Bayramɪnɪz Mübarək və Yeni Iliniz Mübarək!

Happy Holiday and Happy New Years!

So the holiday season has come and gone in Azerbaijan. As many of you already know, Azerbaijan is a Muslim country, so they do not celebrate Christmas. This is of course true in theory, however, their Yeni Yil (New Year) celebration which takes place on December 31^st, resembles our own Christmas tradition in many ways. Their version of Santa Clause, Șokta Baba, could be his twin brother. Șokta Baba (Grandfather Frost) and his weirdly young, maybe granddaughter, maybe hot new girlfriend Qar Qiz (Snow Girl) can be found all over Azerbaijan. Many homes and all public areas also have a “New Years” tree which looks exactly like a Christmas tree, complete with garland and ornaments. It’s not exactly Christmas, but if you ignore the details, you can pretend it is. When so many of us are so far from home, it’s a  serendipitous occasion.

I went to Xaҁmaz, a neighboring city about an hour away, on December 15^th for a Community American/Azerbaijani Christmas/Chanukah celebration at a fellow Volunteer’s home. There were probably close to 60 people there and we enjoyed local food as well as American dishes. Several of the volunteers then put on a play and a description (through a translator) of Chanukah traditions for the Azerbaijani attendees. This was followed by Christmas carols and Jewish songs and dance. Overall a great time!

1^st Finger Christmas!

So while Azerbaijan looks like a bird in flight, it also resembles a left hand. Because of this unique shape, we often refer to our living coordinates as if they were anatomical parts of a hand, “the Palm”, the 1^st and 2^nd fingers…you get it. Well I live in the (best) 1^st Finger!

On December 23^rd I then went to back to Xaҁmaz to spend the night at my friend Kelsey’s home with her family, and then on the 24^th we both went to a fellow volunteer’s home for our 1^st Finger Peace Corps Christmas. All the volunteers from the 1^st finger, as well as a few from neighboring regions wishing to join, came together to celebrate together.

We had a delicious meal which consisted of Roasted Rosemary Chicken with roasted vegetables, a raw beet salad, and a spicy pumpkin macaroni and cheese. This was followed up with a buttery Apple pie and a Pumpkin pie. Everything we cook in country is of course made from scratch, so these ingredients were as fresh as they could possibly be, making them absolutely delicious.

All 14 of us had a giant sleepover and in the morning, over eggs and real (French-pressed) coffee, we exchanged our Secret Santa gifts and skyped our families’ at home. Our Secret Santa gifts had to be something we were either given or brought from home, but they could not be purchased. I received an awesome Bacon Flavoured Lip Balm and matching Dental Floss, as well as a very creative and highly researched, hand-drawn poster of Rhode Island. This was complete with accented words, food references and my state colours, and will be taking its place on my wall. (Great Job Joey!) Christmas was probably the best it could have been being away from friends and family back in the U.S.

New Years

Photo Taken from Google

For New Years, many of the volunteers made the trek into Baku for some much needed fun and relaxation. The first night 8 of us stayed in a Hostel in Iҁeri Șəhər (Old City) and had a great time catching up and laughing and eating good food. The 2^nd night, more volunteers arrived in the city, making our room count up to 13. It was the more the merrier for sure! It was such a nice break to get together with all my friends from all over the country (most of us seeing each other for the 1^st time since going to site). In country we are each other’s support system. It’s such a unique experience, that no one would understand exactly what we are going through, except us.

Baku was absolutely beautiful, everything lit up for the holiday and firework and fountain displays across the city. I will say that the young boys and their extremely loud firecrackers may have taken a few years off my life, but it was all in good fun.

As many of my friends are TEFLs (Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) and they had the week after New Years off from school, so….five of my friends from regions all over the country (Nefchala, Cellilabad, Yevlax, and Tovuz) came back to Quba with me to extend our vacation.  I showed them My Carpet Factory, which helped remind me of what a cool place I work in, as I saw it again for the 1^st time through their eyes. We were able to go to Qusar one of the days, a village in the mountains which is home to the Lezgi minority populations. We went to visit an AZ6 volunteer who has been there for 3 years and is now leaving. We had dinner with his Lezgi family and walked around the ski resort-like town. My friends stayed with me for 3 days, experiencing Quba’s 1^st main snow fall of the year (well since I’ve lived here anyway) making the whole city peaceful and white, almost magical. I swear the whole “city” of Quba hides when it snows, so you feel like the city is yours when you walk around. Everyone had a great time walking around my Sleepy City and watching movies and cooking good food at my site mates’ home. (Chicken Curry and Pasta with Garlic Cheese Bread!) I was sad to see them go, but we will plan visits as soon as we are able to. Sometimes our visits to each other are what save our sanity and our service. It’s hard to sometimes justify being out of your site for something like visiting friends, but it honestly is just as important to maintain a balance in your life and to see different parts of the country. It also makes you appreciate what you have.

Being away for a few days was really the break I think we all needed. It also gave me a fresh perspective when I returned to site of the goals I wanted to accomplish in the New Year. Service is hard, especially in the winter. The weather is cold, the modern amenities such as heat and running water become strained, and the fresh fruits and vegetable we are lucky enough to have the rest of the year become unavailable or very expensive. Cabbage is the main staple of the diet here in the winter months, which I like but ask me again in 3 months and my tune may be very different! I am extremely lucky to live in such a beautiful place and be surrounded by people I care about. It does not mean that my service is without its difficulties, but it does give me a sliver of hope to cling to when certain days seem like they will never end.

Futball

So on a side note, Kelsey and I were invited to play Azerbaijani Futball (soccer for those Americans reading this) in Xaҁmaz. Girls and Women in Azerbaijan do not do this, so it was a big step to be asked to play, and even bigger to be invited back. (All those years in the pewees paid off) So we were split on separate teams, and played 6 on 6 for 2 hours straight, no breaks and no subs. It was honestly awesome, although every muscle in my body has been screaming at me for days.