nov/dec | 2011
magazine
Remembering Steve Jazz review Softball in Azerbaijan
magazine
I
t is with deep sadness and regret that I am writing this month’s editorial. As many of you are aware, Steve Hollier passed away on the morning of the 27th of October. Steve had fantastic vision and had very clear opinions on how the magazine should progress to provide the maximum enjoyment for the reader. Over the next few months, the magazine team and I are going to give it our best shot to implement Steve’s ideas. And, therefore this month carries on, with looking at the social scene in Baku, takes a close look at lifestyle choices and introduces some important figures in Azerbaijan; some historical and some present day. The photography competition will continue and I would like to thank all of you who have participated so far, there is clearly some real talent in Baku! Please hurry and get your entries in for next month! The next couple of weeks are no doubt going to be a haze of parties, fun and frolics for the holiday season, plenty of opportunity to let your hair down; and to all of you who are heading out of Baku, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
Liz Collins
Editor Elizabeth Collins liz@az-magazine.com Office & Advertising Manager Kamala Ismayilli kamala@az-magazine.com Designer Teymur Aliyev tima@az-magazine.com Photographer Katya Zhukova Regular Columnists Aygun Samedova, Scary Azeri, Nickee Dixon, Feride Buyuran, John Patterson and Uncle Frank Contributors Daniel Thrust, Natalie Palmer, George Callaghan, Rob Sobhani, Nora Daniels. Suzanne Schwarz, Amy King.
magAZine
www.az-magazine.com AZ Magazine Tel.: +994 12 493 4369 info@az-magazine.com
Cover photograph taken by this month’s photo competition winner, Irina Wegemer.
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The views and opinions expressed by the contributors and advertisers of this magazine may not represent the views of the publishers. AZ Magazine takes no responsibility for claims made by any advertisements in this magazine. Copying or reproducing this magazine is prohibited unless written permission has been given by the publishers. All images and text within this magazine remain the copyright of the photographer, writer or agency.
contents nov/dec 2011
6. Tributes to Steve Friends share their thoughts on Steve Hollier
My Azerbaijan: 10. Photo Competition Check out this months entries
Lifestyle:
24. Beauty Buzz Nickee puts the men through their paces! 26. Diabetes Can you prevent the disease?
International
Out & About
55. Brasov New contributor, George takes us on a journey through Romania 56. Tusheti We join Susanne and her family on a trip to Georgia 58. Scary Azeri The trouble with men and Baku neighbours 60. Baku to Baltimore Exploring the relationship between the 2 cities
14. Museum of Centenarians Looking at longevity in Lerik
People
16. Uzeyir hajibeyov The father of Azerbaijan’s music 18. Isfar Sarabski A rising star of Jazz music 20. Peter Bateman Introducing the new British Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Eurovision:
22. Winners Which artists gained international recognition from winning the Eurovision Song Contest?
Food
50. Restaurant Review Travel back in time with Firuze Restaurant 52. AZ Cookbook Feride shares her chicken and egg recipe
Review
62. Christmas classic movies Films to help get you into the Christmas spirit 64: Baku Jazz Festival The history of the festival and a night with Duke Ellington 28. Pomegranates What makes this ‘superfood’ quite so super? 30. Men and their Mothers Examining the relationship that Mothers and sons share 31. Movember Growing moustaches for charity 32. Kempinski Hotel Review of their brand new Spa 34. Problem Page Once again, we get your problems solved 36. WET. What is really in your water? 38. Out of the mouth of babes Why did God make mothers?
Sport:
66. Softball The peace corps brings Softball to Azerbaijan 68. World Sport: Review of events of the month
Events
: 70. British Ambassador’s reception dinner 72. Poppy Ball 76. Latino Halloween Ball 78. IWC Xmas Fayre 80. Otto’s Halloween Party 82. Internations
Energy
40. Focus on alternative energy solutions
Business
44. Moore Stephens Introduction to international Financial Reporting Standarts (IFRS) 46. MEA Trade Mission to Azerbaijan 47. Inflation and deflation John Patterson encourages us to get reading nov/dec 2011 |
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Tributes to Steve
Everyone who met Steve fell in love with his compassion and his drive for life. The following are a few messages from friends whose lives were influenced and enhanced by meeting Steve. “I have not had the privilege of knowing Steve for very long but in the short time I did know him, I came to know a very special person. Steve was one of life’s free spirits and seemed to spend most of his time helping others, whether in physical terms or by simply just listening to what they had to say. For the Steve the glass was always half full, never half empty and he saw the good in everyone and everything around him. Steve enjoyed life and reveled in the diversity of his surroundings and immersed himself in different cultures. Steve accepted everyone he met for what they were and he made you feel completely at ease and able to be yourself. Steve maybe gone but will not be forgotten by those of us who’s lives he touched and that should be something that we should all try to aspire to”. Morgan Phillips
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“I will miss Steve very much, both as a colleague and as a friend. Steve was one of the few people that could see, and value what others could not see in those around him. Steve was more of a friend than a colleague to all of us and we will miss him greatly but remember him fondly.” Mayina Phillips
“We knew Steve only for a few monthes but it was enough to understand how great person he was. He was full of positive energy all the time,really loved his job, loved this country and was saying only good things even if he was not happy with something. He made us to believe that we have the best country and are doing the best job. We are very sorry that we lost him that early, and very sad that we could not work with him for years. We will remember him forever.” Kam & Tima
“Only that morning we exchanged emails discussing the next issue of the magazine, what he wanted for my column, exchanging jokes about life and the blog...and then, that very evening, someone suddenly Skyped me with the sad news. It did not even register in my brain straight away. You always think ‘that is just not possible?!’ But, sadly, it is. My condolences to Steve’s partner and his family, and everybody at AZ Magazine; who are, I am sure, in a state of a complete shock.” ‘Scary Azeri’
“I was with him the night before he passed and he seemed in great spirits as usual. I was just getting to know him properly, he seemed to know what he wanted, was always smiling – a very decent man indeed. A great shame.” John Patterson, Chairman of the British Business Group
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“Steve came across as a nice, honest, and polite person. He knew I was busy with a zillion other things, so to make my life easier, he suggested we only use recipes and picture from the blog in the beginning, polishing them as needed. About a week ago, the magazine was published. Steve emailed me with the news and I emailed him back thanking him. Then we exchanged more emails discussing the recipe for my next column. In his last email to me he was asking if it was ok to edit the chicken recipe we agreed on a bit. I wrote him back a few days later early in the morning, before my work hours, apologizing for my delay and saying I will email him with more details after my work hours. I was expecting his reply in the evening. But it didn’t go as I expected. I received a message from a friend who said Steve was no more…Steve died from a heart attack around the time I emailed him my last message. This came as a shock and I am still deeply saddened. I have never met Steve in real life but I had a feeling he was a wonderful person and looked forward to meeting him on my next trip to Baku. Steve made Baku his new home and he was laid to rest in the city, where, as his wife Sandra wrote in her email to me, “he had so much fun…” Feride Buyuran
“In the short time I knew Steve I was warmed by his almost boyish enthusiasm for life and enjoyed listening to his experiences of his various travels; both he and Sandra had a zest for life that everyone alludes to, and the warmth and humour between them was a delight to witness.” Phil Pardoe
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“I feel like a 16 year old! I’m having the time of my life”. Steve told me this on a number of occasions. He loved Azerbaijan, his friends and most importantly Sandra. His passion for life was something so rare; there were never problems, merely obstacles. Even obstacles provided Steve with excitement as he chose a way to overcome them. Although not religious, Steve had fabulous faith and searched for the good and love in everyone. With his infectious happiness and never ending desire to obtain more knowledge and to have more experiences I am exceptionally proud to have called him my friend.” Liz Collins
“I first met Steve at one of our school’s many induction sessions for new staff. By then everyone had got acquainted by visiting houses, meeting up at a restaurant or at informal gatherings at the Principle or Director’s houses. Apart from one exception, I did none of them and at this particular induction, the two people who first said hello to me were Steve and Sandra (his partner). Sandra was right in there, a great conversationalist and instantly made me feel comfortable by asking me about what brought me to these shores and what I did before then both of them being open, frank and personable about their own vast travelling/working abroad experiences. The first piece of advice Steve gave me commenting about my first international teaching post was “you’ve done it now, you’ll never go back; you’ll catch the international bug”. As I taught through my first term at TISA I totally understood Steve’s comment, and so went for it with full gusto! The next time we met I began to witness Steve’s plethora of talents. See, Steve just didn’t have skills and talent for most things; he demonstrated each one amazingly and yet had this, humbleness surrounding his gifts. From photography, to production set design, from DT shortcuts to playing the accordion. He wasn’t shy in sharing his knowledge or advice when needed. Steve was a people’s person through his smiles. Not wanting to ever be the centre of attention but would be the first one to be sensitive to everyone’s needs in a crowd and accommodated demands, whinges, self doubts while sharing a joke in between. Although he wasn’t a religious man, he always had and held onto the strong faith in believing in humankind, always wanting to see the good in everybody, a foundation which surely underpins all religions. Steve to me wasn’t just my friend... he was like an uncle to me. During the first commission he took on for TISA as a drama set designer (which was to be his last) we would always mull over his great photographs that he took over the weekend over a mug of builder’s tea and a biscuit or four! He would always start off his morning in my DT workshop by saying “now Nickee, is everything sorted?” with a hopeful smile, to which we both laughed and had a second mug of tea while he prepared for the set. By being the Community and Service coordinator at my school, I have grown into understanding what it means to truly appreciate my community, to totally live in the moment and count each day as a blessing with friends, both new old and to those I’ve yet to meet. Steve truly lived and breathed it. He independently reached out to members of the community, made friends, took risks, travelled all over Azerbaijan and truly tapped into its rich and diverse culture. He was always itching for adventure, to both appreciate and respect differences in attitudes, customs and always blogged it for us with his great humour! The AZ Magazine I feel scored a winner with Steve being on board as Editor... If the title of the lifestyle magazine had Azerbaijan on it – then let it be about Azerbaijan! This was his drive and vision for this magazine. I hope that his vision carries on. His death was a complete shock for everyone who knew him directly or otherwise. His partner Sandra whom he loved so much is truly an inspiration to us all by encouraging us to share in celebrating his life with her. For that we are truly thankful.” Nickee Dixon
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Photo my azerbaijan
Competition The standard of the photos that have been recieved has been fabulous. There was an excellent range of photographs, not only of baku but also of the regions. The winner this month was chosen by an independent group of judges who felt that the winning photo category stood out as being that ‘little bit special’! The photo competition will continue this month, so once again get snapping to be in with the chance of winning one of the great prizes on offer;
• Bottle of Whiskey • Box of Belgian Chocolates • 50AZN The winner will also have their photograph on the front cover of the magazine. Please send your photographs as soon as possible to: liz@az-magazine.com
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WINNER
Irina Wegemer
my azerbaijan
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my azerbaijan
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my azerbaijan
The Baku Caledonian Society launches the first
BURN’S BALL Save the Date 4th Feb 2012 nov/dec 2011 |
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OUT & ABOUT
by Steve Hollier
The Centenarians of Lerik and the World’s only Museum of Longevity Kishi Islam, was another long-lifer who died at the age of 106 in March this year. Before his demise, I had a chance to chat with him. He had spent most of his working life herding sheep from Lerik to Lankaran but his great-nephew put his longevity down to his stress-free existence. He would get up, walk to a teashop (where he was always considered an honoured guest), spend an hour sipping tea (bought by another member of the community) and then walk to the next tea shop a few miles up the road, where the process would be repeated.
Some of the tomb-stones are reputed to date back to pre-Islamic times, made in the form of rams or decorated posts, but the real interest is amongst the more recent stones near the road. Six of them, mark the last resting place of people who were over one-hundred years old when they died. Something like one person in every 1,500 people reach the age of one-hundred worldwide, so this is a number far above the statistical average. Indeed, in the Lerik district (a thinly populated part of the country), there are living more than 20 people who are more than 100 years of age. Why should this be? Gerontologists have studied the people of the Talysh mountains for decades and 14 |
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according to Sevinj Huseinova, a biologist who used to work at the Laboratory of Long Life at the Institute of Physiology in Baku, an extraordinary number of people do live long lives here; a “long life” being in excess of 110 years. “Eat yogurt along with garlic and mint” said Chingiz Gasimov, the laboratory director when he was interviewed by Azerbaijan International magazine some years ago. “Eat cilantro and chives, saffron and tarragon, and sumakh, a red spice made from dried berries”. Mahbuba Fatullayeva, a 113 year old super-centenarian living in nearby Peshtatuk disagrees, informing me when we met earlier this year that to live a long life all you need is a combination of hard work and “milk, straight from the teat”.
At the end of last year, a new museum was opened in Lerik, dedicated to its oldest residents. The Museum of Longevity is a small though well appointed building tucked behind a school close to the centre of town. Inside the two exhibition halls are photographs of more than 50 of the community’s oldest resident dating from the 1930’s to the present day. In 2007 French photographer Frederic Lachop created an impressive array of portraits of local people that were exhibited in Paris and Baku before returning to Lerik, where they are on permanent display. In addition, there are over 2,000 artefacts illustrating aspects of traditional life. There you will find socks knitted by 117 year old Veli Aghayeva, a carpet woven by Lale Azizkhanova when she was 107, wooden plates made by Feyruz Huseinov at 105 years of age and a woollen shirt made by 105 year old Nigar Huseinova. There are fascinating images of Shirali Muslumov from nearby Barzavu who reputedly lived to the astonishing age of 168, dying in 1973. In addition there are books and letters addressed to residents from family, friends and well wishers from across the globe. When I returned to Lerik recently to revisit the museum I couldn’t quite remember where it was, so I asked at the more prominent historical museum for directions. The director very kindly walked me around the corner to the new facility and when he found the door locked. He then phoned
OUT & ABOUT
Dilara Khanim Fatullayeva and asked her to open up for me. A few minutes later she arrived and ushered me inside to review the displays. She remembered me from my last visit some months ago, which
Baba who married a 57-year-old woman when he was 136. The union subsequently produced a daughter. Then there was Mahmud Eyvazov, who was born in 1812 and lived to the age of 154, dying in
It is a quirky place, set in a stunningly beautiful mountainous area of Azerbaijan. From Lerik, you can walk through hardwood forests of oak and ash, stride across verdant meadows, kept trimmed by the countless tough looking brown sheep. You can drive over bumpy tracks near to the border with Iran or just chill out in one of the local restaurants where they serve tasty mutton stew. Personally, I think the purity of the mountain air, combined with a life of hard, outdoor work and simple diet has as much to do with the longevity of the local people as well as fortunate the gene pool. If you are thinking of visiting the Lerik Museum of Longevity, Dilara Khanim Fatullayeva’s phone number is 0507389820 however; though she speaks Azerbaijani, Talysh and Russian she is not an English speaker. If you find yourself in Lerik with an hour to spend, seek out the historical museum above the town square and ask for directions there.
suggests that not too many people make the pilgrimage to her door! Interviewed for Visions of Azerbaijan when the museum first opened, she pointed out a few highlights, like the photo of Shirali
1966. There was also the image of Majid Aghayev who lived to be 136, Abdul Huseinov who died at the age of 128, Molla Hasrat Melikov who lived to a ripe old 125 years and the seemingly youthful Nani Ahmadova who died aged 120.
Accommodation is available in the village at simple hotels or homestays managed by CBT Azerbaijan: http://www.cbtazerbaijan.com/ or telephone: +994 51 556 81 79
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PEOPLE
Uzeyir Hajibeyov
by Aygun Samedova
At the end of October, I visited the home-museum of Uzeyir bey Hajibeyov, a composer admired for his intellectual depth and a man, whose works have provided inspiration to nearly every musician in the history of Azerbaijani music. The employee of the museum spoke so passionately about the life and musical activity of Hajibeyov, that I enjoyed both her memorable talk and visiting the museum very much. … Uzeyir Hajibeyov was born on September 18, 1885, in Agjabadi, Azerbaijan, but grew up in Shusha - a musical boiling pot of Azerbaijan (often known as “the Music Conservatory of the Caucasus”) which raised many talented musicians and singers. Awed by the rich musical performance traditions of Shusha, Uzeyir’s musical talent was truly revealed when he was only 22, when he wrote his first full-length opera. Uzeyir studied at the Gori Pedagogical Seminary and had the opportunity not only to get general education, but also to learn to play the violin, the violoncello and a selection of brass instruments. Before moving to Baku, Hajibeyov worked as a teacher for one year in a school in Hadrut village but it was Baku where he settled permanently and began teaching mathematics, geography, history, Azeri and Russian languages and music… Mrs. Gulnar Asgerova, an employee of the museum says Uzeyir bey had lived in the house (now, the museum) for 27 years, from 1915 till 1942. But, “Later Uzeyir was a given 6 bed - roomed house near Monolith but, he lived in that house for only 6 years, until his death.” Gulnar says that after Uzeyir bey’s death his wife, Maleyke lived for a further 18 years in the house: “At present, Uzeyir’s sisters’, grandchildren and great grandchildren live there.” When Uzeyir moved to his new house, he gave his previous house away as a gift to a southerner surgeon friend of his. The building itself, where the museum is located, was built in the year 1898. Speaking about the history of the museum, Mrs. Asgerova says according to the documents, the building was a postoffice during the Tsar period. “Koroglu” and other operas and symphonic works were written and composed in this house.
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Gulnarə also spoke about Uzeyir bey’s home- museum located in Shusha city; the home-museum in Shusha was opened in 1959 and until the Armenian occupation, on May 8, 1992. Gulnar says many people visit this museum; “Mainly, pupils
studying music, schools, students and teachers from the Baku Music Academy. Tourists and other guests coming from abroad do not leave the country without visiting the museum.” This great composer is loved in foreign countries
PEOPLE as well as in Azerbaijan. ‘Uzeyir bey is admired in Iran, “Very often people come from South Azerbaijan, mainly from Tabriz, Maraga, and Khoy to visit his home-museum: they walk through the rooms, and ask for his musical works to be played. She also adds that once a Jewish musician, whose name sadly she does not remember, visited the museum. According to her words, he had come from the conservatory of St. Petersburg and was so deeply in love with Uzeyir bey’s works that he was able to name them all, one by one. He even took the music of his unfinished symphony “Azerbaijan” and played it in Uzeyir’s piano.” Mrs. Asgerova notes that three of Uzeyir’s works are more famous. The operas “Leyli and Majnun”, “Koroglu” and the operetta “The cloth peddler” are wellknown throughout the world. “Leyli and Majnun” was his first opera and is based on the tragic love-story by the 15th century Azerbaijani poet Fuzuli. In “Leyli and Majnun” – he fused traditional mugam with a Western Style music and used musical instruments innate to both traditions. Overall, Hajibeyov composed seven operas and three musical comedies. His other operas include “Sheikh Sanan”, “Rustam and Sohrab”, “Asli and Karam”, Shah Abbas and Khurshudbanu”. “Koroglu”, the last opera is often considered to be his finest. Written in 1937, “Koroglu” is based on an Azeri legend of a young man who organized a rebellion against the tyrant khan. Although in order to make it less controversial by the USSR standards, Hajibeyov made changes to the final version of the opera prior to staging it, the fact that an opera such as this was written and staged during Soviet Union speaks volumes in itself. The opera is more than a story of just one man - it served as a declaration of Azerbaijan’s spirit and sent a message of its unwillingness to give up to in the face of injustice. Yet, Hajibeyov was one of Stalin’s favorite composers and the opera was awarded with the State Stalin Prize. “The cloth peddler” alone has been translated into 67 languages, played in nearly 50 countries and staged in 120 theatres. The operetta is loved mainly in
America, England, France and Russia… Though the composer never had children, his musical works were his dearest “children”. Uzeyir bey caressed his compositions just like any child. He used to say: “Koroglu is my son. Leyli and Majnun are my children.” Yet, two of his “children”, two musical pieces – “Firuza” and “Azerbaijan” that were to be born, remained unfinished, as he died suddenly. ... Uzeyir Hajibeyov was the first composer from the East to write operas and operettas. He was honored with the title of People’s Artist of the USSR in 1938. The national anthem of the first Azerbaijan Democratic Republic that existed in the years of 1918-1920 (now it is also the anthem of the present Republic of Azerbaijan) and the state anthem of Azerbaijan SSR was composed by Uzeyir Hajibeyov. He twice won the Stalin Prize - once in 1941 for his opera Koroghlu and the second time in 1946 for the 1945 film based on his opera Arshin Mal Alan (“The Cloth peddler”). Hajibeyov served as a professor at the Baku Music Academy and filled the position of the Chairman of the Union of Azerbaijani Composers for 10 years. Famous Russian composer Shostakovich had named Uzeyir Hajibeyov “Mozart of the Orient”. Hajibeyov died of diabetes at the age of 63 in 1948, in Baku. He is buried in the Cemetery of the Honoured in the city… Gulnar says that museum was not in a very good condition in the past: “5 years ago the floor, ceiling were old and in ruin, and only basic repairs were possible.” Also a new piano has been presented by the government to the museum: “In the past all songs, musical pieces were played on Uzeyir’s piano. But this was not right, because that piano was the only memory left from him, every time when somebody played it, the memories started to disappear. Now that there is a new piano, music will be played on it.” There is also one clock in Uzeyir bey’s home-museum which has kept silence for 62 years as if a reminder of his death. It was Uzeyir bey’s favorite clock, which he caressed as “my clever clock”, since it always showed the correct time. When Uzeyir bey left this world forever in 1948, the clock showed that the time was 2 am. It still shows 2 am, keeping an eternal silence to the nonexistence of Uzeyir bey. In the summer
of 2006 the bas-relief of Uzeyir bey has been put in Mozart’s country, in Vienna city. Asgerova says there are monuments of Uzeyir bey in many regions of Azerbaijan. There used to be his statue, made of white marble, in his homemuseum in Shusha as well. Unfortunately, it has been destroyed during the Armenian occupation and, his bust is riddled with shots by but, after long negotiations it was given back and currently stands in the courtyard of the Art Museum named after Rasim Mustafayev, right in front of the Presidential Palace. “Every year in commemoration of the great composer, on his birthday, National Music Day takes place with the organizational support of Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The grand opening usually starts in the garden near the Art Museum. The State Symphony Orchestra named after him, and the State Chapel and Military Orchestras perform on this day. Later, the opening ceremony continues in front of the Baku Musical Academy. Wellknown musicians and composers perform his famous works and usually the event opens with his masterpiece “Koroglu” overture; free concerts are organized for the public. All these make it an event not to be missed” Uzeyir Hajibeyov’s statue has been erected in front of Baku Music Academy. His home museum is located in 69/69 Shamil Azizbəyov ave. Open from 10:00 -18:00.
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PEOPLE
From Baku
by Mike Ormesby
An interview with Jazz Pianist Isfar Sarabski
We arrive at Baku Jazz Centre and check our coats at the door. My Azeri friend has been insisting we should come. She knows something that I don’t. “Tonight’s the night”, she says.
I
nside, the atmosphere is Vegas 1960: waiters and cocktails, tables with lamps, a hundred chic clients talking non-stop. We watch some loud band and a cheesy crooner with a beer belly. It’s not jazz, it’s tedious and after an hour I’m bored and restless. But my friend says: “No, wait”. The band leaves the stage. A skinny young man in a black shirt sits at the piano, wipes the keys and starts to play, repeating one chord like a funeral march. The audience falls silent. Eventually, I recognise the music: Mahler’s 5th Symphony in C, the mournful Adagietto. But I’ve never heard it like this, with jazzy frills. He’s playing faster now so I stand up for a better view, hairs prickling on my neck. He’s hammering at the ivory keys like he’s possessed. My friend whispers:” I told you, it’s like the piano is growing out of his hands”. And she’s right. He plays so fast his hands are now just a pink blur under the spotlight. He is some kind of genius, no question. The music is so complex, ferocious and beautiful that I almost want to cry. I don’t believe in angels but I am watching one tonight in this smoky club in Azerbaijan and nothing else matters. I stare open-mouthed at the stage. My God. Who is this guy?
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PEOPLE
to Berkeley: His name is Isfar Sarabski and, next day, we meet in a café downtown for an interview with AZ Magazine. Isfar wears a leather bomber, black jeans and red sneakers. He has an aquiline nose and eyes that sparkle when he smiles. He stirs his drink with long and elegant fingers. He’s friendly, shy and modest, even though he won the Montreux Jazz Festival when he was 19 years old. Now do you believe me? Here’s our chat. Az Mag: You work very hard onstage, Isfar. How do you feel after you play? Isfar: Exhausted, but the audience reaction compensates. Az Mag: Do you plan your repertoire, or do you improvise? Isfar: Mostly I know what to play but sometimes I change direction Az Mag: According to Wiki, your grandfather was an opera singer. And your parents? Isfar: Mum is a violin teacher, Dad is an amateur singer. Music is in the family. Az Mag: What’s your daily routine? Isfar: I’m a music student on a Presidential scholarship. After class, I like to watch AC Milan on TV. I like PlayStation too. At night I go to a club, jazz, classical or house. I play with DJ’s sometimes. I play at least 1 or 2 hours each day. But sometimes I play 15 hours, or more. Az Mag: No wonder you’re so good. How was Montreux? Isfar: I was scared when they invited me, I did not feel ready. It’s not just a festival, it’s a contest and I wanted to win. For three months, I practised 16 hours per day.
Az Mag: Wow! What happened after you won? Isfar: It was a difficult period. I was in a daze, thinking: Where do I go from here? It took me a while to get my head together. I was young, lost.
Isfar: My dream is to meet him! His every new album is a like a door to a new life for me. He is more than a musician. He’s a philosopher at the forefront of jazz, truly the new wave.” Az Mag: And classical music?
Az Mag: But bombarded with invitations?
Isfar: I like Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Liszt
Isfar: Sure, too many! I played in Hollywood and many famous jazz clubs in the USA, also Mexico, Germany, Austria, Norway, England, Belgium and Switzerland – lots of countries.
Az Mag: Your favourite guitarist?
Az Mag: And the future? Isfar: Next September (2011), I’ll enrol at Berkeley School of Music in Boston. My manager in America sent them my tape and they invited me to study. I’ll skip the first two years and start at the third. I won a scholarship to cover the cost.
Isfar: Pat Metheny, he played with Mehldhau! Az Mag: Here in Baku, why does everyone talk at concerts, even the opera and ballet? Isfar: Good question! People from Azerbaijan are family oriented. When they go out, they love to chat! Az Mag: Except when you play?
Az Mag: But eventually you’ll need a recording contract, to make a decent living?
Isfar: You noticed that, huh?
Isfar: Yes, I have a plan. My CD will appear when I am ready, on global release. I compose classical and jazz. I know whom to play with. I want to put Azerbaijan on the jazz map.
And so will you, dear reader, one of these days.
Az Mag: Will you follow the example of your fellow countryman Vagif Mustafazadeh and fuse traditional, hypnotic Azerbaijani ‘mugam’ music with jazz? Isfar: We’ll see. Mugam is in my blood but it’s hard for people beyond Azerbaijan to grasp that music and hard to blend it with jazz. Az Mag: I read that you like the American pianist Brad Mehldhau?
Yes, Isfar, we noticed.
And by the way, he’s on You Tube. To see Isfar performing live at Montreux Jazz, please paste this link into your browser:http://www. youtube.com/results?search_ query=Isfar+Sarabski&aq=f Mike Ormsby is the author of Never Mind the Balkans, Here’s Romania, a collection of 57 short stories published by Editura Compania. ISBN: 978-973-7841-56-8 You can also follow Mike’s blog at: www.dailydipstick.wordpress.com
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PEOPLE His Excellency Peter Bateman presented his credentials to President Ilham Aliyev on the 13th October making him the 7th Ambassador from the United Kingdom to the independent Republic of Azerbaijan since Sir Brian Fall was appointed in 1992. next five years working in Japan, followed by four years in Berlin as Director of Trade and Investment from 1993 – 1997 and then four more years in Japan, again as Director of Trade and Investment, from 1998-2002. This was followed by a two-year secondment to the City of London as Deputy Chief Executive of International Financial Services, a privatesector organisation which promoted British financial services abroad. It was formerly known as British Invisibles. His first Ambassadorial appointment followed, when he was appointed British
New British Ambassador to Azerbaijan:
Welcome Peter Bateman
Peter spent his early years in Cyprus where his father served at RAF Akrotiri, then moved to Sleaford in Lincolnshire in the 1970’s when his father was posted to RAF Digby. After attended Carre’s Grammar school in Sleaford, he went on to study languages at St. Peter’s College Oxford. From there, he moved to Brussels where he worked as a conference interpreter for six years finally joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1984. A family man, Peter is married to Andrea Subercaseaux-Bateman, a freelance English-Spanish interpreter. The couple have three children; James 23, Sam 21, and Laura aged 19. At his meeting with the President, Ilham Aliyev stated that he “highly estimated” the activities of British companies working in the areas of energy, business and culture. Going on to stress the good relations between Azerbaijan and the UK, 20 |
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he looked forward to the continuing development of trade links between the two countries. The Ambassador responded by stating that he was very pleased to have come to Azerbaijan and would spare no effort to continue boosting the relationship between the two countries. Peter’s first job within the Foreign and Commonwealth office was as an Assistant Desk Officer in the East Africa department after which he spent the best part of the
Ambassador to Bolivia from 2005 2007. This was followed by another Ambassadorial stint in Luxembourg from 2007 – 2011. In his recent message to Azerbaijan posted on the British Embassy website he states, “relations between the UK and Azerbaijan are very good. We are proud in particular to be the biggest foreign investor in this country, particularly in energy, but also in sectors such as construction and retail. I hope very much that I can interest many more British companies in a much wider number of sectors and thereby support diversification of the Azerbaijani economy”. If you would like to find out more about Peter Bateman go to the British Embassy website: http:// ukinazerbaijan.fco.gov.uk/en/aboutus/our-embassy/our-ambassador/
AZERBAIJAN Lifestyle BAKU PEOPLE
nov/dec 2011 | |magazine september 2011 11 july june2011 2010 | mag mag ine| 75 | 21 35
EUROVISIOn by Elizabeth Collins
Countdown to Eurovision
The Real Winners The search for Azerbaijan’s entry for the 2012 contest is well under way! The closing date for application was the 25th October and 119 of these applications have been selected. Just maybe one of the applicants could be successful and Azerbaijan could hold onto the title for another year?
Winning the Eurovision song contest can bring great honour to the artist and to their country but, just now and again there is a winner from the contest who goes on to have a long running, international career. There are also many embarrassments to both the individual(s) and their country, but fortunately they are soon forgotten and only reappear on cringeworthy spoof television programmes. The following are just a few of the acts that really used their success on Eurovision to propell their careers to super stardom!
Abba 1974 Winners Abba are the epitomy of a successful Eurovision song contest entry. Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog’s performance of Waterloo in 1974, in Brighton saw their careers, lives and celebrity status catapulted into a realm of fame that few artists enter. They are the 4th most successful music artists of all time after Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Micheal Jackson all because of their entry in Eurovision. The band formed
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in 1970 in Stockholm and started topping the Scandinavian charts 2 years later; but from 1974 they continued to top charts around the world for a decade. Abba’s total record sales to date stand at over 375 million, with 2-3 million records still selling each year. They are also credited with being the first non- native English speaking group to enjoy consistent chart success in English speaking countries. When relationships within the group became too strained for the quartet to stay together, they went their separate ways in 1982. This was however not the end of their fame; Ulvaeus and Andersson went on to become very successful musical songwriters, eventually writing their hit show ‘Mamma Mia’ which was first performed in 1999 and went on to become the 2008 Hollywood hit of the same name. Uunforgettable music that will continue to cross generations.
Dana International 1998 Winner Dana was born in Israel, grew up in Tel Aviv and was a boy named Yaren Cohen. This boy struggled through his childhood and spent his teenage years quiet, withdrawn and confused. He spent the majority of this time in night clubs and was inspired by the environments and the music. After realising what he had to do, at the age of 17 he commenced the change from male to female and by the age of 20 Dana had become a roaring success on the night club scene. Her first single was released just 12 months later which immediately became a huge success and another 3 albums confirmed she was good enough to represent her country in the Eurovision song contest. She won the competition by a landslide and soon became renowned around the world, not only as an international recording artist
EUROVISIOn
but as a person who had made some very difficulties decisions to make herself happy, confident and comfortable. Since her win she has travelled the globe, released numerous albums and earlier this year was invited once again to represent Israel at Eurovision. An iconic and remarkable ‘woman’.
Celine Dion 1988 Winner At the age of 20, Quebec born Celine Dion represented Switzerland in the 1988 song contest held in Dublin, Ireland. She narrowly won performing song Ne partez pas sans moi (Don’t go without me) and it was the start of a sparkling career. Although she clearly had talent her then manager (and later her husband) Rene Angelil remortgaged his home to fund her first album. Despite taking a 3 year break from music in 1999 to start a family and care for her husband who had been diagnosed with cancer, her success has never stopped. She returned from her break to sign a 2 year deal to perform nightly at the Colleseum at Caesers Palace in Las Vegas; her contract was even extended by another two years. At times the reviews of her music can be controversial but no one can ignore her extensive range and incredible vocals. She is now credited as being the number 1 female artist of all time as she has sold over 200 million records worldwide. Not bad at all for someone who was the youngest of fourteen children, living in a small village in the heart of Quebec!
Lordi winners 2006 Possibly the most controverisal Eurovision entry of all time; a Finnish heavy metal band who choose to dress as monsters (perfectly normal??)! They had had mild success in their home country for a few years before entering the song contest which was held in Greece in May, 2006. They were headline acts right from the start of the competition as many of the Greek people called for them to eliminated from the contest as they believed them unsuitable for the audience. Although monster suits, leather masks, zomie dolls and two headed axes don’t float everyones boat, they achieved first place with the highest score in the history of the competition. They are seen as national heroes in Finland, after being congratulated by their country’s
president, the prime minister, being featured on a stamp and having a part of Helsinki dedicated to their success. Since their win they have spent many months touring in the US and throughout Europe. Although the line up of the band continues to change, the cult following they seem to have developed looks like they will stay around, and popular for quite some time!
Ell and Nikki 2011 winners It all sounds very promising but only time will tell...
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Lifestyle
BEAUTYBUZZ
by Nickee Dixon
Men’s grooming essential 101 Making sure there’s nothing Neanderthal about your body is not vain – it’s essential! Unwanted facial hair, jagged nails, discoloured teeth and body odour have no place on modern man. So, gents read these tips and get grooming on the basics…
Don’t sting your face Think about it - if it stings it ain’t doing you any good - so avoid aftershave (which contains skin-drying alcohol) and use a soothing and moisturising aftershave balm instead.
Drop the soap
Soap is alkaline by nature; your skin is slightly acidic. So that slushy bar of pink stuff will just dry out your skin, leaving it tight, sore and prone to premature aging. Instead, use a gentle, moisturising facial wash.
Be mates with a moisturiser If your skin is dry its natural defences are weakened and it’ll be prone to wrinkling so unless you want a face a’la prune, regularly apply a moisturiser with a SPF 15+ to help prevent sun damage in the day, and a richer healing cream for the night.
Keep your showers warm and short Hot water strips the skin of its natural, protective oils causing it to dry out so make a point of washing with warm water instead of the hot stuff. The same goes for when you’re washing your face and hair too.
Steer clear of comb-overs A whopping 50% of you will have noticeable bald spots by the time you hit 24 |
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LIFESTYLE
50 and if you’re already showing some scalp the only dignified thing to do it to go for the chop. A shorter style will be more flattering and will actually make hair look denser, drawing attention away from your thinning hair and towards your face instead – if you do like the comb over look, sorry if I offended you :/
Floss! Brushing is all very well but it only cleans two of your teeth’s four surfaces so flossing is essential. A good floss will also help dislodge the food particles which lead to dog breath. It is fiddly, but practice.
Never go against the grain Always go with the direction of hair growth when you’re shaving. If you don’t you’ll risk pulling the hairs back on themselves, causing irritation and encouraging unsightly ‘razor bumps’ to form.
Don’t forget your feet Take it from us, there’s no bigger turn off for yourself or your partner than a guy with feet like grade 100 sandpaper. Trim your nails regularly (straight across, never follow the curve of the nail, this encourages in growing toe nails), use a foot scrub with a peppermint or tea-tree foot scrub to keep skin smooth and fresh, “For those of you who are far too macho to go the beauty salons or even buy male grooming products in the supermarket, I’ve scoped on some home remedies that will keep you busy in the bathrooms!”
Razor burn (and for those back from a well deserved holiday) sunburn
Remedy - again, baking soda
Yes this old chestnut! Dip a clean flannel into some ice cold milk and dab on inflamed areas – not only will this instantly reduce swelling, the milk’s lacticacid also has anti-inflammatory properties. Don’t forget to rinse afterwards!
Calloused hands
Remedy – milk
Discoloured teeth Yes, you must go to the dental hygienist for your 6 monthly check ups and cleaning, but in between, there are a couple of kitchen sundries you can raid in the meantime to banish those stains.
Remedy – baking soda Another great old fashioned remedy that never fails... dip your wet toothbrush into some baking soda and brush away, following up with your regular fluoride toothpaste. Do this treatment 3-4 times a week for a month and you’ll fall in love with your pearly whites again – promise!
Smelly shoes Okay – you may be thinking what has my feet got to do with grooming... well grooming is not just what everyone can see, its the complete package from head to toe – so let’s banish that stuffy odour shall we?
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda in your shoes overnight will neutralise the heaviest of smells, just remember to tap out the excess soda before you wear your shoes in the morning.
It may be seen as manly to have rough hands, but there is nothing good about callouses when you shake hands with someone, why must you exfoliate their hands in the process?
Remedy – olive oil and sugar In a small glass or microwavable plastic bowl add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and warm for 20 seconds follow by adding 1 tablespoon of sugar. Mix both to ingredients to form a paste and rub your hands continuously for 2 mins. Follow up by a rich moisturiser before going to bed. Simply beautiful!
Reeking armpits Need I say more? Get rid!
Remedy – Apple cider vinegar(ACV) Contrary to belief it’s not the sweat that makes your armpits pong, it’s the bacteria lurking to break down the sweat. Dip a cotton ball in ACV and rub along your armpit. Don’t worry about the sharp smell, it disappears quickly. Guys, these tips are not quick fixes, for you to get the full benefits you need to implement them into your daily lifestyle, good luck! nov/dec 2011 |
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Lifestyle
Diabetes: A disease that is spiralling out of control? by Elizabeth Collins
According to the World Health
Organisation, approximately 285 million people were known to have been living with diabetes in 2010, but by 2030 they predict that this number will have increased to 438 million sufferers worldwide, which will count for nearly 7% of the world’s population. This of course does not take into account all the people who have little or no access to medical facilities, whose conditions will never be diagnosed. Currently 26 million people in the US (8.3% of the population) are confirmed as suffering from diabetes; 2.6 million people in the UK have the disease and the top two countries which have the greatest number of sufferers are India and China with 50.8 million and 43.2 million cases confirmed respectively. By comparison, Baku has 140,000 thousand confirmed sufferers. These all sound frightnening statistics and can be researched quite easily, but what actually is the disease that appears to be sweeping through the world, and what does it really mean for the sufferers?
With more and more patients Two types of diabetes Diabetes is generally split into two main being diagnosed every year categories; Type 1 and Type 2. with this disease, people need Type 1 diabetes: The cause of this strain of is unknown, some patients report that to examine what can be done diabetes they were suffering from a virus when the developed, others had no previous to prevent it from taking hold condition symptoms. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body becomes unable to produce any insulin of the world’s population. in the pancreas as the disease destroys all insulin producing cells in the body; and Can the disease be avoided, the without the use of insulin, the cells that require glucose to function begin to stop working or should we simply accept and the glucose is forced to build up in the Although type 1 diabetes can that the diabetes problem will bloodstream. occur at any age, it is mostly affects people under the age of 40 and primarily children. continue to get worse? This strain accounts for between 5 and 15 % of all people with diabetes. 26 |
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LIFESTYLE
Treatment: Although there is no known cure for type 1 diabetes, the disease can be managed with insulin injections, a healthy diet and regular exercise. Symptoms: Increased urination, especially at night Unquenchable thirst Extreme fatigue Weight Loss Genital itching Slow healing of cuts and wounds Blurred vision These symptoms are likely to develop over a very short period, probably in less than 2 weeks but the symptoms are rapidly relieved once the diabetes is diagnosed and under control. Type 2 diabetes: This strain of diabetes develops when the body is still capable of making some insulin, but not enough, or the insulin that the body is making is not working efficiently. It accounts for between 85 and 95 % of all diabetes sufferers and is most common in people over the age of 40, but South Asian and Black people are at a greater risk from the age of 25. It is increasingly becoming a problem for young people and children, as poor diet, being overweight and lack of excercise speed up the development of the disease. Treatment: It is primarily treated with changing to a healthy diet, increased exercise and sometimes, there is a need for medication and/or insulin injections. Symptons: The symptoms are the very similar to those of of type 1 diabetes although they tend to develop over a
number of years rather than a few weeks. In general sufferers feel their health declining for a long peiod of time. This can often make the disease worse, as early detection is the key to reducing any other complictions relating to the disease. Medical professionals believe that you can live a long, healthy life with diabetes as long as the disease is constantly controlled. This does take time, money and considerable planning for the patient in order to maintain healthy insulin and glucose levels in the body. When diabetes is not under control some terrible complications can occur as a result;
Possible complications Eye problems: diabetes increases the risk of developing glaucoma and cataracts High blood pressure (hypertension): diabetes and therefore hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, eye problems and kidney disease. Mental illness: day to day life coping with diabetes can lead to depression Hearing loss: studies have shown that you are 30% more likely to lose your hearing when you have diabetes. Feet problems: on average 60% of nontraumatic lower limb amputations occur in people with diabetes. ...And unfortunately, there are many more complications and things that can happen as a direct result of having this uncurable disease.
The future? Medical professionals have spent many decades striving to find a cure for diabetes but so far, to no avail. Although they do remain positive that one will be found soon; millions of dollars are spent each year to fund research, carry out studies and run trials. Researchers have vowed not to stop until they reach a happy conclusion. Stem cell research, pancreatic cell transplants and insulin producing liver cells are all being tried and tested in the ongoing development to conquer diabetes. One of the most recent, astonishing developments for finding improved ways to manage the disease was reported only last year. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) and Johnson and Johnson subsidary Animas teamed up together in December 2009 with the promise that after 4 years of hard work they will be able to provide diabetes sufferers with an artificial pancreas. It is hoped that this fully automated pancreas will fucntion just as a healthy one does; dispense insulin and monitor glucose levels in the body. If successful this could prove to have astonishing results within the diabetic community. Medical practitioners believe that the complications caused by diabetes would fall dramatically, as the artificial pancreas would provide around the clock care and maintain healthy levels of glucose in the blood at all times. Roll on 2014! Although little can be done to prevent type 1 diabetes, it is accepted that type 2 is a direct result of an unhealthy lifestyle. So try walking to work, lose any excess weight and remove the super sized bowl of sweets from your desk! nov/dec 2011 |
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Lifestyle
The Power of the
Pomegranate
Pomegranates have been relished for thousands and thousands of years. As well as being mentioned in the Bible, they also feature in the Holy Qu’ran and play an important role in the Jewish faith. Every reference to the fruit is linked with prosperity, power, luck and most importantly long life. In more recent years a number of studies have been carried out in a great number of countries, that all confirm that eating one pomegranate a day or drinking one 250ml glass of juice a day does help in prolonging your life. Over the past 10 years several countries including Israel, the USA and the UK has all invested money into researching the pomegranate and the findings have been conclusive. They have performed studies on members of the public who sufffer from high cholestral, the participants of the studies were given the task of eating one pomegranate a day.
and many more. Free radicals can cause cellular damage to cellular components including RNA/DNA, which can potentially lead to cancer and heart disease.
The Most Recent Developments
After only one month all the findings were very similar but on average every participants’ cholestral decreased by 94% and therefore greatly reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes.
A study completed this year in Spain not only claims that the pomegranate is higly beneficial to your health but also claims it is ‘the elixir of youth’. The 2 million pound study has revealed that a daily dose of the fruit could slow down the aging process of DNA. When an extract of the whole fruit (including pith, peel and seeds) was given in capsule form to 60 volunteers each day for a month the results were astonishing! They found improvements in cells in the whole body; better brain, muscle, liver and kidney function as well as stalling the aging process on the skin. An added bonus is that all the volunteers also found a positive improvement in their sex life – result!!
Why Pomegranates?
Ways to include Pomegranates into your diet:
Antioxidants are the naturally occurring substances in plants that protect the body from free radicals,which are the bad elements present in our blood. Free radicals are almost unavoidable in modern society as they are found in the form of pollutants, food additives, pesticides, herbicides, cigarette smoke
Granted, eating a pomegranate fruit can be fiddly and disecting one can make you look more like a gun shot victim than a budding health guru, so here is a few alternatives to get pomegranates into your daily diet.
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BRAISED LAMB with POMEGRANATES and CHESTNUTS / Nar Govurmasi (by Feride Buyuran) Note: Typically, saffron infusion is added to jazz up the flavor of the dish, but if not available, use a generous pinch of turmeric powder instead (no need to dissolve in water).
LIFESTYLE 1. Rinse the fish under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Rub inside and out with salt and pepper.
Serves 4 2 pounds (900g) boneless or bone-in lamb (such as breast, shoulder or leg), cut into medium size serving pieces (substitute with veal) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large onion, peeled, cut into half lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise 4 cups blanched and shelled chestnuts salt, to taste ground black pepper, to taste 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads 2 tablespoons water 2 cups pomegranate seeds (preferably a tangy variety) Put the meat in a medium saucepan and fill it with water, enough to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the meat is no more pink inside, about 20 minutes. During that time, with a slotted spoon, skim off the froth that may surface to top. Strain the meat through a fine-mesh strainer, reserving the broth (you will need some of it later). Put the meat on a separate plate. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until light golden, about 10 minutes. Add the meat to the onion and cook together, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes (the onions will almost melt down).
2. Prepare the filling. Place the onion on a fine sieve and press to remove the juices. In a mixing bowl, combine onion, walnuts, sour paste or dried sour plums, or pomegranate seeds, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste. 3. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). 4. Using a spoon, fill the cavity of the fish with the walnut stuffing. Make sure you pack the mixture tightly inside
Cover and cook stirring occasionally (too much stirring may break the chestnuts) for about 30 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked and the chestnuts are tender (they must hold their shape). If you are going to serve immediately, add the pomegranate seeds, cover and simmer over for 5 more minutes. If you are going to serve later, add the pomegranates just before serving and cook briefly. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with bread or as a topping to rice pilaf. Baked Fish Stuffed with Walnuts / Baliq Levengi (by Feride Buyuran) Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Serves 6-8 Ingredients 1 large white fish (3-5 pounds), scaled and cleaned (keep the head on)
Add the chestnuts to the meat. Using a mortar and pestle, powder saffron threads (you should obtain about a pinch of powder), then dissolve the powder in 2 tablespoons hot water. Add the saffronwater along with 1 cup reserved broth to the pan with the meat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
For the Stuffing 1 large onion, finely grated or ground 1 ½ cups walnuts, ground 1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground pepper To Rub and Baste ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground pepper fresh juice of ½ lemon (2-3 tablespoons)
5. Pin the cavity shut with wooden barbecue skewers or cocktail sticks. Or, if available, sew it up tightly with kitchen twine. Place the fish on a baking sheet and pour the lemon juice over it. If you sewed the cavity, place the fish on a baking sheet in an upright position, seam side down. It looks beautiful when you remove it from the oven and place it on a platter in that position. If you used skewers like me just lay the fish on one side. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the fish is browned and flakes easily with a fork. 6. Arrange the fish on a serving platter and discard the pins or twine. Garnish with lemon slices, pomegranate seeds and serve with rice pilaf or bread and pomegranate paste (Narsharab) on the side. When serving, slice the fish into pieces making sure each one has some filling inside. .....And my personal favourite recipes: 1. 2 shot vodka 250ml pomegranate juice 2. 2 shot gin 250ml pomegranate juice 3. 2 shot barcadi ... and you get the idea!
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by Elizabeth Collins
Lifestyle
Although this can be an intense situation on a second date, is it simply done out of love and concern for their child’s welfare or is it because you are a potential son thief? The type of mother that waits up for her son after a night down the pub and greets him as if he has just returned from 3 years at war should definitely send out the warning signals! The warning signals should also be set to maximum volume for any man who lives with his mother after the age of 25, ok so 30 may now be respectable given the current financial situation, but really, after that men who live with their mothers do so because they choose to. And why not? It means they can save a huge amount of money by not paying rent, the laundry fairy automatically places dirty clothes back into the wardrobe, cleaned, ironed and neatly folded and there is a cooked meal waiting every evening. But to refer to ‘Little Britain’ , if your man ever arrives home to his mother and asks for ‘bitty’, move quickly and head for the nearest exit. But what does this all mean for relationships?
change but dating men can be Growing up, girls and young never a whole different story! A recent poll conducted in the UK found that 79% of all women are constantly told men in a long term relationship call their mother before their partner when they bad news. Is this because men never ‘never fall for a man who have grow up (a given) or is a relationship between mother and son something so doesn’t have a good unique, special and irreplacable that no will ever live up to her standards relationship with his mother’, spouse of care, love and devotion? as a man who cannnot show Dating a man can be difficult, especially if you feel like you are dating his mother respect for his mother will as well. The type of mother that grills you for information at every available opportunity: never be able to show ‘How much money do you have in respect for a spouse? savings?’ But the important question is ‘do men ever cut their ties from the “meataphorical womb”?’ As a mother of 2 young boys I can honestly say I hope our relationships 30 |
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‘What are your culinary skills?’ ‘What is your family medical history?’ ‘How many grandchildren are you prepared to give me?’
Generally accept that these men possess no ability for responsability or independence. They control money tightly There will always be three people in the relationship They try any possible method of avoiding commitment The sad truth?: ‘Men marry their mothers’. I am sorry to say this but, it is usually the case! And this is why many women fear the dreaded mother- in- law as, generally you share so many personality traits, that you clash and that is the start of the conflict! Plus you both have different aspirations in life. Whilst his mother wants him to be leading a 1950’s style life, so that the house is clean when he walks through the door, the children sleeping and a pot roast in the oven, you, the wife simply want to order a take away, ignore the mess and slump on the sofa with a gin and tonic and watch reality tv? Am I wrong?
Movember
LIFESTYLE
My Dad is doing it, my brother is giving it his best shot, all my male friends are taking part and even John Quinn is attempting it! Find out how you can get involved in the Movember Madness. About The Campaign “During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. On Movember 1st, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shave face and then for the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Mo Sistas are the women who register to support the men in their lives, raising funds by seeking sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts. Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November and through their actions and words raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.” At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world by Movember, for Movember. Why get involved?
• Prostate cancer is the most common
•
cancer in men in the UK. In 2010 over 38,000 men were diagnosed. Over 10,000 of these men died. The lifetime risk of developing testicular cancer is 1 in 199 men.
Although testicular cancer is relatively rare it mainly affects young and middle- aged men. 47% off all cases occur in men younger than 35 and 90% of cases in men younger than 55. It is estimated than in the UK 3 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year. The Movember movement hopes to help research, fund trials and eventually aim to eradicate male cancers. Men in general (speaking as a woman) find it difficult to talk about their health, so the more awareness and freedom of
speech about these terrible diseases is essential in overcoming them. So do your bit and donate to Movember: http://uk.movember.com/ ....And how confident are we of Mr. Quinn’s success? Hmmmm! To sponser John, or a member of his team please visit: http://uk.movember.com/ On a personal note, my 21 year old brother, Jonathan was diagnosed with testicular last December and I would like to thank Brighton Hospital for their superb treatment. nov/dec 2011 |
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Lifestyle
Kempinski Spa Review I admit that up until now I have never been a spa devotee, but the Kempinski Hotel in Badamdar may be about to change that!
T
he Kempinski Hotel screams out at you at you travel through the somewhat stark area that is Badmadar. It stands prominently on the main road and the grand white structure manages to dwarf you as you approach the main entrance. The lavish reception area of the hotel, complete with ornate marble and gold pillars, which support a large stained glass dome as the centre piece prepare you for more of the grandeur that you are about to meet. Enormous chanderliers drop from the ceiling, impressive art work hangs on the walls, as you are greeted with a passage way housing boutique shops, before you arrive at the sparkling gold lifts that travel with such grace that it is a suprise when you realise that you have actually changed floors. The entrance to the spa is somewhat
deceptive. A large desk, placed along part of the wall in a circular room. I always feel a sense of panic when venturing somewhere new in Baku as I am always embarrassed that I cannot speak the local language. Although I am now accustomed to the normal process of gesticulating, speaking loudly and playing charades whenever I want to achieve something, it was a wonderfully pleasant surprise when I was greeted by not just one, but a team of people who could not only speak English but spoke it with better accuracy than I do. Instantly it became clear that the employees of the hotel had been chosen for their exceptional understanding of customer service. As I was lead into the spa itself I was met with the tranquil indoor swimming pool; the water still and warm with a selection of luxurious loungers adorning the sides
of the pool. A perfect place to unwind after a swim, to listen to the gentle sound of lapping water. There is music playing throughout the spa but it is so soft that it simply blends into the building and becomes part of the overall experience. The gym is fully equipped and sparkling brand new. There is a good selection of machines offering cardiovascular workout aswell as weights. The machines offer anyone from the most basic beginner to the gym pro the chance to have the most beneficial workout for your body type and ability. The spa itself can only be described as walking into a paradise style setting, the temperature is high without being humid, the tropical fish nonchalanty go about their business and the sound of gentle flowing water engages all the senses and encourages even the most tense individual to feel relaxed and calm within the environment.
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The treatments that they offer are vast and the list is going to continue to grow. They have a well trained team in massage and currently offer 12 different massage options; ranging from a 60 minute Classical Massage (currently 65 AZN) to a 90 minute Balinesse Massage (currently 100AZN). I thought it would be rude if I didn’t sample at least one of these treatments myself.... I plumped for the full body massage! After filling out the mandatory form to confirm my personal health I was shown the selection of oils and scrubs
available. All are subtle aromatic flavours meant to relax the body and the senses. A very friendly Thai girl went away to organise the oils whilst I was given the opportunity to change and absorb the atmosphere. Panpipes playing in the background, scented candles burning, dimmed lights and fish swimming on a screen (you’ll understand the fish when you go). The massage itself was mesmorising. One of the best I have ever expereinced ( but going on the skills of my respective other half, it is not that difficult) but definitely
worth the expenditure and the experience. I cracked in more place than I knew was possible but after an hour felt wonderfully rejuvanated. The room itself is incredible; two massage tables adorn one side of the room, in one corner a circular bed - if you desire your treatment in an even more relaxed fashion, and then once the massage is complete you have the choice of using the steam room, the sauna, the jacuzzi or the shower all in your own private room. The jacuzzi appeared to be the most indulgent, hidden away in an alcove in almost complete darkness but for the star like lights that twinkle directly above where you recline in the warm, bubbling water. After spending time in the Spa you will definitiely be more prepared to face the long winter Baku is expecting this year. When you visit the Kempinski Spa you don’t just go for ‘a treatment’, you go for whole package and relish in every aspect of the experience. The Spa prides itself on having the ability to ‘Rejuvenate your mind, fit your body... and heal your soul’. I can honestly say they did just that. The Spa opens on 1st December 2011 but up until the end of Novemer they are offering 20% discounts on all treatments. The spa is also offering Solarium use at 1AZN/ minute and manicures and pedicures when you book in advance. For more information visit the website: www.kempinski.com/en/baku nov/dec 2011 |
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Lifestyle
Problem Page Uncle Frank has been sucking on the end of his pencil, in an effort to help you overcome your personal problems Engaged, with Doubts
I recently got engaged and am having some doubts. I’m 33 and am worried that if I were still in my early twenties there is absolutely no way I would be marrying this particular man. We have a great time together going out for meals and going away for weekends. We have lived together happily for three months now, but it suddenly occurred to me the other day that actually he is a bit of a nerd. My body clock is ticking and all that, but perhaps if I waited a bit I’d meet someone more suitable. Please tell me I’m being crazy. The point is do you love him? If you did, would it matter if he spent all his time-off wearing a “woolly-pully” and recounting his collection of rare matchboxes? My feeling is that you are more like “friends”
who sleep together, than lovers who want to spend their lives together. What does he think? Does he even want to get married or did he propose because it was the “right” thing to do? Here is a test for you. If you met him for the first time at a party, would you be drawn to him? Answer yes and you probably have a future. Answer no, and you could be laying down big problems for the future. As far a kids are concerned, would you really want to bring them into a loveless relationship?
Ready to give up on love
I am a 42 year old woman and I think I’m about ready to give up. I was married for 14 years when my husband left because he decided he was gay (although he later decided he was bisexual). Then three years later
I fell for another man. After 6 months of dating, he has left me to join the Catholic priesthood. I have officially got a complex. Perhaps there are some people destined to be alone and not find love. Is it time to just give up on the idea of ever finding love, real love? Yikes, I’m not surprised you feel like giving up. People often make bad decisions in their lives and end up living a lie. It doesn’t sound like you were the one making the bad decisions though, rather your ex-husband and ex-partner. The only good thing is that they have (eventually) done something about it. Having been through two painful divorces myself, I have felt from time to time like giving up on relationships but to be frank, do you really want to live the rest of your life on your own? I decided I didn’t and though I wasn’t looking for a new relationship thereafter, I kept my heart open and have been rewarded with the best relationship of my life. You may end up being hurt again but I recommend being a player in the game of life right to the end!
Keeps mentioning his ex
I’ve met the most amazing man and we just totally click, we have the same thoughts and same tastes in music and film. We are very easy going people and have been very open with each other for the whole month we’ve been together. I love him and we believe that we are actually meant for each other, soul mates. However, one thing that’s leaving me dubious about this relationship is that he keeps mentioning his ex. They were together for 5 years and he’s told me that the relationship was a shambles; apparently she was obsessive and controlling. Everything he mentions is negative about her and they have been apart for 10 months. It’s like he compares me and her, he always says 34 |
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LIFESTYLE they will have to know about their brother from another mother, and that will affect their relationship with their father. The consequences just go on and on. Consider all your options then make your decision with your eyes truly open.
My son thinks he is gay
that he’s so glad he’s met me because I’m so different to her and that he loves me more than he ever loved her... He drives an hour each way to see me and says he never did that for his ex. Should I worry? Is he over her? Help, I really love him. He was in a relationship with his ex for 5 years, so I wouldn’t worry. People sometimes say that it takes about 1/3 rd of the time you were with someone to get over them afterwards. Both my partner and I were in long term relationship prior to getting together, and it took a very long time bitching about them before we could just get on with our lives. In the meantime, be understanding and think of his references to his ex as part of the healing process and focus on the future.
Had a child with another woman
I’ve been married to my husband for nine years next month, and we have two boys together, who are five and three. We were a happy family up until last night when my husband told me that he’d fathered a child, another boy, with another woman. I didn’t react, because I think I was shocked, but now I’ve come out of it, I’m so angry, hurt, embittered and, more importantly,
upset for my little boys. It’s not their fault that their dad is such an idiot. But I don’t think I can forgive him. From what he’s told me, it was a one night stand with a work colleague when he was away on business, but that still doesn’t forgive him, does it? I’m so confused and don’t know what to do....how on earth will I get through this? Do I bother saving my marriage for the sake of my boys or do I go my own way with them? This is not the first, nor will it be the last time that something like this has happened in a relationship. Someone once mentioned to me that “men think only with what is in their pants” and to be honest, that is often true. We are capable of being venal and thoughtless as well is being kind, gentle and compassionate. No doubt your husband is feeling very guilty and wants your forgiveness but the ball is very much in your court. It sounds like he truly loves you, otherwise he would have kept mum about his other child. If your relationship is otherwise strong, it will survive. If not, you both have some serious thinking to do. Even if you get over the initial shock, there will be consequences for years to come. Presumably your husband will want to financially support his child and that will have an impact on your standard of living. Then there are your own children. One day
My 17 year old son has recently told me that he thinks he’s gay. I’ve actually had suspicions for a little while but now that he’s actually come out and said it, it’s knocked me for six. I’m certainly not anti-gay in any way but when it’s your own son, I guess it puts a rather different perspective on the whole thing and to be honest I’m desperately hoping the whole thing will turn out to be “just a phase”. He’s a teenager – surely that’s a confused age in his life and he’s still discovering his sexuality. The key phrase that you use is that “I’ve had my suspicions”. As a mother, you will have had a good idea about your son’s budding sexuality for a long time. If he says he is gay now, he has probably known it for as long as you and in my opinion, that isn’t going to change now. Sexuality is not something we have control over and for most people homosexuality is not a “phase”, although many people you son’s age (and a lot older) do “experiment”. Your son has shown a lot of bravery by sharing his feelings about his sexuality with you and I think you owe it to him to provide your support. Life will not be easy for him but it would be much worse if he suppressed his feelings and emotions, just because it would be easier for you.
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lifestyle
Water can ruin industrial equipment and is detrimental to your health!!! Where does your water come from? Most of Azerbaijan’s drinking water comes from the Kura River. The Kura River and its tributaries are already heavily polluted before they cross the borders into Azerbaijan. This is a critical problem, because the Kura River is the main source of potable water in Azerbaijan” claims the National Environmental Report of Azerbaijan. Georgia dumps over 3,000,000,000 tons of raw sewage into the Kura and Armenia about over 2,000,000,000 tons of raw sewage per year The water then flows past a huge aluminum plant, which dumps in all its toxic waste. Then through an agricultural area which adds in herbicides and pesticides. But there is more... It then flows through several small cities and they add their industrial wastes. Finally it ends up in Baku’s reservoirs. Water Engineered Technologies is first and foremost and engineering company for water and systems that use water. Our engineers are trained in the west at the factories and we represent 28 of the highest technology companies in the field. How to select a water system?
system of components to deal with all the problems.
Step 1 – TEST THE WATER If you are buying a system without testing your water then you are wasting money. The water in Baku is different everywhere in the city and you can’t get the right system if you don’t know what is in the water. We test the water for free.
Step 3 - Maintenance – If you don’t do maintenance every 6 months minimum then you system is not working optimally. We do maintenance for our customers every three months so your system always is working optimally
Step 2 – Design the System What is in the water are harmful chemicals and germs. A typical list of chemicals is attached as are a list of waterborne germs. Once we know what I in your water we will configure a
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Who uses our systems? In 10 years in Azerbaijan we have installed over 300 systems all of which work to specification. See our list of references on the next page
Don’t waste time and money on companies that know little about water, Call today for a free water test Yalchin at 050-255-0877 or Hakim at 050-492-6430 The two references below can be found on the Internet and produced by the Azeri Ministry of Ecology, Azersu and UNDP.
• •
-WATER QUALITY IN THE KURAARAS RIVER BASIN – UNDP 2006 -Transboundary Aquifers of Azerbaijan: Current Conditions, Challenges and Mitigation Possibilities – Azersu and Ministry of Ecology - 2010
Water Engineered Technologies Drinking clean water could save your life! All disease starts with what you put in your body: water, air, and food. If you have any of the following disease…
- - - - - - - -
Heart disease (cardiovascular disease) Cancer Diabetes Kidney stones Gall stones Autoimmune disease Fatigue Persistent colds and flu symptoms
…water is a vital element that will help you regain our health. Water comprises 70% of your body weight. If your body is polluted with harmful
chemicals or massive amounts of bacteria, then you increase your risk of the ailments mentioned above. If you already suffer from one of these ailments, then drinking pure water will help your body fight its way back to health. Regain your health by removing harmful chemicals from your water Special filters are used by Water Engineered Technologies to remove the chemicals in water, while leaving in place the important minerals necessary for a healthy life. The filters used by WET are specifically selected, depending on the type of water you have at your home. In some cases ultrafiltration is employed to assure everything harmful is removed.
Endorsments from long-time users of our system John Patterson – i2offshore ltd. “I have been a client of the above company for over 10 years now here in Azerbaijan and recommend this company to you.”
Killing the bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasites No disinfection system kills everything in your water, therefore we use a double disinfection system (as specified by the World Health Organization (WHO)). The major benefits of drinking WET Solutions water
- -
WET water meets the WHO standards and will clean out your system, improving your health Our water will protect you family and cut down on the incidence of disease
Morgan Phillips - Owner - Absheron Engineering “I have no hesitation in recommending these units and your service to others ex-pats living in Baku.” Natalya Hasanova - Director - World Medical Center “WET installed modern technology and maintains the systems to the highest standards. We are very satisfied.”
Call our water experts today on 012-596 1899 or 050-255 0877
Lifestyle
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LIFESTYLE
nov/dec 2011 |
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Alternative Energy
ENERGY
by Daniel Thrust
MThe Japanese earthquake in March of this year leading to the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and the later announcement by the German government that all German nuclear power plants will close by 2022 has now focused attention on alternative sources of energy; these facts coupled with the world population now exceeding 7 billion means that sources of energy for the future need to safe and efficient. plant producing 60 megawatts used in the construction processes, which will be followed by a solar plant producing an estimated 130 megawatts plus wind farms located outside the city perimeter expected to produce 20 megawatts of power; in addition there are plans to harness geothermal energy.
Wind Power There are now many countries with wind farms although these are not without their objectors due to the high number of units required to produce an acceptable amount of power, the amount of land taken up and both the visual and noise pollution; one solution to land based farms are the increasing number of offshore developments.
The main sources of alternative energy can be categorized as: Solar Wind Geothermal Water
Solar: Solar energy travels to the earth from the sun in what are called packets of energy called Photons; solar energy has been harnessed for many years in examples such as greenhouses, and solarium which have either glass or plastic surfaces that allow for the passage of photons that heat up the air inside but also slow down the escape of the heat produced Advantages:
• Non polluting • No machinery involved once set up • Little maintenance required 40 |
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• Renewable energy as the sun rises every day Disadvantages:
• Only really useful in sunnier climates • Expensive to establish • Energy needs to be stored in batteries for continuity
• Large expanse of land required
Advantages:
• Renewable source • Non polluting • Useful to supply power to remote areas Disadvantages:
• High winds are not continuous • High cost of manufacture and installation
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is currently building a new city aimed at being fully reliant on solar energy; Construction of Masdar City commenced in 2008 with final completion between 2020 and 2025. When completed, the city will extend to 6 square kilometers and house around 50,000 people and 1500 businesses. Power for the city will be supplied by a number of renewable energy resources which initially comprises of a solar power
• Huge areas of land required
Geothermal This method captures the geothermal energy contained in the earth’s crust; with the earth’s core estimated to have a temperature of 6,000 degrees centigrade it is easily hot enough to melt rock, and with temperatures calculated at rising one degree centigrade for every 30 to 50 metres depth it is potentially a very useful source of renewable energy.
ENERGY
The usual method of harnessing this energy is to use this natural source of heat to convert water into steam and use the steam to drive turbines to produce electricity. There are a number of geothermal power stations in existence with the first one built in Landrello, Italy and the second in New Zealand; since these, others have followed in Iceland, Japan, Philippines and the USA. Even where geothermal sources are not accessible or hot enough to convert water to steam it can still be of use as in the UK where a number of municipal buildings are heated by this method.
“Azerbaijan has large potential for renewable energy power generation in the areas of wind, hydro and biomass. Some analysts have estimated total wind power potential at 1,500 MW. Biomass and hydro also have substantial potential for power production. As an island nation we have outstanding wind resources, the best in Europe, and wind energy is an indigenous source of energy which is needed to meet our renewable energy and climate change goals. The wind industry can be a key player in creating the investment, exports and jobs we need to bring back economic prosperity. The government is committed to the development of wind energy in the UK. The UK leads the world in terms of installed offshore wind, with over 1.5GW of installed capacity.
Advantages:
• Non polluting • Smaller facilities to convert heat to steam
• No fuel demands to operate • Once the initial capital expenditure is
The UK renewables market is the most attractive in the world for offshore wind investment, out of 30 countries
considered in Ernst & Young’s Renewables Attractiveness Index 2011. The UK has a binding target for 15% of its energy, across the electricity, heat and transport sectors, to come from renewable sources by 2020. There are no targets for individual renewables technologies as we take a market-based approach to energy generation. The actual amount of generation from any technology will depend on a range of factors including market uptake, the relative cost compared to other options and the availability of other technologies to deliver. Our commitment to renewables means we have much to share about our experience with partners in addition to what we can learn from others.”
Water Probably one of the oldest sources of energy production as demonstrated by the use of mills built on streams to use the flow of water to drive waterwheels that converts the energy to drive millstones and grind wheat. To produce energy from water requires a huge investment and potential environmental damage when dams are constructed to create reservoirs resulting in huge areas of land and sometimes complete towns to be destroyed to create a sufficient water pressure to drive turbines that generate electricity. A less environmentally damaging use of water is to harness the energy of ocean waves with a number of different methods already in use around the world and with new methods being developed. Advantages:
recovered it is a free source of heat Disadvantages:
• Limited places on earth where it is •
possible to drill down to super-heated rock Hazardous gases may be tapped accidentally.
During a recent visit to Azerbaijan by Charles Hendry, the UK Energy Minister, he addressed the question of the importance of alternative energy in Azerbaijan and mentioned how this was being addressed in the UK; 42 |
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• Energy produced is free and renewable • Once the cost of equipment and installation is recovered it is inexpensive to maintain and operate • Capable of producing a lot of energy Disadvantages • Geographicaly dependent and only possible for Countries with a tidal coastline • Waves need to be consistently strong • Equipment must be able to sustain very rough weather
Business
Moore Stephens Currently, most countries of the world apply International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This term has long been known and used by experts directly or indirectly involved in financial accounting and reporting. International Financial Reporting Standards are issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and now represent a fundamental system for the preparation and presentation of financial information. At the moment, IFRS are used in more than 100 countries.
The key goals of development and introduction of IFRS globally are: Improving the comparability of the financial reports of different enterprises across many jurisdictions; Increasing the transparency of and simplifying the process of producing, understanding and analysing financial statements; All this, in the final analysis, leads to easier access to international money markets, attracting and stimulating investment in different parts of the economy in different parts of the world. Use of IFRS as the official reporting standard has received the green light from the governments and financial regulators of many leading countries, including the EU member states. The Regulator of the US securities market (Securities and Exchange Commission - SEC) also supports this tendency. In Russia the process of transition to IFRS began in the 1990s and in 1998 a special programme of reforms of accountancy and reporting was adopted. In Azerbaijan this process is also going ahead at full speed. The Azerbaijani government obliged a number of big government enterprises to adopt IFRS. The Ministry of Finance has already carried out an intensive programme for transition to international standards. Thanks to the efforts of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, the banking sector is leading the application of IFRS; for a number of years, the Central Bank has obliged all banks to present their financial statements in accordance with IFRS and
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to contract independent auditors to carry out audits of these reports. The goals for the preparation of financial accounts of companies in accordance with IFRS can be summarised as follows: Attracting finance Attracting foreign capital without financial statements prepared under IFRS is almost impossible as potential investors or creditors do not understand financial statements prepared under national standards. Usually there are two major methods of obtaining finance: Issuing shares on the stock market and Obtaining bank credits In both cases the enterprise will be required to present financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. It is certainly possible to opt for a third method – additional funding from the owners, without obtaining finance from any third parties. However the effectiveness of this method is limited by the financial capabilities of the shareholders. If you want to expand your business you will eventually have to turn to outside investors and/or creditors. Working with international business partners They often request financial statements to ensure that the enterprise is able to fulfil its contractual obligations. Some enterprises also use IFRS for the
preparation of internal management reporting and ultimately to carry out decision-making activities. There are different ways to introduce IFRS in enterprises, through periodic conversion of reports into IFRS and through conducting parallel accounting in accordance with national standards and IFRS. In our country the first method is widely used. In general, IFRS sets up rules to prepare financial statements, but they are not primarily intended for bookkeeping. This is the reason why enterprises can continue to carry out their own accountancy processes according to national standards and make any necessary corrective postings at each reporting date to prepare reports according to IFRS. In this situation, a conversion is carried out at the end of each reporting period and there is no need for day to day efforts. In some cases, a periodic conversion can cost less for the enterprise than parallel conduct of two types of accountancy (in accordance with the national standards and in line with IFRS) as it does not require any additional software or the retaining of additional staff to carry out the parallel accountancy. However, a quality transition to IFRS is not an easy task. It is not just a simple correction of the numbers through posting adjustment journals. A proper transition to IFRS requires considerable efforts to re-evaluate key indicators, perform fair value assessments and
Business other activities requiring the services of experts. Besides, as mentioned above, in contrast with many national standards, IFRS is a collection of general principles. It is reflected in the fact that IFRS establishes the precedence of one general principle or another, but does not prescribe each single accounting posting and does not impose specific rules of reporting. This provides some freedom, but simultaneously requires a high level of theoretical training and practical experience from those involved in the preparation of accounts, as well as professional responsibility and ethics. Ethics are specifically required, as some of the freedoms introduced by IFRS would otherwise permit manipulation of financial indicators. Thus, without either engaging outside experts or intensively training the company’s own staff, the quality introduction of IFRS is an impossible task. Transition to IFRS is a serious reform of all accounting and reporting systems. And any reforms and changes in business processes will require expenditure of money, time and energy. But at the end of the day, such costs lead to either
increased revenues or reduced expenses in the future and an improvement in the enterprise’s profits. An additional benefit is perfecting the controls over business activities through improving the systems of accountancy and reporting. It is important to consider whether the enterprise has the technical resources, technologies and structure to make the transition to IFRS. Here modern systems of resource planning (Enterprise Resource Planning - ERP) which are created ready to support accounting in line with IFRS, thus easing the process of transition to IFRS. Professional consultants are able to assist enterprises with • • •
analysing current systems and future needs, making right choices and helping with the design and introduction and ongoing support of new systems of accounting and reporting.
Professional consultants are also able to help with • •
the restructuring of financial accounting processes, the development and
• •
improvement of current processes and systems to adapt them to the changes required for the introduction of IFRS, the preparation of handbooks of instructions and procedures and carry out training and retraining of staff.
In some cases, enterprises which have already applied and successfully use IFRS can come across differences in interpretation of standards by regulatory authorities, investors and financial institutions. Often the complex nature of some of the standards and the varying interpretations of them require enterprises to define precisely the most suitable application for its own internal objectives. This must be specified in the accounting policies of the enterprise. Professional consultants can help both with interpretation and understanding of the standards as well as with the development of the accounting policies. It would also be useful to perform an analysis of the impact of the application of different standards on the financial statements of the enterprise. As a general rule, the IASB announces the introduction of a new standard several years before it must be applied. Usually standards provide several choices for accounting for certain elements of the financial statements. Conducting an impact analysis can help to forecast the effect and make decisions which best meet the interests of the enterprise. If your experts are already sufficiently qualified to prepare independently financial statements in line with IFRS, your only task is to engage auditors verify and confirm the financial statements. In this case, you might benefit from several recommendations, which would help you to select the right auditors. However, this will be the topic of the next article “How to choose the right auditor”. nov/dec 2011 |
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Business
MEA Trade Mission to Azerbaijan: September 2011 With the full support of the Azerbaijan Embassy in London and the British Embassy in Baku, the Middle East Association (MEA) lead by Ms. Feride Alp- Walter, visited Baku this September as part of the largest trade mission to ever visit Azerbaijan.
What is the MEA? The MEA is an ‘independent, notfor –profit membership association, representing around 350 organisations from all business and industry sectors’. In the last last 50 years of the association, they have continued to expand, and offer guidance and support in order for British businesses to develop and thrive in Middle Eastern countries. When the association was first established the objective was to ‘further trade and developement only between Britain and the Middle East’ but the organisation has grown to cover not only the Middle East but the whole of North Africa, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey. Although to date Saudi Arabia and Northern Iraq have been the most successful geographical areas for British business through the MEA, interest in the Caspian region is booming. In 2009 they sent a trade mission to Azerbaijan with 10 delegates, this year saw the number double to 20. The most exciting piece of news however is out of all the companies showing interest in the Caspian region, 90% off them are non- oil and gas! Which potentially opens up a whole new market sector. Ms. Alp-Walter believes that these companies are, ‘very well equipped. The commercial sections of the British Embassies are experts on the countries they are based in and are entirely focused on helping UK business in the new markets’. Although the creation of new market sectors on ‘new soil’ can be a daunting task and the MEA remains 46 |
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realistic. With the full support of the Uk government, the organisation and the companies, are fully aware of the challenges that face them but focus not on the potential difficulties but ‘on the opportunities’.
accepted dynamics of doing business in the West. It is with the co-operation of countries like the UK, that skills and knowledge will be transferred and business will flourish between the UK and this exciting and growing market’.
Of course however, these challenges do have to be overcome in order for business to thrive. The MEA demonstrates great respect for the countries in which they work reminding potential investors that, ‘the UK companies should approach the region with the appreciation that up until 20 years ago, the countries in the Caspian region did not exist. Hence these countries are still in the process of learning the economic process, and the
With the UK and Azerbaijan working together to allow business to progress can only be a winning combination! With thanks to Ms. Alp-Walter for the interview For more information on the MEA and their exciting ‘Forthcoming Events Diary’ please visit www.the-mea.co.uk
Business
Inflation and Deflation by John Patterson
One of my clients gave me a book to read...
I think he was just checking that I actually could read, however it is worth perusing if you are a perpetually happy person and don’t want to be quite so jolly, but if however you are prone to depression then stop supporting Scotland and don’t read this particular book. In last month’s article I put forward the view that the $ would continue to decline in value on the basis that; the US has so much debt, the debt is increasing and no one is attempting to do anything about it. Maybe not declining against the Euro, but certainly against other currencies, although the Euro is again pushing 1.40 (as at 26th October). There is now no doubt whatsoever that Greece cannot repay its debt and so this debt will be written off and that it will be forced to leave the Euro – the rumours are that the Drachma has already been printed – and we are not talking about a Greek version of Monopoly and building 4 hotels on the Acropolis. This book gives a very alternative view stating that the $ will rise dramatically.
Now, not wishing to go on about currency values, the book argues that what we have coming in the not to distant future is not rampant inflation caused by the printing of money (quantitive easing) but, more money in the system, with no increase in the supply of goods which in turn will cause prices to rise , but deflation caused by people not spending, individuals saving, paying off debt, corporations doing the same, banks not lending, states going bankrupt and other states and Government being unable to pay for medicare and pensions that it is committed to but can’t cover because they simply don’t have the money. It argues that the only way forward will be for the US and all of it’s states to introduce their own austerity measures, similar to Greece and Europe. In this regard, countries like the UK, Ireland etc are ahead of the game. Italy , (way behind) is now going to be forced to introduce austerity measures because in order for anyone to buy their bonds (when a government needs money to pay for a shortfall in what it has promised to pay it will issue a bond – i.e. it takes a loan) they have to place a very high interest rate on the bond in order for
people to buy it, as the value of the existing bonds have basically collapsed, so the borrowing costs of Italy and it’s banks have risen because people do not believe – as with Greece, that they will or can honour the bonds. The main basis of the deflation argument (for deflation – read up on the great depression of the 1930’s in America) is that because the US Government will be forced to alter its pledges, re: medicare etc, that US States will not be able to pay the pensions promised to their retirees (fireman, police, nurses etc) that they will have to introduce legislation that changes what payments will be made, therefore overnight, reducing their liabilities. Moreover, because banks are not lending like they were, as there are not many credit worthy companies, and individuals as there seemed to be before (they weren’t credit worthy but they just lent the money anyway) and because people are not stupid (now they are not) and they now realise that debt isn’t such a good thing, that they should save money for their old age instead of spending it etc, that company profits will drop because there are not enough people buying their goods leading to reduced prices and a vicious reduction in the money supply will occur – mainly because a whole load of debt will turn bad and be allowed to be written off – i.e. disappear back into thin air and as such – less dollars abound for the same amount of goods equals = deflation. The worrying fact about all of this is that America is sitting at historically low interest rates. These low rates seem to have no effect on getting the economy to grow. So the Federal Reserve Bank have printed money from thin air (effectively) to cause inflationary pressure and have taken the USA’s total debt that it took 226 years to build at the year 2000 to double that amount 11 years later – with hardly any inflationary pressure being caused by doing so in terms of economic growth. That is because all that it has done is covered the debts and liabilities of banks, nov/dec 2011 |
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Business corporations (GM), States (California) etc – it has not created anything – that is what the book says – don’t shoot me! What it all boils down to is demographics (according to the book) – a rapidly ageing population that doesn’t spend anymore – it saves as well as the fact that the USA’s quantative easing programme will be increased at its peril in that (as you can see by the strength of the Euro) the markets won’t like the printing of anymore money and if they do then the bond markets will collapse and the interest payments on future bonds issues will rise to a level that the US cannot afford. At that point, who bails out California next time? No one........................ As an aside................Did you know that the State of New York, unable to pay into its employee pension fund a few billion – the amount it was legally obliged to do to meet its deemed liabilities – borrowed the contribution from the pension fund and then paid it back into the pension fund as its annual payment..........................? The State of New Jersey paid it’s pension fund contribution of $551m in 2005 but then diverted all of these funds elsewhere so that they could provide essential services elsewhere. So apparently this is what is about to happen in the country that produces 65% of the World’s GDP. Of course, you then have the 4th,5th and 6th largest countries by GDP (Germany, France and Britain) involved either in its own budget deficit problem (UK), a problem caused by Greece that will maybe bring down French Banks and therefore their ability to purchase French National debt (it will reduce their ability that is for sure) thus leading to the hint of French National Insolvency leaving the Germans in an unenviable position of bailing out everyone else. I haven’t as yet managed to get to the end of this book – Prozac has helped – and to my mind it seems to have ignored some fairly major external factors into why deflation is on its way, however putting aside who is right and who is 48 |
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wrong and whether we are going to be alright, have high inflation or major deflation, here is some food for thought. The current Federal Reserve Chairman is Ben Bernanke. He is renowned as the world’s leading expert on the Great Depression (the USA in the thirties). He is doing all he can to cause inflationary pressure. If he succeeds then the $ will weaken, if he fails then we will have deflation, something only those people born in the 1920’s may have experienced before and something that no working person has ever had to deal with before. Conversely, the Germans are doing all they can to prevent high inflation in Europe, so they would prefer to borrow money from China than to introduce quantative easing as they didn’t have deflation in the 30s, they had hyper inflation. Even if the contents of this book could be deemed as extreme, any future bailout of Greece, California etc will require funds from somewhere and these funds therefore will not be used to pay pensions, job creation programmes, reduce taxes etc. I suppose that there is only so far that you can kick a can down the road because unless it is the M25 (the London Orbital Road) the road will end at some point and then you have a wall in the way (if it were the M25 then you would probably give up trying to go anywhere on it anyway
due to the road widening scheme between junctions 11 and 17). Next month I will be discussing how to use cigarettes as currency in a world gone wrong as well as the best way to rent out your unused bedrooms to complete strangers in order to raise some extra cash ...............................” (Nb. The book in question is Great Crash Ahead by Harry S Dent jr. – order now before it sells out)!!
Business
Through the good and the bad times In Baku since 1998
Baku Branch - John Patterson E-mail: jpatterson@i2offshore.net Telephone: + (994 12) 4928173 Mobile: + (994 50) 2132267 nov/dec 2011 |
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food
Restaurant Review Nestled in a corner just off Fountain Square is where Firuza Restaurant hides. For two years I have spent many hours treading the surrounding streets but never before have I ventured down the stairs to Firuza’s underground restaurant setting.
After being greeted warmly at the door by several members of staff who offered a choice of tables I entered the restaurant and felt as if I had gone back in time. The dining area is what I have often imagined all restaurants in Azerbaijan looked like at some point in history. From the paintings on the wall, to the stone floors and the decorative swords that not only look nice in their suuroundings but offer a sense of history and pride. The atmosphere of the restaurant is ‘Azerbaijan’ and ‘proud’. The menu is extensive and will most certainly cater for all tastes. The prominence of course is on Azerbaijani traditional recipes but they also offer European style meals, all at very reasonable prices. On our visit we were treated to some traditional Azeri delights, some of which I had sampled before and some were new to me. A range of salads and soups was to start, all were rich in flavour but not overpowering. The chef managed to balance sweet and savoury in the salads whilst packing in unique flavours. Some of the salads were given the hidden kick of citrus fruits to add a new dimension whilst others relied on the meat and fruit combinations for full impact. The soups were warm and again bursting with flavours, perfect for a winters day. Again some were thick and creamy whilst others could simply be consumed cold in the same way as Gazpacho. The selection of kebabs and grilled vegtables that many of us have become accustomed to were cooked excellently. They were 50 |
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succulent, flavoursome and lacked the grease that can sometimes make the meat a little flowerey in taste. The meat was good quality and all presented in a way that the chef was proud to serve to his customers. The main course (yes, we have just got to the main) was once again presented wonderfully. Full of colour and texture the dish was layered with meat, and vegetables and served with bread and rice. It was all placed on a warm platter so that the meal would remain warm for a lazy lunch over several cups of cay. The dessert menu is long and full of a variety of hot and cold treats but as I had consumed at least one day’s worth of food in one sitting I had no choice but to skip the ‘cake’ course. Firuza is a place everyone should try. The food is great but the atmosphere is even better! Although a relaxed environment the staff have good customer service and will do what they can to ensure that you enjoy your visit. So next time you are in Fountain Square, give Firuza a go and feel part of Azerbaijan it’s history and it’s culture. Salads and soups 2 – 6AZN Meat Main Courses 3 – 8 AZN Fish Main Course 9 -15AZN Kebabs 3 -15AZN Pizza 7AZN Bottle of Azerbaijan wine 7AZN Bottle of French wine 20AZN 14, Aliyarbeyov Street (012) 493 96 34 (050) 318 65 45
food
opening soon
nov/dec 2011 |
magazine | 75
food
by Feride Buyuran
AZ Cook book Food from Azerbaijan and Beyond!
Chicken With Eggs (Toyug Chighirtmasi) Considering that chicken is a widely used type of poultry in Azerbaijan and that there are countless recipes with it, I have no excuse not to let you into my secrets. So, yesterday I decided to roll up my sleeves, get into kitchen and cook a classic Azerbaijani dish - Chicken With Eggs called Toyug Chighirtmasi in Azeri.
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food
Eggs with everything! The word Chighirtma is a general name given to dishes in which eggs are added at the very end and cooked until set, like in the recipe for Ispanag Chighirtmasi (Spinach with Eggs) or, in Badimjan Chighirtmasi (Eggplant with Eggs), Kartof Chighirtmasi (Potatoes with Eggs) and Pomidor Chighirtmasi (Tomatoes with Eggs). You name it, you got it! There is an entirely separate category of dishes with egg dishes in Azerbaijani cuisine. Toyug Chighirtmasi is a very popular dish in Azerbaijan. The recipe varies slightly from region to region and even from family to family. Some people like to add squeezed lemon juice to the chicken for that nice tanginess. Or, in some cases, the chicken is boiled before it is fried.
Eggs, but not too many! This is how I make my chicken with eggs. What I like about this particular recipe is that the eggs do not overpower the overall flavor of the dish; I don’t add too many of them to it. The eggs blend in with other ingredients so well that you almost do not taste them in the cooked dish. Also, during the simmering process, the onions and tomatoes melt
down to the consistency of almost a pasta sauce - so delicious. We enjoyed Toyug Chighitmasi at dinner yesterday, hope you do too when you cook it. Ingredients Serves 4 to 6 3 spoons vegetable oil 2 spoons butter 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced 2 pounds / 900g boneless or bone-in chicken parts, cut into about 10 serving pieces (I use boneless chicken thighs) 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon, or more to taste, ground black pepper 4 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped, with their juices 3 eggs, lightly beaten chopped cilantro (coriander) or parsley, to garnish Note 1: If your tomatoes are not ripe and juicy, dissolve 1 tablespoon tomato paste in 1/2 cup hot water and add it to the chicken along with chopped tomatoes. Note 2: You can also bake this dish in the oven at the last stage. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish then pour the eggs over it. Bake in the 400F (200C) degree oven until the eggs are set. It makes for a beautiful presentation if you serve this dish straight from your baking dish.
Method 1. In a medium frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until it is light brown. Transfer the onion to a bowl and put aside. 2. Add the remaining oil and the butter to the same frying pan and heat over medium heat (Note: butter alone tends to brown when you melt it. Adding some cooking oil to the pan along with butter will prevent that). Add the chicken pieces and fry for about 20 minutes, or until they are brown, turning them once to cook on both sides. 3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the cooked onions and chopped tomatoes with juices to the pan. Cover and turning only occasionally, simmer over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. 4. Pour the beaten eggs over the chicken, slightly tilting the pan to distribute the eggs evenly. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 5-7 minutes (do not stir!) or until the eggs are set. 5. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley. Chicken with Eggs is delicious with bread or rice. NUSH OLSUN! ENJOY!
nov/dec 2011 |
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BRASOV
by George Calaghan
Brasov is one of Romania’s most picturesque cities. Its charming squares and blooming parks defy the name it once carried in the 1950s - Stalin City. I traveled to Brasov by train from Bucharest with my friend Nick. The train was very long and very empty but clean, comfortable and very cheap. 50 cents. It is five floors to the top - no lift. The wheezing is well repaid with splendid views of the historic city centre and the snow-capped summits all around. Rising to the north of the town is an enormous ridge. On it BRASOV is spelt out in letters 5 m high - rather like the Hollywood sign. The cobbled streets and medieval buildings make for a soothing sight. One particular museum is devoted to the exploits of the 18th century aristocrat who once governed the city. He spent much of his time hunting wild boar in the wooded mountains nearby.
T
he railways passes quickly from the plains of southern Romania to the Carpathian Mountains. The Carpathians are the highest mountains in Central Europe. Their craggy peaks and rushing rivers make for a breathtaking three hour ride from the tower block dullness of Bucharest to the fresh air of leafy Brasov. The railway passes by many dense forests and wooden cabins. The journey will reward those who simply like gazing out the window. I chose to eavesdrop on a couple - she is Romanian and he is Dutch. They are speaking English of course - most young Romanians speak at least decent English. Brasov - pronounced ‘’brash-OV’’ - was once part of the Austrian Empire. The Austrian legacy is still there in a most
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positive way. You could swear you were in a twee Alpine city. It is the Alps but without prices that are affordable to only a Swiss banker. The architecture is all refined and sturdy. The railway station is the modern and less winsome part of town. It is a mighty communist era construction - facing a long boulevard lined with impersonal blocks of flats. A 2 Euro taxi ride away we are in the town centre. Nick is able to indulge his photography hobby on the many Habsburg epoch buildings. The city is richly endowed with many museums and galleries but watch out - they tend to close early. The town centre has several pedestrian shopping streets adorned with attractive arcades and characterful cafes. The central square boasts a medieval clock tower. The admission charge is only
Down on street level again we have a good stroll up a mild incline to the cable car. The cable car again costs 50 cents and takes us up the ridge at a precipitious angle. Within 5 minutes we are up on the ridge. We take a walk to the BRASOV sign. I eye the treeline warily - I have been told that bears are sometimes about, but fortunately we make it to the BRASOV sign and back without being eaten. Now we are feeling eleven o’clockish. Back at the top of the cable car we have lunch in a communist era restaurant. The room is bare and airy. It provides a notable example of 1970s communist kitsch. At least the large windows give us a marvellous vista over the valley. Lazily we take the cable car down - there is a path for the surefooted. The rest of the afternoon is spent walking along the medieval walls and visiting the German Lutheran Cathedral. After a few hours it is time for the train back to Bucharest. Brasov is a fine day out and one of Romania’s most alluring cities. If you like it then Brasov might be worth two days. It is also a good base for day trips around the Carpathian region.
international
The favourite food Landmark
Address: 31, Inshatcilar Avenue; (near Yeni Dunya supermarket) Tel: (012) 537 0632, Mob: (051) 940 4041 Fax: (012) 510 7576. E-mail: georgiainn@yahoomail.com nov/dec 2011 |
magazine | 75
Giorgi, the owner of the guesthouse and the Georgian guests fill the room with poetry and stories about local heroes, while Maya accompanies herself on the Panduri to her Tushetian songs. Our sons show all their respect to the traditions at a Supra, and our eldest one ends up with a new name in return. The next day, we hardly get to see our children. They are now the heroes of last nights stories, hiding in the remains of Old Omalo, riding their imaginary horses and building own miniature tower-houses with the rocks lying around. But the real adventure still lies ahead of them...
Horse back riding and History When they see Khvicho waiting with three horses in front of the house, they can not wait to start the hike, which will take us even deeper into the Caucasus over the next couple of days. Initially, the horses were there to transport the baggage and our daughter who definitely would not be able to manage the long hikes, and as a reserve for our sons if they get tired. How naive parents can be! From the very first moment they did not miss a single chance to ride on the backs of the horses.
O
nly one road leads into Tusheti, the most ancient highland region in the North-east of the Caucasus, famous for its preserved traditions of the old oriental pastoral culture, Tushetian horses and Tushetian sheep. The 5 to 6 hour drive from Akhmeta in Kakheti to Omalo is an adventure in itself as, the narrow road winds up along deep, unsecured ridges, crossing the Abano Pass at 2,926 m. It is only open between late May and early October and even for this period it requires continuous repair from never-ending landslides.
the National Park has made over the last couple of years and from the first moment we were absorbed by the special atmosphere and the hospitality the Tush provide. Our guesthouse lies right on the foot of Old Omalo‘s tower-houses. When we arrive, a kettle is set on the outdoor fire for Khinkali, boiled dumplings, so delicious that most Georgians would die for them. The low-ceilinged kitchen is filled with several other guests from Tbilisi, and around the world.
In Omalo, we are surprised by the development the visitor services of
Soon a Supra begins... a social gathering common when groups of Georgians meet.
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Georgian Entertaining
Our hike brings us down the Pirikiti Gorge via famous Dartlo and across the Nakaicho Pass into the Gometsari Gorge and finally ends at Shenako in the Chaghma Gorge. The easiest part is towards Dartlo, abundant with pine forests, endemic lily fields and scenic river crossings. To reach our guesthouse we have to climb up through the mazy settlement, passing an ancient tower. Those ancient towers had four to six floors. All sons of a family lived here together with their parents. The upper most floor was used by men, as it provided them with the best view of the area and the best position to shoot or throw stones at their enemies. We leave the horses and climb over a steep trail up to Kvavlo which is even more picturesque then Dartlo. Only one family remains here over summer. Most Tush nowadays avoid the hard live on the pastures and linstead men go to Chechnya as construction work there provides a higher income for them.
international
Tough Challenges
trail is far to steep for riding and also for the rest of the ascent. I am glad not to be on a horseback and the kids show all their braveness. They never show a moment of fear despite they confess later that they had been nervous. The horses give the adults enough time to enjoy the wild flowers as they have to maintain a slow pace. Shortly before the pass we even have to cross a snow field. Over the mountain ranges dark clouds begin to gather and I hope they won‘t bring rain and thunder as there wouldn‘t be any protection. After the Pass we descend over wide pastures, narrow valleys and through small rivers. When we finally arrive at Verkhovani, we are all exhausted, but before we reach the plateau with the most pleasant family retreat visible in the valley, we have to cross a torrent river first. Over a flimsy pendant bridge...
The Nakaicho Pass becomes a real challenge for us. The trail starts rather boring, leaving the boys to count lizards; they end with more than 300 sightings over the next three days. We pass water pits crowded with tadpoles and mud pools occupied by butterflies, but then we stop in front of a very tall wall, and the trail becomes invisible and at this point we are glad to have Irma and Kvicho as our guides joining us. The first very rocky part, the horses have to go by themselves as the
Thanks to generous donations of various organizations, most Tushetian guesthouses have solar panels or a water heater. Lia‘s shower is in a cozy bathhouse and gave us so much pleasure, it was like we hadn‘t had a shower for years. Her son is happy to have peers, even for such a short time. They hunt together for insects and lizards, and after the heavy rain that finally came at night, they discover lots of green toads that suddenly seem to pop up everywhere. This place is so peaceful that we even
In the evening Rafiel shows us a film a Georgian TV company had made about his father. Unlike most Tush who spent the winter in the lowlands of Kakheti, he stays every winter in Dartlo, alone with his cattle.
leave the doors open at night, just fenced by a curtain blowing in the wind. In the morning we are greeted by the very smelly discovery that we did not spent the night alone. According to the expertise of a shepherd who happens to hang around, we agree that it was a raccoon that left its remainders at our door step.
True Contentment On the last part of our hike we do not only come close to the Dagestan boarder, we also come close to ancient settlements high up in the mountains. In Shenako, Nino starts to heat the communal bakehouse and in a short time she is accompanied by several other women. Later on, her freshly baked bread gave us great pleasure during our romantic candlelight dinner. The children catch tadpoles to feed fish who are kept in a well, and join Irma for getting fresh milk directly from the source, an unforgettable experience. Hiking in Tusheti means you have to leave behind your expectations of comfort. But it offers a much higher valued luxury: wonderful meadows covered in wild flowers, meeting no one but a few shepherds, and the simple absence of any civilization noise.
nov/dec 2011 |
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SCARY AZERI
IN SUBURBS
A little known blog which found its way onto the internet three years ago has become an internet sensation. An Azeri mother, who has relocated to English suburbia, is sharing her experiences and the cultural differences of coming from Baku, to daily life in a village just outside of London.
The Pyrex Dish Mystery I don’t know about yours, but my husband is not perfect. He has a few incredibly irritating habits. A friend told me about a British Persian (I think?) comedian who had a joke about her husband annoying her. You see, she said, it is his breathing. It is constant. In and out,in and out. We laughed at that joke because, after 11 years of marriage, some annoying habits do tend to...well, annoy. One of the most annoying habits my husband has is his total inability to look for things. I can sort of understand his frustration, as I, myself, get really annoyed when something I am looking for hides from me- on purpose, simply to drive me insane. So yes, I get frustrated, but I don’t tend to blame other people for it. Today, husband was preparing macaroni cheese for our older child in the kitchen, whistling to the radio. Suddenly, the whistling stopped and in a few seconds, I jumped from the noise of kitchen dishes being shoved about in a deliberately noisy fashion. Husband was searching for a specific Pyrex dish. Of course, as soon as he realized it was missing from where it normally lives, he blamed ‘someone’ for misplacing it. ‘Someone’ must have broken it, husband suggested. Someone is usually my mother, and if she is not around- me, of course. Since I have not cooked a thing in the past few months, I was obviously not guilty... and ‘I did not touch it!’ my mother claimed. Husband did not feel we appreciated 58 |
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the importance of the missing dish. Without it, my poor starving child was not getting her macaroni cheese. The dish was the only one of the right size. It was his parents’ wedding present. They kindly (and very generously) passed it on to us. It lasted an awfully long time, and now, it was gone. Gone! Forever! And the child was going to be very hungry and very sad. And we clearly did something to it, and now we are covering up the crime?
we had a few weeks ago, was hiding inside Husband’s baby- the smoke-n-pit BBQ set. Since it was his BBQ, which Someone never cooks in, it became instantly apparent to all the involved parties who had, in fact, misplaced the ****** Pyrex dish.
I think, he told me, I remember you taking something to your friend Z the other day in it. I did not, of course, take any food to any friends. Husband was making it up. As we stood there, opening the cupboards one after another and looking in every possible corner of the kitchen, my mother quietly walked into the garden. It is here!!!
‘No’, husband said happily, ‘you guys must have hidden it there! You tricksy hobbitses!’
‘I told you’, I said, smiling lovingly, ‘that it was you who used it last, and therefore you who had misplaced it.’
Have you heard, I asked him, that the domestic violence from women towards men has increased dramatically in the UK in the past year? I just wonder why?!?
The Pyrex dish, still dirty from the BBQ
international
The Disputed Territory. You might have noticed that I have not added any sketches recently. That is not because I am so lazy these days. OK, it is somewhat because I am a bit lazy these days. But mainly, it is because someone ( i.e. Husband) switched our broadband to a different provider and did not bother to figure out how to connect the printer/ scanner to the new router. You might ask what about you? Can’t you sort it out? The answer is maybe I could. But I don’t think a married woman needs to work things like that out by herself. What is the point, may I ask you, of having a husband, if you then have to worry about connecting printers to wireless routers? Anyway. I had to tell you this to explain why the following two sketches look a bit bizarre. I would hate for you to think the quality of this blog is deteriorating. I really wanted to illustrate this posting, and the only way I could do it was to take the pictures of my sketches by the phone and email them to myself. Very complicated but here you go. My mother, as you might know, was here for a little while, enjoying the new baby
and helping me stay sane during the first couple of months. While she was here, there was some vigorous construction activity all around her flat in Baku. Baku is all about construction activities these days, from what I hear. The neighbour above was extending his balcony and enclosing it- a typical Bakuvian way of adding an extra room in one’s flat. In the meantime, the neighbour next door to my mother was also enclosing his balcony. Right in between my mother’s and the next door neighbour’s balconies there was this strange empty bit of space, which, according to my mother (and I of course, believe her) was technically hers. There, for many years going back to the times my grandmother owned the flat, was a very large, very heavy metal trunk. See the sketch. I guess an equivalent of a shed, speaking in my British suburb terms. Upon her return to Baku, my mother found the trunk had been lifted out of its usual place, and chucked into her balcony. There is lies right now, huge and heavy, making it impossible for my mother to even walk out on the balcony. In the space where the trunk used to be there now is a large pole, which neighbours above built to support their new extension.
Like this. Now, the neighbours next door are not happy. They had their own plans for my mother’s territory, you see. They were planning to erect the side wall for their new balcony there, making their space nice and big. The neighbours are now fighting. This is where an English mind faces a challenge. Husband was confused. ‘What about planning permission? Don’t those people need planning permission in order to build something like that in a block of flats? ‘ I laughed. She should ask them to pay her at least, Husband suggested, trying to put his Azeri thinking hat on. But, sadly, none of his suggestions would work in a country where two neighbours can fight over your bit of balcony. Well, they promised to remove the trunk soon, mother told me happily today. My mother, you see, does not believe in aggressive solutions to problems with neighbours. Now, you tell me. What would you do?
nov/dec 2011 |
magazine | 59
international
by Rob Sobhani
From Baku to Baltimore: An Investment in Education Beyond the first two letters in their names Baltimore and Baku appear to have very little in common.
B
aku is the capital of energyrich Azerbaijan, a republic of the former Soviet Union the size of Maryland with a population of eight million. With an oil fund in excess of $32 billion and projected revenues of $200 billion by 2024, Azerbaijan is fast becoming the Kuwait of the former Soviet Union. But it is not oil wealth that distinguishes this secular Muslim country sandwiched between a resurgent Russia and a fundamentalist Iran. Religious freedom and tolerance is its bedrock. For example, Azerbaijan is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world and in celebration of this fact last year the Chief Rabbi of Israel visited Azerbaijan to inaugurate Baku’s largest synagogue. Even members of the Bahai faith, who are
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persecuted and tortured in neighboring Iran, are free to practice their religion in Azerbaijan. Not surprisingly, the regime in Iran has tried to undermine Azerbaijan’s secular system on numerous occasions as to decouple Baku from ties with the U.S. and Israel. After the September 11 attacks, Heydar Aliyev, then President of Azerbaijan, invited the U.S. ambassador to his office and offered his country’s unconditional support in the war against terrorism. Azerbaijan opened up its airspace to American aircraft -- some actually take off from BWI. It also sent troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. But its most meaningful partnership with America might be on the education front, with Maryland posed to become its long-term partner.
The ties that bind Maryland and Azerbaijan were cemented last week by a generous donation from the Azerbaijan America Alliance to the Urban Alliance’s Baltimore program. This donation represents a down payment on a longterm educational relationship between Azerbaijan and the United States whose anchor is investing in our children -- whether in Baltimore or Baku. The President of this non-profit Azerbaijan American Alliance explained the donation in terms of building bridges between the two countries. However, the tone and tenure of Azerbaijan’s transition from the dark clouds of communism to market capitalism is set by its fifty-year-old president Ilham Aliyev. The President and his wife, who is a UNESCO Special Ambassador, believe that a nation’s wealth can only grow if it invests in education. Indeed, this gift also represents Azerbaijan’s natural transition
international to a modern, forward-looking, and education-based economy. President Aliyev knows full well that natural resources are limited but human resources are unlimited. The President also believes that America’s institutions of higher learning are the world’s leading research laboratories for the next cutting edge technology, medical device or cure to a deadly disease. The Urban Alliance’s Baltimore program, the recipient of Azerbaijan’s donation, is dedicated to preparing lowincome and otherwise disadvantaged youth to succeed in the workplace through paid internships, training and mentoring. The donation by Azerbaijan will allow ten chosen high school seniors to receive paid internships with Baltimore companies that will enhance their opportunities and potential for success. Veronica Nolan, the Executive Director of the Urban Alliance put it succinctly: “This donation from Azerbaijan will change the lives of ten youth in Baltimore.”
According to Shahmar Movsumov, the Harvard-educated executive director of Azerbaijan’s Oil Fund, the goal is to convert Azerbaijan’s black gold into human gold. This commitment to investing in human capital is a natural extension of President Aliyev’s vision to integrate Azerbaijan fully into the international community. In addition to its grant to the Urban Alliance, Azerbaijan is exploring long-term educational partnerships with Baltimore’s top-tier institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, UMBC and John Hopkins Medical Center. Currently, Azerbaijan offers $15 million each year to its students for full scholarships to study overseas, and it stands to reason that Baltimore could be the centerpiece of those opportunities. Indeed, to the extent that Azerbaijan’s promising future thought leaders get an education in Baltimore’s premier institutions of higher learning, a game-changing cancer drug or solution to clean water in the Third
world might arise from this mutually beneficial partnership. I first visited Azerbaijan in 1989 when it was behind the Iron Curtain. I could never have imagined that someday my home state and the city of Baltimore would be the beneficiary of a donation to help high school seniors succeed. The ten students from Baltimore’s public schools may not have heard of Azerbaijan before, but the donation from this newly independent country may change their lives. Looking out across the bay of Baku into the Caspian Sea, Baltimore seems far away, but this distance has been permanently bridged. This article was first published in the Huffington Post and is republished here with the permission of the author Rob Sobhani is CEO of the Caspian Group and a Ph.D. from Georgetown University.
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review
Christmas Classics by Nora Daniels
Each year during the festive period there are a number of films that simply cannot and should not be avoided in order to enter into the Christmas spirit. 6 year old Susan thinks she knows the The Holiday (2006) White Christmas real truth about Father Christmas, but Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, (1954) with the help of a department store Santa Jude Law and Jack Black
Two women with ‘men’ troubles, swap homes and travel to new coutries, where they each meet a new man and fall in love; all at christmas time.
she is given the greatest gift, the gift of belief in magic.
Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney
The Polar Express (2004) Starring: Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola and Michael Jeter
Set in the aftermath of the Second World War, this all-singing, all- dancing comedy is the perfect seasonal treat at Christmas.
Miracle on 34th Street (1994) Starring: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins
A young boy who no longer believes in the magic of christmas boards a train that takes him direct to the North Pole and Santa’s workshop where his faith in Christmas is restored.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Starring: Michael Caine The Muppet’s retell Charles Dicken’s classic ‘A Christmas Carol’. With the help of Miss Piggy and Kermit the frog, Ebenezer Scrooge learns how to behave in the spirit of christmas. 62 |
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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverley D’Angelo and Juliette Lewis With the promise of a christmas bonus, Clark grimaces his way through the seasonal celebrations. He battles obnoxious guests and the continuous bad luck that appears to shadow his every move.
review
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review
Jazz Review by Nickee Dixon
Baku’s International Jazz Festival 2011 took place from the 15th to the 29th of October. It was organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Culture fund of Azerbaijan, and the Sweet Production Company. This year, like every other year proved to be a resounding success!
50s and 60s but, at this time Jazz music was not an accepted art form of the Soviet authorities. The love of jazz had to remain a hidden secret. He now dedicates his time promoting music in Azerbaijan.
History of the Festival
Marcio Faraco Marcio is a Brazilian born singer, composer, producer and guitar player. Although he now resides in Paris he is known for implemting jazz into the Brazilian culture.
The festival has been taking place every year since 2005 and is organised by the the world renowned saxophonist Rain Sultanov. Born in Baku in 1965, Sultanov did not start taking music lessons until the age of 14, first playing the clarinet. But, after 4years of military service and playing saxophone in the military orchestra did his talent became clear and his musical expertise began to shine.
De Phazz This downtempo Jazz ensemble are best known for the fusion of Jazz with other musical genres. They are most famous for their innovation and taking risks with their music.
Today, the Baku Jazz Festival makes international headlines and attracts great artists from around the globe. This year’s headline acts included: Rachelle Ferrell 50-year old Rachelle has been performing since the age of 6. Origninally from Pennsylvania, U.S. she is now regarded as one of the most muscially talented female Jazz performers in the world.
Jazzanova Formed in 1995, the group have a worldwide following. They are a Berlin based group who like to write and produce Latin Jazz, nu-jazz, chillout and Jazz House. They ares signed to several record labels.
Azerbaijan is a country known for it’s love of Jazz music; the relaitionship started with the American – born art form during the
And Duke Ellington.... 64 |
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review The Baku Jazz Festival takes place each year and is a haven for Jazz lovers. This year was no different as it saw Internationally renowned acts take to the stage and ‘Wow’ the city. “Taking the A train” to jazz heaven...
giving us mini morsels of historical facts that laid the foundation for each score.
I have had the privilege to attend the Baku Jazz festival for the past two years and with each year it just keeps on getting better.
The bandleader definitely kept his rank as a cool cat hailing from Harlem, as he kept a humble and smooth narration before and after each song, introducing each musician. Although the large venue was fitting for the calibre of these musicians, the orchestra as a whole commanded and directed an intimate setting, as if the listener were seated in an uber-cool jazz club in Duke’s era, making each member of the audience feel comfortable and at ease to appreciate each key, chord and
The Duke Ellington Orchestra played on Friday 29th October, which was held at the opulent Heyder Aliyev Saray in Baku as the climax for the week- strong festival.. The orchestra of 15-strong musicians wowed the audience for 90 minutes with
harmony, as these jazz cats beat, blew and plucked their instruments, captivating the audience with ultimate ease and sass. The great thing that I truly appreciated as a lover of jazz was although they played professionally as a band, each musician was given his dues. The solos, duets and the entire ensemble was given an opportunity to shine in their own right, without changing, distorting or interpreting Duke Ellington’s musical legacy. Much loved songs, like “take the A train””, Prelude to a kiss”,” Satin doll”, “it don’t mean a thing” and “Caravan” were interweaved with other choice picked songs, giving the audience a continuous musical lullaby.
Background for you Jazz novices... Born 29 April 1899 in Washington DC, composer, bandleader, and pianist Edward Kennedy (“Duke”) Ellington was recognized in his lifetime as one of the greatest jazz composers and performers. Nicknamed “Duke” by a boyhood friend who admired his regal air, the name stuck and became indelibly associated with the finest creations in big band and vocal jazz. A genius for instrumental combinations, improvisation and jazz arranging, brought the world the unique “Ellington” sound that found consummate expression in works like “Mood Indigo,” “Sophisticated Lady,” and the symphonic suites “Black, Brown, and Beige” and “Harlem” Infamous for his quotes as well as musical genius, Duke Ellington once stated. “You’ve got to find a way of saying it, without saying it! He certainly found a way, which is still loved, admired and unmistakably understood by all. A short but ever so sweet review – This night was just one of those situations where the lucky one says “you just had to be there”
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Softball:
SPORT SPORT
by Amy King (Peace Corps Volunteer)
The New Azerbaijani Pastime In our training at the very beginning of our service, we are taught about the Peace Corps’ overall goals of service around the world. One of those goals is to share American culture with host country nationals. In pursuit of this goal, one of the projects implemented is a softball league in Azerbaijan.
Pitch In For Baseball! It was started before I even arrived in country, but was only a four-team league. It grew this spring into eleven teams, which includes Ganja, Mingechevir, Tovuz, Ismayilli, Oguz, Balakan, Bilesuvar, Kurdemir, Zagatala, Goychay, Xachmaz and my site of Goranboy. We have received equipment from an organization called Pitch in for Baseball (http://www.pitchinforbaseball.org/ html/) and put it all to good use.
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been to both Ganja’s and Mingechevir’s practices, and they were the two most-established teams in the league. Respectively, they were the Red Sox and Yankees of Azerbaijan. Both teams had some heavy hitters and could field the ball pretty well. They had Azeri’s who had been coming for a few years who could play just as well as any high school student in America. Watching these kids have a “ball”, I knew I wanted to start a team in Goranboy. I came back from the practices energized and ready to teach the kids of Goranboy a real American sport. Our national pastime. A sport that produced the likes of Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth.
Teamwork, smiles and partnerships This has been the experience of many volunteers over the past four years. While the Babe hasn’t shown up quite yet, the league has expanded from four to twelve in a matter of three years. Multiple tournaments are held in two different seasons. The spring season is a warmup to a competitive fall season where overnight tournaments and championship games are held. In all of the games there is teamwork, smiles and partnerships to be had for everyone. The kids take the games seriously, getting very competitive. At the same time, however, they have made
SPORT inter-team friendships. The last tournament there was a dance circle afterwards where team Ganja and team Mingechevir boogied together. They respect each other while at the same time are competitors. It’s a difficult balance to find for even the best of players and we have found it here in Azerbaijani softball.
The kids don’t mind making mistakes Coaching a team has had personal benefits for me. I was a soccer coach in the states, so coaching is sort of natural, and I feel comfortable in a place where I am in my element all of the time. I get a lot of happiness from watching the kids learn and grow as players and people. I also get a lot of laughs. A lot of funny things happen in our practices. Yesterday, a girl hit a foul ball, started running the bases and she was rounding second by the time we stopped her to explain what a foul ball was, and why it counted as a strike against her. Also, one girl carried her glove in her left hand and a bat in her right out to the field. I asked what she was doing with the bat and she looked at me completely stone-faced and asked “I don’t need this out here?” I let her know that the bat was for offense and that she was playing defense. Then turned to my co-coach Kate and cracked a big smile. I love when stuff like that happens! Then when we were switching positions, one of the kids was being moved from second to shortstop. On my team, I take the 10th player (slow-pitch softball plays with 10) and stick them right on top of second base so that there’s less movement necessary on the field. Well on the move, the kid took the “base” (an unused lefty glove) from second to shortstop with him. It was the first time I had seen a stolen
base by the defensive second baseman. The kids don’t mind making mistakes, because with the sheep as our fans, the stakes are not too high.
It warmed my heart This past weekend was a four-team tournament with Mingechevir, Ganja, Tovus and Goranboy participating. The tournament was wonderful and the kids had a really good time. My team is newer and much younger than the other team we played, and most kids were participating in their first game. It warmed my heart to see all of the other more experienced teams take my guys under their wings. We had a mini-practice with Mingechevir where we mixed up the teams and played together. The players from Mingechevir explained to my kids the rules of the game that I had trouble teaching in Azerbaijani. The Ganja and Tovuz players were also very nice and sportsmanship was abound as the kids played their hearts out. Mingechevir won the tournament, and they also showed the best team spirit. Whenever they made an error, instead of yelling at each other, they laughed it off and kept playing. That’s exactly what you want to see as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
show up on time, don’t yell at each other when mistakes happen and cheer for one another when something goes right. For the new coaches, our teams may not win, but we’ll definitely go down with style (and maybe not so much grace). For the older coaches, it’s rewarding to see your kids teach the new generation of softball players. One of the mottos of the Peace Corps is “the toughest job you’ll ever love”. The coaching of softball in a foreign language is difficult to be sure, but it’s satisfying to see your kids laugh and play ball on a nice fall day.
The toughest job you’ll ever love Even though these kids may make mistakes a hundred times per practice, I still feel like a proud coach every time they step out onto the field. Somehow, the kids are learning something from the Peace Corps coaches about softball and life. They now
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SP W
SPORT SPORT
RT RLD
From this issue on our contributor Teymur Aliyev will come up with the most interesting in world of sports. Big events, crucial shots and famous quotes of the months. We picked up all the best parts of it for you. Kick the ball. We start. Enjoy it.
Football Event of the month Man United - Man City 1:6. It’s all on the scoreboard
Number of the month
0
Number of goals FC Barcelona conceaded at Camp Nou in Spanish LaLiga
Now we know all 16 teams who will take a part on Euro 2012 in Ukraine & Poland. Here they are: Pot1: Ukraine, Poland, Spain, Netherlands Pot2: Germany, England, Italy, Russia Pot3: Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Sweden Pot4: France, Denmark, Ireland, Check Republic. The draw will take place in Kyiv on 2 december,
Joke of the months Q. What’s the difference between the Manchester united keeper and a taxi driver? A. A taxi driver will only let in four at a time. 68 |
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Quotes of the month
“ ” ”Roman Abramovich didn’t pay 15 million Euros to get me out of Porto just to pay me another fortune to get me out. It’s not a question of the owner having patience. We are committed to what we are creating for the future.” Andre Villas Boas, Chelsea FC manager answered about his future after 4 defeat in six matches.
Shot of the month
Flying Dutchman. Roin van Oersie became the first player to score 13 goals in 12 premiership games.
SPORT
Tennis 2011 can easily be called Petra Kvitova’s year. In November, the Czech won the WTA final tournament in Istanbul and won the Confederations Cup as part of the national team. Neither World Number One Caroline Wozniacki nor Victoria Azarenka who lost her on the final match in Istanbul could stop Petra with her stunning form at the end of the year. Kvitova finished the year second in WTA ranking. Carolyn Voznyachki is still WTA Number One despite being unsuccessful during her last feü matches. While this issue is in print the Mens Final Tournament of the Year is going on in London. Find more about it in our next issue.
Formula 1 Sebastian Vettel has won the Formula 1 for the second consecutive year. Some predicled this early in the season but it was not confirmed until November. The German won first India Grand Prix; he was untouchable for 60 laps. The same however cannot be said for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix where he with drew form the race with a flat tyre. Lewis Hamilton won, and surprising a worthy winner. Only the Brasil race to go before the break. Next season... will anyone be able to stop the seemingly invincible German?
Rugby Bronze Final Wales 18 - 21 Australia Final France 7 - 8 New Zealand Team France fought, but on the day the All Blacks were stronger and deserved a win. Not suffering a single defeat throughout the tournament New Zealand won the World Cup for the second time in history. We are not going to tell what England achieved this World Cup, so you are not frustrated and don’t throw the magazine away.. (but we all know it was pretty tragic)! World Cup 2015 is next to come. nov/dec 2011 |
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Ambassador dinner
EVENT
On 16 November, the British Embassy in Baku held a welcome reception at the Hilton hotel to celebrate the arrival of the new Ambassador Peter Bateman. The event was attended by Government officials, politicians, journalists, diplomats and other contacts. In his speech, Ambassador Bateman said that he and his wife Andrea have now been in Azerbaijan for over six weeks and they have had a most enjoyable and interesting
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introduction to the country in that time. The Ambassador said that 2012 is going to be a special year for both countries as Azerbaijan will take up its seat as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in January and Baku will host the Eurovision song contest in May while London hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. 2012 will also be the Diamond Jubilee of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
EVENT
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Poppy Ball 2011
EVENT
This year’s Poppy Ball was once again a great triumph; the men squeezed into their tuxedos for the first event of the winter season and the ladies elegantly showcased their cocktail dresses. But at the heart of the event was a very important message; to remember all the fallen heroes of armed conflict. To remember not only all those who have sacrificed their own lives in the quest for peace but for all those who have been injured and to all the men and women who are currently serving in the Armed
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Forces today. The evening was compered by Morgan Phillips and John Patterson, with speeches from Lt. Col Steve Phillips, Royal Marines, Defence Attache for South Caucaus’ and H.E. Peter Bateman, British Ambassador. Also in attendance was Lt. Col William Nemeth, United States Marines, Defence Attache, American Embassy Azerbaijan and H.E Michal Labenda, Polish Ambassador to Azerbaijan.
EVENT
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EVENT
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july 2010 | mag ine | 13
Dear customers of La Strada restaurant very Saturday and Sunday from 12.00 to 17.00 all prices in menu with 20% discount!
Latino Halloween Ball
EVENT
The conga line, limbo competitions and dancing; just a few of the events that took place at the first Latino Halloween party to
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be held in the Kempinski Hotel. The costumes were outrageous, the drinks flowed and a great time was had by all.
EVENT
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IWC Christmas Fayre
EVENT
The 17th Annual Charity Christmas Bizarre took place on November 20th at the Kishmish Hall, Hyatt Hotel. The room was alive with the festive spirit; Slade playing in the backgound, the smell of freshly made cakes and Santa Claus entertaining the
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children. The food was superb, the mulled wine was flowing and the christmas decorations were sold. All the proceeds go to local charities. Next month... check out a review of the bizarre including which charities and projects benefit.
EVENT
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EVENT
Otto’s Halloween Party Some in costume, some not and some we are not sure about! Otto’s Halloween Party saw fun, drink and trick and treats to celebrate the spookiest eve of the year.
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EUROVISIOn
Addres: Sabail district, Tarlan Aliyarbeyov st. AZ100 phone: (+994 12) 498 6979 mob: (+99455) 2131907 e-mail: info@ottobaku.az web: www.ottobaku.az Otto Efes beer cafe Baku
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Internations October 2011
EVENT
An evening of networking, socialising, eating and drinking at The Red Olive, Italian Restaurant. Each month the Internations group meets in order to enhance the expat experience in Baku.
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Internations is an international group that aims to create the best social environment for friendship and business meetings.
EUROVISIOn
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