Anyone been? I'm trying to go on a language exchange there next summer. Looks like an interesting place. I get the impression we'll be on kind of a strict schedule, which I'm not thrilled about, but I imagine I'll have at least a little bit of leeway to explore.
Never been there but have friends who are Azerbaijani and it looks like an interesting place. I've heard Baku is a cosmopolitian city and Azerbaijan is a beautiful country with mountains and the Caspian coast. Things to be careful though are that there has been a longstanding conflict over the Armenian enclave Nagorno Karabakh and the war in Ukraine has led to a lot of people fleeing both Ukraine and Russia going to Azerbaijan.
Yeah that's part of the reason I'd like to go (aside from the economic prospects). Would definitely help my research but also career goals if I want to do work in oil or defense contracting...azerbaijan has a **** ton of oil and buys a lot of weapons. I don't know if anyone else active on here is a student, but this is the program I'm applying to: https://www.americancouncils.org/programs/critical-language-scholarship-program I doubt i'll get it but I figure the answer's going to be no if I don't apply. Might as well send one in.
I vacationed in Armenia and Georgia for three weeks a few years ago. Considered spending some time in Azerbaijan, but its poor reputation as a travel destination made me stick to those two and I'm glad I did, as they're absolutely fantastic. So in short, work in Baku, take trips to Armenia and Georgia.
Not to make this a D&D thread, but: Consider that all the ...stan countries and also Azerbaijan are likely not very open-minded when it comes to questions of gender identity, etc.
I'm aware. I'll probably have to bind my chest and cut my hair before I go. As long as I can get my meds past customs I should be fine.
Ugh I'd love to but a condition of the program is that I can't leave the country unless it's to fly home. They're very strict (but it's also 100% funded by the State department so I can't complain)
You know what? This could actually work if we turn action flick convention on its head. Seagal plays himself, a former action star who I know more from his show on SPIKE and his antics on Mongolia than from movies. The love interest he rescues is a lesbian with a dick. The movie ends with the main villain literally drowning in oil...somehow. Also we directly copy the scene from saving private ryan where the translator- the Azerbaijani Professor teaching the love interest the language- is too much of a coward to fire his gun. Also the scene in Black hawk dawn where the Somali kid shoots his Dad. Also throw in some needless praise for the Belt and Road initiative to get that Chinese market. Every scene that doesn't have Poochie, I mean Seagal, the characters will sit around and ask "where's Steven Seagal?" Everyone will love it, except for the people who don't. But those people will complain which is free publicity.
