Georgiapedia – Dating

This week we had a few intercultural classes to give us an idea about the Georgian way of life. I thought I would share some with you. Up first, dating.

Just remember that this is a generalization.

Public displays of affection is not appropriate. Well, unless you are the same gender. Men will kiss each other on the cheek and be arm in arm while walking down the street. Dating is not seen as a sexual relationship.

A simple invitation to get coffee can be perceived as a date. If a woman says no to going out, it means maybe. If a woman says maybe, it means yes. If a woman says yes, she is not a woman. When a woman says no, men will continue to ask until the woman makes it clear that no means no.

You are expected to be married by 24. If you are not, people feel sorry for you. Something like, “Oh, don’t worry Jason, you will be ok.” After dating for several months, you are expected to get married. When you are dating, marriage is always on the mind. There is no such thing as casual dating.

Upon getting married, women are expected to be virgins and men are expected to have sexual experience. Seem a little confusing? For men to get experience, they either have to go to prostitutes, foreigners, travel abroad (I guess they used to go to Russia a lot) or find locals that do not adhere to the norm. Because of this, Nino has stressed many times that the women volunteers are to never be alone with a man for he will try to make a move.

Upon getting married, the woman moves into the man’s family’s house. Families tend to live together here. You are then expected to have a child right away. If you do not have a child after 9 months of being married, people will start to talk. You are expected to have a son as an heir. They told us a story of a couple that had 11 daughters before they had their first son. Imagine that!

Apparently some of the top reasons for divorce is bad sexual experience and living with the in-laws. I think that is understandable.

That is all that comes to mind for now. I think it is pretty safe to say, that given all of this, I am not going to be pursuing dating local woman.