- Salil Padmanabh
As I moved to Tbilisi with my spouse, InterNations has helped us make friends outside of our work colleagues.
Living in Rustavi
Rustavi is known as “The Ancient City” and is located on the banks of the Mtkvari River in Georgia. Georgia is situated between Western Asia and Eastern Europe, giving the perfect blend between the two cultures that it has been influenced by. Georgian cuisine is one of the main selling points of living there, with food quite unlike that found in the remainder of Europe. Georgia is also home to an abundance of writers, poets, opera singers, ballet dances, theatre producers and sculptures. The internationally famous Georgian State Academic Ensemble or Rustavi Ensemble also executes their artistic performances within the city. It is thought that this large creative production is due to the influences of Georgia’s European neighbors and has created the perfect artistic blend as a result of this. Additionally, expats living in Rustavi will find that it is a large industrial town. Due to soviet rule, Rustavi was promoted to grow in industry, forcing the city into a process of industrialization which has made it the hub of productivity it is today with numerous chemical plants and metal works. To help you best get settled into life in Rustavi, InterNations has many discussion groups, forum threads and articles covering various aspects of life abroad. Members are also able to begin private correspondence or group discussions in order to socialize, network and get in touch with other expatriate in Rustavi, Georgia and around the globe.
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Moving to Rustavi
The national language spoken in Rustavi is Georgian. Letters used are those of the Georgian alphabet, making the language more difficult to learn than most other European languages. A large part of the population speak Russian, while English is not as common and spoken mostly only by the younger generation. InterNations Expat Magazine features articles on cross-cultural communications and many more expatriation related topics that can help you with language barriers and getting used to a foreign culture. Housing in Rustavi is predominantly apartment blocks spread far across the city, with many to rent or buy. Although there are some houses, they are not as frequent.
Working in Rustavi
To be able to work in Rustavi, it would be very beneficial to speak Georgian or Russian as English is not as commonly spoken as one might expect it to be. Learning the local language not only opens up job opportunities but also enables you to socialize and network more easily. Common jobs advertised include engineers, law assistants, and consultants amongst others. It is beneficial to come to the country either as a student or with a particular skill set. The InterNations Expat Magazine features articles on working abroad, and there are discussion groups focusing on jobs and professions on the InterNations website, all giving useful advice on this subject. Working in Rustavi can be a challenge at first as you become accustomed to a new culture and working attitudes. However, Georgians tend to be welcoming and warm people, treating foreigners with the same respect as they would their own and as such, expats living in Rustavi should not have any troubles settling in.