Saying Thankyou and Goodbye to AZ5, and TWTWTW

The first picture is of; Jane Flegal - PCV Lankaran 2007-2009, Ruhanges – Jane’s counterpart, Linda, Whitney Bey – PCV Jallibad 2007-2009, and in the background is Ruhanges’ husband. A part of the Pre-Service Training is to visit a Peace Corps Volunteer at their site and observe what being a PCV is like in Azerbaijan. Our visit was to Lankaran and our host was Jane Flegal. Whitney Bey came to Lankaran to help enhance our time in Lankaran. Jane and Whitney were patient, kind, and honest in answering all our questions and responding to our anxieties.
On August 2 while Jane and Whitney were on their way to Baku for their medical visit before their close of service, we were privileged to host them for an evening. We wanted to have more time with them before they return to the United States, and we still had more questions about the PCV experience. I want all our friends and family to know how much we admire and appreciate these 2 soon to be RPCV. It is very difficult to be a single female PCV. Jane and Whitney represented the United States, the Peace Corps with honor and dedication, and we should all be proud of their service.
The second picture is of Jane and Linda by the Caspian. The third is of Jane’s classroom in Lankaran. As you can see it is in poor condition even for Azerbaijan standards. When we visited with Jane’s counterpart, I asked, “Why do you think Jane came to Azerbaijan?” Ruhanges responded with affection that Jane came to share teaching techniques, but even more of herself, and that Ruhanges will be a better teacher for Jane’s coming.

On August 16 we also said goodbye and thank you to Jenni Onslow – Salyan, and Kathleen Keating – Salyan village. Linda and I made our first venture in traveling by ourselves by going to Salyan. Jenni hosted us for lunch. Jenni was in the Youth Development program and began swimming classes for women. Now swimming lessons for women may not be unusual in the USA – here in Azerbaijan this was a cultural achievement and demonstrated the confidence and trust the women placed in Jenni.
Kathleen was an English teacher in a village outside Salyan. For a woman to serve in a village takes endurance, strength, and the highest commitment.

As we said goodbye and thank you to these AZ5 Volunteers, Jenni said “We (AZ5) have fewer days than you have months left to live in Azerbaijan. It is amazing how one counts down and marks certain milestone dates. The big countdown begins when a volunteer has less than a year. Then every time a volunteer celebrates an event, they say something like, “that’s the last Christmas I’ll spend in Azerbaijan”.

For Linda and I we are marking our service with the upcoming dates: September 23 – having lived in Azerbaijan 1 year, November 2 – half-way through our time in Azerbaijan, December 11 – only 1 more year to go.

Now, for the younger readers of this blog, there was an old TV show entitled That Was The Week That Was (TW3). The rest of this blog is TW3.

People’s attitude about Monday’s is universal. When I jog on Monday mornings, everyone moves more slowly and with some trepidation for the upcoming week. But, for us the week was most unusual.
On Tuesday we attended a “Toy” which is a wedding. The picture above is of the Groom, Bride, and fellow workers at the Library. The woman on the far right (tallest) is named Dilara. On Tuesday morning she came to me and had a small gold cross that she wanted to give to Linda. Linda wore it to the wedding. What makes the cross so special was that Dilara’s mother had brought it from Moscow 20 years ago. Now, Dilara wanted to present it to Linda.
Note the last picture – we got to dance at the wedding – European style! We still got it.
On Wednesday at the conclusion of my final conversation club, a new participant asked for some time alone. His name is Elnur and he is a 5th year medical student in Baku. His English is excellent. His brother had been to the library and had seen the conversation clubs. Elnur then asked if I was a Christian. I said, “Yes”, and he replied immediately, “So am I”. His aunt was the first member of the family to become Christian while living in Russia (this during the Soviet Union). The aunt was influential in Elnur’s mother and father becoming Christian, and his entire family is now active in their faith. Elnur attends a Baptist church in Baku (1 of 4) in the Ganjlik area; a familiar area to Linda and I. The services are from 1 until 3 on Sunday afternoons. Now, Linda and I have a place and people to share in worship.
When I came home, I told Linda my day was better than hers. I told her about Elnur and his family. As tears filled Linda’s eyes we were thankful.
On Thursday evening we hosted an adult conversation club with 8 in attendance. At about 8:45 p.m. we met with Yergona and her family. Yergona is a student at Baku State University who lives in Saray (the village where we lived during training). Linda and Yergona tutored each other in English and Azerbaijani. Yergona was in Shirvan to celebrate the fourth birthday of her nephew and the family wanted us to join them. Yes, the party did not begin until 9:00 or so.
I sat with men in one portion of the courtyard, and Linda with the women in another area. There were 2 teenage boys, the father, father’s brother, the grandfather, and I. Linda had Yergona to help her with translation while I was using all the Azerbaijani, sign language, pantomimes, and primal grunts that I knew to communicate.
During the party we danced a little swing to a popular Azerbaijani song, and had a wonderful evening.
What I most want to share is that during the evening, we shared how we wanted to be their friends. The grandfather told me that he served in the Soviet army in Cuba, and he had seen Castro. I remember the missile crisis, the cold war, and now I was sitting with a former Soviet soldier, sharing food, drink. The most important things to him now are his 8 grandchildren. Family and friends make life worthwhile.
This week could only happen in the Peace Corps experience.
Thank you for your love and support.

Birthdays in Azerbaijan

Pictures: Denney’s birthday cake – note that even though Linda had the message written out on a piece of paper it is still misspelled. Linda purchased Denney’s cake at the Turkish bakery and surprised him at the Library with the help of the Library staff. Back in November Denney surprised Linda with the help of Peace Corps Trainees. There is the picture of our two language clusters plus a few others who came along. We have a copy of that photo in our family album, which we take with us everywhere. One of the favorite activities to tell the viewer that all of the people in the picture are Americans except 2 who are Azerbaijani, and can you pick out the 2 Azerbaijani? (The answer is at the end of the posting). Denney received 2 special gifts. One is the little figurine from the library staff, and it is of the three characters of Novruz, the most popular national holiday. The other special gift was from the college and university students who collected money and surprised Denney with the original oil painting of the Maiden’s Tower in Baku. I was truly touched by both gifts, but especially from the students.
Linda and I also went to Ujar this past week (more below) and these are the pictures from the day camp we assisted.

Birthdays in Azerbaijan are celebrated much like in the United States. There is a cake with candles – one for every year of age or just one candle. A wish is made and the candle(s) is blown out. Friends and family may give presents. The family of the birthday person comes to their home and has cake and/or a meal.
When students are away from home, their classmates celebrate with the birthday person. The students collect money, and they purchase a cake, and then reserve space at the “buffet” which is the university café. Tea is served at the buffet and the cake is cut.
Cutting the cake is a bit different. A circular piece is cut in the middle, and then slices are cut from the inner circular piece to the outer edge.
Presents can be anything from souvenirs to flowers. In our host family a 10 year old girl was given a beautiful ceramic bowl. If I were the child, I would have been thinking “This is great if I was a grandmother!”
No one here was aware of trick candles that are blown out and then relight. However, there are candles which are mini-sparklers.

Linda and I traveled to Ujar last Tuesday afternoon. The bus ride was about 3 hours. Ujar is to the west of Shirvan, and it necessary for us to go to Hajacabul (the closest town to Shirvan to the north, but on the main east-west highway) to get the bus. We take any bus going west and tell the driver we want to stop in Ujar. Ujar has a wonderful new bus station and it has the best public toilets we have seen in all the bus stations in Azerbaijan. The only problem is that it is on the edge of the city. So when we arrived we took a taxi to meet Wendy.
Wendy is an AZ6, and during training she attended the Bible study group. She is in her early 20’s. Wendy was assisting Candice an AZ5 who will be returning to the United States on August 28.
Summer camps have become a popular project in Azerbaijan. A volunteer will organize and promote anything from a day camp to week long activities. There are 2 large projects where youth travel to a camp and stay in cabins together. The girls camp is called GLOW, Girls Leading Our World, and the boys camp is called ABLE, Azerbaijan Boys Leadership E… These camps have about 45 students and are funded through a SPA (Special Project Assistance) grants from the Peace Corps. A committee will organize each camp and then Volunteers are asked to assist.
Individuals also may hold camps, such as Jane’s Yay Kamp (Jane’s Summer Camp) in Lankaran. Jane organizes activities and has students apply to attend the camp. The camp sessions are 3 hours Monday – Thursday for three weeks with a different theme each week. The themes are usually music, sports, environment, crafts, etc. Jane has around 130 students who come to her school in Lankaran for the camp. Jane has 7 – 10 Volunteers each week who give of their time, travel at their expense, and follow Jane’s directions. Jane houses the Volunteers in her apartment and with the help of the three other Lankaran Volunteers.
The camp in Ujar is for Girls only, and was begun last year by a talented Volunteer named Dana. It was our first experience at helping with one of the several camps. This camp was conducted each Wednesday during the summer and every day the final week.
Our experience was mixed. The girls were enthusiastic and friendly. They responded to any attention from us. The activities were not well planned and there was little organization. The camp itself provided about 3 hours of fill time for the girls. There is so little organized activities for Azerbaijani children in the summers that they will respond to any effort in their behalf. This camp could have provided so much more for the students with just a little more effort in its design and implementation.
Our stay with Wendy and Candice made us appreciate our living conditions in Shirvan. Each had a room with access to a kitchen in a large house. For Volunteers housing can vary with each city and village. We all realize that our conditions will not be easy, but it is up to the Volunteers to make the best of our housing situations. A lot of work cleaning, arranging, and decorating are needed to make it comfortable and attractive. Some Volunteers do not extend the work to their living quarters.
Eating healthy requires budgeting and work, and unfortunately some Volunteers end up eating snack foods, soft drinks, and unbalanced meals. Gaining weight can be a problem.
Personal appearance requires a lot of diligence, but is well worth the effort in regards to respect from Azerbaijan people. It is very easy for Volunteers to give up caring for their general appearance especially their hair.
We returned to Shirvan after the camp on Wednesday, and ready to return to our routines! Maybe we’re getting old.

Answer to the Quiz: the young women in purple and red turtleneck sweaters were our Azerbaijan language and cultural facilitators.

Matanat

This will be our last posting about our trip to Tbilisi. While there we made our way to Gori which is the birthplace of Stalin. The pictures are of the only statue of Stalin left in the former Soviet Socialist Republics. When the Russians came into Georgia a year ago, they guarded the statue and museum. In the museum Denney is standing next to Stalin’s uniform, and there is a photo of his office furniture. His childhood home was very modest – 1 room with the original but restored furniture. The family’s landlord lived in the other room of the house, and Stalin’s father repaired shoes in a space below the house.
When we toured the museum, the guide was informative, but bland. The people of Gori are proud that their city was the birthplace of a historical figure, but not proud of some of the things Stalin did. The most interesting and moving story that our guide shared was about Stalin’s oldest son by his first wife. During the war Stalin’s son was captured while serving on the front line. Hitler offered to trade Stalin’s son for concessions. However, Stalin is reported to have replied that all the soldiers were his sons. What would he tell the fathers of all the other soldiers if he treated his son any differently than any other soldier. Hitler had the son executed.

Linda’s school counterpart Matanat invited us to her home this past week for dinner. Matanat (like most unmarried women in Azerbaijan) lives with her extended family – mother, brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece. She is a very small woman with olive skin and dark eyes and hair. Their house has a separate building for the kitchen, an outdoor toilet and the main part of the house has the bedrooms and living room. There was an air conditioner in the living room. Matanat’s brother works different shifts and often has to sleep during the days. The mother and sister-in-law do all the cooking, housework, etc. Matanat and the brother have jobs to support the family. The mother handles all the money in the family. We had a wonderful meal with chicken and mutton, several salads, compote (a homemade punch), homemade bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, greens, and later outside we had hot tea, cake and watermelon. This would have been an expensive meal for this family. Matanat’s mother became very concerned for us when we had to quickly find an apartment and move out of our host family’s home. Matanat told Denney that she thinks often about me this summer when we are not in school and don’t see each other daily. She said I am like a sister to her. Together we teach, have tea, go shopping and have gone to an education conference in Baku. While in Baku for the conference, we had lunch with her sister-in-law and older sister who live in Baku. We stayed in a hotel for two nights during the conference. That was the first time Matanat had ever stayed in a hotel. I will demonstrate new teaching techniques and she has been very open to then trying the new methods in her classes. Matanat has taught for 24 years and would like to apply for a program to come to the U.S. for 6 weeks to teach with an English teacher. I hope to help her fill out the application. Matanat will explain cultural events and religious holidays to me. She will then ask and I will tell her about American culture and Christianity. We come from very different backgrounds but have become good friends and enjoy being with each other.

Next week celebrating birthdays.

More about Georgia

One of the sights we saw was a cave city, Uplistsikhe, just outside of Gori, Georgia. The history of the cave city begins centuries before Christ, and population ceased after the Mongols invaded. The estimated population was 20,000. Only a portion is open to tourist. We entered the Cave City through a 41 meter tunnel which would have been used as a secret escape tunnel during a siege.
A pagan sacrifice site where the throat of the animal was cut or head removed and the blood would flow into a holding area. Like any city there was the best neighborhood where the wealthy lived with high ceilings and large doors. Linda is standing in front of the drug store. The cubbies contained traces of medicinal remains and behind was the “laboratory”.
We could still see the roads and layout of the city. Not pictured, but along what would have been a main thoroughfare was one of three jails uncovered. The jails were basically deep holes and people would pass by and look into the holes to see who had been incarcerated. Evidently public humiliation was very much a part of the punishment.

This information comes from The Lonely Planet:
Uplistsikhe, this cave town is one of the oldest places of settlement in the Caucasus. It was founded in the late Bronze Age, around 1000 B.C. but developed mainly from the 6th to 1st centuries B.C. Before Georgia’s conversion to Christianity this was a special site for pagan rituals. When the Arabs occupied Tbilisi, Uplistsikhe became the residence of Georgian kings.
At its peak in the early Middle Ages, the city had a population of 20,000 spread over an area of 9.5 hectares. Now only the 4 hectare remains of the inner city are visible.
At the top of the hill is the three-church basilica which was built 9th to 10th century.


When we first journeyed into Georgia we could see a difference in the quality of the roads. Of course we did not have the opportunity to travel into many rural areas, but the infrastructure is better in Georgia than Azerbaijan. The agriculture was more developed and the climate was not nearly as arid as around Shirvan.
Georgia claims to be the home of the origin of the grape. Their claim is that the oldest grape seeds ever found were in Georgia. The eastern part of the country is abundant with vineyards and the country is known for its wine.
Our guide was quite proud to tell us that of all the former Soviet Socialists Republics Georgia has the least corruption. Lessening corruption has been a major goal of the Georgian government. Our guide said that if any policeman was caught trying to extort a bribe they were dismissed. Corruption is a way of life in former SSR. Jobs must be purchased or are awarded through nepotism, entrance into a university may be earned or bought, grades may be earned or bought. The corruption within the educational systems causes inferior doctors, nurses, teachers and professionals.
The Georgian educational system is in the early stages of converting from the Soviet model to a more American model. There has been a year added to the mandatory attendance (interestingly our guide opposed and thought 11 years was enough). It is the methods that are also undergoing a change. In Azerbaijan there is still the Soviet model of rote memorization. One of the goals for Peace Corps Volunteers is to introduce as many interactive methods and techniques as possible.
Georgia is also a very religious country. It is much more religious than Azerbaijan. The population is 80% Orthodox. There is freedom of religion. There are religious symbols everywhere and more churches than one can count. The general public prides itself on adhering and practicing its faith. However, many of their acts are almost like superstitions. There are many large metal crosses constructed in the hills and when a person drives by a cross it is to help them arrive safely. We think the drivers should slow down, and that would help God keep everyone safer.
When we toured a church if it was eighteenth century or later – it is modern. Churches are historical if they are pre ninth century. The women cover their heads and the Orthodox churches have many icons, no pews or chairs, and the services last from 2 to 3 hours.

Now, here is a little news from this week. Linda began a “Courtyard Conversation Club” on Thursday. We have 5 apartment buildings which surround a small park area. At night it is a hub of activity. Because of the heat most of the children and young adults sleep during the afternoon, and will walk around town and play in the parks until 1:00 a.m. Or so we’ve been told – Linda and I rarely stay up past midnight (10:30 really). Linda posted signs and went building to building telling people of her plans. Thursday morning arrived and the hour to begin was 10:00. Linda put out her banner (a Mickey Mouse sheet) on our clothes line and proceeded to the courtyard. There were 2 girls who would not approach her until she coaxed them. She began with 2 more joining, and a good start with 4. BUT, before the hour was over she had 26 children, 3 teenagers, and 4 mothers all participating. We had 2 women knock on our door at 10:00 p.m. asking when was the next session. Linda will be conducting her courtyard activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

We are preparing to say goodbye to the AZ5 Volunteers who will be returning to the United States in September. We are also anxious to welcome the AZ7 Trainees who will become the AZ7 Volunteers. The AZ7 are to arrive the last of September. After the AZ5’s leave, we will be the veterans.

We Take a Little Vacation

This posting is one of several on our trip to Georgia (the one without the Atlanta Braves). It was our first trip outside of Azerbaijan, and of course, were were nervous about the travel and border crossings, but anxious for the adventure and a little time away from our home here.

There are scenic pictures of Tbilisi and Mtskheta from high above. The rather tall woman is a monument name "Mother of Georgia" and she resides high above Tbilisi at the old fortress. There is also a picture of a mosque and a synagogue that are relatively close to each other. The Georgian people are proud of their history of tolerance for many cultures even though 80 per cent of the population is Orthodox.

The Peace Corps give Volunteers 2 days Annual Leave for every month of service. No Annual Leave is given for Pre-Service Training, so we have accumulated 14 days. We used 7 of those for our trip. Any time a Volunteer is away from site more than 1 weekend a month it is to be used as Annual Leave. However, the Azerbaijan Peace Corps is quite liberal with its in-country travel, and many volunteers travel somewhere within country almost every week without using their Annual Leave.

Georgia is the country most available to us in Azerbaijan. We can travel there by bus, taxi, or train. Of the four border countries, Iran and Armenia are off limits to us, and it is very difficult to get visas to Russia.

We began on a Monday morning with a 4 hour bus ride to Yevlax - easy so far, then a 30 minute ride on a bus from yevlax to Barda. The only problem was a 1.5 hour wait in Yevlax for the minibus to fill up before it would leave. We were passengers 3 and 4 of 20. We all wanted to celebrate when number 20 got on board and we could leave. It was only about 90 degrees and sunny, but we did not completely melt. We finally got to our friends, Bill and Dorothy Colcord's around 2:30.

After lunch and a nap, we walked a bit and had dinner with Bill, Dorothy, and John Schwartzbauer. John has been a Volunteer in Azerbaijan for 4 years. John is widowed and has 4 daughters in the United States. He wanted to stay longer in Azerbaijan, but the Peace Corps is not allowing him to renew. The Peace Corps is acting in the best interest of John.

On Tuesday we helped Dorothy with a project she has with potential FLEX (exchange students to the United States) participants. Last year over 2,000 students applied to pend one school year in the United States for the 10th or 11th grade. Of those 41 were selected to go.

Tuesday night we had a lovely dinner with an Azerbaijan couple. Tofiga, the wife, is the counterpart to one of the brightest and best of American Peace Corps Volunteers, Jeremy Hebert. Then bright and early on Wednesday morning, Dorothy's counterpart had arranged a car to take us to the Red Bridge (Qirimzi Koerpu) where we walked across (about a kilometer) to Georgia. We showed our passports 6 times -- 3 to Azerbaijan soldiers and police, and 3 to Georgian soldiers and police. No problems , everyone was very cordial and never any attempt to take a bribe.

One great moment was when an Azerbaijan soldier was looking over one of our passports very carefully, when Linda noticed, he was just looking at the background pictures of famous sights in the United States. She went over and talked with the soldier, explaining each one. The Statue of Liberty was the only sight with which he was familiar.

We were on our way to Tbilisi, and our rooms at the Nika Guesthouse in a taxi with a negotiated price of $25 for the 40 kilometer ride. The Nika Guesthouse was recommended by the Georgian Peace Corps. Linda and I had a room on the second floor, no air conditioning, but a fan that worked, pretty clean, hot water from the second day on, access to a refrigerator, and all for $15 per person per night! It was standard PC travel if you can't stay with other Volunteers.

The city of Tbilisi is like any capital city. The population is about 1.1 million, and many products and foods not available in the smaller cities, towns, and villages are available there. It has a bustling nightlife, cinema, theatre, parks, and traffic. We will share more pictures and comments on Georgia in future posts.

We walked Tbilisi that Wednesday evening looking for an Italian restaurant. Never found it, but ate at a "Mexican Food" restaurant named Santa Fe. We ordered Mexican and got a Georgian version, very mild, no sauces, a couple of chips, but we were really hungry, so it was okay.

The people of Georgia are very friendly and were quite helpful as we walked with maps in hand. When we took the underground train (Metro) on Thursday two young girls helped us navigate our way to our stop. The younger Georgians are very likely to speak English, and the middle aged adults up, not so much. It was a good, but tiring experience walking that evening.

The difficulty for us was the Georgian language has a unique alphabet. We had no clue as to the names on street signs, Metro signs, or any sign that had only Georgian. The unusual response was that when we could not be understood in English, we tried to speak Azerbaijani, and when we could not understand the Georgian, we would answer in Azerbaijani.

On Thursday, our first item of business was a visit to the Peace Corps offices in Tbilisi. The Georgian PC evacuated and closed service for all of its Trainees and Volunteers in August of 2008 when the Russian army responded to the Ossetia region. The PC staff remained intact and returned to Georgia. The Georgian PC is now working with 25 Trainees who will renew Peace Corps service to Georgia. They will serve only in Eastern Georgia for now due to the continued political situation.

We were given a tour of their offices by the Safety and Security Director. She explained how the evacuation took place and shared about the future plans for the Georgian Peace Corps. Most of the staff was with the Trainees at a Pre-Service Training event that included inoculations. Whenever any PCV travels within a PC country, the staff is responsible for their safety, and every Volunteer is to check in.

As it worked out, it was very fortunate that checking in was high on our agenda. On Friday afternoon while concluding our sight seeing, Dorothy fell and it was painful for her to stand on her left leg. We managed to get her back to the Nika, and Bill called the Peace Corps Medical Duty Officer. The doctor arranged transportation and an x-ray. The x-ray indicated a broken tibia, and it was later set and a cast applied.

Saturday Dorothy rested under the careful attention of Bill while we took a tour. On Sunday the Georgian Peace Corps arranged transportation for Bill and Dorothy to the border where they crossed and were met by Azerbaijan Peace Corps transportation that returned them to their home.

We will tell about the interesting sights and events in the postings to come. We hope this bit of information has whetted your appetite for more knowledge about Georgia and of course the Peace Corps.

Where the Heck Is Quba?

We will not be posting next week because we will be taking a week's Annual Leave to visit Georgia (the one without Atlanta).

We completed our celebration of the Fourth of July in Quba. Frank asked, "Where the Heck Is Quba?" Quba is a city of just over 15,000 north of Baku and just a little west. We traveled along the Caspian and then turned west into the mountains. Quba is known for its apples, cooler temperatures, scenic beauty, and Jewish community of Qirmizi Qasaba. On Friday, July 3, we left on the first bus out of Shirvan for Baku. The bus begins loading at 6:00 a.m. and when it is full, it leaves. On that day it left at 6:45. We arrived at our bus station in Baku at 8:00 and caught a city bus for the New Bus Station in the northern part of Baku. We met our friends, Bill and Dorothy Colcord, at 9:15 and went straight for the 9:30 bus to Quba. It promptly left at 10:05, and we were on our way.

When we arrived in Quba, Dorothy's counterpart had arranged for a taxi driver to meet us and take us to our resort like hotel just 5 KM from Quba. We checked in, enjoyed lunch, then back to Quba where we met fellow PCV Chris Polen. Chris gave us a walking tour of Quba.

We returned to our hotel after a wonderful supper in Quba. In the street were a group of men who were staying at the hotel, and they were also muscians and had begun to play. Bill and Denney danced in the street with a cook (male) at the hotel, and made many new friends.

The next morning our taxi came and we left for Xinaluq (www.xinaluq.com). The scenery was beautiful and we took many phots while on our way. While stopping outside a village to take photos, the driver noticed steam coming from under the hood, and there was a water hose leak.

After 30 minutes, a little tape, and a vodka bottle full of clean water brought to us by a small lad who had a roadside business of selling local plants, we were on our way back to Quba. We never made it to Xinaluq. The driver went to repair his car, and we headed for the Qirimzi Qasaba (Red Village).

According to Chris, this is the largest Jewish "ghetto" in all of the former Soviet Union. Basically part of Quba City but separated by the Quidalchay River. Money from the diaspora had made this one of the most developed looking small towns in Azerbaijan.

The picture from above the Red Village shows the river which divides Quba and the village, to the top is Quba, to the bottom is the Red Village.

Here we saw our first synagogue in Azerbaijan, and the Star of David adorning several homes. One building which caught my attention was a Wedding Palace. It was the standard Wedding Palace with "Sadliq Saray" printed in large letters on one side. Then on another side was the name in Russian with the Star of David above.

We walked through the village and made our way to an archeological site across the river in Quba. The site was uncovered two years ago and is a mass grave from 1918. The Azerbaijan people said it was the Armenians who performed genocide and cruelly murdered men, women, and children. It ws humbling to see, but also is discouraging with the beliefs of the Azerbaijan people in regards to Armenians.

Our second day was spent sight seeing in the communities of Nabran, Xachmaz, and Qusar. Nabran is a resort area on the Caspian, just a few kilometers from Russia. The beach was a gray mixture of sand and rock. From the pictures you can see everyone (and everything) enjoys the beach. We put our feet into the Caspian and asked the rates of the posh resort there, $400 a night -- needless to say, they'll not see us there again. The driver said it was too cold for a lot of people to be on the beach - it was only about 90!

Xachmaz and Qusar were wonderfully clean communities with parks, statues, and friendly people. While driving we saw cultivated farmland and green areas very different from our arid part of Azerbaijan.

One of the better aspects of our trip was the taxi driver. His name is Balabey Qonaqov. Dorothy's counterpart had made all the arrangements for us and were were to pay him 25 AZN a day plus gasoline. The bus driver called Balabey as we approached Quba and he met us at the bus station. We were impressed and paid nothing for the first trip to the hotel because Dorothy's counterpart had already paid for it. The day the car broke down, we asked how much? He replied 30 AZN. We began to worry and think maybe we were being taken advantage of. The next morning we were not going to go with him until we discussed the price of everything. We agreed on a very fair price for an all day excursion. During the drive, in the afternoon, he stopped at his home and we had tea with his family. Balabey and his lovely wife have 2 sons, one teenage, and one 11. We spent an hour speaking in Azerbaijan with them and shared aout the Peace Corps. To make a long story short, we not only had a driver, we have a good friend. We took pictures and mailed them to his family because we will always remember the emotion he shared with us as we departed.

We have some unusual pictures for future blogs and will no doubt share more about Quba and the area.

Monday we returned to Shirvan and there is a saying here, "East is east and west is west, but home is always best." We enjoyed the cooler temperatures, great company, and good food.

Happy Fourth of July - We have a wonderful country!

Happy Fourth of July to everyone!
Working at the Central Library I get to meet many outstanding Azerbaijani people. One of the young men who has made an everlasting impression upon me is Rovshan. Rovshan is a graduate of the private Turkish school in Shirvan (further explanation below). After the Turkish preparatory school he graduated from Qafqaz University in Baku majoring in International Relations. Upon graduation he fulfilled his compulsory military service of 1 year (2 years without any education beyond secondary school, 18 months for technical education, and 1 year if a university graduate). Rovshan hopes to some day be a diplomat. He is a very sensitive individual who has a respect for all cultures, and a political awareness. He invited Linda and I to his home and the picture is of Rovshan’s mother (a geological engineer working for the government), Linda, myself, Rovshan, Rovshan’s cousin and sister. His father was working that evening in Baku and his father is also a geological engineer working for the government. Rovshan’s parents met at the university while preparing for their careers.
After Rovshan finished his military service he has applied for several jobs and is considering offers from Baku and Amsterdam. I am hoping that the Peace Corps will respond to his application for a position on the staff. It would be a great experience for him and help him in his goal of diplomatic service.
I met Rovshan when he came to the Central Library because he had heard about the Peace Corps Volunteer there. He felt that his English skills had slipped during his year in the military, and he wanted to improve. During one session of the Conversation Club he brought his sketches that he did while in the military. A particularly intriguing drawing is of two bullets standing side by side, one wrapped with barbed wire, the other with the shell open on the casing and a flower is growing out of the casing. He served the military, but knows that cooperation and understanding bring peace.

The Turkish School is for boys only. The teachers are from Turkey and are better paid, and the school has the best facilities around. For students who do not live in Shirvan, there are dormitories. There are computers and high speed internet access. The faculty speaks English fluently, and the last five years all the classes are taught in English. The tuition is about 2,000 AZN per year. Many parents sacrifice a great deal to send their sons there.
Another young man, Ulvie, comes to the Central Library. He is a current student at the Turkish School. Recently he went on a 10 day excursion to the southeastern portion of Azerbaijan with his school. The students were required to read 3 hours a day, take examinations and write about their reading. Athletic competition was also part of the program. Quite a contrast to the public education.

The other pictures are of the new fountains in front of the Heydar Aliyev monument. Heydar Aliyev is the George Washington of Azerbaijan. During Soviet years he rose to the number 2 spot in the Politburo. He retired and after the break up of the Soviet Union there was chaos in Azerbaijan, and the loss of the Norgono Karabagh region to the Armenians. The country turned to Heydar Aliyev and he restored order.
Every city and town has a Heydar Aliyev museum. The museum in Shirvan is being moved to a new building, and the present President, Ilham Aliyev, Heydar’s son, will come to Shirvan to dedicate the new museum. So, there are also new fountains, and everything is getting spruced up.

For the Fourth of July Linda and I will be traveling with Bill and Dorothy Colcord to Quba. We will share about Quba in a future blog.