Thursday, February 26, 2009

Unknown Azerbaijan...Khojaly (Xocalı) massacre...25-26 February 1992...

It must have been different historically but ever since Black January in 1990 carnations in Azerbaijan are only associated with grief and mourning...this graceful flowers "bend their heads" as it is said in one of Azeri songs as if apologising for human violence and trying to heal the "wounds" of those whose memory, heart and soul are in pain...
Once something is done that is it...it happened...what can be done after...words said, speeches made - but thats just noise...monuments erected, flowers put, events held - but thats just vanity...
I hope that Khojali massacre was the last violance to happen in the territories of Azerbaijan...words said and things done post factum just do not help...there is Azeri saying that says "hər şeyə əlac var ölümdən başqa"..."there is a cure to everything except death"...hopefully people of XXI century will be able if not to stop but at least decrease violance resulting in murders and terrorism not only in Azerbaijan but everywhere on this planet...may sound naive...but everything starts with a dream...
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Unknown Azerbaijan...Khojaly (Xocalı) massacre...25-26 February 1992...

Khojali (Xocalı) massacre happened in 1992 when I was 16...I remember shock of ordinary people in Baku about how cruel people could be and how close, geographically, that cruelty was to Baku (although it would be enough to remember Black January of 1990)...

Khojali is/was a small town in Daglig Garabag (Nagorno Karabag) area of Azerbaijan that is currently occupied. This small little known town surrounded by mountains became an obstacle on occupant army's way and without thinking twice the army decided to "walk over" the population of the village thus clearing the obstacle i.e. village...I assume "strategy" was also to show to enemy i.e. Azerbaijan how determined the occupant can be etc etc...

Some people that survived came to Baku...That year my father and his team were helping out with food to 27 families that found refuge in one of the hostels in Baku...Dad was not talking about this with us children but I remember him coming home gloomy and tired after another visit to hostel and talking with mom in the kitchen...about destroyed lives, children that are left without parents, horror stories that he was hearing from people that made it...

17 years have passed...those children must have grown up by now...those kind of children/people exist in every war zone, people that have to pay the price with their lives, with lives of their children...people that become toys in hands of politicians and/or people full of endless hatred...

Each year on February 25 and 26 Azerbaijani people remember the victims and hostilities that took place in Khojali. Allah rəhmət eləsin...May they rest in peace…
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Novruz holiday is knocking the door..."water" Tuesday..."Su Çərşənbəsi"...

When I think about four elements of nature the first thing I recall is The Fifth Element movie. If you have watched it at the end of that movie heroes need to "break" mystery and those were four elements of nature etc etc...
Anyway...today...is first Tuesday when we "acknowledge" approach of Novruz in Azerbaijan and this Tuesday is "water" Tuesday as we call it here. May sound confusing...Please read my earlier post on Novruz here so that you have some info on our tradition to celebrate beginning of spring...before we celebrate actual Novruz we start four or so weeks earlier by celebrating each element of nature every Tuesday...i.e. we may start thinking about sweets that need to be prepared for holidays, make fire or just start getting cheerful :) It is believed that in nature water is renewed first of all and then everything else...If you are in Azerbaijan and say spill water by accident don't get surprised if you hear people saying to you "su aydınlıqdır" meaning that water is purity and you shouldn't worry...or if many people want to drink water we say "yol böyüyün, su kiçiyindir" meaning that oldest people should be let to walk in/out first but water firstly is served to youngest (sorry for this hasty and awkward translation...) not sure if these beliefs have anything to do with Novruz but just so that you know :) Su çərşənbəniz mübarək! Happy Water Tuesday! :)
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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Unknown Azerbaijan...Turkmenchay treaty...10 February 1828...

Turkmenchay treaty has been signed as a result of 2nd Russia-Iran war between Russia and Iran in Turkmenchay village on 10 February 1828. Signing ceremony was attended by famous Russian writer A.S.Griboyedov and Azerbaijan's progressive figure A.A.Bakikhanov, who was interpreting at the signing ceremony. Initial treaty on dividing Azerbaijan between Russia and Iran was signed in 1813 and is called Gulustan treaty. (info taken from Wikipedia in Azeri)

As it is more or less obvious by now this was the only way to exist for small and rich Azerbaijan...its territory was divided into khanlıqs (territories ruled by Khans) and each khan preferred to be on its own, pseudo-independent, rather than unite with any other local khan...neighbours were big and strong...and Azerbaijan with Caspian Sea shore, no general goal and strategy, rich natural resources...no army.

Currently in ex Soviet Republic, Azerbaijan, reside around 8 million 700 people...I am not sure about number of Azerbaijanis in Iran, some data say around 20 million.
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Movie review: Slumdog Millionaire


Every time I visit London I make sure I go to movies. Back at home we still have only one up to date cinema with London priced tickets and Russian dubbed movies…Lately I don’t even mind going to a movie alone, something that would seem weird to me before due to prejudices of youth…not any more. All I need is a movie and maybe a coke. Is this considered an advertisement? Well, don’t drink it. Its bad for your health. Does it balance now? :) Of course when possible I prefer going especially to romantic movies with my spouse who actually prefers fantasy and doesn’t like “girlie” movies at all but does not want me to go to cinema alone and would prefer coming along and “suffering” through the whole movie…Something to do with Azeri mentality that I don’t mind in this case actually :)


During my last trip I watched “Changeling” that left me paranoid and depressed for quite a while therefore this time it had to be something positive. I knew that I wanted to see “Slumdog Millionaire”. So I did…
Those who know me and saw the movie might have already guessed that I have wept the whole movie. It made me laugh too but mostly stroke again with discoveries about human cruelty and again cruelty, arrogance, ignorance and love, love, love :)


I have a dilemma. How do I bring up a child teaching him to trust and love people and at the same time not to believe to all he meets, sees and hears…


The movie is about real horrors that we know that exist but we don’t want to face/think/notice…one of the reasons being that we cant really change much about many things in life and prefer to be isolated in our own comfort zone…nowadays even sometimes getting extreme in this isolation…The movie proved once more Madagascar's King Julien's saying that some or many people think that “nothing personal but they are better than others” and what wise mentor tortoise from Kung Fu Panda used to say that “accidents are not accidental”…Actually destiny or as we call it here “qismət” is quite strong in traditions, culture and beliefs in Azerbaijan. Therefore main character’s often said “its destiny” is very understandable to me.

Older generations in Azerbaijan as anywhere else in former USSR grew with Indian movies. I wonder if this played some role in their maturing to kind and loving people. Indian movies always have a good ending, at least they used to, evil never wins, however it tries and happiness and love are constant winners. Another thing so comfortable about Indian movies is that they do not have intimate scenes which makes life of any Azeri family easier as usually men and women, brothers and sisters or different generations watch movies together and are able to watch the movie uninterruptedly without switching the channels for a while with guessed timing to go back to watching the movie or girls suddenly going to bring tea or starting to talk to each other etc – all these awkward things happening during intimate scenes of other movies, since mentality and tradition still do not “allow” watching all this collectively…


I wonder if we in my country would be once as brave and confident as those who shot “Slumdog Millionaire” to expose the issues of our country. I am not sure if we can afford it currently though. My wishful thinking hopes that maybe by the time we would afford it we won’t have those issues any longer…


Any Indian movie has dance in its script, many dances. It was great to see that movie makers did not compromise on this tradition and had it even so at the end of the movie when the story was over. I envied movie makers chance to capture so many issues in one movie speaking to the whole world at once. Bravo.

The movie brought big picture back to me, distancing me from annoying little nuisances of life reminding to be grateful, positive and loving no matter what I see or what I hear.



P.S. Edited and shortened version of the article here.


P.P.S. Today (22.02.2009) Slumdog Millionaire got an Oscar. Bravo!! Well deserved!! Congratulations to everyone in the team!! :)
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Monday, February 09, 2009

Hippodrome...Bine, Azerbaijan

I am not sure about the regions but we have two hippodromes in Baku, one in the city and one in one of Baku villages, called, Bine (Binə). Although I am not personally into horse riding it is great to know that this is something available and quite affordable in Azerbaijan...Albeit it took me years to actually go and visit Bine hippodrome I am happy that I did go at the end and saw those graceful and truly beautiful horses. For those especially children who are at ease with horses experience is truly peaceful and full of harmony...something that I enjoy observing a lot.

Love is in the air...what can be better for children...

Getting to know the horse...

Thankfully horses have lots of space...

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