World Facts....gosh I'll miss hearing these things nightly

China is responsible for 90% of the mining of the world's rare minerals...that go into cell phones, laptops, turbine wind mills....they have promised not to limit production and export...but the Chinese government announced today that they will regulate the tonnage.

India has become the world's leading surrogate baby production site. Americans, there we go again, are paying on average $5,000 to female villagers to carry their children...

I am sick, suffering yet again from another bout of bronchitis. Luckily my US Dr. gave me some antibiotics for various ailments...skin infections, intestinal distress, and now this...I just feel like this environment especially the air is generally not good for one's health....I guess you need look no further than the average life span at 58 to understand this. Also, I see why my colleagues and others who can afford it....either shortly before or immediately after giving birth will head to a EU country...like Germany or England to spend the first few months of their newborn's life....makes you go ummmm, huh?

Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy

Here's a photo of the outside of ADA's current home. The first floor windows (lots of them) on the right is a cafe/bookstore/gallery/classroom space. My office is on the second floor of the building. The towering red apartment building on the left is where my apartment is....so I'm only 2 minutes away....

Can it be? Janice no longer in Baku....soon...

Well, friends...now you'll have to contend with the mixed emotions that I'm bound to experience as my exit plans are now underway. I submitted my resignation effective December 3rd, with my US bound flight two days later. It's time and opportunity awaits for me state-side.

In the meantime, guess what the government did yesterday, effectively closed the borders to foreign citizens....I got a message from the US Embassy...it's rather strange and abrupt behavior even for the state controlled system here. One of my expats colleagues noted that countries do this when war is in the air....this closure even caught my Azeri colleagues (who have one foot in ADA and the other in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)...by surprise...I'm not scared but slightly concerned...ummmm....I'll keep you posted...

Family photos....

Here's a photo of me with both brothers Stan and Bobby and our parents. The other picture is me along with Sierra, Dakota, Tammy and my brother Bobby. My mother turned 80 and my dad is 82.....

Back in Baku again...Mom's 80th and Women at ADA

Mom's birthday celebration in Florida was wonderful and I'll post more along with photos in the next day...but back at work today and Gulnur (in the red dress) sent this photo from her bridal shower....

Mom turns 80!

Well friends, I'm heading back to the US for a week to join in the celebration of my mother's 80th birthday! It will be the first time in quite a while that me, both brothers and parents have been together and given the rapid pace of her Alzheimer status....who knows how much longer she'll be able to recall our names......so I'm looking forward to the next few days.....and as always I'll let you know when I'm back in Baku!

New additions to the apartment building

Okay..I understand why people get screens installed ...only to have them blow out...no, that seems like it was only experiences! You should know by now that everytime I return to Baku the "uncertain of what to expect" is always quite high...even arriving at night the drive in from the airport shows you something that wasn't there when I left...

Well, I needed to look no further than the balconies in my apartment building...ironwrought....ummmm can't figure out other than "look I have money to spend"...what's the purpose but for a society that enjoy a level of consumerist voyerism that I thought was only a disease that creates spoiled rotten Americans...WRONG....the iron works on the 10th floor...guess one more thing to get crushed by in an earthquake...oh, yeah, the white box to the left is the gas hot water heaters and the yellow box is the gas dispenser...all of which are on the outside of the apartments for safety....ummm another issue, ah?