Tranquil Sunset at Dubulti

29 April, 2018 | | 4 seen

Dubulti, has been our home since February 2018, we are spending here this Summer.

One of the rare and actually only attractions here is the beach. I've been documenting it a lot lately.

In today's Piece of Life series - a tranquil sunset from Dubulti beach:

Storytelling photo - mother and child in a sunset

Actually, that was here in Jūrmala, I decided to take my second 365 days photo challenge. Photos from today are from folder day 5

Seagulls at sunset

Portrait in a sunset

How To Fix: Error: Call to undefined function curl_init()

28 April, 2018 | Servers | 11 seen

After upgrading from Ubuntu 12 to Ubuntu 16 I discovered an error for Drupal website sending e-mails using Mailsystem + Postmark

here is the error code:

Luckily there is an easy solution, installing missing curl:

Hope, that helps!

Baltic Dividend Stock Market Review - Thoughts After Investing for a One Year

27 April, 2018 | Investments | 23 seen

April 2018, marks a small one year anniversary since I've been investing in the Baltic Stock market, more precisely - Baltic dividend stocks. 

I decided to invest in the Baltic stocks, once I found I'm too short to open Interactive Brokers account for buying US stocks (required opening minimum is $10,000). Buying Baltic stocks from local brokers (SEB bank) is relatively cheap (about 3 EUR commission per trade).

Back in April 2017 I started to acquire first stocks in the Baltics, now a year later I've built a humble (~EUR 7,800 worth) Baltic stock portfolio. In general I could sell of all of my holdings there and put this money to open Interactive Brokers, but that's not the plan (At least not yet)

Since April 2017, I have bought 18 dividend paying stocks in the Baltics, in March 2018, after it was announced that one company is planning to leave Nasdaq Baltics I sold it, got some humble profit). And now I actually hold just 17 dividend paying stocks.

For tracking my holdings in Baltic Stocks I've built a simple Google Spreasheet

In total,in dividends I've received EUR 343,7 giving a dividend yield on cost 4.37%, while the total value for portfolio is with a negative -0.83%,the total gain after one year equals to 3.55%.

Taking into consideration, that I've been using the so called dollar cost averaging to acquire stocks once in a month, results seems actually pretty OK. 

Most of the Baltic dividend stocks pays out yearly, which I don't like much, luckily there are a couple of companies paying more often (there is one paying quarterly, and there are two companies paying semiannually). A nice boost for dividends is the so called special (unexpected) dividends, happening pretty regualary on the Nasdaq Baltics.

Here is the list with top gainers/losers from my portfolio

Top Gainers

Top Losers

OlainFarm and Vilniaus Baldai seems my worst investments yet

Planting Onion Springs and Radishes

25 April, 2018 | Home Remodeling | 5 seen

For the past three years, it has been already a tradition planing some veggies in the garden.

For this year's early garden works - planting onion springs and radishes.

Planting spring onions

Planting radishes

Goodbye Social Sharing Buttons (Speed up Page Load time)

24 April, 2018 | Blogging | 8 seen

Google recently announced Google Speed search ranking algorithm to be rolled out in July 2018, after which page load times on a mobile for the first time will be a ranking factor for Google.

People want to be able to find answers to their questions as fast as possible — studies show that people really care about the speed of a page.

Although speed has been used in ranking for some time, that signal was focused on desktop searches.

The “Speed Update,” as we’re calling it, will only affect pages that deliver the slowest experience to users and will only affect a small percentage of queries. It applies the same standard to all pages, regardless of the technology used to build the page. The intent of the search query is still a very strong signal, so a slow page may still rank highly if it has great, relevant content.

As mobile traffic accounts for about 45% for my blog, with this upcoming Google Speed update I decided to make the most, and most probably to boost overall search rankings for mobile search. A time ago I already implemented Google AMP, and now about 20% of search traffic coming to my blog are served by AMP.

One of the bottlenecks for a really fast website is the so-called third party external javascript files (Social Share, Google AdSense, Amazon OneClick and more).

in my journey on a faster blog, one of the first elements I've decided to eliminate from the blog social share buttons, counters and like boxes. Despite they look cool, they don't drive a lot traffic for my blog, but takes a lot of page resources. 

Let's make a test from tools.pingdom.com. I will test two pages - a frontpage and one of the most popular articles on blog.

Let's start with testing a frontpage:

Testing frontpage

Now, this seems already a nice result, but I would love to see could I push performance above 90 and decrease request count under 50

Testing article page with social sharing buttons enabled

Depending on how you measure, I still got a lovely result with performance grade at A 91 - it seems awesome.  Now, there are two things I don't like from this test (actually 3)

• Requests - 293 requests seems way too much
• Page size 3.4MB - well, this is a hefty image loaded article, but still, I would love to see this under 2.5MB
• Load time - 3.76 - despite seems the page is still 43% faster than other (tested) - I would love to keep this under 3 second

Now, I have a couple of external JavaScript libraries serving social share buttons, it's time to remove them and retest.

First, by removing any social share modules (in my case it was a social share counter module for Drupal)

Retesting frontpage

Now, here are some improvements already - page size has decreased by 0.2MB, and 4 fewer requests

After performing a test for the popular article, there was no much difference, except I noticed another bottleneck caused of external javascript

Requests by domain

Amazon JavaScript takes makes more than 170 requests or about 60% of total requests, just to display recommended amazon products and redirects to .co.uk or .de store users. That's too much of performance, and actually is the next thing I'm planning to eliminate once I will finish with social share codes.

I have Facebook pixel (which I'm not actually using and Facebook SKD served on all pages just to power Facebook like button, now it's time to get rid of them.

Test results after completely removing Facebook SDK and Tracking Pixel

Now, this is some serious performance gains - page size is down from  1.8MB to 1.1MB (I just saved 0.7MB by simply removing social share javascript), Total requests have decreased from 66 to just 40. One thing strangely, but page load time has increased in fact (might be related to empty cache for CDN)

Article testing after removing social share buttons

Here are some performance improvements too, but as I already noticed above, I have problems with Amazon Associates third-party scripts.

After a brief re-thinking, I decided to remove Amazon's OneClick JavaScript too and was able to boost page loads under 2 seconds, and having just 110 requests.

Amazon OneClick? No, Thanks - Improve Page Load times by removing Third Party scripts

How To Migrate Drupal Website From Host to Another Host

22 April, 2018 | Drupal Development | 7 seen

There might be a dozen of reasons why migrating your existing Drupal (or any other CMS) website from one host to another. In today's article, I will share my experience migrating Drupal 7 from one host to another before upgrading to Drupal 8

In this guide, I will migrate Drupal 7 between two separate Linode VPS, at one there is Ubuntu 12.04 and php 5.5 version while at the other there is Ubuntu 16.04 and php 7 version.

Data copies or Backups

Let's start with setting up an environment on host 1 or existing VPS. First I'm going to create data copies for the public_html folder (After investigating folders structure and size, I learned that existing website is at the size of 3.5GB size - that's decent I guess for a more than 4 years and active website).

For seeing folder sizes on your Ubuntu machine, you can run the following command:

Now, let's prepare this folder for migrating to another host.

Run the following command to create a tar.gz archive for public_html folder

Making archive file with Putty

Depending on the size of your website it might be a lengthy process. Though for making a backup for my 3.5GB it took less than a minute. Awesome. 

Now in order to make our backup file accessible via web (wget) let's move it to the public_html in backups folder, if you don't have a backups folder, create one with the following command:

Now let us move completebackup.tar.gz to backups folder

Great, let's move on.

Backup for MySql Database via SSH

If you have a relatively small database you might try to use MySQL database backup using phpmyadmin. My database is larger than 1GB and for this data migration I find it easier to transfer data using SSH

Now let's make the backup for our MySQL database, see How to export/import a MySQL database via SSH 

Exporting a MySQL database

To export a MySQL database, you need to use the mysqldump command. Here is the full command for exporting your database:

You will be prompted for a password - this is your MySQL user's password.

The MySQL database will be exported to a file named "backup.sql" in your current directory.

Now let's move this database to host 2 with wget

from host 2

And now let's import it to MySQL on host

Importing a MySQL database

To import a MySQL database, you need to use the mysql command. Here is the full command:

Again, you will be prompted for the password of your MySQL user.

The backup.sql is the name of the file that you are importing to your database. It must be in your current working directory

Host 2

Now let's transfer files from host 1 to host 2 server. On host to, make sure you are in the public_html folder

Transfer and extract files using wget and tar

LEMP Server Ubuntu 12.04 for serving Drupal on Nginx

We are almost there. Now it is just a matter of some configuration and MySQL database import. 

Now by default phpmyadmin allows uploading just up to 2MB size database. As I have 92MB I had to configure PHPMyAdmin to allow uploading more 

How to configure phpMyAdmin upload directory

Restart FPM

Lazy Day in The Beach (Dubulti - Majori)

21 April, 2018 | | 7 seen

it was one of the sunniest days in early April 2018, we opted in for a Dubulti - Majori (Jūrmala, Latvia) lazy hiking trip. The route is easy and distance is pretty short. 

As usual - I was equipped with a camera and captured some moments. The inspiration for this title I took from here: Lazy Day in Beach (Torremolinos, Spain)

In fact, that is a thing I have been thinking a lot lately - Jūrmala could be developed in a style of Spain's Costa del Sol resort towns. I actually met more folks in April at Jūrmala beach than I met in Spain's resort towns. Sure there are no palms in Jūrmala, but they do make lovely sand sculptures

New parents feeding seagulls at Jūrmala beach

Someone has forgot about the baby. A good mood picture. 

Sand sculptures in Jūrmala

Top Family Friendly Hotels in Tbilisi When Traveling with Kids

20 April, 2018 | Hotel reviews | 30 seen

Tbilisi has a lot to offer, traveling to the capital of Georgia with kids actually is a great idea. Fancy attraction parks, lots of outdoor attraction and of course great shopping experience at Tbilisi shopping malls.

In today's article I've listed some of the best family-friendly hotels in Tbilisi (alternatively see: Top 10 Boutique / Luxury Hotels in Tbilisi (Georgia))

Explore Georgia like a local, book an individual tour now!

Disclosure: hotels listed below contain links to Booking.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a reservation on Booking.com site, I might earn an affiliate income, at no cost to you.

Tbilisi Marriott Hotel

This magnificent 5-star hotel overlooks the main avenue in the centre of Tbilisi, 100 m from the Kashveti Church. Tbilisi Marriott Hotel offers luxury interiors, Fitness centre and sauna. Staff at the 24-hour front desk can help guests with any queries that they may have. On site parking is free at the Marriott Tbilisi.

The spacious rooms at the Marriott Tbilisi are air-conditioned and feature classic décor. All rooms include a flat-screen TV and some offer access to the executive lounge.

International cuisine is served in the elegant Parnas restaurant, and guests can also enjoy light meals and drinks in the Parnas lounge and bar. Fresh pastries are served in the Majestic lounge.

Book this hotel on Booking.com

Fabrika Tbilisi

Housed in a former Soviet sewing factory in the old historic part of Tbilisi, Fabrika Tbilisi features a unique design and architecture with its aged concrete walls enhanced with industrial elements. The property offers comfortable accommodation with well-decorated private or dormitory rooms, combining vintage and modern style.

The rooms of Fabrika have the soviet half-painted walls and old linoleum floors. All rooms come with comfortable mattresses, air conditioning and free WiFi. The private rooms have private bathrooms with a hairdryer and free toiletries are available upon request. Featuring a shared bathroom, the dormitory rooms are equipped with small bed counters, individual reading lamps, and individual lockers.

Fabrika has a courtyard with various cafés&bars, artistic studios, workshops, concept stores, co-working space, barber shop, creative education school and ever changing one-off events. The restaurant of the property offers selected dishes from European cuisine and you can enjoy drinks and snacks from the bar.

Price: ~ EUR 113 Book this hotel on Booking.com

Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi

Selected as Luxury City Hotel in 2016 in Georgia, award-winner Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi is located a 7-minute drive from Varketeli Metro Station, 15-minute from the Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport and 11 km away from the Tbilisi Central railway station.

All rooms are air conditioned and come with a 48-inch flat-screen TV with international channels. The private bathroom includes free toiletries, slippers, bathrobes and a hairdryer. It also contains a bath tub and separate shower cabin.

Guests can order 24-hour room service or eat in the property’s Be CHIC restaurant that serves both international gourmet and local cuisine. Ensemble restaurant provides Asian specialties, while Be COSY lounge bar allows guests to unwind after a busy day. Guests can enjoy watching and playing games, drinks, food and music at the Legends Sports Bar.

The property has 7 meeting rooms in additional of 800 m² grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 600 pax.

Be PURE wellness centre boasted 3500 m², offering indoor swimming pool, spa pool with hydro massage and state-of-the-art Gym facilities.

Located in a newly developed Tbilisi Sea New city, the hotel is only 5-minute drive from East Points Shopping Mall while Tbilisi Saint Trinity Church is a 15-minute drive from the hotel. 

Price: ~ EUR 278 Book this hotel on Booking.com

Museum Hotel Orbeliani

Located in the old part of Tbilisi city with easy access to nearby sightseeings, Museum Hotel Orbeliani is a boutique hotel which features a unique architecture, restaurant, bar and free WiFi throughout the property. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant. Free private parking is available on site.

Every room at this hotel is air conditioned and features a flat-screen TV. Enjoy a cup of tea from your terrace or balcony. The rooms have a private bathroom. Extras include bathrobes, slippers and free toiletries.

There is a 24-hour front desk at the property.

The hotel also offers car hire.

Price: ~ EUR 110 Book this hotel on Booking.com

Ambassadori Tbilisi Hotel

Offering a sun terrace and sauna, Ambassadori Tbilisi Hotel is set in Tbilisi City in the Tbilisi Region Region. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant. Free WiFi is available in all rooms.

Every room includes a flat-screen TV. Certain units include a seating area for your convenience. You will find a coffee machine in the room. Each room is equipped with a private bathroom equipped with a bidet. For your comfort, you will find bathrobes and slippers.

There is a 24-hour front desk, a cash machine and shops at the property.

Price: ~ EUR 268 Book this hotel on Booking.com

The Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi

Offering an indoor pool, spa and a fitness centre, The Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi is located in Tbilisi, 300 m from Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. The hotel has a sun terrace and a sauna. Guests can enjoy a drink at the bar or taste different cuisines at on-site restaurant.Free private parking is available on site.

Each room at this hotel is air conditioned and features a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. Some rooms have a seating area to relax in after a busy day. Enjoy a cup of tea while looking out at the river or city. Rooms have a private bathroom equipped with a bath and bidet. Extras include bathrobes and slippers.

Price: ~ EUR 3,149 Book this hotel on Booking.com

Hotel Golden Palace

This hotel is located in the north of Tbilisi, 5 km from Tbilisi Reservoir. Billiards and free Wi-Fi are featured at Hotel Golden Palace.

The bright, air-conditioned rooms offer warm-coloured interiors and modern décor. Each room offers a TV, a refrigerator and a private bathroom with bathrobes and a hairdryer.

The on-site restaurant serves Georgian and European cuisine, and a variety of drinks is offered at the bar.

Price: ~ EUR 73 Book this hotel on Booking.com

New Tiflis Hotel

Featuring a terrace and a shared lounge, New Tiflis Hotel is situated in Tbilisi City, 800 m from Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. This property is located a short distance from attractions such as Rustaveli Theatre, Freedom Square, and Tbilisi Zoo. The accommodation offers a 24-hour front desk and free WiFi.

Guest rooms in the hotel are equipped with a flat-screen TV. Rooms come complete with a private bathroom fitted with a bidet and free toiletries, while some units at NEW TIFLIS HOTEL also boast a seating area. The units feature a desk.

Guests at the accommodation can enjoy a continental breakfast.

Georgian National Academy of Sciences is a 10-minute walk from New Tiflis Hotel, while Tbilisi Concert Hall is 1.1 km from the property. Tbilisi International Airport is 14 km away. 

Price: ~ EUR 172 Book this hotel on Booking.com

Citadines City Centre Tbilisi

Located in Freedom Square, the heart of Tbilisi’s dining, shopping and entertainment district, these modern apartments offer free Wi-Fi, fully equipped kitchens and a roof top sky bar in summer months.

Citadines Freedom Square Tbilisi welcomes guests with stylish, air-conditioned rooms with a flat-screen TV and DVD player. All come with executive lounge access and ironing facilities.

Kitchens offer a microwave, fridge and hot drinks facilities. A freshly prepared continental breakfast is served each morning.

After a workout in the fitness centre with panoramic windows, guests can enjoy a relaxing massage. A washing and drying machine is also available on site.

Liberty Square Metro Station is 200 m from the Citadines Freedom Square. The Georgian National Museum is a 5-minute walk away. 

Price: ~ EUR 115 Book this hotel on Booking.com

Hotel Top Gold

Hotel Top Gold in Tbilisi City features a bar and a restaurant. Ideally set in the Tbilisi City Centre district, the property is located 300 m from Freedom Square and 900 m from Rustaveli Theatre. The accommodation offers a 24-hour front desk.

The units in the hotel are fitted with a flat-screen TV. Rooms are complete with a private bathroom, while some units at Hotel Top Gold also feature a terrace. Guest rooms will provide guests with a fridge.

A buffet breakfast is available every morning at the property.

Price: ~ EUR 116 Book this hotel on Booking.com

During the past 4 years GEL has lost its value against USD by -27.51%

18 April, 2018 | Living in Georgia | 10 seen

It has been a while since I last time examined GEL/USD exchange rates. It seems more than four years have passed already. Back in 2014, I was concerned about GEL exchange rates because I had some deposits in Georgian National currency. Now in 2018 I don't feel anymore too much concerned, because I have diversified a lot across multiple currencies. 

I stopped any deposits in GEL back around 2015, after losing some 20% in a month, back then I thought I will never invest again in national currencies (Except USD or EUR), with the start with 2017 I started to invest again in GEL currency, this time on mintos.com peer to peer lending platform.

Both individuals and entities can invest through Mintos. Individual investors must be at least 18 years old, have a bank account in the European Union or third countries currently considered to have AML/CFT systems equivalent to the EU, and have their identity successfully verified by Mintos. At the moment, US citizens or taxpayers cannot register as investors at Mintos.

Affiliate link here: Sign up to Mintos.com here.( By using this affiliate link for registration both you and I will receive — 1% of your average daily balance which should be paid in 3 installments for the first 90 days.

Mintos.com Peer to Peer Lending Review 2018

On mintos.com platform I mostly deposit lari and then on the platform exchange to EUR to fund EUR loans. In 2017 my Lari funded loans lost in value about 5%. Thanks to the diversification, I was able to minimize risks and ended the year with a humble 1% gain (from interest)

USD/GEL exchange rates 2014 - 2018 (Data Source: National bank of Georgia)

As we can see from the graph above, the first steep value lost has happened around October 2014 - May 2015). Around June 2016 GEL regained some value against USD, but another steep decrease in value followed, reaching its peak around January 2017. For the spring/summer of 2017 Lari stabilized at around 2.4, but another steep value depreciation happened closer to the end of 2017.

Q1 and start of the Q2 seems is a good time for Lari (regaining some value against USD)

I'm looking positive regarding next 3-6 months for Lari currency, but after planned October Presidental Elections in Georgia, I'm seeing a great possibility for lari to drop again. I hope I'm wrong, but that's what the past year experience has shown to us.

To Break Even My GPU Mining Rig, Ethereum Should Reach $5,153

17 April, 2018 | Crypto | 13 seen

It has been a while since my latest updates with my Ethereum GPU mining rig. In fact, Q1 2018 has been pretty dull for crypto investors, including miners.

Long story short - at the end of 2017 I decided to build a small Ethereum GPU mining rig, now in the middle of April 2018, in total, I have invested in this mining rig $1,661, though the total ROI has been just 11.63%.

In the past 4 months, I have mined humble 0.32 ETH, with today's ETH/USD ($515.83) exchange rates that would give USD 165.

I decided to make a quick math and find out what should be ETH price to break even my investment in this mining rig, if I would decide not to mine anymore (what I'm not planning to do), and found out that to break even now, ethereum should reach $5,153.

Now that is about 10 times more ethereum costs now. Could ethereum hit $5,000? Sure, at least I believe so. Could ethereum hit $5,000 in 2018? The devil knows that. At the end of 2017, I was looking on Ethereum to reach $2,000 by the end of 2018. I don't have a crystal ball and I might be completely wrong. 

Historically ethereum all-time high (ATH) has been around $1,400 at the start of January. 

Ethereum mining doesn't look attractive to me now (bear in mind I haven't included the price for electricity in these calculations), and right now if there is a thing I'm looking from Ethereum mining, then it's break even and get back the money invested. I will keep mining more coins, so it will ask smaller price for Ethereum to break even.

Currently, I could mine about 0.12 ETH in a month. If I will keep powered this mining rig for the next 30 days in total I will have about 0.44 ETH mined. With 0.44 ETH mined ETH price to break even my investment should be around $3,780. Now, that's huge and makes the possibility to break even more promising to happen (someday)

Next stop - Station Dubulti (B&W Photography)

15 April, 2018 | | 7 seen

Black and White (B&W) is not the part of my favorite photo techniques, but sometimes a good B&W can add some drama to a photo story.

I don't call myself a drama expert (at least in photography), but I have tried in the past and sometimes love to experiment with this photo technique. See: Wandering In The Woods B&W Photography

In today's Piece of Life series - a single photo from my second 365 days photo project's second day - Next Stop - Station Dubulti

Lonely sign at Jurmala beach in Latvia

Shot at the start of April 2018

Thoughts about Upcoming Dividend Income From Baltic Stocks in May 2018 (Zemaitijos Pienas, Olympic Entertainment Group, Klaipedos Nafta)

14 April, 2018 | Investments | 13 seen

It feels like I'm losing ground under my feet when looking on the future dividend income for the month of May 2018.

At the start, Olympic Entertainment group announced it's intentions to leave Nasdaq Baltics (here I hopped for lucrative dividends) - I decided to sell my humble holdings of Olympic Entertainment Group and bought instead Kaunas Energijos and some other stock for the upcoming month of June.

Today Zemaitijos Pienas announced dividend cut (even worse no dividends for 2018), but proposed minimum buyback price per share. My first thought was - if there is no dividend - I don't need such share in my portfolio. Though I spent my time, did some analytics -  and I have been thinking a lot on if shares don't bring money, I must sell such share and put money into shares generating money.

Zematijos Pienas stock price for the past 5 years (Data source: Nasdaq Baltics)

During the last 5 years, the stock price for Zemaitijos Pienas has risen by more than 130%. After an announcement come about dividend cut for 2018, the stock price dropped by -7.26%. On Friday evening Zemaitijos Pienas stock was changing hands at EUR 1.66 (second lowest day in 2018). Since the begging of the year Zemaitijos Pienas stock has lost about -4.6%.

I'm not obsessed with these charts, but what I'm learned from crypto trading, it looks EUR 1.66 is the lower support resistance level, and it's too early to speak about the bear market. On the other hand, here is what I don't like - the massive growth has happened throughout 2017 (+62% value growth in 2017). As I have made some good profits already with Zemaitijos Pienas (first bought back in 2017 for EUR 1.49) it would be probably smart to sell now when I have made some profits. That's in fact a good idea, let me make a probably very silly move - I will wait until price will bounce back to EUR 1.82-1.85. Dude, I already hear - it will never happen :)

Now, as they say - never lose money!

I haven't yet decided what I will do with this stock - either I will keep it for one more year, or I will still sell it at profit.

Nevertheless, of my decision, I did some more technical analytics and found shares of Klaipedos Nafta good enough. They have dividends in the month of May. Without Olympic Entertainment Group and Zemaitijos Pienas I will not take in dividends some EUR 40 in May. With the help of Klaipedos Nafta I'm looking to take back at least EUR 20.

Klaipedos Nafta stock price for the past 5 years (Data source: Nasdaq Baltics)

I truly believe dividend income should add up every year. In last May I took around USD 65 in dividends, when I last time, at the start of the year, calculated future dividends for this May I was looking on about USD 150 (USD 85 gain). After selling Olympic Entertainment Group stock, the future dividend fell to about USD 120. If Zemaitijos Pienas cut the dividend, total dividend income fells to about USD 80. In a year I've managed to increase dividend income just by USD 15. It doesn't look good. With such speed after 10 years, I will make just USD 200. It sucks. 

With the help of Klaipedos Nafta stock, I'm looking to take back some dollar, so I can make at least USD 100 in dividend income in May (Still humble). When looking on 2019 I should try hard to reach at least USD 200. Hard but doable. 

Pretty strange Spring in the Nasdaq Baltics (at least for me). Hard to imagine what will happen next.

If Zemaitijos Pienas will renew dividend payment next year in May, I could make around USD 250 then. If there is no dividend even next year - bella ciao - Baltic Stocks isn't interesting for me just for hold. Stocks should generate dividend income. Currently, Zemaitijos Pienas takas about 6% from my Baltic stock portfolio. Decent. On the other hand, if I would sell now and put this money, let's say into peer to peer lending - I could make additional + EUR 50.

Speaking about Baltic stock technical analytics (which takes data for the last 4 years) - there are just 7 companies (from 72) I find good enough. With good history, yearly dividend increase. Klaipedas Nafta, unfortunately, doesn't pass all my criteria to be an ideal stock, but at least this stock puts a plaster on my May dividend income. Not to speak oil and liquid gas terminals in Lithuania - IMHO, which is a good business. 

My Baltic stock portfolio slowly is moving into energy sector - I wouldn't say this is a good idea, but it looks like that energy companies in the Baltics are more stable and more predictable than, let's say dairy stocks.

I'm looking to add Klaipedos Nafta to my portfolio soon, as I've spent a lot already this month, there are not much funds I could allocate for this stock purchase.

In theory, I could get rid of the Zemaitiojas Pienas stock, but I'm still thinking to keep or not to keep for the long-term. For a long-term investor, it's not interesting to sell just a year after I bought. For me, it's interesting to keep the stock for at least 10 years, and preferably with regular dividends.

Highest Deposit Rates in the World by Country 2018

12 April, 2018 | Macroeconomics | 78 seen

As a small and growing investor, I'm always looking for higher yield investments, and despite deposits doesn't fit in my wealth building strategy, I have made some pocket money in the past. 

Update: Highest Deposit Rates in the World by Country 2019

Personally, I would favor peer to peer lending marketplace like Mintos.com over the hustle of opening a foreign bank account in a distant country just to chase a higher deposit rate. 

Top Peer to Peer Lending Sites 2019 (Highest Yields)

Both individuals and entities can invest through Mintos. Individual investors must be at least 18 years old, have a bank account in the European Union or third countries currently considered to have AML/CFT systems equivalent to the EU, and have their identity successfully verified by Mintos. At the moment, US citizens or taxpayers cannot register as investors at Mintos.

Affiliate link here: Sign up to Mintos.com here. By using this affiliate link for registration both you and I will receive — 1% of your average daily balance which should be paid in 3 installments for the first 90 days.

Remember - investments are risky, never invest more you can afford to lose.

A couple of years ago, while I was still sticking with savings accounts and deposit rates I compared highest deposit rates in Europe, today while browsing for information online about highest deposit rates, I found a lovely website - deposits.org, listing interest rates by countries, regions and even individual banks.

Deposits.org provides the largest marketplace for retail interest bearing products for deposits, personal loans, home loans, credit cards, savings, SME financing and other exotic investment opportunities. We are the one-stop comprehensive reference for international financing and investment

According to the deposits.org research, these following countries offer highest deposit rates in 2018 in national currencies

Data source: World Deposit Rates

Among the highest deposit rates in the World, there are many Former Soviet Union countries (Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan). As a foreigner living in Georgia, I've been using Georgia's banks in the past for savings, though I have got a very negative experience when dealing with national currencies - they are volatile. My February Savings Report - GEL Loses Another 16.5% Against USD; -17% Against EUR

As you can see in the above table, in some countries inflation rate is far greater than interest rate (Argentina, Ukraine, Iran, Egypt).

I would be cautious when depositing in national currencies.

Now, let's see how about deposits in more stable USD currency:

Now, this looks more interesting (despite lower interest rate) - in 2018, you could get up to 5% in deposit rates. On the other hand, countries with highest interest rates are politically and economically unstable, by choosing to deposit at one of the above-listed countries you could actually lose some or all of your savings (in case bank goes bankrupt)

Top Things to Do in Tbilisi in May

10 April, 2018 | Travel guides | 22 seen

There is a common opinion that spring does not exist in Georgia as far as cold March swiftly flows into desperately hot but rainy April.

After having celebrated Easter Georgia is getting ready for the most pleasant and long-expected May – the month that plays a role of a small introduction to the long-awaited summer. May welcomes not only tourists but the locals as well into its partially tranquil and in some places lively world where merging with nature, organization of excursions, and long nights of walking in the drizzling rains enchants all those longings for romance and natural beauty.

Tbilisi opens its doors to every single person and furnishes its narrow and winding streets with greenery. Flowers bloom almost everywhere in parks and by the road creating an unforgettable ambiance. The country seems to be like a small kingdom that never leaves its place under the sun and it is difficult to believe that cold weather had just left a couple of weeks ago. In order to have fun at its fullest, there are several places in Tbilisi that could be marked with ‘must visit’ sign. Before going out it is better to stock up with water and have an umbrella because the weather still might be unpredictable.

One of the most atmospheric places is the Tbilisi Botanical Garden that is situated in the oldest part of the city. The garden with countless rare species of trees and flowers will make you forget about stresses of the hectic life as if creating another dimension where one can feel reunion with the nature. The road that leads to the garden is also named Botanic Street and elevates you over the center of Tbilisi. It leads you past the mosque and gives you a view of the Old City with its sulfur baths. In order to embrace the warmth and uniqueness of the city’s spring time there is no way omitting the Botanic Garden – it is a perfect place to meditate and ponder about life. The entrance fee is 1 GEL for adults.

Another place that must be visited is Mtatsminda Park with its alternative name Bombora Park. This place is situated in the mountains that surround Tbilisi and that is why air is always fresher and clearer there. This place attracts people by its famous donuts and legendary Laghidze waters. The café with an outstanding menu has a broad sight at the city and is especially charming at night. Bombora Park is also popular with people who like riding carousels and merry-go-rounds. The Devil’s Eye is erected high above the city and gives a spectacular view of Tbilisi right from the cabin. The entrance to the park is free. It is not difficult to get there as you can use the funicular or take buses №124 or №90.

On your way back from Bombora Park it is of very high importance to take the foot road that goes through the mountain though the path itself and the set of steps go down and are in good condition. This road will lead you to the St. David’s Church that is known as a pantheon where many Georgian (and not only Georgian) saints and activists were buried. This sacramental place is highly cherished by the locals and they say that such miraculous cathedrals must be elevated from the city and built on the mountain. You can drink water from the mountain spring there and according to old legends it is a stream of desires. Those who wish of something with pure intentions will reach their goals after having drunk a cup of that water. This place is especially beautiful in spring as you contemplate the beauty of the city from a small veranda and listen to the trills of birds hidden in the tree crowns.

After being detached from the city center for a long time the perfect place to get closer to the Georgian culture and feel its Soviet past is the Dry Bridge situated in the place between Rustaveli and Aghmashenebeli avenues. May is a perfect opportunity to see the vendors’ goods spread out right on the ground and get lost in the old, antique dishes, clocks, World War II badges, vinyl records, well-known ‘Zenit” camera lenses and many-many other sellers’ belongings. Yes, don’t be surprised that the goods are just brought out of the houses and are sold directly by the owners. Under the bridge and in the nearby park you can find a real art gallery that contains works of the local artists. Pictures mesmerize you with color, different styles, and mastery. You will get a perfect opportunity to see all the works in its full body especially in May when the weather is sweet and warm.

As it is getting warmer day by day it is wiser to stay closer to the river where the air is moister and pleasant wind plays in your hair. The Peace Bridge and the Rike Park are really nice places to spend time in the evenings. You can make really good photos on the bridge with the old city at its background. In the Rike Park you can find singing fountains that give their concerts every evening. The show is colorful with very well chosen compositions of both classics and contemporary composers.

Cable car situated in the Rike Park will take you once more to a hill that borders with the Botanic Garden. Narikala Fortress is another Georgian landmark showing the grace and beauty of Georgian multi-century historical heritage. You can climb up the fortress and this process will make you wonder how it was possible for Georgian warriors to run up the stairs in the hauberks and iron armors. It is better to visit the place in the evening as the sun is more benevolent. Moreover, the place looks more mysterious in the night illumination.

Georgia can be hospitable throughout the year but visiting it in May will bring you a lot of joy as it is the time of miracles, spontaneously held events, and meeting new interesting people.

Easter Egg Painting 2018

8 April, 2018 | | 5 seen

The Christ is risen! 

Though we already celebrated Easters last week, the Orthodox Church (including Georgia) is celebrating Easters on April 8th, 2018. In today's Piece of Life series - our  already annual tradition - Easter egg painting (from the last week)

Easter egg painting 2018

Egg decor for 2018 

Cat enjoying painted Easter eggs

Easter egg and chocolate candy basket 2018

Happy Easters!