Job Discussion Forums

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I did a search but can't find any recent info. I just got a job offer in Baku that pays 1900 a month. Anyone currently teaching in Azerbaijan or anyone taught there before? Any info would be appreciated.

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

I have never worked there but my impression of the place from one visit some years ago was of a dirty and dusty oil town with high prices and not very friendly people who spoke mostly a dialect of Turkish.With that in mind $1900 per month is not as much as it sounds so I would check it out carefully before agreeing to anything-once you get there it will be too late!
One school which regularly advertised for staff there some time ago was notorious for not teaching foreign teachers well either but I cannot remember the name.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

MIKEBUCHAN · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Russia

Naturegirl321 -

I talked with that school and the woman that does the telephone interviews is from the same part of the world that I am and we spoke and emailed quite a bit about living and working there. She did tell me of some of the short comings - however - I think that the overall condition of being there isn't that bad. I'll be there on the 7th - in about six days. If I get the apartment that I requested, I'll have DSL or wi-fi and we can talk again - OK?

Mike

expatella_girl · Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 4:35 pm Post subject:

I know nothing about the teaching conditions in Azerbaijan but....

We were in Baku for 2 weeks last year. Indeed it is dirty, the dirtiest place I've ever seen. And indeed, in a survery of cities that came out last year, Baku was rated the dirtiest city in the world.

However on the upside, I found the Azeris to be very nice and most friendly people. The cost of living is cheap. Officially it is 94% muslim but still it is very secular. Really no signs of Islamic extremism at all. Women were conservative but westernish. I saw some very beautiful high-heeled mini-skirted Azeri women. But they do seem to disappear off the streets completely after dark.

There are a lot of shanty slums amidst towering new high rises in Baku. Lots of soviet era grey concrete. The landscape is rock and gravel, no plants or trees to speak of. Not a pretty place. After 2 weeks I believe I'd seen everything in Baku there was to see. Not much nightlife, the sidewalks pretty much roll up after 10 PM. There is one McDonalds.

I would think that $1900 a month in Baku would be good money. Really there's not a lot to spend it on.

And most irritatingly, the electricity went off constantly. Every day. One Sunday afternoon for 4 hours. Every day for some time the electricity randomly goes dead. I found it most annoying. The infrastructure in Azerbaijan is aged soviet, and it is in a state of crumbling. Very little of their post soviet oil money seems to have been invested in the needs of the country or the people. There is a distinct aura of poverty and neglect.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Seems to be really dirty. They said that it was expensive to live there and of the 1900, I'd only save about 600.

MIKEBUCHAN · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Russia

expatella_girl,

You must be from America and very young and have never been in any of the ex Soviet countries or Russia prior to this 2 week tourist stop.

You state that 'a survey' says Baku is the dirtiest city in the world - but you forgot to tell us what survey you were citing. Maybe only a personal survey?

Younger people are always looking for the bars and discos, oh yes and McDonalds. However, you make no mention of any restaurants, cafes, museums, historical sites, beaches, or anything of interest. This leads me to believe that you are a 'real American tourist' --- comparing everything everywhere to your standards and expectations - all American by nature and experience.

I have lived in the Republic of Bashkortostan's capitol of Ufa for five years and have traveled to many parts of the former Soviet Union. If a capitol city, Ufa, can have houses without indoor plumbing and have electricity in the last 15 years --- then I might suggest to you that all of these countries are still digging out of the Soviet rule.

If you had any decent history lessons then you would understand that everything went to Moscow; and that means everything - money, food, clothes; so now these countries are starting to rebuild. Even in Russia the infrastructure is crumbling from the Soviet times and every city is trying to fix the most important things first. The steam plants that supply all the hot water fpr daily use and steam in the winter for heat - not to mention that electricity that you found in short supply.

I can say that not many folks around the world live like Americans and have that whiny attitude that 'we' seem to like to show everyone in the world.

Mike

expatella_girl · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 11:39 am Post subject:

Although I refuse to participate in personal insult contests with crackpots on the internet, I will address your questioning of Baku's standing as the dirtiest city in the world.

That honor was bestowed on Baku by the Mercer Human Resource Consulting firm, and the report was widely distributed by the international press at the time of it's release last spring.

Here is the relevant passage from their report, "The lowest-ranking city for health and sanitation is Baku in Azerbaijan, which scores just 27.6. Other low-scoring cities include Dhaka in Bangladesh, Antananarivo in Madagascar and Port Au Prince in Haiti, which score 29.6, 30.1 and 34 respectively."

And here is the link to the entire survey and their methodadology for determing ranking.
http://www.mercerhr.co.uk/pressrelease/details.jhtml?idContent=1173105

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

I'd rather be in Bashkiria any day than Baku!Ufa might be rough in parts but at least you have some greenery and vegetation-AND it's not so hot and arid in summer!

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

I always said Moscow was grimy and dirty and bad for both your physical and mental health and this survey has confirmed it....

MIKEBUCHAN · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Russia

expatella_girl

Thank you for the link!

I believe the only thing I said about you personally was that you are probably an American and had some lousy history lessons (as all of us that were in high school in America) and you were not fond of not having electric power 24/7.

So if you took all that I wrote as personal, then you have a whole lot of growing up to do and to learn to read a bit more critically!

BTW, read the quote and the bottom of my message - it seems to fit you to a 'T'.....................................

Mike

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

MEOOOWWWWWWWW!

MIKEBUCHAN · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Russia

Hi everyone,

I thought someone might like to see the web page for Baku

www.baku-online.com/en/islanden.htm

And you can see for yourself that:
1. We can believe the American Standards Backpacker Teenybopper that wants to enlighten the world as to all the dirty, filthy cities of the world��
2. Believe our lying eyes��

It is amazing how they transformed the city into a spotless and beautiful city in just one year! Can you explain this to me, expatella_girl?

Mike

Zajko · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:22 am Post subject:

Baku IS a bit grubby but I thought it had a lot of charm, in a quaint, semi-masochistic, EFL-experience kinda way. I guess it depends on what you're looking for: if it's a high, clean, western standard of living with access to the same kind of amenities you get in Europe, N America or Dubai, then it's probably not for you. But if it's a chance to integrate yourself into the local culture, make friends with the locals, learn the language, eat the local food and live in a city that's vibrant and historical without (admittedly) being particularly beautiful in the classical sense, there are many worse places to go.

USD 1900 isn't a bad salary for an EFL teacher there though I've seen better offers recently for those with a bit of experience (USD 2500 or so) working in the oil industry there. Outside the city in the country and region as a whole, as well, there are great travel opportunities and some really spectacular scenery which makes up for the somewhat drab and industrial nature of many (most) parts of Baku itself.

maccamlc · Joined: 24 May 2007 Posts: 29 Location: Adelaide, Australia

I was travelling in Baku for a week last year.

I have to admit that my initial experience was not that great ... I've been to other CIS countries, but Azerbaijan was just another feeling altogether for me.

Oh, I'm a young Aussie guy Smile

But anyway, since then I have decided to study Russian and CELTA next year, in the hope of teaching somewhere in CIS.

I have a very good friend in Baku, who I still talk to. She will be studying CELTA soon as well, and anyway ... long story short, I'm planning to go back to Baku in July.

It might be very different to what you expect or are used to .... but isn't that the point, otherwise why would we even consider this? Its alot easier to just stay home where everything is familiar and comfortable Smile