The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a nomad as "a member of a people who have no fixed residence but move from place to place usually season and within a well-defined territory." Personally i find the term overused these days, heck even commercialized. But it's much easier than calling myself a trans-continental commuter. So like the consummate nomad, the time has come to leave Baku in search for greener pastures.I am 11 months and 3 weeks into a one year contract which I won't be 
renewing. So everyday is now full of "this is the last time" moments. I'm used to it. I've been doing this sort of thing longer than i can remember. As usual, I don't expect to be able to fully digest my time here until I'm removed from the situation. 
But, at the moment, i look back at my time here as neutral. Neither overly positive, but far from negative. There were neither highs nor lows, ebbs nor flows. I guess when standing high on a mountain top, a valley seems so low. But standing in a field, doesn't excite or disappoint. That's how i feel about Baku.
renewing. So everyday is now full of "this is the last time" moments. I'm used to it. I've been doing this sort of thing longer than i can remember. As usual, I don't expect to be able to fully digest my time here until I'm removed from the situation. 
But, at the moment, i look back at my time here as neutral. Neither overly positive, but far from negative. There were neither highs nor lows, ebbs nor flows. I guess when standing high on a mountain top, a valley seems so low. But standing in a field, doesn't excite or disappoint. That's how i feel about Baku.I have made no secret of the fact that my intentions for coming 
here were purely financial. Seeing as I have stashed away a decent little nest-egg (for a nomad anyway) I guess i can say mission accomplished. But, in the end, Baku exceeded my expectations. To be fair i didn't really have any. A large percentage of ex-pats here constantly complain about how bad it is. But having come from "worse" places myself, Baku was a step up!
here were purely financial. Seeing as I have stashed away a decent little nest-egg (for a nomad anyway) I guess i can say mission accomplished. But, in the end, Baku exceeded my expectations. To be fair i didn't really have any. A large percentage of ex-pats here constantly complain about how bad it is. But having come from "worse" places myself, Baku was a step up!There are several things to see and do in the city. Although mostly for 
tourists, if you spread them out it could entertain you for a while. The Old City is cool, with Maiden's Tower and the overrated Shirvanshahs Palace. Up the hill is the sobering, but scenic Martyr's lane. Not to mention seemingly countless theatres with a wide range of shows. And of course there are more bars and pubs than you can shake a stick at. Parks and the Boulevard make for nice walking. And there's even a little ferry out into the Caspian.
tourists, if you spread them out it could entertain you for a while. The Old City is cool, with Maiden's Tower and the overrated Shirvanshahs Palace. Up the hill is the sobering, but scenic Martyr's lane. Not to mention seemingly countless theatres with a wide range of shows. And of course there are more bars and pubs than you can shake a stick at. Parks and the Boulevard make for nice walking. And there's even a little ferry out into the Caspian.All generalizations are bad (in and of itself a generalization). 
But when summarizing a situation, generalizations seem unavoidable. So here goes. Sure there are lots of problems in Baku. Beyond the corruption which is stifling the growth of the country (Azerbaijan in ranked in the top 10)... beyond growing totalitarianism... beyond the lack of health and sanitation... beyond the chocking traffic problem... 
Baku's not a bad place. Although i might be a little jaded as I live and work in the centre. Life, at least in the centre, is easy. It is one of the safest cities i have every lived in. Well-dressed locals lick away at their ice-creams while strolling aimlessly. Although frustrating when you're trying to get somewhere quickly, things take time to happen here.
But when summarizing a situation, generalizations seem unavoidable. So here goes. Sure there are lots of problems in Baku. Beyond the corruption which is stifling the growth of the country (Azerbaijan in ranked in the top 10)... beyond growing totalitarianism... beyond the lack of health and sanitation... beyond the chocking traffic problem... 
Baku's not a bad place. Although i might be a little jaded as I live and work in the centre. Life, at least in the centre, is easy. It is one of the safest cities i have every lived in. Well-dressed locals lick away at their ice-creams while strolling aimlessly. Although frustrating when you're trying to get somewhere quickly, things take time to happen here. "Frustrating" is a word that you'll hear a lot here. The water and 
power frequently shut off, sometimes with notice and sometimes without. Problem is even if there is notice, it's on the news, in Azeri not much use to foreigners. It can take ages to get a beer at a cafe (although i found the BEST waitress in Baku, in the Araz Cafe). But I wonder if it's the locals fault for being slow or foreigners fault for 
always being in a hurry. The area has long been famous for it's hospitality, i found that Baku-ites are losing sight of this. But like many places with new found money (and desire for even more) this is bound to happen. There is a elitism of true Baku-ite vs. people from the regions. And many locals blame the urbanization for the majority of problems. But it's starting to border on racism.
power frequently shut off, sometimes with notice and sometimes without. Problem is even if there is notice, it's on the news, in Azeri not much use to foreigners. It can take ages to get a beer at a cafe (although i found the BEST waitress in Baku, in the Araz Cafe). But I wonder if it's the locals fault for being slow or foreigners fault for 
always being in a hurry. The area has long been famous for it's hospitality, i found that Baku-ites are losing sight of this. But like many places with new found money (and desire for even more) this is bound to happen. There is a elitism of true Baku-ite vs. people from the regions. And many locals blame the urbanization for the majority of problems. But it's starting to border on racism. I found it difficult to make friends here. Local girls, although they 
dress rather provocatively, are really very conservative by Western standards. Many of them are not allowed to "hang-out" with boys. And curfews, imposed by protective fathers, are the norm. It was a challenge to relate to the men here. While there is a growing number of well-travelled people, many people have never let Azerbaijan, or even gone to the regions. Boys talk about cars and girls and soccer which is OK for a while, but it rarely goes beyond that. The people are nice and genuine, but i personally found it hard to connect. 
Especially if future plans came up. The first 6 questions I'd get in any taxi were "Where are you from?" How old are you?" "Are you married?" Why not?" Do you have children?" "What's the problem?" Clearly there has to be some physical ailment preventing me from having children. It couldn't possibly be a personal choice. It's even worse if you're a women, because if your 30+ and NOT married, your only viable option is to shrivel up and die. This view is shared by nearly ALL locals i had contact with (although this is certainly not exclusive to Azerbaijan)
dress rather provocatively, are really very conservative by Western standards. Many of them are not allowed to "hang-out" with boys. And curfews, imposed by protective fathers, are the norm. It was a challenge to relate to the men here. While there is a growing number of well-travelled people, many people have never let Azerbaijan, or even gone to the regions. Boys talk about cars and girls and soccer which is OK for a while, but it rarely goes beyond that. The people are nice and genuine, but i personally found it hard to connect. 
Especially if future plans came up. The first 6 questions I'd get in any taxi were "Where are you from?" How old are you?" "Are you married?" Why not?" Do you have children?" "What's the problem?" Clearly there has to be some physical ailment preventing me from having children. It couldn't possibly be a personal choice. It's even worse if you're a women, because if your 30+ and NOT married, your only viable option is to shrivel up and die. This view is shared by nearly ALL locals i had contact with (although this is certainly not exclusive to Azerbaijan)It's just time to go. I have every confidence that I'll look back at my 
time in Baku with a degree of fondness. That being said, I am equally as confident that I won't be returning. Never say never, I guess. I wouldn't mind seeing the place once all the construction is done. So i guess I'll just say, Bye bye Baku (for now).
time in Baku with a degree of fondness. That being said, I am equally as confident that I won't be returning. Never say never, I guess. I wouldn't mind seeing the place once all the construction is done. So i guess I'll just say, Bye bye Baku (for now).