Two years...

As of June 27th, I will have been in the AZ for two whole years. My oh my, how time flies. I thought I'd mark the occasion by listing a few of the things I've learned in the past two years.

- Qatiq (plain yogurt) makes almost anything taste better.
- Squat toilets are bearable.
- There is a point that you physically can't add another layer of clothing.
- Summer is a LOT hotter with no air conditioning.
- A lot of food is seasonal - like vegetables, fruit, and ice cream.
- Hand washing jeans is a horrible experience.
- Showering two or three times a week is just fine to feel clean.
- On showering, having a real shower - not a bucket bath - is quite the luxury.
- Inshallah (if God wills) is my new favorite word.
- 10 hours by bus doesn't seem unbearable.
- It may actually be possible to miss food more than people.
- Wearing the same outfit for a week just makes sense.
- Tea with raspberry jam is one of the best cures for a cold ever.
- The more sequins, sparkles, and bling you have your shirt, the prettier you are.
- Spiky high heels are not only attractive, but act as ice picks for walking on snow and ice.
- I hate roosters.
- When school's not in session, I can read a book a day.
- When school is in session, the average is 3 books a week.
- Titanic is possible the greatest movie known to man (or at least Azerbaijanis).
- Beef tastes different when it's primary source of food is the trash heap.
- Telling someone they've gotten fat is not an insult. Calling them fat behind their back is.
- Having a pet cat makes me strange.
- You should only pluck your eyebrows after you get married to protect your honor.
- Crystal Light is the nectar of the gods.
- Being a yaxsi giz (good girl) is one of the best compliments you can get.
- It is never too hot for tea.

And...

- There really is no place like home.

My New Home...

About two weeks ago, I was out walking and ran into my landlady - Hegiget. We exchanged pleasantries, and then she told me that the xanim bought the apartment and I would have to move in the middle of July or August. The week before, I had a conversation with Hegiget and her husband about exactly what date I would be leaving in September, so the news that I might be moving sooner than that was a bit of a surprise to say the least.

Now my azeri isn't great, so I was hoping that I misunderstood and she said the xanim was going to sell the apartment is July or August. So, I went to my counterpart and asked if she could call Hegiget to find out what was going on. She did and told me that I had to move by July 1st. Well, crap. We tried every form of negotiation possible - begging, pleading, offering more money - all with no success. Again, crap.

My counterpart is amazing and immediately started helping me look for a new place. We went to the mekler (basically a real estate agent) in my neighborhood. He had an apartment available on June 15th. We went to look at it to make sure it was ok. I've gotta be honest, needing a home ASAP to live in for all of 2 and a half months meant that there wasn't much that was going to make this apartment NOT be ok in my mind. Luckily, it is actually pretty nice.

Hegiget returned half of June's rent so I could take this place on the 15th. When I went to get the money from her, she and her husband apologized profusely and asked me not to be angry with them. My old apartment actually belonged to her brother. He decided to sell it, leaving them no choice. Sucks, but it does make me feel a bit better about Hegiget and Ziyad, who I have come to care a great deal about in the past 2 years.

So, with a lot of help from my sitemates, on June 16th, I moved into my new place. In a lot ways, I've moved up in the world - I have a lot more furniture, and the queen size bed is very nice. In other ways, I've moved a bit lower - my mini toilet isn't much fun, and 'm very sad to return to bucket baths. But, I have a home for the next 2 months, which is the most important thing! And, it got resolved very quickly and easily, which is incredible! Less than a week after I found out I had to move, I was settling in to my new home.

And so, here are some pictures of my lovely new abode. Home Sweet Home for the next 2 1/2 months. Inshallah :-)


This is my super-fancy living room. Check out that couch and armchairs! It's like I've died and gone to furniture heaven!!!










This is in my kitchen - a room that leaves a lot to be desired. That is my friend Whitney lighting the stove - with a pair of pliers because there are no knobs on my stove. The refrigerator is fun too - you have to lift the door up and hold it up with it is open, otherwise it falls off. Ahhh, the things that have become normal here!






Here's my bedroom - and the lovely queen size bed. And, I actually have a mirror, which I didn't have in the old place. Seriously, I won the furniture lottery in this apartment!









The mini-toilet. Not quite a squatter, not quite a western toilet. It's awkward. That big red bucket is my flushing mechanism.






And, last but not least, my new shower/bath. Sigh. Well, I guess it will make me appreciate American showers all that much more when I return home!

From the bottom of my heart...

Thank you!

As of Friday morning, English Language Summer Camp (or Camp Jane the Sequel for short) is officially fully funded! For all of you who donated or passed to information along to someone who would be interested in donating, thank you so much. I appreciate the support more than I can ever truly express in words.

The big event start July 6, 2009. We're expecting between 150 and 180 kids to participate in the three week long program. There are already plans for water balloons fights and relay races and wiffle ball and popsicle stick bird houses and friendship bracelets and tye-dyed t-shirts and much much more. Becuase of your support, all of this can happen. As camp progresses, I will post information and stories and keep you all informed on how its going. Again, thank you!

Haikus...

An abundance of free time leads to a multitude of ways to to fill it. Last night, instead of my usual reading a book or playing solitare, I composed some Haikus (this might be a new low - or high, depending on how you view it for my ways to cure boredom.) Anyway. I thought I'd share the gems about my life here that I came up with. Enjoy!


Morning
In my apartment,
The rooster's crow wakes me up.
That, I will NOT miss.


Sales
In the yard, "qatiq,
ayran, xiyar, pomidor,"
Xanims yell to sell.

Translators notes on this one - qatiq is basically plain yogurt, ayran is this super-gross (in my opinion) dairy product that they make, xiyar is cucumber, pomidor is tomato, and xanim is the word used for woman/lady - usually when PCVs use it it refers to old ladies.


Marshrutka
Swerve to miss a sheep.
Speed to pass the slow, slow trucks.
Stop - for no reason.


And my personal favorite...

Bucket Bath
Scoop, splash, scrub with soap.
One bucket is all you need
To get Azer-clean.

The Last Toy...

Toys (the Azeri word for wedding) are a BIG deal here. Everyone loves a toy. Peace Corps Volunteers get invited to about a gazillion toys during their time here. One of my friends went to 18 toys last summer alone. There is prestige in having the American at your wedding - and showing them off. And toys are fun - there's good food, dancing, tons of toasts and speeches, and photos. As much fun as they are, I have to say, after about 3, they get kinda old.

When my parents came to visit in March, I went through all of my stuff to see what I could send home with them. Sweaters, my winter coat, knick knacks my students have given me, souvenirs I have accumulated all went in the suitcase. And then I got to my toy shoes. They're American - Nine West, I think. Black pumps with a pointy toe and high heel - Azeris LOVE them! I sat down and thought about whether or not I would be going to another toy in my remaining time here. I had decided that I would only go to a wedding if I knew the bride or groom or their parents personally. I mentally went through my list of people. Both of my counterparts are married and the children are little. One host sister is too young, the other is working in Baku and has no desire to get married yet - and my host mom is ok with that. Most of my landlady's family is already married off. It a bold choice and quite a risk to take, but I decided that I was safe sending the toy shoes home.

Fast forward to May, when I found out that my gamble had failed. See, when I went through my list of people, I had forgotten about the young, unmarried English teachers at my school. Women I know really well and like a lot. People that fit my criteria of whether or not I would go, and people who's wedding I would actually want to go to. So, when I got the invitation to Vusala's wedding, I knew I had to go.

Luckily, one of my sitemates wears close to the same shoe size as me, so I was able to borrow some appropriately fancy shoes. I got myself all dolled up - shiny shirt, heels, and far more makeup than I usually wear - and went with my counterparts to Vusala's toy.

And it was a lot of fun. The food was great. We danced - but not so much that there is a whole section of the American dancing on the wedding video. And, of course, we had the obligatory photo with the bride and groom. You'll notice no one is smiling in the picture (which, I think makes me look stupid. I'd far rather my big grin in the picture, but sometimes you have to do it Azer-style!) No one smiles in pictures. And certainly not in toy pictures. All in all, I'm really glad I went.

I'm pretty confident that this was indeed my last toy. There's a chance Elnora (the woman in the blue shirt in the picutre) will get married before I leave. And if she does, I'll borrow shoes and go to her wedding and dance and eat good food and not smile in the picture.

But, inshallah (if god wills), Vusala's toy was my last toy in Azerbaijan.

Shameless Plea for Help...

The most successful I have felt as a Peace Corps Volunteer was last summer. Many of you will probably remember the gloriousness (and stress!) of Camp Jane. That month was A LOT of hard work, but it was also the first time I felt like I had really offered something valuable as a volunteer. I certainly couldn't have done it without all of the support from home and other PCVs. I believe, looking back on my service in 10 years, Summer Camp will always be the thing I am the most proud of.

Last year, Camp Jane was a HUGE success. Over 3 weeks, a total of about 80 kids participated and PCVs from all over Azerbaijan came to help. We played Capture the Flag, we jump-roped, we taught them Miss Mary Mack. We made popsicle stick picture frames, friendship bracelets, and sock puppets. We showed them how to make paper footballs, we played kickball, we had relay races and water balloon fights. I saw kids go from shy to outgoing, reserved to enthusiastic, barely able to speak English to chatting with PCVs during our break time. We watched these kids have fun - and we had fun with them. And even more importantly, we gave them something that will last a lifetime.

Over the course of this school year, I have gotten to see some of the lasting effect Camp had on my students. I see my students have a much more positive attitude and willingness to participate in the classroom. I see some of my little girls outside playing - often games they learned in camp. One of my students' new favorite hobby is jump-roping. Another student teaches her own English Club - the day I visited they were doing Miss Mary Mack. And almost everyday, students ask me if we will have camp again this summer.

The answer to that question is YES! This year I have teamed up with another PCV, Jaclyn Gilstrap, who lives and teaches in one of the villages of Lankaran. Since I'm working with Jaclyn I can't call it Camp Jane anymore, but I'm ok with that! Students from both of our schools will participate in the 3-week long camp. This year, we're doing an Environmental Week, Sports and Games Week, and Arts and Crafts Week. Between the 2 schools, we expect over 100 students. Yay Kamp is going to be bigger, better, and definitely impact more kids.

We need your help. I have a lot of supplies left over from last year, but there are things we still need. We need to be able to pay to bus the students from Liman (Jaclyn's village) to and from my school. We hope to be able to be able to provide water for the kids and we looking at being able to take them to a football (soccer) game. We have so many plans and ideas for Yay Kamp the Sequel - and a lot of them can't happen without financial support.

Yay Kamp has been accept as a Peace Corps Partnership Program project. PCPP is a way for people at home to contribute to PCV projects. It is tax deductible, and no amount is too small - and certainly, no amount is too big :-) Please, check out the link below. Feel free to share it with anyone who you think might be interested in supporting this amazing project. And if you decide to donate, you'll have the undying gratitude of me, Jaclyn, and about 100 Azeri children.

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=314-053

My Favorite Thing About Wednesdays...

These are my second formers. They're all 7 or 8 years old, and are super cute. I only teach them one hour a week (which is probably good. I think I'd lose my patience with them really quickly if I saw them more often than that!) Anyway, they are my last lesson of the day on Wednesdays. It doesn't matter how bad my day was leading up to the moment I walk into their classroom, as soon as I'm there, the day is good. They are excited, really eager to learn and show off how much they know, a little wild, easily distracted, always smiling (except for those rare few times someone dissolves into tears for something that seems ridiculously little to me) and just silly enough to crack me up every week. In short, they're awesome. And I love 'em.