When I relocated to Georgia from the United States I realised that my adjustment curve was going to be fairly steep. The following are the ten things I have learned through considerable pain and embarrassment on my part. Now that I have mastered these life-altering skills, Tbilisi has become an even more appealing location.

1. Taxi rates are negotiable. In fact, negotiations should take place prior to commitment. Embarrassingly enough, I have a habit of getting into the taxi first, telling the driver where I need to go and patiently waiting for the fee to be quoted to me once we get to the destination. I have learned how to save a considerable amount of money by turning this process upside down.

First, you should tell the driver how much you are willing to pay for the distance you need to travel. Start low and work your way up as necessary. You should get into the taxi only after reaching an acceptable agreement. Payment should follow your successful arrival at your final destination (by that I mean your chosen destination, even though local driving techniques have a tendency to make you feel as if you are indeed heading somewhere else, beyond Tbilisi and the world in general). It is preferable to have the exact amount handy, since apparently taxi drivers never carry cash.

Regular fares downtown start from 2 lari. I wish I had known this before, I could probably have saved enough to buy my own vehicle.

2. Gas and hot water come in one package. The water in my apartment is heated by gas. I am reminded about that on regular basis when I see an awkward-looking rectangular box hanging on the wall between my sink and my stove. With numerous addenda in the form of tubes and cylinders, it evokes an image of an octopus. I am eternally grateful that I have it though, for somehow this strange aggregate manages to turn the ice-cold water running through the pipes into its warm counterpart.

3. The 1st commandment of a cell phone user: time is money and money is time. Since mobile service providers charge per minute of talk time, I have learned the wise principle of making conversations short and sweet. I was used to the sweet part before: “Hello, this is Liza, how are you doing today?” was my natural conversation starter. People here, however, are much better at abbreviation than elaboration when talking on their cell phones. I have mastered shortspeak as well as such tactics as timely referrals to instant messaging. After all, time is money, and how are yous can be saved for personal encounters.

4. Louis Vuitton is cheap. And by cheap I mean a fountain pen costs 40 Lari. Also, save yourself the embarrassment of arguing against the authenticity of such a device. It does not matter if you have never seen this black plastic monster-of-a-pen on Vuitton’s official website. Neither does it matter that of the many designers Vuitton is probably the most obsessive compulsive when it comes to choosing its official retailers (even Nieman Marcus, the largest luxury retailer in the United States, does not carry its creations).

Louis Vuitton is real and it is cheap, a principle you should adhere to when entering a shopping area. If you try to say otherwise, be prepared to withstand a barrage of arguments directed against you from the store personnel whose integrity you are trying to question.

5. Americano is strong. The Starbucks watered-down version of coffee is extinct in Tbilisi. While I knew that ordering coffee here would mean getting an espresso that awakens the dead, I was not prepared to encounter a similarly potent Americano. After all, it signifies the American, and thus weak, version of the beverage. However, in comparison to the U.S. drink, Georgian Americano would probably qualify for espresso in an American-based coffee shop chain.

6. Smoking is allowed by default. Statistically, 40% of the Georgian population has succumbed to this habit. Thus, there is no need to ask whether an establishment allows smoking or not. Rather, unless a bright and big sign at the door instructs otherwise (and I have seen such a wonder in only one location so far) it is safe to assume that smoking is acceptable.

7. Four-inch heels qualify as walking shoes. I thought that walking in flats on the beaten-up pavements of hilly Tbilisi streets was a smart choice. However, witnessing the courage and audacity of local women I realised that comfort issues give way to style, any time and anywhere. My embarrassing tip-toeing around the incidental ditches and cracks also gradually gave way to bold marching in a straight line. I still prefer to avoid wearing leather-covered heels, though.

8. Retail stores and dental clinics are omnipresent. Have you ever passed by what seemed to be an open apartment door, but turned out to be a clothing store? Well, there are probably a thousand such entities in Tbilisi. I have yet to figure out which of the two remains their primary function. Dental clinics also seem to pop out of nowhere around every street corner. I have come to the conclusion that healthy teeth and a pretty dress are fundamentally important to one’s survival here. And should you find yourself lacking one of these items at any moment, a remedy is always available around the corner.

9. Ten in the morning is early. I have previously lived in Washington D.C., witnessing people drive to their offices as early as 5 a.m. so they could beat the traffic and start their working day at 6 a.m. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Tbilisi residents avoid traffic issues by simply getting to work later. When I leave my apartment at 10 a.m., the nearby shops have yet to awaken from their good night’s sleep.

10. Weight loss is a worldwide issue. Anyone who has spent time in the United States would agree that people in Georgia are truly and honestly in great shape. While the healthy number of weight loss supplement commercials on American TV is justified by the size of the people there (64% of adults in the United States are overweight or obese), I was perplexed to encounter similar commercials on the Georgian TV. Clearly, the desire for perfection beyond perfect has no geographical boundaries.