Anna's Cafe - Restaurant- Patisserie

I had a student called Anna in one of my trainings. She had written a dissertation on Indian rural-urban migration and stayed for a while in India. She was married to an Abkhaz guy and that had brought her to Abkhazia from Moscow. I dont know the details of her story but she is a hard working, honest and creative girl.
She told me her wishes to open a patisserie. However, what she opened in the end is a great cafe-restaurant where you can find some homemade delicious muffins and cakes as long as she is around.
The restaurant is styled in a comfy way, couches and puffs inside, colorful walls and services, Nice big plates for delicious food and big glasses for drinks.
I started with a cup of cappuccino served with cinnamon on top (60 rubles). Delicious.
Than went on with my favorite junk food: Hamburger!!! It was served with fried potatoes. It turned out to be a cheeseburger but the meat ball was really thick and had tasted fine. There were sliced pickled cucumbers and mayonnaise and some tomato dressing. The fries were not too fatty and many were perfectly cooked though some tasted uncooked. Still it was worth the 90 rubles price.
I wanted to go on with some fresh juice- lemon or apple. Unfortunately, they did not have anything natural - i guess Anna is away from Abkhazia since she did not appear yet- which results in lack of choices in homemade stuff like juices and muffins...

I asked for tea in the end. That is served in a pot. Hot and tasty. About four cups of tea came from the pot. I did not check the price for that since it was not in my first choices. In this pic of the tea pot and cup, you can also see the general look of the cafe.

I am still sitting at the cafe. Here you can see detail of the material that gives a relaxing look to the whole place, on two side walls. I think this resembles an indian style.
Well done Anna!!!
This place is on Prospect Peace (Pr. Mira-Atinchra Amyoadu) and it gives the guests a peacefull environment...

Internet... Freedom of communication...

It is a period of change. I am telling you. Its fast. Its good. Its life changing!
Today I came to my office to find out that we have really fast but really fast internet.
This feels great. And the computers (we have three in our office) can enter the internet seperately! So everybody who comes to our office do not have to use our computer which was the first of the network. So it feels great. I put a password and defined password protected users.
From now on my dear partner would not blame no one else for deleting an important file, for making my personal files public, for bringing a virus (which we seem to be protected by the new AntiVirus too), and losing her files. So everybody responsible for their own faults.
Computer, especially for the new generation is not a tool for genius. However, it is much better used by the genius. Post Soviet world have adopted to the global technological changes in communication and computers, fast. I had worked in a research project on the role of internet in democratization- a comparative project in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzistan and Kazakhstan. Now I can see how people use phones and internet in Abkhazia. It is getting widespread and cheap each day. And ofcourse faster and higher tech.
I remember my father telling me how important computers will be in my future life- so that I had to learn whatever I can while still a fast learner. It happened faster than I thought but he had seen it. Today even in Abkhazia, you can not get a work without knowing the basics of computer and word. (Ofcourse it is just opening, writing, printing and saving yet. )
Still, I have to admit I hate knowing computers more than other people. Recently I spend a lot of time trying to fix my friends computers, and building a website for my newly established research firm- research.bazala.net (multilingual), and another one for my husbands construction firm: bazala.net (only in Turkish this one).
Yesterday my phone fell and got broken. So I do not have a mobile for now. I have been dreaming to get a new one for long. Just never had the chance. Now maybe a good time. I also want a big plazma screen so that I can connect my laptop and watch movies. Plus I have a wish to buy a dvd-divx player. I am longing for technology! What can I do? We live in a time of technological hunger! I want more technology!!! More and more...
By the way- since I know we will have more devices I want to put many many plugs in our new house. On both walls of the rooms, multiple in the study, living room and tv room and kitchen.
Nobody seems to understand the necessity around me. But I know. Time will come there will be a need for all those plugs.

FAST (!!!!) FOOD is in Abkhazia

I know, starting with my mom, some of you say "oh no" to the global invasion of fast food. And now it is in small Abkhazia- and it is gonna be everywhere. People will forget the traditional eating culture and spend money on junk food that is served fast! Fast?? in Abkhazia? Not possible! I waited for an hour the first time, 45 minutes second time and 30 minutes the third time i visited this new restaurants located on the sea shore. As you can see in the picture it is designed with English Style tiles, big New York pictures on the walls and -what remind me of the old italian pizza house in istanbul from my childhood years- tables surrounded with red couches. By the way i forgot to mention two of the times i waited i did not eat anything since the burgers and the baked potatoes had run out. Only the first time I tried a sandwich which was similar to what we usually eat in tea breaks at the office so not much of a change. But we finished with a choclate sauced creppe which was a full course as it is and too sweet. Cant say anything about the burgers or the potatoes. Will let you know as soon as I know. But for now, I can say that even the fastest food is slow in Abkhazia (And people sit for hours to eat the food served which is really little according to world standards) and we long for nice and clean restaurants.

Tkuarchal bridge is falling down... falling down...

70 year old bridge, connecting the Tkuarchal city to the coal mines has fallen down due to a big amount of rain followed by a flood... The best thing about this scene is that the man driving the truck survived without a scratch.

From interesting

They have already rebuild it but i did not yet have a chance to visit.
However, i would like to take you for a walk in the outskirts of Tkuarchal to the place where you are surrounded by a variety of trees and flowers---a deep, infinite feeling of greenness. A greenness cut only by the blue-pink Hortensia flowers...

From Tkuarchal

Tkuarchal is the most beautiful city of Abkhazia- with its nature, and people's sincere fight for ecology of the city. It is the cleanest. And very interestingly, people like to grove flowers in their balconies in the middle of that nature. (Tkuarchal is the only Abkhazia city that does not border the Black Sea....)

A campaign to present children with books

A few months ago I took this picture on the main highway that connects Psou border to the rest of the country.

From interesting

It is a campaign to present children with books. You can either bring your own books and give it to the Gudauta Raion Administration or put money on bank accounts. I don't know the outcome of the project but put it on my list of things to find out...

It has been a long time since i wrote. I promised myself to not to give so much break any more. First of all I dont have the excuse for bad internet connection. Because we have the 3G technology in Abkhazia which brought fast internet connection for affordable (not cheap but just affordable) prices. So i can upload pictures in minutes, post a blog post in seconds. Write online (i used to write offline and than posted which was a lot of trouble for a blog, i mean the meaning of a blog is writing realtime isnt it?)
Anyway, 3G is not the only change in Abkhazia. To summarize the last year shortly, Abkhazia's recognition brought people happiness, wisdom, power to make a change in their own lives, infrastructure (progress not full infrastructure), peace, unity, comfort and so many other things. The change is faster and stronger, so are the challenges but people care to make things better which is good.
About my personal life, I got married, we are trying to build a house, started raising vegetables in our garden (which is a job i hate from heart), watched a lot of new serials (chuck, true blood, supernatural being my new favorites) and movies, bought a satellite tv which connects us to the world i have not missed to hear about (theft, murder, war, political fights, inequality, poverty, economic crisis are not things you would miss to hear about the world), traveled back and forth to istanbul, traveled to nalchik, printed 1000 questionnaires in the lowest quality office printer due to lack of resources, entered a job, quit a job, started my own research business, got new friends, got angry to friends, had fun with friends, missed old friends, wrote many proposals for phd, wrote many letters to many people, did not hear many responses, among the responses could not find anything to make me send any of my proposals, changed departments to apply, changed sub topics for my study, changed method of research, gave methods of social research trainings, made the first country wide scientific political participation survey with 1134 sample size, wrote a book for the training, wrote stories that i never finished, thought of poems that were never typed, wrote articles, got interviewed, made interviews, organized a photo exhibition, shot a short movie for 21 May- Remembrance Day of the Caucasian Exile, been to exhibitions, been to concerts, missed movies, missed concerts, missed teaching, missed writing, missed dreaming, missed writing on my blog....
So i hope to be more active in writing from now on...
I dont know where to start. I will find out. Soon!

Independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has been Recognized by Russia!

The beginning of August, was marked with sorrow and loss as well as fear of war spreading to a wider region; after the attack of Georgian forces to Republic of South Ossetia. Many people fled from their homes, were killed in an unexpected heavy night attack on the 7th-8th and the fightings continued a while. Later, the Abkhaz troops moved to re-obtain their land (Kodor) that was invaded by Georgian forces 2 years ago illegaly and against all pacts and agreements.
They managed to win this victory.
The second part of August has been marked with celebrations of victory and last monday the Russian Duma, tuesday (26.08.08) the Russian president Medvedev recognized the independent status of two Republics: South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Celebrations of first official recognition was like a 3 day festival in Abkhazia, with a lot ofAbkhaz flags, accompanied by South Ossetian, Adyghe, Russian and even Confederation (1921) and Chechen flags.
Abkhazian president and people repeat they do not think of joining to Russia and Russia did not give them their independence! Abkhazia has been independent for 15 years and this 30th of September, being the Victory Day (15th) will be a great day since the 15 years of economic blockade is over this year and that with the recognition starting with Russia, people will have more power to make their lives better and to live in a fully democratic, independent country. The recognition of Abkhazia, is also a power for the recognition of Abkhaz statehood, language, culture and life style around the world- which the Georgians had tried to wipe for long.
Apsny Forever!
For photos on celebrations:
http://picasaweb.google.com/abkhaziadiary/Celebrations
http://picasaweb.google.com/abkhaziadiary/CossackConcert