდ მშობლების მონაყოლებიდან იციან როგორ ტიპები იყვნენ “ნამდვილი ქართველი კაცები” მაშინ და ცდილობენ ქურდ მამიკოებს მიბაძონ.

საქართველოში ყველანაირ სიახლეს ცუდად ხვდებიან და ყველაფერს ევროპას და ამერიკას აბრალებენ. ვითომ ადრე არ იყვნენ ბოზები ან ჰომოსექსუალები ან ათეისტები და მხოლოდ ახლა გამოჩდნენ იმიტომ რომ საქართველო გაირყვნა.

რა სისულელეა. როდის გაიგებს ეს ხალხი რომ საქმე მართლაც ქართულ მენტალიტეტშია და არა იმაში ვინ მოვა მთავრობაში და ვის მივბაძავთ. მე მიყვარს საქართველო და აქ არის ბევრი ადამიანი რომელივ მართლა პატივსაცემია და რომელსაც შეუძლია მხოლოდ ერთი მიმართულებით არ იხედოს. სამწუხაროდ ასეთი ძალიან ცოტაა.

How I became what I am now

I ask a girl named Mary:(who calls herself a musicians just because she plays a bit of guitar, sings along and loves Pink Floyd.

-When did your love for music begin?

And guess what she answered:

-I was 10 months old when I sang along as my grandmother sang a lullaby for me.

And she says that with that very innocent, I-am-so-kind face, which I hate and it makes me want to punch her in a face. Sang along her ganny’s lullaby when she was 10 months?! I did that too, so what? That didn’t make a musician. I sang along many other songs when I was a kid, and loved playing the piano and singing stupid Russian songs which were extremely famous in the 90s.

I someone asked me when my love for art and drawing began, I wouldn’t fuckin’ say “Oh when I was still a toddler I used to doodle a lot hahahahaha”. NO!

Ask me now and I’ll tell you that it all began when stumbled upon a website, where they post all kinds of drawings and illustrators by not so famous artists. I don’t even now the name of it anymore. But I wasn’t a fuckin toddler when that happened! I was 15 or something like that. Until then I hadn’t even thought of going into art seriously. I just loved doodling and scribbling. It all got bigger when I learnt about Andy Warhol. That’s where I knew for sure what I wanted, and realized what my true love in life was. And I was 16 for chrissake. Not 10 months old!

I always get the same replies from people as Mary’s.

-How did your love for writing come?

-Oh, I just watched as my father (a writer) used to write when I was 2 years old or something, I hadn’t even read what he had written, I just loved it!

*A huge sigh*. Both of my parents are pediatricians. All of my life I have been living in a house smelling of Aspirin, Panadol and Rivotril. I have watched a thousand times how my father goes away to work every 2 weeks. I have seen tons of medical books, heard millions of medical phrases and words, and heard thousands of little kids’ cries as I called my mom to work. I was always surrounded by Medicine, but I never thought about becoming a medic myself.

Okay, if you have a talent for things and your parents did the same things, then it’s kinda okay to say that. But when you have never written until the age of 13 how the fuck can you say that you loved writing?! Just because your dad used to write. So what. My dad injected a needle into my sister’s b**tt and I saw how it’s done but I didn’t say that after that I wanted to become a doctor. If I had a thing for Medicine, I would say that. But I don’t. And the majority of people of keep giving me the same answers over and over again don’t have it either. They just love telling sentimental stories of how they became what they are now.

Let me end this punctually incorrect and aggressive post with one sentence.

You didn’t become a musician because you sang lullabies at the age of 10 months, you became a musician because  maybe you found a Pink Floyd CD in your dad’s collection, or saw Morrissey singing This Charming Man, or discovered the Bristol underground scene and it’s artists like Tricky, Massive Attack and Portishead. You become what you are by all the experience you gather throughout the years and all the things you discover on your way.

Michel Gondry Vs. Luc Besson

In an art class today, the teacher asked a question: who, in your opinion, is the greatest film director? I knew the answer right away. Most of the kids didn’t answer because when they watch a movie, they pay attention only to actors, and don’t care about who the film is by. The only answers were, and everyone agreed: Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen, Quentin Tarantino, and Michel Gondry. I love all of these filmmakers, and all of them,except for Gondry, are my favorite ones, really, but why only them? How can 30 people in one room not think of other great directors?  I was beginning to get really angry when they started discussing Michel Gondry’s films. Then, at last, I said: “what about Guy Ritchie? Or Luc Besson? Or Lars Von Trier, Mathieu Kassovitz, Sofia Coppolla,   Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Tim Burton, the Wachowski Brothers and Emir Kusturica? On top of all Danny Boyle!” Danny Boyle, who made Trainspotting! And Slumdog Millionaire, and 127 hours!  My classmates started saying that Guy Ritchie is nothing, that Luc Besson’s movies have no sense in them, that the only famous movies Wachowski brothers made was The Matrix, which is lame and totally sucks, (I totally disagree, Matrix is definitely the best action movie, and if you pay attention to what it is about and forget about the stereotypical opinion that Matrix is lame, you’ll love it.) that Tim Burton’s movies are only special effects and nothings else. They didn’t even know the other directors, only one girl who said Michel Gondry knew them.

Those who knew Luc Besson, had seen only Transporter or The 5th element, which should be in the list of 100 movies to watch before you die, but of course, people don’t agree with me.

I asked which Guy Ritchie movies they had seen, and they said Snatch, of course, and added that Brad Pitt sucked in the movie. I think that Brad Pitt was amazing in the movies, and those who say that Guy Ritchie sucks, have never really watched his movies, and paid attention to all the conversations and finny situations in his movies.

Another thing that made me angry is that these people don’t even want to realize the fact that a movie shouldn’t necessarily have a huge meaning in it! The girl in my class which knew all the directors I listed and loves movies too, said that Michel Gondry is the best. I’m not fond of Gondry’s movies, even though they are supposed to have a meaning as many people say (thought I don’t see it), because I can’t understand them. I like his style, the way he films, and the colors of his movies, and I do respect him, but I can’t say he’s the best director.

Luc Besson, on the other hand, is a real genius. Despite the fact that his movies are mostly action movies, with a thriller, comedy, or romantic twist, he’s the best among such genres. Have you seen The 5th Element? I don’t understand how people don’t like it, and say that it has no meaning to it. I don’t love movies which’s only theme is love, but despite that, The 5th Element is a comedy! A great comedy! I have watched it literally a hundred times, and watch it every time I see it on TV. How can you not laugh at the way Ruby Rhod walks, talks, laughs, screams, complains? Ruby Rhod should be in the list of the most memorable characters in the movies. And Mila Jovovich? She plays Leeloo, and she’s so cute and innocent and naive, but also tough and strong and sensitive. Every character in the movie is unique, and makes you remember them very well: Zorg, played bu Gary Oldman. I know all of his quotes from the movies. Cornelius, the priest, played by Ian Holm, is always so nervous and comic that I can’t stop laughing and the way his hands and lips always shake. And in the end, Korben Dallas, the coolest and the most memorable name in the history of movies. The coolest character Bruce Willis has ever played. What’s the meaning of this movie? It has only one meaning: that loves can save the world, the only movie which portrayed this quote, without it being corny and lame. Another of Luc Besson’s masterpieces is Angel-A. Truly a masterpiece. Nobody can say about this movies that it makes no sense now that’s for sure.

Some don’t like Bessons’s Joan Of Arc, but I love it. His Wasabi? A very funny movie indeed. Yamakasi, my favorite movie as I was a kid. there’s a huge list of his great movies, some of which he has written, and some directed, including: Taxi, Nikita, Unleashed, Bandidas, Transpoter, From Paris With Love, The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec.

I have no words to describe all the other directors I listed, but all of their movies are amazing and unique. Each of these directors has his own style, that you can’t confuse with others.

I know I left out many other directors, like Cohen Brothers or Gus van Sant, but that would make them too many.