What a feast!

Yesterday after work I went for a walk around town with Sabina, frequent visitor at IU. It was amazing- I work so close to the main streets and other places, but didn't know it- i just went back and forth to the metro, afriad of getting lost, and, well, having to go to work. She took me to see the Maiden's tower, the symbol of Baku, we also strolled down the main pedestrian street in town, and walked around Central Baku. It's really a beautiful city- small streets, beautiful buildings, parks, palm trees, the sea. Really nice.



Then, we went to a Azerbaijani restaurant and ATE. They like to feed you here. I have learned (already) to skip lunch if I'm not eating at home so I can eat properly ravenously when I am with Azeris and make them happy (and not explode). Oh my God, the food was good- nice appetizers, and then sturgeon from the Caspian, breaded, over some delicious potato thing, with this amazing cream sauce on top, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. Words cannot describe how great it was. And then, another course (!!!), lamb with potatoes and peppers and tomoatoes, all cooked and served on a flattened wok, also delicious. With Georgian wine, which I haven't had in ages and missed very much. And then dessert even! They take young walnuts before they get hard and can them (or something). They are very sweet and spicey, almost like cinnamon and cloves etc. And also a jelly made from roses "picked at dawn before they open." In a word, fabulous.




Last night, i was sleeping, and i was woken up by knocking and the phone ringing. Needless to say, I was worried. I crept to the door, afriad to answer the phone because then whoever was at the door would know that I was there, but at the same time knowing that whoever was at the door was probably calling. Well, it ws my landlady,. AT 2:30 IN THE MORNING!!!!!!! She comes in, really sorry, and tells me that she is laeving tomorrow and needs to get her luggage that she left at my apartment. SHE SLEEPS AT MY PLACE AGAIN! I had to wake up and come in for an interview this morning, so I got up and went about my business and she was sleeping on the couch. While I was eating breakfast (oh yeah- MOLDY CAKE!!! Morning surprise!) she finally left with her stuff. No she is off in the regions, THANK GOD!




Today, another interview, this time with the head of an anti-trafficking NGO. SHe was very opinionated and very political! Just my style! Interestingly (to me), when I asked her how a stronger civil society could be buily here, she said we need more democracy, we need fair elections, we need an independant judiciary. In other responses to, she was calling for liberal systems and increased individualism. It is interesting for me to see these attitudes here. After the main part of the interview, she basically asked me if I was going to use this information AGAINST NGOS here. I was like, no way!!! I try to say very little during the interviews so as not to influence the answers, and the detachment may seem like judgement I guess. Or maybe I need to work on my questions. Well, then we had a great discussion of democratization- she told me the AZ perspective on the US's activities in AZ, and I told her what I thought about the US's policies. and then we talked about Karabakh.




Anyway, this weekend I'm going to do some shopping at Ramstore- a European department store (if I can find it) and walk around town a bit more.




Enjoy the pictures of Baku!