Things you can buy for a manat at the bazar

Self Explanitory

New place

Yesterday I moved into a new house. It is not my own but I get way more space than with a host family. I live in a room in the downstairs of a house. There are 4 people that live upstairs. My room has my own bed, couse, fridge, stove, sink, table, and cupboards so it is pretty self contained. I do share the bathroom upstairs with the family but so far I can handle that. Mostly I'm sexcited to be able to cook for myself.

My "kitchen"

The rest.

Just try it!

This is an "instruction manual" for a product recently purchased in azerbaijan. If you can guess what these instructions are for I will send you one. I'm telling you now you probably won't get it but you can try.

More Novruz

March 21st was the actual Novruz day. I went to one of the villages and climbed up a big hill because apparently people do that every year. Half way up there were loads of people and they were making horses fight then running from the angry horses. We also drank water 3 times form the river. People were kissing trees and lighting candles, all very confusing to me.

Horse Fights

People doing stuff

Climbing the mountain with Sanan and the sitemates

The hill we climbed

Novruz, Novruz, Novruz

So Friday March 20th was Novruz Eve and Quba had a big celebration with bonfires and ballons, after that we went to a friends house for another bonfire and some dancing. It was fun and there was lots of tea and candy.

Orxan jumping the fire (he didn't quite clear it)

Letting baloons go near the mosque

Big bonfire in the middle of town

Quba was closed

The past week and a half everything in Quba has been closed for Novruz. I'll get pictures up soon but no, I didn't drop off the earth.

One Day In America

I went down to Baku on Friday for an informational meeting for G.L.O.W. camp and spent the night with the family of an American Embassy staff member. It was awesome! I understood 100% of what was being said, got vegetables for dinner, hung out with 3 super cool kids, and saw a dryer for the first time in almost 6 months. It was great, that foreign sevice exam is looking better and better!