Sunday, July 22, 2007
More Photos
this is joe helping me cook fajitas, my sitemates mom and katie eating, the watchtower, and my friend collen and I drinking our 2 liter beer!
Hiking
July 21, 2007
Today was great fun they got all of us pc trainees together and took us north to go hiking! We went to some old ruins of a 5th century watchtower. These towers stretched the distance of the Caucuses and would light fires to send warnings north. As much fun as it was to be somewhere with such historical significance I was in heaven just to be in a forest hiking. It was cooler (not quite yet cool) and it felt nice to get some physical activity that got the heart rate up.
We got to the top and the tower was massive. A few people climbed to the top but I decided I’d pass on that as I saw rocks crumbling off as they were climbing and there were already too many people up there.
As we were starting to go down our language director (who is a host country national) slipped and sprained her ankle pretty bad. I ran down there and suggested that me and one other guy carry her down. But, some of the other host country nationals said that it would not be culturally appropriate so she attempted to walk which wasn’t working and finally allowed us to at least assist by putting her arm over my shoulders to use me and one woman as a crutch. She was a trooper though she walked with limited assistance about 2 miles barefoot with a really bad sprained ankle. Finally about the last 400 meters it was hurting bad enough that she allowed us to use a branch that she could sit on that was long enough for me and one other guy to hold in front of us as she put her arms over our shoulders. When we finally got her down the ankle was really swollen and got her to lay down and elevate it with some ice and got her some Advil.
It’s difficult to accept or sometimes understand the culture over here. In this case this woman hurt herself more because she didn’t want to be “culturally inappropriate”. If we would have been allowed to carry her we would have been down much sooner to get ice on it and without her walking on the foot it would have torn less and healed faster. I have the utmost respect for the culture here but in cases like this where someone’s health or well being is in question it’s frustrating.
Today was great fun they got all of us pc trainees together and took us north to go hiking! We went to some old ruins of a 5th century watchtower. These towers stretched the distance of the Caucuses and would light fires to send warnings north. As much fun as it was to be somewhere with such historical significance I was in heaven just to be in a forest hiking. It was cooler (not quite yet cool) and it felt nice to get some physical activity that got the heart rate up.
We got to the top and the tower was massive. A few people climbed to the top but I decided I’d pass on that as I saw rocks crumbling off as they were climbing and there were already too many people up there.
As we were starting to go down our language director (who is a host country national) slipped and sprained her ankle pretty bad. I ran down there and suggested that me and one other guy carry her down. But, some of the other host country nationals said that it would not be culturally appropriate so she attempted to walk which wasn’t working and finally allowed us to at least assist by putting her arm over my shoulders to use me and one woman as a crutch. She was a trooper though she walked with limited assistance about 2 miles barefoot with a really bad sprained ankle. Finally about the last 400 meters it was hurting bad enough that she allowed us to use a branch that she could sit on that was long enough for me and one other guy to hold in front of us as she put her arms over our shoulders. When we finally got her down the ankle was really swollen and got her to lay down and elevate it with some ice and got her some Advil.
It’s difficult to accept or sometimes understand the culture over here. In this case this woman hurt herself more because she didn’t want to be “culturally inappropriate”. If we would have been allowed to carry her we would have been down much sooner to get ice on it and without her walking on the foot it would have torn less and healed faster. I have the utmost respect for the culture here but in cases like this where someone’s health or well being is in question it’s frustrating.
Chicken Fajitas on a Camp Stove
July 20, 2007
Today was a great day! We had our language club right after our language lessons and we had a ton of kids show up. We decided that next week we are going to split again so we each have our own group and can give more one on one attention. Growing this group is working exactly like I had wanted Cub Scout packs to form when I was working for the Boy Scouts. We are also running it like a Cub pack. We are going to meet in our own ability groups and then meet together in a larger group to do bigger activities hopefully working on language in our smaller groups that will lead into or help the larger activity. It’s great to see all the enthusiasm these kids have when they show up.
After language I went home and started the prep work for chicken fajitas! I invited my site mates, LCF, and a friend from a site next to ours over for a little taste from home. In the Bazaar I was able to get green peppers, onions, chili peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, lemons, cayenne pepper crushed red peppers, and some bread called lavash that’s like a flour torttia.
When I got home I got all the chopping done and then before everyone arrived I found out that the gas was off for the whole town. That’s when my host mom pulled out a camping stove and I thought ah I think I know how to work one of these. The process went a bit slower but I got all the food out and everyone was thrilled to be eating something with some spice to it.
The food here is great but Azerbaijani’s don’t really like spicy foods so having something with a little fire in it was a real treat. Many of you have been asking what kinds of things should you send in care packages and I haven’t really come up with anything in particular because I think completely random things from home is great but after this dinner I’d have to say if anyone could fit a bottle of hot sauce and taco seasoning into a box that stuff is like gold over here. You can’t buy it in any of the stores here they say there are some expat stores in Baku where you could buy some of the taco seasoning but we still can’t go in there and they said they were like $5.00 for one of those 50 cent packets you can get in any grocery store at home. And normally something like that I wouldn’t think $5.00 is a lot but here on a Peace Corps salary that’s a small fortune. (old sports illustrated’s or ESPN the magazine’s would be a great contribution as well especially as college football season get into full swing. Even just email updates on things that are happening in the world and sports. One girl’s friend sends her things like that and she is trying to keep us informed. I don’t get to the internet very often and when I do it’s too slow to browse the news pages)
The dinner was great in two ways the first being the food was so good but the second was the example I was setting for my host brother. This last week in our Youth Development sessions we had a discussion on gender roles and how things are so completely different over here for women. Women here (being mothers, wives, and sisters) are expected to wait on men hand an foot. In my family over here from the beginning I insisted on clearing my own dishes and they thought that was one of the weirdest things they’d ever seen. Then I took it a step further and insisted that I wash my own dish. Now I am able to do all the dishes after meals, but the first few times my mother would stand in the back of the kitchen and watch to make sure I was doing everything all right and occasionally jump in and tell me I had too much soap or something like that.
So as you can believe a man in the kitchen cooking was hard to swallow. My brother came in a number of times with a concerned look on his face and would ask, “Donny, why are you doing this? You should be sitting on the couch and the women should be in here cooking.” and this wasn’t just playful joking he was absolutely serious. After he asked me this I explained how in America men cook for women all the time and how chores around the house are shared equally and how if a women wants to work she can and sometimes men stay at home with the children. Then he would just shake his head and walk out of the kitchen confused.
After the meal was over I told the girls not to help because I wanted to extend the example. I went in and was doing the dishes and my host brother came in, as I was finishing, with another dish and I told him to go ahead and put it on the counter and I would wash it when he said in English, “no I wash” and I stepped aside and watched as my brother probably for the first time washed a dish.
This one thing defiantly is not going to “change the world” or for that matter even make it to where my brother does the dishes on a regular basis, but it did open one 17 year old boys eyes that in some worlds men and women are more equal than they are in his, and some day hopefully this example will make him a better man. I think that’s what Peace Corps is really all about working at the grass roots level showing people through example that there sometimes are different ways of doing things.
Today was a great day! We had our language club right after our language lessons and we had a ton of kids show up. We decided that next week we are going to split again so we each have our own group and can give more one on one attention. Growing this group is working exactly like I had wanted Cub Scout packs to form when I was working for the Boy Scouts. We are also running it like a Cub pack. We are going to meet in our own ability groups and then meet together in a larger group to do bigger activities hopefully working on language in our smaller groups that will lead into or help the larger activity. It’s great to see all the enthusiasm these kids have when they show up.
After language I went home and started the prep work for chicken fajitas! I invited my site mates, LCF, and a friend from a site next to ours over for a little taste from home. In the Bazaar I was able to get green peppers, onions, chili peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, lemons, cayenne pepper crushed red peppers, and some bread called lavash that’s like a flour torttia.
When I got home I got all the chopping done and then before everyone arrived I found out that the gas was off for the whole town. That’s when my host mom pulled out a camping stove and I thought ah I think I know how to work one of these. The process went a bit slower but I got all the food out and everyone was thrilled to be eating something with some spice to it.
The food here is great but Azerbaijani’s don’t really like spicy foods so having something with a little fire in it was a real treat. Many of you have been asking what kinds of things should you send in care packages and I haven’t really come up with anything in particular because I think completely random things from home is great but after this dinner I’d have to say if anyone could fit a bottle of hot sauce and taco seasoning into a box that stuff is like gold over here. You can’t buy it in any of the stores here they say there are some expat stores in Baku where you could buy some of the taco seasoning but we still can’t go in there and they said they were like $5.00 for one of those 50 cent packets you can get in any grocery store at home. And normally something like that I wouldn’t think $5.00 is a lot but here on a Peace Corps salary that’s a small fortune. (old sports illustrated’s or ESPN the magazine’s would be a great contribution as well especially as college football season get into full swing. Even just email updates on things that are happening in the world and sports. One girl’s friend sends her things like that and she is trying to keep us informed. I don’t get to the internet very often and when I do it’s too slow to browse the news pages)
The dinner was great in two ways the first being the food was so good but the second was the example I was setting for my host brother. This last week in our Youth Development sessions we had a discussion on gender roles and how things are so completely different over here for women. Women here (being mothers, wives, and sisters) are expected to wait on men hand an foot. In my family over here from the beginning I insisted on clearing my own dishes and they thought that was one of the weirdest things they’d ever seen. Then I took it a step further and insisted that I wash my own dish. Now I am able to do all the dishes after meals, but the first few times my mother would stand in the back of the kitchen and watch to make sure I was doing everything all right and occasionally jump in and tell me I had too much soap or something like that.
So as you can believe a man in the kitchen cooking was hard to swallow. My brother came in a number of times with a concerned look on his face and would ask, “Donny, why are you doing this? You should be sitting on the couch and the women should be in here cooking.” and this wasn’t just playful joking he was absolutely serious. After he asked me this I explained how in America men cook for women all the time and how chores around the house are shared equally and how if a women wants to work she can and sometimes men stay at home with the children. Then he would just shake his head and walk out of the kitchen confused.
After the meal was over I told the girls not to help because I wanted to extend the example. I went in and was doing the dishes and my host brother came in, as I was finishing, with another dish and I told him to go ahead and put it on the counter and I would wash it when he said in English, “no I wash” and I stepped aside and watched as my brother probably for the first time washed a dish.
This one thing defiantly is not going to “change the world” or for that matter even make it to where my brother does the dishes on a regular basis, but it did open one 17 year old boys eyes that in some worlds men and women are more equal than they are in his, and some day hopefully this example will make him a better man. I think that’s what Peace Corps is really all about working at the grass roots level showing people through example that there sometimes are different ways of doing things.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Photos
these are photos of some of my host family
the first is my host mom the second is my host uncle then my host brother and last is my host niece and nephew
Sheki Visit
July 16, 2007
This weekend was our site visits. We all got go visit a volunteer at their site and see what their normal routine as a PCV is like. As I write this I’m hanging out at my Volunteers office while he gets a few things done. I got lucky and got to go up north to Sheki which is at the foothills of the mountains. Things are much cooler up here and yesterday and today it actually rained! It was nice it felt a bit like home other than the fact I’ve heard you guys have been in the middle of a heat wave.
I came out here with two other volunteers who are staying with someone who lives on their own and then I’m staying with a guy that still lives with a host family. The marshrutka ride was interesting I’ll have to dedicate an entire blog one day describing a marshrutka ride just think of a van smaller than a 15 passenger with about 17 people and their stuff with no AC. It took 5 and a half hours to drive the just under 200 miles with two scheduled stops and one stop because a boy vomited a two rows in front of us. When we got here we were greeted by the two sheki volunteers and were taken to one of their homes where we had a wonderful dinner of taco salad!!
The next day I my host volunteer took a few boys from his youth site and me hiking up above the city which was amazing. We first went to an ancient Albanian church called Kish and then we hiked up to an old abandoned fortress called Gelerson gorison, which was built by the sheki khans in 18th century. We met up for tea with the girls and another American who is doing a 2-month internship with an aid organization. Then we went to awesome hotel, which had Cheese Burgers!! After the burgers we went up to another fortress, which was built by Genghis Khan’s Grandson and had a couple of beers in a really neat outdoor bar.
I’ve really enjoyed coming out here to see how things are on a day to day basis and I think it’s defiantly a motivation to keep working hard on the language. It’s amazing how well they speak only having been here a year.
Tonight we’re going to a concert to hear real life country music. I guess some band is in Azerbaijan touring on a cultural experience tour and we are lucky enough to be in the town they’re stopping in! I can’t even believe my luck a cheeseburger one day and a country concert the next! Yeah buddy someone’s living right!
This weekend was our site visits. We all got go visit a volunteer at their site and see what their normal routine as a PCV is like. As I write this I’m hanging out at my Volunteers office while he gets a few things done. I got lucky and got to go up north to Sheki which is at the foothills of the mountains. Things are much cooler up here and yesterday and today it actually rained! It was nice it felt a bit like home other than the fact I’ve heard you guys have been in the middle of a heat wave.
I came out here with two other volunteers who are staying with someone who lives on their own and then I’m staying with a guy that still lives with a host family. The marshrutka ride was interesting I’ll have to dedicate an entire blog one day describing a marshrutka ride just think of a van smaller than a 15 passenger with about 17 people and their stuff with no AC. It took 5 and a half hours to drive the just under 200 miles with two scheduled stops and one stop because a boy vomited a two rows in front of us. When we got here we were greeted by the two sheki volunteers and were taken to one of their homes where we had a wonderful dinner of taco salad!!
The next day I my host volunteer took a few boys from his youth site and me hiking up above the city which was amazing. We first went to an ancient Albanian church called Kish and then we hiked up to an old abandoned fortress called Gelerson gorison, which was built by the sheki khans in 18th century. We met up for tea with the girls and another American who is doing a 2-month internship with an aid organization. Then we went to awesome hotel, which had Cheese Burgers!! After the burgers we went up to another fortress, which was built by Genghis Khan’s Grandson and had a couple of beers in a really neat outdoor bar.
I’ve really enjoyed coming out here to see how things are on a day to day basis and I think it’s defiantly a motivation to keep working hard on the language. It’s amazing how well they speak only having been here a year.
Tonight we’re going to a concert to hear real life country music. I guess some band is in Azerbaijan touring on a cultural experience tour and we are lucky enough to be in the town they’re stopping in! I can’t even believe my luck a cheeseburger one day and a country concert the next! Yeah buddy someone’s living right!
English Conversation Club
July 12, 2007
Today we had our first English conversation club and it was a huge success. As youth development directors PC wants us to create English conversation clubs within our communities as a way for us to learn how to work within the communities and learn more about the youth of Azerbaijan, while providing an opportunity for the youth to practice their English, which is a seen as a very marketable skill here.
Me and the four other volunteers at my site decided to have our first meeting together and then gradually split off into our individual groups. As we’ve been preparing for the meeting we had wondered whether anyone would show up or if it would only be guys, since most of our families said girls wouldn’t show up because they have too many other things to do (which means preparing food and cleaning up after the men), but we were all surprised and excited when an hour before the meeting was supposed to begin people started to show up. In all we had 16 people show up and even more exciting over half were girls! This is our seed and each additional week each of them will bring more and more friends and pretty soon we should have a big group of youth to practice English with. We’re going to try to do it in an environment where they are learning while having fun.
Things are still going great. I haven’t even had a down day yet. Everyday there is something new I learn and some new food I eat I’m really enjoying my time here.
Today we had our first English conversation club and it was a huge success. As youth development directors PC wants us to create English conversation clubs within our communities as a way for us to learn how to work within the communities and learn more about the youth of Azerbaijan, while providing an opportunity for the youth to practice their English, which is a seen as a very marketable skill here.
Me and the four other volunteers at my site decided to have our first meeting together and then gradually split off into our individual groups. As we’ve been preparing for the meeting we had wondered whether anyone would show up or if it would only be guys, since most of our families said girls wouldn’t show up because they have too many other things to do (which means preparing food and cleaning up after the men), but we were all surprised and excited when an hour before the meeting was supposed to begin people started to show up. In all we had 16 people show up and even more exciting over half were girls! This is our seed and each additional week each of them will bring more and more friends and pretty soon we should have a big group of youth to practice English with. We’re going to try to do it in an environment where they are learning while having fun.
Things are still going great. I haven’t even had a down day yet. Everyday there is something new I learn and some new food I eat I’m really enjoying my time here.
First Day Off
July 8, 2007
I just got done reading my post from yesterday and realized how many spelling and grammatical errors I had writing it after a long day. Just remember I warned you in the first post that this is in no way a way for me to demonstrate my vast literary abilities especially as I mainly write this at night while falling asleep.
Today I had my first day off and it was great. I took the bus into Sumguyait by myself and just wandered around and explored. The bazaar is amazing. I really liked going through the food area. There are so many different kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables and then there is this meat area that has all different kinds of animal meat being cut up with axes and random animal parts hanging on hooks. I really wanted a picture but as I was by myself and was drawing all sorts of attention to myself just by being there I thought I would wait until there was a larger group of us where it would be impossible to try to blend in and more accepted for us to take pictures.
After walking through the bazaar for 3 or 4 hours I went out and had a Donner, which is a very popular sidewalk food. There are these stands on just about every corner that have this skewer of stacked meat and fat that spins next to a heating source. They shave the meat off on a little fry surface where they sauté it with tomato’s and cucumber’s and then stuff it in a piece of bread with a white sauce and some red sauce. It costs about 30 qepik (or just over 30 cents) and will be enough to fill you up for a meal. I think I’ll probably eat these as a staple when I have to eat out just because they are so good and inexpensive.
Then I went to the internet café and tried unsuccessfully to post some pictures on my blog. Blog spot is in Azeri here and I can’t find the options button to figure out how to make it in English because it’s in Azeri. I can post blogs on it just because I can sometimes remember where the buttons are that guide me through that process. So as for pictures I will try to post some as soon as I can but it may take a little while.
After I got done I took the bus back home studied had another amazing meal and studied some more. I don’t think I ever studied this hard or much while I was in school. Living in a place where the majority of the communication is done playing charades really motivates you to learn the language!
I just got done reading my post from yesterday and realized how many spelling and grammatical errors I had writing it after a long day. Just remember I warned you in the first post that this is in no way a way for me to demonstrate my vast literary abilities especially as I mainly write this at night while falling asleep.
Today I had my first day off and it was great. I took the bus into Sumguyait by myself and just wandered around and explored. The bazaar is amazing. I really liked going through the food area. There are so many different kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables and then there is this meat area that has all different kinds of animal meat being cut up with axes and random animal parts hanging on hooks. I really wanted a picture but as I was by myself and was drawing all sorts of attention to myself just by being there I thought I would wait until there was a larger group of us where it would be impossible to try to blend in and more accepted for us to take pictures.
After walking through the bazaar for 3 or 4 hours I went out and had a Donner, which is a very popular sidewalk food. There are these stands on just about every corner that have this skewer of stacked meat and fat that spins next to a heating source. They shave the meat off on a little fry surface where they sauté it with tomato’s and cucumber’s and then stuff it in a piece of bread with a white sauce and some red sauce. It costs about 30 qepik (or just over 30 cents) and will be enough to fill you up for a meal. I think I’ll probably eat these as a staple when I have to eat out just because they are so good and inexpensive.
Then I went to the internet café and tried unsuccessfully to post some pictures on my blog. Blog spot is in Azeri here and I can’t find the options button to figure out how to make it in English because it’s in Azeri. I can post blogs on it just because I can sometimes remember where the buttons are that guide me through that process. So as for pictures I will try to post some as soon as I can but it may take a little while.
After I got done I took the bus back home studied had another amazing meal and studied some more. I don’t think I ever studied this hard or much while I was in school. Living in a place where the majority of the communication is done playing charades really motivates you to learn the language!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
40 Day Funeral
July 7, 2007
Today after language lessons I went over to my uncles where I was able to participate in part of the Azeri culture. My Nana died 40 days ago today and here in Azerbaijan when someone dies you throw a big feast 40 days later.
By big I don’t mean your extended family and a few family friends I mean massive. They had a tent set up in the road out front that blocked the entire road making people turn around and find a different street. In the tent were three rows of tables about 30 meters long. Then the massive courtyard was filled with rows of tables, and there were people spilling out all around the tent.
You would think it would be difficult to feed all these people. I have to tell you Azeri Women are amazing, they would put any military chow line to shame. Everything was family style on the table and things that needed to be hot were hot and things that needed to be cold were cold, which is pretty impressive for a 100+ degree day. Then after everyone was done all the dishes were collected washed and about an hour later I was called back to the table and we ate again. This happened over and over again all day long no joke. We went through 1 cow, 2 sheep, and more cheese, vegetables and bread then I’ve ever seen. In between the rounds we would drink tea and eat this stuff everyone says is “very very healthy for you” it consists of oil and sugar! And no they weren’t being sarcastic.
Something kinda funny about this stuff. I was sitting next to someone that spoke about as much English as my Azeri. Between our language abilities or lack there of I was trying to figure out what it was made of and for about an hour I had thought I had just eaten a cremated nana! He told me ah sugar oil and pointed at it and said nana and shook his head and then everyone at the table shook their heads and said ah, nana as they pointed towards the mystery substance. Finally someone with better English skills showed up and assured me that no I had not just eaten our dead grandmother but that this is a dish you only eat when someone dies and they were trying to tell me the reason we were eating it was because nana had died. Assured but still a bit freaked out I stayed away from it the rest of the day and night.
I’m still having a great first week with my family. It’s hard to believe I’ve only been in my town a week tomorrow! It feels like it’s been a month. As I think about it though I’m happy it’s seems so long. In the big scheme of things when life is easy time seems to fly by and you wonder where it went. I’m happy things are uncomfortable enough to help me realize that I’m alive every day. I hope and wish everyone can experience life like I am in there own way. I challenge each of you to go about there and do something outside you comfort zone everyday I think it will help you live a richer life.
Ok I’ll get off my soapbox now. I did warn each of you in my first post that things could go anywhere. These are just some thoughts and feelings I’ve had the last few days.
Other interesting things:
4th of July my site got together at one of our host families house and they made BBQ chicken and BBQ beef spare ribs with a couple of beers for s to share. It was a great gesture on there part to make us feel welcome.
I found out that I’m already 30! In Azerbaijan they count that when you are born that is your first year and so on! Not sure I know how I feel about that yet! I thought I had one more month more to come to terms with that one!
Well I hope all is well back home,
Donny
July 7, 2007
Today after language lessons I went over to my uncles where I was able to participate in part of the Azeri culture. My Nana died 40 days ago today and here in Azerbaijan when someone dies you throw a big feast 40 days later.
By big I don’t mean your extended family and a few family friends I mean massive. They had a tent set up in the road out front that blocked the entire road making people turn around and find a different street. In the tent were three rows of tables about 30 meters long. Then the massive courtyard was filled with rows of tables, and there were people spilling out all around the tent.
You would think it would be difficult to feed all these people. I have to tell you Azeri Women are amazing, they would put any military chow line to shame. Everything was family style on the table and things that needed to be hot were hot and things that needed to be cold were cold, which is pretty impressive for a 100+ degree day. Then after everyone was done all the dishes were collected washed and about an hour later I was called back to the table and we ate again. This happened over and over again all day long no joke. We went through 1 cow, 2 sheep, and more cheese, vegetables and bread then I’ve ever seen. In between the rounds we would drink tea and eat this stuff everyone says is “very very healthy for you” it consists of oil and sugar! And no they weren’t being sarcastic.
Something kinda funny about this stuff. I was sitting next to someone that spoke about as much English as my Azeri. Between our language abilities or lack there of I was trying to figure out what it was made of and for about an hour I had thought I had just eaten a cremated nana! He told me ah sugar oil and pointed at it and said nana and shook his head and then everyone at the table shook their heads and said ah, nana as they pointed towards the mystery substance. Finally someone with better English skills showed up and assured me that no I had not just eaten our dead grandmother but that this is a dish you only eat when someone dies and they were trying to tell me the reason we were eating it was because nana had died. Assured but still a bit freaked out I stayed away from it the rest of the day and night.
I’m still having a great first week with my family. It’s hard to believe I’ve only been in my town a week tomorrow! It feels like it’s been a month. As I think about it though I’m happy it’s seems so long. In the big scheme of things when life is easy time seems to fly by and you wonder where it went. I’m happy things are uncomfortable enough to help me realize that I’m alive every day. I hope and wish everyone can experience life like I am in there own way. I challenge each of you to go about there and do something outside you comfort zone everyday I think it will help you live a richer life.
Ok I’ll get off my soapbox now. I did warn each of you in my first post that things could go anywhere. These are just some thoughts and feelings I’ve had the last few days.
Other interesting things:
4th of July my site got together at one of our host families house and they made BBQ chicken and BBQ beef spare ribs with a couple of beers for s to share. It was a great gesture on there part to make us feel welcome.
I found out that I’m already 30! In Azerbaijan they count that when you are born that is your first year and so on! Not sure I know how I feel about that yet! I thought I had one more month more to come to terms with that one!
Well I hope all is well back home,
Donny
Friday, July 6, 2007
THe Other Side Of The Wall
July 3, 2007
I’ve had a couple really good days. Last night I went to my Uncle’s house for dinner. We had some great food and tried unsuccessfully to communicate. When I got there I greeted them in Azeri and told them my name and that I was from America, which is the extent other than a few random words of my language abilities. However, I think because I said a few words in Azeri they thought I could understand everything they were saying to me. When all they got were blank stares they tried to talk louder and slower. After still receiving blank stares we all had a good laugh. It really reminded me of my family when we had exchange students and of how our conversations went the same way, if they don’t understand just talk louder and then they’ll understand. It didn’t work then and I can attest that it still doesn’t work today.
What I really enjoyed though was that I accomplished literally not yet figuratively one of the reasons I joined Peace Corps. In all the different places I’ve traveled I’ve seen the outside of peoples worlds. You drive by in an air-conditioned bus at 60 mph and say “wow that looks like a dirty or hard place to live, how do people live like that.” But you never really see inside. The place I went to yesterday and where I live would look like that from a bus. The dirt streets are littered with garbage, animals picking through the trash for anything edible, and all these bare walls with modest homes inside them. However as I was sitting in one of the most beautiful clean courtyards surrounded by a picturesque fruit and vegetable garden I realized I was on the other side of the wall. I know I’m not even close to knowing these wonderful people and I look forward to that day. I am just glad I was cognitive enough to realize the moment. It’s amazing where your mind will take you when it’s not filled with mindless chatter.
Today we had our first cluster meeting. This is where all the Youth Development volunteers, three groups of five from different sites, come together. We learned a bit more of what we’ll be doing as YD Volunteers and I couldn’t be more excited. For the next 9 months we’ll be directing English-speaking clubs in an attempt to earn trust in our communities while we learn the language. During this time we will develop relationships to find where our skills can best be used. I’m really excited and optimistic about the potential for our program I could tell our permanent PC staff person responsible for YD really has her heart in the program.
I hope all is well at home,
Donny
I’ve had a couple really good days. Last night I went to my Uncle’s house for dinner. We had some great food and tried unsuccessfully to communicate. When I got there I greeted them in Azeri and told them my name and that I was from America, which is the extent other than a few random words of my language abilities. However, I think because I said a few words in Azeri they thought I could understand everything they were saying to me. When all they got were blank stares they tried to talk louder and slower. After still receiving blank stares we all had a good laugh. It really reminded me of my family when we had exchange students and of how our conversations went the same way, if they don’t understand just talk louder and then they’ll understand. It didn’t work then and I can attest that it still doesn’t work today.
What I really enjoyed though was that I accomplished literally not yet figuratively one of the reasons I joined Peace Corps. In all the different places I’ve traveled I’ve seen the outside of peoples worlds. You drive by in an air-conditioned bus at 60 mph and say “wow that looks like a dirty or hard place to live, how do people live like that.” But you never really see inside. The place I went to yesterday and where I live would look like that from a bus. The dirt streets are littered with garbage, animals picking through the trash for anything edible, and all these bare walls with modest homes inside them. However as I was sitting in one of the most beautiful clean courtyards surrounded by a picturesque fruit and vegetable garden I realized I was on the other side of the wall. I know I’m not even close to knowing these wonderful people and I look forward to that day. I am just glad I was cognitive enough to realize the moment. It’s amazing where your mind will take you when it’s not filled with mindless chatter.
Today we had our first cluster meeting. This is where all the Youth Development volunteers, three groups of five from different sites, come together. We learned a bit more of what we’ll be doing as YD Volunteers and I couldn’t be more excited. For the next 9 months we’ll be directing English-speaking clubs in an attempt to earn trust in our communities while we learn the language. During this time we will develop relationships to find where our skills can best be used. I’m really excited and optimistic about the potential for our program I could tell our permanent PC staff person responsible for YD really has her heart in the program.
I hope all is well at home,
Donny
Sumguyat
July 1, 2007
Today I woke up well rested. I had worried that I wouldn’t sleep at all the first night. However I fell right to sleep and then never woke until a few minutes before my alarm went off. After waking I went out and my Ana (mother) had breakfast waiting for me. It was the same spread I’ve eaten every morning here. It had bread, hard-boiled eggs, tomato, cucumber, basil leaves, cheese, and tea. I really like it and it was all fresh from the garden or freshly made. After breakfast my host brother walked me to school.
At school I met up with the other four volunteers in my site and we jumped on a bus to go to Sumguyat to get some supplies and a cell phone. It’s interesting how in many areas of Azerbaijan they don’t have running water and electricity 24 hours a day but they do have cell phones and satellite television. The new technology has leap-frogged the need for some of the infrastructure. Peace Corps has made it mandatory for each of us to get a cell phone, and while I was proud I didn’t have one while I lived in the states I am actually happy Peace Corps provides it for our safety.
Sumguyat is great it’s the second largest city in Azerbaijan and a suburb of Baku the largest city. In the bazaar you could get just about anything just in a different way then most people in the US are used to. For those of you from the Portland area think, Saturday’s market but huge and with things you actually need on a daily basis rather than just things you would give away as gifts. It’s a bit overwhelming at first but I think after getting your bearings a city like this would be fun to live in someday.
We first went to the cell phone store, which our LCD Vafa got us to before the rest of the AZ5’s (Azerbaijan class 5) she rocks. We got our phones and then headed to the Bazaar where we got power regulators, shower shoes, money exchanged and saw all sorts of cool little shops I want to go back and explore through. Then we headed to the Internet café, which I only had the chance to leave my address here and send a quick email to my mom. I had written my last post but as I was copying it to my memory stick my battery died. After that we went and had lunch and then headed back to our town about a half hour away.
When I got back I had another great meal and played real life charades. I really feel fortunate to have been placed with such a great family. We have no idea what each other is trying to say but we all have a good laugh.
As for the address and mail please don’t feel obligated to send anything it’s kind of expensive, but if you have nothing else to do, a fair bit of cash, and would like to send me something from home there is a flat rate box you can get that costs about $34 and you can send anything you can fit in it up to like 70 pounds (kinda funny because when you look at it, even if you filled it with lead it probably wouldn’t weigh 70 pounds) I haven’t been heard how much it costs to send letters but I’m sure much cheaper so feel free to send just a note or even an email would be great just to hear how everyone is doing back home.
I hope all is well,
Donny
Today I woke up well rested. I had worried that I wouldn’t sleep at all the first night. However I fell right to sleep and then never woke until a few minutes before my alarm went off. After waking I went out and my Ana (mother) had breakfast waiting for me. It was the same spread I’ve eaten every morning here. It had bread, hard-boiled eggs, tomato, cucumber, basil leaves, cheese, and tea. I really like it and it was all fresh from the garden or freshly made. After breakfast my host brother walked me to school.
At school I met up with the other four volunteers in my site and we jumped on a bus to go to Sumguyat to get some supplies and a cell phone. It’s interesting how in many areas of Azerbaijan they don’t have running water and electricity 24 hours a day but they do have cell phones and satellite television. The new technology has leap-frogged the need for some of the infrastructure. Peace Corps has made it mandatory for each of us to get a cell phone, and while I was proud I didn’t have one while I lived in the states I am actually happy Peace Corps provides it for our safety.
Sumguyat is great it’s the second largest city in Azerbaijan and a suburb of Baku the largest city. In the bazaar you could get just about anything just in a different way then most people in the US are used to. For those of you from the Portland area think, Saturday’s market but huge and with things you actually need on a daily basis rather than just things you would give away as gifts. It’s a bit overwhelming at first but I think after getting your bearings a city like this would be fun to live in someday.
We first went to the cell phone store, which our LCD Vafa got us to before the rest of the AZ5’s (Azerbaijan class 5) she rocks. We got our phones and then headed to the Bazaar where we got power regulators, shower shoes, money exchanged and saw all sorts of cool little shops I want to go back and explore through. Then we headed to the Internet café, which I only had the chance to leave my address here and send a quick email to my mom. I had written my last post but as I was copying it to my memory stick my battery died. After that we went and had lunch and then headed back to our town about a half hour away.
When I got back I had another great meal and played real life charades. I really feel fortunate to have been placed with such a great family. We have no idea what each other is trying to say but we all have a good laugh.
As for the address and mail please don’t feel obligated to send anything it’s kind of expensive, but if you have nothing else to do, a fair bit of cash, and would like to send me something from home there is a flat rate box you can get that costs about $34 and you can send anything you can fit in it up to like 70 pounds (kinda funny because when you look at it, even if you filled it with lead it probably wouldn’t weigh 70 pounds) I haven’t been heard how much it costs to send letters but I’m sure much cheaper so feel free to send just a note or even an email would be great just to hear how everyone is doing back home.
I hope all is well,
Donny
First Night
June 30, 2007
Holly Cow today was so crazy! But, first I’ll start with a brief wrap-up from the last time I posted. We landed in Istanbul, Turkey had a three-hour layover and then we were off to Baku. After clearing customs and getting our luggage we walked out of the airport to a cheering group of PC staff and a few volunteers. We were loaded up on busses and taken up to a town a few hours north of Baku to an Olympic center where athletes live and train. For the next three days we learned very basic survival language, cultural skills, and a general welcome to PC Azerbaijan.
Today we loaded the busses again and took off for our new host families. Leading up to this I hadn’t been nervous just anxious to get started. However, as our bus pulled up to my new town I was finally feeling a nervousness words could never describe. As it turned out it was very chaotic (in my non Azeri speaking mind) as we got off the busses my LCD (Language and Cultural Director) told me she couldn’t get my family on the phone so I may go with another volunteer and his host family and they will drop me off at my new home. This made me even more nervous thinking how is this going to work with zero communication between us and the host families as neither of us speak each other’s language. And how was I supposed to tell my family all the things my LCD was telling the other families. Then all of a sudden she grabbed some people hanging around a car at the end of the road and talked to them in Azeri and told me here they will take you to your home. As I was riding in the car I felt the Oh crap what have I gotten myself into moment. We pulled up to a home got out and there was a group of people all smiling and motioning come come. At this point all I could remember from my crash course in Azeri language was Salom (hello). Everything turned to a blur as they brought me inside and to my new room. They brought out pictures I showed them pictures of my family and we began the hilarious attempt at sign language.
As it turns out the people I was sent away with were in fact my brother and cousin. At my home I was greeted by my mother brother and cousins. My family on paper said I would be living with a Host mother, grandmother and two brothers 16 and 18 years old. I was told that one brother was gone in the army and the other works in Baku most of the time. I found that my grandmother had died a month ago and my younger brother will be around I think (it took me awhile to understand through sign language that nana had died and wasn’t asleep in another room).
After the blur of meeting they left me in my room to unpack. All I could think was holy cow what have I gotten myself into, this is so crazy. But as I got myself situated my Ana (mother) came in and motioned to her mouth that we would be eating I went out and ate some delicious food and as time went some of my limited language started to come back and I carried my notebook which I had written other phrases and words in. After dinner they showed me how and let me shower. Then for the rest of the evening we sat in the living room looking at more pictures and I tried to explain how I have so many brothers and sisters and how no my dad doesn’t have two wives and then even more excitedly no my mom doesn’t have two husbands. This was a conversation I began to think should have been done when I had a better grasp of the language but then all of a sudden it clicked and they remembered the PCV they had last year had parents that divorced and remarried and then all the blank stares were gone.
As I sit here tonight in my room I know I will never forget this day for the rest of my life. It is hard to describe the feelings I have. I feel more alone then I have ever felt, but that’s exciting and exhilarating at the same time. I couldn’t be happier this is exactly what I was looking for. By that I mean the total chaos and never knowing what’s around the next corner. I have that feeling again that I’ve been searching for ever since I left the trail that every day is a new day.
I hope everyone is doing fine and please know I couldn’t be in a better place right now.
I hope all are well,
Donny
Holly Cow today was so crazy! But, first I’ll start with a brief wrap-up from the last time I posted. We landed in Istanbul, Turkey had a three-hour layover and then we were off to Baku. After clearing customs and getting our luggage we walked out of the airport to a cheering group of PC staff and a few volunteers. We were loaded up on busses and taken up to a town a few hours north of Baku to an Olympic center where athletes live and train. For the next three days we learned very basic survival language, cultural skills, and a general welcome to PC Azerbaijan.
Today we loaded the busses again and took off for our new host families. Leading up to this I hadn’t been nervous just anxious to get started. However, as our bus pulled up to my new town I was finally feeling a nervousness words could never describe. As it turned out it was very chaotic (in my non Azeri speaking mind) as we got off the busses my LCD (Language and Cultural Director) told me she couldn’t get my family on the phone so I may go with another volunteer and his host family and they will drop me off at my new home. This made me even more nervous thinking how is this going to work with zero communication between us and the host families as neither of us speak each other’s language. And how was I supposed to tell my family all the things my LCD was telling the other families. Then all of a sudden she grabbed some people hanging around a car at the end of the road and talked to them in Azeri and told me here they will take you to your home. As I was riding in the car I felt the Oh crap what have I gotten myself into moment. We pulled up to a home got out and there was a group of people all smiling and motioning come come. At this point all I could remember from my crash course in Azeri language was Salom (hello). Everything turned to a blur as they brought me inside and to my new room. They brought out pictures I showed them pictures of my family and we began the hilarious attempt at sign language.
As it turns out the people I was sent away with were in fact my brother and cousin. At my home I was greeted by my mother brother and cousins. My family on paper said I would be living with a Host mother, grandmother and two brothers 16 and 18 years old. I was told that one brother was gone in the army and the other works in Baku most of the time. I found that my grandmother had died a month ago and my younger brother will be around I think (it took me awhile to understand through sign language that nana had died and wasn’t asleep in another room).
After the blur of meeting they left me in my room to unpack. All I could think was holy cow what have I gotten myself into, this is so crazy. But as I got myself situated my Ana (mother) came in and motioned to her mouth that we would be eating I went out and ate some delicious food and as time went some of my limited language started to come back and I carried my notebook which I had written other phrases and words in. After dinner they showed me how and let me shower. Then for the rest of the evening we sat in the living room looking at more pictures and I tried to explain how I have so many brothers and sisters and how no my dad doesn’t have two wives and then even more excitedly no my mom doesn’t have two husbands. This was a conversation I began to think should have been done when I had a better grasp of the language but then all of a sudden it clicked and they remembered the PCV they had last year had parents that divorced and remarried and then all the blank stares were gone.
As I sit here tonight in my room I know I will never forget this day for the rest of my life. It is hard to describe the feelings I have. I feel more alone then I have ever felt, but that’s exciting and exhilarating at the same time. I couldn’t be happier this is exactly what I was looking for. By that I mean the total chaos and never knowing what’s around the next corner. I have that feeling again that I’ve been searching for ever since I left the trail that every day is a new day.
I hope everyone is doing fine and please know I couldn’t be in a better place right now.
I hope all are well,
Donny
Sunday, July 1, 2007
just a quick post
I'm here at my site for the next 3 months i don't have any time today to tell you all about it but i will as soon as i can if you would like to mail me anything my address till sept 12th is:
Donald Stevens
c/o U.S. Peace Corps
PO Box 77
Baku, Azerbaijan
AZ 1000
Donald Stevens
c/o U.S. Peace Corps
PO Box 77
Baku, Azerbaijan
AZ 1000
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