How to make your own fun in Baku

So in the past week I have learned the different ways people make their own fun in Baku. One option, one of the best I think and certainly the most amusing and creative, is to have theme parties. My first such party was a "Top Gun" themed party where the movie played a central role as a constant source of humor and hilarity (it is particularly all the more funny against the backdrop that is Baku - shown projected against the big white wall of an Old City apartment where a kind and funny British couple live). But there have been others of course, the most infamous of which so far has got to have been the Austin Powers themed party- where party-goes went the extra mile and had costumes and Austin suits made at the local tailor. THIS is how to have to fun in Baku.


Another simpler way is to frequent a local pub or restaurant with friends, where the company is good and the talk inevitably turns political. Whether it's nachos with fellow American, Russians and Dutch folks at an area pub, or dinner at a nice Italian restaurant with Italian, Swiss, Dutch, Austrian, Polish, Ukrainian internationals - the talk still makes its way to the political situation. But even so, it is only here where I have experienced such conversations with this broad an international group. It is diverse and interesting and the people are among the most aware and thoughtful that I have ever met, I think.


I have several mini-announcements. One- I am well aware of the dozens of grammatical errors and the numerous misspellings of the city of Tbilisi - I just can't be bothered to go back and correct it now (and one some computers I have too much difficulty with the spell check features being blocked). The other - this will not be a forum on which I will comment on my work here. Since the primary audience is designed to be family and friends and loved ones and not a political platform, posts will be limited to more social aspects. Rather an eye into my life in Baku and daily adventures as I make my way in the new cultural terrain.

For example, I received my first care package yesterday. A welcome box of nice soft sheets (lets not even go into what they have for sheets here) and loads of chocolate, hot cocoa and other goodies. It was a fun surprise - and proof that I can receive packages at the address I listed in earlier posts.

I also went to the fancy gym for the first time. It felt very serious and full internationals - a place where power goes to work out and work off the excess energy and stress of being away from home. The facilities are very good, and I was happy to go and have that place to get to that feels like a normal to me that I understand. And similarly, in that gym and in other places, meetings, buildings, I feel very much like I could be in my own "West Wing" episode. One that particularly stands out (don't laugh, this is all Ben's fault...Ben and his "West Wing" addiction!) has got to be when Donna is in Israel. Seriously, I am SO Donna right now. And the other night, in an Irish-named pub when we said hello to the Italian mysterious drifter of an election monitor could be right out of the episode where Donna meets the reporter in the expat bar in Israel. Perfect. Not to mention all the journalists here and war photographers that make it all the more surreal, mysterious and ready-for-television. I have to say, I love it.

As always, feel free to email me at kristine.herman@gmail.com for more personal updates of course.

My living room in Baku. Two dozen large calla lillies cost under $3 here! Here is a link to many more photos of my lovely apartment-
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8EbNmLdw3ZqLsI

More Tiblisi Photos

To see more photos of my Tiblisi trip (and my skinned knees) go to shutterfly at this link:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8EbNmLdw3ZqLqQ .

Tiblisi

Tiblisi

Tiblisi Bazaar

Georgia Brought Me To My Knees

I just got home from Tiblisi, Georgia where I was observing an ABA CEELI training on domestic violence for law enforcement and advocates in Georgia. Actually, I got home from Georgia about 7 hours ago - but I JUST got home from a night out with L and the commandos. L and I had dinner together around 9:30 and then joined the commandos at a local pub, enjoying the hilarious cover band until we moved on to a nightclub where we danced for hours. It was actually nice to go dancing, it had been awhile.

But here are the things that are important to mention about Georgia. Firstly, I benefited from the amazing generosity and kindness of an American couple there, who treated me with such hospitality and showed me the entire city. The next thing that has to be mentioned is the food, the incredible, rich and decadent food. Its really all about the cheese. Cheese pie, cheese filled dumplings, the bread, - it was basically a vegetarian's dream with all the options. We ate Georgian food every night and it was delicious! Another critical thing to mention about Georgia is that most of the country is Orthodox Christian, and so there are millions of churches everywhere. At all hours of the day- as they are on their way somewhere- the Georgians will stop and cross themselves (or do the holy trinity if I've got that right) three times and/or bow..sometimes staying a moment to pray right there on the street in front of the church.

Another fun thing to mention about Georgia (but its true also in Azerbaijan) is that frequently the water comes out of the spouts in serious explosive spurts. It's quite startling actually when you turn on the faucet. In Tiblisi, the water was shut off in the middle of the night. An important distinction between Baku and Tiblisi - Tiblisi is a dog city (with street dogs aplenty) and Baku is more the stray cat capital.

I would be remiss if I did not point out the fun of traveling to Tiblisi from Baku - particularly the multiple security checkpoints at the Baku airport. One full metal detector and baggage x-ray machine at the airport door, one to get to the ticketing and check in area, and then a third at the gate. In addition to this 3 time xray and metal detector, there is a VERY THOROUGH pat-down by a female officer. Lets just say that its just shy of a cavity search and there is extra emphasis on the bra and breast area to make sure our underwire is all we have in there.

But once in Tiblisi there are fresh flowers everywhere for sale. There are bundles and bundles of large calla lillies - it reminded me of my wedding! The substance of the conference was great, but not necessarily the stuff for blogs. However, the scene was impressive and if you've seen the Nicole Kidman movie "the Interpreter" then you pretty much have an idea of what it was like. Thirty people in a room around a U shaped table, an interpreter booth with two interpreters in it and everyone wearing headsets so their language would be heard despite what the speaker's native tongue was. When someone asked a question in Georgian, I heard it through my headphones in English in the lovely interpreter's voice.

As I was about to leave the city, having had an amazing time thanks to my wonderful hosts, I arrived at the airport courtesy of the office driver. And I got out of the car, loaded up my arms with my bags, and with the stuff, my hair, my scarf, and my natural grace - I had what can only be described as a MONUMENTAL WIPE OUT. I had taken not even two steps, and clearly hadn't seen the 3 inch step right in front of me and so I flew forward and down I went! Bags flying. Coat flying. Hair flying. SMASH. On both my knees. I basically sort of stayed there in shock, on my stomach in front of the Tiblisi airport and a ton of people. It was a major spectacle and I am sure I provided people with material to talk about for the rest of the day. The driver and a nearby Georgian man helped bring me to my feet again and I hurried into the airport in shame. Once I made it through all the security checks and had my requisite pat down/feel up by the officer there I checked out my knees in the bathroom and sure enough, skinned and bruised like a little kid. Both of them, my poor sad knees.

Remember the video game "Frogger?"

In order to get to the office from my new apartment I have to cross a busy 4 lane road- and up to this point I have neglected to mention how insane the traffic is here. The rules are there are no rules. Pedestrians have the difficult challenge of hopping through traffic trying to avoid getting hit, street lights and walk signs are virtually non-existent. One travel book put it the best- it is exactly as though we are playing a gigantic game of frogger, with our lives! If you lack the requisite courage you could end up waiting on one side of the street for hours. Instead, local practice is to literally hop across one half of the road in between the zooming cars...And then stand at the middle white lines with the cars zooming in front and in back of you as you wait for another mini-opening in traffic so you can try to squeeze and shoot to the other end of the street. You are playing "Frogger," bopping and weaving through traffic. And there is absolutely no regard for pedestrians, no right of way, no slowing down. Its simply terrifying.

On another note, I have moved into my new apartment. Two nights ago, when we were finalizing things with the landlord Elza, I had a hilarious mini-adventure. Once we had settled things up in the apartment, I walked out with Elza so she could speak with the guards about me. After nearly 20 minutes with the guards and Elza speaking their vigorous Russian about me and the move (with no one there to translate so I was totally in the dark) we negotiated that I would move in the next day and provide documentation for the guards (passport information and employment). We then walked out, and she started walking with me - no discussion, no idea how it happened or what would happen next. We walked and walked, and she just wasn't saying goodbye. In fact, instead of saying goodbye she was talking up a storm! All of it in Russian of course, and very enthusiastically, excitedly. Soon I found she was taking me on an impromptu walking tour - the philharmonic, the museum, the best hair salon....and then all of a sudden she is taking me into the Moscow market - showing me what she thinks is Baku's best sausage. Since most of our conversation, taking place entirely in Russian, was largely one-sided - I decided not to try to convey that I was a vegetarian. I was just hoping she wouldn't BUY any and expect me to taste it! We walked and walked, past the Literature Museum and the Old City, and around Fountain Square and then we were approaching my old apartment (where I was going to spend my final night) and STILL we weren't parting ways. I was getting nervous, and sure enough as we approached the old apartment building she followed me in and as we started heading up the 4 story walk up I began to think about what I would do once she was in the apartment with me! I supposed I would offer her tea and show her the place. Then, all of a sudden and surprisingly at Apt #5 (my temporary place was Apt. #6) she said her goodbyes to me and we parted. It might not translate as funny and surreal as it was, but trust me- spending a full hour with a large funny severe Russian lady talking your ear off in a language you don't understand and nearly walking you all the way to bed is completely funny!

Tomorrow afternoon I am off to Tblisi, Georgia to observe the domestic violence conference there. I can't wait to see what Tblisi is like - its supposed to be beautiful.

Irish Pubs

Last night we went to 3 pubs (Finnegan's, Tequila Junction and O'Malleys) all frequented by a large expat community made up of international organization employees (ABA CEELI, International Rescue Commission, etc), and oil people...a lot of oil people. Pub #1 had a loud cover band (made up of Azeris) playing Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Rolling Stones songs. Hilarious. Not so hilarious was the fact that there were 40 or 50 westerners (mostly oil men, but some wives of oil men too....most folks in their 50's). And at around 10:30 or 11 p.m. another group of people starting flowing in - Azeri prostitutes. It was so surprising - and sad, pretty YOUNG women (mostly) in the smallest skimpiest clothing on, I mean TINY clothes. I watched one of them closely and she would walk up to a guy sitting at a booth and grab his hand and bring him onto the dance floor and it would all go from there. It was crazy to watch and very depressing.

Its important to remember that women may "go into" prostitution for a variety of very sad oppressive reasons - a girl who has been raped isn't a virgin, and so she will never be married (as in this country mothers-in-law wait outside the marital bedroom to receive the bloody sheet as proof that her son married a virgin)...so if a woman here can't marry she has very little means of economic support, and she is already tainted so her options become very limited. That version doesn't even include the women who have been trafficked. Russian women here are all considered prostitutes (out of latent soviet resentment and because so many have been forced into prostitution perhaps) - and they are referred to as "Natasha."

It got so crowded, and loud and distracting that we went to Pub #2 - which was also quite crowded (but no prostitutes there) and with no place to sit we moved next door to Pub #3. There we were joined by our big hulky european friends (from Ireland, Sweden and Holland) - we call them "the commandos." I was walked home by a couple people and seen safely inside.

And please, check out this amazing website www.expatmonkey.com to see what this place and the expat community here is all about...these are the people (a few of them) that I am spending my time with. They are amazingly special and interesting and creative and smart. I feel lucky to be among them.

Saturday in Baku

After watching one of my new DVD's ("The Legend of Zorro") and eating Annie's whole wheat mac and cheese I went to bed and slept for 12 hours! I was exhuasted from a week of too little sleep and a world of newness. This morning I lingered in the apartment and emerged around 2 p.m. to wander the city and take a few photos. So below I have posted some of the images captured today in just a couple hours of meandering. I don't particularly like the format (and how the pictures interrupt the flow of narrative blog postings) but I'm a novice at this so it'll have to do. Later tonight I am to have dinner with some more friends from work and tomorrow most of my things will be moved into my more permanent apartment and I'll have another hilarious and totally confusing meeting with the new landlord. I can't wait to stop living out a suitcase.

Me in Baku (while updating blog) captured via webcam

The ABA CEELI office where I work is the building on the left and Maiden's Tower, Old City Baku is the building on the right

The view from my back balcony (yes, there is a front balcony overlooking Fountain Park)

My temporary apartment is straight ahead, between those two cars and the balcony midway up (just above those clotheslines)

The scary entrance to my temporary apartment

The local grocery store (near the temporary apt.) where I found traditional Ragu pasta sauce!

Hong Kong (for $3 DVD's and knock off purses)

The Caspian Sea (across the street from our office)

Ocean Deck Restaurant/Bar (for nachos, pool and darts)

Old City, Baku

Old City, Baku

Old City, Baku

Artist's Alley, Baku

Where to Start?

What is more interesting to read about: the ultra muscle-y men who are ex-military cops who we hung out with last night (they are training Azeri special units in anti-terrorism techniques, and these guys are HUGE), or trying to negotiate a lease through a Russian interpretor (they always sound like they are yelling and arguing, but apparently they aren't...just like Sicilians ;) and how we were at an impasse over the landlord's wish that I hire her cleaning lady once a month (and pay for it myself) because it turns out I am living in the apartment above the President's brother (no wonder there are guards!) so I have to have clean windows!

Or should I describe the power outage our office had today in the middle of the afternoon, and we just went on with our fancy meeting with five representatives from another international organization in the dim, with computers and all sorts of technical equipment yelling loud beeping noises at us for nearly an hour until the power magically returned. I could desribe the fun of being driven to the United Nations in our big dark Ford Explorer, with our lovely formal driver Javonshir and going through all the security for an intro meeting to catch me up with the projects we are collaborating with UNIFEM on.

No, I think I'll express my minor nervousness but enthusiasm for the next week of adventures that are planned for me. The current plan is that I will move into my new apartment (above the President's brother of course) on Sunday/Monday, and have two normal work days Monday and Tuesday with meetings at the U.S. Embassy. Then I am flying to Georgia! Georgia...the country that my lonely planet guide recommends that one has hostage insurance for (which I don't have). I am going to attend a 3 day Domestic Violence training in Tblisi (Its a train the trainer training and 2 days are for training law enforcement and 1 day is for victim advocates). Interestingly, the two trainers are Americans and I have seen one of them at a national DV conference in the states. Busy times. And really so interesting. I could go on and on about how people speak about "gender issues" here and have no idea what they are talking about and sort of seem to resent even the topic being on the agenda - they do it grudgingly and with no training or information or dialogue. So it will be interesting to see what Georgia is planning to do on the domestic violence issue.

These are posted on the outside of the fancy apartment that I am planning to rent next week - they are Bird Flu warnings...they say "Attention! Attention!" on the top in Russian and then have informative drawings about how to NOT get the Bird Flu. It is not very reassuring I have to say (and a week from Sunday I am going into the heart of the Bird Flu region for a human rights training). Americans here seem to think its no big deal so long as I don't do any feather-plucking.

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.

My Arrival

I am here. The overnight flight, Frankfort layover and evening arrival in Baku left me a little disoriented and crazed. Lucky for me I got through passport control uneventfully, collected my 5 massive bags and made it through customs and was greeted by the lovely office driver named Javonshire and our coutnry director here, Lynn. I am staying at a temporary apartment that is larger than my Brooklyn place with Ben, and lovely with big windows overlooking Fountain Square (and of course within visibility of the local McDonald's - evil).

My first useful piece of advice given to me by Lynn on the drive from the airport was this - don't even brush your teeth with the water. It'll make your gums bleed. The water is dangerous....full of metal and toxins. So we use bottled water for everything and its likely I'll actually have water coolers delivered to my when I settle into an apartment.

I don't have internet at the temporary apartment, so I have to rely on sneaking in office time for now. But the digs are great here and the office is nice, and full of friendly and kind people ready to help out. I had lunch with a group from the office (6 of us) today and we went to Ocean's Warf where I had a surprisingly good plate of vegetarian nachos! And then at 4:30 today the office had a cake and champagne celebration for the old Kristine and the new Kristine - so apparently I won't starve here.

We already have a lot of work planned for me in the next couple weeks - including a 2 day seminar on coalition and network building for NGO's working on anti-trafficking. The trafficking of women and children here is a huge problem and one that needs a lot of support and services and training. Training is key here- even the women's NGO's look at trafficking victims as prostitutes who deserve what they got....so we have a lot of work to do. I am so excited to be jumping right in with both feet.

I've also been warned -on this, my first day- that at some point my apartment will be "visited" by government officials....they usually visit when you are not home and they go through all your thigns and turn on your computer and look at your files and leave you signals that they have been there (like an ashtray with a cigarette in it next to your turned on computer with files open, so you know they were there). Kind of scary. And they only really do this to the single women here, but they are never in your apartment when you get home....they just leave you little messages that say they are watching. These are the things they don't tell you when you interview for the job.

Tonight I am going out to dinner with Lynn and Kristine to meet more friendly folks from the ex-pat community in Baku - people outside the ABA CEELI office. The city is interesting, and while one mostly sees all men on the streets, I feel right at home because in this city everyone wears all black!