Today on the other hand I realised our satellite is also capable of playing Turkish radio channels. I catched a good one. Bob Dylan is playing. Knock knock knocking on heaven's door...
Yesterday, I remembered what I wanted to tell before. There was a hotel (for real it was a low quality guest house) called Jasmine (Yasemin) in Sukhum, built by a repatriant about 7-8 years back. The owner used to say it was always a tough job to do-being the first and for a while only hotel in town. That's why it took about 70$ per night, per person. Many repatriant families spend hundreds of dolars on their first arrival because here there was Turkish speaking personnel and Turkish breakfast. And that was the only place they were directed when they come with the touristic groups from Turkey. I even hosted 22 academicians for a conference a few years back- since it was the only place in town with enough single beds. Luckyly this year another one opened called Inter-Sukhum which was even a little more cheap than this one and of better quality- or maybe it is better to say "new and clean".
Still the Yasemin hotel was full in the season- esp. Victory day by old timer visitors from the diaspora. However, the words had already been going around that the hotel was rented to the Russian Consulate which has already started working about a month ago in another office. They are making some repairs and I guess by the end of this year the consulate will be fully working in its new place. Since this building is just next to where I rent a flat I dont really have a picture of it as it is not so beautiful building.
I also learned that the consulate provides transit Russian visas now. Which decreased the costs for repatriants who have valid passports but no Russian visas from 6000 rubles (2 months ago!) to about a 1000 rubles. I don't know if anyone can take that visa or only repatriants. But I guess things are getting in their place now.
By the way we finished the fieldwork of the first research project. Still a lot more things to do.
And the presidential elections are coming- 3rd of December. And my friend has a wedding on the 5th of December. And I have to do the second fieldwork but I can not start before the elections- people are afraid though my topic is not political. I can not do it after the second week of december- it will be drunk people all around because of Christmas and New Year. Oh so many things to consider. I think I should go back to writing my report...
I will try to write more since now I am in the city and infront of the computer till I finish the report...
And more photos are available from the field....
 |
| From Researchers in the Field |
