The long road home - many to thank!

Just a quick post to say I finished my Peace Corps service in Azerbaijan on July 5th, 2013 and flew back to Minneapolis on July 6th. So many thoughts going thru my head this Monday morning July 8th but special thanks to my son Anton for greeting me Sunday morning at the Minneapolis airport and later installing a window air conditioner at my place. We walked to Common Roots together for breakfast where we ran into RPCV Jack Barden who served with his wife Jane in Turkmenistan 2004 - 2005 (I think). Also thanks to RPCVs Kjerstin and Karl who served in Ghana recently and stayed in my condo for 3 months while I finished my service. So nice to come home to a spic-and-span place!

Most of all thanks for Country Director Macie and the Peace Corps staff for allowing me the opportunity to return to Azerbaijan after sustaining a broken shoulder in a traffic accident. Frankly, I never imagined it would be so hard to say good-bye.

Re-adjustment issues started right away when Delta airlines reps. at JFK were so unhelpful after I missed my connecting flight to Mpls Saturday evening by 5 minutes and plane was sitting at gate but gate was closed! Sunday morning flight was filled with Delta customers who also missed connecting flights. Then I paid $2.49 for a pack of Trident gum. So much for Welcome Home!

I've opened up access to my blog again, and hope in the next few days to post some reflections on life back here in USA and also many wonderful memories of my service as a teacher in Azerbaijan. For now, I'm enjoying a cup of coffee and a bowl of Cheerios with skim milk for breakfast. Then it's time for a haircut, manicure and pedicure!

Always a photo and this one is of the guys in my Azerbaijani life who helped load my belongings for the trip to Baku: the taxi driver, Georgie and his brother Iggy, their father, and Arif, the father of Shalala Muellime, one of my English teachers.

The Man with the Golden Pen

I'm slowing down but anxious during my final week in Azerbaijan. I've had enough of English classes and activities at school as I prepare to finish my Peace Corps service. I traveled with my host family to nana#1's house in Boradigah for a few days and that is always very relaxing. A nice clean, breezy room with a comfortable bed and western toilet. (Except for filling a bucket of water to flush it.) I forgot to bring along a power adapter so my iPod ran out of power, but I did manage to finish reading Team of Rivals on my kindle.

I decided to “interview” nana to find out what foods she remembers eating 50 years ago, and it turned out to be pretty darned interesting. To her, they had more food when she was young and had better electricity, gas, refrigeration etc, under the soviet system. But the real surprise was her re-telling of saving 5 people from drowning when she was a teenager and getting a medal for it. She was working on a farm near a river and heard people crying for help. She got a branch from a tree to pull them out – earning their gratitude forever. She said they even came to her wedding when she was 18, and one of them still lives in Boradigah today.

Several of nana's sons also came to visit while I was there.  The butcher from Baku gets a sheep regularly to sell in his shop, and another son has a business in Astara, Iran – just over the border and about 30 minutes away. He always brings wonderful candy from Iran. His wife is a doctor and did some blood-letting from nana's back, scoffing when Georgie wondered if we do this in America. Unfortunately, the wife of the son from Baku suffered appendicitis when she arrived in Boradigah, and had to have surgery at the Masalli hospital. We stopped to visit her on our way home. Many mention how beautiful Azeri women are, and even this bed-ridden woman was in discomfort but looked marvelous. Their daughter Limon is 17 so I'll guess that she is 35 years old.

Tea and treats arranged on a cloth on the floor.

One other notable event took place while I was in Boradigah. Nana, host mother Valida, and I were invited to visit some relatives in the village. Valida told me ahead of time that she was taking some clothing to them because they were poor. As soon as we got to the 2-story apartment building I knew it would be a tough situation. It was one of those images forever imprinted of a tacky apartment but filled with chattering women. Of course they had laid out their best dishes and food on the floor for all to enjoy. Someone pointed to seats at the end of the narrow room for me and nana, but everyone else sat on the floor. I spent several hours listening to 14 women of varying ages and shapes talk about what women talk about the world over: recipes and health.

Returning to Masalli on Tuesday, I put 400 photos on a flash drive to be printed and put into albums as gifts. I traveled to Lankeran on Thursday to give some craft materials to PCV Cherril. I also arranged for a young man to come to Masalli school #3 Friday morning to speak about studying in the USA to 10 students.

To top off the week, I went “guesting” Friday evening at the home of an English teacher's family. I am still emotional about it because Shalala's father gave me his gold pen that he had used for 47 years. This is the man who said I should consider him like a brother. He maintains that I have helped his daughter and Digah school beyond measure. But it is really difficult to think that he would give me something so valuable to him as a remembrance of my time in Azerbaijan.

I added the photo of the cake because you never can tell how far a bundt cake pan can travel. I suspect there've been some Norwegians in Azerbaijan who imported this pan from either America or Norway. Afterall, Norway has a big presence here due to the oil fields. So I snapped this photo of an Azeri "circle" cake and chuckled to myself about whether it came from Nordic Ware in Minneapolis! 

The Week of June 17th

I'm always anxious about whether or not children will show up on the first day. Not only did I have 8 boys come Monday morning, but half were expecting English lessons. I had changed the week from English to activities so some knew and some didn't. We began playing in the shade of the school. After 20 minutes I got a phone call from an English teacher in a classrom asking me where I was and I realized even bigger mis-communication. She was inside with more children and I was outside directing some games. Final count was 14 children for relay races and a smashing water balloon finale.

It was sunny and hot until Friday when it rained. Only 5 boys came so we spent that morning indoors. Thankfully I had paper and markers in a classroom and brought along marshmallows and spaghetti for building towers as teams. Overall, the week was not something I'm proud of because I lost my patience with the boys. Few have a sense of sportsmanship and one even threatened to kill another boy as they fought over a place in line. These boys range in age from 8 to 13 and most are 10 years old. Really!

I discovered this week that the heat can be oppressive even if you have air conditioning. Host father installed 2 air conditioners in the house but his mother believe you get colds when they are on. Even tho' it's 90 degrees, they are turned them off when nana visits. It gets funny when I'm in my room and I turn on my fan. Host mother comes in, rolls her eyes, and apologizes for her mother-in-law. Then she laughingly stands in front of my fan for a few minutes before going back to the other room. She knows it is an old wives' tale and one of those old wives is in the dining room.

It's been relaxing to return from school, turn on my computer (while America sleeps), and log in to the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) I am taking via the University of Minnesota. It is about Global Food Systems. After it was mentioned in the NYTimes over 10,000 of us signed up for it. It is interesting to e-meet other students as well as read the course content. I'll have some new contacts in MN when I return. The class started June 14 and runs for 8 weeks.

I also continue to plug away at reading Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I think history would have interested me more if teachers had made it come alive like this. I feel like I know Abe Lincoln and his cabinet better than I know Obama. I'd love to visit some civil war sites.

I have a lot of things I want to do for my teachers and host families before I leave here on July 3^rd. I want to make a photo album for my host family and also give some pictures to my teachers. But that means moving lots of photos onto a flash drive and taking it to a print shop. And don't ask me about forgetting my flash drive at the printers. It's been a run-around getting it back.

It's also been a trying week in my relationship with Georgie. He does a lot of bragging and even made fun of a boy with darker skin. I found some tips on sportsmanship and shared that with him. There aren't many children who speak 4 languages at age 13, but I want him to realize that he offends people with his boasting.

I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with Nana #1 in the village of Boradigah and seeing if she can remember what foods she ate 50 years ago when she was 15. I expect to find out more than about food!

A Full Week

I spent the week of June 10 – 15 trying to make English enjoyable for some secondary students. I'd planned to have mostly girls, but a teacher from another village sent 3 boys on Monday, so I couldn't very well tell them to go back home. That made for interesting dynamics between 5 giddy girls and 3 tough-talking boys. I started by having each student make a name card for their desk, and right away the oldest boy drew a heart with initials – and they were not the initials of any of the girls in the room. A subtle way for him to fend them off.

The boys were not only older but their English was much better than the girls from my school. It made me think more about the level of English teaching, and commitment to school. I found myself each evening trying to think of some challenging activities to fill 3 long hours. By Thursday, I broke down and pulled out a deck of Uno cards. Friday was our last day, and as we said good-bye I realized that I probably wouldn't see my girls again. I just couldn't tell them.

Late in the day Thursday, I found host mom and both boys outdoors furiously scrubbing a large carpet. Knowing that she was tired and would later prepare our supper, I offered to take a taxi to pick up some doner instead. She didn't resist too much, so I jumped in a taxi with the 2 boys for a ride to a take-out place, picked up 4 doner and returned. (Doner is a warm sandwich – a long bread roll filled with shaved gyro meat, chopped tomato, onion, cucumber and some greens – with a mayo/yogurt sauce.)

Friday night we were invited to supper at nana's. Here she is dishing up plov with chicken.What is it about sitting and eating outdoors? It was a very pleasant evening.

Saturday night Masalli hosted the 2nd annual International Folklore Festival and I did a lot of juggling to get to it. I had planned to visit my first host mother Konul that evening and walk with her and her daughter Aydan to the park where it would be held. But when I was at her house I got a text message from my young friend Capt. Amil saying that he would stop in Masalli about 7pm on his way from Baku to visit his parents for the weekend. Could we meet up?

In America, I could simply turn to Konul and ask her if it was all right for Capt. Amil to join us. But this is Masalli, Azerbaijan and she could not have a strange man in her home without her husband's permission. What to do? I talked with her about it and decided to go meet Capt. Amil for a little while, then return to her house when he continued on his way.

Thanks to the wonders of texting, it was easy to find Capt Amil at the new park where the festival was being held. Before it began, we had a chance to chat over tea thanks to his maneuvering a restaurateur into placing a table and chairs for us under a tree. But too much tea and I soon needed to use a restroom. Again he asked the proprietor to unlock a men's room for me and guard it while I was inside. Later, when we left our table there was no charge. I asked him how did he manage all that and he claimed it's all about how you approach someone – just like he learned to approach an IED. What an analogy! But I still chuckle about the men's room.

As I walked back with Capt Amil to catch another bus, we spotted Georgie and Igbal who had been at a wedding nearby. I was so glad that he met both of them and encouraged them to study and love their country. I got out my camera for a photo, then went to Konul's home for supper. Finally, after a meal with my first host family, we all walked together to the Folklore Festival set up on the concert stage of the recently renovated Heydar Aliyev Park. 

It was a beautiful event with performances by singers, dancers and musicians from Iran, Latvia, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. 

I'm guessing that there were at least a thousand in attendance, and the evening culminated in fireworks! My one regret: that I didn't seek out the Iranian performers and say Hello and Best Wishes to them from an American.

Thinking about leaving in a month

I'm starting to worry about everything I need to do for the Peace Corps as part of finishing my service. It's all about the paperwork! There is a 2 page checklist ranging from turning in teaching resource books, water filter and mosquito netting, to a medical exam, language test, and an exit interview with the Country Director. Most of those things are done at the PC office in Baku and need initialing by the appropriate staff person.

The 1^st obstacle is simply getting that checklist printed here in Masalli. Because I don't have my own printer, I rely on a local shop next to the police station. But when I went there the other day with the PC document on a flash drive, they couldn't open the pdf file. Arrggghhhhh. So I need to find another place that prints documents and that also means spending half a day traveling to and from the shop. Just a reminder that things aren't as simple as they seem.

Another concern is the timing of my departure. Because the 4^th of July is a Thursday, I need to be sure that appropriate staff will be in the office on Friday the 5th, my official Close of Service day. I know that Peace Corps will pay for my stay at a hotel in Baku for both Thursday and Friday night, but will it pay for Wednesday night if I leave Masalli that day?

Thursday June 6^th was Sally's last day at site so I was at her last goodbye. My former host mother Konul invited Sally and me for lunch, and then we walked over to Sally's apartment and waited for the taxi to take her and her luggage to Baku. Konul, her daughter Aydan, Sally, and I shed quite a few tears. I know that Sally and I have been a great source of encouragement and comfort for Konul.

I am not familiar with this tradition of throwing water after someone leaves, but here is reminder.

Sally's goodbye has me thinking about all the things I need to do before leaving. I still have 2 weeks of English and a summer camp (non-English fun). That means continuing to prepare English materials for students who are beyond learning vocabulary words, and organizing some activities and games for another week. I also need to spend time with my teachers going over the materials I am leaving for them.

At least I won't have furniture to sell, an apartment to clean, clothes to pack, food to dispose of, etc. But I want to print some photos as gifts to give to the many people I've met here. And that means blocking out time to get to the printers.

And just as a reminder about the many things I will miss, here is a photo of Igbal with a bowl of cherries, and another of Georgie playing horsey with his little cousins. Isn't there a song that goes Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries?

First week of Summer English classes

Sunday night June 2nd, I spent a few hours getting content and materials prepared for this week. I also mentally prepared myself to have only a few children show up. Monday morning my fears were assuaged when I spotted 2 sisters walking to the school, and then 6 more showed up within minutes. I had them start by making simple name cards and writing a few sentences about themselves in notebooks I provided.

Suddenly an English teacher I'd never met showed up at the classroom door with 4 primary kids plus her son in tow. I'm sure my face showed my displeasure to mix these younger students with 8 secondary students. But she said they had come from another village and wanted to learn English. I spent the next few hours reminding myself to be more flexible, but I kept thinking about how unchallenged the older students were. I resorted to colors and numbers to see if the primary students could manage that. Then it was Bingo with English words, and a few Raffi songs.

I went home trying to think of the ways I could teach a multilevel class and what a challenge the rest of the week would be. I looked at my vocabulary lists, drawings, songs, anything that I could make work for 2 different levels. I ended up deciding to focus on Tuesday on house and furniture – drawing on the board and writing furniture vocabulary. I drew furniture on index cards with English word on one side and the Azeri word on the other. I also made some color cards as busy work for the primary students. And then I translated the song 5 Little Ducks just for good measure. How could I make this class interesting and memorable for both levels?

Tuesday morning arrived and students were in the room before I could turn around. I just decided they could wait while I prepared the blackboard. I busied the 5 primary students while I engaged the older students with drawing a house in their notebooks. I slowed things down by asking students to come to the front of the classroom to speak. I discovered the primary students had quickly figured out word Bingo, so the time went fast. For an hour and a half, all 16 students seemed engaged.

After the 10 minute break, I allowed time to sing songs, and gave in to the girls who wanted to play “Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky.” I think the primary students especially liked 5 Little Ducks – it was a new song for everyone; repetitive phrases, noisy quacking plus a happy ending. But I surprised all students by asking them first to draw an animal. I put a couple drawings on the board and they quickly copied them. But I fooled them when I asked them to come to the front, say what animal they drew in English and Azeri, and then they had to make the sound of each animal. Lots of laughter – that's the kind of stuff that makes learning fun!

So now I'll need to top that with something fun for Wednesday.

The Day After Son Zeng

Why should I write about the day of Son Zeng itself (May 31) when the time has flown so quickly. Every family with children seems to relish the end of the school year, and my host family is no exception. They have been talking about living in Boradigah with Nana #1 for the Summer, so on June 1st, the day after Son Zeng, I packed my pajamas for an overnight at her house.

I found myself thinking about what a luxury this place is for me: a comfortable bed in a bright and breezy room with an attached bathroom with western toilet. No need to prepare meals. Time to myself for reading. No need to entertain the family. A Mercedes parked in the yard. Peace and quiet after the final week of school.

If only I wasn't worried about writing Peace Corps reports for my Close Of Service, or thinking about what I will do for a week of English lessons for 12 year old girls. It's no fun to think up things to occupy 3 hours each morning for the next week, i.e., 15 hours of teaching English. Okay I do have a few ideas, but mostly I want them to feel more confident about speaking English at the end of the week. Speaking a new language seems to be the biggest obstacle in language learning – and I'll attest to that.

Meanwhile, I'm basking in the hospitality of Nana #1. There is not a moment that she does not devote to eating or preparing to eat. She is overweight and has diabetes, but doesn't seem to care about either. When I first visited, she did check her blood sugar at the end of the day, but since then I haven't seen any of the medical items she brought back from her stay in Moscow. Georgie will give her a massage later, and wrap her legs in ace bandages.

When we arrived at 1pm Saturday (after another harrowing ride with a relative), she was seated on the floor chopping and grinding mutton for boz bash. This daily fare consists of a bowl of broth with a couple chunks of potato plus either a ground meat ball or a bony piece of meat. At her house, we get both. Often chopped greens are sprinkled on top of the oil that floats on the broth. I will say that I've taken to sopping up pieces of bread in the broth just the way the rest of the family does.

We had lunch about 2pm and talked about what foods to buy at the bazar on Sunday. My host mother brought along a large bag of loquats from a tree in our yard. I hadn't eaten these before altho' Sally says they do grow in California. It is a yellow fleshy fruit a bit smaller than a plum with 2 large seeds inside. We peeled the skin before we ate it. Not quite as juicy as a peach, but definitely fun watching nana eat dozens of them.

 That is one big pile of garlic bulbs. I wish I could remember the price - about a dollar for a pound!

A typical pan filled with an assortment of greens - dill, cilantro, basil, and ??? These are also inexpensive and an essential part of most meals.

For this weekend, I remembered my essentials: camera with battery charged and lots of memory, my iPod loaded with podcasts for listening, and my Kindle for reading time. I was excited to go to the Boradigah bazar on Sunday morning to take some photos and video of this colorful event.

The only snafu in the weekend was the unexpected arrival of Sunday afternoon guests. I had specifically told my host family that I needed to return to Masalli in the afternoon to prepare for a week of English classes. When the guests arrived I felt obligated to stay for a meal with them. So instead of getting back about 3pm, I was given a ride about 7pm. It was such a toss-up to risk offending the family by leaving or to rush them into serving dinner earlier so that I could leave. A nice ride home in a Mercedes helped calm me down.

The Day before the Last Bell - Son Zeng

It's been a rainy week in Masalli and that means no chance to wash clothes. Host mother does have a washing machine, but what's the point when you need sunny skies to dry clothes on a line outside. Today I finally was able to wash underwear and I'm sure my family thinks I'm rich because I hung several pairs to dry on the line in the chicken yard. There's another clothes line in the front yard for non-underwear.

While I was outside I noticed that the pomegranate tree in the yard is blossoming. I'll miss the fruit of these bright, trumpet-like orange flowers because I will be in America when they ripen. One tree produces a bit less fruit than an apple tree. I remember seeing pomegranates bursting on trees in my yard and mentally counting the price at about $3 per fruit. One tree could make an Azeris rich if they knew how to ship and sell them.

Thursday was not a school holiday yet few students came to school. It was the day before Son Zeng (Last Bell) a semi-graduation ceremony for the 11th form students. Many were at school to pick up a yearbook-like album with their photo plus photos of classmates and teachers. In fact, I saw more 11th form students at the school in the past month than I've ever noticed before. I attribute this to the new no-nonsense school director. Alas, she hasn't totally turned around school attendance, but it is improving.

Only 2 of my 4 English teachers came to school. In the past, all the teachers on this day would be in the teachers' room frantically filling out the registers, i.e. the daily marks for students. Again, thanks to the new director she has them recording marks daily, and not when they remember to do it. Apparently teachers who finished recording marks also thought they could take the day off.

Sally came over in the afternoon so we could swap photos we'd both taken in the past few months. I got photos and video from her of my English assembly program. I'm glad she was there to take these great memories for me and my teachers. I hope to print and give them each a few photos before I leave. The bottom photo here is my singing "London Bridge" for some primary students as they catch a "fair lady." They loved doing this!

I'm starting to get anxious about all the paperwork I need to do in order to finish my Peace Corps service. PC provides us with a long checklist and some reports need to be done a month before I leave. I need to figure out how to recall and document things I did last year. My diaries are back in America and I'll just have to estimate number of children I taught etc. Oy!

Winding down the school year.

So many things going on this past week – and yet to come! Not only did I help organize and plan the English Assembly (see previous post), but it was my host mother Valida's birthday on May 23rd and yesterday (May 25th) was a going away “surprise” party for sitemate Sally. How can it be a surprise that she is going back to America?

I had fun with Georgie and Igbal planning for their mother on her 31st birthday. I call her mother too, but they all call me nana (grandma #3). Go figure. I had paper and markers for Georgie to create a huge birthday card for her, we bought slices of cake with strawberry crème filling at a local bakery, and we also bought an exploding candle and lots of cookies to serve with tea. She always says the best present I give her is helping her sons improve their English. Gladly.

Another really big event was the going away party for Sally. It was organized by her English teacher Counterpart (and my former host mother) Konul, and she really went all out! She asked me to use a ruse to get Sally to come to a restaurant near Isti Su – a resort area near Masalli. There she had decorated a separate room, ordered a huge meal, and invited both students and teachers from Sally's school. I think there were about 40 people there.

Konul also had her daughter Aydan and son Layig perform several Azeri dances in traditional costumes. The 5 nearby PCVs were also invited, as well as 3 English teachers from my school. The meal was scrumptious with typical salads, chicken, kebabs, blintzes, and fruit juice. I'm surprised I didn't take any food photos.

After the meal and program, we went outside to another seating area for cake and tea and more photos. Did I mention Konul also hired a videographer? I want a copy of that! Several weeks ago I put over 100 photos on a flash drive and gave it to Konul. She had many photos printed and put into an album for Sally. There was also a large poster for everyone to sign.

We encountered a problem when it day ended, and that was getting enough taxis to take us back to Masalli. Konul had hired a marsrutka (mini-van) for the children, but the PCVs and several teachers were stranded – unable to call their regular taxis. So somehow we all squeezed into the marsrutka – boys standing in the aisle and girls sitting 2 to a seat! I just didn't have time to photo or count, but I'm guessing 20 of us crammed into it.

It was good to arrive back home to 2 lonely boys. They'd spent the day by themselves watching TV and playing on the computer. Their parents were in Baku for a wedding and wouldn't return until early Sunday morning.

Me with 2 of my English teachers at the party for Sally. 

May 27th begins the last week of school with Son Zeng (Last Bell) ceremony on Friday. I will announce plans for English fun for students during June. I suspect I will also be spending time in the village of Boradigah with the boys' grandma #1 as I countdown to July and COS on July 5th in Baku.

English Assembly - At Last!

The date for this activity changed many times, but it was finally held on Thursday, May 23 in the assembly hall of my school. It's been a roller-coaster preparing most English classes to participate and even more so to get the English teachers to not see this as a mini-Eurovision, ie, big production number. I wanted the children to have fun and not worry about memorizing words or even dressing up in their finest.

Alas, the day before the teachers were telling the girls how to braid their hair, that the boys needed to wear white shirts and black trousers (some of them don't have them), and that they must know all the words by heart. To me, every member of a class would participate, but the teachers wanted to single out their favorites to perform, and the other children would simply watch. I nixed that.

So the morning arrived, and the English teacher I asked to served as MC said she wouldn't do it without a microphone. So I got someone to go to the nearby mosque and get a microphone. Glad to have it. Then she started to re-arrange the order of the performers I had scripted. Oh well.

Enough of the tribulations, the hit was the square dancing by the 8^th grade students! I had brought with me kerchiefs from USA for the girls and got straw hats for the boys at the bazar. The girls were so enthused at the first practice that they found square dance videos on youtube and wanted to get those flouncy dresses too. And the boys were excited to wear the hats. (I thought they would object!)

I could go on critiquing the problems I noticed, but the next day the English teachers all said it was great. One said it was the first time they had had an English assembly, and how glad we had done it. I plan to leave the lyrics and skits for them to put on their own assembly next year. Truly, sometimes people here simply need to see how something is done and know that they can do it too.

I did give small gifts to the English teachers at the end of the program, and I think that is when they realized that I will be leaving soon. There was much talk about having a get-together for me at nearby Isti Su in June. It is beginning to sink in for me too that I will not be here for next year's English Assembly!

Dull Moments

Often, I'll be going about my daily routine and something will strike me as worth writing about. But then I get home and I forget what it was or else it's really not worth two sentences. So this morning I'm trying to recall a few items.

• Chevrolets. A small showroom opened in Masalli last year and since I've been back I've noticed a lot of the small Chevys – even being operated as taxis. I wonder if they are built in America?
• English-speaking marsrutka driver. There are several regular drivers, but one always speaks in English to me. He told Georgie he was educated in Baku. I think of driving as blue-collar work, but apparently these jobs pay relatively well.
• Weather. The past 4 days have been a mixture of light rain overnight, though we did have thunder one night. The dusty roads get muddy, but daylight dries them out enough that I can walk home. Mostly, I can't wash clothes because the only drier is a clothes line.
• Best things I bought from USA. A pair of black loafers, extra mascara remover, Uno deck of cards, markers and stickers for children's papers.
• Camera problem. Turning it off and on has been very temperamental ever since I dropped it while on vacation in Turkey.
• Becoming Nana #3. I am considered another grandma for this family, and I do believe I am more popular than one of them. Just sayin'.
• Frog in the yard. I hear it croaking at night, and found out that Georgie is afraid of it.
• Reading a condensed and easy version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer with Igbal. It's much more interesting and enjoyable for him since he is not the serious student his big brother is.
• Eurovision. Yeegads, this annual song contest has become very important to small countries like AZ that want to be associated with Europe, ie, western-leaning. Incredible production numbers and competition.
  Food storage. It continues to amaze me that I don't get g.i. problems. I often see cooked food sitting in kettles on the stove overnight. It makes me wonder if American guts don't have necessary bacterial flora or if food here has fewer gut-wrenching microbes in it.
• Bracelet. One of my teachers gave me a bracelet with PEGGY spelled out in rhinestones.
  
  
  
  This photo was taken after Georgie and Aydan received certificates at the Masalli Ministry of Education. He placed first among 6th form students and she placed third among 7th form in the Peace Corps - sponsored Write On! competition.

Alphabet Holiday

I got a call on Friday from one of my English teachers that the annual Alifba Bayaminiz would be the next day, Saturday. I got to the school's assembly hall at 10 o'clock, but it didn't really start until 11:30 or so.

And then just to remind me that things fall apart, the electricity stopped at about 11:35am. The children were singing along to the Azerbaijani national anthem and looked confused just as their favorite part of the song was beginning. The sound system and music came to a halt.

The married couple (teachers) who organized the event were non-plussed. Have the kids sit down at tables laden with sweets and fruit and have them not touch a thing! I don't know their magic words, but these primary students obeyed.

When the electricity came on again, the children proceeded to put on a fine show for the parents and siblings in attendance. I'm not sure why only a few teachers attended, but it didn't seem to matter for the children. They had multiple costume changes and skits to perform. Two little girls spoke a welcome in English, and everyone sang Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. Not simultaneously, but all in fun!

As ever, I was called upon to say a few words which usually means I tell the children to stay in school and get a good education. Shalala Teacher did the translating for my few sentences. Later, I was surprised with a bouquet, and then asked to dance with the children – all captured for posterity on videotape. I thoroughly enjoy having fun with these kids and I hope the parents could tell by the smile on my face.

I did have to duck out at about 2 pm thinking that I needed to get something to eat. I have yet to figure out how people can go so long without eating, but then again there had been lots of cake and cookies and fruit served with tea.

It was a delightful day with lots of photos plus several minutes of the chicken song that every school girl learns.

Days Off

Note: In the past few days, my internet connection has become slower than molasses in January. Many items will not load so even this post is difficult to add. Good news is that my Close of Service date is July 5th so I expect to be in Minneapolis about July 7th.

I feel like I'm writing chapters in a book called The Adventures of Mrs. Peggy. The day's adventure revolves around school, air-conditioning, and rain. Thursday May 9th is a national holiday commemorating Russia defeating Germany in WWII, so it is another school holiday. It's been a week of perfect weather – sunny and warm, not hot. I sit outside in the afternoons and have lessons with Georgie and Igbal under the trees. Wednesday I even washed and dried some clothes on the line.

But it rained overnight, so a day off from school would have to be spent indoors. Unfortunately, Thursday was also the day that father arranged to install 2 air-conditioners in the house. That meant lots of noise and commotion early in the morning.

So while the rest of the household was still dreaming, host mom came into my room and started moving the furniture away from the wall. She was getting the room ready for the masters to come and drill holes in the brick walls for an air-conditioner. By 8:30 everyone was awake due to the noise. The day before Georgie had just used future tense at his language lesson, “Tomorrow I will sleep until noon.” Ha ha!

With the rain, the marsrutkas run less regularly, so I put off going to get some school documents printed, and buying 4 straw hats for the square dancers. I will do that today Friday because it's also a school holiday. This time it's Flower Day, a fancy name for celebrating the 90th birthday of the deceased father of the current president.

While I appreciate the effort to honor the man who served as AZ's president after the demise of the USSR, the phrase that comes to mind is “Cult of Personality.” Billboards, street names, and buildings abound in his name. IMHO, countries that rely upon a particular person and not principles for governance are stuck. When that hero leader died, he arranged for his son to become the next president.

It is quite difficult to turn the corner on communism when leaders steeply schooled in central planning, control and priviledge are still in leadership positions today.

Stuff I think about on my days off.

Weekend in Boradigah

I was invited to go for the weekend to Boradigah, a village nearby where my host mom grew up. Her 65 year old mother still has a house there. A big house with a large yard where she raised 5 sons and her only daughter. Her husband died about 25 years ago when my host mother was only 5 years old. I don't know how she managed, but her sons were already young adults and they have become successful businessmen – 4 in Moscow and 1 in Baku.

Host mom, Georgie and Igbal and I were driven to Boradigah by host dad in a little black Lada. I had taken this trip in the past via marsrutka and it took about 30 minutes. Georgie's dad: 10 minutes! What a ride. The family claimed he drove them in this car straight from Moscow without sleeping in a day! They laughed and told me not to worry. He dropped us off at nana's house and returned to Digah to run his shop, feed the chickens and look after the house.

I was amazed to see the size of nana's house. It is well-maintained and the yard includes a fountain plus several buildings where she used to make bread in tandir ovens and also preserved fruits. There was also a new but “extra” Mercedes with a dead battery parked near the house. Nana flew back from Moscow only last week, where she had been for 5 months. (Don't ask me why people live there in Winter but she was with her sons!) We needed to “open up” the house and a neighbor woman came over to help wash the paved yard.

While we were visiting an older woman stopped buy with a shopping bag full of things to sell. This reminded me 1950's America when peddlers stopped at farms with their wares. In her bag she had underwear, tablecloths, fabric, a dress, duvet cover and some curtains. Of course she was offered tea and we had a good time visiting when she marveled to see an American in Azerbaijan.

I spent some time relaxing in the yard and trying to finish reading The Round House on my kindle. The boys were up in an alchan tree eating many of those tart little green fruits. They also showed me the numerous fruit trees planted years ago: pear, black cherries, apple, guava, date, persimmon, lemon, and of course pomegranate. While I was reading, nana and Valentine (my host mom) made dolma and fried fish to go with the yogurt, tomatoes and cucumbers that are standard fare for supper.

They prepared a very comfortable bed for me upstairs in a room that also has a seating area, sink and stovetop. I had the upper floor with 4 rooms, toilet, and a large corridor to myself.

The biggest snafu was on my part. I forgot to bring along the battery charger for my camera, so I was only able to take some pictures when I first arrived. I also discovered that my data card did not work in my computer so I was unable to access the internet.

Saturday morning, nana fried piles of pirogies for breakfast. I also drank some raw milk which I had not done before while living in Azerbaijan. It was one of those moments when I didn't want to offend my hostess – unlike being able to refuse alcohol. One of nana's granddaughters came over to visit and I found out she remembers PCV Jade who taught at #2 school in Boradigah. Her name is Gulnur and she is currently living with her other nana while her father works in Moscow. She has one more year of school and needs to finish in Azerbaijan in order to be accepted in college in Baku. She said she wants to become a banker and travel.

After breakfast, I walked to a small store with Georgie and Igbal, but upon our return we were greeted by a foul smell in the yard. Nana had hired 2 butchers to come over and kill a sheep. The carcass was hanging and the innards were on the ground. I scurried past and laughed to myself about nana fulfilling the biblical story of “killing a fatted calf.” I thought we were having chicken and plov for supper, but it'll be fresh liver and potatoes.

As I write this it is about 2pm and any moment I'll be called to lunch. Again, I am feeling like I'm on a very interesting vacation: warm weather, sight-seeing, meal service, and a very comfy bed. Next week I'm back to teaching English.

A delightful day!

This morning and afternoon have been pure bliss. At school, I've been teaching songs to several classes as preparation for an English Assembly event on May 17th. The children want to sing the moment I walk into their classrooms. It's hard to get them to do anything else. I've taught the Hokey Pokey to several classes and they love the movements. Others will sing Raffi songs: Tingalayoo, Big Beautiful Planet, Like Me and You, and of course Wheels on the Bus. Primary classes will do Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes of course. And the teachers love the songs too. Next I need to teach Square Dancing to the 8th form.

Then this afternoon, I had a great English lesson with Georgie sitting out under the trees in the yard. The temperature was in the 70's so after the lesson, I decided to sit outside and read a book. That's when host mom Valentine appeared with afternoon tea and candies. I couldn't believe it. A couple of hours of reading and sipping tea. I got out my camera to document a leisurely afternoon.

Weekend in Lankeran

The Peace Corps experience includes getting away from your village and meeting up with other PCVs. AZ9s Katie and Daniel in Landeran decided months ago to host a cookout for those of us in the south of AZ. So last weekend 6 of us met up at their home. Sally and I are AZ8s still around, and we were joined by Rick in Neftchala, Liz in Shirvan, Roxann in Salyon and Samantha in Ceilalabad. Cherril and Luce are AZ10s and only Luce was unable to join us. That made a houseful for 2 nights and days.

We started arriving Friday afternoon and went shopping for snacks and beverages while Daniel made hotdog and hamburger buns for the cookout. We were joined later by 2 young women from Finland who are eco-tourism interns. Potato salad, coleslaw and s'mores made this the most American-style meal I've had in a long time. And I've become a fan of Frito-Lay cucumber-dill flavored chips even tho' I seldom eat chips in America.

Saturday morning breakfast more American food including coffee, scramble eggs with ham (purchased near the Russian border thanks to Roxann) and tandir bread. 

I survived a small mishap when I lost my balance while squatting and fell back – jamming a finger when I tried to stop my fall. It was purple and puffy but moveable, but nothing like the stupid sprain ankle I suffered Sunday evening when I got back home. (I got up from a chair not realizing that my foot was asleep. When I stepped on it I went down in a heap. Oh no. What's happening? I don't have feeling in my foot! Visions of Early Termination. Thankfully at this very moment, my left ankle is wrapped in an ace bandage so I'm laughing now.)

Saturday morning, six of us headed to Isti Su, the hot water springs high up in the hills above Lankeran. We wore our swimsuits under our clothes for an easy change when we got there. It's a 10 minute bus ride, then a 40 minute hike to the dozen brick huts with large tanks of hot water flowing through them. What is it about sitting in hot water with friends and chatting? Relaxing.

Saturday night was also fun-filled since we were also celebrating Katie's birthday. Another great meal of chicken and rice (America-style) plus beet salad. After several intense rounds of Dutch Blitz we had confetti-cake with frosting and ice cream. Sunday morning Rick treated us to crepes with either toppings or fillings depending upon your point of view. That's also when I had my first taste of carrot jam. After breakfast, we said goodbye and headed back to our sites refreshed and renewed.

I sometimes wonder if I will ever live as leisurely back in America.