Partying and Working

2 out of 3 sceptics- one is obscured by the cushion. We packed into the taxi like sardines! And the last one is andrea.
A poorly taken picture of the party.


Yup, that's my life.

Saturday night I went to a party that was put together by the Alumni Network, which brings together Azeris who studied abroad. AAA is the American educated group of this, and they are great- I'm going to their offices tomorrow beacuse the new US ambassador is going to be there for a Q & A. Anyway, the party was pretty far outside of town in a big new house- like 3 or 4 floors, still empty (no furniture)- I can't wondering what the heck was going on with that place. There were tons of people there, and some people from the NATO conference. So it was good, had lots of fun, danced, drank, and then went home. Great stuff.

Went to the party with Andrea, he's an Italian who's working at the Asian Development Bank for the summer. We're plannign to go out to the regions together next week, for research and siteseeing. It should be great, but hopefully not as hot (but probably as hot). Also went to the party with a bunch of guys who call themselves the "marginalized intelligentsia" because of their skeptical views on civil society and the political situation in AZ. It was fun talking to them, and i hope to get them on tape for my reserach when i get back to Baku. I also met the guys from the Free Minds group here, a bunch of Azeri libertarians! I met one of them at the conference, met the other organizer at the party. I mean, these guys have interned at the CATO institute, it's unbelievable! So we talked about it all, and how libertarianism is possib;e/different out here in AZ. Wacky, crazy, interesting stuff.

Anyway, I've been bust last and this week with my research. Two interviews a day usually, or someting else, went to a conflict resolution training on Monday, for instance. Been meeting with human rights groups this week, which is my real specific interest, and i'm meeting 2 more today,

which is all FASCINATING, but EXHAUSTING, because (not to beat a dead horse) it is SO HOT HERE, today is over 90 and humid.

Anyway, less than three weeks until Moscow- so little time!