Weekend in Baku

In Baku there are many foreign students, oil workers, and diplomats. Anything you want to find you can find it in Baku if you know where to look and are willing to pay the price. Linda and I have learned how to get around a bit in the city, and feel a little more comfortable with our travel there.
The Peace Corps Offices and staff are located in Baku, but there are no Volunteers stationed in Baku. The Azerbaijan Peace Corps Volunteer Handbook policy is that a volunteer can only go to Baku no more than once a month other than for Peace Corps business. Linda and I do not go to Baku often. Linda gets her haircut in Baku every other month, and we do anything we need to do in Baku then. It is almost always a daytrip – leaving on the bus around 6:30 a.m. and returning about 7:00 p.m.
However, on September 12 we decided to make it an overnight stay in Baku. School was to begin on September 15, and it was a good reason to do something a little special.
We made reservations at the Consul Hotel, which is Peace Corps approved and gives a discount to PCVs. It is a very nice hotel and has hot water 24 hours a day. Just to take a shower at the Consul is reason enough to go to Baku.
I also contacted Qabil. Qabil speaks excellent English, and has worked as a translator for several companies in and around Shirvan. His family lives here in Shirvan, but about 6 months ago he got a job in Baku. He moved to Baku with his wife. His wife was actually already living with her parents in Baku because she is expecting their first child. They have had five unsuccessful pregnancies, and so when the pregnancy was confirmed in Baku, she never traveled back over rough roads back to Shirvan. She is now at almost 8 months and the sonogram indicates a daughter. Qabil suggested we have supper together.
On Saturday morning we left a little later than usual, Linda got her haircut, found some new shoes so by 2:30 p.m. it was already a great trip. We enjoyed lunch, shopped for books and supplies, and went back to check in and rest until the evening with Qabil.
Now for the rest of the story:
We want to share with you the experience of being with the very brave people we have been privileged to meet and know.
Qabil brought with him Raiz. Raiz works with the Society Coalition of Azerbaijan Non-Government Organizations (NGO) and with the Society of Democratic Reform. Raiz has done post-graduate study at Columbia University in New York, has traveled to many countries and speaks 4 languages. He is married and has 2 daughters.
Raiz and Qabil met us at the hotel about 7:30 p.m. and then we went to a Turkish restaurant, we ordered and waited until 8:15 to be served. It was still during Ramazan (Ramadan) and Qabil was fasting during the daylight hours. On the table were dates and water the traditional first foods to break the day’s fasting.
We had great food, but it was certainly the company and conversation that made the evening memorable. We discussed Azerbaijan educational system, state of democratic process, charities, and ways to positively affect the lives of others. Raiz is such a brave man. He ran for Parliament in 2005. He ran one of the more “successful” losing campaigns in the country. He also spent 5 days in jail. He received the apologies of arresting officers who were following orders. He was not mistreated in the jail due to his education and stature. We so take for granted free speech, free elections, and a nation based on individual rights.
We returned to our hotel, inspired by our evening. Took our second shower of the day at the hotel, and slept well.
On Sunday we attempted to attend the 9:30 worship service at Baku International Fellowship only to find that they had discontinued the service. BIF is made up of expatriates from Canada, Great Britain, USA, Korea, Nigeria and other countries who all meet to worship in an English speaking, western-style worship service. Most of these people are here because they work for some oil company and will be stationed here for 2-3 years and then return to their country. Native Azerbaijanis do not usually attend this worship.
We had made arrangements to meet with Elshen at 12:30 so, we went back to the hotel and had lunch from McDonalds. Then at 12:30 we met Elshen and accompanied him to the Ganjlik Baptist Church (Church of Love is the official name). The service was just over 2 hours long charged with laughter, singing, tears, and sharing. The service was much like a contemporary service in the U.S. with the singing of choruses. Interspersed were a devotional given by a deacon, poetry read by members of the congregation, music by the choir, and a final sermon by one of the assistant pastors. It was such a blessing to get to worship in a Christian church even if we did not understand all the words of the songs or much of the words of the preacher (they speak so fast). Linda cried during parts of the service because of the wonderful feeling of worshiping God with other children of God. It was wonderful to see the fellowship of the members and see the joy on their faces as they sang. There were about 200 people in attendance, primarily under the age of 30 although all ages were represented. A very kind young woman interpreted for us. We were asked to say a word. Linda told them we were one of them – a Christian Brother and Sister. I shared that we loved Azerbaijan people and thanked them for allowing us to be with them. These are brave people. We could have taken pictures if arranged before hand. But, in respect to the church and to protect their privacy, we only wanted to worship with them.
Religious freedom is highly promoted by the government. But, religious groups must register with the government. There is currently a re-registration being conducted with new requirements. There are over 500 groups registered. Law prohibits gathering for religious services without registration. There are Islamic, Christian, and Jewish groups registered. 500 Islamic and 32 other groups according to the last figures I saw on www.today.az.
Many of you will remember the Baptist pastor who spent 18 months in a Northern Azerbaijani jail on the charge of possessing weapons. He was pardoned and released. In Baku there is much more acceptance than in the northern parts of Azerbaijan.
I cannot explain with words the warmth and acceptance we felt.
The Peace Corps is apolitical and areligious. We are here to help any way we can and share who we are, and who you are with the people of Azerbaijan. Our other task is to share with you who the Azerbaijan people are. A group of people who want to remain true to their culture, ethnic identity, and move towards the future in cooperation with other nations and peoples.

First Day of School - September 15

We had a very big week. Last Saturday and Sunday we spent in Baku and met some very brave and outstanding people, but more on that next week. This blog is about the first week of school. Linda shares some of the week:
September 15 was the first day of school for all schools (including colleges, universities and private schools) in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Education decides when school starts, ends and all holidays during the year. Sometimes during the school year the Ministry of Education will suddenly decide that a holiday will be extended or there will be days off from school because they say so. Last year the spring break was extended from one week to two weeks. Most countries around the world are making the school year longer so students have more instruction time. However, in Azerbaijan moving the start of school from September 1 to September 15 has shortened the school year.
The first day of school is called Day of Knowledge. You can see the beautiful flower gardens outside the school in the pictures. Students, school staff and parents all assemble outside in front of the school and have an opening ceremony. Usually some government dignitary will speak, the national anthem will be sung and pictures will be taken. A new little first form student will ride on the shoulders of an 11th form student ringing a school bell to symbolize the beginning of the school year.
That is the way it is supposed to work. At 8:00 when the opening ceremonies for my school was scheduled to begin, some teachers and students were still finding and talking about how to decorate the front of the school. A banner was put up but taken down because the front door of the school couldn’t be opened with the banner across the door. The banner was moved and then they started putting up bows and ribbons. About half way through the tape was running out; so, less tape was used. You can see students coming to the school and the little first formers with their bouquets of artificial flowers for their teachers in the pictures. About 8:30 the decorating was finished. I thought the ceremony would begin. However, we stood waiting for the dignitary to arrive. Teachers and students would keep putting up the decorations that kept falling down. At 9:10 we started without the dignitary because all the children were getting very restless and noisy and parents who had come to start their little first formers to school needed to get to work. The first formers were hitting each other on the head with the bouquets of flowers they bring to the teacher. The ceremony was nice once it started and you will see pictures of the students. We didn’t get inside until about 10:00 with the little first formers leading the way.
Once inside the school, the confusion really began. A class of 25 students would know their schedule (history, science, PE, etc.) but not know the room. I saw groups of students standing in the halls waiting for the teacher to find what room they were to go to. The halls were so crowded it was difficult to move about, but the rooms were empty. As the day progressed, it was found that there were more classes than rooms available. So, the cleaning ladies were finding desks and chairs and opening up storage rooms so classes would have rooms. Many students spent most of the day in the halls. The volume of the voices became louder and louder as the day went by.
Teachers knew the classes they would teach but had not been given a schedule or room assignments. I thought the teachers would be angry at this disorganization; but they said this was just the way the beginning of school was every year. You can see two teachers in the pictures; one in western dress and the other in her hijab (head covering). Needless to say I came home from the first day of school with my head spinning.
As the week went by, rooms were found for all the classes, teachers and students began to learn their schedules but no books were issued to students in our school. We had class four days with no books. During those four days the teachers would teach from their copy of the book, write things on the board for students to copy and read the passages from the book to the students. All the teachers thought it was terrible that the students did not have books but they knew that the librarian would issue books when she was ready.
This brings up another interesting fact about schools in some parts of the world. Jobs can be bought. A person or family can buy a job at a school. Sometimes the money goes to the director and sometimes it goes to the rayon (county) superintendent. Also, if a teacher is related to the right people, she will get a job. Often these staff members are not very qualified for the job and could not get the job on their own. Sometimes these staff members know they are secure in their jobs and will do whatever they chose to do, when they want to do it. The bottom line… there is much bribery in schools.
It was so nice to see students from last year. So many had grown taller and changed during the summer. The students wanted to know when I would start English Conversation Clubs. There were several 9th form students who had said they planned to leave school but decided to return and finish school. I was glad to see them. Last year many of them would stare at me because I was the first American they had ever seen. This year the students seem to think of me as one of the teachers. I was also glad to see the teachers too. They would speak with me and greet me in a friendly manner. Last year they didn’t seem to quite know what to think about this American teaching in their school.
I am observing in different English classes these first two to three weeks before working out my schedule. There will be schedule changes for at least two weeks I am told so there is no reason to start my schedule until the final schedule is decided.
I was disappointed to find that many English skills had been lost by most students. They usually have no one to speak English with at home so they do not use much English for three months. Because there were not any
books yet, I was able to do several English language games and activities to fill the class time this week.
Azerbaijan is behind the American educational system. A student is usually about 1-2 years behind in academics compared to their American counterpart. The school year is short, instruction can be poor, there are few materials and resources and corruption impairs the system. Even with all these drawbacks there are some very dedicated educators in Azerbaijan who are making a difference in students’ lives. There are students who are working hard to be the first in their family to finish secondary school.

Remembering September 11 and the US Peace Corps

Today is September 11. We remember our great national tragedy, which changed all of us in a variety of ways. Do you recall the great sense of togetherness and patriotism the 3 to 6 months following 9/11? People drove their cars with more courtesy, were more generous in charitable giving, and most of all supportive of all the survivors and the heroes who gave their lives.
During my Conversation Clubs many of the participants told me they were thinking of Americans on this day. We all have their sympathy, best wishes, and hopes for a better future.

I have included a few pictures of our activities in Shirvan, just so you can see the wonderful faces of this city. But, for a text this is from our new Peace Corps Director, Aaron Williams (a RPCV).

In their letter of August 27, 2009, President Obama and the First Lady wrote, “This year, for the first time, the United States will honor September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Eight years ago, the tragic events of that Tuesday morning inspired Americans to come together in a remarkable spirit of unity and compassion. In that same spirit, we call on all Americans to join in service on September 11 and honor the heroes of that dark day as well as the brave men and women in uniform who continue to protect our country at home and abroad.” The closing paragraph of their letter begins, “No force for change is more powerful than that of Americans who are making a difference in their communities.”
Peace Corps Volunteers and the hundreds of Peace Corps staff members who support them are a powerful force for change in communities around the world. Through your remarkable service, you are advancing the cause of peace and friendship, and conveying a message of hope and understanding.

And this from our Program and Training Director Kristina who is an RPCV and has served in the Sudan:

…I’d like to share an anecdote from a Rotary meeting this past May. That evening Karen Wrightsman and Jill Gabel had been invited to present the GLOW camp to the Baku International Rotary Club members, as the club was interested in partially funding the camp. Karen and Jill gave a great presentation covering the goals and results of GLOW and the work carried out by PCVs in organizing and running the camp for the past several years. As the presentation drew to a close, a few Rotarians had questions, and then one gentleman spoke up with, “I’d like to say something about Peace Corps.”

Up until that moment the only thing I had known about him was that he was from Turkey and lived and worked in Baku with his family. I had come to a few meetings before and introduced myself as Peace Corps staff, but we’d never talked and he never mentioned knowing about Peace Corps, so I couldn’t even imagine what he was going to say.

He began to speak about how he, at the age of 15 -- back in the mid 1960s -- had been taught by a few Peace Corps Volunteers in Turkey. He told the audience about how the PCVs had interacted with the students, and how he’d never known a teacher to tell jokes or to act as anything other than a dictator in the classroom. Watching Karen and Jill present had made him emotional, as he was reminded of those years and how his life outlook had changed because of these two PCVs.

After the meeting I came up to him to talk about his experience and he continued to tell me how interacting with these young 20-something Americans had shaped how he later interacted with his children, his wife and with others. In his words, “I became a better father, and a better husband.” From my perspective, I’d met a few PCVs who’d served in the 1960s, but had never met a ‘beneficiary’ from the 1960s before, much less one who spoke so eloquently about how PCVs had impacted his life. Talking to him completely brightened my day.

Az6s, as you start a new school year and head into completing a full year of service, keep this story in mind. Sometimes the impact that you have is different from what you think it is or what you set out to do. More likely, there is impact in addition to the more tangible skills you are building. You do live in a fishbowl and people do observe you and your behavior and while that is personally frustrating at times, it can also have amazing results. Simple deeds such as showing kindness towards others, interacting in a positive way with people at your site, taking time to go visit kids in a home for disabled or orphanage that others might just ignore, voluntarily putting in a few more hours of work to improve the quality of a project just because you feel it’s important or simply believing in an idea you have and working to make it happen when others tell you it can’t be done....all of these can work miracles in the minds of others.

We covet your thoughts and prayers as we strive to serve you, the American people. We want the world to know who you are and how much you care.

Labor Day Holiday Greetings

Labor Day Greetings! It’s as if no one here as ever heard of Labor Day Holiday, and the magic 3-day weekend.
The first two pictures are of some of the children who participated in Linda’s Courtyard Club. This week as Linda went to her school to visit with teachers, one of the teachers was telling everyone how Mrs. Linda was teaching her grandson English. He could count to 15, knew colors, and is able to greet people in English. The grandmother was ecstatic. The Courtyard Club was a very good activity. It more deeply introduced Linda to the community, and helped children accomplish some learning during the summer. Parents and students could also see the benefit of interactive teaching methods.

Next 3 pictures are of a group of Azerbaijani Christians. We came in contact with them through the Conversation Clubs at the Library. In the picture of all males, the highest young man is Elshen. Elshen is a fifth year medical student. His younger brother, Rovshen (not pictured), is a fourth year medical student and they room together in Baku when the Medical University is in session. Elshen’s next brother is studying to be a mechanic, and the youngest child is in the second grade. The other two men are Christian men, one is a taxi driver, and the other works at the power plant. The older of the two is a Deacon in the Russian sector of a Baptist Church in Baku. Linda is pictured with Elshen’s mother.
The home is one of the most modest we have visited. We had a wonderful evening and Elshen walked us home. We told him it was not necessary to walk with us, but he wanted to talk all the way. Elshen and the taxi driver, Aydin, are the English speakers of the group.
We gained a lot of insight while walking with Elshen who is very active in university student groups.
Azerbaijan is proud of its diversity and tolerance. There is freedom of religion as long as the group registers with the proper authorities. There are over 500 different religious groups registered (Islamic being by far the most predominant). However, when speaking with individuals, the tolerance is more limited to those who are born of a religious faith and maintain the faith of the family if only in name rather than practice. If a person converts to another religion, that person is greeted with skepticism and distrust. If the entire family does not convert, then there is disappointment within the family. The individuals and families who convert are then not as much a part of the overall community.
Each person we met is a proud Azerbaijan citizen and proud of their country and people.

Next week Linda and I are spending a night in Baku. Linda needs to get her haircut, and do some shopping for comfortable shoes. She purchased a pair of shoes locally, but they are just too stiff and uncomfortable for any kind of walking. While we are in Baku, we will visit a Baptist Church and also attend services at the Baku International Fellowship which ministers to expatriates.

Linda is winding down her summer activities with the final meetings of her Courtyard Club, and Working Adult Conversation Club being held this week. School begins on September 15 at all levels. I will lose many participants in my Conversation Clubs who will return to various universities, while gaining several who will come back to attend Shirvan Economic and Humanitarian College. I will get to see many students that I have not seen for months.
As our first summer in Azerbaijan comes to a conclusion, it has been one full of experiences and relationships. We are thankful to our country for this opportunity to serve the United States and the people of Azerbaijan. And, as always we are thankful for your friendship and support.