Old Wives Tales

Azerbaijani, like any culture, has its own collection of "Old Wives Tales". Things such as:

1. If you drink cold water you will become ill.
2. If you take a shower during the winter, and don't cover yourself immediately afterwards, you will become ill.
3. If you are a woman and sit on the floor, or an uncovered chair, you will become infertile.
4. If you pet a stray cat you will become infertile.
5. Eating the combination of honey and melon will kill you... I am not kidding.

But my favorite, and the one which has been stressed the most is:
If diabetic, you are unsuited and apparently incapable of procreation after the age of 25.

So here is how we found out:

Every time we meet someone in Azerbaijan we are asked 4 things.
1. Name
2. Where are we from?
3. Are we married?
4. If yes, do you have children? / If no, why?

So, Emma was at school meeting yet another new teacher. The teacher followed the rules and asked all of the required questions. However, when Emma explained that we didn't have children and didn't want them for a couple of years, the teacher became very serious. Apparently, the questions were just for fun, for somehow she knew enough to be aware of the fact that I am diabetic. She in a very knowing, and all together concerned manner, explained that we must have children now. If we didn't, we were going to lose our chance. That is, if we hadn't already. So Emma being the polite and humoring soul she is, smiled and explained that we felt okay about our odds. However, the teacher persisted. She explained that a friend of her sister-in-law's mother is married to a diabetic. They waited too long to have kids and now couldn't. The reason being, he was a diabetic and over the age of 25. Ha ha ha, fun story.

Fast forward, 2 months. We have now heard different versions of the same story many many times. Emma is visiting our first host family. Everyone is sitting in the kitchen talking about this, that and not drinking cold water. Then all of a sudden Emma begins to hear bits of a conversation taking place between our host mother and host aunt. The host aunt is expressing great concern over the fact we have yet to conceive and relays to our host mother the hard facts about being a diabetic and not having children before the age of 25. Well for whatever reason this really gets to Emma. She approaches the two and explains that she understood their conversation. Slightly astonished, the two are even more surprised when Emma began to explain that diabetics can have children after the age of 25. So, the aunt tells the same story another way and suggests that we not tempt fate. Emma smiles, respectfully disagrees and explains that if God wills it, we will be fine. Everyone agreed with this statement and the night went on without incident. Still, for whatever reason, the idea of diabetics not being able to have kids after 25 begins to really hit home. It is kinda like the first time you realize the fun side of a conspiracy theory. You know it can't be true, but for whatever reason you are beginning to accept the idea of a Cuban assassin on the grassy knoll. Back and to the left baby, back and to the left.

So we meet up the next day and Emma explains the story once again. Yet, this time even I begin to worry. It starts as a distracting thought that interferes with my day dreaming and turns into a full scale assault on all that I thought to be true. Black is white, Olives do taste okay and worst of all, I as a 25 year old diabetic have missed my chance to have kids. Then I start doing the math. My grandfather was a diabetic. He was born in 1926. My dad was born in 1952. That is 25/26 years right there. Then my aunts Donna and Paula were born a number of years after my dad, so I have to be fine. They way the numbers read, I can have children well into my thirties. Thank goodness.

I arrive home, drink a glass of cold water, take a shower and air dry, pet a stray cat and eat some melons and honey. Subsequently, the next day I come down with a wicked cold and almost die from a high blood sugar thanks to the m/h.... This paragraph is full of lies, but the rest is true as true can be.

I think all of this shows what a little persistence and fear mongering can do. I, for one, believe that if we are supposed to have children we will. I also have come to understand how terrible "old wives tales" can be... especially if you are 25 and diabetic.

Hope all is well.

Love and Miss,

Mathias

Holiday Month!

Call it March Madness if you will, but I'm writing another blog post!
There's been a lot going on here lately and I'll try and update:

March 8th was International Women's Day-a big holiday here in Azerbaijan. Mathias and I happened to be in Baku (on business) and everywhere people were selling flowers and candy. I got many a text messege of congratulations. Todd and Mathias seemed to take much pleasure in congratulating "An International Woman" on my day. Apparently this is a big holiday everywhere in the world except in the U.S. When people asked me why we didn't really celebrate it I blurted out "Because in America, every day is womens day!" Some people thought it was really funny, some just looked disturbed.

Mathias and I also have the rest of the month off from work due to the Referendum and Novruz.

The Referendum is taking place on Wednesday and is a country-wide vote on changes in the constitution ranging from making taking pictures of people without their permission illegal to effectively removing the Presidential term limit. I tried to find a good article link to give more information without giving my own political opinion but came up short. It might be fun to google though.

Novruz is a huge holiday here in Azerbaijan. All week I explained to my conversation club students that this is my first Novruz and therefore I need them to write as much as they can in English about it so I will know what is going on. This is what I learned:

• Novruz is a National Holiday of Azerbaijan
• The four Tuesdays leading up to Novruz represent the four elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. At dusk each of these Tuesdays, people light bonfires and jump over them.
• On Novruz itself (the 20th and 21st) People will again light big bonfires and jump over them 7 times. There is also something about burning things for luck but that part wasn't very clear.
• Boys get to throw their hats into peoples yards, knock, and then run away and hide. Then the hats are filled with sweets like Baclava. I asked what the girls do and was told "The girls get to listen!"
• There is a plate of wheatgrass with a ribbon around it. At least that's what every kid draws when asked to draw a picture about Novruz.
• There is a Novruz man who is skinny, bald and has a beard. There is also a "Spring Girl".
• "Mom cooks great food."
• Everyone "causes" eggs. This is a translational probelm. Every child wrote this and it is how the dictionary translates what they are trying to say. But through acting and picture drawing I have discovered that what really happens is everyone decorates eggs. phew!

So that's what's in store for us in the coming weeks! I let you know if any fun stories come of it!!

~Emma

Fun Photos

With Emma going crazy on the blog, I figured it was time for me too to contribute… So here you go. Here are some of my favorite photos that we have yet to post.

A month and a half ago, Emma and I attended a youth photo exhibition in Ismayıllı. Youth from Ismayıllı and Mingəçevir came together to display their hard work at the Ismayıllı Heydar Əliyev Museum. This first picture is of a fellow PCV who was mobbed by a group of presenters wanting an autograph… Of course he was kind enough to oblige, ha ha.

Number two is the chalkboard in my classroom. As you can see, it is really half a chalkboard set on a chair. Two big things: First, it is inappropriate for a teacher to erase the board. Believe me, I know all about this rule. Subsequently, I am quite the rule breaker. Second, any hint of chalk on your clothes is terrible. Azerbaijanis are very serious about this. However, of all the chalk I have ever used, Azerbaijani chalk is the dustiest. This makes the second rule really hard to follow and the first rule somewhat understandable.

This is a picture of Emma at Gobustan. I know we posted a couple of photos from this trip, but one more rarely hurts.

We took this photo while staying with our first host family. The little boy is Sadiq and he too was staying with our host family. He, like me, really enjoys whiffle ball! We got along well.

Our current host family slaughtered a sheep for some type of anniversary. The first picture is of a blood thirsty cat enjoying the spill and the second of the sheep’s head, skin and feet. The cat is one of four who stalk our courtyard. Many an evening we have woken to the sound of cats fighting. Thus, we have nicknamed the group “Ninja Cats.” The cat pictured is named Jon Prouty. We didn’t give it that name… our host family came up with it. Weird.

The second picture is of the sheep’s head, skin and feet. Apparently these parts are special. I just found it interesting as it was placed a mere five or six feet from our door. Then again, the blood spill was no more than 15.

Finally, here’s a picture showing what five months in Azerbaijan can do to your waistline, or better yet what it has done to mine. Ha ha. Really most of it came off during my weeklong illness. Still, walking everywhere and eating less doesn’t hurt. I was just under 180 when we left and am now at 165. Oh, and I haven’t washed/dried these jeans since arriving in AZ. That contributes to the stretch.

Hope everyone is well!

Mathias

Weekending

This weekend Mathias and I, along with our awesome sitemate Todd, decided to hike one of Samaxi's Mountains to find the ancient castle atop it.
Our journey began in town where we passed the City Stadium which was apparently, closed for "mowing"

As we headed out of town on the road, people became more and more scarce. We did walk along with a group of un-chaperoned cows for a bit:


At this point it started to get really foggy. Samaxi has a talent for that-sudden onsets of fog. Since we couldn't see where the mountain was anymore we stopped for directions. The man we asked was very nice and also very confident in our Azerbaijani language skills and therefore spoke quickly and copiously. This is pretty much what I heard "Go straight....There's a gate....next to....weather.....This way (hand points to the right).....two hours." And so we went straight. We found the gate and followed the evidence of a herd migration (little bits of sheep wool stuck among the brambles and cow pies) up the mountain.

It got steeper and steeper and we wondered how the cows made it this far...

When we reached the summit we felt like the conquerors of everest. It was only mildly dissapointing to discover that Azerbaijan had claimed the peak first:

The castle ruins were pretty cool. All the guide books say the view is pretty much why a person would make the hike but we will have to return later for evidence of that. There was the incredible feeling of standing at the edge of the world, being able to feel the height and dropoff before you, but not being able to see.

It was pretty cold up there and I wished I had taken my coat-there was still snow in the castle ruin's basement. Overall a fantastic adventure and a great day!

More About Food

We’ve had several questions about food, namely:
What is your fav. AZ recipe and do you like dogva? (Lgt)
More about food! (Corey)
What food do you miss from home? If you had to go home today, what food would you miss? (Nancy)

Favorite AZ Recipe:
Emma: Aş (ah-sh) and Beef Kabobs.
Aş is this caramelized onion/chestnut/chicken mixture that tops plov/rice cooked in chicken stock. It’s eaten on holidays and pretty much rocks. Beef Kabobs here have a great flavor-I don’t know what spices they use, but they’re great (and they sort of remind me of grilling at home!)
Mathias: Grape Leaf Dolma
Dolma is ground beef or lamb spiced with cinnamon, salt / pepper and mixed with cooked rice. The mixture is then wrapped in cabbage, or grape leaves, and boiled over medium heat for about 20 minutes. The grape leaf variety is topped with fresh yogurt! Both are quite delicious.

Do you like dogva?
Dogva is a drink made from water and yogurt. People usually salt it and some drink it with pepper or dill.
Emma: I’m ashamed to admit, I’ve been too afraid to try it.
Mathias: I have tried and do not mind it. It can be consumed hot or cold. However, hot is a little better because it is easier to disguise as soup.

What do you miss from home?
Emma: Depends on the day but the list ranges from hot wings to chocolate chip cookies. More than anything what I miss is being able to choose and cook my own food. Hopefully starting in April we’ll be able to choose what we eat which means the return of stir-fried veggies, pizza and cookies!!
Mathias: I miss double bacon cheeseburgers, pork anything, green bean casserole, diet soda and general food variety. Azerbaijan has some pretty decent dishes and if you live here long enough you will get to try every single one. Unlike America where different homes have different specialties, (My family makes a great White Wine Chicken and Emma’s family makes a great London Broil) Azerbaijani families tend to cook the exact same food, in almost the exact same way. I like dolma, aş and fried potatoes but I don’t mind a little excitement here and there.

If you had to go home today, what food would you miss?
Emma: I haven’t learned how to make home-made breads, jams, or aş yet! Also, I really like the chicken here-seeing them walk around all normal and hormone-free and then get a swift decapitation makes me feel very happy (and they’re tasty too!). The locavore/organic food trends I was toying with in America are literally coming home to roost!
Mathias: I would miss the traditional manner in which guests are served. Tea and sweets are provided when you arrive. Then there is typically cabbage dolma or grape leaf dolma, followed by aş. Usually, there are tomatoes and cucumbers, as well as, freshly baked bread served with the two main courses. Everything is then followed with another round of tea and fruit. It is a very complete meal. One I have had many times, but definitely one I have come to love.

You got questions? We got answers!

The Lovely Maureen sent a barrage of insightful questions which have been edited for time and formatted to fit you television screen:

• Did your family fast during Ramadan? Yes, but we arrived at the very end of the month and only witnessed a day or two of fasting. However, our host father was unable to fast because of a medical condition and thus ate with us during the normal meal times.
  
• Is there a shortage of wood to burn in the petc?
  Possibly. Wood is expensive and every family seems to handle the situation differently. Ours had run out of tree wood about a month ago and have been using pallets donated by our host brother’s employer. In Sumgayit, I saw people burn their trash (paper, fabric, etc.—not food!) for heat. Often wood comes from old buildings complete with nails, screws and old hinges. We’ve made a mental note for living on our own next year to start looking for sources of wood this summer.
  
• Can you bake stuff? We can and do. I have made apple crisp about 5 times. Our Azeri families love the novelty of a man baking.
  
• Can you buy carpets to line the walls of the house? Yes. Our host families have carpets covering their walls. They are as much for warmth as they are for decoration.
  
• Do you have down-filled anything?
  Yes. Our down comforter from Ikea is incredible! Our heat is off at night and it keeps us completely warm through the morning.
  
• Are there community centers that always have heat?
  No. There are no community centers and there is no place that always has heat.
  
• Has there been a lot of snow? We have had 4 major snow storms. The first two left snow on the ground for almost a month and a half. However, the more recent storms have melted within a day or two.
  
• Do the puroshki keep your hands warm? Exceptionally. If I mention that I am hungry during class, my counterpart will send a student out to grab us a bagful. The bagful of puroshki then keeps me warm for hours. Seriously though, students are always leaving class to run errands for teachers.
  
• Have you tried the McDonalds? Does it taste the same? We have and it does taste the same. There are different options, such as the MacArabic (a chicken wrap with a sauce similar to the BigMac’s) but the main items taste the same. The Quarter Pounder is called the Royal Cheeseburger and you have to pay 25 cents for a packet of ketchup. Still it is worth it.
  
• Do they let dogs in? No.
  
• Sell beer? Yes but not Budweiser. Miller is $2 a bottle. Baku has a fine beer selection, but it is pretty limited in the Regions.
  
• I guess your laundry has to wait or dry inside?
  In some ways, still figuring that one out. Small things like underwear and socks can easily be dried inside by the petc. It depends how vigorously you wring things out too-if it’s just damp, it’ll dry even if it’s frozen (or, just break off the icicles haha!). We’ve been warned not to attempt jeans until spring. So the answer is, we can wash pretty much anything but I’m avoiding pants because they are a pain. Large items sit out for a day and then bit by bit I bring them inside to finish them by the fire. I’ve also developed an “If I can’t see it and I can’t smell it, it’s clean!” policy.
  
• Can you smell yourself yet?
  Yes. Actually, I was super sick last week. I had a fever of over 100 for nearly six days straight. About four days in, all sans showers, Emma started to remark on how the room smelled like extra sharp cheddar cheese. It did. So, we aired out and cleaned the room, but nothing really helped. Finally on the sixth day I was strong enough (and given permission) to take a shower. I did this mid-day when Emma was at work. When she arrived home she was amazed by how nice the room smelled. She wanted to know if I had cleaned or sprayed a new air freshener. I hadn’t. I merely showered. Yes, we smell. Some days/weeks more than others. Last week was really a low point… ha ha.
  
  
  

An American in (Well, not Paris)

I'd like to know more about the response you get from locals when they find out/figure out that you are Americans. Is there any sort of perceived anti American sentiment that you've had to deal with? ~Corey

I will begin by saying the nature of this question leads me to make statements that are mildly political and social by nature and based solely on my own experience. My feelings do not represent everyones America, everyones Azerbaijan, and certainly are not in any way related to the opinions of the Peace Corps. Now that’s out of the way:

Well, first off there’s the process of figuring out where we are from. Often on the street a stranger will assume we are from Russia and speak to us in Russian. In School, when I introduce myself, it goes something like this:
Emma: Welcome to English Club! My Name is Emma and I’m from—
Students: ENGLAND!
Emma: Nope, America!
Students: Oh, PORTLAND (where their former PCV came from)
Emma: Nope, Georgia!
Students Look Confused

But once the American thing is established, the reaction has never been negative. Azerbaijanis are very hospitable people, so chances are even if they think America is terrible, they won’t let on.
I have met many, many young people who enthusiastically exclaim their desire to go to America. When I ask why, the answer is something like this: I’ve been watching American films my whole life and it looks great-or- Everybody is rich there!
One of the things that have struck me most is that the perception of America is often based on television, movies, and music. Political activist Hollywood actors, producers and directors should be overjoyed to know that young people here seem to be paying much more attention to the movie Titanic and the works of 50 Cent than any of the President’s foreign policy.
I have been congratulated on the new President more than once. I don’t know if this is a show of support for change, or people telling me what they think I want to hear. Maybe it’s just another fairytale story coming from America. One friend asked, “So, Barack Obama is going to end all war now, right?” I decided not to mention Afghanistan.
I’ll leave you with a the question I was asked on a bus by a fifteen year old,
“What do Americans think about us? About Azerbaijan?”
…