The changing of the season has been different here. Its been hard to put a finger on, but after some discussion with fellow PCT’s, I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of it has to do with how intrinsically the sights and smells and sounds of changing, crunching, burning leaves are woven into my understanding of fall. The trees here do not change in the same way; there are no leaves, no familiar smells. However, when I start to look for it I realize how much the season is indeed marked in some really neat ways.
This year Fall came accompanied by a few big changes: The installation of our wood petch (phonetically, not correctly spelled) and running water in the kitchen, as well as the arrival of home-canned fruits and vegetables.
The petch may be fantastic enough to satisfactorily replace crunching leaves (almost). For those who don’t have one, here’s what it is: Imagine a big metal box about the size of a duffel bag with feet and a stovepipe sticking into the wall. The arrival of the petch coincides with the temperature dropping, as it is the one and only source of heating on our property. It lives in the kitchen which I can only imagine over the winter will be THE place to be. It is fueled by wood and trash-a perfect solution for refuse in a neighborhood which will not have trash pickup or recycling for at least as long as I’m here. The radiant heat from the petch’s burning fabric scraps, candy wrappers and coke bottles keeps the room wonderfully warm and the three kettles sitting on top of it guarantee hot tea anytime you like! It’s also great for re-heating. I placed the metal pan with Mathias’ apple crisp on top and within moments have deliciously toasty left-overs. Microwaves don’t stand a chance against this baby!
We also now have a sink with running water INSIDE the kitchen, thanks to the handiwork of my teenaged host brother. My host family explained that they are getting water inside because it’s getting too cold to wash dishes outside. My question of “Why not have water inside all the time?” did not seem to translate.
And last but not least-my host mom’s jarred tomatoes and peaches have arrived from under the stairs!! I have to say, they are delicious. It was explained to me that over the summer the tomatoes are placed in the big jars along with garlic, herbs and boiling water then sealed. We also eat pickled cabbage, carrots, cucumber, and green tomatoes every day. At breakfast time the family breaks out the homemade strawberry preserves, the best I’ve ever had. Hopefully our next host family will also have these skills and I will be able to learn!
Postscript:
Since the writing of the original post, the temperature has indeed dropped. We received a delivery of wood that will last about two months from a gentlemen who collects it from…well I’m not really sure, but I can say it’s mostly two-by-fours with nails still attached. At night the kitchen is indeed the place to be and very toasty. The only other option is under the covers in our room as our thermometer has be registering 54-57 degrees consistently for the last few days. Our host family asked how we heat our homes in America and I did a rather silly reenactment of air coming out of the floor and ceiling. I took that air for granted for sure. To sign off, I’m going in my two pairs of long underwear and leg warmers to sit by my new favorite household object, the petch!!
~Emma
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A Note on Chai (Tea)
Chai here is consumed in great amounts. I had been informed of this before I came, but I did not really believe the extent to which it is a part of life. Did you just wake up? Mid-morning break? Lunch? Hey-you just got home from school! And of course then there is before dinner and after dinner and don’t forget the all-important bedtime cup of chai! You think I am joking, but I am not. This is the minimum for how many times I am offered tea in a day.
I think one of the main reasons for the amount of tea drinking is this: you really shouldn’t drink the water here without boiling it, and bottled drinks are very expensive. If you have to boil the water anyway, might as well make it into tea, right? It is also understood here that tea is very very good for you. I’ve been told it aids in digestion (do they mean because it’s a diuretic?) And if you drink it, you will have long life (probably true, due to the antioxidants). Many Azerbacani’s are also concerned with being cold as a main cause of sickness, and tea is a great way to warm up (or REALLY make sure you are not cold if it happens to be 75 degrees outside). It is also a symbol of hospitality-anyone who comes to visit is always offered tea. Whenever I have friends over, my host sister always arrives at my bedroom door about 15 minutes later, bearing a tray of tea and candy.
So what is the tea etiquette? I know that at least in the Rogers family, the way tea is prepared is a big part of enjoying it so I will include the ritual here. There is a small metal kettle called the Chainiki. You pour about ¾ of a cup of black tea into it along with hot water. This makes a very strong brew that sits in the kitchen all day. Anyone who wants tea pours a small amount from the chainiki and then fills the rest of their teacup with freshly boiled water from a larger kettle. To sweeten, there are several options. The most common is to take a sugar cube, dip it in the tea and then hold it between your teeth as you drink the tea through it. There is also usually a bowl of fruit jam (homemade and totally awesome) on the table. You spoon the jam into your mouth and then drink the tea through it (yum!). There is always a bowl of confette (random chocolates and candies). We also have a sugar bowl on our table; however I am the only person in our family who mixes sugar directly into my tea. There is no cream or milk mixed in (this may go back to the food safety thing).
So that’s the story on tea. Come visit some time, and have some chai!!
~Emma
I think one of the main reasons for the amount of tea drinking is this: you really shouldn’t drink the water here without boiling it, and bottled drinks are very expensive. If you have to boil the water anyway, might as well make it into tea, right? It is also understood here that tea is very very good for you. I’ve been told it aids in digestion (do they mean because it’s a diuretic?) And if you drink it, you will have long life (probably true, due to the antioxidants). Many Azerbacani’s are also concerned with being cold as a main cause of sickness, and tea is a great way to warm up (or REALLY make sure you are not cold if it happens to be 75 degrees outside). It is also a symbol of hospitality-anyone who comes to visit is always offered tea. Whenever I have friends over, my host sister always arrives at my bedroom door about 15 minutes later, bearing a tray of tea and candy.
So what is the tea etiquette? I know that at least in the Rogers family, the way tea is prepared is a big part of enjoying it so I will include the ritual here. There is a small metal kettle called the Chainiki. You pour about ¾ of a cup of black tea into it along with hot water. This makes a very strong brew that sits in the kitchen all day. Anyone who wants tea pours a small amount from the chainiki and then fills the rest of their teacup with freshly boiled water from a larger kettle. To sweeten, there are several options. The most common is to take a sugar cube, dip it in the tea and then hold it between your teeth as you drink the tea through it. There is also usually a bowl of fruit jam (homemade and totally awesome) on the table. You spoon the jam into your mouth and then drink the tea through it (yum!). There is always a bowl of confette (random chocolates and candies). We also have a sugar bowl on our table; however I am the only person in our family who mixes sugar directly into my tea. There is no cream or milk mixed in (this may go back to the food safety thing).
So that’s the story on tea. Come visit some time, and have some chai!!
~Emma
Friday, November 14, 2008
Samaxi
Sorry it has taken such a long time for me to get a new blog posted. The Peace Corps is having us send everything to our country director to make sure it is suitable for "posting". Truthfully, I don't care all that much. It only bothers me that I have to wait to post my opinions on this, that and the other. Then again I have yet to be told to change something... then again this is the first post I am sending in to be reviewed. I understand we work for the Peace Corps and that they have a right to be concerned with the image we put forth. I just take minor issue, and it is minor, for having to wait. Call me impatient, but that's me.
Okay so here is some big news...
Emma and I are going to Shamaha, or Samaxi, or Shamahku. It all depends on how you decide to translate the pronunciation. It is a town located about 2 hours northwest of Baku. We are very excited. It is sad to think about leaving our host family, but the idea of finally getting to our permanent site is pretty nice. Just to clarify, we have been living a bit outside of the capital of Baku, learning the language and picking up technical skills that will help when we finally get to our permanent site, Samaxi. In all, we will be in training a little under 3 months. We will then be at our site for 2 years. Here is a link to what wikipedia has to say about our town - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaxi.
Everything else has been great. We took a weekend trip to Baku. Our two clusters, language classes, spent the night at my teacher's parent's home. In all we had 10 trainees spend the night. I will post a blog about the evening as I have some awesome videos of us playing a new game called, "Songs in a Hat". As in, you have two teams and they put songs in a hat. The songs are then drawn by a player and that player must sing it, sans music, for at least 10 seconds. Believe me the videos are amazing! Yes, there was Copacabana... and it was fantastic.
Well I need to get going as it is getting dark. Hope all is well.
Mathias
Okay so here is some big news...
Emma and I are going to Shamaha, or Samaxi, or Shamahku. It all depends on how you decide to translate the pronunciation. It is a town located about 2 hours northwest of Baku. We are very excited. It is sad to think about leaving our host family, but the idea of finally getting to our permanent site is pretty nice. Just to clarify, we have been living a bit outside of the capital of Baku, learning the language and picking up technical skills that will help when we finally get to our permanent site, Samaxi. In all, we will be in training a little under 3 months. We will then be at our site for 2 years. Here is a link to what wikipedia has to say about our town - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaxi.
Everything else has been great. We took a weekend trip to Baku. Our two clusters, language classes, spent the night at my teacher's parent's home. In all we had 10 trainees spend the night. I will post a blog about the evening as I have some awesome videos of us playing a new game called, "Songs in a Hat". As in, you have two teams and they put songs in a hat. The songs are then drawn by a player and that player must sing it, sans music, for at least 10 seconds. Believe me the videos are amazing! Yes, there was Copacabana... and it was fantastic.
Well I need to get going as it is getting dark. Hope all is well.
Mathias
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