Tuesday, August 10

Father and son

It is no big news to anyone who has been to Azerbaijan, to see images of father and son across the country (no reason to mention who is the father and son here). Every once in a while the images of the two will be accompanied by the third male member of the family- the grandson. 

A meaningful look here, a hand gesture there, a family hug here, quote about Azerbaijan's richness there are only few of the examples of the essence in these posters. 

And today when I was browsing a website of one of the Ministry's I saw familiar image- father and son standing next to each other, one pointing up ahead (of course, always the direction Azerbaijan is heading)- and thats the official head logo of the website. 

The quote reads: "The state that has strong economy is capable of everything" (Heydar Aliyev). And here is the English version (with no picture and quote this time):



Can't expect more especially after reading about Ramiz Mehdiyev's article that was issued in a Russian magazine. According to Mehdiyev, who heads Presidential Apparatus "Azerbaijan is on the path from stabilization to modernization". 

Indeed, there is modernization but it looks like modernization for the authorities has a different connotation. Especially when one only needs to take a look at how different the capital has become in comparison to the rest of the country. Or take for instance schools with run down amenities and teachers forcing their students sell things at home as their homework. 

Perhaps this is also a way to modernize but from a different angle. After all everything in Azerbaijan, including Azerbaijan itself is non analogues so perhaps this form of modernization is also unprecedented (analogu olmayan as they like to say in Azeri) and unfamiliar to the rest of us just as everything else going on in this country...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

'non analogues' is not a word or phrase. I think you mean 'without analogue'

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, I dont know whether you are a foreigner or Azeri...maybe, maybe there is no "non analogues" in english. However, in azerbaijan there is "non analogues", because azerbaijan itself is "non analogues", That's the bottom line. :)))


Regards,

M.A.

Arzu Geybulla said...

Thank you M.A. for clarification :))
I figured not everyone wold understand that word so changed it to unprecedented but yes, Anonymous, we do have such word in Azeri- in fact, as M.A. pointed out the country as a whole is "non analogues" :)