Eternal fire

Istanbul book-store favourites

Twenty-eight or so hours in Istanbul included basically book-shopping. Old favourites such as Homer and Robinson Crusoe (both between Tünel and Galata Square on Istiklal) had been joined by new InsanKitap (unsure if the link works...)

Sacred fire

The sacred fire stills is alive in Suraxani outside Baku, where zoroastrianism was founded and the oil industry was born.

Balconies in Baku

My fascination of balconies holds strong - you will see more of these as we go along!

Asian drama

Maybe a cheap catch-phrase, but with events in Iran, Afghanistan and Chinese Xinjiang recently, I find no more appropriate heading.

Iran
These links will be much of a follow-up to the previous posting, so here Christian Science Monitor on comparisons with 1979.

Orly Halpern blogs about Israeli views on Iran. Iran-born Meir Javedanfar ponders the clerical positions on the country's leadership.

Two examples of the films being posted on youtube giving us messages and images from Iran: here and here.

Ashin Molavi asks "who will stand up for Iran"? The role played by the country's minorities was asked, at least before the elections... The role of the Republican Guard seems enhanced, is it even the start of a new type of republic we see?

Also well-renowned foreign reporters were detained by Iranian authorities.

Petitions by exiled Iranians in Dubai were stopped. Other exiled Iranians are active in supporting activities online.

Meeting young in Iran and talking about their future outlook gavies varying results. Iranian voters of different views speak out.

AfPak
US endeavours in Helmand are not easy or self-evident. Winning hearts and minds in a foreign country is a severe challenge...

Pakistan ponders the alternative of local militias...

Women are still the most vulnerable group in Afghanistan.

A Swedish travelogue from Afghanistan in the 1970's!

Xinjiang/Chinese Turkestan

Demonstrations and riots and arrests have shaken Ürümqi in the past week. Views on the role of exiled Uighurs vary strongly...

One of the main touching-points between events in China and in Iran is the Internet. Another comparison is of course with developments and dynamics in Tibet.

On Friday, the mosques were closed and people leaving Ürümqi.

Additional discussion on the dynamics of control and ethnicity in China.

Marjoribanks

Further comment?

Reading Paul Theroux

I am reading Paul Theroux's latest book now, where he repeats his first travel book trip through Asia. Apart from the fact that he goes places I have either been or would really like to go, I appreciate his writing style enormously also.




I didn't enjoy his fiction as much though, but would like to read his controversial biography of V S Naipaul.

Baku town parking

Not ordinary parking style even in old Baku, but it did happen.



Note the white car, turning 180 degrees in a space barely larger than the car - he looked like he'd done it before too! See the upturned blue car from above in the background - hardly surprising...

Oilworker's boulevard

The broad boulevard sweeping the Baku Corniche is named after the "oilworkers" - Neftcilar - very fittingly for a city very literally built on oil in more than one way.

Superman's walk-in closet?

Superman really must have a problem these days - we have looked at the pitiful remnants called phone booths here before - in the few places where the still can be found, they certainly don't provide for a grown man to enter and change clothes! ;-)

Note by the way the fabulous Azeri word for "international"!!!

Modern Islamic art

Victoria and Albert museum have an exhibition leading up to a prize for an artist inspired by Islamic art. Find it here on their webpage, which also seems to contain a lot of information in general.

Views of the Caspian

Despite having heard stories of fantastic Iranian Caspian beaches, I can't say I was tempted by the waters outside Baku - but a city by the water is always nice!

and eventually even a dog!

literally everywhere - and far down a tired and bored dog...

Orient-express

2 journalists from Dagens Nyheter travel by train from Istanbul, blogging, up into the heart of Europe.

Photo reporting

Photography is important to me and my blogging, so here some links to current photo reporting:

Eurasianet on Kazakhstan, BBC on the Ürümchi protests (real Turkestan has always been a dream-place to travel..., if any will be left) and UNHCR on a world tour of refugees.

Baku cats

The city was full of cats, in every corner, behind every corner...

Equipment

I have to do some pseudo-advertising (which I don't get paid for, and the photos below are from the respectives makers) for my photo equipment.

My longstanding photo-partner (almost 5 years now) is this:



Almost all the photos on this blog are taken with it - I have a fleeting acquaintance with a newer model too, but have never really learned to get on with it as I like my own so much.

A very recent addition for all those occasions when I can't lug around all the paparazzi-equipment or don't need it's full capacity but the strength is rather to have a pocket camera capable of taking "social photos" is this:



All the newer photos of family, friends and restaurant tables tend to be taken with it.

All the equipment with cables and battery chargers and memory cards and whatnot fit nicely into this! The über-smart backpack camera bag...


It even has a built-in lens wiper and a little rainjacket!

Sacred bread?

We could read up on a traditional unwillingness to throw bread away in the ordinary household garbage - and saw traces of it among houses in old Baku. I never understood quite why, though?

Elections in Iran

I haven't said a word about maybe the most important event, at least regionally, during the past month, but I have been discussing it widely and saving up reading on it. Here comes a, belated but as much as a rearview mirror picture as I can give, overview of the elections in Iran - but I can mostly guide you to the obvious... and with no claims to be correct or comprehensive. Read Gary Sick and Juan Cole for original analysis.

Before – the hopes
Ahead of the elections in Iran, hopes were high of a renewed reformist stream and rejuvenated culture scene reflecting hopes of change.

Especially women's activists dared be cautiously optimistic, partially centred around hopes of the role of Mousavi's wife.

How the current events touch in time to the dead ayatollah founding modern Iran is also discussed.

After – developments and fears
What we saw after a contested vote count (?) was very different and witness to the strength of political emotions in Iran, from all sides of the apparent divide.

Early articles talk of the fragility of the system when recounts are demanded.
The strong feelings were apparent in all reporting. Reports of reformist leaders being arrested also came early, as well as the question if this was a new revolution coming on? (personally I would guess no, it's part of the struggle for the soul of the old one...) Images of a beleagerud Teheran were repeated.

Analyses defining a split in the Iranian leadership and defining almost a coup came through.

The entrenched leadership sees the demonstrations as orchestrated by enemy outside powers.

A young woman demonstrator's death rebounded over world media. Demographic and economic realities behind the mood of young Iranians is shown. Listen to AlJazeera on youtube - highlighting the role of interactive media also (more on that later).

Eyewitnesses from Tehran have told their stories in the media. Here a young man imprisoned. More unusually, a Qom-cleric was heard.

Discussions of the outcome in more concrete terms were also common - what happened to the actual vote-count?

Parvin Ardalan spoke to international media. Eventually also Rafsanjani broke his silence - on of the most poignant occurrences of the whole scenario. Iranians in exile spoke too, probably as divided as inside.

HRW looks at night-time raids in Tehran.

And the crisis goes on...

Internet politics in Iran
A specific aspect has of course been the media scene. A lot of tecchy stuff in the below too...

Cyber warfare threat assessments... also reported.

A technical overview and analysis of traffic data and internet control.

Attempts to control the cyber space... and positive and negative sides to using social media for politics.

How much bloggers matter, and the role of facebook and twitter.

Commentary
Trita Parsi tries to sort out the alliances and divisions... and comments here too, while Emile Hokayem looks beyond the election to the wider dispute ground. Babak Rahimi looks at the comparison with 1979.

Chatham House analyzed the voting figures, commented by Juan Cole. Also MERIP discusses the situation.

Iranian reformist Akbar Ganji speaks out here and here.

Discussion of the role of outside parties also came up - how can we make a difference? Still more.

The lack of Arab comment was also noticed... eventually, comments such as this came from the Gulf.

Misc and extras
Dagens Nyheter talk to their photographer who was adopted from Iran (featured on this blog earlier).

And, for this time I have not even attempted to attribute links directly - it makes too boring reading. Click and check! They are vaguely chronological above, but not systematically so, btw.

Baku social life

First things first - our days in Baku included a lot of socializing, and some very nice meals, both on our own and with friends.

Top 2 photos are the compulsory (and delicious) tea+condiments and plov! Far too much plov for 2 by the way, and we couldn't take a doggy-bag to the hotel...

Archipelago visit

I spent a day (and a few hours of sunshine) in the archipelago too, while in Stockholm.

Louvre Abu Dhabi

We went to see the mini-exhibition from the Louvre on display at Emirates Palace since May, intended to give a peek at what the coming Louvre Abu Dhabi can offer from 2013. It was a small collection, maybe 20 objects, but exquisitely chosen and collected, to highlight important turning points in the history of art and very professionally displayed and presented.

My absolute favourite was a bodisattva of Gandhara style... that really captures my interests, I think.

Summer gorgeous

We also had some really gorgeous summer weather, at least to start with - here photos from Haga.

Stockholm from the water

Stockholm from the waterside is always beautiful! Even if the weather was not perfect during our boat-trip.

Lilac explosion in Vasastan

Also when I came home - this is over a month ago now - Stockholm was at it's prettiest, with all these in full bloom just on our block!