After school I chose to walk to Azal Airlines on a street 28th May to buy a ticket from Dubai to Baku for August.  The women at the counters all looked busy so I waited close by waiting to be called over.  After a few minutes of seeing other people walk up and ask questions and get redirected I finally asked my question and was pointed to the next woman, presumably because of English.  When I asked if I could buy a ticket from Dubai to Baku she explained that she only does Baku to Dubai, and that I should go to the woman two counters along who does Dubai to Baku.  I guess they have their logic.

Last night was a party at Marta’s who is starting in Tanzania at an international school in August.  I asked if I could bring my guitar as I had been practising Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over.  Having played one they didn’t want me to stop so we sang for a few more hours.

It’s amazing how you can squeeze 20 people into a small apartment.  We had a large burnt moon rise on the Caspian behind a building topped with a dome.  Greg (Maths teacher) knows the artist who uses the dome as his studio and has spent many hours drinking the nights away there.

Tanya has arrived in Copenhagen and I fly out Monday to meet up with her.

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 the issue was, they then indicated that that was okay but not to take photos in the other direction, which was just trees and apartments. Further down there were government buildings which were obviously of concern to them. I agreed with that and walked off in the direction of the government offices where there is a newly refurbished garden (opened two or three weeks ago) in the style of 18th Century lawns, footpaths, waterfalls and fountains. There were people everywhere with mobile phone cameras taking happy family shots. Seems there are too many police with too little to do. I didn’t take any photos of the building however. Here are some of the garden shots. It’s a pity that more isn’t done to help the people begging on the streets.

My apartment is around 300m from these new gardens. Some weeks back before they were opened, there were workers everywhere completing concrete edging, planting, cleaning. Something was afoot. There are dozens of other gardens and statues around town that are being refurbished. In the space of my twelve months here the place has changed enormously. Those who have been here five or more years say the change is astounding.