A Personal Rule.

I've been back in Azerbaijan for about 2 weeks. While all is well and I'm settling back in, you might've noticed that I haven't said a word on here. It's not because I don't have things to say, but it's because I don't write when I feel like I'm more complainy than reasonable. Once again, the Azerheat has hit... hard, and I'm readjusting to what I've apparently forgotten about from last summer.

There are some noticeable and differing bits from vacation and life in Azerbaijan. Just some small things that I was surprised I had let go of in my time here.

• Metered taxis in Turkey. Instead of thinking the normal idea of taxis being a relative sum with the distance driven, I was ready to haggle and predetermine a rate. Oops.
• Travel Expenses. Traveling across a country costs more than $10-12.
• Attention. I got less attention walking around Istanbul like a pirate than I do in Azerbaijan being me. People on the street thought we were actors and let us be.
• Old Friends. Seeing my old friends' reactions to my reactions really drove home what a different lifestyle I'm used to... and comfortable in.
• World Cup. I was in England for the majority of the World Cup. It was intense being an American in England throughout, but it was also very energizing.
• Country Roads. In Liverpool and Newcastle, I was lucky enough to stay with friends who had cars. This means I got to ride through green country sides and along water. It was glorious and reminded me of North Carolina.
• The Gaslight Anthem. I went to a concert in Glasgow. I saw a band I started listening to pretty intensely since I got to Azerbaijan. This was a perfect show and so... American. Felt like the old days. This also made me realize that I've lived in AZ since 2008.
• Stores and Shopping. I don't know how much of this I really enjoyed. I did have a pretty good-sized panic attack at Hither's amusement. But, I can't lie, going into a Whole Foods might've been a small highlight of the trip. And, I did enjoy buying new shoes and such.
• Restaurants. I ate out a lot, and I got used to it. I enjoyed eating Thai whenever I pleased. But, slightly surprisingly, I missed cooking a lot. So much so that when I got back, I cooked and baked pretty much non-stop for a week straight.
• Essentials. I most assuredly brought back what I thought necessary ranging from personal items to food. Coffee, peanut butter and chocolate did make it back... kind of. The chocolate had a rough time withstanding the heat.

This vacation might've been a good idea for me to take at the near-end of my Peace Corps service. I don't feel like re-adjusting to American life will be as difficult now that I had a crash course with a month in the UK. Better yet, I now know what I'll eventually miss about this crazy land.

Day 22.

Being in the UK really hasn't done much for me blogwise. It's a lot more difficult to make comparisons with Azerbaijan and the UK than it was Azerbaijan and Turkey. I can say, though, being completely honest, that I sort of miss Azerbaijan. Who would've thought?

Well, that was the case. Until I finally made it into legit English countryside where things are once again quaint and simple. Better yet, it's minus the harrassment.

I guess, though, at the end of the day, my life is in Azerbaijan and I do find myself wanting to be back there in my routine with my people. The UK has been great for catching up with some people from my America life, but I think I have a good few back "home" that I need to catch up with, as well.

Istanbul Ultimate.

Remember when I talked about my Ultimate family? And that I managed to finagle using professional work leave days to play in a tournament in Georgia? Apparently my love for this sport keeps crossing new lines. I might've planned part of my vacation to play. And, by might've, I did.

In Istanbul, I played with Turk Kasi and it was incredible. The Turks are hardcore, to say the least. Please note in the picture we're all dripping wet. That's because we played for about an hour in a torrential downpour. And, then, continued to play in the aftermath. Also, that was after an hour of normal play. With no subs. Or real breaks. It was probably, though, one of the most memorable Ultimate games I've taken part in and would love to play with them again. Something about trudging through mudpuddles and barely being able to see made it an incredible and amusing time.

Stripmalls and 'Development'.

I hopped in Ankara Carrie’s car, put on my seat belt and we drove to a strip mall. The car was parked in a parking lot and we sat outside at one of those fancier restaurants that on the outsides of every mall in America. I looked across the parking lot and saw a Burger King and, just a bit further, was a Starbucks. There were only legitimate grocery stores in sight, no bazaars or produce stands. Welcome to reverse culture shock.

At first, the sight of a Best Buy next to a McDonalds was something I was amazed at. The same with the paved roads and traditional road stops. I’m not saying, by any means, that I’m not relishing the paved roads, but being in Ankara hit a bit too close to “America home.” It was what once was familiar. And I’m no longer really that person I was back then; wholly, at least. I once again kind of felt those desolate feelings as I did in Wilmington when surrounded by all those then universal and faceless brands and stores and missed the quaintness of running downstairs to go to the bazaar in Mingechevir. Funny, huh? I kind of love both worlds, but, obviously, for entirely different reasons. Grass is always greener and all that jazz?

I don’t think I’ll object being back in the world that I know, but it does make me question the idea of what is and isn’t developed. Perhaps a little less development wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Thank goodness for Farmer Markets and what remains of Mom and Pop shops, ey?

Azerbaijan?

Being away from Azerbaijan for over a week now, I’m able to process things I’m not able to in my life in Azerbaijan. This processing has brought me to reflect on Azerbaijan as a whole, their identity.

In conversations I’ve had with Turkish people and other expats, I find myself seeing and conveying Azerbaijan as a terribly confused state. I’m a bit more sympathetic away from there than I am while living it; that’s for sure.

Think about it. Here’s Azerbaijan. A tiny country off the coast of the Caspian Sea sandwiched between Russia, Iran, and 2 other Christian countries (Russia being the 1st), Armenia and Georgia. There are so many culturally different things about Azerbaijan because of location alone. Add on top of that being post-Soviet and Islamic, engaged in a seemingly never-ending war, and being a country rich in oil and natural gasses… there’s got to be some confusion.

Azerbaijan wants to be more like Turkey, but is still influenced by Soviet mentality and a rising Islamic movement. There are contradictions running rampant.

With all those factors plus everything else going on, I would be confused, too.

A Turkish Dialect.

Traveling in Turkey has been a breeze. Living and serving in Azerbaijan has given me the language skills to get around and be decently understood by many Turkish people. There are, of course, some things that don’t cross over, but a lot of what I need has worked out well enough.

Azerbaijani is actually quite idiomatic and that type of language doesn’t cross over. When I don’t understand something, I say so in Azeri, but end up saying (literally translated) ‘it falls off my head’. Also, on top of that, while in Azerbaijan, I’ve picked up some random Russian, which obviously doesn’t work out for me here. Aside from that, my pronunciation sounds a bit funny here because some sounds are different. I'm convinced I sound like a redneck.

What I’ve discovered, though, is that when I speak Azeri to people here, they’re a bit shocked I’m speaking anything resembling Turkish and are happy to be a little more patient to get through a conversation. I’ve had some lovely chats throughout Turkey and have gotten more free tea and other random little presents because of it.

Thanks, Azerbaijan.

Love in Another Language.

As I mentioned here, I watched a Turkish film. It's called Baska Dilde Ask or Love in Another Language.

This movie is apparently making waves in Turkey at the moment for acknowledging the issue of disabled and impaired people. The male lead in the movie is deaf and begins a relationship with a girl who isn’t. The film follows the difficulties of the blossoming affair. There was no real exciting story, but it did bring up a great amount of talking points and I am fortunate I was able to watch it with a Turkish woman. And, she’s a Turkish woman who volunteers with disabled people and various other projects to boot.

After talking with my Turkish host, I was able to find out that the way the Turkish treat disabled people is very similar to Azerbaijan. Disabled people aren’t really focused on; they’re ignored and pushed aside. The idea of a “normal” person dating one who “isn’t” is something that Turkey (and many other places) hasn’t confronted.

Though the movie wasn’t epic by any means, I can see how it is groundbreaking.

Girls Night.

In Ankara, I couchsurfed. I have never couchsurfed before, but I have hosted a few couchsurfers in Azerbaijan. I reckoned I would give it a go and see how it went. I’m glad to say my first experience was a great one. I stayed with a teacher at the International School in Ankara, Carrie. Getting to talk with her was most assuredly a highlight in and of itself, but the best part of the couchsurfing experience with her was that I was invited to her planned Girls Night with 3 fellow teachers.

My last night in Ankara, we went to Kavanc’s house to have wine, dinner, and watch a Turkish chick-flick (that wasn’t as chick-flicky as I thought it might be). I got to talk about Azerbaijan, learn more about Turkey, and figure out similarities and differences between where I live and where I currently am. I was also able to enjoy the company of good and interesting people, which is lovely. We had an incredible dinner of Turkish mezzas, spinach artichoke dip, and lovely conversation. The movie being good was completely just to boot.

I know our host that evening is quite well-traveled and has worked with foreigners for several years and it showed in her house. She exuded the best parts of both worlds. The Turkish hospitality was there and genuine, but she also had pictures around her house of her and her husband being silly and smiling. After being post-Soviet for so long, seeing picture of happy people throws me off, but in a good way.

Ankara for the win.

Luxuries.

Transportation through Turkey is remarkable and I’m getting used to this way of travel. I’ve slowly become acclimated to the comforts that have been returned to me, but, it still catches me off-guard.

The first longer bus I grabbed was from Hopa to Erzurum. It was a smaller bus, but they served my traveling companion, Jessica, and I cold drinks. We were in shock. This was the first luxury thrown at us in this foreign land. Surprisingly, to me, though, it got better. From Erzurum we caught a bus to Kayseri to eventually go to Goreme. It was on this bus we were also served hot beverages, including coffee. I can barely drink anything on transportation in Azerbaijan, much less an open cup of coffee. The next ride from Kayseri to Goreme brought the new addition of snacks! It seemed as if each leg of my journey was bringing me a bit more West. After holing up in Goreme for a couple days, I got on a bus and headed to Ankara. This bus brought something I couldn’t even imagine… a personal touchscreen monitor. This monitor is on the backs of every seat and you have the selection of a variety of music, movies, TV channels and games. I’m currently on my last bus for Turkey and it’s to Istanbul. I have all of the above amenities plus wireless internet.

According to my new Ankara friend, Carrie, there are cheap flights throughout Turkey, so buses are in competition for customers. So, to compete properly, buses come equipped with a steward, beverages, snacks, entertainment, and, on some, wireless internet. Even with all these comforts, I’m not going to lie, my favorite part has been the paved and smooth roads throughout the entirety of the country. The simple things…

It’s a good thing I land-routed through this trip before I head out to the UK. I shouldn’t be as awkward as I might have been otherwise.

A Political Situation.

By nature of the Peace Corps, I should be a bit less political in my public forum. I don't think that this necessarily extends to me on vacation, but I really could not comment on the Gaza flotilla situation any more successful than my friends at Politics By Other Means. These guys have lived in Turkey and have a respectable knowledge of this area and the happenings that occur.

I was in Georgia for this and Turkey for all of this... let's see what else awaits.

There's Something Neat About Turkey.

I'm sure there's more than just this, but it's what I've found to be a source of much fascination for myself.

For the past few days, I've been riding through Eastern Turkey making my way towards Istanbul. Eastern Turkey, at the beginning, rubbed me the wrong way in that it was so similar to things I know in Azerbaijan. Things were easier as I could communicate successfully with people, but I found the mentality and actions were a lot of the same. But, once on the road, I noticed something I can not foresee for Azerbaijan... solar panels.

Azerbaijan so badly wants to be Turkey, it seems. And, I think, if they were able to take note of this, the dependence on gas would be a lot less. I could definitely see some problems for those dark days and less lighted months of winter, but it would be nice to have a shower more than once or twice a week for the average PCV.

A Break.

Annual Leave is a popular thing in the Peace Corps. Well, at least Peace Corps Azerbaijan. It always seems like someone is traveling about or going back to the States.

I've only dipped into my Annual Leave days twice since I've been here and they've both been for Georgia. If you keep up with me by any means, you know I love Georgia. But, now, I'm about to be off to other lands and am taking a massive chunk of my annual leave days - 30 of them.

So, here I am. Taking a break from all that is Azerbaijan, reconnecting with some old friends, seeing new places and, hopefully, returning rejuvenated to tackle the last parts of my final 2 major projects in the Peace Corps - one of which you can donate to here.

I'll be back eventually and will still have 8 more vacation days I can use for one last trip to Georgia.

My Evil Eyes.

Here's the thing: I would not be able to survive being part of the Peace Corps without a social network outside of Peace Corps. Don't get me wrong, I like my Peace Corps people quite fine, but it's a small world and I do enjoy being able to step out of the Peace Corps realm every once and awhile. In this regard, I am incredibly fortunate because I have the best group of friends in Baku that a girl could ask for - the Baku Evil Eyes.

The Evil Eyes are an International group of awesomeness who get together every week to play Ultimate Frisbee. I love it. We're a close-knit group that wake up early to play on the weekends and get together and enjoy each other's company afterwards. There might even be theme parties involved. I cannot express how incredible it is to be part of this group of people. I started playing with them last June and came to plan my Baku trips around game day. It's been a staple of my time in Azerbaijan and I hold it quite dear. I will never not think of this group of people when I reflect on my times in Azerbaijan. The Evil Eyes are one of my homes and I consider them an integral part of my Azerbaijan family.

This past trip to Georgia, too, was planned around Ultimate. A couple months ago, Kent brought up Baku Evil Eyes vs (the impressive, hospitable and brilliant) Tbilisi Flying Khatchapuris and I jumped at the chance to go. I was able to arrange Writing Olympics judging for the Monday after our 2-day tournament in Tbilisi, so all my plans worked out beautifully. We all hopped on that aforementioned almost midnight train to Georgia (minus Dorje who had to fly) as an official touring team. We arrived into Tbilisi around 1:30 with a game slated for 4. So, we ate, rested, and headed out.

From our Captain, Steve: "So, to business. How did we actually get on the field of play? Well we played as an Evil Eyes Team five times in total, against a variety of different [Flying Khatchapuris] Teams. The games were to 5 and we won 4 and lost 1. After that we mixed the teams up and played for fun."

So, we did what we had to do... Go in, demolish, and then have fun.

I love being an Evil Eye.

(Almost) Midnight Train to Georgia.

It's been over a year since I've visited Georgia for the first time. I had meant to write about it way back then, but it proved quite difficult and, perhaps obviously, it never happened.

So, I hopped on a 10 o'clock train to Georgia (doesn't have that same ring to it, does it?) last week with some great friends for a week of great fun, amazing company, incredible food, and all that is good about vacations with a little work thrown in. I've returned yet again a bit confused and flustered on the seeming mass contrasts of 2 countries so close together, but, yet, so incredibly far apart.

There are many little things that eventually make up bigger ideas that separate Azerbaijan and Georgia in my mind. To me, it's a combination of the differences between an Islamic and Christian culture and the ideologies that stem from it, the mere subtleties of a tea and coffee culture, and perhaps even the feeling of a more 'in your face' freedom. This could all easily be a rose colored picture from an ignorant visitor, but I felt more respect being a visitor there than a 'citizen' here. People smile in Georgia, laugh on the streets, chase birds, eat ice cream, make public art, and mingle with the opposite sex without seemingly being betrothed to them or seen as a trollop of sorts.

There's something quite lovely about that country and I've yet to not enjoy visiting. It's totally conceivable I enjoy it so much as it's more familiar to what I know and am used to in 'normal' life. But, you know what? I'm okay with that. I'm back in Azerbaijan with my 'Georgian glow' ready to take on these rainy days of softball practice, tournaments, Environmental clean-ups, and my attempt at creating public art.