That's the country for me.....How strange, that when the kid and I got to the Air Canada check-in counter to drop off our bags there were 3 strapping guys in light blue and white hockey jerseys ahead of us in line....and when they turned around, emblazoned across each of their chests was "Finland." Doesn't matter if they were in Halifax for the international hockey championship. It made me kind of nostalgic for New York City, the end of Clay's run in Spamalot, and well, I just wanted to break out in some sort of fish schlapping song. The kid said she'd harmonize as long as I didn't actually schlap her with a fish (as if I would ever schlap her in the first place). What an auspicious start for the trip back here to Baku. That was on the night of the 12th, about 9:30. At 2:00 AM on the 14th we landed in Baku along with a plane load of people from Scotland returning for their rotations. Not a Fin in sight.
John and Ali were waiting for us to get through the immigration lines....Ali with the usual bottles of water in to give us as we came through the sliding glass doors. He is the coolest of dudes, seriously! I'm glad I went hunting for those Cadbury Mini-Eggs he likes so much when I got home. They weren't easy to find, a week past Easter, but eventually some turned up at Joe's Corner Store on Main Avenue.
I've been back for 2 weeks, and I'm rethinking what I was previously thinking about 6 weeks being too much time to be away. Maybe 6 weeks isn't so long after all. But....I have to add a proviso....a good dose of Baku Belly can make anyone want to run for the hills (as well as the bathroom). I swear from now on I am only eating local food. Something gets lost in translation when local meets western. Going back over what I ate in the last few days, there was only one difference in what I had and the rest of the family didn't....I knew I should have gotten the double cheeseburger like everyone else.....but no.....I had to have that other murderous thing. Luckily there were 3 Cipro left in the bottle and when that last one is gone at 3PM this afternoon, someone is going to have to make a trip down to the SOS clinic to reload. Must always have Cipro in the cupboard.
Speaking of local food, the whole gang from the office had dinner, last Sunday, at an Azeri restaurant where we had a choice of dining in an outside hut, an inside hut, or in the grand hall. We started in an outside hut but figured it would later get too cold and moved inside to the Grand Hall. Inside, there would be live entertainment and dancing beginning at 8:00. The food was delicious and the service incredible.....and hilarious....at the same time. The food was presented in serving dishes on the table, just like a big family dinner back home, but picking up the dishes to serve yourself is a no-no. Just so much as reach for a dish and a waiter magically appears gently removes it from your hand and spoons what you want onto your plate. The same goes for the drinks. There was an assortment of juices and water laid out at one end of the table and the waiters were continually topping us up.....even with the Miller Genuine Draft. I have no idea what most of what was in these little serving dishes but it tasted fresh and pretty darn good.
It was a very fancy place that also caters to weddings. The kid is still trying to figure out the logistics of a wedding dress and this.....
Yes, that's a squat toilet. I somehow think pants and the squat toilet might be tougher, especially without practice. The kid figured it out when she just couldn't hold it anymore thanks to the non-stop flow of the MGD. I totally stopped the beer when this situation was first reported. But I have been wondering, ever since, if bathroom duty falls to the maid of honor or the mother of the bride.
John and Ali were waiting for us to get through the immigration lines....Ali with the usual bottles of water in to give us as we came through the sliding glass doors. He is the coolest of dudes, seriously! I'm glad I went hunting for those Cadbury Mini-Eggs he likes so much when I got home. They weren't easy to find, a week past Easter, but eventually some turned up at Joe's Corner Store on Main Avenue.
I've been back for 2 weeks, and I'm rethinking what I was previously thinking about 6 weeks being too much time to be away. Maybe 6 weeks isn't so long after all. But....I have to add a proviso....a good dose of Baku Belly can make anyone want to run for the hills (as well as the bathroom). I swear from now on I am only eating local food. Something gets lost in translation when local meets western. Going back over what I ate in the last few days, there was only one difference in what I had and the rest of the family didn't....I knew I should have gotten the double cheeseburger like everyone else.....but no.....I had to have that other murderous thing. Luckily there were 3 Cipro left in the bottle and when that last one is gone at 3PM this afternoon, someone is going to have to make a trip down to the SOS clinic to reload. Must always have Cipro in the cupboard.
Speaking of local food, the whole gang from the office had dinner, last Sunday, at an Azeri restaurant where we had a choice of dining in an outside hut, an inside hut, or in the grand hall. We started in an outside hut but figured it would later get too cold and moved inside to the Grand Hall. Inside, there would be live entertainment and dancing beginning at 8:00. The food was delicious and the service incredible.....and hilarious....at the same time. The food was presented in serving dishes on the table, just like a big family dinner back home, but picking up the dishes to serve yourself is a no-no. Just so much as reach for a dish and a waiter magically appears gently removes it from your hand and spoons what you want onto your plate. The same goes for the drinks. There was an assortment of juices and water laid out at one end of the table and the waiters were continually topping us up.....even with the Miller Genuine Draft. I have no idea what most of what was in these little serving dishes but it tasted fresh and pretty darn good.
It was a very fancy place that also caters to weddings. The kid is still trying to figure out the logistics of a wedding dress and this.....
Yes, that's a squat toilet. I somehow think pants and the squat toilet might be tougher, especially without practice. The kid figured it out when she just couldn't hold it anymore thanks to the non-stop flow of the MGD. I totally stopped the beer when this situation was first reported. But I have been wondering, ever since, if bathroom duty falls to the maid of honor or the mother of the bride.
2 comments:
Karen I love your stories. We miss you on the pages and hope to see you on tour in the fall.... or something.
Loved chatting with you in NYC after Spamalot's closing night. And oh what a night it was.
IU Gal
BWAH - even worse is the squat toilet and pantyhose!
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