Heading to the UK

Last post from Baku for a bit as I leave in the morning to head to London. I've needed sleeping pills these last few nights since I'm soooo excited. Tammy and the kids arrive on Friday morning from Philly...looking forward a rented duplex across from Hyde Park.

A couple of interesting things will happen in this region over the next few weeks...

1) all eyes are on the presidential election in Iran...the Green Party (not for enviromental reasons )hopes to topple the current crazy Ahmadinejad. The demonstrations in the streets of Tehran against the crazy guy have been the largest since the Islamic revolution. The election in Friday and if the Green Party candidate wins...clearly, the Obama administration will rejoice as this will move the country to wanting a less adversial relationship with the west and Israel.

2) The Israeli President is supposed to visit Baku later this month...Israel is the second largest trading partner with Azerbaijan..Germany first, and the US just passed Italy for third.

3) I have two Mexican students enrolling and every here is freaking out believing that they will bring the swine flu to the country.

4) If Tammy approves (when she visits me July 1-8-we're flying back together) I am going to move to a new apartment. People move here every month...it's crazy. But in the course of looking for apartments for our international students...I looked at terrific place..another 2BD but with 2Baths, a wonderful view of the Caspian, a washing machine (standard) and a dishwasher (it's fashionable to have one), and the landlord pays for the maintenance, gas and water (of course, you still can't drink it)...all this will be less expensive than my current place...the only downside...it will mean a 20 minute walk vs. the 2 minute walk I have now...oh, well the trade-off will be worth it.

5) I'll post photos from London...

Hope everyone is fine...Maggie are you and the family back from London..sorry we couldn't hook up...maybe next year in Paris or Istanbul.

Peace out,