Wandering between hostels in Georgia
It's been three months since I came to Georgia.
Lately I've been moving between several hostels in Tbilisi. Price, location, cleanliness. At first I chose based on those criteria.
But before I knew it, my criteria for choosing had started to shift.
The night I touched the keys
In the lounge of one hostel, there was an old upright piano.
It was covered in dust, but when I struck the keys it made a sound. As I kept playing for a while, small footsteps came from behind the front desk.
It was an old woman.
She wasn't staff or a guest; she seemed to be the owner of the hostel. She had white hair, was small in stature, and came out still wearing an apron.
When I finished playing, she slowly clapped her hands. Not a big applause, but she had certainly been listening.
The room was quiet, and through the window I could see the lights of Tbilisi at night.
A slice of apple
The next afternoon. While I was working at a table in the lounge, I heard those footsteps again.
The old woman appeared holding a small plate. A few slices of apple were lined up.
She left them without a word. That was it.
They were sweet, with a little honeyed juice. That apple tasted surprisingly good.
People are hungrier for dignity than for money
I realized it here.
What I want from a hostel isn't low price or amenities. It's whether the place makes me feel like I'm allowed to be here.
One clap. One slice of apple. Just those made me feel that my presence had been acknowledged.
Self-respect: that is, the feeling of being valued.
Money is certainly convenient when you have it. But there are things it can't solve. People are probably hungrier for self-respect than for money. We're naturally drawn to the places and people that satisfy that.
Sincerity is reciprocated
And another thing.
It probably wasn't a coincidence that she clapped and gave me the apple. I think it's because I had been using her hostel with care, treating it as her space.
I didn't play carelessly; I played properly. I used the lounge without making a mess.
If you treat people with sincerity, they'll respond in kind. I think this isn't about hostels but about life.
I'm thinking I'll go back to that hostel again tomorrow. Not because it's cheap. Because I want to see that old woman once more.
