Kish, Seki, and Nic

So Wednesday was spent travelling out to the regions again. We took the old Soviet train again, arriving in Seki early Wednesday morning. There we jumped into a cab and headed to Kish, a tiny village just outside of Seki. There we visted an old Albanian Church that was recently restored and turned into a small museum with the help of NHE. It is an Albanian Church not like the country Albania, but because much of Azerbaijan used to be called Albania in the Middle Ages.

After looking around the Church, we had tea and breakfast with the lady who looks after the place, getting to taste a variety of traditional Azeri jams, all of which are very sweet (people in Azerbaijan really enjoy their sweets, at all hours of the day). From there we went back to Seki to meet with some producers and pick up a sign we had made for the store. While in Seki I was able to visit the Khan's Palace, which was built in the 18th century by the ruling family of Seki. It was very beautiful, with detailed carvings and paintings adorning the walls and ceilings.

After that, we took a taxi to the village of Nic, a tiny Udi village in the countryside about an hour from Seki. There we visited and were treated to dinner by a local family who will be producing some jam for the store soon. The village and its history is pretty unique, as the Udi people have their own language and culture. Unfortunately, during the Soviet era much of this unique culture slowly dissipated, leaving behind a village and people barley distinguishable from their Azeri neighbors. In recent years however, there have been a number of projects, including many run by NHE, to help reclaim and restore the identity and language of the Udi people.

Baku by Night

So last night I went up a hill that overlooks the city to take some photos, one for fun but also because we are considering trying to make and sell some postcards in the store because there are very few postcards in Azerbaijan. Let me know if you would ever considering buying any of these (these are somewhat hard to see on here, and also need some editing work done, but you get the general idea). Either way, it was cool to see the city by night, and there were lots of people wandering around the park in the evening.

In other news, after going for a nice run this morning, I returned to my apartment to find that there was no water (made sense after two streets were practically flooded on my run). That made doing three important things quite difficult (in order of importance). 1) Rehydrating, 2) Showering, and 3) Doing laundry. Yes mom, I know you worry about me, but I am showering and doing my own laundry these days.

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.