Happy Fourth of July - We have a wonderful country!

Happy Fourth of July to everyone!
Working at the Central Library I get to meet many outstanding Azerbaijani people. One of the young men who has made an everlasting impression upon me is Rovshan. Rovshan is a graduate of the private Turkish school in Shirvan (further explanation below). After the Turkish preparatory school he graduated from Qafqaz University in Baku majoring in International Relations. Upon graduation he fulfilled his compulsory military service of 1 year (2 years without any education beyond secondary school, 18 months for technical education, and 1 year if a university graduate). Rovshan hopes to some day be a diplomat. He is a very sensitive individual who has a respect for all cultures, and a political awareness. He invited Linda and I to his home and the picture is of Rovshan’s mother (a geological engineer working for the government), Linda, myself, Rovshan, Rovshan’s cousin and sister. His father was working that evening in Baku and his father is also a geological engineer working for the government. Rovshan’s parents met at the university while preparing for their careers.
After Rovshan finished his military service he has applied for several jobs and is considering offers from Baku and Amsterdam. I am hoping that the Peace Corps will respond to his application for a position on the staff. It would be a great experience for him and help him in his goal of diplomatic service.
I met Rovshan when he came to the Central Library because he had heard about the Peace Corps Volunteer there. He felt that his English skills had slipped during his year in the military, and he wanted to improve. During one session of the Conversation Club he brought his sketches that he did while in the military. A particularly intriguing drawing is of two bullets standing side by side, one wrapped with barbed wire, the other with the shell open on the casing and a flower is growing out of the casing. He served the military, but knows that cooperation and understanding bring peace.

The Turkish School is for boys only. The teachers are from Turkey and are better paid, and the school has the best facilities around. For students who do not live in Shirvan, there are dormitories. There are computers and high speed internet access. The faculty speaks English fluently, and the last five years all the classes are taught in English. The tuition is about 2,000 AZN per year. Many parents sacrifice a great deal to send their sons there.
Another young man, Ulvie, comes to the Central Library. He is a current student at the Turkish School. Recently he went on a 10 day excursion to the southeastern portion of Azerbaijan with his school. The students were required to read 3 hours a day, take examinations and write about their reading. Athletic competition was also part of the program. Quite a contrast to the public education.

The other pictures are of the new fountains in front of the Heydar Aliyev monument. Heydar Aliyev is the George Washington of Azerbaijan. During Soviet years he rose to the number 2 spot in the Politburo. He retired and after the break up of the Soviet Union there was chaos in Azerbaijan, and the loss of the Norgono Karabagh region to the Armenians. The country turned to Heydar Aliyev and he restored order.
Every city and town has a Heydar Aliyev museum. The museum in Shirvan is being moved to a new building, and the present President, Ilham Aliyev, Heydar’s son, will come to Shirvan to dedicate the new museum. So, there are also new fountains, and everything is getting spruced up.

For the Fourth of July Linda and I will be traveling with Bill and Dorothy Colcord to Quba. We will share about Quba in a future blog.