Everyone Knows Everything About Me, But I Barely Know Their Names…

As Americans (well, any nationality that is not Azeri) Peace Corps Volunteers stand out and are noticed, especially if they are in smaller towns. I’m not it in a village, but even in a smallish city I’m definitely noticed, and more people (by A LOT) know who I am than I know who they are. Here’s just a small example of that.

The distance between my house and my work is about a half hour walk. Yesterday I was in the midst of this walk when a man that I did not know stopped me. He asked me if I need a house and I responded that yes, I do need a house (that story will be saved for another posting). And he replied that he had a house. So while I didn’t have time at that moment to discuss it (along with the fact that I didn’t really want to be standing in the middle of town having a conversation with a man that I knew nothing about – social appearances being everything) I did get his name and number so that my Director and I could follow up with him. How he knew that I needed a house is mystery, as much as anything can be in a place where someone I don’t know asked me how my recent trip to Baku was or how I barely have to explain where I work because they already know – I’m a discussion piece.

So while I have yet to see if his extra/empty house will be the house that I move into (fingers crossed for the house hunting search), it’s just one of the many stories from the day in the life of a PCV.