Our attendance at the dinner reception celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of Azerbaijan's First  Republic proved to be a most interesting and exciting evening. 
Hosted by the Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles the evening featured authentic Azerbaijan food, musical performances, dances and much more.  It took place in the ballroom of Hyatt Regency LAX Hotel with more than five hundred people in attendance.
The event highlighted the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic which became the first secular democracy in the Muslim world in 1918 and the first to grant voting right to women in 1919.  During World War ll it was the site of some of the fiercest battles between the German invaders and the Soviet Union as the Nazi sought to gain the oil production of the region.  In this they failed but at great cost to the people of Azerbaijan.
Some of those that attended the dinner arrived in bright native wear and with the dances and entertainment it truly was a unusual and memorable evening.
We enjoyed the buffet style dinner which featured some foods, while most tasty, that were new to us.  We were also fascinated by the screening of the Azerbaijan country side which included scenes of the Caspian Sea, the lofty Caucasus Mountains as well as the thoroughly  modern Capital.
Our conclusion was that Azerbaijan is a country worth knowing more about and a fascinating place to visit.