Blog Archive: October 2017
Audio & Video Transcription Service by Caucasus Translations
| Living in Georgia | 7 seen
Caucasus Translations is a professional translation and localization agency located in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. The leader in the translation and content localization business in Caucasus and Central Asia. Agency employs more than 300 translators across the globe to provide cost-effective, accurate and native translation solutions for companies in almost all industry verticals in about 40 countries.
Today I'm glad to announce that here at Caucasus Translations Tbilisi department, there have been established audio & video transcription department.
As for the last couple of weeks, I've been involved in building office's infrastructure, configuring servers and setting up transcription software, I decided to share few photos from this new department:
Caucasus Translations ready to assist with audio&video transcription service
The team of highly experienced transcription professionals works with the latest and top-notch software here. Confidentiality and data security are among top priorities here.
Lobby hall at Caucasus Translations
24/7 guarded building, with restricted access to the office
Panoramic view
As always, I couldn't resist and made a panoramic photo here. See: How To Stitch Panoramic Photos with Adobe Photoshop (Photomerge)
Caucasus Translations provides high quality and affordable translation and localization services between English and other major languages to clients worldwide. Our capabilities in Caucasus region languages, especially Georgian, Armenian and Azerbaijan are well-known in the language services industry. Learn more at https://www.caucasustranslations.com
Why I'm not investing in Madara Cosmetics (MDRAUC)
| Investments | 24 seen
MADARA Cosmetics also known as MADARA, is a Latvian manufacturer of organic skin care products. The ingredients include biologically certified blossoms and herbal extracts from the Baltic region.
Since October 17, 2017, there is an ongoing IPO for Madara stocks on First North Baltic Share List. IPO will end on November 3rd. Also, there is a small hype with this IPO in Latvia and seems after this IPO will end, it will attract a lot of new first time investors to the Baltic stock exchange (Nasdaq Baltics), mostly from Latvia. Which is great, and hopefully more people will start to explore and invest in other listed companies.
As a strong investor in the Baltic region (Dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending) investment opportunities in Madara Cosmetics have been on my radar, probably since the Spring of 2017, when I first heard about upcoming IPO, planned for the Q4 of 2017
Once IPO was announced and I familiarized with the prospectus I had ambivalent feelings regarding investing in this company.
I did the most basic fundamental analysis I could - I asked to almost all Latvian females I know - what are they thinking about products of Madara Cosmetics, and the answer was staggering - despite all of them knows Madara brand, none of them are actually using it. An alarm bell for me.
Second - pretty high price for the Baltic market - EUR 6.25 per share. In general, I'm fine with the price, on the other hand, I'm paying about EUR 9.3 - EUR 11 for well known and established companies in the Baltics with great dividend history, for example - Latvijas Gāze, Tallina Vesi, Olainfarm. See: Dividend Paying Stocks In Nasdaq Baltic Market By Yield
Third - by reading comments from Baltic investment experts, saying:"Those who use Madara Cosmetics products which are not cheap, can afford to invest in not so cheap shares" (Article in Latvian here)
Personally, for me, it was the third point that leads me to stay away from participating in Madara Cosmetics IPO. For evaluating is the stock price cheap or expensive we can use P/E ratio, For the sake of justice it should be noted (from the same article):
Based on the 2017 operating forecasts, the projected P / E could be around 16, which is not cheap for the Baltic States, for example, AS Olainfarm has P/E 12 while AS Grindeks 7. Of course, these companies are not fully comparable with Madara Cosmetics, adds the expert. Globally, for example, the L'Oreal P / E index is 26, while Oriflame is around 18. Thus, Madara's shares are cheaper or slightly cheaper compared to the industry.
Anyhow, as I'm a strong buy&hold dividend stock investor when looking through Madara Cosmetics dividend policy, I indeed find it too expensive, according to the prospectus company has paid in dividends following:
- 2017 - EUR 0.0311
- 2016 - EUR 0.0373
- 2015 - EUR 0.0140
For the price of EUR 6.25 per share getting dividend return at EUR 0.0311 gives about 0.5% dividend yield, which for me isn't interesting anymore. Sure, the dividend could be increased with time. But for now, taking into consideration all the hype with Madara Cosmetics in Latvia, high price, and low dividend yield - I better stay away.
Luckily for me (and just because it all happens at the end of October), there is a dividend paying stock for November in the Baltic's - Linas Agro group (Agriculture), giving a dividend yield at 1.12%. So once I had a chance to compare apples with oranges (cosmetology with agriculture) - I decided to go with agriculture. Learn more about my monthly dividend income progress.
How to Prevent Copying Files to USB on Windows 10
| Servers | 223 seen
Lately I've been working as a system administrator and helping out a lot to a small company setting up office computers. It involves purchasing office computers, setting up operating systems, configuring LAN and of course security.
As these are topics I face on my everyday working day (though i feel more server guy) - I decided to write down my notes, as with time, things can be forgotten.
Just recently we faced an issue on port forwarding to enable Remote Administration, see: How To Setup Port Forwarding for TP-Link Wireless Router (Radmin).
As company is working with sensitive information (data) - it was agreed - we should enable another layer of security - preventing copying files from HDD to USB devices.
In general there are several way of achieving this, as the rule of thumb here are the two most popular options:
- Using the Registry
- Using the Group Policy
For this tutorial I will stick with the Group Policy option (for other use, see this guide: How to enable write protection for USB devices on Windows 10)
How to enable USB write/read/execute protection using the Group Policy
If you're running Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you can access the Group Policy editor to deny write permissions to removable storage devices.
To enable write protection using Group Policy, do the following:
1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
3. Browse the following path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Removable Storage Access4. On the right side, double-click the Removable Disks: Deny write access policy.
Local Group Policy Editor
Double click on:
- Removable Disks: Deny execute access
- Removable Disks: Deny read access
- Removable Disks: Deny write access
Optional - you can leave some of the rights intact, for example deny only copying to USD drive, or deny only execute from USD drive. By denying execute, read and write access we are tighetning security to the maximum regarding USD devices.
5. Select the Enabled option to activate the policy.
6. Click Apply.
7. Click OK.
8. Close the Group Policy editor.
9. Restart your computer to complete the task.
Next time you (or someone) will try to insert USD device, Access is Denied message will appear:
USB - Access is Denied
If you need to revert the changes, just follow the same steps, but on step 5 make sure to select the Not Configured option.
How To Setup Port Forwarding for TP-Link Wireless Router (Radmin)
| Servers | 53 seen
In today's article, I'll share quite an easy tutorial on how to configure TP-Link Wireless N Router WR840N for a LAN to allow connections from the internet using Radmin software.
For the ease of this article, I will not cover in depths details how to configure Radmin, for that follow official guidelines (or leave a question in comment form). Today we are talking about port forwarding in router setup and firewall settings for Windows 10. Despite I'm providing details for TP-Link Wireless N Router WR840N, the further written should apply for the most routers.
Port forwarding / Virtual Server
Visit your routers admin dashboard, for TP-Link routers 192.168.0.1, log in with username and password (if default, then admin: admin)
Locate Virtual server, under Forwarding
Port forwarding on TP-Link Wireless router
Click on Add New:
Virtual Server
By default Radmin is using port 4889, if you are OK with that, enter 4889 in Service Port field, IP Address, enter your Static IP, leave the rest to default. Click Save.
Now, if you are going to use Radmin for more than just one PC, you should add and configure each new server with the different and unique port. For example PC - 1 port 4889, PC-2 port 4890, PC-3 port 4891 and so on
Configure Firewall for Windows 10
Now, you should add an exception to Firewall, for Windows 10, open Control Panel -> System and Security - > Windows Firewall
From the left pane choose Advanced settings
Click on Inbound Rules and New inbound rule
Inbound rule wizard
Choose Port, click on Next
Enter port number, for Radmin default - 4889
Allow connection
Leave defaults for the next window
Name: Give it a name, for example, Radmin
You are done.
Now test your settings, if everything done right, you should be able to connect with Radmin over LAN. If you encounter any issues, leave me a comment.
Webdesign Update for CaucasusTranslations.com Translation & Localization Agency
| Drupal Development | 12 seen
Caucasus Translations is a professional translation and localization agency located in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. The leader in the translation and content localization business in Caucasus and Central Asia. The agency employs more than 300 translators across the globe to provide cost-effective, accurate and native translation solutions for companies in almost all industry verticals in about 40 countries.
Our corporation with Caucasus Translations agency started back in 2011. During the time I've helped not only to build a website but also have helped with configuring servers, applications and just recently building an office for their transcription department in Tbilisi. See: Audio & Video Transcription Service by Caucasus Translations
Frontpage of CaucasusTranslations.com
Originally, this website was built back in 2011 on Drupal 7 CMS. See: Website for Translation Agency - CaucasusTranslations.com
With latest redesign changes, responsive design was implemented.
The site is available in 5 languages (English, Georgian, Russian, German and Latvian) - and it can easily be extended to more languages.
Customers can request a free quote via a webform on site. So do can potential translators submit their resumes via webform.
Visit https://www.caucasustranslations.com to learn more, or contact me for your upcoming webdesign upgrade.
How To Learn Night And Long Exposure Photography
| Digital Photography School | 14 seen
Night photography together with a landscape and HDR photography is one of my favorite photography techniques.
Over the years I have mastered my night photography skills from completely ruined and completely dark photography to tack-sharp and well exposed night photography.
Here is what I've learned during the past couple of years - a decent DSLR camera is highly recommended, though I believe you could achieve fairly decent results with a point & shoot camera. You will be truly amazed by results DSRL can proceed. Don't worry, an entry-level DSRL cameras are not expensive nowadays, you can perfectly start your DSRL journey under $500. In fact, for the past 2 years, I have been shooting with Canon EOS Rebel T5.
- Top 15 Best Selling DSLR Cameras 2017
A sturdy tripod, you could probably cheat around it, but to get a tack sharp images tripod is more than welcome. I'm using a MeFOTO Aluminum Globetrotter tripod, which can be turned into a monopod with ease (you can get one for about $250)
For learning more about Night Photography please read following articles:
- ISO Settings for Night Photography
- 6 Tips For taking awesome night photography
Metis Tbilisi Restaurant Review
| Restaurant reviews | 26 seen
Metis is a French-Georgian fusion restaurant bar offering a twist of exotic flavor, centrally located in Tbilisi Old Town (Shavteli street 8). Seems that this Tbilisi restaurant has opened just recently (Summer of 2017), but it already has gained popularity among local Georgia expat audience.
It was on a sunny Saturday afternoon after we finished some photo shooting at Sameba cathedral (see: Panoramic Photography From Tbilisi Holy Trinity Cathedral) we decided to visit exactly Metis. So we did.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Metis restaurant has a brunch menu from 10:00-16:00 for GEL 29. I remember the time we spent our Saturday mornings in Tbilisi trying to find the best brunch offer and here you go - a brunch menu from Metis in the heart of the city. Amazing.
Metis has an amazing rooftop terrace offering great views over the Mtkvari river - Sameba and the Presidental Palace building are clearly visible
Rooftop terrace at Metis restaurant in Tbilisi
This time they had a fish style brunch menu, kind of Caribbean cuisine brunch menu, fish soup, mussels, rice and other goodies.
Caribbean cuisine in Tbilisi
Tomato - mango salads was something new for me and I literally fell in love with them. I keep wondering if someday I will travel to Cuba, will I get there such? Also, brunch menu included mussels. I love mussels, but seems I tried them for the first time in Tbilisi (I have tried in Batumi and of course in Turkey, but first place in Tbilisi I know about serving mussels)
Salmon tartar
Delicious!
Panoramic Photography From Tbilisi Holy Trinity Cathedral
| | 6 seen
Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, commonly known as Sameba (Trinity in Georgian) probably is among the most known Tbilisi tourist attraction sites and of course, it's the main cathedral of Georgian Orthodox Church.
For me it's always been interesting to look at Sameba from two points of view - it's third highest Orthodox cathedral in the world and it symbolizes Georgian national and spiritual revival. See more: Sameba - Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi. Time after time, when inspiration arrives I head to the Sameba just to make interesting photos. Sameba is great for architecture and of course panoramic shots.
In today's Piece of Life series - two panoramic shots from Sameba, made at the end of October 2017
Sameba
Stack together 3 handheld shots using Adobe Photoshop. See: How To Stitch Panoramic Photos with Adobe Photoshop (Photomerge)
Panoramic view towards Tbilisi from Sameba
How about you? What are your favorite places for photography in Tbilisi or your city? Leave us a comment!
Village of Kandanos in Crete
| Tourism objects | 46 seen
Kandanos is a town and former municipality in the Chania regional unit, Crete, Greece. We made a short stop here, during our latest trip to Crete in June 2017.
The view in front of us was so amazing, that I decided to make some photography here. Back then I even didn't keep the record and didn't write down the name - Kandanos. Well, here is an interesting though I just made - it would be cool to handle international relations between Latvian Kandava and Cretan Kandanos. Just because, their names are so similar.
Probably the reason we decided to spend 5 minutes at Kandanos village central parking space, was following:
The village of Kandanos in Crete
Brilliant, right? Now, a couple of months later after this trip, when writing down notes about places we discovered, it was interesting to locate this place on the map, and read what Wikipedia and other resources have to say, about out this village, turns out it has a very interesting history to tell. We arrived here from Libyan hotel in Palaiochora
Village of Kandanos
In the Greek and Roman periods, a city called Kandanos or Kandania flourished here. The spot is not certain, but most people believe that it was at the site of the modern town of Kandanos, not in Kadros, which is southern, as others assume. Remains of a very large building with a mosaic floor of the third century A.D. were found in Kandanos. The church in Tzevremiana, near Kandanos, is thought to be on the site of a bishopric church from the first Byzantine period. Ancient Kandanos might have been destroyed by the Arabs.
During the Turkish occupation, Kandanos became the home of very fierce Turkish rulers and many battles took place here to drive them out. In World War II, the people in Kandanos resisted the Germans in the battle of Floria and the town was razed to the ground “so that it is never to be built again”, as the inscription that was left says. The scene of the heroic stand was north of Kandanos. The Cretans delayed a German force for two days and the ensuing death of twenty-five Germans resulted in the destruction of Kandanos. Source: Village of Kandanos
Razing of Kandanos
The Battle of Crete began on 20 May 1941 with a large-scale airborne invasion planned to capture the island's strategic locations. Kandanos is located on the road from Chania on the north coast to Paleochora in the south, which was a candidate landing point for potential Allied reinforcements from North Africa. The village of Kandanos had been bombed during the first days of the attack and a small motorized German detachment (riding motorcycles with MG 34 machine guns on their sidecars) attempted to move through it on 23 May 1941, aiming to reach and secure Paleochora. Albeit untrained and insufficiently armed, local civilians from Kandanos, Paleochora and nearby smaller villages with the assistance of a few Selino gendarmes, spontaneously confronted and fought the German force in Floria.
On the following day, the locals gathered in larger numbers and set an ambush for the advancing German troops of the 5th Gebirgsdivision (elements of the 55 motorcycle Battalion and the 95 anti-tank Battalion), at Kandanos' gorge. Despite their strong resistance on 24 and 25 May and their limited casualties, the locals were vastly outnumbered and were thus eventually forced to retreat in the mountains, letting the Germans advance towards Paleochora. Source: Razing of Kandanos
Libyan Princess Hotel Review in Palaiochóra, Crete
| Hotel reviews | 14 seen
The Libyan Princess Boutique Hotel is located in one of the most beautiful resorts of Crete, gorgeous Paleochora, also known as “Nymph of the Libyan Sea” 75km from the city of Chania.
Paleochora, built on a peninsula between two scenic gulfs, is an idyllic location harmoniously combining mountains and the deep blue coasts of the Libyan Sea.
We booked this hotel for one night in June 2017, for detailed description how we get here using Google Maps navigation, please see the following article: Crazy, Stupid, Love - Tranquil Rough Adventures in Crete
Hotel Libyan Princess
We arrived late. After we parked our car at underground parking we finally got our room. Hmm, that's actually our rental car in front of the hotel. Probably we got the room before parked car.
King size bed at Libyan Princess
Each room at this hotel is air-conditioned and is equipped with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. Some units have a sitting area for your convenience. You will find a kettle in the room. Every room is equipped with a private bathroom. Extras include bathrobes, slippers and free toiletries. Superior rooms include a spa tub or a hot tub.
Hotel Libyan
The Libyan Princess hotel offers an exceptional combination of high standard facilities, modern comforts, contemporary design, discreet service, welcoming environment, all these in an ideal location with unique beaches and a wonderful climate.
View from the balcony in the next morning
Top Hotels and Apartments in Stavros, Crete
| Hotel reviews | 10 seen
Stavros is a village and a popular beach destination located close to the Chania town in Crete, Greece. The beach and surroundings were the place where in 1964 Michael Cacoyannis partly made the popular Greek movie "Zorba the Greek" starring Anthony Quinn.
During our latest trip to the island of Crete, we booked a luxury Kavos Beach Apartment and Studios for about 2 nights. Kavos was amazing, it's not a surprise seeing it among top rated on Booking.com
Stavros is a great destination if you are arriving in Chania international airport. When heading to Stavros you should be willing to spend about 40-70 EUR for a good apartment/hotel/ guest house - which actually is one of the cheapest destinations in Crete I've discovered so far.
Alternatively see: Top 12 Luxury & Boutique Hotels in Chania Town
Please note: hotels listed below may 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.
Kavos Beach Apartments & Studios
This property is a 6-minute walk from the beach. At a quiet and beautiful location on the coast of Kavos, Kavos Beach Apartments & Studios boasts views over the Cretan Sea. It offers well-designed accommodation and a large outdoor pool with sun terrace.
Set amidst landscaped gardens, all apartments and studios at Kavos are air conditioned and have a spacious balcony or terrace. They are fitted with an LCD TV, kitchenette and fridge, and enjoy free Internet access.
The poolside bar offers sea views. It serves continental breakfast, snacks, cocktails and refreshing drinks.
The hotel organizes diving courses and provides diving equipment to its guests free of charge.
The village Stavros is only a 2-minute drive away. It has a lovely beach and offers traditional taverns. Chania International Airport is at 9 km. Free parking is available on site.
Price: ~ EUR 50 Book this hotel on Booking.com
Zorbas Beach Village Hotel
This beachfront hotel is situated in a 30,000-m² area right above Akrotiri peninsula, where the famous movie Zorba The Greek was filmed. It offers self-catered rooms a few steps from the sandy beach, with free WiFi and furnished terraces. A large swimming pool, a playground and a tennis court are featured.
The traditionally decorated studios and apartments of Zorbas offer views over the Cretan Sea. Each unit has a well-equipped kitchenette with microwave and fridge, and is further equipped with a satellite LCD TV. A safe, a hairdryer and iron are available. The apartments also feature a fireplace. Free beach towels are provided upon request.
Guests can relax at the sun loungers by the pool and enjoy a drink, a refreshing cocktail or a Mediterranean meal prepared with fresh ingredients, at the poolside bar-restaurant overlooking the sea. Younger guests can enjoy themselves at the children's pool, while special events of traditional Cretan dancing are organized occasionally at the pool area. An outdoor chess board is also included.
Price: ~ EUR 45 Book this hotel on Booking.com
Theros Beach House
Located 50 m from the beach, Theros Beach House is a 3-bedroom property in Stavros Village. This holiday home features free WiFi and parking, as well as BBQ facilities and a garden.
The house features a spacious living room with fireplace, a TV, a dining area and a fully-equipped kitchen.
The nearest airport is Chania International Airport, 7 km from the property. A bus stop can be found within 200 metres, while an array of restaurants, cafes and 2 supermarkets are within walking distance.
Book this hotel on Booking.com
Cretan Pearl Resort & Spa
This property is a 18-minute walk from the beach. Cretan Pearl Resort & Spa is an exclusive resort with beautiful views of the sea and great facilities. It is situated in the Chania prefecture, between Stavros and Tersanas.
Cretan Pearl Resort & Spa stands 2 km from the beach which starred in the famous film “Zorba the Greek”. An extensive, 2.000-sq.m. wellness area with a long list of treatments, 2 outdoor swimming pools, a gym and a playground for children are featured on site. The hotel also features a fitness centre and a beauty salon.
Guests can enjoy Greek, Cretan and other Mediterranean dishes at the Mediterranean Restaurant and at the Eros Poolside Bar, while a buffet breakfast is offered daily at the Breakfast Restaurant.
Price: ~ EUR 69 Book this hotel on Booking.com
Kosta's House
This property is a 12-minute walk from the beach. Offering a seasonal outdoor pool and barbecue, Kosta's House is located in Stavros. Free WiFi is available throughout the property and free private parking is available on site.
Featuring a terrace, the air-conditioned accommodation features a seating area and a dining area. Some units have a balcony and/or patio. An oven, a fridge and stovetop are also provided, as well as a coffee machine. There is a private bathroom with free toiletries and a hairdryer in every unit. Towels are offered.
Price: ~ EUR 57 Book this hotel on Booking.com
Nanakis Beach Luxury Apartments
Fully refurbished in 2011, Nanakis Beach Luxury Apartments is a great place for families or groups wishing to enjoy sun, sand and sea from exclusive accommodation.
This charming apartment property is surrounded by Nanakis Beach in the resort of Stavros. This rocky beach - ideal for fishing and snorkelling - faces the apartments, and beautiful sandy beaches are found just 600 m further.
The Nanakis Beach complex of 16 apartments and studios is built on 9,500 m² of picturesque grounds. It enjoys stunning views of Stavros and the sea from its outdoor swimming pool and gardens.
Price: ~ EUR 50 Book this hotel on Booking.com
Nautilus
This property is a 4-minute walk from the beach. Located in the seaside village of Stavros, Nautilus is 300 m from the nearest beach. It offers self-catering accommodation with views over the Cretan Sea, the mountain and the garden. Free Wi-Fi is available in all areas.
Featuring an attic, all air-conditioned, 1-bedroom apartments of Nautilus open to a balcony or terrace. Each has a living room with TV and a kitchen with stove and dining table. An iron is included.
Guests may enjoy the BBQ facilities provided at the property. A terrace and a well-tended garden with grassy areas, plants and trees are offered.
Price: ~ EUR 65 Book this hotel on Booking.com
Poseidon Suites Hotel
This property is a 18-minute walk from the beach. Featuring free WiFi, Poseidon Suites Hotel offers accommodations in Stavros. Chania Town is 9.7 km away. Free private parking is available on site.
The property is air conditioned and features a sitting and dining area. Some units include a terrace and/or balcony. There is also a kitchenette, equipped with a microwave, toaster and refrigerator. A stovetop is also provided, as well as a coffee machine and a kettle. There is a private bathroom with slippers in each unit. Towels are available.
Poseidon Suites Hotel also includes an outdoor pool. The property also has grocery deliveries.
Price: ~ EUR 52 Book this hotel on Booking.com
Skamagkas G. Apartments
This property is a 15-minute walk from the beach. The family-run Skamagkas Apartments is located around 1.2 km from Stavros Beach. The spacious apartments have large balconies and a courtyard offering unique views of the area.
The apartments feature bright colors, tiled floors, air conditioning and free WiFi. They are equipped with a fitted kitchen, fridge, microwave, coffee maker, LCD TV and DVD player. In the exterior you will find a private parking space, olive trees and many different kinds of fruit trees.
Within a short distance, there are 2 mini markets, cafes, grill houses and traditional Greek taverns. The charming town of Chania is only 15 km away, whereas the airport and Souda Port, are 10 and 17 km away respectively. The surrounding area is full of greenery and is ideal for hiking.
Price: ~ EUR 53 Book this hotel on Booking.com
Paradisio
This property is a 17-minute walk from the beach. Enjoy your own piece of paradise in a delightful corner of Crete, on the Akrotiri Peninsula of Hania with its scented wild herbs and the age-old olive trees.Akrotiri Peninsula of Hania with its scented wild herbs and the age-old olive trees.
Flanked by the Bay of Hania and Souda Bay, and just 12.9 km from the picturesque town of Hania, you have many opportunities for plenty of trips and activities. Enjoy the space and independence of your own air conditioned apartment, where you can admire the views from your private veranda and relax in comfort.
Lie back in the Greek sun beside the outdoor swimming pool amidst the mountains and distant views. You can rent a car from the hotel and drive to the port of Souda. You can also visit the rugged hills of Madams, the location for the movie ‘Zorba the Greek’.
Book this hotel on Booking.com
Renting an Office in Tbilisi
| Living in Georgia | 20 seen
Just google it - rent an office in Tbilisi, or office for rent in Tbilisi and you will be mesmerized with zillions of search results. In today's Living in Georgia article series, I will share my experience about renting an office space in Tbilisi.
In short - it is a pain in the ass. There is a lack of A-Class or B-class office space for rent in Tbilisi. And if there is something it will cost you a wealth. There are plenty of questionable quality office spaces. Sure, they could be cheap.
Most of the visible office spaces in Tbilisi already is taken by small travel agencies, moving in and out on the monthly basis, I guess.
In normal circumstances, you would hire a real estate agent - but from my latest experience - you should be very lucky to find a decent one. (If you know someone, leave a comment).
In total, we dealt with a dozen of realtors, but at the end find office space to rent from the direct owner of the premises.
Online search for office in Tbilisi
For finding real estate I prefer to use place.ge. On this website, there are many commercial rentals options, but most are listed from uninterested realtors (real estate agencies).
Other portals I could recommend MyHome.ge and makler.ge
Also, you could try local Facebook groups, search for Tbilisi rentals or something (As I'vent used, hard to tell)
Never give up on Google Search:
More than 400,000 Google search results for "Tbilisi Office Rent"
Offline search for Office in Tbilisi
This is the tactic which worked for us, after dealing with dozen of unprofessional realtors, we just went to the streets and searched for a "office for rent" sign. After some 3 days of searching, we finally got our office space.
About Office space price in Tbilisi
Now, this is another hard to understand topic. In general commercial space price in Tbilisi varies from $10 up to $45 per square meter. Yes, at one office building we were asked $45 per square meters. In general your target price should be around $12-20 per square meter. The lower the better (but not always). Also, check does price incudes or excludes VAT.
Internet for legal person in Tbilisi? Not so cheap after all - 100MB? Forget about it, only if you are not willing to spend 5000 GEL per month just for option to have a high-speed internet on your office. I was surprised about that.
Right now using 10Mb internet from Global One provider for 95GEL per month. If you are enjoying 30Mb internet at home for 30GEL, then it feels wrong having 3 times slower internet for three times higher price at work.
Crazy, Stupid, Love - Tranquil Rough Adventures in Crete
| | 19 seen
This was one of the most beautiful and craziest days we experienced in Crete during our three-week trip around the island (June 2017).
It feels like just this morning, we picked up our rental Opel at Agia Marina and set off with no destination in mind, just exploring the island. We had a lovely breakfast at Cafe Mixail Malandrakis in Kalydonia, spent some time at the beautiful beaches near Kissamos, followed a rough route to Balos Beach, turned back, and enjoyed one of the best Cretan meals at Gramvousa in Kaliviani. We also found a cafe with a spectacular view and even met a donkey at Beata's Orange Juice Bar.
Sounds like a lot? Nope, it wasn’t nearly enough! By the end of the day, we had visited at least three more beaches—although, admittedly, I lost track of their names (just captured the moments in photos). Late in the evening, we booked a room at the 4-star Libyan Hotel in Palaiochora (Top Hotels and Apartments to Book in Palaiochora, Crete). And as if that wasn’t enough, a wrong route (thanks, Google) led us off-road, literally—some 900 meters above sea level.
That’s what I call independent travel! In today’s Piece of Life photo series, here’s a small glimpse of a whirlwind afternoon in Crete. Crazy, stupid, love!
Rocky beaches in Crete
Beautiful scenery with flowers and small rock formations, almost like a miniature version of El Torcal, which we explored a year ago: In Search of El Torcal - Wilderness in Spain. These secluded, rocky Cretan beaches also remind me of the beaches near the Black Sea. See: Postcards from Batumi, Georgia.
Beautiful, non-touristic beach in Crete
Rumor has it, this beach was popular among hippies in the 1970s. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep a record of the name.
Our rental Opel
This car went through a lot of rough roads that day.
Chasing sunset in Crete
Another beautiful beach in Crete, captured in stunning HDR as we chased the sunset. See: Chasing Sunset Photography with a Strong Foreground (Pāvilosta / Jūrkalne).
Girl and the sea
I have the most beautiful girl to photograph. See: Postcards from Chania.
Culmination for the night
Our car at the top of the hill. Thanks, Google Navigation :)
Bitcoin Price Increases Altcoin Market Bleeding
| Crypto | 12 seen
For the past couple of weeks, the price for Bitcoin price has soared to all-time height $5,852.48 (October 15, 2017), while it might sound like a great news for bitcoin holders, altcoin market instead is literally bleeding.
As I'm new to crypto investments, with just a little bit more than 3-month experience, this seems both thrilling and scary. At the start, I thought if bitcoin price goes up, the same should happen with altcoins, turns out I was wrong. Luckily investments in altcoins take just the 10% from my total crypto portfolio. And as a matter of fact, my portfolio hasn't been negatively affected (yet).
Since, July 2017 I keep investing for a long-term (buy&hold) in following coins - bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin and ripple. The long-term portfolio gives a lovely +30.75% value growth. With value growth for Bitcoin taking its lions share (+60.16%)
Bitcoin and top altcoin portfolio
For tracking cryptocurrencies, I've built a custom Google Spreadsheet, you can read more and download here: How To Track Your CryptoCurrencies Portfolio Automatically Using Google Spreadsheets
For speculative trades, I have built a smaller but much more volatile altcoin portfolio trading against bitcoin:
Altcoin market bleeding
For tracking altcoin performance I've built a separate Google Spreadsheet, read more and download here: Google Spreadsheet To Track BTC/Altcoin Trading on Monthly Basis
Right now this altcoin portfolio gives me a -42.75% value decrease.
Now if there is a lesson I've learned in the past couple of months while exploring investments in crypto-currencies, then the most valuable lesson I've learned so far is to buy&hold only.
I still feel bullish regarding bitcoin price reaching $10,000. not sure will it happen in the next 12 months, but for the long-term - hell, yes.
For a possible reason why bitcoin price is rising so high, see: Another Bitcoin Hard Fork Planned (Bitcoin Gold) - My Approach to Survive It
Cozy Latvian Family Run Tbilisi Hostel 17/17 - Centrally located, Close to the Opera
| Hotel reviews | 20 seen
Hostel 17/17 is a family run Tbilisi hostel, located on the Rezo Tabukashvili Street No. 17. This place has been just recently renovated and opened for public.
Hostel 17/17 offers great quality for a budget price - you should be willing to spend just EUR 12 per night (per person) to stay at Hostel 17/17.
This hostel is run by Mr. David Iakobidze - a great storyteller and mastermind in finances - make sure to listen to some of his banking experience stories, they are awesome. Interested in cryptocurrencies or Georgian Stock market? David has an opinion. A helping hand to manage this hostel is provided by another family members, like Davids mother - Regina Jakobidze, a long-term chairman of the board at Latvian Society in Georgia Avesol.
Interested in Latvian footprints in Georgia? Ask Regina! See: Jūlijs Straume: Caucasus on my mind; exhibition at Tbilisi State Museum of Folk and Applied Arts of Georgia
Daily tours and excursions can be ordered on site
Hostel 17/17 in Tbilisi
Quite an interesting interior for this place. The hostel has been opened for public since May 2017, it is still new and fresh.
Anteroom at Hostel 17/17
Situated on the street level, this hostel offers 3 bedrooms – One large bedroom for 8 persons and two smaller ones - each for 4 guests.
Hall at Tbilisi Hostel 17/17
There are two halls for public use with furniture, Large and well-equipped kitchen, two bathrooms and a shower room. The hostel also has a cozy courtyard, where you can have a cup of coffee and have a smoke. Free WiFi is available. The host (David) speaks Russian and English (and can say also Labrīt or have a small talk in Latvian), David can help organizing daily tours in Georgia, cultural events and give advice about interesting places in Tbilisi and Georgia.
Let's agree - David is a walking Wikipedia!
A fireplace
Could be lovely to enjoy some glass (or bottle) of Georgian red wine in winter in front of this fireplace.
Small cozy bedroom at Hostel 17/17