Home for the Holidays

Home for the Holidays

I’ve been in my house for just over six weeks and the holidays are now upon us.  I received a package from the States and got some decorations, so I have them up.   As you can see from one of the pictures, I don’t have “chestnuts roasting by the open fire” or “stockings hung by the chimney with care” but I do have socks drying on the peç.

Socks on pec

 

Last night, Nunu and I baked Grandma Nell’s Nursery School Cookies, while having our language class. My best knowledge of words has to do with food. They came out pretty good, even though I didn’t cream the butter and sugar.  I sent some home with Nunu and the rest I took to work today.  I did eat a few myself. 

The weather turned colder a couple of weeks ago and I’m improving my heating skills on a daily basis.  My landlord brought me soup yesterday and indicated that I should block the opening in the chimney for the big oven that my one room house is built around.  She said that I should stuff the opening with plastic bags.  So tonight on my way home I bought a roll of packing tape and started my insulation project.  My tools and supplies included, scissors, a leatherman, tape, bubble wrap, plastic bags and cardboard.  Below the finished product.  I may make some improvements over the weekend when I will move a table.  I now need to figure out how to plug the hole in the ceiling where the exhaust pipe for the peç exits the house.  I have some ideas.  I’ll let you know if they work.

When I got home about an hour an a half ago the temperature was in the mid-40’s and I’m now up to the mid-50’s.  I’m heading for the mid-60’s.  Only three more months of winter to go.  Long winter underwear and a heavy sweater works.  Also I have plenty of blankets and am toasty in bed.  The Baku area is quite windy and I think without the wind it would be easier to warm the house.  Don’t worry, in the summer I will be talking about how hot it is. 

We lost electricity last night about 7:30, so I didn’t do my dishes until tonight.  My site mate, who recently went back to the States, used to say that it was a good day when we have two out of three utilities….so yesterday was a good day.

 

Happy Holidays from Azerbaijan - Patti

Wild West

Today I woke up and snuggled under the covers for far too long.  As I was snuggling, I could hear the wind blowing.  I finally dragged myself out of bed and headed out for my walk to work.  As I stepped out of my gate and turned on the road for work I transported myself back to the westerns I used to watch in my childhood.  A dusty, mostly empty dirt road, a single figure walking in front of me with his head down and hands in his pockets, tumbleweeds blowing across the street (OK they were plastic bags but they reminded me of tumbleweeds), and a creaking gate sound along with the wind.  Leaning into the wind and I began my walk.....

Tbilisi

Peace Corps Volunteers can start taking vacation leave after we have been at our sites for three months.  I reached the three month mark at the end of September.  I decided that for my first trip I wanted to go to Tbilisi, the capitol of Georgia. Georgia borders Azerbaijan so I’m taking baby steps in my traveling. Many “older” PVCs suggested taking the night train. There are three options on the night train; an open car, a two person compartment or a four person compartment. There were four of us interested in going so the four person compartment sounded perfect.  My friends joining me on my first travels were; Kim, a Youth Development volunteer, Matt, a Community and Economic Development volunteer, and Olivia, a TEFL (an English teacher trainer).  Matt and Olivia are married.

On the train to Tbilisi, we weren’t able to get a compartment together. So Kim and I got the top bunks above two women who were co-workers and going to a conference. The older woman appeared to be the younger’s supervisor. The older woman, primarily spoke Russian, which is not uncommon.  Kim’s Azerbaijan is much better than mine, so we held a conversation in three languages with translations flying.  Getting to the top bunk was a challenge until we were shown ladders that pulled down from the walls.  The cars are pretty old but have been refurbished inside and were comfortable. The train goes pretty slowly so that the passengers don’t get jostled too much and get a good night’s sleep. The border crossing takes a bit of time but we arrived in Tbilisi mid-day ready to go.

A taxi ride to the hostel in Old Town where we met Matt’s cousin DJ. DJ is a marine stationed in Georgia. Then off to lunch.  I noshed on Kachapuri which is a bread topped, in my case, with meat and cheese. Not heart healthy but tasty none the less. After lunch we went off to explore on foot. There is a cable car that goes to the top of the hill overlooking Tbilisi where you can see the Old Fortress, Mother Georgia and get a great view.  We walked down to the hostel and sat on the roof deck overlooking the city.  More food. This time pork was on our minds and we shared bacon wrapped cheese.  I can’t describe how much most of us miss bacon.

Sunday we went on a walking tour.  Then off to the funicular to an amusement park that overlooks the city. It was overcast and damp day, but for a minimum of four people they would run the roller coaster.  I passed, but we had a group of six willing adults so on it went.  I held bags and took pictures. Another meal. Then a ride back down the hill and a stroll back to the hostel.  Thank evening we ate dinner at an Indian/Thai restaurant that as across the street from the hostel.  It has two tables and the proprietor is the host, waiter and chef.  Then off to sample Georgian wine.  We went to a bar with a KGB theme.

Monday we booked a tour of Davit Garenja. Davit Garenja is an area where there were 20 monasteries.  Now only one is functioning. Our tour started at the operating monastery and then we hiked the border of Georgia and Azerbaijan to see another.  A moderate climb in the mist to what on a clear day would be some marvelous views.  However, the inactive monastery was worth the walk.  The trail on the way down was very muddy and slick.  Of course, we were almost at the bottom when I slipped.  I was told that I was quite graceful in my fall. I wasn’t hurt but the poor driver of the car wasn’t too thrilled to have my muddy person get in his car.  We all took our shoes off and I sat on part of a 

Kachapuri “pizza” box.  The tour included a large lunch of Georgian dishes.  We were pretty tired after a long day, so took a cab to the Elvis Diner and ate burgers and milkshakes.  I have decided that I won’t get a great burger until I return home.

We had most of Tuesday to wander Tbilisi before catching the night train back to Azerbaijan.  We decided to split up.  I wanted to experience the hot sulfur baths and off I went for a private bath, scrub and massage. After this super relaxing experience, I ate lemon soup, walked along the river, crossed the Dry Bridge, saw the outdoor flower market, got a cup of coffee and headed back to the hostel to meet my traveling companions. 

We shared a compartment back to Baku, arriving mid-morning. A successful trip.  Tbilisi is beautiful and very friendly to tourists. It was a nice break with good friends.

Matti and Olivia

Roller coaster I passed on

Davit Garenja

Hot Sulfur Bath Video

Clock Tower Tbilisi

Kim at monastary

Mosaic at Church in Tbilisi

Tbilisi Flower Market

Davit Garenja Tour Group(before slip in mud)

Funicular in Tbilisi

“pizza” box.  The tour included a large lunch of Georgian dishes.  We were pretty tired after a long day, so took a cab to the Elvis Diner and ate burgers and milkshakes.  I have decided that I won’t get a great burger until I return home.

We had most of Tuesday to wander Tbilisi before catching the night train back to Azerbaijan.  We decided to split up.  I wanted to experience the hot sulfur baths and off I went for a private bath, scrub and massage. After this super relaxing experience, I ate lemon soup, walked along the river, crossed the Dry Bridge, saw the outdoor flower market, got a cup of coffee and headed back to the hostel to meet my traveling companions. 

We shared a compartment back to Baku, arriving mid-morning. A successful trip.  Tbilisi is beautiful and very friendly to tourists. It was a nice break with good friends.

Surprise

Not only was last week Gurban, but I also celebrated my first birthday in Azerbaijan. A cold/flu has been running through my family and the day before my birthday, I was feeling a little ill.  I woke up on my birthday and had a headache.  Nunu said nothing, but cooked me eggs for breakfast.  I popped some pills and headed off to work.  The headache subsided and then returned, so I packed up my bags early and headed for home.

When I got home, mom, her sister and their mother were in the kitchen cooking. It looked a little more elaborate than usual, but I just wanted to lie down.  Nunu was surprised at seeing me, but she was tutoring and I was tired.  I got up and was putzing around with my bedroom door open.  At some point I realized that my mom was outside my door acting a little strange.  I poked my head out and surprise, my closest sitemate, KJ was in the living room.  Nunu had made arrangements for her to come to my birthday dinner.  And then more relatives showed up. 

Dinner, family, friends, presents and cake.  My director also gave me a gift and a happy birthday greeting. I received many happy wishes from home.  A marvelous way to spend my birthday.  I am blessed to have two such wonder families and great friends.

Not getting older, just getting better!

Cake made by neighbor

Family and friends

KJ and me (I barely blew all the candles out)

Nana, my mom, KJ, me, Nunu, Mamet and my aunt (I was trying to go for the sexy long hair look and failed)

Gurban

Gurban Bayram (Festival of Sacrifice) is one of the ancient religious holidays in Islam, celebrated in honor of the prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son as a proof of his loyalty to God (Allah). At the last moment, God provided a ram to be sacrificed. 

Gurban was observed October 15th & 16th.  Gurban is a public holiday so I had those days off.  My original plan was to meet  friend in Baku on Tuesday.  I had checked with host sister an she had indicated that it was OK to leave home that day. However, when I told my host mother I was leaving, I got the "look" which indicated that I needed to change my plans.  Instead, I got my camera out for the observance. 

In Azerbaijan, Gurban is observed with a sacrifice of an animal, usually a sheep.  Sheep are the primary animal sacrificed, but other animals can be used.  My family pitched in with three other related families and purchased a young ram.  The ram needed to be over one year old.  I was told that a truck from village comes into the neighborhood with sheep to be purchased for the holiday. Below is the sheep that appeared in our yard.



Extended family members

The sacrifice is Halal, in accordance with religious traditions.  The animal looks towards Mecca and a man performs the sacrifice. After the animal is dressed, the women takeover.  Part of Gurban involves sharing with the less fortunate.  Since not everyone can afford to purchase a sheep, the meat from the sheep is divided into seven portions. My family's and their relatives kept four shares and then gave the remaining three shares away to others.

Both lunch and dinner were shared with the extended family.  The first meal was a dish of organs, onions and potatoes.  I limited myself to liver, potatoes and onions.  Sort of reminded me on Twee's liver and onion dinners, however bacon was not included. The second was boiled lamb.  Lamb is not my favorite meat, but both meals were tasty. I however will not be including either of these meals in my cooking repertoire.

I am impressed at how respectful the sacrifices are and how nothing goes to waste.  I also like the gathering of the family and how the family works together to perform the necessary tasks.  All but the youngest help out.  I'm glad that I got to witness this event.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

Today' post is devoted to pictures from the last couple of months


Soviet era apartment living room

Building in Quba

My first baking experience - Twee's Apple Cake

Sydney in Baku

Nar from the garden

Cool fall day house clothes - Nunu thinks the long winter underwear with yoga pants has a sumo wrestler look

Annie (PCV who lived with host family), her relatives, my host family, relatives, neighbor boy and friend.  Dinner included Ash(plov), three sisters dolma, a mayonnaise salad, greens and the never ending corek(bread)

Outdoor shoes

My home's street. You should see it when its been raining.

Nene and my host mom

Kitchen in Soviet era apartment

Hot water for bath in Soviet era apartment- be careful when lighting and make sure you turn the gas off when done. In some homes these are wood burning or anything else that burns.

That is all for today.  Off to brave the cold bathroom but with insta-hot water. Sag Ol

Living in my head

I've been thinking about this topic pretty much since I got to Azerbaijan.  Perhaps not the first couple of weeks, I'm not sure I thought at all during the first two weeks.

I was laying in bed this morning, listening to the sounds outside and thought about how it sounds pretty much like Seattle.  The drone of cars in the distance, horns, birds and the wind.  The hum of conversations that you can't quite hear but provide comfort that you're not alone.  The sound of footsteps, kitchen noises, the running of the washing machine. There is a comfort in the familiar sounds and then you realize that normally you don't hear so many rooster, chicken, duck sounds or the occasional moo. Also if you try to hone in on a conversation, you realize that for the most part you have no idea what is being said and even if you did, you have no context or familiarity in which to truly understand the conversation.  It is then you realize that while you are part of landscape you are on the periphery in a slightly different world of your own making.  It is then when I realize how much I live in my head.

Please don't misunderstand, I am present in my life, it is just that my life has such a transitory quality to it. When I committed to this journey, I realized that it was for two years. Two years is such a short time and once you get into it, it becomes even shorter.  I am already three months in and I have so much to learn. I understand that my integration into the community will only be partial.  I can physically navigate and my Azerbaijan is good enough to get my needs met, but I communicate on such a basic level.  Complex thoughts are difficult if not impossible to express unless the person you are talking to has a command of English and with the cultural differences on top of the communication issues it can be mind boggling.  So I turn inside my head and hold the conversations with myself. 

I'm writing this in part to share and in part to remember.  I am truly blessed to be on this journey and am curious how it will unfold.

Two Short Stories

Bus Ride

 

 

I live in a suburb of Baku about 7km north. To get to Baku is a ten minute walk on dirt roads to the main road, a wait up to 20 minutes for the next bus, a 15 minute ride into Baku and then onto another bus as dictated by my final destination.  However, there has been construction on the main road for the last week and the transportation system has been both fluid and creative. 

 

Today's adventure home had the bus rerouting to a dirt road accessed by a 90 degree turn off the four lane highway.  The dirt roads in my neighborhood are really designed for one way traffic and not particularly even. Also, the rerouting is based on the driver's intuition and in this case guidance from others.  The hope is that you guess where on the reroute is closest to your normal stop.  At one point in today's reroute I'm pretty sure the bus hit a wall.  I was surprised when the bus rejoined the main road at my normal stop.  The bus was packed, the roads were bumpy, I had been standing for about 30 minutes and was holding on so tight to the overhead bar that my hand was numb. But I knew where I was - was safe and sound so all was well.

 

Example of neighborhood street



Big buses in the background example of city buses



Nana Comes for a Visit

 

Earlier this week, I got home from my organization and my host mother, her mother and sister were sitting around the kitchen table.  My host mother's brother was also wandering around the house.  Since one never knows who might be in the house, this was not an unusual circumstance. However this was the first time Nana had come to visit.  I said Salam,  headed to my room, changed, joined them for cay and conversation. More like cay and listening to conversation where I pickup words here and there but not enough to follow. I'm good for about 20 minutes and then head back to my room. Came out later and Nana was still with us but the rest of the gang was gone. Nana took over Nunu's room so Nunu joined me in mine. Good thing I have a extra bed.  We're heading into night four.   

One item I have grasped is that you need to expect anything and be very fluid.  Since I've gotten here the following has occurred.

• Woken up to the entire family gone
• Only person up, Neighbor/relative drops in wants to know where everyone is. Thank goodness I had washed dishes, but house not quite clean enough.
• Woke up with slight headache. Family going out for day. Home alone - not.  Cousins stop by to look for friends, watch TV

  

  , cook, etc.  Granted they played quietly. (Nana and Host Mom)
• Home from work, change and lets go to a 1 year olds birthday party. - four hours later of non-stop food and entertainment you call it quits. House Mom comes home with you at 11:30. 
• Remainder of party return home at 3:00

All I know is that I will come home one day and Nana will be gone and I will miss her.

A minor adventure

This past weekend I decided to visit friends out in a region.  Barda is located west of Baku in an agriculture region. On Friday I headed to the Baku Avtovagzel to catch a bus. As I got to the vagzel there was a bus pulling out but it was full so I waited for the next one.  When the bus pulled it I purchased my fare and got settled in my seat waiting for the bus to fill up and leave.  It appeared that it would be awhile until the bus left, so I went to the bathroom and decided to see if I could locate new earphones in the shopping area at the vagzel.  Both pairs of earphones I brought with me broke and I hate listening to music with only one earphone working.  I was successful in locating a new pair, in my favorite color blue.  So about ten minutes after leaving the bus, I returned.  Much to my horror the bus wasn't in the bay.  After a short initial panic, I asked someone where the bus went, or at least that was my intention.  He pointed to where some marshukas were.  My overnight bag was on the bus with two bottles of wine as hosting gifts.  I thought of where on the route out of the vagzel I could try to locate the bus and while moving towards that goal, I found that the bus had just moved bays. Needless to say I was mighty relieved and got on that bus and after 40 minutes we pulled out for our five hour ride.  I don't know if the bus was just in the wrong bay or they decided to mess with the American.  While in my initial panic I was able to determine what to do; 1) call my friend and have her get my bag off the bus at its destination, and 2) get on another bus, it was a very unpleasant moment. I texted a friend and found my fingers to be shaking.  It shows the power of a shot of adrenalin. Of course it makes a good story. While this story had a happy ending, I was pleased that I was able to determine that had it turned out differently, it wouldn't have been tragic.  I still had my money, passport, computer and phone.  The clothes were few and too big.  Toothbrushes are easy to find.  And, I can still think on the fly.
The visit was great and of course the adventures didn't end with the first leg bus trip.  When I got to Jesse's house half of her electricity was out.  The rest went out about a half hour in.  The gas also went out. So, instead of spaghetti with tomatoes, cheese and spinach, we had cheese, tomato and basil sandwiches followed by watermelon.  Her landlords came over to fix the problem that caused half of the electrical issue.  This involved pliers and electrical tape. Thank goodness that the power was out and her landlord turned off the electric at the box.  His wife decided to climb a ladder and pick grapes.  This involved a ladder with a lot of dry rot and her shooing any help away because she was in a dress.  Quite a show.
The next day we went to the bazaar and bought supplies for a summer camp, set up the room for the camp then on to lunch.  We went to a donar shop and had meat in what is basically a tortilla with parsley and lemon.  Pretty tasty.  Then back home around on so that we weren't out during the heat of the afternoon.  Barda is about 10-15 degrees hotter than Baku, so it was in the high 90's. After resting, two more friends came for dinner.  The pasta dish we weren't able to eat the night before and apple crisp.  So nice to catch up with friends.
Got up Sunday morning and headed out for my trip back home.  Of course, I had to make it another adventure.  I got on the local marshuka going the wrong way.  So instead of heading to the avtovagzel, I got a tour of Barda.  I missed my bus, but ended up in a shared taxi.  About double the cost but about two hours shorter.  It is amazing how different the landscape looks from a different height. I was in the front seat of a Mercedes (wish it had a seat belt). I made it home safe and sound.  
While the trip didn't flow the way I had planned, it was wonderful.  I got to see how I respond to travel mishaps (I can adjust), I got to see things I wouldn't have otherwise, I got to have new experiences.  I even was able to practice my Azerbaijan and while it isn't pretty, I can communicate.
As we say here in Azerbaijan - Yaxsi Yol!!

Jesse, my superb hostess and me

Four roosters have gone to heaven

I believe that I had previously commented that my host family had 80 chickens.  The chickens belonged to my host family and my host father's two brothers' families.

Before the move

A couple of weeks ago after the construction was complete on the brother's chicken house, half the chickens moved next door.  So we were down to 40.  Well, we are now down to 36. My host sister has been wanting fresh chicken so last night after dinner four roosters bit the dust.  It was quite a production, witnessed and participated my members of my extended family. I think at one point we had around ten people in the yard.

First there was the selecting of chickens.  Since my family hopes to get eggs from the females, roosters were the target.  This was accomplished by entering the chicken coop with flashlight, spotting a rooster and then shutting off the flashlight and grabbing the rooster.  According to Nunu, chickens can't see in the dark.  I did not participate in the chicken selection, but was sipping tea in the kitchen with my host mother. The chickens were brought up to the yard to meet their maker.  I did dishes while the first two were dispatched, but did pluck up enough courage to witness the demise of the final two.  An uncle was in charge of this aspect of the process.  He stood on the wings, while the chickens faced Mecca and cut off their heads.

Once the roosters were dead and stopped moving the women swooped in.  One-by-one boiling water was poured over the chickens to loosen up the feathers.  The primary plucking was done at one table, with the finer plucking at another.  I gathered my courage and assisted in the fine plucking.  Somewhere there is a picture of me.  I was doing fine and only jumped once when a headless neck swung my way.  I believe that my primary goal in this process was to provide comic relief.

After assisting with the finer plucking of two of the roosters, I sat down and watched for a while but headed to bed prior to the gutting.  To honor the roosters that would be providing my next day's diinner, I ate  package of Trader Joe's Meyer lemon cookies.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Patti's on a mission

So, I asked my sister to send me a care package of primarily food items that I missed.  Below is a listing of the items I requested:

• Trader Joe's
• meyer lemon cookies
• ginger cookies
• soft and juicy mango slices
• green tea mints
• chili peppers
• almond and cranberry KIND bars (thanks to Arielle who introduced them to me)
• Burt's Bees lip balm
• Starbuck's Cool Lime Refreshers
• Individual packs of almond butter
• scotch tape (the tape here is a little odd)
• yeast

She sent them in mid-July.  Based on the tracking information it arrived in Azerbaijan the next week and was identified as unclaimed as of the 29th of July.

In the meantime, I was checking every few days at my local post office.  My local post office is on the way to work and the woman who works there calls me when I have mail.  I would ask her about my package and she would let me know that it hadn't arrived yet.  All this is done in Azerbaijan.

Today was a slow day at work, so I decided to try to figure out where in Azerbaijan my package was.  First I decided to figure out if the postal code I had been given and had given out was correct.  Ended up it was not correct.  I have been getting letters so I thought perhaps packages have a different system. The postal code belonged to the closest city about 5km from my work.  Armed with this knowledge, I decided to leave work an hour early in an attempt to locate my package. I felt the need to tackle this task today since the next two days are holidays to mark the end of Ramadan and I wanted a treat going into my four day weekend.

So I headed out to catch a bus that would get me close to the post office in the city.  My first mistake, was not getting off the bus in time and/or indicating that I needed to get off at the beginning of the highway on-ramp.  I ended up heading toward Baku.  I got off at the next off-ramp and crossed over to catch the next bus back.  Unfortunately, I just missed a bus and ended up waiting about 30 minutes for the next one. At this point I had been on my quest for about an hour.  Caught the bus and got off for a six block walk to the post office.

Once I got to the post office, I was able to ask about my package, gave them the tracking number and it was determined that it was in the post office in my town.  Headed back six blocks and caught a bus to my post office.  Once there, no package. However, I was able to communicate what the clerk at the city post office told me.  Ends up there is another post office in my town. She called and of course my package was there.  By this time it was about 20 minutes before 5 and the post office closes at 5.  She explained where the post office was and wrote me directions.  At first I didn't understand. Once I took a deep breath I figured out where she wanted me to go.

Back to the bus. Got off at the stop indicated and asked two people for additional directions. The post office ended up around the back of buildings on the main street with no obvious signage.  Got there with five minutes to spare.  The clerk knew I was coming and welcomed me in English.  The computer wasn't cooperating so they got me a chair and ordered me to sit.  I saw pictures of her wedding and trip to the US.  Just before 5:30 I was send off with two packages and two letters.  They have my phone number, so I should know if other items arrive.

Back to the bus for a short ride to the stop for home.  Ends up I passed the post office my package was in three times in my quest today and who knows how many times since it arrived.  Two and a half hours after I started my journey I arrived home and got to see my memories of home. I shared some cookies with my host family.  The lemon cookies are a hit.

Next time the post office trip will take 45 minutes tops.  I learned a lot along the way and also discovered that my Azerbaijan is good enough to figure all this out.  Miracles do happen.

My treats are the best things ever to go into a long weekend with. 

Thanks go out to my wonderful sister for the package and to my friend Jo for the blood orange candy bar. 

Patti

Quba visit

As usual, I'm running about a week behind with my posts and the actual event.  Last weekend I took my first solo trip out to a rayon (region).  My trip was a short distance, 180km a 2 1/2 hour bus ride from the Baku Avtovagzal (bus station)  The Avtovagzal is designed to look like the Titanic. Local buses and some marshruks to the regions depart from the lower level. The "bigger" buses depart from the upper level. There is also a two store outlet mall at the avtovagzal.  Below is a picture of the part of the upper level with the lower level in the background.  The bus station is incredibly busy with local buses departing every couple of minutes.

 My bus to Quba was one of the smaller buses, with "jump" seats in the aisle.  There is a bench seat in the back and two seats up with the driver.  These are primarily for men only and should be rejected by women. The bus driver will try to rearrange the seats so that women are not uncomfortable. The rest of the bus is two seats and one seat.  Once they are filled up, the aisle seats are filled from back to front.  On the way to Quba, I got the last regular seat, however it was over the wheel well and I sat for the entire trip with my bag on my lap and my knees towards my chest.  Most uncomfortable, especially since the padding on the seats is not exactly cushy.

 

The trip to Quba follows the coast north for the first part and then for the last hour heads west towards the mountains.  Quba is known for apples and the region is much greener and a little cooler than Baku.

 

I stayed with another PCV who works with a carpet factory that is all women (a token male, who is related and the driver). There are two rooms with looms and I was able to see women making carpets.  It is incredibly labor intensive, but beautiful to watch.  The factory primarily makes carpets to order. The director sits down with clients to discuss the type, color and design of the carpet. The designs are traditional as part of the mission of the factory is to preserve the designs.The design dictates the sizes that are possible.  Also, while you may order specific colors; the carpet may change as it reveals itself. We had tea in the factory's garden before moving on to our next destination, another PCV's home.

 

Hospitality is incredible in Azerbaijan.  When we arrived and had settled in for the visit, we were served tea and sweets.  Then dinner and capped the visit off with dondurma (ice cream). Ice cream is difficult to find outside the warmer months, so the PCVs look forward to when ice cream becomes available as an end of the cold.  During our visit a couple, who were relatives, stopped by for shots.  Yes, I mean injections.  Like Americans pop pills, the preferred method of delivery of medication appears to be shots.  So, just after tea and before the table was cleared, out came the stuff to get the three injections prepared. Thank goodness they were delivered in a bedroom and we didn't have to watch.  This is all treated with a casual routine that is very matter-of-fact, which makes is all the more interesting.  I hope this doesn't catch on in the states.

 

The next day, we woke up and I got to go to Qirmizi Qesebe the "big red village"  It is reached by a pedestrian bridge(see below)  and is across a river from Quba.  In guide books it is described as the only all-Jewish town outside of Israel and some believe that the inhabitants are direct descendants of one of the "lost tribes".

 

After walking through the village, I grabbed my bags and started my journey back home.  This time, I got a more comfortable seat.  Also the bus was newer and air conditioned.  I really scored. After letting the driver know that I wanted to get off before the Avtovagzel, with help from my fellow passengers. I got off and walked the fifteen minutes home.  The buses will pretty much stop anywhere on their routes, including the side of the freeway.  This is a little odd, but incredibly helpful.

A street in the red village.  Looks very similar to those in Quba, but many have the Star of David instead of the Crescent Star. 

Next weekend, a trip to Mingachevir where there is a large reservoir. I've been told to bring my swimsuit.  This is a longer trip, but I will have company.

Patti

P.S. Azerbaijan words are not necessarily spelled correctly.  There are several letters that I should insert as symbols, but I'm a little lazy.



A typical day - part 2

I described a typical day during training and I want to post a new Daily Activity Schedule (DAS) as a volunteer.  I plan on posting this “typical day” format a few more times during my Peace Corps adventure.  In part, for me to review and see how it changes over the course of 27 months.  I have been a volunteer for about 4 weeks and have been at my site for just about 3 weeks. While I have a work schedule – I work from 9:30 – 4:00, four days a week at one organization.  As I get more comfortable and my language improves, I will expand my service. There is a lot less structure to my week.

My Monday thru Thursday DAS is as follows:

7:30-8:00 -wake up, get ready for the day, make and eat breakfast

8:45 – gather my bag, lunch and head out to work.  It is a 30 minute walk.  Right now the temperature averages in the 80-90’s so it is a toasty walk.

9:15 – arrive at work and say Salam

9:15-1:00 – talk with my counterpart and other staff members.  Look at information/data. Talk with the PCV that am overlapping with until October. Research. Study language.

1:00 – 1:30 lunch

1:30 – 4:00 more work

4:00 – 4:45 walk home.  I’m a little slower at night and often stop in at a store on my way home. I haven’t kicked my diet coke habit and indulge in one a day, in addition to my cups of tea.

On Fridays, I have a two hour tutoring session with my Azerbaijan language teacher.  She is due to move closer to my site in a couple of months and then I should have tutoring in person.  I need to bring my language skills up to intermediate – mid.  They are progressing.

Saturdays I've been exploring and Sundays I rest.

I have gone into Baku four times by myself and have had little adventures each time.  I’m getting a handle on the buses.  There doesn’t appear to be published schedules or routes.  I just ask people who know, including PCVs, my host family and co-workers.  The buses run often, but I need to factor in traffic and construction to get places on time. It also helps if I remember to bring my map.  Directions include behind the mosque near the Turkish Embassy, so time needs to be factored in for the preciseness of the directions.  I now feel comfortable getting to the Peace Corps office, the office by the mosque, a couple of universities and the old city. Right now I’m focusing on the bus system and next I’ll tackle metro. But since you can’t see landmarks in a subway tunnel, I’m staying above ground for now. 

Typical food has not changed much but the timing and serving has. Meals are served family style in the kitchen. I have kitchen privileges and that makes a world of difference.  Though grilled cheese is my only kitchen adventure to date.  I am, however, watching and assisting in the kitchen.

·         Breakfast

o   Yogurt & muesli

o   Eggs

o   Tea

·         Lunch

o   Leftovers – my office has a microwave (Yipee!!)

·         Dinner – lots of variety

o   Bread

o   Soup – not every dinner but often (I really like lentils)

o   Main dish

§  Dolma (grape leaf, cabbage leaf, tomato, eggplant, pepper)

§  Plov (rice dish – supposedly 140+ varieties)

§  Potatoes

§  Potato cutlet (hash browns with greens)

§  Eggplant – fried, steamed, with other stuff

§  Bulger and other grains

§  Salad – combination of cucumber, tomato, onion, pepper and greens

§  Usually some sort of meat (typically beef or chicken) in combination with one or more of the above

I’ve also had a couple of yogurt drinks, which are good in small quantities.

Lots and lots of tea.  Sometimes there is a light meal when I get home from work and then another meal between 8:00 and 9:00.

I’m eating small meals, I think primarily because it is so hot.  The last time I weighed myself, I had lost 15 pounds. I’m looking pretty good.

My family lives on a small salt lake.  The house is on a rise, so we get a nice breeze that really helps with the heat.  There is a wonderful garden, with fruits and vegetables and about 80 chickens.  Only 40 chickens belong to my immediate family, the other half belong to my host father's brother who lives next door. We are currently enjoying cucumber, greens and the tomatoes are starting to come in season.

 

Salam

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End of Life Observance

Last week an aunt of my host family passed away.  I am going to try to describe the mourning observations, as I understand them. 

On they day of death, the body is buried according to tradition.  Azerbaijan is a secular Muslim country and the vast majority of population are members of the Muslim faith.

The mourning period is forty days.  Days of particular importance are the 3rd, 7th and 40th days, along with four Thursdays during the mourning period.  On those days people pay their respects to the family and pray for the soul of the deceased.  I was invited to attend the 7th day observation.  The observation was held in a community hall that had five rows of tables.  Each row sat 60 - 100 people.  Approximately 600 people attended and were served dinner. Not all families' observations include dinner.  Some may only serve tea and sweets.

The dinner was prepared and hosted by family members.  The meal was served in two sittings. The first sitting was for men. An Imam spoke at the beginning of the meal.  He spoke of the deceased, read from the Quran and lead a prayer. The meal consisted of plates of the following; greens and cheese, cucumber, tomatoes and red basil, dogva  (hot or cold yogurt drink with herbs), potatoes and meat, two types of bread, tea and sweets, and helva, a traditional sweet from my family's region. Serving dishes are replaced as needed.  Helva is butter, sugar, a little flour and water. It is a little grainy but has a nutty/caramel taste.   

At the end of each sitting, the Imam gave a prayer, signaling that the guests were free to leave.  The men's sitting filled  about half the seats.  While the men ate, the women were in a different space, mourning the deceased. The women's sitting filled the space.  In between the two sittings, the tables were cleared and reset.  The serving dishes were also cleaned and replenished. As people left, they contribute money to the family.  Each contribution is recorded. People who come after one of the main sittings have started/ended are sat and settings are provided to them. The family members eat after the two primary sittings, getting up as need to meet their guest needs.

There was also lots of cold water, which was greatly appreciated by all.  It was in the low to mid 90's today and no breeze to speak of.  Some women carry fans to keep cool.  The rest of us dabbed our faces with napkins. I believe that a fan is an upcoming purchase.

The event was a lot of work and a wonderful experience.  It is marvelous to see how the family members work together to make sure that each guest is greeted and made to feel welcome. Also it is a special event to remember the deceased and pray for their soul.

Part two of my travels

After swearing in we had one more week of training then on Friday, June 21st I hopped in a car with my accumulation of stuff and made the 15k journey to my new host family.  My new family also has four members, not including the two brothers (of my host father) families who live next door and across the street.  My host sister and brother are both in their mid-twenties vs. mid to late teens of my previous host family.

Our house is on/overlooks a small salt lake.  While it is pretty from a distance, not so much close up. The house is on a slight rise.  This appears to provide for a nice breeze and helps mitigate the heat.  We have had at least one 100 degree day.  Right now it is hovering in the high 80's low 90's and we still have July and August to get through.  I've been advised to stay indoors 11-4. On work days that is easy but we'll see how it works on the weekends.

View from my room through the bedroom screen. This also overlooks the garden which is wonderful.  So far it has produced tut(marionberries), blackberries (not the PNW kind, more like blueberries), cucumber and strawberries.  It also has apple, pear, pomegranate trees.  The garden will have onion, pepper, tomatoes, garlic, beans and potatoes plus lots of  herbs.  My host mother will do a lot of canning to provide vegetables during the winter.

I have regular access to the internet, but water is not terribly reliable.  It seems to have daily issues and due to a break we lost it for over 24 hours.  Typically it is either a water pressure issue or it is turned off for a short period. While it is disconcerting, it can be coped with fairly easily.  I just need to keep my water filter filled.

I continue to work on my language skills.  I will be tutoring with my training teacher via Skype. I'm hoping that she will move to Baku shortly and I can tutor in person. My family and work will also help.

I've started going to my organization but it will take some time to learn about the org, where they would like me to focus and where their is a fit with my skills and their needs.  I'll keep you posted.

Still thrilled I signed up. More to follow. Patti

The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.