Summertime in Azerbaijan (With Daily Showers)!

So since I’ve returned from a trip to America in June I’ve noticed a change in the social schedule in Ucar, and it’s mainly due to one thing: the heat. It is consistently over 100 degrees where I live (80 degrees while walking to work at 8:30am is pretty refreshing)! In May and June there were many people walking around town in the afternoon – visiting with friends and neighbors, doing errands, etc. It now looks like a ghost town from about 1:30pm – 5 or 6pm, when the heat begins to subside. Everyone hibernates inside – some people are at work while others are at home sleeping or surviving in front of a fan. And those that must be out are staying on the edge of the street, as close to the shade as possible. Then in the evening normal life resumes.

My own personal schedule hasn’t changed too much, but because of the heat there hasn’t been any interest in afternoon English classes at work. So I have morning classes, do some computer work, and head home sometime around mid-afternoon. A nap usually follows. Then I’ll do some work at home once it’s cooler. Meals are also dramatically later in the heat – who wants to cook over a stove when it’s that hot? If there’s even cooking happening in the first place – watermelon is really popular and in season now, and it’s not uncommon to just eat fruit and veggies all day. Now if only I could buy my watermelon a little closer to home…

Happy Birthday America (in Azerbaijan)!

So I’m a couple of weeks behind, but here’s what happened for the 4th of July in Azerbaijan. The holiday was on a Saturday this year, so even those people who have a “normal” work schedule were able to participate. There was a large gathering on the east side of Azerbaijan and then an “America Day” that I traveled to in Mingecivir. It was organized by the PCVs in Mingecivir, of whom there are 7 or 8 (it’s a decent sized town). I wasn’t the only one that came to help; there were about 25 – 30 PCVs that came from throughout the country to help out. “America Day” was set up in a large field near the town stadium and it was an afternoon of fun. There were stations set up that groups of youth rotated through (about 75 youth came) and they experienced things like kite flying, frisbee, soccer, relays, an obstacle course, arts & crafts, face/body painting, etc. After rotations were finished a large game of softball was played. It was fun to show American traditions to the youth of Azerbaijan (cultural exchange goes both ways). My station was more informational than activity based – we had a large map of America and we talked a bit, but mostly answered questions: Which state is the best? (Michigan, of course!) What state is [insert PCV name here] from? What states have mountains? Where is it hottest/coldest/etc.?

So that lasted all afternoon and then later the PCVs gathered at the reservoir for a bbq and beach time. There were hot dogs on the grill (granted, the buns were just normal bread wrapped around the dog…) and watermelon to eat, and it was an incredibly relaxing time to just hang out and be with fellow Americans. AZ5’s time is winding down and they were all talking about their future plans and departure dates (late August/early September) – it doesn’t seem like it’s already time for my group to be the veterans here, to be answering questions from the new Volunteers that will arrive in September, but it’s almost upon us!

Back to "Normal"

Well, America was amazing. I had a wonderful time seeing family (even meeting family I had never met before) and friends. It was interesting to find things that I missed, but that I didn’t realize I missed until I was back in America – like good, strong water pressure.

So as promised, here is my list of things from Azerbaijan that I missed while in America:

- Walking: I walk EVERYWHERE here. It’s nice to have that time to think, see what’s changing in the community around me, say hi to people I know, etc.
- Public Transportation/Not Driving: While there are certain deficiencies in the system here, it’s not very hard to travel throughout the country for a fairly inexpensive price. Also, while I do miss driving, there’s something to be said for not doing it as well. It’s nice not to have to worry about directions and the other driver (well, at least a lesser amount of worry because it’s out of my control).
- People: I’ve met some pretty amazing people (Azerbaijani and American) during my short time here and I definitely missed my interaction with them.

So it was hard to return to Azerbaijan, but I’m back, settled into my routine again, and looking forward to a productive summer and fall!