Bayraminiz Mubarek (Happy Holidays)

PICTURES: This event was hosted by our site mate Jesse in his apartment. There were 16 Volunteers from vious sites mostly in the southern sector of Azerbaijan. Jesse is in the hat preparing food. It was a typical younger Volunteer gathering - 13 slept in Jesse's apartment, crowded, taying up late talking and consuming. Sleeping bags on the floor provided bedding. We enjoy talking with the Volunteers and admire their commitment and sacrifice, but we went home around 10:00 p.m. There is a natural and distinct division between the older and younger volunteers. Picutred with Linda is Todd who is here with his wife Sarah. They are a terrific couple, but have had disastrous housing experiences at their site of Kurdimer. In 2 weeks they are about to hopefully move to their 3rd residence. The present house does not provide food and they only havewhat they can prepare for themselves under very difficult circumstances. They are hoping to get into a new residence with a widow this next week. Volunteers must live with a host family for 4 months before they can consider moving into their own residence. Sarah is an experienced teacher, they are a fine couple, but housing difficulties have thoroughly discouraged them. Please give them your prayers and thoughts.

Jesse and the girls decorated with stockings.

At Jesse's the menu included your traditional Christmas foods, spaghetti, chili, mashed potatoes, cupcakes, tangerines and apple cake. We had an evening of sharing experiences and listening to Christmas music. There were 3 rooms, so there was ample space and oppotrunity to have good conversations.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you! This is a short posting as we prepare to go to Salyan for the day to help celebrate Christmas with Leslie. There will be 7 at Leslie's in Salyan.

The AZ7s have been on site for 2 weeks. This was their first Christmas away and Jesse wanted to make sure everyone had an opportunity not be alone. There were gatherings all over Azerbaijan. We recalled that last year we spent the morning and afternoon listening to Christmas music and watching a DVD of the 1985 FBC Archie Children's Program.

To all our friends and family in the midwest - you have our sympathy and thoughts during the snowstorm and extremely cold temperatures. The same goes for Nancy in New York, and the Goff's in Maine (unless they are in Belize).

The week before Christmas

The pictures are self-evident.
This week was quite ordinary for us with the exception that we learned that our younger son, Andrew, will be having “minor” surgery on Monday, the 21st. He will have the procedure as a day surgery in Harrisonville. Not being there for him is difficult for us. He has taken care of everything with the help of his friends, co-workers, and Matt. The technology of the cell phone gives us the ability to be in contact if necessary, but it is not like being there. We are confident that all will go well.

Winter is quickly approaching. Today I saw a heavy frost and it was very foggy. However, I hate to mention it since we have noted the cold weather in the Mid-west and all the snow to the north of Kansas City. Frank shared with us that they had experienced bitter cold and deep drifting snow. Our weather probably compares more to northern Oklahoma or southern Missouri.
We concentrate on keeping one room warm where we eat and work. It is surprising how warm our little kitchen stays with just using the gas stove and electric oven. I may have mentioned that Linda and I have never seen a working oven in an Azerbaijani stove. Everyone buys a small electric oven. We went for the slightly more expensive and it has a thermostat. The cheaper model is either on or off and controlling the temperature is quite an adventure.
Our oven gets everything done that we need, but just takes a little longer. We have never baked whole potatoes, but do cut up into small pieces, coat with oil and an onion soup mix and heat for about an hour. That is quite tasty. Usually Linda either fries or mashes the potatoes.
We eat a little rice. I prepare the rice using the method of boiling the rice for 10 minutes, pouring off excess water, and cover using a towel for a good seal on top of the pot, and wait five minutes. Linda does not eat as much rice as I. We often have black eyed peas, pinto or kidney beans with cornbread, and I add rice to mine.
Two sisters in one of my conversation clubs traveled to Baku and brought us back a little broccoli. That was quite a treat. We thoroughly enjoy the soup mixes that have been sent to us. There is nothing quite so tasty in this climate than soup.
Again, I know it is much colder in many places in the United States, but it is a different kind of cold here. The difference is that the public buildings and homes have very poor heating methods. On days when Linda has a full load at school, she comes home chilled to the bone. The school has electric wall heaters, but Linda has never experienced them on. The teachers will get a small electric heater and bring to their room, but temperature is usually about 40 – 45 in the rooms. Children keep their coats on the entire time in school, as well as the teachers. A difficult learning environment at best.
The Central Library has no heating system. The computer room has a small electric heater, and I warm up my hands with it. It amazes Linda and me that the buildings in which we work are colder than the outdoors in the winter, and warmer than the outdoors in the summer. Sometimes, I put on my coat and go outside to warm up.
We have Volunteers from Minnesota, Alaska, and other cold weather states who are used to the outdoor cold, but not the indoor discomfort. In the villages some Volunteers sleep in three layers of clothing plus the sleeping bags. The problem is when they read their hands get so cold outside the sleeping bags. Most village and mountain city Volunteers sleep in stocking caps, socks, layers, and the great sleeping bags. Many Volunteers will spend more time in their sleeping bags than out during the month of February.

Now that we have completed a year of service plus training, we spend a lot of time reflecting on what we have and have not accomplished. Also, we try to realistically assess what we might be able to accomplish in the remaining months. At times it becomes discouraging when thinking that the entire system is flawed. An example is that Friday was a day for “control work” at Linda’s school. Control work is required by the educational system to judge what the students have learned. Essentially it is a set of statements with a blank to be filled. The students must write the entire statement and fill in the word. The teachers either provide the answers or change the answer to the correct one later. It certainly does not measure the students’ knowledge or abilities. It is a complete waste of time for teacher and student, but required. It fills the days with unproductive activity and there are not that many days of educational opportunity provided to begin with.
With the onset of the colder winter and shorter days attendance is lower in my conversation clubs. I have been assisting more with the computers which is never ending maintenance. I have been helping download and install free anti-virus software. On one computer there were 2091 files which needed to be repaired. I offer my laptop to scan flash drives with my McAfee software. Often there are as many as forty viruses on a student’s flash drive. From my counterpart’s flash McAfee removed 137 files.I was feeling quite low with the lack of people recently, but spent a couple of hours assisting a young man in applying for jobs via the internet. As we walked home, he grabbed by hand and said if he could ever do anything for me, please ask. We must always remind ourselves, drop by drop a lake is made.

Down Hill Side

The big news this week was that on Friday we celebrated our anniversary of being Peace Corps Volunteers and moving to Shirvan. The pictures illustrate how we celebrated. First was a toast to the past year and to the countdown of returning to the United States to family and friends. Our dinner consisted of a chicken grill (it looks a lot like our Thanksgiving turkey) and fully loaded mashed potatoes from an instant mix from Betty Woollums.
Next was dessert, Oreo Double Stuffs and cold milk via Nancy Erlich in New York. Finally an evening of watching House and Monk episodes by playing DVDs with Windows Media Player and external speakers. To complete the enjoyment of the viewing Linda had a Diet Dr. Pepper compliments of my cousin Melissa Williamson in Georgetown, Texas. Melissa had sent 2 plastic bottles in a care package, and Linda saved them for this special occasion. We were amazed they made the journey through the mail just fine, and you can see by the expression on Linda’s face – she enjoyed the first, and is saving the second – maybe for Christmas or New Year’s.

The last picture is of our Christmas tree which went up this week. We were inspired by Betty Woollums who sent us some Christmas decorations, and a few holiday cards. The tree was purchased in the local bazaar as was lights for the 220 current. Linda made the decorations from old Christmas cards that Betty Matheney had sent us from John Knox Village last year.
On the television are 3 gifts from Azerbaijanis that we received last year. The angel on the left lights up. The angel and the 2 figures on the right are interesting because we have no idea of their significance. The Santa Claus (Shaxta Baba – grandfather frost) sings Frosty the Snowman.
The heater is very good, and we are fortunate to have it provided by our landlord. It is the type recommended by the Peace Corps as the safest. It is an electric radiator type that heats oil inside. We can also use it to heat or finish drying clothes.
Other Peace Corps Volunteers may heat with wood or gas. The gas can be dangerous and at times in short supply. An example is that in Barda the natural gas is turned off at 11 at night and resumes at 7:00 a.m. The danger is obvious. There can also be extreme variances in pressure. In our apartment there are days where we have no natural gas (usually not consecutive days) or low pressure. There is no notice – we just try to light the stove and most of the time it lights. We have a butane gas burner we can use in emergencies for cooking.
In the villages the Volunteers heat with wood. Wood is very expensive and the Peace Corps provides each volunteer 23 AZN per month for 6 months for heating supplement. One Volunteer, Tim, ordered a season of wood for 150 AZN. It was to be delivered between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. It arrived on the truck at 9:00 p.m. Tim and 2 fellow Volunteers unloaded the truck, then piled in the courtyard, then piled in an orderly fashion around Tim’s humble abode. The process was over 3 hours, and each Volunteer was extremely sore the next few days.

Beside the heater, notice our feet. Because of the dirt and dust no one wears their shoes past the entry way. During the winter it is important to have some warm slippers to wear around the house.

It is quite a psychological lift to realize we are only a year away from returning

Holiday Travel Adventures

PICTURES: The first is of Linda, Bill and Dorothy at the Mingachevir reservoir. Second the reservoir with the mountains in the background. Third is of the beautiful river running through the center of Mingachevir, and note the fantastic river walk – outstanding. Fourth, I could not resist a shot of the public toilet with the semi-private door. Bill has a better picture with me inside looking out at everyone with the door closed. Finally, even the most beautiful spots on this earth has to have a few turkeys.
We had another busy week following Thanksgiving. We were very fortunate in that Matt and Andrew called on Thanksgiving evening after we had published the last blog. It was good to hear their voices.
During the Qurban bayram (Sacrifice Holiday) Linda and I traveled to Barda to visit with our friends Bill and Dorothy Colcord. We left our home about 10:00 a.m. and arrived at Bill and Dorothy’s a little after 2:00 p.m. which means it was a great trip, and we did not have to wait long for bus connections.
When we arrived at their home there were 2 of the younger Volunteers finishing up a Scrabble game with Dorothy. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent in great conversation and good food. Bill and Dorothy are much like us and receive many delicious offerings from the U.S. Linda had brought a Duncan Hines Brownie Mix and they turned out perfect. We also learned a new use for lavash, which is a flat bread much like a flour tortilla. We cut the lavash into squares or diamonds, coat with a little olive oil, season, bake 3 minutes on each side, and then we have cheap warm chips – tasty.
On Saturday we all four traveled north and east to Mingachevir. Mingachevir is celebrating its 61st year as a city. A new city it is very clean, has wide streets, and has a reservoir which also produces hydro-electric power. There is the large reservoir with mountains in the background. The river then runs through the center of the city. It has become quite the Azerbaijan tourist spot. Mingachevir is one of the choice assignments for Volunteers. There is abundant housing, clean, great bazaar, hotels, and good restaurants by Azerbaijan standards. The weather can get a little cold in the winter, but there is water recreation in the summer. The reservoir is a beautiful shade of blue.
After returning in the early evening (we cannot travel outside of site except during daylight due to road and mass transit conditions) we again enjoyed good conversation, food, and then movie time. Dorothy had access to a projector and Bill connected his laptop. Bill projected the movie A Christmas Story, which if you can believe they had never seen. Yes, the movie A Christmas Story about Ralphie and Red Rider BB gun, they had never viewed this masterpiece of the cinema. I, on the other hand, recited the dialogue along with the actors.
Dorothy and Linda went to sleep while Bill and I enjoyed the second feature, Pretty Woman.
Sunday we returned home and Monday was still the holiday, so Linda spent the day washing, cleaning, and I ground meat, shopped, and defrosted the fridge. All in all a great holiday was had here in Azerbaijan.

Recently Linda broke a tooth, but was in no pain. She contacted the Peace Corps Medical Officer, Fuad, and he arranged a dental appointment for her. Since we are due for an annual examination and cleaning, Fuad made an appointment for both of us. The dental work is contracted to a group named American Dental Transplant Clinic. The dentists are graduates of dental schools in the United States. The clinic has the latest technology. The x-rays are digital and are viewed within seconds. Linda had her tooth repaired, but we both need further work done. I will have a couple of fillings and a root canal. Linda will have a couple of fillings, but one is complicated. We will keep everyone posted, but the dental care is impressive.

When I went to the post office after the holiday, all the Hopewell cards had arrived for Linda. In all she received 25 birthday cards – thanks to each and every one of you. Linda and I are back at work until the Azerbaijan World Unification holiday on December 31, and then the New Year celebration.

Next week a picture of our Christmas tree! Thanks to Betty Woollums for giving us the inspiration, and Betty Matheney for sending all the old Christmas cards which we are using for decorations!

Happy Thanksgiving from Azerbaijan

We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you are all with family and friends.
The second in command at the U.S. Embassy in Baku, Don Lu, opened his home to the AZ6 Volunteers for a Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, November 21. There were 50 of 55 Volunteers attending. Don Lu is a RPCV who served in his 20’s. He is very impressive and has helped us to understand Azerbaijan’s current political situation.
The second photo is of the PCV shoes left at the door.
The Third photo is of Thanksgiving table and you might recognize mashed potatoes and stove top stuffing. The fourth photo is of Denney carving the turkey (see description below). Finally, there is a picture of Leslie Schoolfield, an AZ6 in Salyan, Denney and Linda celebrating Thanksgiving in Azerbaijan.

It has been a full week with being in Baku last Saturday for the Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Don Lu. There was a lot of delicious turkey and soft drinks provided by the Embassy. The AZ6 Volunteers each brought a dish. There were lots of apple dishes, potatoes, pasta, salads, pumpkin pies, and even one pecan pie. The food was wonderful, and the housing for U.S. officials is really fantastic.
After the dinner all the Volunteers had a talent show (more next week with pictures). Then we were hosted by Americans living and working Baku. Linda and I were hosted by Peter and Stephanie Stasser. Peter is with the Department of Justice and works with prosecutors helping with procedures and techniques. They have 2 college age children. Stephanie’s father was a university professor in Thailand. Peter was a prosecutor in New Orleans and has served overseas in Malawi, Georgia, Philippines, and now Azerbaijan. They will be leaving Azerbaijan in the next 6 months for a new assignment. They were very kind to us. Peter drove us to church on Sunday. They have a lovely home, and Stephanie is quite an artist. We had wonderful conversations with them. It was a fantastic break.
It is interesting though that boredom can be a problem for everyone serving overseas. When we returned to the Stasser’s home they were watching a DVD of season 3 of the Beverly Hillbillies.

We celebrated Thanksgiving in the traditional manner. We had a turkey, it is small and here in Azerbaijan it is called a chicken. Linda put together wonderful green beans, mashed potatoes. We were going to have a wonderful dessert, but the electricity went off about 2:00 p.m. and was off until 5:30. So, you might note in the pictures above, we celebrated by candle light.
On Friday we will travel to Barda to spend time with our friends Bill and Dorothy.

When there is a significant American holiday such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, Volunteers do not work. Then Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (November 27-30) has been declared non-work days by the Milli Mejlis (Parliament). The non-work days are to mark Qurban. Qurban means sacrifice and is a significant remembrance in the Muslim world. It is a time when sheep are slaughtered as a sacrifice and those who are able will give meat to the poor. Families may go together and slaughter one sheep. The remembrance is of Abraham’s going to sacrifice his son Ishmael, but God provides a lamb instead. The term slaughter is not used, but instead “cut” indicating how the lamb is to be killed. The lamb is pointed towards Mecca, a prayer is said, then the throat is cut. After the lamb has bled to death, the head and the legs at the knee are removed. Then the meat is butchered in the customary proportions.

Any time during a Muslim holy day there is an emphasis on charitable giving, similar to our providing meals during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We wish for you the very best, and thank you always for your support. My brother John and his wife Kim called us Thanksgiving morning here. It was so good to hear their voices, and we begin to look forward to being reunited. A special thank you to all those who sent Linda a birthday card. The church in Archie was especially well represented. Linda and I are faithful to send our birthday offerings to the Missouri Baptist Children's Home through Hopewell Baptist Church.

On a sadder note, the Peace has lost its fourth Volunteer this year due to death. It was a 23 year old young woman, graduate of Stanford, serving in Monaco and died following an illness. For more information on the Peace Corps go to www.peacecorps.gov

AZ7 a Great Group

Pictured above are (left to right) Clarissa, Linda, and Jade. They are a part of the AZ7 Volunteers. They will be sworn in and deployed to their sites on December 10. Overall it is a very outstanding group.

We wrote about Connie and Sarah who were part of the original 61 AZ7. AZ7 training began in Philadelphia as did ours. They lost one person there who decided they could not go. After arriving in Azerbaijan they lost a second person due to health reasons, an allergic reaction to the pollution. Connie will be going to Qazax in the far northwest corner of Azerbaijan, and Sarah to Xachmaz which is in the north east corner.

Now for an even more interesting part of the story. While in Philadelphia there were 2 other countries staging at the same time. One of them was Turkmenistan. On the morning they were to leave, the Director of Central Asia and Eastern Europe region of the Peace Corps came to tell them that Turkmenistan had decided that it would not host new volunteers in 2009 and would wait until 2010 (after 17 years of continually receiving of volunteers). The group was devastated to say the least. One couple was like us and had sold their home. The Peace Corps did everything they could. They returned the group to their homes and said they would try to place them as quickly as possible, but it could be months.

Azerbaijan Peace Corps expanded its AZ7 group to include 7 more for the program of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). They joined the 9 week training - two weeks late. They have been working very hard to catch up with the cultural and language training. They missed the Peace Corps Volunteer site visits. To help with their training the 7 went to 5 sites nearest to Baku. That is how we got to meet and spend time with Clarissa and Jade.

Clarissa is a Chinese American (as she has to repeatedly explain to the Azerbaijanis that she meets). Her grandfather still lives in Hon Kong, her brother in Hawaii, and her parents in Berkley, California. She loves the Berkley area. She had researched and planned on serving in the Peace Corps for several years. She is very dedicated and wants to share herself with the people of Azerbaijan.

Jade's grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1950 from Tehran, Iran. Jade is from the Seattle area and had wanted to serve in the Peace Corps since she entered the University. Jade fits right into the Azerbaijani appearance.

We were very impressed with their dedication and desire to be good volunteers - consequently they will be great volunteers. Clarissa is going to Neftchala, and Jade to Masalli which are in the southern sector of Azerbaijan, and only a couple of hours from us. We hope to be able to keep in contact with them during next year.

The ethnicity of the AZ7s is enhanced by Sharif Hussanein who is one of the 7 from the Turkmenistan group. He was born in the Sudan, escaped the genocides with his older brother. He ended up through many circumstances in Florida, and is a graduate of Florida State University, and a U.S. citizen. He wants to serve the United States through the Peace Corps. He arrived in Azerbaijan and was told by the host family that they wanted a real American and he could not stay with them. The Peace Corps immediately found alternative housing for him. His attitude is always positive. Children at the school where he trains will lick their fingers and rub his skin, and he just smiles. Linda met him during one of her presentations and was captivated by his special qualities.

We try to explain to our co-workers here in Azerbaijan, that these are really more American than we. They represent the very best of our nation - God Bless the U.S.A.

Saturday, November 21 we will travel to Baku and be housed by an American family working in Azerbaijan and living in Baku. In the afternoon 55 AZ6 volunteers will go to the home of Don Lou who is with the Embassy staff in Baku. Don Lou is a RPCV and has great affection for the volunteers.

One other note: Robert Kelsay commented that Linda was wearing an Oregon Ducks tee-shirt in one of the photos. When volunteers go home, they generally leave as much as they can in Azerbaijan for volunteers and Azerbaijanis. Linda inherited the shirt from an AZ5 - she is still a Baylor Bear, Kansas Jayhawk, and Central Missouri Mule through and through.

Half-way through Training and Service

Pictures: This week I am reminiscing a little. The first picture is of Thanksgiving 2008 in the village of Saray with 3 Trainee clusters represented. We gathered for Thanksgiving pot luck dinner and also to surprise Linda on her birthday. The sign says “Your 60 years life – celebrate/congratulations.”
The third picture was taken at a cultural event during our training. We visited the ancient site of Gobustan, and here are most of the older group eating lunch together. The 3 on the far right have all Early Terminated, ET, due to family and adjustment issues.
The fourth picture is of Denney looking into a “Mud Volcano”. These are unique to the area and are a result of gas erupting through the mud. They are not hot, but can be a little dangerous in that this year one of the AZ7’s sunk down to his belly in mud when the crust broke.
Finally is one of my favorite pictures of Linda at Sheki.

Linda and I have passed the half-way point in our service and training. On December 10 we will mark the half-way point in our service as Volunteers, and will have less than one year remaining. The countdown of our return will begin. So, the subject of this blog is homesickness.

I read the blogs of other Volunteers and Trainees in Azerbaijan when I have time. Homesickness is common to all of us. Everyone has ways of handling the being separated from family and American culture. Serving in the Peace Corps is far different now than even 5 years ago, much less 10, 20, 30, or 50. Through cell phones, television and the internet we keep up with news and are in contact with family and friends on a regular basis. It is this contact that helps the most. Even short emails are always appreciated.
This week we were fortunate to have two phone calls. First, the members of Hopewell Baptist Church had a “Call Linda and Denney Fellowship.” There was a potluck supper and then they called 8:15 p.m. CST which was 6:15 a.m. for us. We were expecting the call and had both been up since 5:00 in anticipation. We had speakerphones on both ends of the call which made it very nice. It was a joy to hear familiar voices. Something like that picks up the spirits.
On Friday night (CST) Andrew called us and we spoke for about 30 minutes. He had had a stressful day, but being able to speak with him helped to make us feel we are still a viable part of his life. He said he would call again on Thanksgiving.
In addition to the telephone calls, we also receive cards and letters. Three weeks or so is the average delivery time. These are nice because they can be read over and over. I also use the cards for Conversation Clubs to discuss the pictures and such.
Many of you have been so instrumental in sending us packages. I know I will leave someone out so I will not list everyone, but some of the highlights have been: spices from many people (I think my sister buys a whole shelf and sends it), For all of you who have sent special foods like peanut butter, French or Italian roast coffee, crackers, cheeses, oatmeal, hot chocolate mixes, Kool-Aid, Crystal Lite, soups and soup mixes, candy, and everything else – too much to mention. These items make life so much more bearable. All the Volunteers comment how these items help overcome the homesickness for American culture.
We are very fortunate to have a reliable mail system. Many Volunteers over the world are not as fortunate. We have timely and safe delivery. We have only lost a couple of items. One electronic package did not arrive at all. Another package was missing a roll of tape after having come open during transit. We also lost one package of Crystal Lite – told you it was valuable.
We offer special thanks to all of you who helped in emergencies with items like makeup, hairspray, and French Press coffee maker.
Last year Billie and Daryl Limpus sent us a CD of the 1985 Christmas program at FBC Archie. There were our sons, and friends’ children singing and performing. It was so emotional and touching.
So, basically, every contact from the U.S.A. is deeply appreciated and helps manage the homesickness.

We miss family and friends most at the holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. The American culture is different. When we are reading books and the characters go to their favorite Pizza place, restaurant, play, or concert, then it hits. When Linda is preparing meals, we realize how much we miss prepared foods. Diet drinks are not found easily, an occasional Coke or Pepsi Light can be purchased. The sugar free drinks from the U.S. are something we did not realize how much we would miss them.

Some volunteers have made trips back to the United States and others have had family visit them here. I believe for us a trip to the United States would not help because I doubt I could get back on the plane to return to Azerbaijan. Chris Gilmore is hoping to come visit us next year, and we are still hoping one or both of our sons could come.

In December and early January we will be getting our physicals and dental examinations, and then late January or early February will be our Mid-service Conference. Then the countdown to our return will begin, and next summer in earnest.

All total out of the 61 we began with there is now 55. There have been 3 younger and 3 older volunteers who Early Terminated. To Early Terminate is respected as the best choice for those individuals at that time. We respect and appreciate anyone who has made the Peace Corps a choice and every minute of service is important. Thank you again for helping make this possible for us through your contacts, support, friendship, love, prayers, and thoughts!

Linda Continues to Assist with Training

Pictures: The first is of Linda’s counterpart Metanet (right) and her sister. As they traveled to Jeyranbatan, Linda and Metanet stopped in Baku at Metanet’s sister’s apartment for lunch. Linda felt it was a great honor to be invited and that Metanet wants Linda to meet her entire family.
This year is the “Year of the Child”, “Ushaq Ili”, and a program was presented in the Library. The Library Director welcomes everyone to the program. The program consisted of readings, drama, activities, and awards.

Linda was busy again this week. She and her counterpart traveled to the village of Jeyranbatan. They presented two sessions on working with a counterpart in Azerbaijan schools. Linda has established a very good relationship with her counterpart, and has changed her secondary counterpart for this school year. Linda provided excellent realistic experiences and techniques.
When we made our first visit to Shirvan last year Linda took pictures of all the English language teachers. Then at Christmas time Linda made cards for each teacher with a copy of the picture on it. Linda explained the tradition of Christmas cards while presenting a photo to each teacher. Photos are treasured here and deeply appreciated.
Linda established a monthly meeting with the Director of the school to make sure he was aware of everything she was doing. Her reports to the Director provide an opportunity to establish trust and support for her work here. It seems like obvious techniques, but the majority of TEFL volunteers do not have teaching experience before coming to the Peace Corps.
Counterparts are one of the keys to a successful Peace Corps experience. A good counterpart makes the difficulties in language and culture easier to overcome. A bad counterpart or a bad relationship with a good counterpart can increase the level of the barriers. Linda’s counterpart helps her with the meetings with the Director, Conversation Clubs, shopping, and friendship.
Linda and Metanet presented and answered many excellent questions from the Trainees. There is a large group this year and were divided into 2 groups. The first group were experienced teachers and the second group had no teaching experience. The first group responded exceptionally well, were tuned in and had some of those excellent questions. The second group was less disciplined and took awhile to get onboard, but in the end responded with good questions.
Like having any large group of people, there are those who understand and behave appropriately. Appropriate dress for the teacher is of utmost importance in Azerbaijan. People are first judged upon their appearance. After trust and confidence is built, then more casual dress may be more acceptable, or maybe not. Appropriate attire demonstrates respect for the culture in which we live. It seems simple, but no matter how many times it is repeated, some Volunteers may not understand its importance.

When Linda returned to her classroom on Thursday, after almost 2 weeks absence due to training future Volunteers, she received a standing ovation from class 9C. It warmed Linda’s heart! The children and staff here truly appreciate Mrs. Linda. Every week there seems to be something like the ovation that gives us inspiration.

For me, this week had me contemplating whether or not one could die from an overdose of Pepto Bismal. I missed three days at the library and when Linda returned on Tuesday evening was more of a burden to her than a helpmate. I am slowly gaining my strength back, and completed a day of work on Friday. Some days the most inspirational events are a bowl of soup and Sprite.

Assisting with AZ7 Training

Last week was another unique time in the lives of Denney and Linda. On Saturday, October 24, we made our way to Baku. We try to get to Baku every 6-8 weeks so that Linda can get a great haircut. The timing was right, Andrea, a Community Economic Development Volunteer, was in Baku for training with Access Bank, her site organization. While in Baku, she had access to a 3-room apartment and invited all the Volunteers who had been in a Bible study group during training to come and go to church together on Sunday. Wendy, Micah, Linda and I accepted her invitation.
The picture above is of the Baku International School auditorium (lower half) where the Baku International Fellowship meets for worship. This was about 20 minutes before the service began. There were approximately 300 in attendance with about 50 of those children under the age of 12. The congregation is made up of expatriates working or studying. The offering was received by four men of different ethnic origin; Indian, African, Asian, and European.
After the service we also met a gentleman involved with the Azerbaijan Baptists. We had a very meaningful, but far too brief of a conversation. We hope to meet with him again in the future when we are in Baku. He asked that I not use his name because of circumstances we understand. He is a very brave man.
We had a good evening Saturday visiting with our friends and fellow Volunteers, then separated after worship. I headed back to Shirvan, Linda headed to McDonalds with the others and then on to Sumqayit. Linda met Connie, an AZ7 with whom she stayed while in the village of Saray. The meeting place for all Volunteers and Trainees in Sumqayit is “The Dove.” The statue pictured above is very near the Caspian, and is known by everyone.
Pictured above at the host family in Saray are (left to right) Vafa the daughter, a relative, Ilhama the host mother, and Connie. Ilhama is a widow with a large extended family. Her husband died of cancer at the age of 46 and was 1 of 11 children. Ilhama would say he came from 11 children and is the only one who has died. There were many relatives in and out of the house always checking on her. Ilhama works as a secretary at the music school in Saray. The house was very clean, and the family as all Azerbaijanis hospitable.
Linda was asked to be a mentor this year. She went to a language cluster (5 Trainees) and observed them teaching 3 different lessons. She evaluated and gave feedback to each Trainee. Linda was quite impressed with 3 of the five teachers. The fourth has potential, but has never had teaching experience, and given the right counterpart will do a good job. The fifth needs to go home.
Linda returned to Shirvan on Saturday, October 31, around noon to Denney’s open arms, peanut butter, soup, and hot cinnamon tea.

I had my usual conversation clubs on Monday. I also went to a wedding Monday evening. The wedding was for a library worker’s husband. There can be 2 weddings. One wedding is for the girl, and she may wear any color dress. The second is the boy’s and the bride wears white. In this wedding, the couple signed the legal documents and it was very western with a woman asking the couple to repeat vows before the customary food and dancing.
On Tuesday I traveled to the village of Tegiyev. The village is right on the Caspian, and about 4 hours from Shirvan. I was there to assist in a session on teaching basic computer skills on Wednesday. Because we are not allowed to travel at night, I traveled to Tegiyev on Tuesday, presented on Wednesday afternoon, and returned to Shirvan on Thursday. Pictured above is a view of school number 32 in Tegiyev. It is the Caspian in the background. However, it was raining, cold, and I fell down on my way to the school.
Pictured above are 2 more of the AZ7 Trainees. They are very talented, and I was equally impressed with the group of AZ7 in the Youth Development Program. In between the 2 Trainees is a relative of the host mother where I stayed.
My conditions were much different from Linda’s. There was a large compound with at least 4 houses, and I’m not sure how many families in each house. I saw so many different people. We all share a toilet. I always had to wait in line, no matter the time of night or day!
I was anxious to return back to Shirvan.
Note of explanation: There is an Azerbaijan proverb, “East or west home is best.” The meaning is wherever you travel it is always best to return home and die at home.
A tender moment for me was during the Friday 10:00 conversation club. The group wanted to know what I was doing in Tegiyev and about what was asked. The host family in Tegiyev wanted to know if I liked Azerbaijan. I used my limited language skills to say I loved the Azerbaijani people, and “Azerbaijan menim ichinji evimdir.” Translated Azerbaijan is my second home. Then a couple of the students asked if I wanted to live longer in Azerbaijan. I explained that we missed our sons, family, and multitude of friends, and as much as I love Azerbaijan, I love them more. One girl responded, “East or west home is best.”

From Country Director to Trainees

Last week was a busy one for us. On Wednesday the 18th our Country Director Meredith Dalton visited us. She is a very caring person who has committed much of her life to the Peace Corps. Her father is a surgeon in Oklahoma City. Meredith’s goal is to visit every Volunteer at least once a year.
Linda does not teach on Wednesdays and was able to prepare fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans for lunch. That knocked the socks off of her! We deeply appreciate her concern for every Volunteer, but shared with her that we have a wonderful support system in the United States. Both Linda and I are fortunate to have excellent counterparts who work with us.
The counterpart can be the most important person in regards to a successful and rewarding Peace Corps experience. Linda has described Matanat, and I have shared a little about Alma in the past. Alma helped us get our apartment, works to get students for conversation clubs, and spends a lot of time with me talking about Azerbaijan culture and traditions.
Basically, we shared with Meredith, don’t worry about us, and thank you for all your support, and the support of the staff. Pictured with Meredith and Linda is one of the Peace Corps Drivers. These men are responsible for the safe transportation of the staff. They also inspect potential housing for Volunteers, and act in behalf of the Volunteers with landlords. They must speak Azerbaijani and English, and are quite educated. They must be able to navigate the roads between and within each city and village. It is a very difficult job.

On Sunday afternoon two AZ7 Trainees came to spend 2 full days with us. Connie Hayes who is about 50 and Sarah Ferguson a recent university graduate arrived about 1:00 p.m. We settled them into our apartment and had lunch at a local Turkish café where men and women are accepted to eat together. Another Trainee, Derek, stayed with Jesse, our site-mate, and we all got together for supper at our home Sunday night.
On Monday, Connie went with Linda to school to observe an Azerbaijani classroom firsthand and observe what a Teaching English as a Foreign Language volunteer does. Sarah went to the Library with me to observe and interact. Unfortunately, halfway through the first conversation club the Library Director invited us to a ceremony for the “Picture Gallery”. We locked up the library and everyone went to see local artwork.
In the afternoon Connie and Sarah went to the library with me for a couple of conversation clubs. Linda again prepared a wonderful supper, and we spent the evening answering questions about life in Azerbaijan.
On Tuesday Sarah went with Linda, and Connie went with me. In the afternoon Connie, Sarah, and Linda went shopping and Linda answered practical living questions.
Sarah and Connie made very good impressions on us. Connie will be a valued member of the “Mature Women Volunteers Fellowship.” Connie is especially enthusiastic. Connie was an editor at a local newspaper in Arizona. As the paper needed to downsize she applied for the Peace Corps. She had wanted to serve in the Peace Corps since college days. Now was a good time for her to serve, then she will return and seek another career until retirement.
Sarah has a degree in Business Management and wants to do consulting work. She went to school in Rhode Island and her family is from the Boston area. I am sure she will be an asset for the Youth Development Program.
Early Wednesday morning they left to return to training. The last two pictures are of how PCVs travel and the taxi drivers discussing who will take them to Baku.

On Saturday we are going to Baku to meet with Volunteers with whom we shared a Bible study. Then on Sunday we will all go to church at the Baku International Fellowship. After church Linda will travel to the village of Saray where she will spend five days observing Trainees teaching. She will be mentoring them in preparation for their service. I will return to Shirvan and conduct conversation clubs on Monday.
On Tuesday I will travel to the village of Teqiyev. Wednesday I will assist my Program Manager in a presentation about teaching computer skills in Azerbaijan. Thursday I travel back to Shirvan and await Linda’s Friday or Saturday arrival. I am not sure which day Linda will return. This Sunday is the end of Daylight Savings Time, and we are not allowed to travel after dark between cities. The roads are very dangerous after dark due to animals potentially on the road, and poor lighting in cars and trucks.
Hopefully we will have much to share after the experiences.

Engagement Party and etc.

I have mentioned in past blogs about asking conversation club members to take our camera and take interesting photos. The photos above were taken by Gunay. She went to her family’s home village for an engagement party. When a couple becomes engaged there is a party. The photos show the future bride, the future groom arriving at his intended’s home, the couple together, seated at their place of honor and a photo with friends and family is always desired.

This from our language and culture coordinator about the cultural rituals involved to engagement:

Prior to Courtship
Under the custom the first to come to the girl's house are two women - the groom's mother and one of his close relatives. As soon as the women come to agreement about the marriage, it is time for the heads of the families to meet. The groom's father comes to the bride's house with three respected people; who can be relatives or friends of the family. Together the group tries to communicate their intentions. The girl's father does not give his consent at first. He should talk this over with his daughter. When the girl is asked she keeps silent. It is the sign of her consent. If she should not consent, she will usually talk to her mother, rather than speaking directly to her father. However, the final consent is not yet given. It is given only after a brief courtship.

Courtship
The father of the groom invites his close relatives to his house. Together they come to common decision on the engagement. Then the female relatives of the groom meet the future bride and find out about decision. Then they inform her mother on the engagement date. The bride and her family have a meeting. The matchmakers (relatives, friends and/or neighbors) come together on the appointed day. If the girl is against this marriage they get a refusal. If she isn't, they take some time to consider it.

After a while the relatives of the groom come to the girl's home again. This time the girl's family gives their consent. On day of the decision the matchmakers come to the bride's house. They are invited to sit on the best seats at the table. The girl's relatives are present too, but the bride and her mother are not - on this day the bride has to stay away. The father of the groom asks one more time for the girl's family’s answer. "Let Allah bless them", - they answer. Everyone sitting at the table then says, "Amen." Then the new relatives congratulate each other. The sister of the girl brings in tea. Sometime dinner is served. After the matchmakers have left the sisters of the bride go to the bride congratulate her and take her back home.

Engagement
Within a month the relatives of the groom should come to the girl's house for engagement ceremony. On this day 25-30 people gather together: the bride's friends, her peers. They all sit down around the bride. Then the relatives of the groom come bringing a ring, a kerchief and sweets. The sister of the groom, her brother, sister-in-law or the father put a ring on the bride's finger, cover her shoulders with the kerchief, then they treat the bride with one half of the sweets; the other half they give to the groom. Then the feast begins. As soon as the groom's family has left then it is time for the hen-party. The bride then in turn puts her right hand on the head of each of her unmarried friends, letting them try on her ring. It is said that the girl who is the first to try the ring will be the next one to get married. Then the bride's friends leave, carrying away the sweets.

A couple can be engaged for any period of time, and if a death occurs in a family, then a wedding will not take place during the year following the death.

Our Life Last Week
Last Saturday Linda and I were invited to a home where friends gather and sing choruses, share concerns, pray, and study the Bible. We arrived at 7:00 and others around 8:00, and we left at 10:00 p.m. There were two other couples, one couple’s son, his aunt and ourselves. The aunt played the guitar, provided words to choruses, selected the music, and lead in the study. Their concerns are much like any family in the world, jobs, health, well-being of family and friends. We asked them to remember our family and friends in the United States and especially our sons. It is comforting and inspiring to spend time with these dear brothers and sisters of faith.
The aunt shared that some people come only after dark in order to avoid attention from neighbors. In fact by coincidence when we left the meeting to go home, we stepped into the street and a young man had the headlights of a truck turned on so we could see. The young man we had met before and asked what we were doing there? We responded, “visiting friends” – to avoid any difficulties for the family.
Religious freedom is promoted officially, but organizations require registration. In my conversations at the library we often speak about religious cultures and beliefs.

This week Linda has been ill, but is recovering in time for us to host 2 Peace Corps future volunteers who have begun training. They arrived in Azerbaijan about 2 weeks ago. We are to answer any questions and share with them what Peace Corps life and work in Azerbaijan is like. We will share more about them next week.

Pictures and Gonshurlar

First an explanation and caption for the pictures, then a little information about our gonshurlar (neighbors).
We brought a couple of digital cameras with us to Azerbaijan. One has a broken LCD display, but fortunately has a view finder also. For the advanced conversation club members I offer the camera for their use. I only ask that they take interesting pictures. They take pictures, I download to my laptop, and then we discuss.
These are 5 of Rovshan’s photos. He has an excellent eye, intelligence and a great sense of humor. The first photo is of a monument to a device for preparing tea. The monument is located in the old park near a chaykhana (teahouse). The inside of the cylindrical container would be hollow and used for a wood fueled fire. Surrounding the fire area contains water which is heated by the fire, then when tea is made the teapot is placed on top of the fire. It is especially useful on picnics, courtyard dinners, funeral meals, and family occasions.
The second picture is of a wood carving of an oriental man. It is a wonderful piece of art that has deteriorated due to the weather and lack of maintenance of sealers. The third is a new complex of wood houses being built for foreign workers who will come to work on the construction of a new power plant. The information I receive is that the workers will be from China. A Chinese company has the contract to build the new power plant which will take 3-5 years. The housing is very unique for this area. The houses will have a better R-factor and more efficient for heating and cooling. Very good windows have been installed, and there is a common building which will be used for meals. Fourth photo is a bridge that you may either want to avoid or run very quickly across. Finally a shop owners poster. Can you tell which shop owner only accepts cash and which extends credit?

The Azerbaijan word for neighbor is gonshur, and the plural gonshular. We live on the second floor of an old soviet era apartment building. The building has 5 entrances and each entrance leads to 5 floors, and each floor except the first has 3 apartments. The neighbors directly across from our apartment is a family consisting of the father who works away much of the time, the mother who is a housewife, the elder daughter age 10, younger daughter, age 3, and son almost 2 years old. None of them speak English but the 10 year-old daughter came to Linda’s English Club this summer and learned some English. She then taught this to her mother and siblings. The neighbors next door is a family consisting of the mother and college-age-daughter. The father died and an older brother lives in Baku. It seems that a male relative lives with them also. I tutor English with the college-aged daughter, Sherebani. Both of these neighbors have been very friendly and regularly they bring over plates of baked goods, candy and jam. I once had to borrow a little gas cooking device (like a camping stove) when the gas went out while guest were here. I feel fortune to have such good neighbors.

After Linda completed her courtyard classes she gave her visual aids to the 10 year-old daughter and said, “You are now the teacher for your family.”

Drop by drop a lake is made.