Who Says You Can't Go Home?

NPR this week reports that the economic crisis in America has led to many people moving back in or consolidating living spaces with their extended families in order to cope financially. I found the article interesting because of it's overall assertion that moving in with families is very difficult and uncomfortable for Americans. "It was embarrassing" one couple asserts.

I live in a country where living with your extended family is more than normal, it is the only way to go. My best friend's family includes her siblings, mother, father, aunt and grandmother as well as college student boarders. At no point have I ever felt like it was crowded or uncomfortable. Everyone continues to live their own lives, on their own schedules. It's not like you have 8 people sitting in the same room all the time (which is why I would not compare it to a holiday dinner, as the article does). We're not even talking about that big though, the article cites for example a single mother with one child moving in with her own mother. Yup, an overwhelming family of three.

The great financial success of America has created a system where even the very young can have their very own house, their very own car. We can make any decision we want without consulting a single other soul if we so choose. Between our cars and facebook and teleconferencing we hardly have to physically interact with anyone at all. It is the ultimate in freedom. But at what price? Americans are very socially evolved when it comes to work, school and friendship situations. About this I have no doubt. But have we gained the ability to "play well with others" at the expense of being able to enjoy our own families? I would like to meet someone who could argue that over the last few decades of increasing separation that the American family unit has grown stronger and more appreciative of each other. The comment about moving in with family being embarrassing also said something to me about our culture. We are independent. But so independent as to be embarrassed about a living situation that is considered healthy in many many countries on earth? Would we really rather be poor and alone than middle class and together?

Of course living with family has its drawbacks. Opinionated mothers or mothers-in-law for example. Or a grandma that hogs the remote. Hierarchy develops between the generations that we've thrown off long ago. Why should someone with decades more life experience (or outdated views) give me their opinion on how to live? I've learned that living with someone else demands a degree of personal sacrifice, of compromise and forgiveness. Boundaries must be drawn and agreed upon. However I also feel that if I can learn to consider others more, to be more forgiving and laid back, I might be a less selfish and maybe even a happier person. In the cleverly titled Truman biography, Truman, I read that the president was forever sending letters to or asking advice of his mother and sister and cousins. No matter how far he went or what he accomplished, he always returned home. There is something awfully appealing about strong family ties like that.

I might just feel this way because I am literally in the home stretch. Stretching for home, preparing to move back. Ask me again in two months and see if my opinion changes!

Fifth Time's a Charm?

So we've moved into our new apartment. Inshallah, this will be the last time we move before we finish our service. For those of you keeping score at home, we've lived

1. Host Family in Sumgayit
2. Host Family in Shamaxi
3. "The Jackson Resort"
4. "The Cabin"
5. The Apartment

Living in Azerbaijan taught me that showing peope around your whole house (even bedrooms and bathrooms, gasp!) is a very culturally American thing. But I am an American and this is a good opportunity to show also what the average place is like for Azerbaijanis too. We live on the second floor of a two story row of apartment/townhomey things. So, with no further ado, the Grand Tour in Photos:
The Entryway:

Our Bedroom:


(The "dresser" only holds so much for two people so we had to get creative and make a clothing mural)


Guest Bedroom/Storage Room:


Dining Room/Living Room. When you talk to us on skype, it's the walls of this room that you'll see.

Porchy Kitchen with door to the toilet:

Ah yes, the infamous semi-sit-squat. Take your pick. Bucket flush.
Across the drive from our building each person has their own gated alley. The majority of it is patio with lines to hang laundry. The building has a small storage space and behind it the hamam, or shower room (Note the eggplant I took with us from my old garden):

Classic shower/Water heater combo:




The End!

We've Moved! (Again)

Things are all aflutter here in Azerbaijan. The new school year has begun, I took a mental health week, and the AZ7's have arrived, trained, and found out where they will be placed. We will be receiving two new volunteers here in Shamaxi! And it's holiday time! But the thing that has taken the most of our focus recently is that we moved to a new house!

There were many reasons for our deciding to move. There are great financial benefits to this decision as the rent for the new house is 1/3 cheaper each month. It is also smaller and therefore much easier to heat as the expensive winter season approaches. These are the official (and if the public asks, only) reasons we left. Also, due to the job "creesis" our landlord and his family had moved back into their side of the house. There is very little privacy involved in being a PCV in general and sharing the bathroom facilities, yard, telephone, refrigerator and sometimes (surprise!) personal items and food were challenging.
Our new house is great! I mean, Look! The refrigerator is on the INSIDE!!

I love this fridge. It has an icebox, egg holder, butter holder, and fabulous blue metal detailing. Other things we love about the house include:

• Kitchen INSIDE-Our screened porch kitchen was getting pretty cold and the decision between going without dinner or losing one's hands to frostbite was getting harder and harder. I love not having to leave the house to brush my teeth or wash my hands.
• ALL of the burners on our stove work!-Yes, that's right! I can cook the spaghetti and the sauce at the same time.
• Cabinets!
• Did I mention a fridge all to ourselves?
  

• Warm wood floors, doors, and ceiling-makes it feel like a cabin and our white paper lampshade looks really good (even if all males bump their head on it every time)
• Gas and wood burning Peç right next to the bed-At our old house we could only afford to heat the living room and if the gas went out we were out of luck. Now we have a back up plan. Also, because the gas flow can start and stop at any time, you never leave the gas on at night when sleeping. No problem here-it's so close it heats the bed ahead of time and the radiant heat keeps you comfy till you fall asleep!
• Bathroom facilities are still outside but there is a covered walkway so you don't get wet if its raining and they are tiled really nicely. We have a western-style toilet which does not get its own bullet point because frankly, I like the squat better.
• Summer kitchen-Not useful now but when it gets hot it will be great to cook outside without heating the house!
• Yard with fruit galore! We have pomegranate, cherry, apple, and alça trees as well as grapes, a large strawberry patch and stand of raspberries! There will be another garden next year.
• Well water-We no longer have to pay for water and it is no longer limited; we can draw water whenever we need it.

I know, I know, it sounds like I'm bragging. But I can't help it, it's a nice place. Most importantly, we are alone. The new house has also instituted marital equality because before we were close to my school and Mathias had a bit of a hike. Now we are close to him and I will be enjoying the muddy walks! Oh and for those of you who were concerned, we brought baby cat with us and she seems to be adjusting well. I'll end with more pictures to look at:

Kitchen:

Bed/Living Room:

Bathrooms and Outdoor Kitchen:

New House!

As you might have heard, we got a new house! We are renting from a family that lives in Baku. They come here for vacation a few days out of the year, so we are living here by ourselves! We have two rooms plus the kitchen, a hammam (shower room) and bathroom. Besides the patio which you can see, there is a yard with Walnut, Pomegranate, Fig, and Date trees.
Here's what it looks like from the outside: (double click to enlarge) And here's our new Bathroom!

We've been very busy cleaning and fixing everything up. Mathias has proved himself an excellent handyman, performing such manly feats as:

• Replacing the faucet in the kitchen
• Using the time-tested Azeri method of running lit paper along the pipes, finding three gas leaks and fixing them
• Effectively stopping the leaks in our outdoor plumbing with only chewing gum, electric tape, and plastic bags!
• Taping the broken window panes so they stop falling out every time we close the windows

Yes, I married MacGyver.

In the meantime, I've been able to plant a garden! A neighbor donated onions, garlic, saffron, coriander and pumpkin seeds which are in the ground already along with carrots, beans and melons. I was also able to buy black eyed peas, tomatoes, corn, peppers, eggplant and cucumber. Hopefully I can plant them in the summer!

Photos 2

This is our new yard covered with snow. The "covered" walkway connects our house (on the left) to the other homes. One is located directly behind and the other to the right. Straight ahead is just a wall that encloses the yard. Most homes in Azerbaijan have large stone walls that surround their yards and subsequently a gate that acts as a "Front Door" for all visitors. Homes rarely open onto the street.

This is a rug shop in Baku's "Old City".

This is a view looking back from the wall displayed in the snowy picture. I took this photo in November when we visited Şamaxı for the first time.

This is a mosque located in Baku.

This is Jon, one of my very best friends in Azerbaijan, and me, after playing soccer on the beach in Sumqayit. A small group of PC trainees would play soccer every Sunday, but Jon won the coin toss so he got to sit on my shoulders. The Caspian Sea is behind us. I know what you are thinking. This photo is pretty impressive... but what was really impressive was the double back flip Jon did off my shoulders. Man is talented.

Due to a lack of gas, our 1st host family relies (literally) on truck loads of wood during the winter. This photo was taken soon after all of the wood was removed from the truck. Btb, The truck arrived around 10:30pm and it took about 45 minutes to remove everything. Partially due to the degree of danger associated with standing on, and moving, a pile of wood laden with nails/tacks and partially due to the fact it was more like a game of dodge the wood, then safely stack the wood... No one was hurt and following the fun, tea was had by all! The photo is of Me, my host brother, host cousin and their friends.

This is our Host Family in Saray! R-L: Father, Youngest Brother, Me, Host Sister, Host Mom, Emma and Oldest Host Brother. They are an amazing family and we were so blessed to have been placed at their home. This photo was taken in our kitchen.

Emma and I eating breakfast at my Language Teacher's home in Baku. Both of our language classes spent the night, and enjoyed a 3 hour "Songs from a Hat" marathon. I know I mentioned SFAH in a previous post, but as it is AWESOME, I find it necessary to mention it again... No I have no idea what is in the bowl. Let's say it is some type mayo and veggie salad.

This is us at our swearing in ceremony. It was held at a cultural center in Sumqayit and covered by most of the country's major media outlets. Emma was actually interviewed by a TV news program that airs nationwide. Our host family received lots of calls from friends, and relatives, saying they had seen Emma. It was pretty cool. We also swore to defend the Constitution, which was incredible on a totally different level.

We hand wash and hang dry all of our clothes... which is fine when the weather cooperates. As you can see this load was not okayed by mother winter. Nevertheless, once it gets warm enough melt, we can view the thaw as a second, not so needed, but always welcomed rinse.

Those are all the photos I have for now. Hope everyone is well.

-Mathias

Not all tattoo artists are created equal...

In my last blog post (Oct. 14 1995, or at least it seems that long ago) I wrote that we had be given the name of our permanent site: Şamaxı (figured out how to type in Azeri!) Well as of today, we have been here just over a week. Emma and I are in the process of figuring out our work schedules, as well as, discovering the many interesting things Şamaxı has to offer.

Emma's school, the post office, Internet cafe, ATM, tea house, outdoor amphitheater and department store are all within about a 3 minutes walk of our home. My school is just a bit farther away, maybe 10-15 minutes. I will start teaching in January and am spending this week, and next: observing classes, picking counterparts (Azeri teacher with whom I will co-instruct) and getting used to my school. Thus far, everything has been great. My primary counterpart (the woman who submitted the application for a PC volunteer) is just incredible. When we walk through town, she introduces me to everyone explaining who I am, what I am doing and what I have given up to be here... which means being away from family and friends. I could not have asked for a better friend. Furthermore, all of the students, the teachers, the vice principle and the director have been incredibly welcoming. I definitely feel wanted and appreciated.

Emma has also been lucky. She is working at a Russian school, which means that all of the lessons are taught in Russian. A Russian school in Azerbaijan is comparable to a parochial school in the states. Her director is incredibly supportive and has provided her with a great deal of support. Now, she is figuring out how she fits into the school as a Youth Development Volunteer. It is much harder for her because her job description is rather vague. Where I am told to teach 15 lessons, she is told to observe the students, teachers and community - then assist the youth by providing beneficial activities, such as: English Clubs, Theater Clubs, Sports Clubs, etc. I know it seems some what straight forward, but where I have a framework from which to work, she must create everything. Of course she will work with the interests of the community, ie. she won't provide a running club if the interest isn't there. However, she has to do a lot more with her language and it is hard, as we have only been here 3 months. Nevertheless, we are both very lucky due to the people with whom we have been placed.

Speaking of which, we have a new host family. We have a host mother, 2 host brothers, 2 host sister-in-laws and a set of grandparents. The grandparents have their own home, the mother and the youngest couple have another, while Emma and I live on the very large bottom floor of the oldest son's home. The three houses have a nice courtyard that holds a chicken coup, a place to hang laundry, a well, fruit trees and plenty of room for gardening. At times, Şamaxı lacks water, but thankfully we have the well (circa 1931) to keep us hydrated. The toilet and shower room are right next to ours, however you have to go outside to access them. Luckily the area between is covered. Our room, which is not connected to the second floor, is rather large. It has a gas stove(a peç, which I believe Emma has already explained), two tables, two twin beds pushed together to make a king, and other various household items.

The last couple of days we have had snow, which makes trekking up and down the MANY hills, a challenge. I have photos that I plan to post, but currently my Russian computer (almost all computers in Azeri Internet cafes use Russian) doesn't want to recognized the jpeg file format... However, I do promise (for Maureen especially as she made the request sometime ago) to post more photos.

Can't wait to see everybody in Dec of 2010... Or feel free to visit. Grenville and John G., I am looking forward to the summer. Mom and Dad the fall. Inshallah!

Love and Miss

Mathias

PS No tattoo artists were harmed in the writing of this post.

First Month Photos

The crazy amount of shoes in front of our house during Cavid's party. This is unfortunately only half the picture. Double the amount seen and that's what was really out there. Just like Japan!

Friends and relatives preparing a ridiculous amount of salad for the party. This photo was taken behind our house.

The Kabobs! Azerbaijani food is absolutely fantastic!

Our host uncle grilling some goat kabobs. They were tasty! This photo was taken in our back yard. There is a huge garden with all kinds of vegetables as well as apple, pomegranate, persimmon and pear trees!

The living room at our host families home. Extra tables were brought in and set up for Cavid's party. There was a ton of food and drink.

A pier out into the Caspian Sea. Rather close to the hotel in which we stayed during our first week in Azerbaijan.

One of those Crazy mud volcanoes. The mud is actually quite cold. Did you know: 50 % of the world's mud volcanoes are in Azerbaijan!

Emma and Friend 3 - happens to be married to Friend 2, from Kentucky. More jumping over the streams of mud.

L-R: Friend one - Went to William and Mary, Modern Dancer, Me - Mathias, Friend 2 - Other young married man, from N. Virginia. Jumping over a stream of mud from one of Azerbaijan's mud volcanoes. By the look of it, I must have been very excited.

Emma looking out from atop a rock formation in Gobustan. The Caspian is just beyond the top of the photo.

Emma and me in Gobustan. We are standing in front of a series of cave drawings, or petroglyphs, somewhere in the range of 7500 years old. I believe we were looking at etchings of cattle... at least that is what the guide told us.

Tim thinking about how he wants to master the art of "vowel harmony"... good luck friend, good luck.

This is the apartment building in which one of the volunteers we visited lives. It is about 4 stories high and the apartments run the width of the building, giving the renter two balconies. Very nice digs.

This is my "language cluster" at school. From left to right you have my Azerbaijani teacher (just her back), Number 1 - Language Expert from Maryland, really likes Bond movies, Number 2 - Retiree from KC MO, came with her husband, Number 3 - Drummer, Fan of the Russian Language, Number 4 - Went to U of Rochester, from Boston = Sox fan, and Number 5 - From Wisconsin, likes the Brewers, makes a great Bloody Mary or so I am told. I used numbers to keep their identities somewhat unknown. Tricky-tricky. Albeit, I did describe what they like and where they are from.

Hope you enjoyed the photos!

Mathias