Exploring Baku

So I spent most of Saturday exploring different parts of Baku. I started by walking down the Boulevard, and walking to Dom Soviet, a large government building obviously built (and named after) the Soviets, who spent around 70 years occupying Azerbaijan.

Then I went and explored more of the winding streets of the Old City, visiting some local shop owners and passing by many glorious mansions built most often off of money that poured into the city by oil investment. The exploration was highlighted by my visit to the Palace of Shrivanshah's (where much of the story of Ali and Nino took place). The Palace complex holds the palace itself, a small mosque, a mausoleum, burial vaults, a large gate, and some archeological excavations.

After a lunch stop (more Turkish doner), I went up and out away from the Old City, and went to see Martyr's Alley, a former park that was transformed into a memorial. It is now a memorial and a graveyeard for the people of Baku massacred by the Red Army on January 20, 1990. There is a small mosque, a flame to remember the victims, and tombs made out of black marble much like the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. It is quite a moving place, and it also offers great views over the rest of the city.

I then walked around the outskirts of the Old City, exploring some more of the recent developments and architectural styles. Then I finished walking around by some of "Downtown" and around the sea, and then by the park where I live. There a shy little boy decided he really wanted his picture taken, so I happily obliged. Overall a fun and productive day.

Ali and Nino

So I recently finished the book Ali and Nino written under the pen name Kurban Said. It is a somewhat cheesy love story of two young teens, but it is a fascinating look at the wide variety of ethnicities and cultures present here in the Caucasus. The novel is set during the time of WWI, and is the story of a young Azeri boy who falls in love with a beautiful young Georgian girl.

It tells the story both of Ali's Muslim faith and Nino's Christian upbringing, and it even shows some of the historic tensions between the people of Azerbaijan and Armenia. I would recommend the book for those interested in the various cultures of this part of the world, or anyone who happens to also be a hopeless romantic.

Seki

So on Monday night I took off for Seki (Sheck-e) with two other workers from NHE. We took the overnight train, which was clearly built during Soviet times. It was old, slow, and loud, and the ride was not all that smooth, but I was able to get some good sleep.

We arrived into Seki early the next morning, and started off our day with a visit to the NHE office up there, and then we went to a micro-finance program that works closely with NHE. There we were put into contact with a local guy who works in honey production, and it was quite interesting to see the production process they use to abstract the honey, but I don't think being an apiarist is in my future.

From there we met up with a local painter and potter. Both of these men's work is pretty incredible, and the potter is a 5th generation potter, and even I can recognize the high quality pottery this guy produces. Some of the products we sell in the store are the potter's pieces with painting from the local artist. It is all very nice stuff and quite functional as well.

After a lunch break, we walked around town some more, looking for other potential partners in the project. We spent awhile talking to a guy who makes wood boxes of every size, decorated by hand-beaten metal to decorate the exterior of the boxes. We then went to a store that sells some locally produced silk scarves, and asked the guy if we could see where the scares are made. He promptly drove us to the small factory, and showed us a bit of the production process and some of the products they make. Here is a picture of an oil boiler they use to imprint different designs on their products.

Overall, it was a fun trip, and although somewhat tiring, it was nice to get out of the big city for awhile and breath some nice fresh air. I will generally be making trips like this about once a week or so, and keep looking for updates.

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.

Jet Lag

So its not so fun. Last night, my fifth night here in Baku, I awoke at 3 a.m., only to fall back asleep about 2 hours later. Some nights are better, others, not so much. I am hoping I am close to getting over the hump.

Initial Observations

So here are a few things I have noticed about my time here in Baku thus far. First of all, when you are told Baku is in the Muslim world, it is nothing like any other Muslim country I have visited. The government of Azerbaijan is a secular republic, meaning it has no official state religion. Azerbaijan, along with Iran, are the only two majority Shi'a Islamic counties in the world, but the two could not be any different. While Iran is known for its strict, authoritarian, and conservative government, Azerbaijan is known as one of the most irreligious counties in the world. In 1921, the women of Azerbaijan decided to "throw of the veil", and since then it is uncommon to see women with any type of head covering at all. In fact, the women of Azerbaijan dress quite fashionably (and at times, quite immodestly), taking much of their fashion from their Eastern European neighbors. Men here wear typical western clothes, although among the youth of the city it is definitely the norm to dress in a very cosmopolitan style, wearing darker and tighter fitting designer clothes.

As for the city itself, it is a city full of contrasts and contradictions. You can see how its history has made it into the eclectic mix that it is today. You will see tons of luxury cars on the road, including a host of Range Rovers and Mercedes, but always flanked bu a horde of old taxis and Russian-made cars. The buildings are also quite a mix. At times, you look up at think you are in Paris, with beautiful stone arches and wide windows, with a luxury retailer such as Armani or Guess on the ground floor. Next you feel like you have been transported to an ancient Roman city when you are wandering about in the Old City, not sure what to make of the history that surrounds you. Then you look to the next building and it is a Soviet-era Russian bland and boring building, flanked by a dilapidated apartment building that looks like it could crash over in the next big wind storm.

The place just seems to have a hard time defining its own identity. It's an odd mix of Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East all thrown into one. I guess that is why they call this part of the world both the Caucus and Eurasia, as it has such a mixed identity. Walking around at times I feel like I am back in Europe, but then I try to cross the street, having to dart my way between cars that don't seem to have any real road rules, and I suddenly feel like I am back in Cairo. Quite a bit of the city is well off, mainly due to the influx of foreign oil companies that do a lot of business here in Baku. Because of that, you see major construction strewed all across the city. There are other places that seem much more like the Asian disarray I was somewhat more expecting, with little bazaars and local shops that arm every street corner. It is an odd place, one I am still trying to get my senses around, but I hope this gives you a bit of an idea of what I am seeing an experiencing here in Baku.

Greetings from Baku

Hello my friends and family. I know it may surprise you that I am writing on a blog, as well, its not really my thing, but I am already basically composing one for the NGO I am working for, so I figured I would get with the times and share some of that with all of you. First of all, I have to admit the title of my blog is a bit of a misnomer, but only because I am not Azeri. Secondly, you may ask, where is Baku? Well, its the capital of Azerbaijan, and that may not be so helpful either, so here is a link to a map (http://www.reliefweb.int/mapc/cis/reg/cau/caucia.jpg).

So a brief description of what I am doing here and such. I am working this summer for NHE (Norwegian Humanitarian Enterprise), and NGO that specializes in development work here in Azerbaijan. They just started a new project this year that has a storefront here in Baku that sells locally, handmade (aka only in Azerbaijan) goods created in the countryside of Azerbaijan. The project operates by fair-trade principles, attempting to allow these disadvantaged persons access to the market here in Baku that does not necessarily exist in their hometown. One of the main motivations for the project stems from the fact that local artisans are losing market access due to the large amount of Chinese and Indian imports of handicrafts.

So for the summer, I will be helping them get this project off the ground. That will entail working around 20 hours a week at the store here in Baku, travelling every Monday to either a small town or village that NHE either already has a partnership with or to do exploratory work to look for potential artisans to work with. Think Lewis and Clark, but in the Caucus. I will also be creating a map of the other retail stores in the Old City, helping NHE get an accurate idea of what else is sold in the city and at what prices, especially to foreigners. So here think James Bond, but only searching for the price of small handicrafts. I have also been "assigned" to attend various cultural activities, such local ballets, theaters, music series, etc) and to make sure to eat all of the local food specialties. Soon I will be posting some of my initial thoughts on Baku and a little history and culture of the place to give you a better understanding of what life is like over here.