Saturday, February 6

Azerbaijan, a country with highest GDP growth freezes as snow storm takes over the country

Yesterday I woke up to see Baku covered in white. I left my apartment for work thinking that by the time I get to the place roads will be cleaned (given multiple notices from days before about the coming bad weather conditions). In fact, I actually thought that snow cleaning cars will be working throughout the night but nothing happened.

I made it to the office, thinking that still something will be done throughout the day but there was nothing.

Then I came home, as my flight I was supposed to take to Istanbul got cancelled. Surprise surprise, we had not electricity, nor did we have any running water at home. The whole city was on electricity cuts all day long.

And then, I thought of all the parks with their fountains working 24/7, all the buildings that are brightly lid up at night. I thought of the government officials talking about Azerbaijan being a country of non- analogous developments.

So here I ask: where is this water? Where is this electricity? Where are all those non- analogous developments? Invested in useless Olympic centers in regions? Or perhaps in roads that are collapsing months after reconstruction? I could go on like this...

I also thought of all the ministers with their uber expensive villas where they were sitting all cozied up and warm while I was writing these words in a house where temperature was close to 0 degrees.

Is this how we supposed to live? Is this how the government thanks its people who vote for this government during each election?

Why do we only invest in roads and forget about the rest of the infrastructure? Why do I have to deal with a man who comes to my door and tells my mother that she must pay 80EUR for water counter to be installed, when this service must be free? Who gives this man a right to fool my mother and tell her that if she doesn't pay, he will cut the water to the whole building?!

I give up on trying to find an answer to all these questions. Maybe because I have already found it- maybe its simply pointless, I feel useless! I am disappointed, yet again!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed reading your blog. These are everyday difficulties we face every day. Especially in developing countries or those rebuilding from the after effects of war. Corruption prevails and at times it seems the negative aspects of human nature rules and those who try to alleviate these difficulties are faced with much opposition by those who wish to suppress the human sense of freedom.

Trini Muslima said...

Enjoyed reading your blog. These are everyday difficulties we face every day. Especially in developing countries or those rebuilding from the after effects of war. Corruption prevails and at times it seems the negative aspects of human nature rules and those who try to alleviate these difficulties are faced with much opposition by those who wish to suppress the human sense of freedom.

Chris Sensei said...

Love your blog. Thank you for bravely saying the things so many know but so few can or dare.

When you say that instillation of the water meters "must be free" do you mean that this is a legal stipulation or do you simply beleive that this should be the case?

Arzu Geybulla said...

Hi Chris,

Actually it is supposed to be free since its what the officials been saying on TV :)

Thanks for the comment

Anonymous said...

why do "we" invest in roads? hm, what roads?!! Money laundrying that's why....usaq deyilsen ki. ;)Nedi indi o boyda camaat acindan olsun, milyonlar qazanmalidirlar ya yox. :)Bunun Yeni il ucun Miami pulu, Novruz Bayrami ucun Thailand, sonra neler neler, pul qazanmaq lazimdi. :)

Regards,

M.A.