Thursday, December 10, 2015

"Both the tamada and the other guests are expected to propose a toast to every person at the Georgian table. Every speaker tries to distinguish the most interesting, original and praiseworthy features of a person toasted. The Georgians do not consider this flattery, but a way to encourage the good traits. They believe when a person is told that he is kind and honest he will find it difficult to do evil; when he is told he is generous he will try not to be greedy."

[The painting -  Begos' Friends - by Niko Pirosmani] - Side Note (from Wikipedia)
Pirosmani is known in Russia for the legend of a romantic encounter with a French actress who visited his town; he was deeply in love with her, to demonstrate it he sold his house and bought her enough flowers to fill the square in front of her hotel window (allegedly bankrupting himself).