Victory Day...or the most beautiful May...

Our generation is so lucky not to live during the World War II...during fascism... 

It wouldn't be right to divide people who fought against fascism into nations, religions and other. Since this is the blog on Azerbaijan I will only mention that every fifth Azerbaijani became the victim of World War II...Nowadays when it is already 2013 we have fewer veterans among us. Many of grandfathers and grandmothers that gave their lives for peace and beliefs are not among us any longer.

As we all know "principles" at those times were such that once the war was over, it was over. Not like now, when bombs can explore here and there, even if there is a ceasefire or there is no war at all; this is the tragedy of "modern" world, of "modern" "people". 

Spring is so beautiful, May is so gorgeous, the most beautiful May must have been in 1945, when the war was over.  Of course happiness did not come right after and to all, but there must have been such a great hope, hope that all springs bring. 

Azerbaijan is in ceasefire. We all hope that our refugees would go back to graves of their grandfathers and grandmothers in Daglig Garabakh to say that their land is in peace. 

Today I am posting photos of beautiful Azerbaijan. Wishing you, us and future generations peaceful life to enjoy many springs to come. 

My earlier posts on Victory Day can be read here, here and here.   

Gobustan, Absheron peninsular by Senan Aleskerov 

Clear skies of Baku by Senan Aleskerov

by Senan Aleskerov 

Beautiful Azerbaijan by Ilkin Yagubov

Poppies come in May...no, May comes with poppies by Ilkin Yagubov 

Peace...Labour...May...

Azerbaijan does not celebrate May 1 any longer. The date that many would remember with slogan "Peace...Labour...May". I love everything about May and Peace and actually Labour  - anything that is done with professionalism. In today's world and probably in all times, people depend on the work of each other. More professionally and honestly every work is done the happier the circle is, so to say...

One of my favorite sayings in Azerbaijani is "görülən işdən, gül iyi gələr" meaning "completed work smells like flower". This saying is used to praise someone who completes any task (preferably successfully and beautifully :) or in case one wants to persuade someone to finish the work etc.

When you have time see my earlier posts, on people behind the scenes, that I wrote in 2007 and 2012...

below picture is the picture of rose that my friends kindly brought me the other day. Unfortunately I am not able to convey its beauty fully just like it would be hard to describe the beauty of May in Azerbaijan...Be well...

    

Colors of April...

Today I am posting photos that speak for themselves. This is how colorful and different April has been in Azerbaijan this year. 

When I watch and hear news it feels awkward to write about the weather though...

I pray for peace...

Be well.   

Thunderstorm and lightning in Baku (happens more often in Sheki but quite seldom in Baku) 

photo by Sevinch Ali Djafarova

Snow! in Quba...photo by Hummet Aliyev

Spring colors in Sheki...photos by Turkan Mustafayeva 

Forty days of care or Spring of Life...

Here I am back with you and its already April. I have been thinking about this post for awhile and today I will try to finish it. 

Today I will be writing about another custom in Azerbaijan. Tradition says that if the family has a new born baby, mother and child must live a "protective" lifestyle. This implies that preferably very few people should interact with both and they shouldn't be visiting places. Mother should be recovering and therefore grannies would prepare her healthy (read high calorie and energy:) meals to help her recover and feed her baby. And newborn should be adapting to life. 40 days of special care to have a protection against evil eyes (read infections, bacteria and negative energy:) to enter new life healthily and happily. This is what grannies would insist everyone to do and every region and city would have more peculiarities and details about the custom. Nowadays things are of course flexible especially in Baku. Nevertheless tradition makes a lot of sense to give some time and space for mom and baby to recover as everyone would agree that moms get exhausted quite easily and new babies are soooooo small to expose them to the world aggressively. 

With our new baby at home the majority of our 40 days fell on March. Since the weather in March is quite unpredictable people in Sheki call it crazy (dəli mart). Also this is time when people get anxious to welcome spring and many those who have issues with their health might get worse so another saying says that when March is over trouble is over (mart çıxdı, dərd çıxdı). Nevertheless March is one of the or probably the most festive month in Azerbaijan. We start it with celebrating Women's Day on 8th of March. And then the whole month is about Novruz, Novruz, Novruz and Novruz. Starting four weeks in advance of actual holiday on 20-21 March every Tuesday is devoted to one element of nature (wind, water, fire and earth). I have put different links  about the holiday to the post in case you have time and interest to look through.

Unfortunately life is not only about wisdom, harmony and peace...On 31 of March people in Azerbaijan remember The March Days, or March Events, an inter-ethnic strife and massacres of up to 12,000 Azerbaijanis and other Muslims that took place between March 30 and April 2, 1918 in the city of Baku and adjacent areas of the Baku Governorate of the Russian Empire.

Mentioned so many subjects I must confess I find it difficult to finish the post. I guess I will finish it by wishing everyone to have a beautiful and peaceful spring to notice and enjoy awakening of nature and life. Be well...

Some "home-made" photos to colour up my post... 

new baby-new life-new spring in our lives :) 

khoncha is a traditional set in Azerbaijan, when one places different desserts on one plate. Everyone strives to have a beautiful and colourful khoncha. I am blessed with talented mom, Gullar khanim, who is an exceptional cook and has a great taste for beautiful tablewear...I hope to have inherited some of her talents :) 

must element of Novruz, green sprouting wheat - semeni/samani (səməni)...we grow wheat and place it on our tables during Novruz. The process is beautifully shown on the pictures by my relative Arifa Salayeva who shared her photos from US. 

we don't only grow the wheat for Novruz but also kind of "roast" it and add it to our khonchas. Below picture is taken by my other relative Turkan Mustafayeva in their yard in Sheki . Echoing with nature they have a luxury to enjoy Novruz to the fullest...long live grannies who cherish and pass on the traditions and skills... 

young roasted wheat is quite delicious. We mix it up with nuts and raisins and its very tasty (also high energy). 

and another final khoncha for Novruz. Candles are a must. They symbolise fire and in general I love them :) 

Remembering Khojaly...year 2013

I must have written before that months of January and February are not the happiest for Azerbaijan. In Baku these are the gloomiest in terms of weather and we all know what the weather means to almost all of us. This gloomy weather also echoes with tragedies that Azerbaijan remembers in January (19-20 January) and Khojaly massacre in February. 

Today in the morning when I started checking what was happening in social networks I came across the article in one of Russian web newspapers. The article about one of the cases during Khojaly massacre, one family, mother and her four children (with one born only two days ago), father killed and them walking to the boarder on the snow, barefoot and hungry... 

Azerbaijan is in ceasefire now. Nevertheless quite often young soldiers are killed on the boarder by snipers. You will call me biased but I strongly believe that Azerbaijanis by nature are not aggressive. Different nations and religions historically blended together on this land. The article I mentioned before talks about the family of Meskhetian Turks not Azerbaijanis. Meskhetian Turks historically were repressed, deported from country to country and at some point some of them moved to Azerbaijan as well. We have also other region in Azerbaijan where they reside. I am trying to say that historically this land welcomed everyone and continues to be the place where everyone as they say can find his or her place under the Sun. Unfortunately this hospitality got misinterpreted and we ended up with Daglig Qarabakh (Nagorniy Karabakh) and seven bordering regions to be occupied by our neighboring country Armenia.  

I do not preach war. As an incorrigible optimist I believe that there are other ways to reach justice in XXI century and Azerbaijan will find that way. May all victims rest in peace.

Photo is borrowed from the article I mentioned above.

My posts that I wrote on Khojaly during previous years can be read here, here, here and here.  

Mother factor...

I started writing this post last week. That day I was writing that I had spent some time talking to one of my older relatives who was telling me about her mother in law, Mina, whom I knew only as an old granny. Mina nənə (nənə means grandmother in Azerbaijani) had to take care of her big family with many kids after her husband passed away quite early (pre, during and right after World War II period). 

One of the stories is that the river that was crossing Sheki had no bridge at a time and once the water was coming from mountains it was hard to cross it. School was on the other side of the river. So Mina nənə and probably other mothers would take their children on their shoulders and help them to cross the river. This illiterate but hard-working and wise woman and mother would do anything for her children to study. Later Mina nənə's all four sons and one daughter (out of four) came to Baku and got higher education to do a professional career in Baku and  Sheki. This culture of self sacrificing mothers is quite common in Azerbaijan as anywhere in the world.

Post was expecting to get finalised when I had to make a break...to have a baby last Sunday. Today is the 7th day that our baby boy has joined our family :).   

As you can imagine I am quite grateful and emotional these days. Thinking and talking about mothers brings almost tears to my eyes. 

This post is devoted to all mothers around the world. God bless them all...one post is not enough to describe everything that mothers do for us first to give us life then to bring us up and later help us throughout our lives. Another thing that is so common in Azerbaijan is that parents continue helping their children physically and financially until they can...

Below in the picture is Mina nənə with two of her grandchildren. I had different post where I said that Mina nənə had many grandchildren. In this picture one her right is my mother. It is great to see that she is so happy on the picture (I asked her the reason she can't remember :), little boy is my other relative. Mothers like Mina nənə and my mother are role models for me and my sisters these days. Their wishes and dreams always came second if not third to dreams and ambitions of their children. In today's world we modern mothers are trying hard to balance wishes of our children and wishes of our own or spouses etc. Things around us have developed a lot but questions are still there and did not become easy when we talk about bringing up children.

Anyways. Be well and remember to take a good care of your loved ones especially mothers. Do not take them for granted.    

Old and kind Sheki...

Today's post is a gentle "reminder" that this blog is actually about Azerbaijan with many posts devoted to the town that my parents come from and I associate myself with, Sheki. 

If you happen to visit Azerbaijan...

Why Azerbaijan you might ask. Whats so special. 

Everywhere is special. (majority of people in the Orient believe to be philosophers by birth or talk with philosophical hint :) 

In addition to anything else in Azerbaijan you would get a chance to get rid of stereotypes, well maybe. You would be thinking that you are visiting post-Soviet, Muslim country neighbouring Russia, Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Armenia and you would form certain opinions and then once you visit you would see how everything can blend together and it would be so hard or almost impossible to identify, associate with something or somewhere in particular; you would notice a lot of similarities and differences and end up thinking: "what a blend - hard to understand and grasp and hard not to get charmed." 

Sheki is a small and proud town in Azerbaijan that is blessed with beautiful nature, warm hearted people that like to make witty jokes and speak with "sweet" dialect that might have caused them to have specially delicious cuisine including distinctive confectionery products.

So if you are in Azerbaijan you need to spend time in the regions including couple of days in Sheki to put or at least try to put together "jigsaw puzzle" of this country.      

Below is picture of Sheki that I took last summer...

Be well...

Love is...no...should be in the air...

Nowadays it is so depressing to say the least to watch news. Wars, killings, people suffering, people destroying lives of others. Nobody is happy about what the other is doing or not doing. Although its XXI century people seem wilder, more sophisticated in their ways to distract, manipulate, reach their goals whatever the price. 

Today many people around the world greet this day as Valentine Day and have another reason to be more attentive to those they love. 

We all know that there is nothing more supreme than love and its not just about love between the two. I find it hard to understand that to some its natural to love their other half but then be quite intolerant to many around.

I wish that people would be kinder and have more sympathy to each other. Anywhere in the world. 

I decided to post pictures of two sculptures of my spouse, Teymur Rustamov to this note. One is about peace and the other about love, harmony, tranquillité.

"Swallows" by Teymur Rustamov

"Man and Woman" by Teymur Rustamov

Galoshes and not only...

Dear All, thank you for each and every of you for visiting my blog. Life has been too busy and to my regret I wasn't able to update the blog as often as I should have.

The major question now is what do I write about, what do I start with. There have been so many events and emotions in Azerbaijan, life was moving on sometimes with joy, sometimes with grief and as always there are more questions than answers. In light of major global events of the world sometimes every day passions seem so small and so not important. But then its life and it goes on...daily...

I have two pictures that I took in Sheki back in May 2012. These are pictures of galoshes and boots that are worn to work in the garden. Once the work is done in order not to mess the other part of the yard the shoes are changed. While owners of the shoes thought that those were their ugliest possessions I loved the way they looked and purpose they served. The work, tools to do the work can never be ugly.

Already in February people in Sheki started to get their gardens ready for spring. Those shoes are back in fashion and serve a wonderful purpose.

Wishing all of you more of pleasant outdoor chores to feel the spring approaching. Be well.

Everything grannies could tell…

I took below photo in Sheki sometime in spring…Unfortunately I was there that time for funeral…Of course as always everyone was visiting the family to express their condolences and try to soothe the pain…

At some point when there were fewer people and everyone was chit-chatting with each other those two grannies fascinated by another spring of their life started to look outside the window and continue to philosophize about rules of life and nature…It was so adorable to observe them.

There is so much to hear from those grannies…But one has to be in a special mood. No rush, no mobiles, no internet, just stories of how with different generations and time substance of things or people did not really change…but most of the time just started to look different…  

Everything becomes a history…everyone becomes a history…

I have drafted this post long ago...sharing only now...

Last week of May with its festive Eurovision final became a history. Thankfully everything went smooth and safe and many people had unforgettable adrenalin when watching the shows live.

On May 28th we celebrated Republic Day in Azerbaijan. We remembered ambitions of our Democratic Republic back in 1918 and had fireworks to celebrate the day in 2012 when Azerbaijan is free to make choices to develop its independent country further.

On 5 June we had five very young soldiers killed on the border. In light of these killings everything else looses its importance. Everything else looses meaning and one doesn't find strength or wish to write about anything else…Let the boys rest in peace…we share grief of their families, especially parents, especially mothers…

Talk art…talk poetry…talk music…talk Azerbaijan…

Today I want to say that atmosphere in the capital of Azerbaijan Baku is all about getting ready to Eurovision song contest…

Baku has never seen so much investment and rehabilitation…the truth is that during Soviet era not much of an investment was really done…today city is rushing not only to offer the comfort to its residents but also to be ready to welcome the guests of the contest. Greetings guest in the best way possible comes with blood and hospitality can get to extremes in Azerbaijan. At the same time looking at this philosophically deadlines do always well in many circumstances...what is invested will stay to enjoy ever after…

Small digression if you would allow: 

One of my favorite jokes as a student and something that I think really works is “when someone asks the student how long it would take him to learn Chinese, the student replies…when is the exam?” J This concept works with many things and current deadlines are these two weeks of May when more than ever before guests are expected in Baku… 

I think like any person every country has its strengths and weaknesses….art is definitely the strength of Azerbaijan…poets, musicians, dancers,  female composers, male composers (have to put this link as well), sculptors (artists) and definitely singers are the treasures of Azerbaijan…

I am posting a link to the video of Azerbaijan’s Eurovision song. This performance is in Azerbaijani and includes traditional performance of another strength and treasure of Azerbaijan, mugam. Mugam is enjoyed by connoisseurs of art and distinctive music and recognized by   UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Enjoy!...and be well...      

Discover Azerbaijan...

Today I am posting random pictures and a video and will give some captions to each...

This is a photo of a typical window in Sheki...

This is a photo of a tractor that I took last time we were travelling back from Sheki. I don't think it was abandoned but probably parked.

This photo I called colours of Soviet Union. Popular in Soviet times "zhiguli" and another tractor look so Soviet, although I love the colours...

This is a video of "Oil rocks" island of Azerbaijan. This island was made in 1949 by people for world's first!!! offshore oil exploration. 

Now when Azerbaijan is rushing to turn from a developing to developed country I am thinking to myself how developed it must have been to have an island like  "Oil rocks" back in 1949...

Old tractors and zhigulis can seem like a burden although to me they are all part of history...while we all happily changed seats from zhigulis to newly made cars, for some reason I don't think I would ever change the way the windows of my house look in Sheki...it is interesting how there is a thin line between something that becomes burdensome and outdated and something that becomes historic and antique...

While some scenes of the video may seem "shocking" and "polluted" it is important to keep things in perspective...

I hope you enjoy the process of discovering Azerbaijan...
Be well. 

Short and sweet or its so good to be spring or spring is on my mind :)...

If you are wondering about the title of the post then I want to say that it conveys my feelings this April...spring is finally here and for some reason this year I feel it more acutely than I could remember feeling before. Birds singing, trees rushing to blossom, flowers opening up everywhere, longer days, warmer sun all this is so beautiful and wonderful. What a special season spring is...

Spring in Baku is usually short and summer comes in quite quickly. I am sure poets must have compared spring to childhood or youth...since all pass so quickly...

I think there are two types of people...the ones that start noticing beauty and creating beauty around them after they are better financially and the ones that whatever the income, they would still create beauty and neatness around them. In Sheki and not only there one can see many homes and gardens that are very sophisticated in their neatness and order with minimum investment and maximum hard work. In spring this becomes particularly obvious.

Unfortunately I don't have spring photos of Sheki (haven't travelled there recently) to share but I am sharing with you photos that I am taking now and then in Baku while wandering with kids. Excuse me for quality as these are quick photos taken so that kids don't do something naughty while there is no attention.

Happy spring everyone...

Baku boulevard...

Philharmonie garden...

People behind the scenes…II…

This is my second post devoted to people behind the scenes.

I had the post with the same title that I wrote back in 2007. Its 2012 now and I have the same “feelings” about the topic.

In March when I had a short visit to Sheki on our way back we stopped to see if there was anything we wanted to buy from those who sell what they make at home…I belong to that part of people that are should I say less paranoiac about “safety” of home made food stuff sold here and there while you travel around the regions. Probably its life time immunity earned by numerous tea drinking sessions that I have enjoyed while traveling back and forth to Sheki and not only. Therefore keen to experiment we took what seemed interesting and tempting and continued our way.

I asked the seller and probably his son if I could take their photo. They were quite surprised by the question especially when I said that I would post it in internet. Father started smiling and almost laughing. His smile was open and kind.

This post is devoted to all those who with honest work of their hands earn their piece of bread and bring something special and something else to homes of others. To that circle when one helps the other, when skills of one complete the skills of other, to the world where everyone needs someone else…

P.S. When you travel to Azerbaijan you will meet on your path many people with the same open and kind smile....

March in Azerbaijan...

Although I wasn’t able to write as often as I would wish to that does not mean that March has passed unnoticed…Quite often I felt the urge to write and today is the day )

This post is devoted to the month of March, how special it is for Azerbaijan.

Those who know Azerbaijan would know that the month starts with us celebrating the 8th of March, so called "Women's Day". Nowadays one can find many people who argue that the holiday quite lost its essence by now and that it is not "applicable" any longer and that it is not national enough. But then you should see the sea of flowers, chocolates, perfumes that cause endless smiles and happy atmosphere. You would say I am biased and conformist. In fact I am confused. I want for women to have rights to make their own choices and have the most equal rights they chose to have but I also want them to have a luxury of feeling feminine with some "special" rights such as men holding doors for them and letting pass first. With these confused thoughts I am among those who accept wishes on the date and try to understand those who are unhappy with imperfections of the holiday.

Later in the month when everyone longs for spring even stronger with every week we anticipate our one of the most cherished holidays Novruz.

During previous years I would have posts in March that I would devote to Tuesdays of wind, water, fire and earth that precede Novruz holiday. Zoroastrian by history and nature Novruz is the holiday we have inherited from our ancestors and I love the holiday for its multidimensional beauty and wisdom.

Just like any other place in the world Azerbaijan lived through different stages of history and development. On that path it accumulated traditions, culture and beliefs that got changed and adapted by winds of change and novelties. Country observes holidays of Islam, celebrates New Year decorating New Year tree (many of the readers would read it as X-mas tree) and has holidays like 8th of March and Novruz not mentioning the holidays to celebrate Independence and other. Over the centuries the country has been and is very tolerant to all beliefs, religions and cultures. More than 70 years it was a part of Soviet Union. I can almost compare this membership to put it softly to undesired friendship or even union where one is constantly making compromises and somewhat obeying while the other is becoming more and more demanding and impudent. I am glad that we are out of this union and don’t have to ask permissions and have excuses to celebrate holidays like Novruz (celebrating Novruz was prohibited for some time during Soviet Union).

Before I am too carried away with all these thoughts let me wish to all of you happy spring and that you don’t miss it and actually enjoy every new flower and sun ray of nature.

For colourful pictures of Novruz please see my earlier post here.

And let me post some more of those that I have taken recently.

Photo taken in exhibition devoted to 8th of March in Museum Center, in Baku. We went to see it with my little sunny bunny. Piece in the center is "Wish tree" by my spouse Teymur Rustamov.

This year we had a strong winter. In March mountains in Sheki were still in snow...

Traditionally everyone in Sheki prepares their gardens to welcome spring...

One of traditional Novruz sweets. Gogal. Resembling the shape of sun it has got lots of spices and flavours and is one of my favourites. These were prepared by my mom and my sister and I were helping her out.

Traditionally you would have children knocking on your door and leaving their caps and hats asking for some sweets. You are not supposed to see the kids. Once you put something sweet and tasty and close the door they would come and pick up the hats...

Caspian sea in ice…amazing or strange February 2012…

I am afraid my blog starts to sound too English since I am writing about the weather again. I have an excuse though since what we are witnessing this February doesn't really happen too often. Maybe once in 60 years and not many people can remember.

As you might know although Caspian is called sea it is actually the biggest lake in the world (you see there is always something special about this place ;)) Caspian is salty but mildly salty should I say but in general it is believed that it shouldn't get icy. This February we started to hear on the news that Caspian is in ice. Thankfully the other weekend we got ourselves together and went to witness it personally (do you know that feeling when you leave your warm house and soft sofa, gather your kids and go out to nature and after that good feeling and memory of accomplishment warm you up for quite a period of time? )) well this is how I and everyone in my family felt after that trip to seashore ))

Something else that you should know about us is that we Azerbaijanis could be kind of should I say irresponsible about safety matters. Everyone on the shore was/felt confident that ice should be strong enough and we went quite far for stronger emotions...I started joking that I walked on the Caspian further than I ever swam in it )) Everyone was quite cheerful and happy when the oldest among us my father started to say that we better go back since it could be unsafe (usually my dad is very strict but that day he was a bit softer)...Just when we were going back a stranger 15 or so meters away from us fell up to his belly through the ice...thankfully he easily got out and everything was ok (of course he must have felt quite cold and frightened). That seemed scary but everyone was too cheerful to get scared and serious enough. Photo sessions continued on the shore and I started to joke that how unlucky the man must have felt to fall through the ice on Caspian that freezes once in 60 years or maybe never!! )) but then he was lucky that everything was ok with him...

Anyway...life is interesting and strange and I guess depending on sunshine and mood we decide how to look at it. Thankfully strong wind and icy roads go hand in hand in Baku with sunny and quiet days thus I think it is an amazing and special February that we are witnessing this year....)

some photos of Caspian in ice...

Rest in peace dear Whitney...

Another talent is gone...rest in peace dear Whitney...you and your music will always stay in our hearts and history...

I wonder if she ever found her "bodyguard" in life...

Talk creativity, talk art – talk Azerbaijan...

Very often we come across stories when people in the capital have “strong” feelings regarding provinces or about people that come from provinces…As far as I can see these feelings are not unique for any country. Thus I think it would be fair to assume that similar feelings exist regarding bigger in size countries or smaller in size countries …At the same time just like very often provinces or people from provinces try harder to prove their capacity and strength, smaller countries also find themselves proving their strength and capacity harder than bigger countries. Although to some wise person somewhere high in the mountains be it in Nepal or Sheki it would be quite hard to understand the reason why any person or any country would have to prove someone else his/her/its strength and capacity, for general majority of audience this rule of the game has not changed but became even more sophisticated.

Modest purpose of this blog is not really to impress and prove the beauty, richness and uniqueness of Azerbaijan…There would be something beautiful, rich and unique about anywhere in the world…The biggest genius is the nature…and people have a mere option to make THE difference...(THE defined by capacity and inner beauty of the person to put it very primitively)...

...for anyone to take a moment and not to rush to be judgmental about the places depending on their size and their proximity I am posting now and then short stories and photos…no…not to prove…merely to reflect on some of the scenes and events of Azerbaijan.

During 17-29 January Phillips de Pury & Company hosted exhibition of 21 contemporary artists of Azerbaijan in London. Many talented artists exhibited their beautiful works. Exhibition was called “Fly to Baku”…I agree, to discover Azerbaijan fly to Baku, go to Sheki, visit Ganja, travel to Guba and don’t miss Nakhchivan (to name the few…).

I am posting a map…just in case…))

And I am posting photos of some works of Rashad Alakbarov one of the artists exhibited in mentioned exhibition…Talk creativity, talk art – talk Azerbaijan...

where we are...

works of Rashad Alakbarov...photo by Fa...

works of Rashad Alakbarov...photo by Fa...

works of Rashad Alakbarov...