Fall has come to the city of Gəncə and life could not be sweeter for a Minnesotan who cherishes a good walk with a mug of coffee and a cool breeze. For good or ill however, I have not been able to enjoy as much of my site’s beautiful scenery as I would have liked because of a series of unplanned trips to the capital city. Normally, I am happy to make the six hour bus trek to the land of Korean food and garlic powder. However, 4 trips in 3 weeks is a bit much for even the most resilient travelers. Apart from check ups after softball injuries and various physical ailments evidencing my fragile mortality, I recently traveled to Sumqait to co-facilitate a HUB day session for the new AZ 8 Peace Corps Trainees! During PST, we are barred from unauthorized meetings with the newcomers making this session on “Gender and Peace Corps Azerbaijan” the only time I will get to meet with the 8s until after I return from the USA in January and they are fellow PCVs (“Insha Allahs” all around). The session was very fun to lead though I am not sure how enjoyable listening to me for two hours could have been. In any case, I tried to make the training as helpful and comprehensive as possible, covering the state of gender in Azerbaijan, the gender and PCV / HCN (host country national) communities, and implementing gender development within Peace Corps service. This part of the training was my favorite because it included a presentation of actual Peace Corps Azerbaijan Volunteer projects that addressed issues of gender development directly or within the context of implementation. On a personal level, I got to visit with a few of the 62 trainees (26 men, 36 women) and stayed with my PST host family! All around a good trip… sans the post Sumqait illness.
In other news, the Gəncə softball team ended its short but feisty fall season in Bilasuvar at a four-region tournament funded by the United States Embassy in Azerbaijan. Over the course of two days teams from Bilasuvar, Gəncə, Mingetçavir, and Tovus played a series of enjoyable though competitive games for a trophy that turned out to be a volleyball donated by the Bilasuvar Olympic Complex. This was a big tournament because it was the first time many of our players had been introduced to the concept of a strike zone or the fourth ball walk. Still, all was well and our team finished in good spirits, ranking second to Ming in the championship game. It was sad to see the season end, particularly because by the time it starts again in the spring, AZ 6 sitemate Elmer will have finished his service and will no longer be with us. Still, I am optimistic and eager to track down old Twins games on tape for team bonding nights that will hopefully include female participants beyond myself.
When not on the road to Bilasuvar or Baku, I am settling in my new home quite well. The regular and uninhibited use of a western / flushing toilet, a sovereign kitchen, and a T.V. that gets Al-Jazeera in English give me a happiness not unlike a child around Christmaknwanzakah season. For a while after AZ 5 RPCV Rae and her husband, Fərid departed for parts and adventures unknown, I walked around waiting for someone to come home. I do believe that this was one of the more enjoyable “host family” stays of my Peace Corps service---though Fərid would heckle me more than any other host father about “Azerbaycanli dili danışmalısan!!!” (You must speak in Azerbaijani). Nevertheless it was well deserved as I seem to have become something of a procrastinator. In all seriousness, I am eternally grateful for these two kindred spirits and their kindness, patience, and friendship. The willing of house and situation was just one example of their enormous contribution to my adjustment to this site.
The next month promises to be exciting and happy, containing my second favorite holiday (Thanksgiving, not my birthday). Living in a large site has several benefits, one of which is the promise of many gatherings and opportunities to make merry. In addition, as PCVs, the AZ 7 group is now officially on the invite list for dinner at the Ambassador’s residence. We all know what this means….REAL AMERICAN-STYLE TURKEY! This is at least my impression but who knows?! When registering for host family evening stay, the embassy secretary said, “you aren’t a vegetarian are you?” My response: “Not on Thanksgiving and other major holidays that involve turkey.” Of course, there will be paper turkeys to be made in conversation clubs, Christmas preparations (I am pre-empting given my anticipated absence). Azerbaijani families typically clean their houses and make special plov (rice pilaf with egg and assorted toppings) in preparation for Novrus, the spring fire holiday. When I was studying abroad, I read a bit of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens every week after Thanksgiving (and then started all over again as it is a relatively short book). I plan to implement the same tradition though I might just read the whole thing on the plane home…
I send all my fond wishes to family and friends and look forward very much to seeing you all in the not too distant future!
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