Other random pictures

S'mores in Sumgayit

Baku X-mas

So since my director decided to take the week off because we had no power in the office I went to Baku for x-mas. I went with some other PCVs and had x-mas dinner at a chineese restaurant (that's traditional right?) It was fun and good to see Jesse and Hannah again.

We don't need a pic with Shaxta Baba, we have eachother

Bathrooms at the pub

Not quite as good at Thanksgiving at McDonalds, but the palm tree is a nice touch.

Quba x-mas

The tree in Quba, and yes, that is a Mosque in the backround.

X-mas in Baku

So the power went out at my office on Monday and my director decided to take the week off because of this. After spending a day and I half following another PCV around I was talked into coming to Baku for Christmas.
No, they don't really celebrate Christmas in Azerbaijan, it is after all a predominantly muslim country. They do however celebrate New Years with their version on Santa and nicely decorated trees so you get the feel of Christmas without all the shopping.

Snow Hiking!

On Sunday Jake and I tried to walk down the Quidialcay (river) to the Caspian Sea. In the snow. It was pretty fun, but cold and we didn't make it to the sea. We did go through 2 villages and 2 graveyards though. After walking down the river for a little over 2 hours through plowed fields, over irrigation ditches, and mud and slush filled streets we decided to walk towards a village we saw and ask where we were. The village had a road back to Xacmaz (Jake's city) so we started walking. 45 mins. later we were back in Xacmaz, apparently the river is not the fastest way. We'll try again when it isn't snowing and we can see more than 20 yards in front of us. I got in a little bit of trouble with my host mom for having wet pants when I got back to Guba, but a lady on the bus from Xacmaz to Guba gave me pastries when I told her I was a volunteer. I love that strangers feed me in this country.

Trying to figure out how to cross the watery ditch

Very old graveyard

It's like orgegon trail! We didn't ford the river though.

I'm not taking the train in Azerbaijan.

The year of the man chicken

So I was sitting around the kitchen table with my host family last night and they wanted to know what my astrological sign was. Sagittarius is easy enough to mime out since it is currently not in my Azeri vocabulary, but then they wanted to know what year I was born in. I told the 1981 but that wasn't what they wanted. I asked if they were talking about which animal my bith year was, and then quickly told them I don't know. They responed by pulling out a book on astrology (in Russian) and told me I was the year of the xoruz. Luckily xoruz is in my Azeri vocabulary as I have in the past made attempts to get people to say rooster rather than the alternative that is is most Azeri-English dictionaries. My family wasn't quite convinced I knew what xoruz was so they asked me to describe it. How else was I supposed to describe rooster than litteraly "man chicken"? They thought it was hilarious.

So long Sumgayit!

So now I am no longer a PCT and an currently a PCV! As of yesterday I officially live in Guba too! I left one of the most polluted cities on the planet with all my stuff, hopped on what is basically a minivan and came to Guba. I start work on Monday so right now I'm tagging along with a fellow PCV to her clubs and enjoying the snow!

Where I'm at

The view from my bedroom in Quba

An old Hamam in Quba

This is how people use ATMs in Azerbaijan

My house in Quba, the big round window is my bedroom.

As I get closer to the end of trainng ( 7 days left!) this is what is going on with me: I am packing my stuff to move to Quba which includes a giant water filter I never use, a giant sleeping bag, and a full library of books curtesy of the Peace Corps. I am NOT fluent in Azerbaijani, I can do okay with simple conversations, but I am still picking out the words that I know and assuming I know what people are saying to me. I still don't know exactly what my job is. This part I kind of like because it means that I get to see what the community needs are and then create my job based on my skills and their needs. I do know that I will be having conversation clubs and cultural seminars, but beyond that it is all up in the air. Next Wednesday I swear in as a Peace Corps volunteer, all this time I have been a trainee which isn't actually in the Peace Corps. I'm excited to start work and actually feel like I can settle in and fully unpack!!