A humbling moment

Foreigners, in travel guides to any poor country, are usually advised not to give money to beggars because it will encourage people to beg. So we don't, usually. And then you see the residents of the country giving money to the beggars. And even more, today I spotted some street children buying a drink from a sweet drinks seller near the market, and when they offered to pay, the seller refused to take the money. It makes you think.

Today was kind of a dreich day, constantly slightly raining - do we call it 'smirr' in Scotland? Totally out of veg, I wandered over to the market near the railway station. It's not what you might call a tourist attraction, but it has good vegetables, meat (if you are not squeamish) and everything. Strange though, how even in the indoor part of it, I found myself skating around on a thin layer of mud.....Buying meat is difficult for me, what with it being big hunks of meat with a lot of bone, for those larger Georgian families. But I found some liver and watched with fascination as the salesman dug into his pocket with his bloody hands, trying to retrieve some change. Also bought a bottle of those sauces that the Georgians love. This one is red, but it seems to be as sour as the green sauce I have tried elsewhere. Not sure what they are made from ....something a bit spicy and/or a bit sweet would have been nice. They are all home-made and bottled in recycled bottles. Let's not think about the hygiene police. Whilst I was negotiating this purchase, a guy slipped by and offered me a delightful watch with yellow glass across the clock face. I showed him my nicer Swatch watch. He departed.