Leigh in Azerbaijan

Just experimented with a new gadget that Google Docs provides.  Spreadsheets complete with picture graphs.

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This is one of our regular grade meetings.  There are two classes each with around 16 students.  Michael, the other teacher is top right. There are now 4 days left of teaching!  Even though the students are great kids the summer (winter in Adelaide) break will be appreciated.

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While on my fitness walk up the funicular steps yesterday I took a few photos of the steps and the Caspian Sea.

Two policemen behind me became agitated. After getting my attention by calling “Monsieur”, in sign language they told me not to take photos. When I pointed at the Caspian, implicitly asking what [...]

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David and Karen from school had their wedding last night in the Karavansari.  A caravan saray (Turkish spelling) is a camel caravan rest point. The drivers sleep indoors around a courtyard where the camels are rested over night.  In Seki a caravan saray has been romantically converted to a hotel but in the Old City [...]

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Sharing an evening together with friends we were able to watch a great fireworks display last night on the foreshore. I guess it was a combination of Victory Day celebrations as well as commemorating the life of the previous President. It was the “85th jubilee of the national leader of Azerbaijani people” according [...]

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Elchin Behbudov: “In case of any threat to Eynulla Fatullayev’s health, he will be fed by force”

01 April 2008 [12:40] - Today.Az

Elchin Behbudov, chairman of Azerbaijani committee against torture, met with imprisoned editor-in-chief of the Gundelik Azerbaijan newspaper, who is on hunger strike.

The due announcement was made by a source from [...]

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Teaching is over for me this term, but not without the price of being anxious all day about getting all the tasks done: relief teacher notes, ESL in the Mainstream organisation, meet and greet organisation (BP provide this wonderful service for ex-pats - collecting from and delivering to the airport), printing necessary notes for the [...]

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I got home at 12 last night after the restaurant gig. It was very noisy, mostly TISA people but there were about 6 other parties of diners during the night. Wayne and I separately sat on a chair close to our long line of tables and sang with various degrees of success.  [...]

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We have a Chinese teacher on campus and she invited all the staff for a celebration of Chinese New Year at her apartment last night, catered for by a local Chinese restaurant. Seventy people attended and the living space was large enough to accommodate everyone. The noise however was challenging especially when some [...]

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I’ve finally uploaded some shots from apartment #1 and some photos from apartment #2.

It’s hard to see but the Caspian Sea is in the distance. The street is Sheikh Shamil (he’s a significant historical character who led the fight against the Russians in Dagestan and Chechnya from the 1830s to 1859.)

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