Prostitution

Last night I went out to eat with about 8 other expats (Americans and Brits) not from the ABA CEELI office. Everyone was lovely and funny and not once did they talk about work. They are all interesting and adventurous - great company. We went to a Georgian restaurant, which was really good (and my frist time eating Georgian food), lots of bread and cheese products....very tasty and vegetarian friendly. In the middle of dinner, with the 8 of us tucked in a back corner of the small restaurant, there was a minor explosion in the kitchen and then the place went completely pitch black. The electricity blew out and it was total darkness. People lit the table with the light from all their cell phones until the waitress brough us a couple candles. We finished the meal in candles, and people joked about my introduction to electrical problems. On our way out of the restaurant there was yet another explosion in the kitchen and we walked past an electrical fuse box that was literally ON FIRE.

From there we walked as a group, got some people home and the rest of us proceeded to the same Ocean's Deck place as before. It had a ton of expats playing pool and darts and we met up with a group of people who might work for the oil industry (everyone seems sort of secretive about what they are doing here...so that is interesting. No one talks about work or what they do when they are out). I stayed there until a group of about 4 of us left...and Lynn and Sam walked me home.

I definitely need to be walked home while here - there is this little nuisance that the police here do when they see women walking after 9:30 p.m.....(and this has happened to several American women here) the police will stop a woman (even if its two women) walking at night and acuse them of being prostitutes (which is not illegal here) and demand a bribe....if you don't pay the bribe they literally haul you to the VD hospital (because spreading STD's IS illegal here) for a forced gynecological exam! No fun. So that is an experience I am going to try to avoid.

When I got into my temporary apartment, I was a littel restless so I put on my trusty Angelina Jolie DVD ("Tomb Raider" of course) and tried to hook up my computer to get dial up...no luck yet. Then, in stumbling around late and night and jet lagged, I caught my pinkie toe on a piece of furniture and stubbed it like mad. Its almost as bad as when I broke it this past August, hurts like hell to put on shoes and when I walk - so that is fun. No need to go to a doctor though because a) that's not fun here and b) not much can be done for a broken pinkie toe anyway and I am not wearing that damn velcro boot again.

That is me, Day Two in Baku. There is a pregnant cat at the office and I am contemplating adopting one of her kittens when she has them....hoping they don't carry the bird flu.