As if the joy of finally locating the old Albanian Church was not enough, I was in for a sweet surprise. A TV crew had also arrived at the Krish Church, and they were filming the place and the people around the church, talking to visitors. There was an actor with a microphone by the name of Mr. Hamid who approached Usual and then me. He wanted to know if I was from India and how people of this country love Indian culture and people. I was excited to meet him and told him I was a travel blogger and had acted in Bollywood films. It was a concept, and he decided to interview me as well for his channel AZ TV. It is a national channel and one of the most popular ones in the country. In all, Azerbaijan has thirty-seven channels for news and entertainment.
Since AZ TV is national and government-controlled, it makes a lot of shows to promote travel and tourism in the country, and Mr. Hamid wanted to interview me to help them promote tourism to the world.
I was more than happy to oblige; now who doesn’t want some ego boost and free publicity? I relented, and we searched for a quiet place in the park next to a bench and some trees. Aslan was my cameraman and made sure I looked good for the camera. He even tucked the chain of my black leather jacket and helped me place my cap correctly. I was ready, and the interview was on; the chair kept asking me questions, and I answered them with all enthusiasm and gusto. This was a great interview, and I made sure everyone knew the name of my blog by the end of the entire interview.
The Azerbaijan TV crew then took pictures with me; the show will be aired in May. I am sure Uslan and his family might see it. As for me, I was all too happy to be interviewed by the national TV channel, and I made an entire video of the interview for all to see on my blog itself.
The night was spent feasting in one of the finest places in Shaki called the VIP KARAVAN restaurant. It has an area of private rooms where a family or a group of friends can eat. It also has a more open Shisha Bar for serious Shisha smokers. I wanted to smoke a Shisha, and I finally did just that today. I smoked a peach and berry Shisha and blew smoke in the air. It was a bit stiff for me and hurt my throat a bit, but I enjoyed the flavor and the smoke billowing over my very face. It was fun; I smoked the Shisha to my heart’s content, gurgling and watching the smoke mingle with the water. Lunch was mutton soup with kebab, wine, and bread. It was very tasteful and typical Azerbaijani cuisine. I loved the decor of the place and the plush silken sofas, so smooth and comfortable one can fall asleep on them.
The city had more buzz today as it was the Eid holiday; many families were out sightseeing and enjoying the weather. I, for one, was happy for my interview, and I would want all of you to watch it on my blog.