various stuff

1) FAQ:
I am in Switzerland from 11th August to 30th August!!!
Days between 23th and 26th in Biel and Zuerich

2) Info on Zambia:
Found a good travel guide online!!! Check it out! http://www.zambia-travel-guide.com/bradt_guide.asp?bradt=170

Having read through the "preparation and health" chapters, I realized that I am not ready at all!!! How can I prepare and think ahead, if I don't want to think about the fact that I am leaving Azerbaijan in less than 4 weeks???!!!

3) Pictures:
My memory stick was to small for all the pictures from the weekend trip to Xinalig!!! However, I got finally the few pictures I made in the end of the Hash in Sumgayit.

If you remember well, Michael and I set the Hash around one of the communities/school we work with in Sumgayit. Sumgayit was one of the industrial towns of the soviet Union... and is propably not the best place to run through when you speak about health concerns. However, the kids/teachers we work with live in this environment (100m from the cooling towers)...
We set the Hash track through the cooling tower factory as all gates were open and nobody came to tell us that we could not walk/run through this area. However, when we came to get the car, which we have parked close by, we got kind of "arrested" and had to wait for the police... but we left without paying bribe (thanks Madat for translation and help via mobile phone!!!) Well, don't want to tell the whole story again. Just so much, we made the Hash shorter. Walking under the humid "smoke" of the cooling tower gave all of us enough ??? about how healthy living must be here. Well, some thought that washing off the polution in the caspian sea is a solution. I am not so sure about that. looks kind of nice on the picture, nearly like a real beach, but if you know that all the waste of sumgayit goes into the sea, not to speak about the industrial waste... and the oil platforms...
While one went taking a bath others were streching (or ? Hashers!)
and most of us enjoyed a beer/water with beautiful view on factories...
5) And a picture made some weeks ago in Corner Bar (the place I did not want to return ever again). Now, Jason you are not only famous; now you have as well a face!

6) Sunday: Ella (flatmate) and myself went to Amburan (Beach). Ella practiced driving through AZ-traffic-madness with her future car and I was the co-pilot (Claudia we missed you!) I had a very difficult job: "straight straight straight... don't worry, just go straight". Amburan is a a resort with beach (Sumgayit just around the corner) and a swimming pool (great to wash of the sea water). Its kind of expensive (15Euro) and all additional services cost (you don't even get a towel for that price!!). Nearly no expats (great!). Tried to find out what kind of local people use this kind of place. Must be kind of upper class but not rich enough to have their own swimming pool. So people that like luxus, have some money,... well, some of the guys looked like police officers (without uniform)... Anyway, we had a great day. Lots of sun (regards from Miriam the tomato), my first bath in the Caspian Sea (but not really swimming. water not deep enough and some riffs...) and reading under an umbrella, on the beach, blue sky, the regular "noise" of waves,... In the evening we had Thai in the Plaza building. 17th floor: nice view on Baku and great food! What do yo want more for a Bday-Sunday??? Thanks for all the sms and emails, it made the day just perfect.

7) Today, back at the office after a nice long break. Quiet, just the srrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr of the fan. Elnur sick (hope he gets well soon), Madat in Imishli, Arzu behind her computer, Farasaddin is not shouting into the phone (strange) and I do not have a lot to do for once. Only upcoming activity (in the hope Madat does not need my help in Imishli), a workshop for peace corps volunteers next week. Vacations helped a lot to step back... looks like I can start writing soon my End of Placement Report...

8) Summer in Baku: old friends leave, new people arrive. Joe, I hope you arrived well back home in Prague!

9) Weekend plans: Hash weekend in Alti Agac National Park. Have not been there yet, dont know what to expect... beside the usual Hash stuff.

10) lots of love