How European Games were covered abroad or how Azerbaijani leadership failed to gain "golden stars" abroad [Timeline]

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Aliyev’s new initiative: to patent Azerbaijani breakfast

In Absurdistan, excuse me, I meant to say Azerbaijan; there is a new brilliant idea – to patent Azerbaijani breakfast. The initiative comes just a month and a half before the inaugural European Games – an international sporting event designed to please Mr. Aliyev and his ego. 

To please the President at home however (as if kissing up to the President isn’t enough and well observed) new ideas come to live that only make “Absurdistan” even more absurd. 

This time, it is the Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev who out of blue decided to patent Azerbaijani breakfast. 

Yes, he did. The ministry already received the patent in fact for this new brand called. 

European Games are used as the pilot period with only some of the hotels featuring this "special" breakfast. Later, it will be a requirement for all of the hotels, said Garayev in one of the interviews. 

Personally, while I love food and especially our traditional food I am not sure why do we need to patent something that could be served at the hotels anyway? 

As a guest I should have a choice whether to book my hotel without breakfast or with and even if I do book a night including breakfast (sometimes its included anyway) I should have the freedom and the choice to go eat elsewhere. And maybe I don’t like breakfast food for breakfast? What if I like granola? Or ice cream? Or coffee? Or what if, I simply cannot stand hotel breakfasts? 

In non - Absurdistan like countries, getting something patented is a complicated business. And when it comes to food or food recipes its even more complicated. As IPWatchdog explains it, “in most cases the typical recipe for a “killer margarita” or “the best barbeque sauce ever” will not be patentable because they won’t be unique enough typically failing on the non-obviousness requirement.” 

While food can be patented it still must be new, useful, not obvious, and meet the requirements for patentability says this website. At the end of the day, whatever it is, it has be “new”. 

 So this is where it gets tricky, as I am not sure what is “new” about our traditional breakfast? We still use the exact same butter, kinds of cheese, sour cream, honey and cream with freshly brewed tea and fresh bread that we have used for decades if not centuries? 

But then I guess it wasn’t that “difficult” for our patent institution to hand out patent for Azerbaijan breakfast brand since its all part of the same “system”. 

I am just curios as to why to patent it and make it compulsory at the hotels where they either already serve some variation of traditional breakfast or prefer not to because its additional costs for the hotel? Especially in a country like Azerbaijan where hotels are expensive and have more stars than they actually should?

If you were ever interested in visiting Azerbaijan, now is the time!

Azerbaijan is a beautiful country. I personally love the country side, especially the north where one can find waterfalls, gorgeous mountains, stunning views not to mention mind blowing food that will leave you craving for more.

That is aside from the issues - poverty, unemployment, crackdown on freedom of speech and rights abuse. But hey here is a unique chance to see and taste both.

Normally its rather difficult to get into the country. Yes, surely there is a visa application process, but often it takes longer that the consulate/embassy promises too and every once in a while they can choose whether you actually deserve a visa or not.

But now that the country is about to host the European Games the visa regime is really simplified. You can actually obtain your visa at any of the listed airports (Ganja, Zaqatala, Nakhchivan (!), Baku and Gebele) so long as you provide a valid ticket for the games, an application form, passport sized photographs, visa fee, a travel document valid for at least three months (there is actually an additional comment on the website of Baku European Games warning that if your passport is even a day short you wont get a visa so make sure its all legit).

So if you are still interested, and would like to see both the overground and the underground of Azerbaijan and the "Dubainised Baku" here is your chance. Or until we get to host some other ridiculous international event.

To check visa fees click here and here is a price list for the games.

Good luck and enjoy!