The price of bread is still stable at 1,000 manats but self sufficiency in grain is a governmental goal so the change in the informal exchange rate may not affect this. In such an environment one is tempted to grasp at straws and interpret them as major indicators. Cancelled meetings, hurriedly called assemblies, the depressed state of officials as they walk the halls wondering what to do, what to cut, when they know that nothing would be considered that would really address the problem. We try to piece things together but the pieces are widely scattered on this puzzled and puzzling landscape and nothing can be completely relied upon. I heard that the President called in the leaders of the statistics agency and told them he didn't like the numbers they were publishing.
Drivers complain of gasoline shortages.
People whisper about trouble. Many worry quietly. That afternoon another person told me that her friends were saying that the manat was about to appreciate in value. The money changers are particular about damaged bills here. The reject bills that have small tears in them and won't take bills that have a date before 1990.