Paint job for Bedroom and Kitchen

29 December, 2021 | Home Remodeling | 20 seen

Today early morning I checked out of the lovely Šaha klubs apartments in Kuldīga to come and paint our Vilgāle apt.

While driving to Vilgāle my fiance proposed we could prebook such lovely apartments in Kuldīga for the Summer Festival - I had to reply, well we have Vilgāle, huh?

arriving early I started applying second layer of paint in the bedroom, here is what I got

Next is to install electricity plugs and lamps, add hardwood floring

More work here, but also needs to paint, add plugs and install hardwood / tiles

Cost so far:

• Water plumbing: EUR 60
• Sadales Tīkls: EUR 60
• Electrician: EUR 155
• Architect: EUR 800
• Removing walls and floor: EUR 775
• Chalk removing, / wiring: EUR 500
• Wall plastering/frame for drywall ceiling (bedroom): EUR 875
• New windows: EUR 1,252 
• Window replacement: EUR 200
• Estrich floor with an underfloor heating system and all plumbing: EUR 1,916
• Rock wool for the ceiling, drywall constructions, drywall, and some wiring: EUR 866
• Plastering bedroom and living room: EUR 1,200
• …

Paint Job at Vilgāle apt

28 December, 2021 | Home Remodeling | 10 seen

It is already more than one year since I first opened doors at the Vilgāle apt and saw what have I bought at an online auction. 

during the past year, we have done a lot, removed walls, floors, built new walls, ceilings, and even floors. Now we are very close to the last details, from the major works are left the bathroom with sauna (tiles) and hardwood flooring.

At the end of December 2021, I visited Latvia for about 2 weeks and I decided it's time to start the paint job and finish the rest of the tasks in Spring / Summer 2022

A few days ago Steffen from Madona helped me to apply first layer of paint at the ceilings. Today I finished this task in the bedroom.

Today I applied first layer of the white paint at the ceiling here

Now it already looks awesome. Cant wait to see the result after the second layer of paint I'm going to apply tomorrow.

Cost so far:

• Water plumbing: EUR 60
• Sadales Tīkls: EUR 60
• Electrician: EUR 155
• Architect: EUR 800
• Removing walls and floor: EUR 775
• Chalk removing, / wiring: EUR 500
• Wall plastering/frame for drywall ceiling (…

Holiday Season

24 December, 2021 | Living in Georgia | 12 seen

The holiday season in Tbilisi - or another awesome weekend has been recorded and sealed in our tapes - Fun at Tbilisi Golf club, picnic in the footsteps of Shavnabada monastery, and Christmas pre-party with Latvian Sunday School. Ho-Ho-Ho! Enjoy and thumbs up!

Meeting more Latvian Expats at Āgenskalna market

23 December, 2021 | Travel guides | 10 seen

After the strange yesterday, it was agreed to go and support my new German friend at the Āgenskalns market and buy some cheese. 

Leo, an old friend from the Bākūži times offered to go to the Āgenskalns market together. He pick-up us from Pulkveža Brieža street and we went there together. I asked, could Leo also take some ax or some other tool so we can cut a Christmas tree somewhere near Lāči bakery. Leo took both an ax and a Fiskar tool.

At the market, we met Steffen freezing cold with his cheese from Madona, and while I was sliding Renee in a toboggan, some other acquaintance from Georgia approached me. That was Robert from the Japan Tobacco. We last met a few years ago in Tbilisi at his impressive Dighomi house, since then we have been friends on Facebook, and it turns out his relatives are from Vilgāle. 

We chatted a bit about international schools, our upcoming trip to Sri Lanka, Sandra's new office, and of course his business project quails and their eggs. 

In the end, Sandra supported both Steffen buying some cheese and Robert buying some quail. 

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

P.S,…

Strange Day during the snowfall

22 December, 2021 | Home Remodeling | 13 seen

A few weeks ago Steffen contacted me about some things in Georgia. Turned out this German had some business in Latvia and while I was for a couple of days in Riga, he contacted me again and offered a handy hand at painting ceilings at Vilgale apartment.

Why not, I thought and for the first time, we met at the Virši petrol station near Tukums roundabout at the noon on this snowy December day.

Yes, it snowed a lot, even some kind of Orange warning was in the country. A few hours later we were already in Vilgāle, cleaning out the dust and painting ceilings. I was working with a paintbrush and edges, while Steffen painted the ceiling in the bedroom.

It was planned to stay overnight and I already booked a lovely Laidi guesthouse bathhouse, but then my better part called me and said the wood pellet stove is not working and we should go back to Riga. That's quite a lot of driving for one day. 2x180km and during the Orange warning (heavy snowfall)

Alright, we come back to Riga.

Seems I invited a German guy to paint 16m2 of the ceiling and help me out to clean some dust, for some small talk about Georgia and a cup of Coffee at the…

Got a Fewer After freezing Cold

17 December, 2021 | Living in Georgia | 2 seen

For the last few days I have been exceling as an painter at my better part's Tbilisi Office.

Yestwrday I decided to stay longer and finish most of the job, and by doing this at the end of the day I couldn't get a taxi on time and got cold on the street. Once the taxi arrived after some 40 minutes on busy Chavvhavadze Street I felt very sick and cold.

In the evening my temperature raised to 38.8 and I had a fewer.

Now I feel already much better.

Paint Job for Tbilisi Office 3.0 Part 1

14 December, 2021 | Living in Georgia | 24 seen

At the start of December 2021, my better part decided its time to upgrade her company office to a more spacious and one. 

The new office is located just a few hundred meters away from the previous one, but unlike the previous one, the new office actually come a bit outworn and was screaming for a fresh paint job.

At the start it was decided to hire a designer who would plan the new office, make designs for painting, and actually hire contractors, but the designer was a bit busy and said could help us in some 2 months. 

Now I decided to step in and help to save a couple of thousand dollars and time. 

After dropping our daughter at her preschool I asked our driver David to take us to the Bricorama store and help buy some paint and other useful tools. In about 1 hour we were all setup, by buying 3 different colors, paint brushes, film, ladder e.t.c our total bill about GEL 750 (with a 15% discount, because of the Tuesday)

Bedore actually applying any paint I spent about two hours to tape all the edges and corners

Now already looks awesome

Now, this was fun, in the past I actually enjoyed such tasks. Next will…

Shavnabada Monastery

13 December, 2021 | Churches and Monasteries | 39 seen

Shavnabada Monastery is a medieval Georgian Orthodox monastic complex that is located upon Shavnabada Mountain, approximately 30 km away from Tbilisi, Georgia.

I have noticed this monastery atop of the hill in the past, mostly when driving to the Birtvisi canyon, but this time we were visiting Tbilisi Hills golf club from which the monastery complex was nicely seen, and it was agreed to actually visit it. 

So we did and even had a nice picnic here (atop the roof of a dwelling house)

You can see more about our adventures here and Tbilisi Golf resort in this documentary: Holiday Season

Monastery was named in honor of St. George who, according to a local legend, wore a black cloak (Georgian: shavi nabadi, hence the mountain’s name) while leading the army of the king of Georgia in one of the victorious battles of the time.

The monastery of Shavnabada is known for a rare variety of wine, also called Shavnabada, made by the monks there.

Mountain Biking At Birtvisi Canyon

10 December, 2021 | Living in Georgia | 14 seen

Mountain biking at Birtvisi canyon / or after a long pause I took some drone footage again. Also, now I know the shortcut on how to get here in some 30-40 minutes from Tbilisi (via Amlevi). December 5, 2021

Vilgāle apt update: Wall Plastering

9 December, 2021 | Home Remodeling | 10 seen

Another week have passed and I got the latest images from the Vilgåle apt renovation works.

This time contractors have finished drywall works and have plastered walls and finished electricity works.

The end is so close I can even feel it.

Nice finishing in kitchen

A good job have been done here, all the plumbing seems is fixed and installed in kitchen (it was in bathroom)

I'm bit sick and tired from this plasetring already, but this is how contractors love to make money

Cost so far:

• Water plumbing: EUR 60
• Sadales Tīkls: EUR 60
• Electrician: EUR 155
• Architect: EUR 800
• Removing walls and floor: EUR 775
• Chalk removing, / wiring: EUR 500
• Wall plastering/frame for drywall ceiling (bedroom): EUR 875
• New windows: EUR 1,252 
• Window replacement: EUR 200
• Estrich floor with an underfloor heating system and all plumbing: EUR 1,916
• Rock wool for the ceiling, drywall constructions, drywall, and some wiring: EUR 866
• Plastering bedroom and living room: EUR 1,200
• Chimneysweep: EUR 30
• More…

Vet House Hotel and Hospital in Tbilisi

7 December, 2021 | Professional services | 69 seen

Vet House is a 24-hour hospital with all kinds of veterinary services, a hotel for pets, a rehabilitation center, grooming, a zoo shop, a veterinary pharmacy, and a school for future doctors. 

Vet House is located on Adam Mitskevichi Street 70, Tbilisi, and 7 Kipsidze street, Tbilisi

We were recommended this place for our cat, to take blood samples. So far I've visited this place twice and I can say this is a pretty nice clinic.

We gave some blood samples here, the cost was about GEL 180 (price as of December 2021)

• Highly qualified veterinarian specialists are ready to help your four-legged friends 24hr a day. We use ultramodern equipment of expert class for quick and accurate diagnosis.
• Service “call a vet to your house” allows us to perform manipulations in your comfy home environment, with minimal stress for animals. Arrival of specialist for examination, vaccination, consultation and preliminary diagnosis, and taking all necessary analysis at home.
• Hotel “Vet House” which consists of 20 rooms, will open its doors on February 1st 2017. We guar-antee You the safety of your pets, patient…

Center for Immunization and Prevention in Tbilisi

6 December, 2021 | Professional services | 386 seen

Center for Immunization and Prevention in Tbilisi is located on Tashkent street 10a.

My first visit here happened after a stray dog bit me in the leg, and being afraid of rabies I asked my partner what should I do. She called to our insurance company (Ardi) - and they told me I should go to the Center for Immunization and Prevention on Tashkent street.

After the workout got bitten by a stray dog. Sandra witht the help of office and Insurance company sent me to the immunization center on Tashkent Street, where I had a chance to meet a very nice doctor Badri who had been to Madliena and Ogre one year before my birth. 3 shots today. 5 more visits till the New Year. I must be one lucky man!

I took my passport and insurance policy number, headed to the Center for Immunization and Prevention, and in a matter of 20 minutes, it was all set up. At least the first visit.

In total, I was informed I should come 5 more times to finish the vaccine course. 

Very nice and professional people here.

As the insurance covered all the costs I'm not sure what would be the price for vaccines without insurance, but I was told that the first dose…

The Grand Documentary of 2020

3 December, 2021 | Documentaries | 16 seen

From more than 111 GB of footage (1295 short clips per year), I was able to produce about 1 hour 30 minutes long documentary
As every year - documentary, a home video style, filmed with a DSLR camera, and since July, the novelty is the drone
The length of the film is determined by its main character - Rene. The first injuries, the first garden (Georgian), the first friends..tasty "painted pīrādziņš" - everything is for real!
Travels around the World much less, but more within countries (Georgia, Latvia).
Glued, sanded, lathed, beaten, and put together in Riga, Jurmala, and Tbilisi for more than a half year!

How to get Green Passport for a foreigner in Georgia

1 December, 2021 | Living in Georgia | 8 seen

Foreign citizens and individuals with non-resident status in Georgia can now use the health ministry's newly launched application for confirming their Covid-related status during their stay in the country, while the government has also announced venues and establishments the pass will allow access to.

If you are a holder of the Covid-19 certificate issued in the EU, you can easily register and obtain Georgian Green Passport online, here: https://covidpass.moh.gov.ge

The whole registration process took me less than 5 minutes, and I had my QR code generated,which I saved both on my laptop on phone. Also I was able to use it for the first time entering the gym (also showing passport)

• Fully vaccinated individuals
• Those who have recovered from coronavirus
• Those with negative PCR test certificates conducted within the last 72 hours
• People with negative rapid test results conducted within the last 24 hours

• Food facilities: cafes, restaurants, bars (both…

Vilgāle apt update: Doors, drywall, electricity

30 November, 2021 | Home Remodeling | 8 seen

Again a few weeks have passed and I got the latest images from the Vilgåle apt renovation. This time contractors have almost finished drywall works and are ready for plastering and finishing electricity works.

The end is so close I can even feel it.

Slowly, but we are progressing here. seems the next task is to plaster ceiling and add tiles on the walls

New doors have been installed, also lamps for the halway

Cost so far:

• Water plumbing: EUR 60
• Sadales Tīkls: EUR 60
• Electrician: EUR 155
• Architect: EUR 800
• Removing walls and floor: EUR 775
• Chalk removing, / wiring: EUR 500
• Wall plastering/frame for drywall ceiling (bedroom): EUR 875
• New windows: EUR 1,252 
• Window replacement: EUR 200
• Estrich floor with an underfloor heating system and all plumbing: EUR 1,916
• Rock wool for the ceiling, drywall constructions, drywall, and some wiring: EUR 866
• Plastering bedroom and living room: EUR 1,200
• Chimneysweep: EUR 30
• More drywall, rock wool, electric cables, plumbing, and others: EUR 1094
• Doors…