The treasure the Kazakhs bought and the pleasure Tbilisians will lose – what a pity

Emzar Jgerenaia

Hello! I am glad to have an opportunity of speaking to you again. It is a serious chance to exchange impressions about the summer “holidays” (let’s chatter in French, it is in fashion now) and speak about the economy again.

The summer was really sultry. It has been a long time since we had such lovely sunny days and interesting events in Georgia. We are full of impressions and want to share them with each other, but in the heat of market economy we have no time for direct intercourse and cooing, so we try to use modern but habitual electronic systems of communication, especially because the new networks are in abundance now – mobile phones of different generations and origin, “Skype”, “ISQ” and god knows what else. Oh, there are forums as well! Fathers of the world communication really consider these forums as something new.
What is a forum? Your mobile phone has a menu, where you can simultaneously speak to several respondents or subscribers (here “that” invisible ear that is constantly hearing or listening to our telephone calls is not meant – it is a separate issue), the same applies to “Messenger”, “Skype” or “ISQ”. Big deal. It is common knowledge that they were introduced in Georgia a long time ago. But what do you need it for, who appreciates it? Each Tbilisian knows this forum. For example – you pick up the phone and about four or five groups are talking to each other. You hear confidential news and enjoy. “Courier” is nothing compared to it, all latest news and information as well as beau-monde, social, love and political news are collected here. You can sprawl out in a soft armchair and listen to what is happening all over the world. And this is not all – you can also be connected or listened to or be called names. But what do you need it for?!
It did not occur to poor leaders of communication to patent it on the world market and share their experience with the giants of the world communication. What a pity that so much money has been lost. Besides, do not think that it is a local network, it is an international one. The whole world is connected to it, that is why I said that you hear the world events.
Not long ago I called home from Paris (I shall brag about Paris and Monmartre, the voyage spent in Cite, of course by phone). I wanted to find out what was going on in Tbilisi, the phone was picked up by a little child and he could not understand anything, but a lot of voices could be heard – Zhuzhu was jabbering with Zizi, Ksenia – with Liana, Bondo – with Karaman, Natasha – with Lestamber and Justan – with Justin. It was a serious forum. There was an intense hum but still I heard what was going on in politics, economy, who was unfaithful to whom and who picked up a tough man as well as what medleys and parties took place in the heat of summer. Besides, intensive swearing could be heard. The relationship between Zhuzhuna and her lover became strained, Ninutsa’s boy-friend nearly dishonored her – they were even telling a joke about it – a child is telling his father: “You know, father – today boys burst into the bar and dishonored everyone but Tsitsa”. The father asks: “Why did not they dishonored her, did not she wanted it?..” One can learn a lot in the forum. Being satisfied and informed, I rang off. I was glad that everything was all right. How amazing our talent is – we can invent so many things, but we are poor in finalizing of matters and making of international marketing-money – we are shy. But the most terrible thing is that even cables do not bear such a great number of listeners, sometimes such things happen at the forum that it becomes disconnected. Then you call 99999 times the repair service, they say that the cable is damaged and that it will be repaired soon. They torment you this way for a month and infringe the human right of receiving information on what is happening in the city and the whole world. No one remonstrates against this vandalism and informational discrimination. The Kazaks were astonished when they bought this telephone network –”What we have seen! How do you manage to do it, what a babel!” – and were going to inculcate it in Astana, but alas. It turns out that their hissing cables are laid so that they proved to be useless for the Georgian forum since voices do not pass into one another, so now they are going to extract this cable and take it to Kazakhstan. It is their property and let them use it as they please if they take it, but just imagine how dull it will become in Tbilisi – how we shall learn our news, they are like a serial. Then you wonder how this story ended, what the lover finally did. So, while there is time and your line has not been disconnected yet, pick u the phone and enjoy the world wonder – Tbilisi’s telephone communication and the jabber, I am sorry – forum, taking place in it. What a fascination. One might as well ask the Kazakhs not to change anything and not to deprive the beau-monde of the source of informational existence. There is an idea to create a society of the telephone forum’s protection and retain this Georgian coloring for the public, moreover – to share our unique experience with the world, let them enjoy it as well and see what kind of system we have in the 21st century. By selling it we shall increase our export potential and monetary reserves. What treasure do we have underground? The Kazakhs have bought not a telephone exchange but a real Tbilisi coloring and even do not know its economic and social human price.
Enter the forum in time and tell fresh summer news about yourself to the city and common people, but if you don’t – “they” know it even without it.