Pictures and such

So thus far I have been doing some various work in the store and getting acquainted with the city. My main project for the store right now is to create an accounting system (expense reports, income statement, etc) because it does not really exist at this point. I can thank CJ Skender and Fred Closuit for my limited accounting knowledge, but I think I can make do.

Well, I promised pictures, so here a the first few I have snapped. Above is some of the ruins in the Old City, the historic part of the city officials are beginning to regulate pretty strictly. Below is the Maiden's Tower, the most well known site in Baku, and the store is just a few hundred feet or so from the tower.

Below here is a picture of typical architecture just around the Old City, which has all just been very recently remodeled. This type of work is what makes me think why some people try to call Baku the Paris of the East (seems a bit off to me, but accurate in a few spots)

And again below is the really nice and new boulevard/walkway the government built all along the Caspian Sea. Its now quite a hub and draws a large number of people at all times of the day, and is where I go running most mornings, and is only five blocks from the apartment where I live. Its a great place to do some people watching.

Now do not let me give you the impression that the city is all brand new, although there is new construction all over the city. It is not necessarily run down, but plenty of the city was built during the Soviet Era, and well, lets just say their aesthetics are not quite as pleasing. Finally, here is a picture of the apartment where I am living. Speaking of my living situation, the family whose apartment I am staying in just took off for the States for the summer, so I am alone for a few days. On Monday, however, a man from Uzbekistan is coming to live in the apartment for a few months, so it will be nice to have a roommate. It should be both a good cultural learning experience as well a lesson in non-verbal communication, as he speaks very little English, and well, my Uzbek is not all to polished either.

Now, a few more observations. So yesterday I went with one of the guys who works at the store to go shopping for a cell phone. So naturally, we went to the cell phone street (who knew such a thing existed?). We went and got a phone and a number, and then tried to buy some minutes, and all the stores were out. What was most curious about the cell phone street is that Azercell, one of the largest cell providers in Azerbaijan, had 5 identical stores all right next to each other. Literally every store sold the same products for the same price, and each was staffed by different people. It was crazy, but they seem to do pretty well.

Also, the police like to ride around in their cars, and instead of getting out and directing traffic, they just sit in the cars and yell very loudly on their megaphones and give instructions to anyone in a car. Interesting ways to enforce the rules (that supposedly exist) of the road, but its pretty loud when you are just walking around on the street.

Finally, I have been eating almost one Doner Kebab a day, something Trey Brown and Matt Keshian would be quite jealous of. If you dont know what it is, think a Turkish version of a gyro. Cheap and good, its an important part of what I eat.