(Insert witty blog title here) Charlie's

It has the look of a place under massive construction, and although you can hear faint azerbaijani/turkish music in the air, it's often drowned out by the cacophany of bangs, whistles and shrieks of building work. Since the influx of money from the oil business, it looks like it's trying to become the next Dubai - with many new hotels being built.

Baku itself is another name for the 'windy city' - and it certainly is that! There's a constant keening of wind, but it can be a mercy given the sometimes oppressive heat. The air tastes cleaner than i expected, although the dust can play havoc with eyes unused to it.

When i first arrived, i walked along the 'promenade' - a type of pier in the national seaside park near my hotel. It struck me as a stone walk cutting into the Caspian, with iron piping, curling and jutting from the sides in grotesqeue, rusty shapes, which people sat in between whilst fishing. Even though they know, due to the Caspian sea's oily state and the industry which sometimes turns the water a murky brown, will only give them small prizes at best, it's a much-loved passion of many Azeri. The water sparkled, not only due to the glaring sun in a piercingly clear sky, but also with vestiges of oil that escaped the rigs.

It's a strangely beautiful place, with both ancient architecture and modern buildings rampant, although it doesn't seem to know 'what it is' in this state of construction and conversion, with rapid changes leaving many Azeri out of work no matter the education, especially if you don't wish to work in the oil and gas business.

If you decide to venture to the 'old city', or beyond into the less developed areas of Baku (pronounced B'Ku) there is a lingering sense of the Soviet, whether in tall, battered appartments, or sometimes even a chance phrase an Azeri might say to you. The poverty is also still there, and there is a huge contrast between the 'new' and 'old' city - the former conforming to western ideas, whereas the latter is dusty, cramped, and has rows of brickwork and graffiti (although i found this area more interesting to walk around in than the new city). It hasn't fully recovered, but appears to be trying to attract western tourism in order to promote economic growth, especially within their Capital. The Azeri people are also quite sensitive (as we found to our detriment) and relations with Armenia are frought with tension.

I also found, as a sidenote, there are many differences in Western and Azeri culture. The people are friendly and i've often caught students staring (because 'i have green eyes' apparently) and i've been asked a fair few times in my first days here whether i am married. Although the shift has gone from being married at 18/19 to 25-30, it's an expected aspect of Azeri culture, with divorce (esp. for women) and boyfriends frowned upon. There are also, especially in the classroom, banned subjects of course - such as politics, god, and relationships.. and you don't quite know whether to tell the truth when a student asks if you've eaten pork.

I thought Italian drivers were maniacs until i came here - where traffic signs are ignored, we saw a bus crash within a few hours at a junction, and there is a constant blaring of horns and Azeri insults anywhere near the centre. So advice if you come here - tag an Azeri to cross the road, or run and hope.